New tow — How to get a good deal?

[WhereStream]

I'm shopping for a truck or SUV to pull our Airstream, a Bambi 16.

It has been well over a decade since I've bought new from a dealer, and I don't know the best approach in the modern era.

How should I work toward a good deal?

[dasams]

Originally Posted by WhereStream

How should I work toward a good deal?

Google is your friend

All kidding aside, when I bought, I called dealers within a two days drive and asked for the internet sales rep. Offered my price for one in their inventory. If they were willing to deal, great. If not, I didn't want to waste their time or mine. Politely hung up and moved on. BTW, I bought both of my cars, my wife's car and our AS out of town using this approach. GL, Dave

[WhereStream]

How did you determine your price?

[AWCHIEF]

Check out Truecar.

[Goal15]

Dealers will probably tell you that they can't negotiate off the internet price but I got internet price knocked down by $1000 on my new to me Tundra by leaving when they wouldn't negotiate then calling the internet sales manager the next day and offering a price that was $1000 off the internet price and he said come on

Dana

[WhereStream]

OK, how do I get the "Internet price" ... you guys are way ahead of me.

[Goal15]

True Car, Car Gurus, Cars.com. Click on the truck you like and it will take you to the dealer website and usually the price listed their is the internet price

[Goal15]

I do know how to spell. THERE.

[dasams]

Originally Posted by WhereStream

OK, how do I get the "Internet price" ... you guys are way ahead of me.

Goal lays it out. Or go to your local dealer and offer a price that you're willing to pay. They'll counter but hold firm. Either you work out a deal or you don't. If not, you'll have a good idea of the market price for a particular TV. Then use that number and call some dealers outside your market. The sales reps will know that you aren't local and will have to decide whether to make a little money or no money.

[dasams]

Originally Posted by Goal15

I do know how to spell. THERE.

LOL You could have just edited your reply and no one would be the wiser

[Goal15]

Edit function only works for a couple of minutes after posting. Plus on m iPhone so not sure edit function is available

[Goal15]

Originally Posted by dasams

LOL You could have just edited your reply and no one would be the wiser

You are right. But not used to the UI on my new iPhone.

[Mollysdad]

First, set your budget and don't go over.
Next, get a certified used truck. New car warranty(almost).
Hit the computer and search cars.com, auto trader, car max, and anything else you can think of.
Before long you'll have a range of prices.

You can't beat the dealer. Unless you're prepared to walk away, he knows exactly what his car/truck is worth. Don't torture yourself.

My recent sales manager told me, "Times have changed, my customers have spent an average of 18 hours on the internet and they know what a car is worth." He was exactly right, I couldn't argue. It comes down to a trade, and that's where you'll lose every time.
I got within $500 of the deal I wanted, and the sales manager said, "I'll give you a full tank of gas."
My TV is almost new, and I'm glad I bought it. It is a 2015 with 12,000 miles. Perfect.

[wavelength]

After spending 30 yrs in the car business I find most of these suggestions very amusing. Go to truecar.com and follow their instructions you will get the best deal without any stress. Most stress is caused by the buyers not the dealers

[Rgentum]

1. Obtain "dealer's cost" for the car you want --- do a Google search for "dealer's cost", which should bring up lots of sites. Typically, this will be the "invoice price" on any particular car. If you have found a particular car that you want, ask the dealer to show you its invoice price sheet; if they won't show it to you, find a dealer who will.
2. Realize that the dealer's profit is not just the difference between what you pay & its "cost" (eg, invoice price) --- that's only one element of its profit. The way volume dealers make profit is by selling lots of cars even below, at, or near invoice & then by making their true profit on dealer holdbacks & factory incentives, which can really add up with a large volume of sales. (I bought my first truck at Santa Monica Ford, who had contracts to sell Fords to local rental car agencies --- its retail storefront was almost a joke, as they made their profit not from retail sales but by volume sales to the rental agencies; therefore, I was able to get the truck for invoice price, as the sale just added one more unit to their holdbacks & incentives.)
3. In my work, I've done lots & lots of deals and I always, always do my research, figure out how much I'd like to pay & the most I'm willing to pay, and make the first offer, ie, I don't ask the seller "How much?" I tell the seller, "I'll pay you $x for the product." And then the fun begins. And, as others have said, always, always, be prepared to say, "Thank you" and walk away if the deal won't work on your terms. Ie, don't fall in love with the product & "have to have it."

[JFRINALDI]

If you are a Costco member they are a great company for taking all of the hassle out of your experience. You'll get to see the dealer invoice and all of the discounts. Very satisfied with our new truck special ordered through this.

[Rich W]

I read a book in the late 90s, "Don't Get Taken Every Time" by Remar Sutton (available on Amazon). He was a used/new car salesman. There were a number of things that were interesting (a good book) but he gave a couple pieces of advice I thought were pretty interesting:

1. The salesman you're dealing with has all the authority he needs to close the deal. He doesn't need to "check with the sales manager" for anything. If this is the excuse for leaving the room he's probably going to check the ball game score, get some coffee or other personal errand. (Where I lived, a local news investigative team found out a dealership's sales offices were 'bugged'. The salesman would leave to go listen to the couple's conversation about the deal. Be careful what you say while the salesman is out of the office.)

2. There are 3 parts to the deal that should always be kept separate, never work a deal that mixes these up.
A. Selling/trading your old car
B. Buying the new car
C. Financing your new car
Mr. Sutton says to keep each of these separate.

For prices, I like to use Edmunds.com. When I used to have access to the dealer cost of new vehicles and accessories, their prices were spot on for dealer cost and sticker price. I don't have that access anymore, so I can't say if that's still true, but Edmunds will also give you the value of a vehicle for private or dealership sale. That's a good starting point for haggling.

Don't be afraid to walk away. The last time I bought a new truck I went to 5 different dealerships. 4 of them didn't get my business, although I told them I was buying a truck that week. The 5th one found the vehicle I wanted and the price was agreeable. All 4 of the other dealerships called me within the next 10 days.

[hkeach]

Before starting my shopping, I made a list of my 'must-have' options and realized quickly that all of the trucks on the lots were built with 'packages' containing thousands of dollars of options I didn't care about. I found a dealer who was willing to sit down and spec out the truck I really wanted and ordered it for 4,000 less than anything on the lots that included 'my options'. I had exactly the truck I wanted 6 weeks later at a big savings.

[PKI]

Truecar is a bit high. Not bad and worth using as a data point, but if you use the pricing at Kelley Blue book, and Edmunds, you will get a pattern that is mostly consistent. The Truecar has the advertising allocation included, KBB and Edmunds don't. It's about $400 and is negotiable if you know it's there. Note - it's been two years and stuff changes, so keep an open mind.

Now, what is an acceptable price to you? Invoice plus $500, plus $1000, less $1000? A just released model will sell at one level. Some are even higher than MSRP. A current year model may be well discounted. A last years left over may be a give away. The point here is that dealers don't pay dealer invoice. Lots of offsets, special deals and allocations. You have to test the market to find the deal. And what you are happy to pay is your choice.

So, as said ..... Google is your friend. Research, research and then do some more. Know what you want. Do not go to the dealer where you want to buy until you know. When you think you know three or four models that will work, leave your checkbook at home and visit some dealers. See if your internet views are viable when you see the vehicle in person. Note - caution - they used to say that most folks purchased within 48 hours of their first dealer visit. Sounds like a statistic that might be hard to prove, but the salesperson would like it to be true.

Note - there are two different types of marketing on vehicles. The package and the individual options. Sometimes it is a variation or combination, but understand what is included in the packages and what is not. Buying a package that contains a "must have" may save you a lot. Only buying the options you need will save you a ton. Some options are safety, some are convenience, some are comfort, some are performance, some help with towing, and some are pure bling. Build your vehicle on line. It takes some time to learn how the software works, but helps when it's time to sit down. Build the must have, the nice to have, and the final compromise. It helps to massage the configurations to achieve your budget.

Now look at the inventory at local dealers. The best way to buy a vehicle is to know what you want, find it on a dealer lot, wait until the last day of the month, know what you will pay, and be ready to buy with no trade. Son goes one step forward from this. He gets an internet price and asks them to deal at that price point. Best approach is to give them a chance and leave if they don't or can't be competitive.

If you can't find one on a local lot, then look at dealers down the road. It is key to understand that you need to have that vehicle shipped or go get it. Can be an interesting vacation to go get a new vehicle.

Note that some models can be delivered in a few weeks. Others take months or even longer. Some dealerships have allocations they can convert to your sale, others just put you in line. Have a firm understanding as it is part of the negotiation.

Buying used - certified pre-owned - can be a real deal with a better warranty than new.

Part of what you are buying is the warranty. Understand what you are getting. Service and mandatory maintenance are included on some models. Worth a look. Also, depending on your vehicle, towing may be heavy service use. If it is, plan on more frequent service intervals.

Good luck - work it until you are happy. Pat

[Bob662]

Offer invoice price less the dealer's doc. fee, and less factory incentives and discounts. The dealer is keeping the hold-back. I've bought lots of cars using this approach so it may not be the absolute lowest price, but it's a good deal for you and the dealer.

Trucks have the highest hold-back, so if it's a truck you're buying, encroach on it somewhat.