Need tips on negotiating for new car

[akimel]

My wife and I are going to look at new cars. Do you have any tips on negotiating a good price? TIA.

Al

[Fischer]

Re: Need tips on negotiating for new car

Negotiate with two dealers. Get the lowest deal you can get, then go to the other dealer and say if you cant get me what dealer A offers, im just going to buy from them. So they are going to probably knock down the price or add additional options.

I bought a Pontiac G6 2.4l with a trade in and a monthly payment of $170 a month.
3 days later i kept getting calls from dealers making me offers. lol

Last thing anyone wants is their customer buying from the competition.

[akimel]

Re: Need tips on negotiating for new car

What about dealer prep, processing, and advertising fees? Is it appropriate to ask that these be deleted?

[Zuke]

Re: Need tips on negotiating for new car

I know they can sell the car for what they paid, they just wont make any money. So talk the suckers down! Any brand in mind? I know a lot of dealers are taking HUGE discounts on Chrysler, up to half off on 08's!

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Need tips on negotiating for new car

New car? Internet sales. Go to edmunds.com and follow the links. Edmunds will send your request to up to 4 different dealers in your area. You won't even have to go on the sales floor because you will be dealing with the fleet sales manager. Let them compete for your business.

Here's a helpful link: Car tips and advice

Read the Featured Articles. Very insightful

[akimel]

Re: Need tips on negotiating for new car

My wife would like a small SUV--hence we are looking at the Honda CR-V and Toyota Rav4.

[Zuke]

Re: Need tips on negotiating for new car

A good friend of mine works for Dodge, i could never have the stomach for sales and 100% commision, but i know for sure they can sell a car for what they paid. Or close to @ least.

[AeroCleanse]

Re: Need tips on negotiating for new car

Go read a Consumer Reports, they have a service where you can find out what the dealer paid, etc.

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Need tips on negotiating for new car

My wife would like a small SUV--hence we are looking at the Honda CR-V and Toyota Rav4.

Honda traditionally has their end-of-model-year sales starting in late July or early August. This is when Honda starts to ship the next model year vehicles from Japan and Ohio and dealerships are ordered to move their stock. The dealerships are motivated to move their current stock or face a penalty from the manufacturer.

I bought a clearance model 2008 Accord EX sedan w/auto trans for $180 below invoice late August, 2008. I waited until Honda promoted their 2008 model clearance sale, and then waited another 3 weeks before I started soliciting online bids through Edmunds from local fleet managers. The offers were predictable with the highest offer (about $270 over invoice) coming from the dominant Honda dealership in my area.

The dealership I finally purchased from just was overstocked with several hundred 2008 models and was motivated to undersell their competition. My previous experience purchasing from fleet sales had been positive, without the hassle normally associated with dealing with regular lot salesmen.

The internet was a powerful negotiating tool and I was able to supply hard copy offers and counter-offers from other dealers in securing the final purchase price on my vehicle. Also, buying a clearance model in no way constituted having to settle for less popular colors or trim levels.

Out the door I bought my car for less than $400 above the original MSRP - but that included tax, license, destination and advertising fees, 6 free oil changes, the supplemental car security system, a car cover, and Honda's Pro package (the dealership's inventory showed me an $800 invoice loss to make the sale). Overall I estimate that I saved over $2500 by waiting for Honda's model year clearance.event.

And I have been told by a few other buyers that my deal wasn't all that good. One Accord V6 buyer on Edmunds car space forum claimed to have bought his vehicle for $1200 under invoice

[MyFirstES300]

Re: Need tips on negotiating for new car

My wife would like a small SUV--hence we are looking at the Honda CR-V and Toyota Rav4.

You'll do better buying the Rav4. Trust me. Honda is a bit overpriced in my opinion.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Need tips on negotiating for new car

Get your financing done ahead of time if you aren't paying cash. That way, cash or financed, you've got the power to say "I'll pay you $xxx for the car and that's it. I'll write you a check right now." If they balk or tell you it's too low, get up and walk out. If you can discern that the car has been in their inventory for more than a couple of months, point out that they need to sell that car more than you need to buy it.

The last 3 cars we purchased involved me getting up and starting to physically walk out of the dealership. In one case I had my hand on the front door when they stopped and agreed to my offer. Just a few weeks ago my wife and I were given the following response to my offer on a car "Mike, the price on the car is my Internet special price. Honestly, I don't have $50 to give on it". When everything was said and done we got the car for $650 below their "Internet special price" which was, admittedly, some $2000-$3000 below what similar cars that we had looked at were going for.

New or used, it doesn't really matter. The best position to negotiate from is a position of power. If you've got everything set to go, you can easily get up and walk out. Dealers hate knowing you're ready to buy but even more ready to buy from someone else.

Don't be cocky, don't be a jerk. Be polite but firm. Make an offer and stick to it.

[Tom Weed]

Re: Need tips on negotiating for new car

When I was looking at vehicles, I made it clear that I was just looking around and was going to see what they had and what kind of deals I could get from them, I also made it known that I was going to visit several other dealers to get see what they had. They hated that and didn't want me to walk out the door... I was getting calls for days after that, so play them against each other!

[Malo83]

Re: Need tips on negotiating for new car

New car? Internet sales. Go to edmunds.com and follow the links. Edmunds will send your request to up to 4 different dealers in your area. You won't even have to go on the sales floor because you will be dealing with the fleet sales manager. Let them compete for your business.

Here's a helpful link: Car tips and advice

Read the Featured Articles. Very insightful

Agree! deal with the Internet Mgr. bought my car that way with no hassling by the Vultures on the sales floor.

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Need tips on negotiating for new car

Don't be cocky, don't be a jerk. Be polite but firm. Make an offer and stick to it.

Fully agree with your observation. Most car salesmen are cocky by nature, type-A personalities who don't like to lose at anything. When you make the negotiations personal, most car salesmen rise to the challenge and become a little more inflexible. As you say, just be serious about your negotiation and don't budge from it, even if it means you leaving the sales floor.

The fleet manager I dealt with last year tried to nickel and dime me over $50 on a $24000 car purchase! I reminded him that his inventory was saturated with 2008 models and when he still wasn't able to move my car for by the end of the month, he could give me a call and see if I was still shopping for an Accord. But I also told him that it would cost his dealership $300 upfront just to get me to return. Amazing how fast that $50 became inconsequential.

[Nick Chapman]

Re: Need tips on negotiating for new car

Car dealers HATE me

When we bought our last vehicle(Nissan Murano), I walked into the dealership and was greeted by a salesman. He asked what we were looking for, and I told him exactly what we wanted and explained to him that he had 1 shot, and 1 shot only to sell the deal. I told him that I don't play games, and I will not be trapped at the dealership for hours and hours. We have a life and he was not going to keep us from it. He agreed to the challenge, and we were out of there within 2 hours with a brand new car. Most of that time was with the finance people.

I wasn't a jerk to him, I just laid out the facts and he knew going into it that if he couldn't sell us the car with the first trip to the "office", then we were packing up and leaving. I can't stand it when they try and keep you there, going back and forth to the "office" trying to negotiate the deal for hours and hours.