How to haggle when buying a car According to Autotrader's research into haggling, men negotiate an average of £323 more off their car's price than women. Now-defunct US motor maker Saturn set itself up in the mid-1980s as a "new kind of car company" renowned for its no-haggle policy. The result was 63 per cent of its customers were women. Car makers here aren't allowed to make such bold claims, but in the build-up to budget brand Dacia's launch in the UK in January 2013, the company was keen to point out its "clear and straightforward" pricing policy and suggested that the price you see would be the price you pay, with no room for negotiation. Be informed Before you visit a dealership you need to be armed with as much information as possible to back up your assertion that the model you're interested in is overpriced. For a new car, check if it's about to be superseded by either an all-new or mid-life "facelift" model. I remember reading a magazine feature where a reporter visited a series of dealerships asking if a specific model that was about to be replaced with a new version was on the way out. Only a very small percentage of sales staff told the truth, perhaps unsurprisingly. Check the manufacturer websites, too. Some are quite explicit about the money being knocked off in the form of "contributions." But if the car you're after has a significant discount advertised, don't be afraid to ask the dealer for more. They will have a margin on top of the maker's, albeit possibly a slender one. For a used car, try to find out how long a trader's had it. The longer thatt is, the more receptive they'll be to a deal. Consider its colour and equipment, too. Is it desirable red, or vibrant pink? And is it the only car of its type you've ever seen not to have alloy wheels, electric windows and air-con? They are all items owners of other models will have paid extra for, so are negotiating points on the price. Taking a thorough test drive followed by an even more thorough examination of both the car (preferably by a professional) and its paperwork will likely throw up some more bargaining chips. Damage and potential repairs have an attributable cost that can come off the asking price. Missing documents make the car's history less certain, providing another bargaining point. If the car's road tax and MoT are about to need renewing, they are another negotiating tool. If the owner won't come down on the price enough, suggest they put it through an MoT test you. Not only is it saving you the cost of the test, it's saving you the price of potentially expensive repairs.