Compare new car offers before you pay a deposit
Compare new car offers using a practical checklist for the exact vehicle, total price, trade-in, delivery conditions and deposit.
Two offers for the same model can still describe different cars, delivery arrangements and costs. Use a simple offer sheet to separate those differences before you choose a dealer. This guide is for buyers who have shortlisted a new car and are ready to compare written offers.
Make a one-page vehicle brief
Start with the car you actually intend to buy: make, model, variant, powertrain, model year, colour and essential accessories. Mark any detail where you are flexible. Send that same brief with each request. When an offer arrives, record any substitution beside the original request. A different variant or a demonstrator may still be worth considering, but it deserves its own comparison column. Ask whether the quoted vehicle is unregistered new stock, already registered or a demonstrator, and request identifying details when a particular vehicle has been allocated.
Check your shortlist before requesting offers
A quote is most useful once you know the vehicle suits you. If possible, test-drive the exact model and check seat comfort, child-seat fit, parking space, luggage room and the controls you will use every day. Write down any feature you would not compromise on. A lower offer on the wrong variant is not a saving you can fairly compare. Separate your must-haves from preferences: a required seating layout belongs in the first group; a second-choice colour may belong in the second. Tell the sourcing service your purchase timeframe, location and whether you need finance, and confirm the service can handle those requirements before sharing an enquiry. Carseekers describes its buying process separately from its available stock, which helps you check which route matches your purchase.
Check the steps from choosing a model to requesting and comparing dealer quotes.
How the Carseekers buying process worksRelated ownership: AusIndex and this business share an owner. This link provides service information, not an independent recommendation.
Put every dollar in the right column
For each offer, record the total vehicle price before your trade-in, the trade-in amount and the balance you would pay. Ask for mandatory charges and any optional extras to be identified. If you are buying interstate, get the registration and transport arrangements confirmed for your circumstances. Queensland Government guidance explains the mandatory costs in a vehicle purchase and recommends a firm written price. Treat that state-specific guidance as a useful starting point, then check the rules where you are buying. Leave an unanswered field blank rather than assuming it is included.
Guidance on written prices, mandatory costs, trade-ins and contracts in Queensland.
Queensland Government: buying a new vehicleBuild a comparison sheet you can actually use
Make one column for each written offer and use the same rows throughout: Vehicle: exact variant, model year, new or demonstrator, kilometres and included accessories. Price: total purchase price, mandatory charges, optional extras and transport. Trade-in: allowance, any existing loan payout and when the valuation can change. Timing: stock status, promised delivery terms and the person responsible for updates. Commitment: deposit, refund conditions, finance conditions and quote expiry. Copy each answer from the written offer and mark missing information as “not confirmed”. Keep the full car price visible even if the seller focuses on a changeover amount. When two offers differ, ask for a revised quote on the same specification before ranking them. This sheet also gives you a final check against the contract: every agreed inclusion should have a matching entry.
Resolve questions about the service before using it to request an offer; confirm any terms that matter to your purchase directly.
Carseekers buying FAQsRelated ownership: AusIndex and this business share an owner. This link provides service information, not an independent recommendation.
Use the same scope, exclusions and written-confirmation approach when comparing a sourcing service or optional work.
How to compare service quotesCompare the car before comparing the payment
Keep the vehicle purchase and any borrowing in separate parts of your worksheet. A weekly repayment does not tell you the car price. Ask for the vehicle offer without optional finance products, then consider the finance documents separately. A useful test is to explain each offer back in your own words: this is the car, this is its purchase price, this is my trade-in and this is the remaining amount. If the answer changes when you ask about the deposit or loan, request a clearer written breakdown before proceeding.
Use the finance question sheet to record loan costs and conditions separately from the vehicle offer.
Questions before a car finance applicationAsk what the delivery statement means
Write the delivery date beside the evidence for it: physically available, allocated, in transit or awaiting an order. Ask who will update you, how often and what the contract says if timing or price changes. If a date is essential because your existing vehicle must be returned or replaced, explain that before signing and ask for the agreed arrangement to appear in the contract. A salesperson’s expected arrival is not the same thing as an agreed remedy for a delay. Keep both the offer and the final contract.
Use a sourcing service with the same worksheet
You can request offers directly from dealers or use a car sourcing service. Either way, ask which dealer would sell the vehicle, what the service covers and who receives any payment from you. Keep the same specification and cost columns so the service is one route to an offer, not a substitute for understanding it. The related business below provides a dealer-offer service. Its inclusion explains an available service model; it is not a review, a claim to compare every dealer or a guarantee of the lowest price.
Read the new-car sourcing service and confirm its current requirements before requesting dealer offers.
Carseekers new-car sourcingRelated ownership: AusIndex and this business share an owner. This link provides service information, not an independent recommendation.
Check the directory profile for a summary of the service and its national coverage.
Carseekers on AusIndexRelated ownership: AusIndex and this business share an owner. This link provides service information, not an independent recommendation.
Resolve the blank fields before a deposit
Circle every unresolved item on the sheet and ask the seller to answer it in writing. Check whether the deposit is refundable and under what conditions, and make sure the contract includes any agreed finance condition. Cooling-off rights differ between states, territories and types of sale, so do not assume you can simply change your mind. The ACCC explains that consumer guarantees apply to cars bought from licensed dealers, alongside applicable state protections. Those rights do not remove the need to read the agreement carefully.
National consumer-guarantee guidance and a reminder to check state and territory protections.
ACCC: new and second-hand carsYour quick checklist
Tick these off as you go. This checklist resets when you leave.
Useful starting points
General information to help you ask questions. Check requirements for the particular service and your state or territory.