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I find the email routine to not be nearly as effective as walking into the showroom. Maybe it is just how dealers are locally, but many won't deal at all through email correspondence.
maybe it is a regional thing. Most dealers down here not only have "internet sales managers" but also advertise sale prices on new cars on sites like Cars.com; those may not be bottom line but it's a good starting point when searching until you find the right model and can narrow down the $$$. Last couple cars we bought were for the most part done online. I refuse to put up with bs when buying a car (and to be honest dont give bs to a salesperson either). Life is too short to put up with crap, and frankly if a dealer doesnt want to work with you in a friendly and professional manner (it should be a two-way street), there is another one that will.
The spread between MSRP and selling price is completely dependent on supply and demand. Some luxury/high end cars will have a giant discount - when it is a car not selling well. If the car is "hot" at the moment, you will sometimes get nothing off MSRP. The dealer may sell for over MSRP.
The question is too vague...It depends on the make and the model, and everyone is different. For example, I seem to remember something like an $1,800 spread between sticker and cost on a new Corolla at the time I was working in car sales. A top of the line SUV would have much more. Also, you have to look at what you're buying. Are you buying a commodity? Do 5 stores in a twenty mile radius have five each of the same car? Perfect, you're set to pay invoice or even less. Is what you're looking for rare/expensive? Expect much less wiggle room. But, if gas is $5.00/gallon, the store is going to sell their hybrids at MSRP, maybe higher. Its only crazy when people don't pay it. People would tell me I was nuts when we were selling Priuses at sticker, but they sold as soon as or even before they got off the truck. For MSRP. When supplies evened out, they reduced the prices again. SImple supply and demand.
None. We send out a proposal for the vehicles we wish to purchase and the price we are willing to pay. We know the cost of the vehicle, and what incentives are available to sellers from the manufacturers. We allow them a fair profit. We do invite offers of a lower price, but any offer that does not provide the vendor a reasonable profit is viewed with suspicion and generally requires an explanation. Otherwise The most conveniently located vendor who accepts our offer gets the sales.
I am always wondering if I negotiate enough. I usually keep quite and let my husband talk to the salesman - then when the numbers come out I get tough. How much - on average - do you think I can get the price down? It seems not as much as years ago.
A lot of it depends on too many factors to list. The time of the year, the day of the month, popularity of the model, sales numbers for the dealership, incentives, and the list goes on. It's really hard to say because the negotiations can be totally different at the beginning of the month, vs. the evening of the last day of the month when the dealer needs 2 more units in to make the next bonus tier.
There are a lot of tools online that give you a good idea what you can expect to pay for a car, but those are aggregated, and you might do better or worse depending on a number of factors.
I am always wondering if I negotiate enough. I usually keep quite and let my husband talk to the salesman - then when the numbers come out I get tough. How much - on average - do you think I can get the price down? It seems not as much as years ago.
Somewhere between a few hundred and ten thousand for normal cars. I'm glad to help with such a specific answer to your vague question
I'm a weak negotiator because I know I'm not putting anything down, and also I go on monthly payment. Furthermore, by the time I'm talking to someone it's already a car I'm pretty sure that I want anyway.
That might give you a little more negotiating strength. The dealer'sbackend is making money off the financing.
I am always wondering if I negotiate enough. I usually keep quite and let my husband talk to the salesman - then when the numbers come out I get tough. How much - on average - do you think I can get the price down? It seems not as much as years ago.
I think it depends on the price of the car. A car with a $15-20,000 MSRP isn't going to allow much room for negotiation, hardly worth the toruble, but when you get up into the $40,000 range and above for cars like Mercedes, Cadillacs etc. that's when negotiation skills can really save thousands of dollars. Those can turn into epic battles.
I just let the fleet manager know they have a sale if they can meet me on price and then I give them the model and equipment and what I am willing to pay... all they have to say is yes or no.
In reality... I am not going to let a hundred dollars get in the way.
The informed buyer holds the cards and the cash...
Dealer needs customers more than you need to buy a car from them... in most cases.
Last edited by Ultrarunner; 01-13-2014 at 01:14 PM..
I'm a weak negotiator because I know I'm not putting anything down, and also I go on monthly payment. Furthermore, by the time I'm talking to someone it's already a car I'm pretty sure that I want anyway.
It's not something that I see as stressful or requiring the art of war--but everyone's experience is different. If I was in the habit of buying older cars or if I had multiple cars at any one time, then I might be a harder negotiator.
I wouldn't let either of those facts change the strength of your negotiation. The terms and down aren't required to negotiate the best price on the vehicle. The dealership is getting cash either from your wallet or the bank.
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