anyone good at dealing with car sales guys?

[ianr33]

Suggest you go here Mazda3 Forums & Club - Index and click on "Release/Pricing" to find out what people are actually paying.

I bought a 2007 Miata early this year. Researched prices on a Miata forum. Used Autotrader.com to find suitable cars within a couple of hundred miles. Contacted dealers via Email. Worked out in the end. I had the luxury of not being in a hurry. That helps a lot.

You might want to setup an Email address just for this if you dont want to get SPAM for months afterwards.

 

[F106A]

1. www.fitzmall.com
2. Don't EVER fall in love with a car (before buying).
3. If you disregard 2. above, then fall in love with several differents ones so you won't dealing emotionally with your one and only.
4. The saleman is NOT your friend, ever. (This doesn't mean you should be hostile to him.)
5. Le the salesman know you will be buying from someone in the few days, or week or two weeks.
6. The saleman may be lying. Or exaggerating. About anything.
7. If you're uncomfortable at any time (pressure, bad feeling, whatever) walk out the door.
8. If you see features on the car you like don't be afraid to say so: "Nice looking instrument panel." "These seats are comfortable." But don't be afraid to mention things you don't care for or want: "I'm not crazy about that interior color but otherwise the car's nice." or "I have no need for that nav system."
9. When in doubt say, "Let me think about it," and walk. Research and think and go back later if warranted.
10. Ask, "Is this your rock bottom price?" You'll want to know this when making your decision later that day, or the next, etc. on which car to buy.
11. Ask, "Is there any room for negotiation."
12. When getting the numbers from the dealer get the "Out The Door" (OTD) price including taxes, dealer fees, state registration and titling fees, etc.
13. Make an offer; e.g., after haggling from an MSRP of $28,277 to $25,914 (with an OTD price of $27,379.53, say, "I'll take it right now if you make it $26,000 even." Be prepared to walk if they don't agree or come up with a number you're happy with.

 

[Peter_C]

I just recently helped my friend buy an Audi A3 that we got for a couple hundred below dealer invoice. This was their initial offer, so no negotiation needed.

1: Deal only over email until everything is resolved. Then a quick phone call can be made to firm up pickup. The actual process from start to finish can be handled very quickly if an agreement is reached early on.

2: No trade-in's. It never works in your favor...at least very rarely.

3: Work only with a dealer that has the car in stock. Typically you can check stock on their websites. As said above be willing to travel up to three hours away or more. I sure do not make a couple thousand dollars in a day!

4: Check current financing promotions from the manufacturer and decide whether you are going to use theirs or set up financing yourself. For my last car I used my credit union which made it super easy for the dealership since it is all done electronically.

5: SHOP RIGHT AT THE END OF MONTH (As in last couple of days), BUT THE QUARTER IS EVEN BETTER!!!!! It is all about numbers for both parties.

6: Test drive is only needed if you are unsure of the car. After all the car you are buying is warrantied. It is very important to walk around it though and do a careful visual inspection. This is the only opportunity you have for dents and dings. (When I went to pickup my Prius, I brought my dog with me. Looked the car over on the lot and it looked like a brand new car. Walked in and paid for it which took about 20 minutes, then loaded the dog in car and off we went. Yup my first time in the car the dog came along. It was only fair since it is her car too. I sure wouldn't want to be left behind.)

7: Remember your insurance paperwork!

BTW, Don't give any deposits to anyone until you're happy with the price and that price is on paper along with the terms of the deal including interest rate. I almost walked away from my last purchase because the finance manager was trying to tell me that my credit came back as less than perfect, so he would have to charge me two percent more. I got up and headed for the door. He quickly gave me some line about using his dealer finance coupons to adjust the points out of the loan. They're more slippery than fish. Good Luck!!

Yeah same thing happened to me of sorts. The finance dept closed, but they wanted me to take the truck. I wanted the Zero percent interest for three years and was worried that if I filled out any paper work they might say ummmm NO. So I waited for a few days until they took care of it.

At closing, don't be buy extended warranty, credit life, paint sealing, or rust proofing, they are high dealer profit ripoffs.

They also have an extended emission warranty no matter what the power train warranty is. Extended warranties rarely pay off.

 

[DennisS]

What you want to get is the "out the door Price" in writing. Things like dealer prep, delivery, and a slew of other things pop up after you have agreed on the "price"

 

[taucherguy]

Yep, what he said.

One point .. some manufactures (GM for one) now have standard a 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty that is transferable

and if you do get an extended warranty, be very careful of what/who's you get , read what they cover and don't cover and compare them .. (GM's (GMPP) extended warr is very good, some aftermarket ones are a waste of money and might not be accepted at an auto repair facility )

 

[Mitchell]

Somestimes dealing with a dealer is easy. I bought two cars from the same Guy. I went looking for a third and he gave me the keys and said take it fora few days. Load your scuba gear and see if it all fits. I tried it and didn't like the truck and returned it. No questions.he just said we will keep looking. That's how I want to be treated. Just do your homework beforehand. You have to trust someone.

 

[wrybosome]

I bought a 2007 Miata early this year. Researched prices on a Miata forum. Used Autotrader.com to find suitable cars within a couple of hundred miles. Contacted dealers via Email. Worked out in the end. I had the luxury of not being in a hurry. That helps a lot.

Love, love the Miata. That's just too much fun to drive. The only problem is it's not kid and diving compatible. But I will have one someday, or an MG.

Wish I weren't in a hurry!

1.
12. When getting the numbers from the dealer get the "Out The Door" (OTD) price including taxes, dealer fees, state registration and titling fees, etc.

Brilliant, that's the phrase I'm looking for.

 

[Chris Hipp]

You should definitely be wary of them creating a false sense of urgency. Everyone is sales is trained to do that, but don't fall for it. I promise you this, there will be just as good of a deal tomorrow, next week, the week after, and so on until the end of civilization.

Secondly, beware of the phrase "As long as it meets your monthly payment" or any variation. What this really means is they are changing your finance terms and not in your favor.

I've never bought a new car myself either, but I looked a few years ago after my truck caught on fire and did put down a deposit on a car. They almost took me to the cleaners, but I went back the next day and got my deposit back and bought a dependable used truck.

 

[theduckguru]

Agree on all but the extended warranty. If you are not going to keep the car for longer than the manufacturer warranty its just a waste of money. But if you are going to keep the car until you hit 100K thats how long most warranties are, you may benefit from a warranty. I did and other I know did. The are not rip off like they used to be. If you are like me and like the piece of mind go for it. Just make sure you are aware of what is covered.

If you are purchasing a new car that you believe you need an extended warranty, you are buying the wrong car. New cars are very dependable compared to 30 years ago.

I have owned 7 new cars since 1978 and have yet to own a car where an extended warranty would have even paid for itself. I drive my cars to 200K+ miles.

If you pay $800 for an extended warranty and later have a $1600 repair, you already paid for half the repair and then have to add the deductable, finance charges and lost interest on your money.

You can end up paying for unexpected repairs, even if you don't experiance any unexpected repairs, which is how the extended warranty companies make money.

If you want piece of mind, put the $$ you would spend for an extended warranty in the bank so you have the money to fix your car.

 

[Thalassamania]

:lol: ... did that include styling too ?

No ... just a shampoo and a trim.

I do not buy new cars, I only buy classics ... cheaper to insure, cheaper to register, more fun and if you take care of them they go up in value rather than depreciate, go ahead ... get yourself that MGA you want, or a 280Z, or a mid 50s Chevy or a mid 60s Cadillac, you will not be sorry.