A new car purchase or lease can be a fun process. You’ll get a vehicle that you can use for many years. Before you can enjoy the vehicle, you have to go through the buying process. This involves doing some research, shopping around and then going to the dealership. This last part can be a bit unpleasant.
Dealers sell cars, but also make money. Dealers sell cars every day, even if you are buying your first vehicle in years. You’re at a distinct disadvantage. You will be beaten down for hours to get you to give in and pay what they ask. There is still hope for car shoppers.
You can negotiate better with a dealer if you are well-informed. You should know the price of the car and how that compares with other cars. It is important to know the tricks a dealer uses to convince you to pay his price.
You can use many different tactics to get the best deal from a car dealership. Knowing how to haggle and other tactics will help you close the deal. They are professionals; you’ll have a hard time getting what you want if you don’t prepare yourself to deal with them.
It is therefore important to be well-informed. You must also be willing to walk out of any deal that doesn’t work for you.
1. Knowledge Is Power
Car shoppers today have access to more information than ever about cars and the shopping process. You can find the vehicle you are looking for, calculate how much to pay and arrange financing without ever leaving your home. You can use your computer, tablet, or phone to find out trade-in values, receive an instant cash offer, browse dealer inventories and talk with multiple dealerships. You can find great offers on our new car and lease deals pages. Make the rounds before you enter. Ask around at other dealerships so you can call a competitor dealership even while on the sales floor. This can put the salesperson on his or her heels.
Find the right car
Finding the perfect car for your lifestyle, budget and needs is the first step in any buying or leasing process. Start with our new cars rankings. These are designed to answer the most common questions that new car shoppers ask when looking for a new car. You can compare the features of various models using our comparison tool. You may not find the perfect car for you by reading the reviews and paying attention to individual safety and reliability scores.
Understanding your credit score
Credit score is an important factor when determining the cost of your financing. You can set your budget and get an idea of what auto loan rate you’ll qualify for if you know it before you go car shopping. You’ll know if a dealer offers a financing offer that is priced above what you should be able to qualify for based on your credit score if they are trying to make a profit.
Find the right financing
Dealers are often happy to provide financing for buyers of cars, but this is where they make the most profit. Research your car loan options as thoroughly as the vehicle that you’re interested in buying. Online lenders and local credit unions can be contacted online. You can often get multiple financing offers by filling out a single online application. You should wait as long as you can in the negotiation process before revealing that you already have financing. This may allow you to negotiate a better price.
Find the right dealer
Some car dealers are more consumer-friendly than others. You can find out which car dealers have a better reputation by reading online reviews. You can tell a lot about a retailer by their overall rating and tone of reviews. Of course, there will be no 100% positive reviews. Some businesses will upload positive reviews.
Know the value of your trade-in
It’s not a good idea to trade in your vehicle without first knowing its worth. Find out the value of your car by requesting an instant cash offer, or looking at similar vehicles sold privately.
Look at what dealers in your area are charging for similar cars. Dealers will rarely sell the same vehicle for the price they do, because the dealer’s costs and refurbishment are included in the price. Understanding the pricing will give you a strong base from which to negotiate.
2. It’s A Business Transaction
A new car, or even a used car that is new to you, can bring up emotions. The excitement of driving a brand new car is tempered with anxiety over the purchase process. You may be under pressure to buy a car immediately if you are in a hurry. Negotiating a deal requires you to be calm and collected.
Remember that the buying of a car is not a personal transaction. It is a serious business. Negotiating a good deal will be hampered by unchecked emotion. You give more power to the salesperson if you’re more emotional or sensitive.
The dealership staff should also treat your interaction with them as a transaction. They may be nice, but they’re not your best friends. Be careful how much information you give them. You can give them an advantage in negotiations by providing information.
3. Pay Attention To The Payment, But Don’t Focus On It
When buying a used or new car, car buyers should not focus on the monthly payment. Negotiating solely on the basis of payment will reduce your chances to get a great deal. You may find that the dealer moves other variables around to reach the desired monthly payment. However, you could end up paying more in the long run. The monthly payment must fit into your budget but you should focus on the cost of the vehicle.
Nine times out of 10, a car salesperson is going to ask you how much money you have each month. You should know a budget, but never tell the salesperson. They can manipulate the rest of the figures in the deal if they know your top budget.
4. Know What You Can And Cannot Negotiate
There are certain things that you cannot negotiate in a car purchase. You shouldn’t waste your time talking about things the dealer can’t control. You want to focus on the numbers that the dealership can influence.
What you can negotiate
You can start by negotiating the price of your car. Monroney stickers are placed on every new car window. They show the Manufacturer Suggested retail price. Also known as sticker price or MSRP, it’s a common term. Here, the key word is “suggested.” The automakers simply suggest that dealers charge a certain price for the car. Dealers can set their own prices as they are independent franchises.
Some brands and dealerships have introduced no-haggle pricing. They say that the price displayed on the vehicle’s window is the final price. You’ll need to negotiate in most cases the value of the trade-in, the cost for financing, and any additional costs.
What you can’t negotiate
List of things that you cannot negotiate is shorter. Dealers cannot negotiate taxes and registration fees. They simply pass the money to the appropriate government authority.
Dealerships will not negotiate the destination fee on the Monroney sticker. The automaker is responsible for charging the destination charge. You should be on the lookout for dealers who try to add an additional freight charge to your final paperwork. This charge should be negotiable or removed, since the cost to get the car onto the lot of the dealer is already included in the sticker price.
5. Be Aware Of The Deals
Automakers offer incentives to boost sales. Find them on our New Car Deals page. This tracker tracks cashback deals (also called rebates, bonus cash or bonus cash), and financing deals. You can also find them on our Lease Deals page which features offers with low monthly payment and little due at sign-up. Our Used Car Deals page features financing offers on Certified Used Cars .
A car deal is the same as getting a discount, but without having to negotiate. You’ll need to be aware of the deal before you begin shopping so that you can make sure it is reflected either in your financing or price. It’s not realistic to expect that a salesperson will always tell you about a special on a vehicle.
The majority of lease and financing offers are limited to those with excellent credit and may only be available to certain models, trim levels, or a certain percentage of the dealer’s inventory. Most car deals depend on where you reside, but some are different depending on whether you buy or lease your vehicle.
6. Have Pre-Approved Financing Before You Shop
To get the best deal and to reduce the amount of things you need to negotiate, remove your trade-in and car loan from the equation. Let’s start with the financing and then move on to trade-in.
Before you even consider going to a dealer, you should look into financing. Most banks, credit unions, and other lenders offer web-based lending websites where you can apply to a car loan. You can remove the pre-approval from the negotiation process once you receive a written confirmation. Or, at least, limit the amount and term of the loan that the dealer is willing to offer. Pre-approval for a car loan can help you create a budget that you are comfortable with.
7. Separate Your Trade-In
It’s easy to trade in your car. You can save money on sales tax if you let the dealership handle all of the paperwork. Making it part of the purchase of a new or used car adds an additional variable to be negotiated.
Trade-ins are often used by salespeople as a part of a shell game. You can get a huge value for your trade-in by increasing the price of the car. By giving you a lower value for your trade, they can reduce the price of the new vehicle.
By selling your old car, you can remove the trade-in from the deal. A private-party transaction will likely yield the highest amount of money, but can also be a lot of work. You can sell your vehicle to an independent dealer, used car superstore, or franchised dealer. A new car dealer who sells the same brand of car may offer you a fair price if your car is in good condition and relatively new. They can sell it to consumers as a certified pre-owned car.
8. Online Shopping At Multiple Dealerships
It’s time to talk to dealerships but not personally. Email or use the online messaging system of a dealership to contact internet managers or sales teams at multiple dealers. You want to know if the vehicle you are interested in is available, and you also want to ask the price including taxes and fees. It may be a good idea to create a dummy account just for this purpose. You can delete your account once you have completed the car buying process. You may receive repeated calls from dealers.
If you want to reach out to as many dealers as possible, contact them from all over a metropolis. You might consider looking beyond your local dealers if the car is in high demand or limited supply. You can either plan a trip or have dealers ship you a vehicle. In a so-called “conquest” sale, some dealers outside your immediate area may be keen to get your business.
9. The Right Timing Can Save Money
We can do away with one urban myth about auto buying. They believe that if they show up right before the dealership closes, then they will get a good deal. They believe that the staff at the dealership will do a quick sale so they can get home.
You’ll usually be asked back to finish the deal at a later date. You can make them more likely to take advantage of you by making them angry. You’ll know a motivated salesperson when they stay late to finish the job or email you.
You can time the purchase of a car by using a calendar. Dealerships have monthly, quarterly, and annual sales goals. They’ll make more deals if they don’t meet their goals as the end of a period approaches. It only works when they haven’t achieved their goals. This is another reason to visit multiple dealers.
10. First, Negotiate The Price
You’re ready to negotiate. You may negotiate in person or via email. The basics remain the same, regardless of the method.
You must not be distracted from the price of the car. The salesperson should be able to give you the total price, including taxes and fees. You’ll be asked to give them a price range. Although it’s not essential, it is preferred that they give you the first price.
As a rule of friendly negotiations, once you mention a price as a buyer, you cannot go lower. As soon as the seller mentions a price they cannot go higher. They’ll probably give you a price that is near or above the sticker price.