Buying a new car (Charlotte, Raleigh: sales, good credit, prices)

[Wraunch]

Ok, who has had the best experience buying a new car in the Raleigh area and where? We are going to test drive cars this weekend after we recently sold a big SUV. We are in the market for either a midsize sedan or SUV, we are leaning towards a hybrid with rising gas prices as well. So far tops on the list are the Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Civic hybrid and Fusion Hybrid. I am looking for the best total deal, price, financing, etc. I don't care if it's a 2010 or 2011.

[hammester]

Sorry I can't recommend a dealer, I had to buy my car all the way out in Rocky Mount because the Nissan dealers in Raleigh were so pitiful.

Make sure to go here first to make sure you are not overpaying.

New Cars Pricing and Comparisons Local, Regional and National Car Price Reports at TrueCar

[RaleighLass]

I would ck out Capital Ford and see what they have in Escapes. I've bought a couple of times from Capital, and other dealers in Raleigh. Never had an issue with Capital.

[VickiR]

Originally Posted by hammester

Sorry I can't recommend a dealer, I had to buy my car all the way out in Rocky Mount because the Nissan dealers in Raleigh were so pitiful.

Make sure to go here first to make sure you are not overpaying.

New Cars Pricing and Comparisons Local, Regional and National Car Price Reports at TrueCar

Great advice! Hubby and I always buy brand new cars. Maybe not the best business decision but I prefer brand new so that I know no one has smoked in the car and with the warranties you get today, you don't have to worry about repairs.

Having said that, I agree with hammester. Do your research. There are many sources online to help you get the best deal.

Try to find an experienced salesperson. That will save you tons of time.

Good luck. Buying a new car is TORTURE!

Vicki

[BPmode]

I had a good experience at Autopark Honda in Cary. I recommend asking for a quote online, before going to the dealership. They tend to offer the best price that way, and you can avoid haggling in the showroom with the sales manager.

[Sherifftruman]

I know you said you are looking at the best total deal but you will do much better separate g the transaction. Get the best price first, then talk trade and then finance. Of course being armed with info from Kelly and Edmunds, etc helps in all the phases.

I would definitely recommend checking with your bank or credit union for financing and also check Capitaloneautofinance.com . If you have financing arranged before walking in, you will know the cost up front and that's one place the dealer can't hide things from you.

I have also seen recommendations at places like MSN to send a fax to various dealers with a price and see what they come back with (I have also seem people report they did this with good results at a couple of car forums) A variation is doing it over email. Most dealers have Internet departments and they can often give better prices. We did that with my wires Jeep in 2005. We ended up driving to Hickory to pick it up but got a really good deal.

[hammester]

If you need financing and have good credit you can get 60 months at 2.99 at https://www.penfed.org/
You can join by becoming a member to an organization for 15 dollars. It was the cheapest rate I could find when looking for outside financing.

[twingles]

We also bought at Capital in Cary. It was relatively painless, in fact my DH worked out most of the details on the deal over the phone. We got a pretty good deal on our Mazda.

[lazy]

Originally Posted by twingles

We also bought at Capital in Cary. It was relatively painless, in fact my DH worked out most of the details on the deal over the phone. We got a pretty good deal on our Mazda.

Ditto for me back in June. Started researching (including TruCar as someone already provided link), then emailing, and locked in the price over email/phone and then walked in and did a bit more talking and bought my Mazda.

Had a good experience with Leith Toyota back in 2006 as well.

In short, email around using the fax/email method described in earlier post.

One last suggestion,
Dont when doing the email/fax, dont limit yourself to the Triangle. I communicated to dealers in Fayetteville (sp), Zebulon, Wilson, Henderson, Charlotte, and even Atlanta (had a good deal on a toyota which locals wouldnt match) as flying one-way to ATL and driving back was still cheaper by a few hundred dollars.

[yellowbelle]

Always arrange your financing on your own, ahead of time. That minimizes the games at the dealership.

If you are buying new, use online pricing to pick the best price.