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AG, if you like that Mazda, buy it. It's one of the highest rated cars in it's segment. Here's reviews from the guys that actually own one, not an opinion of someone who probably has never even sat in one. 2013 Mazda MAZDA3 Consumer Reviews
Best time to buy is at the end of the month as dealers are wanting to boost end of the month sales figures. Some dealers will accept a $300.00 over invoice offer but that's only going to happen at the end of a month, end of a year model, or end of the year. Might offer that on your next meeting. Yes, the dealer has more profit in it than what's shown on the invoice. He gets an advertising allowance and a little thing called hold back. If he's a volume dealer he can make a little more on the car at the end of the year. If he agrees, makes sure you see the invoice and it's the invoice for the particular car you're looking at which will have the cars VIN on it. So go buy yerself a Mazda- they're great cars.
Trapper, cut the crap and repeating sales pitch from mass media. I HAVE ONE IN MY GARAGE. Mazdaspeed 3. It's a frigging nightmare. Some guy in papers said... What a crock....
Why would you buy a new car anyway? Buy one that is slightly used, if you want to, get one certified. Low mileage used cars have all factory warranties in place, as they come with car, not with owner.
And someone else already took the depreciation hit, which roughly 20% the very moment new car crossed dealership gate on its way out.
Don't be silly. No offense. If you can afford cashier check for entire car value, plus tax and registration, buy 2012 model. Same as 2013, unless they really redesigned 2013. But then again, why would you be buying the first year new model run? To be guinea pig for all bugs they will work out by 2014 run?
Now, did you hear me? Do NOT buy a Mazda, unless you will rid of it in next 2 or so years. You've been warned. There are ton of much better quality sporty little cars. Buy a Scion, true made in Japan breed. And now they have one with turboed engine, if you were into that kind of fun. Heck, even Hyundai Veloster.
I would love to buy a slight used car under factory warranty, such as a 2012 car with less than 20k miles on it. However, not many people sell their slight used cars on Craigslist and few people would love to sell their car immediately after driving out from dealership gate. The reason I prefer 2013 models is that very few 2012 cars are new, and I never know the real conditions of used cars.
Is Mazda really that bad? Online reviews are generally favorable. I haven't thought about Scion yet, but I've considered Nissan seriously.
Yer one against how many hundreds of thousands of happy owners? How about you cut the crap, you've had yer say against the hundreds of thousands of others that apparently didn't have your problem.
All right, this is a subject near and dear to my heart. I do part time delivery work for a dealership and have purchased about 65 cars in my lifetime including about 30 new ones.
The way to negotiate is to do a check of the "TrueCar" or Edmunds pricing to see what the dealer has to get out of the deal to make a profit. No business stays in business long if they don't turn a profit and pay their help.
The truth is that very little money is normally made on new car sales except to inexperienced buyers. The money comes from the sale of the used cars, service and the financing department.
There are three prices to bear in mind. Obviously there is the MRSP posted on the window. Then there is the dealer invoice. On top of that there is usually a 3% "hold-back" that is paid to the original dealer who took delivery. If there is a dealer trade it does not transfer to the new dealer although his trade will get the hold-back so it evens out, generally speaking, less the cost of picking up the trade.
Then we have the matter of incentives. Those can usually be found in various places; especially enthusiastic forums that discuss these things all the time.
I never negotiate over price. Just don't do it. Not worth my bother. What I do do is to merely ask by telephone or the internet what the price is. That is usually about the lowest unless there is a newspaper advertisement but read the fine print.
There are two transactions involved. He buys your car and you buy his car. You must separate out the two, otherwise you may just be giving your car away. Before you go in, check the used car valuations; NADA is considered the most reliable and is what the banks use. That's the value and if your car is in good shape, will be assigned the "clean" trade-in value. Very rarely will it be assigned a higher value but sometimes if it is a true jewel.
If the car has over 100,000 miles it will either be a "cash" car or will be auctioned as it can not be financed.
A new car will always have the most favorable interest rates. Right now a good rate is about 2.64% or less on a new car. If it is quoted as 0%, usually the rebate goes away but not always.
What you want to do is to simply state you are not going to make an offer. Just ask what he wants for it. If it is to your liking then you can proceed. Bear in mind any financing will throw a lot of "junk" fees on top to fleece you and you can demand they be removed and probably will if it will kill the deal. The finance manager may throw a fit but that's OK, it's your money. The last two deals I made the documentation fee was $1. I paid no other financing fee although it was financed in order to purchase it. Then I promptly went down and refinanced it at a lower rate. I actually bought two new cars in one week and got $2,500 in rebates on both of them; $5,000 both. I hate used cars.
View a car as an appliance. They are all pretty much the same today with minor exceptions. Truth is that very few could be said to be bad cars anymore. The market simply won't support a defective car as it did in past years and decades. And believe me there were some pretty pitiful cars sold years ago. And BTW, the Mazda 3 is a fine car and value.
I would go to Edmunds and compare all of the cars being considered and get all the vital statistics and options and price them out. You can and should eliminate all cars that don't meet your requirements. When you do that your choice will be easy. If you decide on "XYZ" car, call a few internet salesman that every car dealer has today with rate exceptions and ask for exactly what you want and leave out the trade at this point. When you get the number bring up the trade if you have one. Then you will know what your trade is actually worth. That's when the rubber meets the road. If you know your car is worth $10K and he offers $5K then obviously he's not the dealer to buy it from. Someone will beat it. And any dealer can service another car bought from another dealer. They don't care since they get paid the same regardless. With any luck, you'll get the first few oil changes free anyway and not many of them break so you should enjoy your new car without having to concern yourself.
Good luck.
P.S. Personally, I find the Mazda 3 as very appealing and there is a lot of car for the price especially if the rebates are substantial. There are other cars on the market that compete for it but you won't go too far wrong if you can get past its grill.
I've rattled on enough but you get the idea. Car shopping is fun if you stay in the driver's seat and know the values. It need not be hard or unpleasant. Most of the time the people you will deal with will be quite pleasant as well. They are just trying to make a living like everyone else. Some are crooks or unethical. Most are not.
Quote; When I visited a dealer today, the sales manager asked me" at what price will you buy the car today and do all the paperwork?"; Unquote
^^^Gigantic red flag. If you offer a price you'll be stuck with it and later angry when you find you could have saved money somewhere else.
A new car would be new car dealer or arranged through a credit union. Near new would be pvt party, rental company or off lease company, credit union.
Negotiate, negotiate then negotiate. Get the average selling price from several dealers for the exact same vehicle you want, then negotiate negotiate negotiate. When you feel it's the right price, then tell them you want to think about it and start walking out the door. They probably will chase you down and make you a better deal just to keep you from going somewhete else.
New dealer, watch out for add on's like rust preventer, special paint finish, undercoating etc, these are all dealer markup profits and a way to get you to pay more than necessary.
Take a friend with you that may have some knowledge about buying or dealing with car dealers to keep you from getting in over your head and to help make you a decent deal.
The way he asked me questions made me feel very uncomfortable, that's why I didn't even offer him a low ball offer, instead, I walked out.
The message he sent me was like "Either you walk out, or promise to make a deal today and sign the paper if the price is mutually agreeable. I can't let you go because you won't be back once you step out". I felt awful, not sure if that's the way dealers do business.
I would love to buy a slight used car under factory warranty, such as a 2012 car with less than 20k miles on it. However, not many people sell their slight used cars on Craigslist and few people would love to sell their car immediately after driving out from dealership gate. The reason I prefer 2013 models is that very few 2012 cars are new, and I never know the real conditions of used cars.
Is Mazda really that bad? Online reviews are generally favorable. I haven't thought about Scion yet, but I've considered Nissan seriously.
UKROZ is sometimes delusional. The Mazda 3 is an excellent car. One of the best in its class. It is fun to drive and should serve you well for a long time if you maintain it.
I suggest you do some internet research at sites like Edmunds. Find out what they think is a current market price in your area for the car you want. If your zip is 77845 (College Station) I suggest you use the "internet sales" contact for dealers in College Station, Houston, etc. Tell them what you want, tell them you are ready to buy, and that you are looking for the best price. Let them compete for your business before you even set foot in their dealership. Do not tell them you will pay cash. If they ask "will you finance?" just answer that you haven't decided yet.
All right, this is a subject near and dear to my heart. I do part time delivery work for a dealership and have purchased about 65 cars in my lifetime including about 30 new ones.
The way to negotiate is to do a check of the "TrueCar" or Edmunds pricing to see what the dealer has to get out of the deal to make a profit. No business stays in business long if they don't turn a profit and pay their help.
The truth is that very little money is normally made on new car sales except to inexperienced buyers. The money comes from the sale of the used cars, service and the financing department.
There are three prices to bear in mind. Obviously there is the MRSP posted on the window. Then there is the dealer invoice. On top of that there is usually a 3% "hold-back" that is paid to the original dealer who took delivery. If there is a dealer trade it does not transfer to the new dealer although his trade will get the hold-back so it evens out, generally speaking, less the cost of picking up the trade.
Then we have the matter of incentives. Those can usually be found in various places; especially enthusiastic forums that discuss these things all the time.
I never negotiate over price. Just don't do it. Not worth my bother. What I do do is to merely ask by telephone or the internet what the price is. That is usually about the lowest unless there is a newspaper advertisement but read the fine print.
There are two transactions involved. He buys your car and you buy his car. You must separate out the two, otherwise you may just be giving your car away. Before you go in, check the used car valuations; NADA is considered the most reliable and is what the banks use. That's the value and if your car is in good shape, will be assigned the "clean" trade-in value. Very rarely will it be assigned a higher value but sometimes if it is a true jewel.
If the car has over 100,000 miles it will either be a "cash" car or will be auctioned as it can not be financed.
A new car will always have the most favorable interest rates. Right now a good rate is about 2.64% or less on a new car. If it is quoted as 0%, usually the rebate goes away but not always.
What you want to do is to simply state you are not going to make an offer. Just ask what he wants for it. If it is to your liking then you can proceed. Bear in mind any financing will throw a lot of "junk" fees on top to fleece you and you can demand they be removed and probably will if it will kill the deal. The finance manager may throw a fit but that's OK, it's your money. The last two deals I made the documentation fee was $1. I paid no other financing fee although it was financed in order to purchase it. Then I promptly went down and refinanced it at a lower rate. I actually bought two new cars in one week and got $2,500 in rebates on both of them; $5,000 both. I hate used cars.
View a car as an appliance. They are all pretty much the same today with minor exceptions. Truth is that very few could be said to be bad cars anymore. The market simply won't support a defective car as it did in past years and decades. And believe me there were some pretty pitiful cars sold years ago. And BTW, the Mazda 3 is a fine car and value.
I would go to Edmunds and compare all of the cars being considered and get all the vital statistics and options and price them out. You can and should eliminate all cars that don't meet your requirements. When you do that your choice will be easy. If you decide on "XYZ" car, call a few internet salesman that every car dealer has today with rate exceptions and ask for exactly what you want and leave out the trade at this point. When you get the number bring up the trade if you have one. Then you will know what your trade is actually worth. That's when the rubber meets the road. If you know your car is worth $10K and he offers $5K then obviously he's not the dealer to buy it from. Someone will beat it. And any dealer can service another car bought from another dealer. They don't care since they get paid the same regardless. With any luck, you'll get the first few oil changes free anyway and not many of them break so you should enjoy your new car without having to concern yourself.
Good luck.
P.S. Personally, I find the Mazda 3 as very appealing and there is a lot of car for the price especially if the rebates are substantial. There are other cars on the market that compete for it but you won't go too far wrong if you can get past its grill.
I've rattled on enough but you get the idea. Car shopping is fun if you stay in the driver's seat and know the values. It need not be hard or unpleasant. Most of the time the people you will deal with will be quite pleasant as well. They are just trying to make a living like everyone else. Some are crooks or unethical. Most are not.
Thanks very much for the input!
All new 2014 Mazda 3 will come out in September, that's why 2013 Mazda 3 cars are on sale. I've checked truecar and kbb, and I would say the current offer they gave me isn't that bad.
I've heard a lot of horrible things about the finance traps, so I decided to go all cash. Without finance, can there be any trap in the paperwork?
Yeah, and you need to look at the paperwork BEFORE you sign anything. They can slip in paint sealant, extend warranty, etc. and not tell you about it. Question EVERY line item charge and I'd suggest taking a pocket calculator with you so you can do your own math. They have been known to "accidentally" misfigure taxes, prep charges, etc. If you catch them at it, walk away. Nothing worse than a slimball dealer. I can assure you if the sales dept is slimmy, the service dept isn't much better. A dealer makes money from the financing so you're cutting into his bottom line. Despite what some think, dealers don't make a ton off of new car sales and these guys get paid commission on the profit, not the volume.
All new 2014 Mazda 3 will come out in September, that's why 2013 Mazda 3 cars are on sale. I've checked truecar and kbb, and I would say the current offer they gave me isn't that bad.
I've heard a lot of horrible things about the finance traps, so I decided to go all cash. Without finance, can there be any trap in the paperwork?
Yes. They will try to tack on additional fees. Or their math will be wrong. Here is what I did:
Negotiate over the phone not in the dealership. You can visit them to test drive but say your just looking and then call back to ask the price. If they ask you for one over the phone go ahead and name one. Then if they accept it call the next dealer and when they ask, say you have X price and name a lower price. If they accept call either another dealer or the first one and say you have Y price and see if they can do better. Once no one does better you have your best price and then you can buy.
To figure out a good price do some research on the internet nationally and see what they are being advertised for. Also check with truecar pricing and costco pricing. Then name a price at least $1K lower than you found and see what happens.
Have them prepare the paperwork detailing the out the door price in advance and send it to you over e-mail so you can see what they have tacked on. If there is anything that you didn't agree to or the price is higher cross it out and send it back. I did this by printing it, marking it up, taking a cell phone picture and sending it back.
When you go to pick the car up bring all your paperwork with the figures on it so you can compare. The process is long and tiring and you don't want to get confused. Before you give them any money test drive the car again. Go at least 20 miles, on the expressway, up a hill, on a curvy road. Make sure everything looks good (check the paint for scratches) and sounds good (how is the transmission?). Test all the features. Once you determine that everything is as it should be then go in the dealership to do the paperwork. If it isn't tell them what is wrong and that you will buy it after they fix it or that you need to rethink it.
Yeah, and you need to look at the paperwork BEFORE you sign anything. They can slip in paint sealant, extend warranty, etc. and not tell you about it. Question EVERY line item charge and I'd suggest taking a pocket calculator with you so you can do your own math. They have been known to "accidentally" misfigure taxes, prep charges, etc. If you catch them at it, walk away. Nothing worse than a slimball dealer. I can assure you if the sales dept is slimmy, the service dept isn't much better. A dealer makes money from the financing so you're cutting into his bottom line. Despite what some think, dealers don't make a ton off of new car sales and these guys get paid commission on the profit, not the volume.
They gave me a piece of paper, and they wanted me to sign my name saying that I will buy this car if the price is xxxx and agreeable. Is that part of the paperwork? I can't change my mind later? Penalty?
Due to the fact that I don't trust dealers, I can't proceed to sign anything without knowing what exactly it is.
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