[DaveNP]

I didn't haggle over my last three car purchases, but then with the advantage of the internet, with the price of virtually every car at my fingertips, I didn't bother even looking at cars that I thought were overpriced. Prices have always been subject to market forces, anything is only worth what someone will pay and if a competitor has it cheaper that's where the business goes, in the old days a car salesman would know what his local competition were doing, both on price and service levels and would price accordingly, nowadays everyone can know what everyone is doing so the upfront price has to reflect that.
In terms of trade in the best deal I got was on my Renault Espace when I didn't trade in the Proton we had, the dealer had one on his forecourt already so when I asked the salesman if he really wanted another he was glad to be off of the hook and got me a big discount for money transferred bank to bank immediately by phone.