Buying a car at the Bangkok Motor Show

[westsail]

What is the incentive for purchasing a car at the annual Motor Show rather than buying from a dealer?  Do you get a discount off the list price, or free options thrown in? Can you take delivery in your home province (Phuket in my case) or do you have to pick up the car in Bangkok?

I am probably looking to buy a Honda HRV base model e:HEV E listing for 979k.

I would especially like to hear from people who have bought at the auto show in the past.

 

[AustinRacing]

We tried that a couple of years ago. In our case the special deal was interest free for 5 years and the usual accessories such as tinting, floor mats etc. However we found out the deal was offered by the company to all dealers. Therefore there was no specials exclusive to the Motor Show. Regarding delivery they will charge you for it. Basically a local Honda dealership has been chosen to be at the show by paying a price. So you’ll buy from a dealership and not the parent company. I could be wrong but I believe it will be cheaper to buy in Phuket. 

[twizzian]

Better to bargain at the dealers, go to a few, get all the offers and accessories thrown in and written down, and then go to another dealer or two & ask them to better it. I doubt you’ll get cash off from any new car though, it’s all about freebies.

[Kinnock]

The manufacturer/main importer pays for the stand at the show, then dealers pay to have their sales teams working at the stand.  There will mainly be Bangkok/Central region dealers, but often the franchises will cover other regions.

 

The sales people are on commission and they will also have tough targets to meet with bonuses.

 

In addition there's a finance company supporting the dealers who's keen to get customers.  The 0% deals are often funded by the manufacturer, but they still want more customers as defaults and loan e,tensions create profit opportunities.

 

So the dealers are keen to make enough sales to make their fee worthwhile, the sales people are chasing bonus targets and the finance company is pushing from behind.

 

To help it all along, the dealers give the sales people the authority for discounts and incentives.

 

This creates an opportunity for skilled buyers who are good at bargaining and who can hold out for the best deal.

 

The size of the dealers often depends on the demand for the car.  So discounts and freebies will be minimal on the latest Toyota model, but higher on models that are sitting in dealer car parks waiting to be sold.

 

If you visit a dealer during the motorshow time, they will often advise you to go to the show for the best deal.

 

[Will B Good]

I'd go to a dealer.......then at least you know where they are re warranty problems, maintenance, support etc. 

[digbeth]

there's an incentive from corporate to have certain numbers of deposit taken at the show to count as a sale, so they might work harder , offer more for your money

 

it only works if the dealer the sales person you got paired with at the show is in convenient reach, say in Bangkok, as at least you'll have to be there for the delivery, red/white plate swap, you can arrange for transport to your home of course but that might cost, 

sales side of the dealer really don't have much say in service department so if the brand is good you just go to the dealer closer to home for service, unless it's troublesome warranty issue the being the car you bought from them might get better chance at claiming certain things on warranty

[n8sail]

Girlfriend bought a car at the show last spring in BKK.  I think she got a better financing deal.  If I recall MG would have brought it to our local dealership for free, however she picked it up in-person.  For me, the best part about it was being able to see every single manufacturer all in a couple hours time.  For someone like the OP who knows exactly what they want already, I'd probably just buy locally as I don't think she really saved that much money in the end.  Red plate swap etc was all done at local dealership.

 

The sales guy was indeed pushy, but was very polite.  All in all, not a bad experience.  I bought my car at the local dealership and it was pretty much the same but I didn't have to drive all the way to BKK.

[ujayujay]

Go to the nearest Honda Main Branch! Better Bargain than on Motor Show. The Motor show special discounts were once and are Myth!

[In Full Agreement]

3 hours ago, twizzian said:

Better to bargain at the dealers, go to a few, get all the offers and accessories thrown in and written down, and then go to another dealer or two & ask them to better it. I doubt you’ll get cash off from any new car though, it’s all about freebies.

 

 

I found even walking away doesn't seem to bother the dealership when it comes to sweetening the deal.

 

I always thought if you have to pay for or buy something get the item you want that it really isn't a freebie.

 

 

[DavisH]

If yo are in Bangkok go to a few dealers at first and see what they can offer. Then go to the motor show (try the last day or two of the show) - they want to capture a few more sales before the show ends. See if they can match or better the dealers offer. 

You may get a better deal in a Bangkok dealer than one up country. When we bought our CRV, we got a better deal in Nonthaburi than in Ratchaburi (despite the fact that the owner of the Ratchaburi dealer is an old school friend of my wife). 

[In Full Agreement]

On 7/17/2024 at 9:12 AM, Will B Good said:

I'd go to a dealer.......then at least you know where they are re warranty problems, maintenance, support etc. 

 

 

I thought the warranty is honored at all dealerships.

[Will B Good]

11 hours ago, In Full Agreement said:

 

 

I thought the warranty is honored at all dealerships.

Yes, but we've found it is advisable to build a 'relationship' of sorts with our dealer to try and ensure better service.

[westsail]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.  I think I'll save myself a trip to Bangkok unless we have another reason to go there around the time of the Motor Show.