Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If you want to have fun with a dealer ask them if there is a current Stairstep program going on with the vehicle you are looking at. That will get you a funny reaction at times.
To the OP all I can say is shop around. The more work you're willing to do the more money you can save. Don't discount out of state dealers, either, as I personally believe the pricing level in our area is inflated especially when you factor-in the ridiculous DOC fees they charge here.
I bought 5 vehicles in the past year - 4 new and 1 used. Two came from North Carolina but also got one from Maryland, Texas and Florida. Even with shipping costs it was significantly buying locally and I try to give the local dealers a chance to match but some (especially Leith dealers) just charge too much and won't negotiate enough for my tastes.
Hmmmm, then maybe I should include dealers back home in Atlanta in my search.
When purchasing our last vehicle I shopped all around to find the exact car I wanted - found one local and one in Greensboro. Went with the dealer in Greensboro because they gave the best price. Drove out, did a little paperwork, and drove it home. It was super simple!
When purchasing our last vehicle I shopped all around to find the exact car I wanted - found one local and one in Greensboro. Went with the dealer in Greensboro because they gave the best price. Drove out, did a little paperwork, and drove it home. It was super simple!
Yes.
Working the internet sites, available and arriving inventory, and pricing makes it easy.
We could have saved about $150 if we had bought Heartthrob's latest ride from a Ford Dealer in Winston-Salem.
Decided the $150 was a sound investment in convenience and good will at Crossroads.
I had a similar experience when buying my last two cars.
The 2013 Edge I picked up at Stearn's Ford in Burlington, but that was inventory driven, as much as price. And, the price was very good. They had one that I wanted. I only test drove it so they could punch out the paperwork.
For the 2016 Edge I have, Crossroad's was very competitive.
May I use this to make a point here?
If you want to treat an automobile purchase as a commodity purchase that is certainly one way to do it. The other way is to consider the possibility that having a positive relationship with your local dealer may be a benefit to you at some point in time.
I totally get wanting a fair deal. The problems start when you begin obsessing over $150 on a $30K plus purchase. Is buying locally worth 2 or 3 dollars per month? That's about all you are saving on a 60 month loan when you beat that deal by $100. Don't let adrenaline and "beating the dealer" or "winning the game" overshadow common sense.
There is value in buying locally from someone who has been at the dealership a long time. There is value in buying close to home as long as things are pretty close. There is no "best price". A dealer 100 miles away will save you $100 every time to steal a deal from your local dealer-it is simply a unit to add to their sales board and they know they will likely never see you again.
I have also found that the people who turn this into a contact sport are shocked when they can't get any favors from the dealer they sold up the river for $100 (spending that much on gas and lunch to get back and forth to wherever they got the car). The guy who is 100 miles away won't be helping you pair your new phone or get a dent repaired properly and cheaply. Having someone to call who remembers you and is willing to provide service after the sale has a value.
Go ahead and shop. Do your research-there is only one internet, and smart dealers should be willing to work with you. If you walk in unarmed, that is on you, not the person who is trained to get you to pay as much as they can. Once you are confident that you know what a good deal is, give the guy down the street a chance to become your friend in the car business. Yes, the business is full of what I call "tourists"-people who drift in and out of selling cars while waiting for their ship to come in or to finish their novel or whatever. Find someone who has been there awhile. Ask your family and friends. Not everyone who sells cars lives under a bridge.
May I use this to make a point here?
If you want to treat an automobile purchase as a commodity purchase that is certainly one way to do it. The other way is to consider the possibility that having a positive relationship with your local dealer may be a benefit to you at some point in time.
I totally get wanting a fair deal. The problems start when you begin obsessing over $150 on a $30K plus purchase. Is buying locally worth 2 or 3 dollars per month? That's about all you are saving on a 60 month loan when you beat that deal by $100. Don't let adrenaline and "beating the dealer" or "winning the game" overshadow common sense.
There is value in buying locally from someone who has been at the dealership a long time. There is value in buying close to home as long as things are pretty close. There is no "best price". A dealer 100 miles away will save you $100 every time to steal a deal from your local dealer-it is simply a unit to add to their sales board and they know they will likely never see you again.
I have also found that the people who turn this into a contact sport are shocked when they can't get any favors from the dealer they sold up the river for $100 (spending that much on gas and lunch to get back and forth to wherever they got the car). The guy who is 100 miles away won't be helping you pair your new phone or get a dent repaired properly and cheaply. Having someone to call who remembers you and is willing to provide service after the sale has a value.
Go ahead and shop. Do your research-there is only one internet, and smart dealers should be willing to work with you. If you walk in unarmed, that is on you, not the person who is trained to get you to pay as much as they can. Once you are confident that you know what a good deal is, give the guy down the street a chance to become your friend in the car business. Yes, the business is full of what I call "tourists"-people who drift in and out of selling cars while waiting for their ship to come in or to finish their novel or whatever. Find someone who has been there awhile. Ask your family and friends. Not everyone who sells cars lives under a bridge.
Not that I've ever heard of. The most I think they can do is offer you more for your trade, but I'm not sure if that's true or just a rumor.
If a vehicle is stale on a Carmax lot (Or other no haggle places), they will drop the asking price, but stick to it, until it stays on lot for another 30 days, then they either drip price again or transfer/auction it.
Tesla works as a car for rich people. I am curious to see if they can transition to selling a more mainstream product. I hope they succeed. That said, mass production is a challenge they seem to be struggling with. They will also struggle with keeping the lower end client happy in a way they have not with their current base of customers.
The current Tesla owner has other options if they need range or cargo/towing capabilities. They just jump into their other car(s) and do what they need to do. If they have been used to the spotty reliability of high end cars they owned before then they will be tolerant of any glitches in their Tesla and frankly chalk it up to part of the cost of being in that club. It's a great car if you have a few other cars.
The guy who replaces a Camry or Accord with a Model 3 is going to be a different client. They will spend $35000-$40000 and expect a $100,000 experience. The luxury brands have already seen this as they added entry level cars in the $30,000 range-that client is way more difficult to satisfy than their $100,000 clients.
The people screaming the loudest in the Mercedes service lane pulled up in a crappy $32,000 CLA that might as well be a Chrysler 200 except for the big badge in the grille.
I hope they make it-it can only be good for the industry.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
