What Is a Dealer Demo Car?
These not-quite-used vehicles can offer good value and a full warranty.
Manuel Carrillo III | Capital One
QuickTakes:
Here's a little secret: Not all cars at a dealership are new, and not all are used. That might sound a bit confusing, but it's perhaps the best way to describe the concept of a dealer demo (short for demonstrator) car.
Before you consider buying one, these details on demos can help you understand what to expect.
Why Do Dealers Stock Demo Cars?
Even in a hot car market, many car buyers still insist on test-driving a vehicle before purchasing. In some cases, it can be impractical for a dealership to stock multiple test-drive automobiles. Some customers might want to spend an extended period with a vehicle (such as keeping it overnight) before buying. Then there are the popular models that don't stay on the lot long enough for a test drive.
A dealer demo (sometimes called a manager's demo) can help solve these problems by acting as the designated test ride for customers. Not only do demos help keep miles off of existing inventory, but they can also be put on loan for extended periods without impacting sales.
Demos further allow a dealer to order a single example of a hot-ticket vehicle that they can dedicate on the lot for a test drive. Sometimes managers' demos are also driven by dealership staff, either as a perk or as part of carrying out their daily duties.
A demo is not a traditional rental car, though some may be used as loaners for service-department customers.
How Do Dealers Price Their Demos Cars?
Once they've served their purpose, dealer demos are destined to be sold, making them different from traditional new cars.
Like a new vehicle, most dealer demos are not titled. Unlike a new vehicle, however, a demo car may show wear and tear from test-driving mileage. Some brands even require that dealers keep demos in service for a specific period of time before selling them, which means it's unlikely you'll find a demo without at least a few hundred miles.
This puts dealer demos in a unique category between new and used. These cars usually have less mileage than used vehicles but more mileage than new vehicles, whose odometers generally show only the trip required to transport them from the factory to the dealership. As a result, a demo's pricing is often lower than that of a new-car counterpart.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Dealer Demos?
Demos represent a chance to score a vehicle that might be in short supply or snag an attractive discount below the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Some dealer demo warranties don't start until the vehicles are sold to their first owner, giving them an advantage over a typical used car. There are automakers, however, that consider a demo vehicle as put in service, which starts the clock on the warranty before registration.
Since a potentially long list of customers have driven these vehicles before your purchase, the cars might have mechanical issues. It's a good idea to ask the dealer to perform a full inspection before purchase so you can use any existing defects as potential bargaining points when negotiating the price.
