Negotiating a new car deal - how's it done?

[Pressing-On]

Okay, my husband is the one that is going to take care of this, but he doesn't explain details to me, so I want to know - how do you negotiate effectively? What do you need to know to negotiate the best deal?

We are Ford people, so don't throw in other options.

We already have a Taurus and an F-150. We are thinking of an Explorer or an Escape. Don't want anything too big. I was reading a couple of negatives on the Escape - bad performance of rear drum brakes and the back seats don't recline and are hard to fold down.

I was reading that handling things on-line is a great way to start as it lets the dealer know you are an on-line shopper. My husband isn't big about doing something like that. So, maybe I could do it on the sly?

[Sweet Pea]

Go to Edmunds.com. You can find the vehicle(s) you are thinking about. Reviews for each vehicle will be there as well.

Edmunds will give you good negotiating advice. The website will tell you the MSRP, the actual invoice price of the car, the TMV (true market value - what people in YOUR area are actually paying for a particular model). It will also give you any rebate info and "kick-back" info. (Kick-back are manufacturer incentives to the dealers.)

All this information will give you more negotiating power with the dealer. We purchased three vehicles using this info. We did most of the negotiating online and in one instance drove about 50 miles to the dealer who gave us the best deal. When we got there, we found out that while he was negotiating, he didn't even have the actual vehicle on his lot - but he traded another dealer for it (one that had given us a higher price). There is a lot more wiggle room than a person would think between MSRP and what you can actually pay.

I am close to people who have had both the Explorer and Escape. The Escape will give you better mileage than the Explorer. The Escape owners were very happy - drove it about 9 years and had no problems. Had about about 130K miles when they sold it. It is quite a bit smaller than the Explorer.

Also...... we prayed about it....

[Pressing-On]

Thanks, Sweet Pea. I do have Edmunds in my Bookmarks. I was just wanting to read more layman experience on the forum.

And I was concerned about the size of the Escape compared to the Explorer. Don't like driving around Texas in a small vehicle. But I don't want a huge SUV either.

I was very disappointed in our Taurus, which my son has right now, compared to our Lincoln. You can really hear the road in the Taurus and I don't like that at all!

We aren't as interested in spending as much as we would for another Lincoln, but I was looking at the Lincoln MKX and if we could get a deal, I think that's what I would really want. I'll see what my husband can do with that.

[Timmy]

Mr. Pressing: How much for this Explorer?

Salesman: $35,000.

Mr. Pressing: Deal!

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Timmy

Mr. Pressing: How much for this Explorer?

Salesman: $35,000.

Mr. Pressing: Deal!

LOL! I'm not going to talk about the shoddy deal he got us on the Taurus. I had to remind him of that when I insisted we pay if off even though our son was making the payments so he would have a car.

I'm doing the legwork now.

[Pressing-On]

Interior Lincoln MKX:



Interior Explorer:



Interior Escape:



Okay, if I can't have the Lincoln, I'm in for the Explorer.

[RandyWayne]

I am a horrible negotiator myself which makes my best bet the "Get a Quote" option under Auto's on Yahoo. That's how I got my new Hyundai 2011 Sonata Hybrid. I let the dealers duke it out on price and truly did get a pretty good deal, which seems to get better the more I hear about its current going price in reviews.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

I am a horrible negotiator myself which makes my best best the "Get a Quote" option under Auto's on Yahoo. That's how I got my new Hyundai 2011 Sonata Hybrid. I let the dealers duke it out on price and truly did get a pretty good deal, which seems to get better the more I hear about its current going price in reviews.

Thanks, Randy. That is some information I was looking for. We will probably pay cash for the vehicle, so I want a very good deal. I wonder if that is something you should tell them up front?

[MomOfADramaQn]

Buy a Consumer Reports guide - we use a consumer report magazine for just about everything we purchased. As far as negotiating - you just have to have set in your mind what you want to pay and don't budge. I bought a camaro not too long ago - told the dealership what I was willing to do - they said there was no way - I left - they called me a few days later and asked me what they could do to make me walk away with the car - told them I had already told them and they said there was no way possible - I reminded them the details of what I said - they said DONE - I went and got the car.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by MomOfADramaQn

Buy a Consumer Reports guide - we use a consumer report magazine for just about everything we purchased. As far as negotiating - you just have to have set in your mind what you want to pay and don't budge. I bought a camaro not too long ago - told the dealership what I was willing to do - they said there was no way - I left - they called me a few days later and asked me what they could do to make me walk away with the car - told them I had already told them and they said there was no way possible - I reminded them the details of what I said - they said DONE - I went and got the car.

Awesome! I traded in my Camero for a Ford Bronco when I got married. I don't especially like Chevy's, but that was a good car. It had been in culverts, over curbs, etc., etc. LOL!