OT: How do you go about buying a car?
- Thread starter TheGoat.sixpack
- Start date
Man, unless you've got money to burn, said ordeal can take all day and be a pain in the ***. And that's after you already know what you want. I've left car dealerships before worn out over debating about window sticker and financing...driving my new ride with a headache and feeling like ****.
What are you looking for?
What are you looking for?
You gotta go to the dealership. Screwing with the saleman and especially the sales manager is the fun part of buying a car. They need you, you don't need them. Buying over the we is kinda like phone sex, it just isn't as much fun. That being said, I have bought two cars and a motorcycle on eBay so I don't always practice what I preach. Never fall in love with a particular car and don't be afraid to walkout, they will call you back.
I walked into the dealership and told them what options and color I wanted and what I would pay. That was after doing some internet research, including a Consumer Reports "average discount off list" figure. I never called or emailed the dealership, but I did look at their website.
Just curious on SPS opinions. I've learned to keep my *** in front of my computer and use my phone/email to negotiate. I got KILLED ages ago when I fell in love with a used car. They used the payment, car to buy, and trade-in, in the same sentence during negotiating. Screwed my brain up and I got SCREWED. Lesson learned.
Scratching the ol goatee is a great trick. Also, don't let them pull the ol "family in the waiting room " ******** to hurry you up. Know what you want to pay and don't waiver. Lowball, but don't be stupid. And never EVER be afraid to walk out if you aren't happy.
Also, know going into it they will try to upsell you everything under the sun (dealers make a lot of money on upsales.. Extended warrantees, maintenance plans, etc.). None are ripoffs, but KNOW the details of the warrantee and ask about the possible options before going to negotiate (since usually, the biggest upsales are extended warrantees)... Best advice I ever got... that way, you won't be put in a position to let that become an impulse purchase. And most importantly, be educated and research the car, the market, everything you can before you buy.
Also, know going into it they will try to upsell you everything under the sun (dealers make a lot of money on upsales.. Extended warrantees, maintenance plans, etc.). None are ripoffs, but KNOW the details of the warrantee and ask about the possible options before going to negotiate (since usually, the biggest upsales are extended warrantees)... Best advice I ever got... that way, you won't be put in a position to let that become an impulse purchase. And most importantly, be educated and research the car, the market, everything you can before you buy.
Do plenty of research before you go
Have some clue about what you are doing, and what you want.
Take a note book and take notes, they just 17'n hate that.
You are in control, don't get in a hurry.
These things are sold everywhere.
Have some clue about what you are doing, and what you want.
Take a note book and take notes, they just 17'n hate that.
You are in control, don't get in a hurry.
These things are sold everywhere.
I was given the advice years ago to call and speak to a sales manager at different dealerships and get a bottom line price. Show up sign the paperwork and drive away without all of the hassle. I still do this now days with help from the internet. One thing I have learned is that every region may have different incentives and auto availability. For example several years ago I was looking for a white Toyota Avalon that was extremely hard to find around MS. They wanted almost full sticker price for the 1 that I found. They just could not get white ones at the time. I found several new and program ones at a dealership in B'ham, so we drove over there after talking with the manager. We ended up ordering one with everything we wanted cheaper than you could get a used one in MS. They were more than happy to deliver it for free. Alabama is in a different region for Toyota, so they had no supply problems. Not only that, you can get packages that were not available in other regions. I would certainly expand my search outside of Jackson if you happen to be in the metro. Jackson area dealerships are the least competitive. They also charge dealer fees that you may not have to pay with a little drive. If you know exactly what you want, Dallas and Houston have very competitive pricing especially on trucks. You can save thousands. Even a drive to Hattiesburg will save you money.
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Rate shop Credit Unions and Banks and find the best rate and get a pre-approval letter or draft. If the financial institution is worth a **** when you send in your buyers order to them for final approval they will tell you whether you are getting the shaft because they don't want you in something with a high LTV at the minimum.
Know exactly what you want and go to an online car buying service. They will give you a price far below MSRP and the name and number of the dealer to go too. I've bought my last 3 cars that way, and I save on average abou $4000 below MSRP.
Know the cost to the dealer.
Bring a check plus $100.
Tell him that's what you are approved for.
Walk to the door when he says no.
You won't walk out with the check.
Have fun in the car.
Bring a check plus $100.
Tell him that's what you are approved for.
Walk to the door when he says no.
You won't walk out with the check.
Have fun in the car.
I won't ever buy direct from a dealer again. Our credit union has a car buying service. I just tell them what I want, make/model/package/etc... And they price it out and put the loan together. They drive the car to me and I sign the paperwork and they leave. One stop shop and I know the lender and they have crazy good rates. Never have to deal with a salesman. The last car we bought off a lot the experience was so shady we had buyers remorse for a while. Hard to enjoy it.
I got the same advice and used it to my advantage. I was only at the dealership long enough to test drive the car and sign the paperwork. Beforehand, I did some research on the internet and test drove a couple of different makes to figure out what I wanted. Then, I called around to several dealerships and got their lowest price, then called them again until they couldn't beat another dealership's price. It was a lot less stressful than hanging out at the dealership haggling with salespeople.
Research ahead of time. Don't put up their ********. I've also heard....
do your research ahead of time and contact that fleet sales rep. Tell them what you want and price and they can get you better deal and can sell single cars for less than the average sales rep.
do your research ahead of time and contact that fleet sales rep. Tell them what you want and price and they can get you better deal and can sell single cars for less than the average sales rep.
Carmax. Sure you can probably get a cheaper price if you're willing to put in the time, but it really is no pressure and you can't talk them down. They're also upfront about the fees ahead of time.
I've done both ways and I'll just go back to Carmax next time.
I've done both ways and I'll just go back to Carmax next time.
Before you buy a new car check out prices for used ones on Autotrader.com. I got a Lexus LS460, a 68K car for 38K coming off a 3 year lease. Had 28K miles and was like brand new. Had a year left on warranty. You can also buy extended warranties if you like. I was able to hook up with a local used car dealer who goes to off lease auctions. Told them what I wanted and they got it for me. You can also check out Carmax.com.
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I absolutely love to haggle with car salesman. I have actually bought cars for friends before.
The secret is pretty simple. The one with the most information wins the deal. Know your stuff and do the research. And be willing to walk. There is always another dealership selling the vehicle you want.
I found my last truck on autotrader and negotiated 90% of the deal by email. This is advantage buyer because you don't get frustrated to pay extra just to get out of there.
The secret is pretty simple. The one with the most information wins the deal. Know your stuff and do the research. And be willing to walk. There is always another dealership selling the vehicle you want.
I found my last truck on autotrader and negotiated 90% of the deal by email. This is advantage buyer because you don't get frustrated to pay extra just to get out of there.
Not sure where you are located but I just bought a new F 150 a few months back and saved about $6,000 by buying it from a dealership in Dallas. I bought a one way plane ticket to Dallad and drove my new truck back. I'd suggest looking into other larger cities.
Never buy a new vehicle. Never go to a dealership.
Unless you like wasting money. The last 2 vehicles I got were used and I got them off craigslist. Seriously. Find something that looks decent, go look at it, and if it sucks tell the person it's not what you want and walk away. If it is a decent vehicle offer them like 10-20% below what they are asking. Bring cash and wave it in their face after you tell them what you will pay. I paid $7500 for a 4 year old SUV and I've driven it for 6 years. It was painless.
My best friend from high school joined the military after we graduated and served his term, but when he was done he couldn't find a job because he didn't have much education and didn't want to go to college. So he gets the bright idea to apply at a car dealership and of course they will hire anybody. His first day on the job, he made $4000 commission from ONE SALE. I asked how and he said "I 17ed that dude in his *******, that's how." Yes he's my friend, but he has zero conscience and doesn't give a 17.
I've never been to a dealership since!
Unless you like wasting money. The last 2 vehicles I got were used and I got them off craigslist. Seriously. Find something that looks decent, go look at it, and if it sucks tell the person it's not what you want and walk away. If it is a decent vehicle offer them like 10-20% below what they are asking. Bring cash and wave it in their face after you tell them what you will pay. I paid $7500 for a 4 year old SUV and I've driven it for 6 years. It was painless.
My best friend from high school joined the military after we graduated and served his term, but when he was done he couldn't find a job because he didn't have much education and didn't want to go to college. So he gets the bright idea to apply at a car dealership and of course they will hire anybody. His first day on the job, he made $4000 commission from ONE SALE. I asked how and he said "I 17ed that dude in his *******, that's how." Yes he's my friend, but he has zero conscience and doesn't give a 17.
I've never been to a dealership since!
This if your buying a new truck. I look at the online prices at the Dealerships in Houston, TX. They usually have 500+ F150s on the lot with no haggle prices on the web site. Print out one with the exact same options as you found at a local dealership website. Tell them to match the price or I'm buying in TX. My brother lives in Houston so I don't mind flying out there if need be. Haven't had to yet. Right now you can get a F150 for 10-12k under MSRP.
Very simple to figure out who to do business with.
Tell them you want a car at invoice minus the hold back plus other incentives.
1. Ask them to show you the invoice. If they don't show it to you move on because they are not honest.
2. Sometimes they can come off all of the hold back.
3. They cannot get rid of the advertising costs.
Tell them you want a car at invoice minus the hold back plus other incentives.
1. Ask them to show you the invoice. If they don't show it to you move on because they are not honest.
2. Sometimes they can come off all of the hold back.
3. They cannot get rid of the advertising costs.
1) Make a list of must haves: size, engine, mpg, mileage, etc. Then make a list of should haves: color, leather/cloth, heated seats, sun roof, etc. Then make a list of can't haves: certain colors, smoking, pets, etc.
2) Using your must haves, identify a few different makes and models that fit. Compare and contrast. Study up.
3) Go to a CarMax. They have just about every make and model available for test drive. Pick a few that you identified in Step 2 and test drive them. Get a general price from CarMax on the top two that you like and walk out.
4) Search the used car lots. If you are in the Jackson area, there are some very good ones in Rankin county. Contact a few to check if they have any of your top two in. If they do, check them against your should haves and can't haves. Go see them in person with no money on you - only your license to do a test drive. Make note of the sticker price (but don't discuss prices).
5) Once you have identified the car that you want, go in with cash at 81% of the sticker price. Offer 76% of sticker price to start and say you have the cash in hand, no financing, they can have it today. Be willing to go up to 81%, but you usually won't have to.
A few notes:
Whatever you do, don't buy new. Why? For starters, you can get great used cars with great mileage for a fraction of the cost of a new car. I've had people tell me "I plan to drive the new car for a long time" but you can't guarantee that. If you get in a wreck and total it a week later, the insurance company isn't paying anywhere near full price. Also, that new car may seem great at 30 mpg, but in six years they could have general cars at 60 mpg. Suddenly that car you were gonna drive forever is a financial drain.
Also, be willing to walk away. Pick a top two for a reason. You may not fine your number one in the area easily. But it also gives you flexibility to say no to the dealer.
Wait until the end of the month. That's when most dealers (and sales people) are trying to fill their monthly quotas and you will be able to get your best deal. Same true for end of model year sales. Don't be afraid to walk away. They sell cars everywhere.
I'm not even in the market, I just figured this topic would help some Packers. I have my strategy. Keep it up though. Good points in here.
I look on NADA or Kelly Blue Book to see what I could get on my trade. I then look at the rebates and such and take that off the sticker.
So let's say the car you are looking at is 25K after known rebates. You would get 5K for the trade. I walk in saying I want a walk out price of 17K knowing you would probably agree to 18K. Just be absurd and stay strong for a couple of hours. Eventually, the salesman will ask "what do I have to do to get you buy it today" and they will come back to what you think in your head is the price you want. Their wiggle room is in the trade in. It's worked all 3 times I have bought a car.
So let's say the car you are looking at is 25K after known rebates. You would get 5K for the trade. I walk in saying I want a walk out price of 17K knowing you would probably agree to 18K. Just be absurd and stay strong for a couple of hours. Eventually, the salesman will ask "what do I have to do to get you buy it today" and they will come back to what you think in your head is the price you want. Their wiggle room is in the trade in. It's worked all 3 times I have bought a car.
You really think a $100 profit on something that cost the seller at least $15,000.00 (probably much more, depending on the auto in question) is how business is done?
I'm gonna go ahead and call ******** on you or anyone else actually having done this. Or at least, on having been given the actual "cost to dealer".
I'm gonna go ahead and call ******** on you or anyone else actually having done this. Or at least, on having been given the actual "cost to dealer".
I've always bought used and just haggled over the price with the salesman. Always felt like I probably could have done a little better. Last year I decided I wanted a new one and gave Truecar.com a try. I figured what the heck, if I don't like the price just move on. I was pleasently surprised with the price I got and received an email shortly after from a local dealer stating they would meet the price. So I followed up and it worked as advertised. A very easy way to buy a car. I got a Hyundai Santa Fe gls btw.
I'm sure there was a little extra left on the table, but I felt like I got a decent deal. And it was nice not having to play the game with a salesman.
I'm sure there was a little extra left on the table, but I felt like I got a decent deal. And it was nice not having to play the game with a salesman.
Here is a biggie, don't let them charge a arm and leg for "processing the finance" or something like that. They will try to charge you 2-3 thousand for just getting paperwork ready. No ****. Look at your papers after you get them. Do not sign them if you see that crap on there. They shouldn't charge no more than $100 that's it
Don't let people convince you that buying new is the devil. If you can get a super low APR (like 0.9%) for a new car, a lot of time the monthly payment will look very similar to a used car at 2/3 the price with a 8% APR. It's worth checking the math anyway. Plus you can get the satisfaction of being the first person to fart in it (hopefully).
Like others have said, you have to wear the dealers down. Stick around for a couple hours and let them know you are serious about the car and your price.
And check online for rebates, and if you find one, DO NOT mention it to the salesman until the very end when you have already negotiated the price. Don't assume they will automatically give it to you.
Like others have said, you have to wear the dealers down. Stick around for a couple hours and let them know you are serious about the car and your price.
And check online for rebates, and if you find one, DO NOT mention it to the salesman until the very end when you have already negotiated the price. Don't assume they will automatically give it to you.
This website is long, but it provides some great advice. I would recommend reading it completely before you purchase.
https://www.carbuyingtips.com/
You don't have to do everything he suggests, but I think it gives you a good idea of what you need to know before you start trying to strike a deal. I've used a modified method of this three times in the last ten years, and I am confident I got a good deal each time. My favorite suggestion is to start and end with your local dealer. In other words, get a quote from your local guy. Then do all your research, get quotes from lots of other dealers via email/fax, and before you make the purchase, give your local guy the chance to match it. Mine have yet to do that, so I've driven 2-3 hours to save >$1000 the last two times I bought.
https://www.carbuyingtips.com/
You don't have to do everything he suggests, but I think it gives you a good idea of what you need to know before you start trying to strike a deal. I've used a modified method of this three times in the last ten years, and I am confident I got a good deal each time. My favorite suggestion is to start and end with your local dealer. In other words, get a quote from your local guy. Then do all your research, get quotes from lots of other dealers via email/fax, and before you make the purchase, give your local guy the chance to match it. Mine have yet to do that, so I've driven 2-3 hours to save >$1000 the last two times I bought.
I just bought an Acura for the wife last month. Got out the door under $40k on a vehicle that has a $39.5k MSRP and included $2.5k of dealer add-on accessories and sales tax.
Here's how I worked my deal:
1. Go to Truecar.com and find out what the invoice is on the model you want (this is the most you should pay for the base vehicle, this is where the negotiation should start).
2. Go to a dealer and test drive and get a quote. Right here I explained that I knew what the invoice was. The dealer even pulled up Truecar.com and agreed with the invoice and included the invoice price as the quote. With Acura, all vehicles come base and the accessories are purchased and installed at the dealer, so at this point you have to decide what accessories (roof rails, running boards, splash guards, etc.). Pick them and let dealer add to the quote. Also, I told them I knew what my KBB trade value for our trade in was so please dont low ball me. When they came back, they had matched that number ($12K) which I thought was very fair considering the car needed some maintenance.
3. Leave the dealership without committing to anything (very important).
4. Email all dealerships within a driving radius (around 5 more for me here in Atlanta) for quotes. Provide them the exact model & accessories you are looking at. This is where the fun begins. Tip: Try not to get on the phone with these guys (they try hard to get you to come to the dealership). Keep it on email and keep it straight. They try to trick you by moving numbers around and leaving out things on their quote. Sometimes you have to relist all the prices on their quote and send back to them and ask them if is all and the price is the 'out the door price.' They know they are bound by the email, so you have to get it confirmed. More than once they had to requote me b/c something was 'left out.' They try to give you a low offer that is not all inclusive to get you in the door.
5. Through lots of email haggling (you're going to need a spreadsheet), I was able to get to a final quote $500 below invoice with $2.5K of accessories for around $2k.
6. Go back to original dealership (in my case my wife wanted to buy from a particular salesman) and show them what you have. The dealership beat the quote by $300 not lose the sale.
7. One other piece of info was that I found out the 'protection package' for $895 could be purchased piecemeal from Acura parts for around $350. After getting them to beat the quote, I then told them just to take it off the car. This killed $600 in profit they were counting on to make up for the below invoice price (you could detect some concern at this point). Even better is they decided to just leave it on the car (wheel locks, all season mats, and trunk mat) rather than strip the car when it was delivered, so we got it for free (reducing my $2k quote on accessories to $1.1k so that we got a list price $2.5k of accessories for $1.1k).
8. At closing, I balked at the $800 in document fees and said no deal. The F&I guy added $500 to my trade to close the deal.
9. The dealership also got us 1.9% financing through Wells Fargo. Acura wasnt running any financing deals on the brand new 2015 models yet. I told the dealership early on if we couldnt get around 2% financing, we were going to hold out until Acura offered better financing. In fact, there were no dealer incentives on this model that I could locate online as I would have included those in the negotiations too.
It was a lot of work to keep the quotes straight and haggling over the course of about 10 days, but in the end, I think we got a pretty good deal for a new model Acura right off the truck from the factory. I saved around $5k off of retail prices, but in reality, I probably saved an additional $2k off what the dealership would have sold me the car for on the first day.
My wife was like the first poster on here that gets worn out with all this and wanted me to stop being so cheap. I like it though, so until I am able to get me a money tree that grows $100 bills or win the Powerball, $2k is worth haggling over.
Here's how I worked my deal:
1. Go to Truecar.com and find out what the invoice is on the model you want (this is the most you should pay for the base vehicle, this is where the negotiation should start).
2. Go to a dealer and test drive and get a quote. Right here I explained that I knew what the invoice was. The dealer even pulled up Truecar.com and agreed with the invoice and included the invoice price as the quote. With Acura, all vehicles come base and the accessories are purchased and installed at the dealer, so at this point you have to decide what accessories (roof rails, running boards, splash guards, etc.). Pick them and let dealer add to the quote. Also, I told them I knew what my KBB trade value for our trade in was so please dont low ball me. When they came back, they had matched that number ($12K) which I thought was very fair considering the car needed some maintenance.
3. Leave the dealership without committing to anything (very important).
4. Email all dealerships within a driving radius (around 5 more for me here in Atlanta) for quotes. Provide them the exact model & accessories you are looking at. This is where the fun begins. Tip: Try not to get on the phone with these guys (they try hard to get you to come to the dealership). Keep it on email and keep it straight. They try to trick you by moving numbers around and leaving out things on their quote. Sometimes you have to relist all the prices on their quote and send back to them and ask them if is all and the price is the 'out the door price.' They know they are bound by the email, so you have to get it confirmed. More than once they had to requote me b/c something was 'left out.' They try to give you a low offer that is not all inclusive to get you in the door.
5. Through lots of email haggling (you're going to need a spreadsheet), I was able to get to a final quote $500 below invoice with $2.5K of accessories for around $2k.
6. Go back to original dealership (in my case my wife wanted to buy from a particular salesman) and show them what you have. The dealership beat the quote by $300 not lose the sale.
7. One other piece of info was that I found out the 'protection package' for $895 could be purchased piecemeal from Acura parts for around $350. After getting them to beat the quote, I then told them just to take it off the car. This killed $600 in profit they were counting on to make up for the below invoice price (you could detect some concern at this point). Even better is they decided to just leave it on the car (wheel locks, all season mats, and trunk mat) rather than strip the car when it was delivered, so we got it for free (reducing my $2k quote on accessories to $1.1k so that we got a list price $2.5k of accessories for $1.1k).
8. At closing, I balked at the $800 in document fees and said no deal. The F&I guy added $500 to my trade to close the deal.
9. The dealership also got us 1.9% financing through Wells Fargo. Acura wasnt running any financing deals on the brand new 2015 models yet. I told the dealership early on if we couldnt get around 2% financing, we were going to hold out until Acura offered better financing. In fact, there were no dealer incentives on this model that I could locate online as I would have included those in the negotiations too.
It was a lot of work to keep the quotes straight and haggling over the course of about 10 days, but in the end, I think we got a pretty good deal for a new model Acura right off the truck from the factory. I saved around $5k off of retail prices, but in reality, I probably saved an additional $2k off what the dealership would have sold me the car for on the first day.
My wife was like the first poster on here that gets worn out with all this and wanted me to stop being so cheap. I like it though, so until I am able to get me a money tree that grows $100 bills or win the Powerball, $2k is worth haggling over.
If you're buying used - carcomplaints.com
Instead of searching the entire web for problems related to every used vehicle you're considering, start here and you can cross a lot of models off your list. You'll be suprised at how many cars have major problems before they are out of warranty.
Instead of searching the entire web for problems related to every used vehicle you're considering, start here and you can cross a lot of models off your list. You'll be suprised at how many cars have major problems before they are out of warranty.
Last purchase was totally painless ...
Researched on the web to narrow down search to three similar vehicles with best reviews and reports.
Visited 3 dealerships to 'test drive' each one of finalists. Picked 'best' vehicle.
Went on-line to USAA Auto buying service and entered trim level, color, and accessories I wanted.
USAA sent me a list of 3 dealers within 150 miles that had what I wanted and their 'no-haggle' price.
Went to local Honda Dealership; they said they would match the price; wrote a check and was on the road in new Honda in under 45 minutes.
Researched on the web to narrow down search to three similar vehicles with best reviews and reports.
Visited 3 dealerships to 'test drive' each one of finalists. Picked 'best' vehicle.
Went on-line to USAA Auto buying service and entered trim level, color, and accessories I wanted.
USAA sent me a list of 3 dealers within 150 miles that had what I wanted and their 'no-haggle' price.
Went to local Honda Dealership; they said they would match the price; wrote a check and was on the road in new Honda in under 45 minutes.
I agree with this. Some people live for the back and forth and don't mind spending the time doing it. I don't. I just want to get the deal done and get going. Carmax is perfect for that. They also give decent deals on buying your old car if you have a trade in.
Get your financing first through CitiAuto or Capital One. You will get a better rate through them, and it takes away most of the haggling power and deceit from the dealership if you can just present the check for the full amount of the car purchase.
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