Gavmando - how did you go today? Did you manage to bag a deal?
Snoop - with the way the Australian dollar is going at the moment, the chances of a price drop are becoming even more remote!
In the end, I went for the SP23 hatch with auto/luxury option. Choosing a colour was the toughest part! My CFO (aka wife) wanted black, I wanted white. The CFO won. That said, the black colour does look pretty classy. I wanted white as it has a "clean" look about it and takes dirt a lot better (I am not very diligent when it comes to washing cars).
Delivery of the SP23 is due in a week's time. The car is currently clearing customs, so it may even be here sooner. One of the dealers that I visited had the car available for immediate delivery though unfortunately there were some visible scratches on the passenger side door. Although the dealer indicated that this could be easily polished off, I declined - if I am going to buy a new car, I want it to be pristine!!
In the end, there were a few reasons why I decided not to wait for a new model:
1) I have a small garage and the current SP23 fits perfectly. Given the longer wheelbase of the newer model, chances are that I would struggle to fit the replacement model in;
2) I would prefer not to purchase the first generation of a new model. I am happy for someone to iron out the kinks for me;
3) As Charlaton pointed out, initial demand for the new model would mean smaller discounts and potentially longer waiting lists; and
4) Most importantly, I am too impatient to wait
