[fiordland]

If its any help I got 33.8k for the SP23 hatch with MP3 player, tint, mats, headlight protector, prem plates and a trade in which I'm very pleased with.

You can haggle until your blue in the face, however it will be best to be realistic. Its a class leader which dumps all over even the German marques in this size range, if it had a volkwagen label they'd be wanting 50k.

My mates Audi A4 is only the same size interior with a measly mid 90's kilowatt 2 litre with leather at no change out of 60k and the 3 series is no bigger for the same price.

I was quite happy to take the hit in price for what is astounding quality and by the way I recommend Nick at Mazda Waterloo, Sydney. I'm a tough bargainer and I can sincerely say the sales manager there is a true professional, subsequently they are the best dealer to deal with in Sydney in my opinion.

 

[fiordland]

I've been in sales myself and I think that approach will definitely work at times but may leave the dealership team resentful. I think rather than being confrontational its best to gauge the price with a couple of visits to various dealers and shortlist the one that is in the ballpark and has the most professional sales team. Making them comfortable they can trust you are serious if they are serious is perhaps the win/win solution. They'll be keener to move on price or accessories if they have a positive feel about you as a customer. I know when I deal with abrasive customers I'm far less eager to go that extra mile.

At the moment you'll only see minor, trivial fluctuations in price and threatening the dealership is more likely to see you just be given a benchmark package rather than their best. What I'd be aiming for is a few accessories added in, after sales service such as warranty tweaking.

I have dealt in the past with a dealer that decided to take my custom for granted at the sales manager level, the person appeared to have lost track of who was the customer and who was the seller, probably to long in the job. They made it clear they didn't believe what I said regarding an ad by another dealer even with written evidence or didn't care what I said, either which way it was infuriating. As a result they are no longer servicing my vehicle or selling me Mazda's. Its a pity as the sales rep I normally dealt with was away at the time and I have a high respect for.

 

[fiordland]

There are good and bad salespeople. Its important to know who/what you are dealing with. Even within a dealership some may be good and some may be bad.

There are a couple of rules of engagement, such as;

Make sure you choose the salesperson you want, not the other way around. The best way to do this is by making a couple of phone calls to various dealers, while your chatting you'll get some idea about their personality. If there are any warning signs its then easy to terminate contact.

Now it's time to ask another series of questions about your salesperson:

Were you treated with respect?
Do you trust this salesperson to be open and honest when arranging the sale of this car?
If a disagreement arises, will you feel comfortable voicing your concern?
Was the salesperson listening to my needs? Or was he trying to sell me the car he wanted to move?

If you feel pleased after test-driving this salesperson, it's time to take the plunge and arrange a visit to test drive the actual car. During this time there is nothing wrong with making it clear that you want to know their best overall deal possible and you'll from there make a decision on shortlisting the best combination of car/manufacturer & dealership.

This makes them aware that you intend doing your homework, don't have a slavish devotion to buying their model and are not to be treated lightly.

Even if your mad about the car don't let the dealer know under any circumstance until after you've purchased it.

Other important notes are;

1. Dealers have monthly targets. At the start of the month they're least likely to negotiate.

2. Manufacturers want new cars to be selling strongly with good reviews, they incent their sales team in the first couple of months not to move on list price and to instead offer trade in's and accessories.

3. Don't buy a new car manufactured last year from a dealer under any circumstances unless you've been offered a compensatory discount.

As you work toward completing the deal, your early decisions about selecting a salesperson should make it a stress-free, enjoyable experience. And why not? There are some great salespeople out there.