Prepare to be ruthless when buying a new car

Along with my official duties as a member of the Auto Express team, I’m also the unofficial go-to car guru for family, friends, friends of friends, acquaintances, passers-by, and pretty much everyone else who has a remote idea of what I do for a living. I’m always happy to help, but a recent encounter has left me feeling a little perturbed.

In the same week, I was approached by my partner’s best friend and one of my old university lecturers – two people I was more than willing to assist with car buying (especially when they admitted that their know-how was somewhat limited). 

One had sadly seen their beloved Vauxhall Corsa written off due to a distracted lorry driver (thankfully nobody was injured), while the other needed a replacement for their trusty but ageing Citroen Xsara Picasso. After a bit of discussion, as well as a few test drives, they respectively decided on a Vauxhall Crossland and a Volvo XC40. So far so good. 

However, once it was time to talk money, a dealer sensed one of my car-buying apprentice's knowledge-gaps and used it as an opportunity to pile on the pressure. When I received a panicked phone call regarding the Crossland, I was troubled to hear: “I need to put the deposit down today because the salesperson has to meet a target”. 

My advice to the Crossland buyer at that moment is the same advice I’m going to give you right now: if a seller is piling on too much pressure, hold your ground and say no, or simply walk away. Either way, their targets are simply not your problem. 

Maybe I sound a bit harsh, but please hear me out. Salespeople and dealerships have targets to meet, and this concept isn’t an issue, nor would I ever dream of preventing someone from achieving some kind of bonus to help pay the bills. 

However, what I can’t tolerate is guilt-tripping and ultimately piling unacceptable levels of pressure on a buyer – especially one who’s anxious about handing over thousands of pounds. 

Whether it’s a deposit you’re not certain about, a finance contract that’s unsuitable, or anything else you don’t wish to fork out on, never be afraid to say no to a salesperson, no matter how insistent they might be. 

The good news is that my Crossland buyer walked away and ended up with a better example at a different dealership.

In the majority of cases, your buying experience will be stress-free, and the salesperson will be professional and polite. However, if for any reason you feel uncomfortable, please don’t be afraid to say no or even walk away. It’s your money and your decision. Of course, for the smoothest buying experience you can always use our Auto Express Find a Car service.

Take the faff our of buying a car! Our  dealer network has some fantastic cars on offer right now with new, used and leasing deals to choose from...