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?
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....
__________________ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
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.
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 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.
Last edited by RandyWayne; 08-25-2011 at 08:23 AM.
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?
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?
I don't know if your supposed to tell them if your paying cash up front or not. I'm pretty sure your supposed to either TELL them, or NOT tell them until the end.
I DO know that if your planning on trading in a car you wait until the final price is settled on before saying "Oh yes, I have a car I want to trade in, how much can I get for it?" other wise they will jack up the price in order to make it appear your getting more for your old junker.
I don't know if your supposed to tell them if your paying cash up front or not. I'm pretty sure your supposed to either TELL them, or NOT tell them until the end.
I DO know that if your planning on trading in a car you wait until the final price is settled on before saying "Oh yes, I have a car I want to trade in, how much can I get for it?" other wise they will jack up the price in order to make it appear your getting more for your old junker.
We aren't trading a vehicle. I'm just doing some legwork, but I know that I'm not allowed to speak when my husband is talking to the salesman. I'll get the evil eye.
I am a good negotiator, but my weak area is when you start throwing numbers at me. My ears start ringing and I look around for a math teacher.
Hybrid Mode
