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What Car? Magazine Online is the UK's best source of expert, impartial advice on all aspects of buying, owning and selling cars.
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How to deal with car salesmen: part two
In part one of our masterclass on how to beat car sales tactics we covered how dealers will tell you discounts aren't available, when they are, and how they use time limits to pressurise you into making a decision.
Here we're going to look at two other tricks and techniques designed to put you onto the back foot.
One of the tricks is very timely, the other is an old chestnut, but with both we'll show you how you can stay in the driving seat of the negotiations.
Tactic three ? 'We're very busy at the moment, so we don't need to discount'
March and September are certainly the busiest two months of the year, because the new registration plates are released and buyers swarm to dealerships.
You may find that a salesman tells you that he has buyers queued up around the block and that he can pick and choose his customers and cut back discounts to the bone as a result.
Just because a showroom's busy, it doesn't mean they can afford to turn your valuable business away.
In fact, if a dealership is close to a sales target you might find the sales staff willing to offer an even bigger discount than usual to hit the target and release a large bonus payment to them.
It's worth playing a waiting game and trying your luck towards the ends of these months, then, to see if a dealer is wiling to bite your arm off.
Even if they aren't, the usual discounts apply no matter how busy it is, so use the What Car? Target Price, stick to your guns and don't pay over the odds.
Tactic four ? 'I'll check with my boss and see what he can do'
This is called second-facing. It's when you reach a point in negotiations where the person you're dealing with says they're not authorised to discount as much as you're asking and they'll need to check with their boss instead.
They'll probably tell you they're doing it as a special favour, just for you. They'll do it to try and earn some extra trust, getting you on their side against the sales director, but still charging more than you should be paying.
The chances are that when they disappear for 10 minutes to talk to the chief they'll just be having a cup of tea and leaving you to stew.
The moment it happens, politely ask to start dealing directly with the top man, or woman, who holds all the cards and decides the most that can be sliced off the list price.
If you keep the middleman between you and the decision maker, they might continue to disappear and drag negotiations out until you're desperate to get things finalised.
Keeping negotiations face-to-face and between just two people ? you and the boss ? will speed things up and should get you a better deal.
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Nissan to unveil Townpod concept
A new Nissan electric concept car will make its debut at the Paris motor show at the end of this month.
It will be called the Townpod and shows one way in which Nissan could expand its line-up of zero-emission vehicles.
According to the company, the concept car combines 'eye-catching design with a spacious and practical interior' and is 'more than just a car and more than just a van.'
They say it will be aimed at 'a future generation of home-based, innovative entrepreneurs who are creative and tech-savvy.'
However, beyond that, just about all that the company has confirmed about the car so far is its name.
That suggests it will be smaller than the Leaf, and that it will be intended primarily for town use. However, the company is yet to say exactly how big it will be, or how many seats it will have.
As yet, there is not even a photograph of the whole car. All Nissan has released is this picture of one of its lights.
We'll see the actual vehicle in three weeks' time, when it is unveiled at the Paris motor show, and where it will appear alongside the Leaf (which Nissan has just started to take orders for), as well as the new Micra and Juke, and the revised version of the X-Trail 4x4.
Nissan expects to build five electric cars over the next four years. Following the Leaf and this small commercial vehicle there will also be a city car and two further yet-to-be-confirmed electric cars.
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What Car? in Future Car Challenge
The latest in electric, hybrid and high-efficiency petrol and diesel technology will join the oldest of cars in an expanded London to Brighton event this November.
In the inaugural Future Car Challenge, which is part-sponsored by What Car?, 40-50 cars packed with cutting-edge technology take on the famous 60-mile route on Saturday, November 6.
The cars will run in the opposite direction to the following day's veteran car rally for vehicles from 1905 or before. The event will be judged on how little energy the new cars use to make the journey from coast to capital.
It's hoped that the Brighton to London run, which will be held each year, will help the public become familiar with the new era of technology.
What Car? will be taking part in the run, which will include a host of cars such as VW Bluemotion models, Gordon Murray's T.25, hybrids such as the Toyota Auris, and electric cars such as the Tesla Roadster.
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Audi R8 Spyder gets V8 power
Audi's R8 Spyder supercar will now be available with a V8 engine.
The 4.2-litre unit, which joins the existing V10, is a revised version of the one already used in the R8 coupe and develops 424bhp. It?s enough to power the Spyder from 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 186mph.
It comes with the choice of two six-speed gearboxes, either a manual or a semi-automatic R tronic, with the complete package costing £95,545 and £100,855 respectively.
Both versions will go on sale alongside the existing 518bhp V10-powered car, which ? at £112,500 ? costs about £7000 more than the V8 model.
The standard specification on the V8 Spyder mirrors that of the V8 Coupe, but with the addition of metallic paint, and heated and electrically adjusted seats. It also extends to Bluetooth phone preparation, which includes seatbelt-mounted microphones, which Audi says make it possible to hold a conversation even with the top down on the motorway.
Like the V10 car, the V8 model has an electrically operated hood, which can be lowered in 19 seconds at speeds of up to 31mph.
The car is available to order now, with first deliveries to customers in January next year.
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New engines for Saab 9-3 and 9-5 ranges
Saab has introduced a host of new and revised engines to its 9-3 and 9-5 line-ups.
The recently launched 9-5 gains two new engines, while the new units in the 9-3 range bring major cuts in emissions and running costs.
New for the 9-5
New to the 9-5 is a 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine. The new unit comes with Vector SE and Aero trims, with average economy of 47.1mpg and CO2 emissions of 159g/km, and gives Saab buyers the option of the company?s XWD four-wheel-drive system with a diesel engine for the first time.
Also joining the 9-5 range is a 177bhp turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine, which is available only with Vector SE trim. This gives a 0-60mph time of 9.5 seconds, as well as average economy of 36.2mpg and 179g/km CO2 emissions.
9-3 Range
Meanwhile, the 9-3 benefits from revisions to its diesel engine range that bring an average rise in economy of 12%.
There are now three versions of the 1.9-litre engine to choose from, with 128-, 158- and 178bhp. In the saloon, the least powerful of these does average economy of 62.8mpg and emits just 119g/km of CO2.
Those figures make it the cleanest-ever Saab and represent a considerable improvement on the TiD 120 engine it replaces, bringing big benefits for company car users and private owners alike.
At the same time, Saab has also revised the petrol engine range ? bringing average cuts of 7% in economy and emissions ? while equipment levels have also improved across the range. All 9-3 models now come with Bluetooth and heated front seats as standard, as well as gearchange indicator to encourage more economical driving.
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