How to save on new cars beyond EOFYS deals

Last week we looked at the end of financial year sale (EOFYS) deals across every new sports car brand in the country.

But to find further savings of between $10,000 and $100,000 – yes, that’s right – off advertised deals, we must look at demonstrator vehicles.

So the rules here are simple: the sports car must be advertised as a demo and not a used car so that you’re officially the first owner; more than one must be advertised so it is not just a one-off deal; it must be built in 2017 or 2018; and it must have fewer than 5000km showing.

And, drumroll please, the winner for the largest amount saved off a recommended retail price is the Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupe/Cabriolet with a recommended retail price of $414,426/$444,426 plus on-road costs. We found multiple examples with between 2500km and 4800km showing for $274,990 to $349,990 driveaway – a mammoth $140K-plus saving.

Large luxury cars get hit hard and immediately with the depreciation stick. A duo of Maserati Quattroporte GTS GranSport examples have 4300km showing and their $345,990 (plus orc) stickers cut to between $279,888 and 279,990 driveaway – a huge $70K-plus off.

Next up is the ballistic and brilliant Audi RS7 Performance at $257,426 (plus orc) new, chopped to between $199,990 and $214,688 driveaway with just 2100km or 50km showing. That’s a $60K-plus discount.

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Where to go from here? Well, large semi-luxury cars feel the pain too. Take the burly and likeable Lexus GS F – down from $153,351 (plus orc) to between $129,990 and $137,770 driveaway, a $25K-plus saving for examples that have travelled 900km to 2500km. Its rival, the Mercedes-AMG E43, has fallen to the same degree – from $159,611 (plus orc) to between $136,800 and $144,800 driveaway and each with 4900km showing.

Speaking of which, its sibling the C43 has been cut from $102,611 (plus orc) to between $94,990 and $98,888 driveaway with 2000km to 2300km showing for an effective $10K discount once on-roads are levelled.

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And still on AMGs, the GLA45 represents the most sizeable discount of the turbo-four compact performance models, down from $89,211 (plus orc) to between $77,900 and $78,990 driveaway with 3400km to 4300km – or $15K saved.

A rival to the C43, the BMW 340i costs $89,900 (plus orc) new, but multiple examples can be seen for between $75,990 and $79,990 driveaway with 3600km showing – for $15K-plus off. The Volvo S60 Polestar, as a classic depreciator, moves from $89,702 (plus orc) new to between $75,880 and $79,880 driveaway with just 1000km showing; likewise $15K-plus off.

But it isn’t just four-door medium-to-large cars that are down. Enter the sexy Lexus LC500, falling from $190,000 (plus orc) to $179,990 driveaway, $15K off, and with 2300km showing. There’s the excellent Jaguar F-Type 221kW 2.0-litre rear-driver, making a move from $107,012 (plus orc) down $10K to $99,990 driveaway with 1600km showing.

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The fun but flawed and otherwise overpriced Infiniti Q60 Red Sport shifts from $88,900 (plus orc) to about where it should be new – $72,990 to $78,888 driveaway with 2000km or a brand-spankers 11km showing, for a $15K discount. And the Audi TTS coupe, at $100,855 (plus orc) new, falls $10K-plus to $89,890 driveaway after 2100km.

Its sibling, the TT Sport quattro, likewise moves down $10K from $77,355 plus orc to between $69,680 and $69,985 driveaway after 2700km or 3000km. And its BMW rival, the brilliant 230i at $63,000 (plus orc), falls around $15K to between $49,990 and $56,990 driveaway with 3900km on the clock.

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But of course these are all $50K-plus machines.

It may not be a hot hatchback, or save the most around, but if you want among the largest per centage discounts in the market then look to the 1.6-litre turbo Holden Astra RS manual. This sweet warm hatch goes from $26,240 (plus orc) to between $18,950 and $19,990 driveaway with 3200km or just 17km showing. That’s circa-$10K off on a $25K-plus model...