Part-Exchange Values - Why Do Garages Continually Try It On?

I think you need to catch them at the right time and dont get hung up over the trade in value, its the cost to change that matters. One dealer offering a low PX may be able to knock more of the car you want.

I had an Opel Zafira (badged as VX everywhere bar engine and steering wheel) as a trade in for an X-trail. Some dealers offered 6.8k thinking it was a UK spec vehicle but then 4k once they knew it was an import. I test drove an older 112bhp Xtrail from Arnold Clark and had a call from them later that week. He said he was chasing up potential sales. I said, I was ideally looking for the newer 136bhp version and I ought to make him aware that the Zafira was an import.

About an hour later he called me back, they had a car in group stock that matched what I wanted and offered me 7K for my Zafira, £200 more than others were offering as a UK car.

It was at the end of the quarter, just before Xmas so the timing was obviously just right for that dealer/salesman/targets.

Steve