macliam

Hmmm, that sounds very unlikely, given the tax on cars in Portugal. A base-model SEAT Ateca is under €22k in Spain but €26k in Portugal .... the difference is just the various taxes etc.

There's no harm negotiating, but expect to be met by a brick wall. Here, IME, they expect to tell YOU the engine type and colour and when you can expect to collect it .... they have call-off orders and are loathe to change anything. As long as you want a diesel in white or silver, you'll be fine....

I went to the main Peugeot dealer in Lisbon in June 2 years ago. Firstly I wanted a petrol version (insufficient mileage for diesel) and I wanted pearlescent paint. The quote was "If you pay the deposit today, you should have it by Xmas!!" Guess what - I didn't buy.

Given that - and the fact they have a limited number of vehicles arriving per month, I don't think you'll see the same pressures and discounting as in the UK. So, by all means try - but prepare for some very hard bargaining.

macliam

Oh - and the maximum transaction in cash allowed by law is €3000 (Law 92/2017). It is forbidden to pay or receive any payment in cash equal or higher than EUR 3.000 (or its equivalent in foreign currency). This amount is increased to EUR 10.000 (or its equivalent in foreign currency) in case of natural persons not resident in Portugal and not acting as entrepreneurs or merchants.

Business in Portugal is geared up for Multibanco payments and transfers ..... anything else is a bonus.

mfesharne

I must admit I was surprised but he's adamant he got a near identical price to the UK......... But I have to say, there's no way I'd ever buy a new car in either country because of the ridiculous depreciation made worse by the fact they all come overladen with needless technology that simply has to go wrong sometime.

The 10 fastest depreciating new cars revealed | Daily Mail Online

liveaboard

I always buy old cars too, but that's because
A) I can't afford a new car and
B), I can fix them myself.

That alters the economics a lot.
For a person who must pay for repairs, an old car is a constant financial unknown.

New cars have warranties; you know just what you'll be paying.
Also, they smell nice.

mfesharne

Guarantees expire and/or not always honoured....... give me an older vehicle with limited technology every time.

The more there is on a car the more there is to go wrong.

macliam

In my old man's words - "Automatic, all-to-buggery"

I bought a new car about 17 years ago after mine was written off. It was nice to have what I wanted, the "new car smell", cheap servicing - but most of all a full knowledge of how it had been driven, the faults etc.

However, after 14 years of very moderate driving, things started to go awry - stupid things like the window mechanism, the cambelt needed replacing (why is a time/mileage limited component so difficult to reach? Under £20 for the parts, over £300 for the total bill!), suspension components, the coils, etc. etc. Each MOT brought a new list of things to be done. So, in the end I sold it for the peanuts it was now worth..... and bought a 2nd-hand car.

Modern cars age - and age badly. Components just break down over time, regardless of usage. Better to look for a reasonable 2nd-hand and change it more often......

mfesharne

One of my cars is 35 years old & the other is 17 years old & both have cam chains not belts........ pretty much all they need is regular oil & filter changes & fuel........ The newer one does unfortunately have a turbo on it but so far (touching wood) it hasn't given any problems.

To me at least, a brand new car has to be one of the worst investments anyone can make......... but I am admittedly a tight git! lol!

gedscottish

Yes, "new car" and "investment" should never be in the same sentence.

liveaboard

Yes well; mine is 17 years old and I'll likely keep it for another decade. No salt on the roads here and it stays inside.
BUT
I'm unable to service the airbag system or the ABS brake gizmo. It's all required to work now, or at least the idiot lights have to go on and then off after a while.
Yes, of course that can be faked if you want to.
I decided I want airbags, we've never died in a car accident and I want to continue the tradition.
Only the dealer can service the airbags, and it cost me a bundle even though they let me bring in a second hand CPU for it [the new one was 700 euros!].
So even the 17 year old car can have such issues.
I'm not in the least worried about the turbo; you can slap a second hand one on for reasonable money if you have to.

mfesharne

But of course the problem with 2nd hand turbos is they're 2nd hand......... The ideal vehicle is a large naturally aspirated old school design whether petrol or diesel.

My old 5.9 V8 is reliable as hell albeit helluva thirsty. lol

liveaboard

I like turbos; I've even added one [a new one] to a vehicle that never had one before.
Second hand car, second hand parts... I put a second hand motor in my car, works ok. I've put a lot of second hand parts in cars + trucks; gear boxes, transmissions, differentials, motors, alternators, starters, just about everything. Of course new things are nice, but second hand things often have better value. Not always of course!
I had some of those V8s, repaired, rebuilt, and drove big blocks and all. Good fun, especially when you put your foot down. Cadillacs and 454 Chevy, pistons the size of buckets.
But now I prefer an efficient little turbo diesel, because I like to drive but hate to pay.

Got a big tractor though; Hyar hyar hyar

mfesharne

I guess my point about servos is that whilst they serve a purpose they're an unnecessary complication & just one more thing to go wrong...... I'm all for the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid).

Do love your tractor though.

liveaboard

Tractor is broken down at the moment, and I need it for several jobs; the starter motor has gone on strike, refuses to work.

My opinion; turbochargers are robust devices with just 1 moving part [2 if there's a waist gate]. Diesel engines run cooler that naturally aspirated. Some people complain of turbo lag but I find it barely noticeable on a street car [or truck].
Sloppy add ons and high performance mods of yesteryear have left them with a poor reputation that is undeserved. Petrol engines burn on a different principle [fuel / air mixture has to be constant] and have problems with heat, but for diesel engines turbochargers are the bees knees.

mfesharne

I appreciate they serve a purpose but they are just one more thing to go wrong...... but that said far more reliable than lots of the needless techie kak that are to be found on modern luxury cars nowadays.

Give me a car with a naturally aspirated engine, wind up windows & an ash tray any day! lol