[blackwasp]

For most Indian customers, a discount has become like a birthright . Not only do we expect a discount on an existing / old model, but we will even ask for the same on hot new launches like the Sonet or Thar.

But what if the car is well-priced to start with? Would you buy a car with zero discounts then? Or do you absolutely need that sweetener? And if you are good at bargaining, please share details of your experience, tactics used and the discount amount you managed .

Barring cars that are in high demand, most dealers will sweeten the deal for customers by throwing in discounts and / or freebies like mats, mud flaps or a parking cover etc.



From my time working as a sales executive in a Maruti dealership, I have realized that 99% of customers expect to negotiate either for the price (cash discount) or for some freebies. But I have observed over time that car dealerships now offer freebies on new cars as well to close the deal - this could include an exchange bonus, corporate discount, loan offers, or things like a service plan, some accessories etc.

Have you ever considered buying (or bought) a car at its list price? I'm sure many BHPians would have lined up for new launches when there would be no offers on the car. Early adopters of new models usually end up buying the car at the manufacturer's list price.

Must-read thread: A car salesman's life

[GTO]

Voted for yes, as long as:

- I really love the car

And

- It is well-priced

Negotiating is like pulling teeth for me - I hate, detest, abhor the process. When it comes to negotiating, I usually hand things over to my kid brother who can knock off prices like you wouldn't imagine. Guess he picked up from my late Dad who was an excellent negotiator.

My sole strategy of negotiating (and an effective one) is to pit multiple dealers against each other for my business. But again, I hate the process and have absolutely zero patience for the process. On a related note, I must add that I love " fixed price" shops.

If we go by the pricing of luxury cars in India and how one easily gets 5 - 10 lakh rupee discounts, it would appear that the price list of Mercedes / BMW / Audi is merely a "suggestion". Was discussing Audi's woes with an industry insider and he shared this joke. Prefers to stay anonymous.

[Eddy]

Hain? Why not?

The net price I pay finally is what matters - with or without a discount.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by Eddy

The net price I pay finally is what matters - with or without a discount.

+1

The net price and the net value for money matters. Been there done that!

If a new car selling at 100% price is better than another one selling at 50% discount, I wouldn't care about the discount. I started exploring a new car purchase when BS4 was being phased out, with a hope of getting good deals on BS4 cars. I did come across very good deals, as much as 10-15% off on the ex-showroom price, that too on popular models. But in the end, I bought something which had zilch discount because it appealed the most to me.

[CEF_Beasts]

Voted Yes,

If one finds a car perfect and can afford it then no doubt he will buy it even without discounts! Have been a Toyota customer for 15 years now and ask an SA about discounts and he will look at you as if some fool has entered his dealership but then for us as a family peace of mind and reliability is a top priority and that’s where Toyota matters so have bought cars from them without discount. Another example is the Creta, Seltos and Sonet selling in high numbers without discounts.

In case of our Creta we had bought it after the GST price reduction and still got a 30K discount on the car even when the facelifted 2018 was still some time away, unheard of for a Creta.

[neo_narender]

Voted No.

I believe that brand new cars are overpriced as is and it never hurts to ask for a discount. If one gets a quote lesser than what's listed, that would be like icing on the cake. But I hate bargaining. I take someone to do that for me. If in the case of a hot new release, I would anyhow wait for the Team-BHP review & a few ownership reviews before deciding to buy one. By that time the hotness slightly dulls down & can get a few discounts too.

Ironic to my vote, I had bought a brand new car (2017 Nissan Versa SV) without even asking for a discount, as I did all the process by myself. I was just concerned about PDI & if all the documents were in order. So I was sold the car at the listing price on the quotation. Now that I think about it, I would have gotten it way cheaper as I believe it was not a very popular model in the USA.

Neo

[Dr.AD]

Yes, definitely.

If I really love the car and if it is indeed the perfect car for my needs, I will buy it at the full price (of course, assuming I could afford it in the first place; else this whole discussion is moot). The discount is merely a psychological trick, and what matters is the final price I am paying. Whether it is 100% of the genuine asking price or 90% of the already inflated asking price does not matter in the end.

Why just new car? In my latest used car purchase, I really loved that particular car (it was in exactly my choice of color combination too), and based on my own market research, I was convinced that the asking price was more or less the right price. So I bought it in one day without waiting for further discounts.

This is what I often jokingly say in my friends circle: "Are you looking for a good car or a good deal? I am usually looking for a good car".

[rajshenoy]

In our industry, a car can(well mostly) sell for zero discount when it is a brand new launch(or a new generation). May be i am not used to putting all my money on a car which is untested, so i usually end up waiting for some ownership feedback on niggles/issues etc so as to make informed decision.

On the other hand, I also avoid cars with hefty discounts which probably indicate the car being discontinued OR not being popular model.

[libranof1987]

Given that discounts are fairly subjective and often depend on intangibles (that you can't always quantify), the entire discussion on getting a discount on something you're about to buy is often irrational. It ends up being more about pleasing your ego, than a logical conversation.

I'd never not buy a new car, or anything for that matter, just because there's no discount. If the product is good and I can afford it, I'd buy it. But if the product is available at a discounted price (Thank God for the internet!), I'd expect that than paying a higher price because all it takes is asking for a discount.

[somspaple]

[Couldn't Vote! ]

Right now I'm in such a situation - considering a four wheeler at a maxed out budget of 9 lakhs INR for my in-laws. And all the good options have no discounts whatsoever :

1. Nexon - Excellent package considering the safety kit on offer - and XM variant which I was eyeing is priced at 9.6 lakhs and there are no discounts. SA offered he can get some discount on Insurance front and that's it! And we might go with it despite the difference considering most these prices are only going to go up next year.

2. Rapid Rider+ - Again superb offering at the price. Most of the features available by default are otherwise available only from mid+ variants in other cars. Simply no discounts on offer! [But we may not consider it as the vehicle will be used in Tier 2 city and getting service/support might be a challenge.]

3. Sonet- Under consideration as it is new and popular compact SUV at the moment. Personally I like the looks of Nexon over Sonet. In this case forget discounts, if you get an early allocation that itself is an achievement. SAs are simply overwhelmed with all the enquiries and bookings they are receiving.

So the answer to the question is Yes in this situation. But if you had asked me this question last year, I would've replied No! I bought my Verna after lot of haggling and searching for the best deal. So a lot depends on what car you are looking to buy. If the car in question is not a favorite with the masses, chances of getting discount are good.

[BlackPearl]

Definitely yes, I have done that as well. When I bought the Bolero LX 4x4, it was not a new launch but was built only on order. There was no discount and it felt like Mahindra was doing me a favour by taking the order. But I saw tremendous value in the vehicle and went ahead, no regrets till date.

As GTO has mentioned, I too like fixed price shops as I am very bad at negotiating, can't even negotiate on pre-owned cars! I did not get a single pound off on the pre-owned Mini Cooper and the Range Rover Sport!

[sreejithkk]

Voted Yes.
It depends on the model, how the price fare to its competitor, and age of the particular model.
I had bought my WagonR in 2007 with the manufacture provided discounts and then some freebies from dealer like MP3 player, basic accessories, underbody coating etc.

However I bought my Ertiga in 2019 February with zero discounts. The model was pretty new then and high on demand. Also there was no direct competition for the same at that time, in the same price range (Where us when I bought Wagon R, the Maruti Dealer and Hyundai dealer (For Santro) was offering me discounts to get the sale)

[for_cars1]

As far as actions are concerned, the last two purchases both from Honda stable have been without any discounts whatsoever. In both instances these were newly launched models and that was what the dealership insisted upon - these are just launched and hence we can't give discounts.

Personally I hate bargaining and based on my past actions, I have voted for as Yes.

But going forward, I'm definitely going to secure a discount for the next car purchase.

[Nalin1]

Yes!. Definitely will buy without any discount.

But not without even attempting to get some discount . Some negotiation skills and extra talking/waiting is required which is absolutely fine as we don't buy cars everyday.

But yes, never close the deal without even attempting to try and squeeze out something in terms of either the price or some freebies. Pricing has gone through the roof these days. Why not make attempts from our side to pull them down?

[1.2TSI7DSG]

Been there during my GT TSI purchase
0 discounts on the car in 2013 - but that's on the ex-showroom. Managed to get other stuff on my own (overpriced insurance & accessories).