New car - 2015 build - ix35 -Just curious now!

[elkay]

Hi all,
Looking at purchasing a new car to replace 2001 Laser which I have had for 15 years which has 260,000 on it.  Would like to buy new and keep it until it drops.  Have had most of my cars for 15-20 years each or more.  Some new some secondhand.  Saw a new ix35 2015 build for $22K, for those with the knowledge can you help me understand what happens to the vehicle during the time 2015 - end of 2016 before it is sold.
Does it sit around with fuel and oil in it? Does anyone run the engine in the mean time? Are the batteries recharged? Depending upon exactly when it was built in 2015 it could potentially be almost 2 years old down to 1 year old. Do the tyres end up flat on the bottom because it has be in the same position all this time. What are the potential issues with making a purchase of this type? Seeing the ix35 for sale this week started me thinking and I am now curious about what happens to these vehicles pre purchase.
Be very interested in your comments.
Cheers Elkay

[D4D]

If the car was imported when it was built and not used as a demo, typically they sit in the lot gathering dust. It will have limited fuel in it and when they need to move it they'll jump start it. The other option is it has been sitting at the manufacturers lot overseas and only imported recently, same deal will apply as to what has happened to it. Check the build plate for the build date and the compliance plate for the import date, this will also give you the build month so you know exactly how old it is. Given it is 2017 in a week, I'd want to be paying the top end of red book 2nd hand value, as soon as you drive it off the lot it's a 2 year old car. I was stung like that once Feb compliance plate, but November build date. They sold it to me at the compliance date and traded it at the build date, i.e. a year older.

[GeoffA]

.......They sold it to me at the compliance date and traded it at the build date, i.e. a year older.

Yes, dealers are very flexible like that........

[elkay]

Thanks D4D, appreciate your knowledge and experience and I will do as you suggest and have a look at the Red book.  I understand the build and compliance dates and the differences and that the vehicle could be up to 2 years old. It is something I hadn't thought much about before. Other than the potential resale issues about age, would there be any other issues given it has just sat around for quite a while, not driven, not stared much in what could be 2 years? Is the battery on its way out, could it fail shortly after sale? When does the warranty start on a battery? What would the small amount of fuel be like in the car for that long?
All these questions are now coming up.

Now I will do a bit of research to quieten the cat.
Cheers Elkay

[D4D]

Warranty starts from date of first sale, so you'll be covered there. Battery is probably rooted, ask for a new one in the deal, not covered by warranty. You could also ask for a new set of tyres. Full tank of fuel should sort out the stale fuel.

I'd say it really depends how keen they're to offload it. If it's been at the dealer all that time they'll want to get rid of it asap. If it's been recently imported then not much chance of bargaining. Work out what you want to spend on it, take some more off, then go in with that number. Be prepared to walk if they say no, leave your phone number and say call me if you want to sell it at my price.

As a point of interest, there are huge stock piles of cars, hence why you are starting to see new earlier year cars hitting the market, I've been hearing Peugeot ads selling 2015 cars. It is a buyers market and with the year roll over, you should be able to crack a ripper deal if you're prepared to bargain and not take no for an answer. Find the youngest, keenest looking sales guy in the yard and use that to your advantage. It's a game, I quite enjoy it actually.

[elkay]

Have had a look at RedBook.
Manual new in 2015 was sold for $26990
Valuation now 19500 - 21600
Trade in 15500 - 17600

So $22 may not be such a great price.
Great idea re battery, tyres fuel etc and I am quite willing to walk away as buying it is not set in concrete, it is more that it started me thinking about the potential problems in making a purchase of this sort.

There are many brands having run out sales at the moment and the build dates of the vehicles varies considerably.

Obviously it would be great to get the youngest car at the best price possible.

I have created a couple of spreadsheets with SUV's on one and smaller cars on another for comparison, price, build, and the usual length, width, height, tare, wheel size, type, transmission, engine size, power, torque P-W ratio etc so I can compare to my old current Laser and get a feel for the size of them all.  I take this spreadsheet with me so when just trying on a car for size I can get my head around the various details.

There are other criteria in making the decision as well, mostly where the touch screen display is located, some are very low making checking the navigation difficult and another main one is that due to my being vertically challenged the headrests are in very different positions some cars discounted purely on that. Then there is the end of the bonnet.... where is it as most cars now have sloping bonnets.

So you can see why I need a spreadsheet lol.

Appreciate all your comments.  Is there anything else I should consider?

Cheers Elkay

[D4D]

I'd try and get an overnight test drive, driving around the block at the dealership with the sales guy is not a true indication of what driving the car will be like. Pick it up at close of business and drop it off first thing. Drive it home on roads you know and when in the garage play with all the buttons. 9 times out of 10, this will result in you buying the car unless there is something very obviously wrong with it.

Oh and I'd start at $20K flat, go to $20,500 with new battery, tank of fuel, mats, tint etc.

[gronk]

Seeing as you want to buy new, and keep it till it drops, ( and personally I don't like to buy brand new any more ),  I'd be more inclined to pay extra for the replacement for the ix35, the Tuscan, and look at a demo. Much better car, especially the auto diesel.

If you really want a 2yr old "new" car, engine wise it will be fine, but I would ask for a new battery at the least. Oiland filter change straight away as well.

Has it been sitting around for up to 2yrs under cover, or out in a yard ?  Other than white, metallic duco may be already showing signs of "aging" ?

[Nomad]

Oh and I'd start at $20K flat, go to $20,500 with new battery, tank of fuel, mats, tint etc.

Leave it until 27 December and go in at $19k. then bargain upto 20k with the above thrown in.
They'll do the deal because its end of month as well as end of year.

Put the timimg on them, tell em you have another deal with a different dealer that you're happy to take, but your talking to this guy only because you like this car a little bit better............

If you don't have the sales guy running back and forth between you and the sales manager then your paying to much.

Cheers

[D4D]

If you don't have the sales guy running back and forth between you and the sales manager then your paying to much.

x2, I love watching that

[DrewXT]

x2, I love watching that

I make it clear from the start that if the salesman I'm dealing with can't deal the deal on his own, then I'll buy my new vehicle somewhere the salesman is allowed to make the call...

You get some amazing deals that way... Knocked $8k off the price of the wife's Alltrack because I scored a junior salesman on a Sunday afternoon about 10 minutes before closing...

And the car hadn't been manufactured at that stage... So was a brand new car...  Later found out they registered it as a dealer demo for 1 day while it was still on the ship so they for a factory rebate on it... LOL

The dealer rarely loses...

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[elkay]

Thanks everyone, your advice is invaluable.

The only reason I want new is because I have had secondhand in the past and despite knowing the history of the car and the owner ended up with a huge and very expensive lemon. On the other hand the Laser I have has been brilliant and I purchased that when it was a year old, also knowing its history.

I agree with getting the right dealer makes a huge difference and I also do the haggle with the price.

Very much dislike dealers who put down other dealers/cars/brands - no need to do that if you are a good salesperson.
Puts me off going back to that dealer.

Having a few days off over Christmas so maybe do a few test drives.

Don't really need or want a 2 year old new car, its just that seeing it made me think a bit more about it and then needed to know the answers lol. 

MySwaggers always know the answers or where to go to get them.

Cheers Lesley

[#jonesy]

Apart from build and compliance date you also have model year. MY2017 is the current year for a lot of not all cars on the market. Often swaps mid year to next years model so difference can be major or sometimes subtle variations on cars moult
Months apart on the same year.

[elkay]

It can be very confusing the way the sales are advertising and with all the different models, build dates, compliance dates etc one needs to be on the ball to make sure the vehicle is the one that is wanted.  It would be very easy if one didn't pay attention to purchase the wrong spec car.

[D4D]

It can be very confusing the way the sales are advertising and with all the different models, build dates, compliance dates etc one needs to be on the ball to make sure the vehicle is the one that is wanted.  It would be very easy if one didn't pay attention to purchase the wrong spec car.

If I can't eyeball the vehicle, I get the build month & year (not compliance date) written on the contract of sale. That way I can walk away if the vehicle turns up and it is not what the sales guy said it was.

[elkay]

That is a great idea regardless of which car is purchased.  Great way to identify the vehicle.