By next door I meant next door, next suburb/town etc as well, but no worries.

The best way to negotiate the best deal is to have done as much research and have as much information as you can possibly have. That means information on your self as well as the car. Speak to an accountant and/or financial planner and get their input on what you can afford and what options would be best for you especially in regards to leasing vs purchasing because there are pros and cons to both.

Talk to as many sources as you can about your financing, banks dealerships etc as they will have a range.of options. Often the options they make the most obvious are not the best deals. Eg the pamphlets a bank will have on the counter will be for loans that are at higher interests rates than what you could negotiate.

Try and get a clear cut picture of your different options and how they will pan out, and I mean realistically, not best case scenario. Eg there's no point getting sold on a lease that will penalise you for mileage if you know will probably exceed the limits.

It is important to realise that it is not possible to screw the dealer down from every direction, they might gut the price of a car down to get sale where they are selling the finance, but will walk away if you want to use your own finance. Similarly dealerships offer 0% interest, but only if you pay full RRP.

Shop around, use the internet to get as info as you can.

You will be in a much stronger position negotiating for a deal when you are ready to sign contract. Every time you manage to get a salesman scurrying back to his manager with an offer, the first thing the manager will ask his staff will be "will they sign today?"and if the answer is " yes definitely" the negotiations get a lot better.

Also shop around for insurance, don't get caught up in loyalty schemes.etc often you can save big buck switching insurers.

Good luck.