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March 2011 Moms
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NBR: Advice for buying new car

marathonkatemarathonkate
in March 2011 Moms

Hi ladies! 

So, DH and I are in the market for a new or slightly used (not more than 2 years) SUV. We've narrowed it down to the Honda CRV, Toyota Rav and the Subaru Forrester. And I'm really leaning toward the Forrester.

But what I really need are opinions/advice/stories about the actual negotiating/buying process. We've never bought new or from a larger dealership before, and I'm really nervous. We're both kind of pushovers, and I know we got burned by several thousand dollars when we bought our home. Really hoping to avoid that sort of regret this time around!!

So far, family and friends have told us that we should:

1.) Not mention if we plan to trade in our current vehicle (a 2001 Honda Accord);

2.) Not tell them our monthly budget for the vehicle; 

3.) Imply that we have a current deal going on at another dealership; and

4.) Shop around at several banks/credit unions for APR. Don't use dealership APR. 

Hopefully these are all solid pieces of advice -- anything else? We have from now until the end of the year. I'd really like to have it done before Thanksgiving, though, because we'll be traveling up to NY and the SUV will handle better in the snow. We're also hoping to buy before Jan. 1 for tax purposes and because I will eventually quit my job and it would be best to show my income to get the best APR, etc.

Thanks in advance for all of your help!! 

 

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Re: NBR: Advice for buying new car

  • karinasoucykarinasoucy
    One thing I would do to is look at the Kelly Blue Book values for both the car you might trade in and the car you are thinking about buying. Sometimes banks have better APR's sometimes they don't, so I would go in knowing what a bank can offer you. I know alot of dealerships around here now, have a no haggling policy where they won't knock anything off the price no matter what. It's priced as low as they will go, so be aware of that. I would also recommend not trading your car in and trying to sell it to someone, you will get more money that way. Also, make sure you get the carfax report to check on any wrecks or any problems the car has had... Other than that have fun test driving...
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  • TwinkzTwinkz

    If at all possible have your own financing.  Most of the dealerships money is made in the closing via additional coverage for your windows, tires, etc.

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  • kdavidekdavide member

    I'm fortunate in that my husband loves to deal on cars.  It's game for him that I can't understand.  He'll do it when we are not even looking for a car.

    Definitely focus on the total price (out-the-door).  The salespeople try to focus you on what you want your monthly payment to be and also the value of your trade-in.  Try to negotiate the price without those items in mind.  

    When we bought our Toyota, we went to three different Toyota dealerships to deal on price.  It definitely became obvious that only one of the three was willing to deal.  The sales managers actually got pissed off at the other two dealerships.

    If the salesperson is not having to go talk to their manager, you are not asking for a low enough price.

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  • myst33myst33

    Know your credit score

    Have some financing options with you when you go.  When we bought dh's car, we had a printout of an approved finance rate from a bank and they were able to bring their apr down to beat it.

    Get some online quotes to bring with you

    and ditto everything everyone else said.

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  • scooby2504scooby2504
    I heard it is good to shop on the last Tues or Weds of the month because dealers are more willing to negotiate on price since they want to sell more cars in order to meet monthly quotas. They will be under a bit more pressure to sell.
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  • azpharmgirlazpharmgirl

    some of this stuff might be basic.  sorry. 

    1.  know what price you are willing to pay - make sure it is reasonable (use kelly bb) - before you go.  do not let them negotiate you above that price.  if you need to leave, leave.  i have had dealers call me back and accept what i was offering.

    2.  you can ask them to see the incovice for the car.  each car should have one.  it will show you how much they acutally paid for the car so you can see how much they are making on you.

    3.  start lower than what you are willing to pay.  i hate playing this game but apparently it will look like you are making a concession when you are really getting what you want.

    4.  get them to start with the numbers.  don't say "we are wiling to pay x."  once they named their price, if it is crazy high then you can say something like "that's not even on our radar screen."  that forces them to name a lower price without you having to revel how much you are willing to pay.  this is called "the krunch."

    5.  if they are constantly having to consult their manager and it is annoying you ask them why you are even talking to them and not their manager directly.

    6.  decide before hand if you want all that stupid stuff they ask you about at the end.  paint sealing, fabric protection.  i ususally say no to that stuff, but they make a lot of money on that stuff because they call that the "stupid time."  you will say yes to just about anything just to get out of there.

    7.  bring snacks!  :o)

    GL!

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  • marathonkatemarathonkate

    Thank you all so much! These are great tips -- especially the one about snacks. ;)

    Hope we get to put them to use this weekend. DH is cancelling an off-roading trip cause his Jeep is "sick" so I think I might snag him and do some test driving. We still have a few more months, but might as well start 'practicing' and learning how to play hardball.  

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  • Cashew13Cashew13 member

    I second the snacks recommendation! My DH and I just bought a new suv and the one thing we did was we left the trade-in car at home on the few days we went test driving so that we (I) wouldn't fall in love with a car and just get it all done w/out looking at the other cars on our list.

    You may also want to avoid telling the salesperson you're pregnant. I swear they got more intense and played on my emotions pertaining to safety and random things that really didn't matter. 

     OH! And with the RAV4 - check and see if you're getting one with a spare tire. I think one of the RAV4 models only comes with run flat tires and I did not like the idea of being stranded on the side of the road w/out a spare tire. 

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  • chsmith79chsmith79

    I would recommend not negotiating at all AT the dealership. DH & I bought a brand new RAV last year & did all talks with dealerships through e-mail. Some dealerships don't want to deal with things that way but most now have internet sales managers whose job it is to negotiate through e-mail. DH sent e-mails to 6 dealerships (1 was 2 hours away- and where we purchased). 3 were very responsive. We specified the color, options, etc. that we wanted and said that if they had the right price compared to other dealerships we contacted that we would be purchasing ASAP. We knew the price we were getting on the RAV before DH even talked to the dealer on the phone & then informed him we had a Camry to trade-in. Since we already had financing in place from our credit union we were at the dealership less than 20 minutes before we reached our deal.

    As a side note all current RAV models do have full spare tires- (at least as of 2006). I highly reccomend the RAV too- DH bought one this year so now we have his & hers!

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