help with buying a car

Can anyone suggest what car dealerships/sales persons I should go to get a fair deal? I don't have much car buying experience and the last time I purchased a car, I think I got taken for a ride (and not in a good way

If anyone has a good connection, Please let me know.

Thanks
HD

New or used?

Im selling my car right now.

I assume you have a set budget. I'd pick up a copy of Consumer Reports newest car buying guide. They'll tell you what the best car is in your price range. Should be copies in the library. Foreign cars (Honda, Toyota) are really going at a premium right now.

If you are after a Japanese car, the News had an article recently that, now that they are back to full production, manufacturers are planning large incentives to regain market share.

If you can hold off a few months, it may be worth the wait.

My ex made 100k plus a year working at a dealership selling the "extras"......so you might want to "just say no".
Oh...not those kind of extras, she liked greek already.

Don't you think a guy named PoppyToyota may be able to help?

Aka- Does PoppyToyota work at a dealership or something?


And thanks for all the responses everyone. ^.~

The first place to start is kbb.com (Kelly Blue Book). This will show you all available styles for that particular model, what is considered factory and what will be an add-on, factory price, MSRP, and the going rate for this part of the country. You can use this for both a new/used as well as for a trade-in, as the site will also tell you what to expect in terms of a dealer trade-in amount.

If you're going the used route, take the time to check out autotrader.com. Again, you'll get a feel for the going rate for the car that you're looking for and also find out what's on the market.

Armed with the knowledge of what you SHOULD pay and what you SHOULD receive in trade-in, it doesn't matter if who you are dealing with is honest or not. Don't budge from those amounts more than a few dollars.

A couple of other things:

1) A lot of salesmen will try to take a naive buyer, especially women, and ask "what do you want your monthly payment to be?" DON'T FALL FOR THAT. Your response should be along the lines of "I'm more worried about what I'm actually paying for the car. Once we have negotiated a price, we can talk about financing. Until then, no."

2) Negotiate the price of the purchase separately from the price of the trade-in. Always try to negotiate the price of the purchase first....do that while their used car department is checking out the condition of your trade-in. Tell them you're not willing to talk about the trade-in until the price of the purchase is complete. A lot of salesmen will give up a few dollars on the purchase and then make it back up by low-balling you on the trade-in.

3) Before you ever go to the dealership, talk to your bank, or other banks, about financing. Shop for an interest rate. It's advantageous to have your financing in place before you go talk to the business manager. Many times, you will NOT find the best interest rate at the dealership. Believe me, if you have a sight draft or a blank electronic check in hand from another bank, the transaction will go just as smoothly. That's like cash to the dealership.

4) If your bank offers you total loss protection, take it. For a few hundred dollars, it's worth protecting yourself if the car is totalled just a few months into a 5 or 6 year loan term.

I'm sure I'm missing a ton of other things to pass on....especially if you're buying used.

7th just outlined the perfect car shopping routine. Steps 1-3 will save you $$$. It should be tattooed on the back of the eyelids of every car buyer.

As far as the total loss protection, some insurance companies offer that and it is included in your regular premium. If you want it, check with your insurance agent before paying extra for it.

As far as the total loss protection, some insurance companies offer that and it is included in your regular premium. If you want it, check with your insurance agent before paying extra for it.

Good point, mine does not so I'm always careful to add it through the lender. The last one I purchased just a few months ago, the cost was like $299 and I rolled it into the loan.

Aka- Does PoppyToyota work at a dealership or something?


And thanks for all the responses everyone. ^.~ Originally Posted by honeydavis

Pretty sure he does. There was some discussion either here or on the previous board a while ago.

Honey Davis and others looking to get a car...

7th is heaven definetly has some great advice!

Here's some more info from my experiences buying four cars over the past 18 yrs. [small mazda, large chrysler, VW new beetle diesel, mid-size toyota]

* Finding what you want if you are going the new route

Edmunds, Consumer Reports, even the brand website have lots of info on model levels (200, 400, 315, 995, LX, ELX, VLX, What-the-fuck-X :^), colors, options, etc.

For example, when i bought my car, toyota.com has a great tool to select all that, show you the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. Many websites will even have links to a local dealer's website to see if they have it in stock [if they dont, they might be able to get it from another local dealer].

This gives you info about what's available and what's not on the car you have in mind [for example, absolutely want a sun/moon roof? or a convertible? or 4x4 off-road capability] to save you time when you actually go to find/buy it. if they dont have it, that gives the salesperson an oppty to get you to buy something you dont want at a price you cant afford :^[

know what the various options and extras are and if you should consider buying it [for example, do you really need heated seats, striping, undercoat, etc?]. consumer reports, cars.com, edmonds.com and friends can help you understand these.

for example, a 2011 Prius III lists for $25,365. a Navigation package is $1973 and has voice activated & touch screen DVD navigation system, 4-disc CD chgr w/ 8 spkrs, audio aux jack, USB port, Bluetooth capability, and XM Radio for 90 days.
want a sunroof?? the solar roof pkg has all the above & solar powered roof for $3730!!! might expensive roof!
premium carpet set is $200. you could probably get a nice set at AutoZone for 1/2 half that! window tint is $300 - pretty decent price and it's there when you get the car.

i just "built" a 2011 Prius III w/ Nav pkg, leather interior, mats, and window tint for List Price of $29,193. remember that's LIST PRICE.

Toyota of Richardson didnt have that model w/ those options but did have a) a red one w/out leather for a bit less, b) a blue one w/ out mats but w/ fog lights and vehicle shield pkg [guessing paint & undercoating]. So, just cos you know what you want doesnt mean that a dealership will have it in stock. you may have to compromise on somethings or wait until one comes in the way you want it.


i echo 7th on sticking w/ the price you are paying for the car model, style & options, before delivery fees, optional finance sold items and tax/title/license/fees. if you follow his #2 and #3 advice, you'll know how much the car is and will also have info on loans to compare w/ their loan offers.

however, for my last three cars, the dealership MATCHED the lowest loan i had rates on!!! most banks or loan websites have calculators that help you know how much you can borrow and estimated monthly payments - as well as the max amount of loan based on monthly payments, if you need to figure it that way.

his #4 advice is also a good idea. it's often call "GAP" protection.


Some other things.

a) if you are a member of a credit union [or even if you arent], find out from them which dealerships they work with and WHO to contact at the dealership. you can often get a price on a car from the credit union or fleet salesperson for $x over/under Invoice Price [what the dealership "typically" pays the manufacturer for the car; not counting incentives, rebates, etc]. Sure, you might be able to negotiate a price that'll be pretty close to the credit union price, but it might take you 1-2-3 hrs. the price i've paid for my last four cars was exactly the invoice price +/- the then current discount/premium amount. the fleet guy printed off the invoice prices and it matched my info exactly. since i knew what i wanted and price info, i signed an agreement to buy in less than 1 hr [financing stuff always takes longer].

plus, if you work w/ the fleet salesperson, they know about ALL cars at all dealers in the metroplex and even the region [toyota's gulf states region includes tx and la and possibly mississippi] AND what's coming in the next shipment or two. my current car came right off the boat from japan 11 days after i placed my order and left a credit card deposit [which they never ran thru my credit card company!!].

b) at least for toyota, the extended warranty the dealership sold me was waaaay overpriced - $2100!!! and it wasnt a toyota warrant. a website devoted to my car model had info about a toyota dealership salesman in Massachusetts who sold toyota extended warrantys for around $1000!!!!!

so, learn about all the products the finance/business people will try and sell you - extended warranties, Lo-Jack service, GAP, tire protection, anti-theft id and system, etc - and figure out if it's worth it to you.


whether you're buying new or used, learn as much as you can from friends, websites, etc. so that you can have an equal or upper hand when purchasing the car.

good luck!!!!

As you will be requesting credit in the form of a loan, handle all your loan applications back to back within the shortest amount of time possible before the inquiries begin to ding your credit score. (Each inquiry will bring your score down a few points in the form of a hard pull - no this is not an L1 reference). If you have a high score to begin with, then feel free to ignore this.

I know a lady who bought her last two vehicles at Car Max. They have set prices and there's no negotiating. She's been happy with the deal both times.