What Is The Best Way To Buy New Car For Best Deal?

[crazyoildude]

My neighbors daughter which lives about 2 hours away wants to buy a new SUV but is clueless to the stealers ways and does not know how to negotiate what is the best way for her to go about this? She asked about going through something like Costco or something along those lines...Any ideas?
She is going with her boyfriend and refuses to go with anyone else i know they are going to be ripped off. They are super nice and have degrees in all sorts of useless things but in the real world they are both handicapped!

 

[Andrew1972]

Research pricing on what she buying on sites like edmunds.com kbb.com truecar.com and read articles on car buying.

The only way to learn is get thrown into the fire.

Most important thing is she has ultimate power over dealer with the ability to walk away if not comfortable or feeling pressured. Few buyers realize this.

 

[cptbarkey]

First thing to come to terms with: People will spend money in ways you think are stupid or foolish. You have no control over it. Case in point, Fram oil filters.

 

[Bgallagher]

Originally Posted By: madRiver
Research pricing on what she buying on sites like edmunds.com kbb.com truecar.com and read articles on car buying.

The only way to learn is get thrown into the fire.

Most important thing is she has ultimate power over dealer with the ability to walk away if not comfortable or feeling pressured. Few buyers realize this.


+1 She needs to educate herself on what a good price is for what she wants and has to be willing to walk away. The salesperson will jump on her hood with a deal versus lose a sale. Dealerships aren't doing you any favors.

 

[SteveSRT8]

The Net can really whittle it down for ya. You have to first familiarize yourself with the market for the vehicle you want. This requires about 5 emails and some searching on Google.

Once you find the dealer you like you can start the game. I find a great way to whittle them down is to demand a 24 hour minimum test drive. Last thing you want to do is base such an important decision on a 20 minute jaunt....

 

[Doc8404]

I used edmunds and the dealer was put off on how accurate it was. Worked for me.

 

[eljefino]

Costco stands a chance. So maybe might truecar.

She'd do best to get bids impersonally, IMO, so she doesn't get swayed by the in-person charms of dealer salesmen.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Yup. Request a few bids/offers via each local dealer's website, and then possibly play them against each other until you get the best price. Just make sure you're comparing apples-to-apples and consider the overall OTD price.

If that's too much work, then consider Costco.

 

[AZjeff]

Not your business or your concern. She made her choice. Let the girl's father take care of it.

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
They are super nice and have degrees in all sorts of useless things but in the real world they are both handicapped!

 

[HerrStig]

Have her Google "Confessions of a car salesman" which was commissioned by Edmunds for insight into the workings of the industry. It's a good read on stealer tactics by a guy who was HIRED by Edmunds to get sales jobs at stealers and report on them.

 

[supton]

Test drive all you want, but go in with the decision made ahead of time to walk out the door. That way, you can rule out vehicles you don't want. (when I say you I mean in general)

There are no-haggle dealerships popping up here and there. May not be the best price, but it ought to start to give some idea as to what price is reasonable, and they could go there for ease. Otherwise, find out what the no-haggle pricing is, then start emailing and see if anyone will beat the no-haggle place.

just watch out for the documentation fee that is never included but amounts to a few hundred bucks. Then watch out for all the stuff the F&I guy will attempt to sell you (extended warranties, pinstriping, whatever).

 

[totegoat]

Costco worked for us last car purchase. I checked our deal with truecar and we did OK.

 

[Tdbo]

Here is a run down of what works for me:

1.Determine the vehicle you want.

2.Do your homework. Find out invoice price, holdbacks, rebates,
rebates/money to dealer, etc. Can find everything you need on
Edmunds.

3. E-mail all dealers of your selected brand in at least a 50 mile radius (I usually go 200.) Tell them you want an OTD price including tax at a ____% (fill in your local rate.) Inform them that all communication is via E-mail only and that no phone calls will be accepted. If they call, they are off the list. This will help weed out undesirable dealers. Get an array of bids.

4. At this point, take your best bid and get on the phone with the selected dealer. Depending on the price, negotiate over the phone if necessary. Last car, I think took my ending the phone call 3 times before the price went from something like 23.3K to 19.3K. I usually buy over the phone, generally having a back up source of financing if the make does not have a good factory deal or I pay cash. Set up a time to pick up the car.

5. Report, check the paperwork, sign, and drive off.

.

 

[stchman]

Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
First thing to come to terms with: People will spend money in ways you think are stupid or foolish. You have no control over it. Case in point, Fram oil filters.


Or using oversized oil filters.

 

[hattaresguy]

True Car or Costco.


Or is she lives in the tri state area just go to a Honda or Toyota dealer and pay sticker, its what most people do.

 

[stchman]

What I personally do is:

I go to places like Edmunds and determine how mush the MSRP of the vehicle I want and the invoice.

If I have a trade-in I go to KBB and get the dealer trade-in and private party sale figures for my car.

Let's say the MSRP of the vehicle I am wanting is $35,000 and the invoice is $33,000.

KBB reports my trade in is worth $17,000 private party and $15,000 trade-in.

I start my negotiations from invoice on the new vehicle and private party for my vehicle.

I tell them I want a difference of:

$33,000 - $17,000 = $16,000

These numbers are NOT including any manufacturer's rebates.

If the dealer goes for it, great, if not tell them there is VERY little wiggle room on your difference. It is OK to walk out and try another dealer.

Don't let dealers tell you that they can get you "great" financing, they all can.

As far as extended warranties, I think they are mostly [censored], but it is up to the individual if they want to purchase one.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: stchman
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
First thing to come to terms with: People will spend money in ways you think are stupid or foolish. You have no control over it. Case in point, Fram oil filters.


Or using oversized oil filters.
Define "oversize" Toyota has back specified larger filters on they Camry I 4. It that "oversized?

 

[Bladecutter]

Step number 1 is to figure out exactly what you want to buy.
In order to do this, you need to figure out exactly what you want to test drive.
Once you have a list of cars you want to test drive, then go test drive those vehicles, ALL of those vehicles, and compare them against the others you are considering.

I can't tell you how many people fail at step one of buying a car.

After you have test driven the car, get the sales person's business card, and LEAVE the dealership. Go to the next dealership, and test drive vehicle number 2, and repeat this process until you have test driven ALL the cars.

Step number 2 above is the second most common place people fail at buying a car.

Step 3, if a pregnant female is involved in the buying decision, either limit the maximum amount of time at a dealership for test driving to 45 minutes maximum, or leave her at home.

My neighbors failed at this one a few months back.
They went to test drive the Hyundai Sante Fe, and 6 hours later, they left the dealership with one of the worst lease deals and trade in value for their car I have ever heard of before in my life.

Step 4 - If you work for a major corporation, find out if you can get Partner/Supplier pricing at the car company you want to buy a car from. I just pointed out to a coworker today that she can get 6% off MSRP of any Audi she wanted to buy, and we're researching with our HR team if we still can get S-Line pricing on Mazdas.

Step 5 is do what other people above have already recommended.
Talk to multiple dealers about vehicles they already have in stock. You won't get a better deal on a car that a dealer doesn't already have in inventory, or is already on the way to the dealer.

Price the dealers against each other for the same exact vehicle if no one has the car you want in stock.

And most important is to buy a car you like.
What's the point of going through all of this if you don't like the car you spent all this time and money on?

BC.

 

[Andrew1972]

My dad is a wheeler dealer by nature with everything, its in his blood.

He buys a vehicle every 15 years and his recent method was simply emailing the 5 dealers and getting a quote on a Subaru Outback(hot selling locally). He took the cheapest quote and went to the nearest dealer and lied a tad and got price lower.