HOT MAMA! CAR BUYING TIPS!

[Kenji4861]

Buying a car anytime soon? A few hours of reading may save you a good amount of money.

1. Choose the car
- Read reviews, see future models, see TMV at http://www.Edmunds.com or pick up an auto issue of Consumer Electronics.
- Know which options you like or can be without.
- Find car clubs for the car you are about to choose. You can find what owners think of their car.

2. Find out the going rate
- Find out the invoice/MSRP price here at http://www.Carpoint.com
- See how much others are getting the car for at
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.ef17997/
- If you are buying an used car, find out the going rate at http://www.KBB.com

3. Bargaining
- Find multiple dealerships near you that have your car and find their e-mail sales contact
- Find the lowest price on a newspaper or Edmunds Prices Paid
- Email dealerships to beat the price. Going in to talk to the dealership gives them a chance to play games with you so email is recommended
- With the new price, ask other dealerships to beat that price.
- Repeat this process until you think you have a price you are happy with.

Other Notes
- Basic tips cans be found at http://www.carbuyingtips.com Highly recommended to read through this.
- Never ever make decisions based on what the sales rep tells you.

 

[Iron Addict]

Hawt! Only if u gimmie the money to buy the car!

 

[msi1337]

thanks Kenji! you have awesome ideas

 

[freeguy007]

It's unlikely you get a hot deal from a dealer; just try to picture a car salesman whimpering, "Oh my...that customer just really did me over..." It doesn't happen. With private sales, you can get very hot deals on cars. The carbuyingtips site is excellent & is wonderful reading. When I watch "King of Cars" or the movie, "Slasher", I have to wonder why ANYBODY ever goes into a dealership - especially if you can get a 3 or 4 yr old car with under 35K for 40% of the original cost from a friendly person selling the car on their own.

 

[Rauthoen]

FYI - To my knowledge, KBB's prices for used cars are quite uniformily heavily overstated

 

[ShizNet]

.. unlikely you get a hot deal from a dealer; just try to picture a car salesman whimpering, "Oh my...
_____________
wtf r u smoking?

did you ever rent the car? or did you see kids doing 'donuts' by 7-11?
would you want to buy that kind of car even for 60% of it's value?
you'll make your greece-monkey mechanic very RICH and HAPPY

once you know pleasures of brand new car as well as warranty, lowER financing... and even that smell
you'd never even pull over by used car dealer

btw google for 'lemon car stories' (and such) to hear the horror story

 

[lbhskier37]

Originally posted by: ShizNet
.. unlikely you get a hot deal from a dealer; just try to picture a car salesman whimpering, "Oh my...
_____________
wtf r u smoking?

did you ever rent the car? or did you see kids doing 'donuts' by 7-11?
would you want to buy that kind of car even for 60% of it's value?
you'll make your greece-monkey mechanic very RICH and HAPPY

once you know pleasures of brand new car as well as warranty, lowER financing... and even that smell
you'd never even pull over by used car dealer

btw google for 'lemon car stories' (and such) to hear the horror story

Well there is something to be said about getting a cheaper older car. What is better having a $400/month payment or paying 100-200 every couple months for maintenance and having no payment?

 

[mshan]

Another (rather aggressive technique) to car buying:

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/message...44610&highlight_key=y&keyword1=new+car

 

[superHARD]

Originally posted by: ShizNet
.. unlikely you get a hot deal from a dealer; just try to picture a car salesman whimpering, "Oh my...
_____________
wtf r u smoking?

did you ever rent the car? or did you see kids doing 'donuts' by 7-11?
would you want to buy that kind of car even for 60% of it's value?
you'll make your greece-monkey mechanic very RICH and HAPPY

once you know pleasures of brand new car as well as warranty, lowER financing... and even that smell
you'd never even pull over by used car dealer

btw google for 'lemon car stories' (and such) to hear the horror story

did he say anything about buying a program car?

 

[ShizNet]

LEMON is used car salesman way of life - it's not a program

What is better having a $400/month payment or paying 100-200 every couple months for maintenance and having no payment?
are you buying car to keep it in the shop and ride bus meanWhile?
did you see hourly rate @ shops? $60+/hr without parts... god speed

 

[halik]

Buying a new car is pretty dumb financial decision... used or even certified preowned is better. A brand new car has the highest depreciation rate...

 

[nyker96]

good post OP!

 

[freeguy007]

Hello Mr. Shiznet - Obviously you've never actually calculated your cost per mile & enjoy bending over in the shower with Mr. Car Salesman. Here are my answers:

> did you ever rent the car? YES, but I don't buy used rentals
> or did you see kids doing 'donuts' by 7-11? NO
> would you want to buy that kind of car even for 60% of it's value? NO - why would I want to pay 60% of a car's value when it's easy enough to pay 40%??? See - it's these little numbers games that the dealer has used to play you.

And yes - I did buy a new Toyota a while back. But when I ran all the numbers, private sale used is cheaper hands down. And that "new" car is "used" ( i.e., "preowned" for you since the dealer has brainwashed you) very quickly & will be going to Mr.Greasemonkey while you still are probably paying for it.

BTW, my wife's used car was 10 mos. old, had 4,000 miles on it & the owner was 90 years old (oh & car still had that salesman "smell" you like). Unfortunately I had to pay 60% of it's original value to the owner. Have you ever seen a 90 year old doing doughnuts by the senior center? Maybe eating doughnuts.

Have a nice day in your new car!!!

 

[CKDragon]

Originally posted by: mshan
Another (rather aggressive technique) to car buying:

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/message...44610&highlight_key=y&keyword1=new+car

Wow, now I really want to buy a new car to try those techniques out... maybe next year.

CK

 

[Thump553]

Be very wary buying a used car from a private party. If the car has a big problem they won't want to trade it in or may not even be able to.

I've bought most of my cars from private parties, but the last two I dealt with had major undisclosed defects-one I caught in time, one I didn't.

It is well worth it to have a mechanic look the car over before you purchase it. If the seller balks-or more likely claims there is someone else who wants to buy it tonight-walk. There are multitudes of used cars out there, you can be choosy.

 

[usernamemax20charact]

Hehe... What a coincidence. I did this exact same thing a few days ago.

Most of tips I followed were from CarBuyingTips.com

I'm in the market for a car and Edmunds.com lists dealer invoice at $19,378 or $19,928 with $550 destination charge. Lowest offer I've gotten so far is $17,923 or $18,473 with $550 destination charge. That's $1,455 below dealer invoice, or $3,752 below MSRP.

Yes, I did consider and looked at a used '04 model with 23,000 miles on it. Going the used route would have only saved me about $1,500. I think it's definitely better to get the new one considering it has a few extra features that the used doesn't.

It's entirely possible to get a better deal on a new car than a used car because new cars have factory holdbacks, factory to dealer incentives, floorplan fees, ad fees, consumer rebates, etc. that dealers can drop and still make a fair profit on the car. They're just extra icing on the cake, so to speak. Used cars don't have all this.

Besides, if they make less profit from you, they can make up for it on the next guy who hasn't done his homework.

Going to take all the offers I have from the various dealers and use them as bargaining chips to get an even better offer.

Can't figure out how they're making money still with an offer that low, but I know they are. So trying to get another $100 - $200 off the already low $18,47 seems likely IMO.

 

[usernamemax20charact]

Originally posted by: Thump553
Be very wary buying a used car from a private party. If the car has a big problem they won't want to trade it in or may not even be able to.

I've bought most of my cars from private parties, but the last two I dealt with had major undisclosed defects-one I caught in time, one I didn't.

It is well worth it to have a mechanic look the car over before you purchase it. If the seller balks-or more likely claims there is someone else who wants to buy it tonight-walk. There are multitudes of used cars out there, you can be choosy.

And do a Carfax check on a used car too before buying.

 

[Snowice]

Edmunds.com is your friend when buying a new car... save time and money

 

[freeguy007]

quote:
Originally posted by: Thump553
Be very wary buying a used car from a private party. If the car has a big problem they won't want to trade it in or may not even be able to.

I've bought most of my cars from private parties, but the last two I dealt with had major undisclosed defects-one I caught in time, one I didn't.

It is well worth it to have a mechanic look the car over before you purchase it. If the seller balks-or more likely claims there is someone else who wants to buy it tonight-walk. There are multitudes of used cars out there, you can be choosy.

------------------------------
True - but the same thing can happen from a dealer (who has many more resources to hide problems).


quote:
Originally posted by: usernamemax20charact
Yes, I did consider and looked at a used '04 model with 23,000 miles on it. Going the used route would have only saved me about $1,500. I think it's definitely better to get the new one considering it has a few extra features that the used doesn't.
-------------------------------
That's because you're looking at a dealer-offered '04 model. A private party sale should save you $4500-$6000 in a car of this price range.

 

[usernamemax20charact]

Looked at used private party cars too and they had even more miles on it (1.5 to 2 x more). The paint on private party cars also varied from ok to good. A private party car in the same or nearly same condition as the certified dealer one (but with ~15,000 more miles on it) would have only saved me $3000 - $3500 compared to a new one. Yes, I could save more if I buy a private party car with even more miles on it than the certified, but considering that I also didn't know how well they cared for their car, their driving style, etc., I didn't feel it was worth it. I live in Los Angeles, and people drive like idiots out here.

 

[SuPrEIVIE]

why spend at all? just play a few hours of grand theft auto for practice... and all you have to do is open the door yank out the driver get in and GO!

 

[freeguy007]

What you say is true at any given point on time. If you are willing to watch the ads for 1-2 months, you will find the private party sale you want at an excellent price. If you need a car right away, your chances are slimmer. A friend of mine found a 2 yr old Altima with 11,000 miles. The owner was 75. The price was $11,000. It took him 3 weeks. I've bought 6 private party sale cars over the last 12 years (for me & relatives). All but 2 of them had under 40K, 2 had under 5k. Also, the factory warranty rolls to the new owner (in some cases you might have to send in a form). With my 2 cars under 5K, I took advantage of this. The ideal situation is when a seller is acting on the behalf of an elderly relative who can no longer drive. After running the AutoCheck or Carfax (which you can usually get for between free & $2 on craigslist), I usually know if I'm buying the car before I get there. I am looking for overspray, mismatched tires, leaks, etc when I see it.

But - on the other hand, I should shut up. The fewer people that are looking at private party cars, the better deal I get.

 

[howdysir]

people drive like idiots out here.

isn't that a compelling enough reason to buy cheap? insurance will con you either way, the less it's worth the less you get ripped off in compensation (and usually monthly payments for insurance too)

 

[Nick5324]

Originally posted by: freeguy007
Hello Mr. Shiznet - Obviously you've never actually calculated your cost per mile & enjoy bending over in the shower with Mr. Car Salesman. Here are my answers:

> did you ever rent the car? YES, but I don't buy used rentals
> or did you see kids doing 'donuts' by 7-11? NO
> would you want to buy that kind of car even for 60% of it's value? NO - why would I want to pay 60% of a car's value when it's easy enough to pay 40%??? See - it's these little numbers games that the dealer has used to play you.

And yes - I did buy a new Toyota a while back. But when I ran all the numbers, private sale used is cheaper hands down. And that "new" car is "used" ( i.e., "preowned" for you since the dealer has brainwashed you) very quickly & will be going to Mr.Greasemonkey while you still are probably paying for it.

BTW, my wife's used car was 10 mos. old, had 4,000 miles on it & the owner was 90 years old (oh & car still had that salesman "smell" you like). Unfortunately I had to pay 60% of it's original value to the owner. Have you ever seen a 90 year old doing doughnuts by the senior center? Maybe eating doughnuts.

Have a nice day in your new car!!!

I think you took his post to literal. His comment about doing "donuts" at 7-11 was an example of careless and/or stupid driving. The point is that with a used car, you don't know what a previous owner(s) has done with the car. Next, his comment about paying 60% of its original cost is just an example of a used car costing less, and to him, not being worth it. You respond that you wouldn't pay this b/c its "easy" to get a car for 40% of its original cost. This isn't the point. For ShizNet, the reduction in cost isn't worth the risk of possible problems, esp. the ones that would require a mechanic to fix. His example of 60% wasn't a comparison to your 40% claim; therefore your comment about him being tricked by a numbers game by a dealer makes no sense. I don't think ShizNet, or anyone else on here, doesn't realize that used is the same as preowned. I would say a 'certified used/preowned' car is different than a used car being sold by some guy down the street, as the 'certified' vehicle was inspected and carries some type of warranty, not so with a private sale. I'm also sure we all understand that if one buys a new car and drives it off the lot, it is no longer "new", but is in fact now "used". Again, it's about knowing how the car has (or hasn't) been cared for, not the label of new or used.

The example you gave was a good deal for you, but not a typical situation that many of us will have available when looking to buy a used car. You're right, it is unlikely that a 90 year old drove the car in a careless fashion; obviously you understood this, and as such were willing to pay 60% of the original value, when, according to you, 40% is easy to find. BTW, maybe the 90 yr. old has a grandson or granddaughter who was allowed to drive it, and maybe they weren?t so careful. I doubt this happened, but you'd never know. I'm not trying to say buying new is the way to go and buying used is a bad idea. The value of anything is subjective. To ShizNet, the additional cost of a new car over a used one is acceptable, as with the lower cost of a used car comes some risk. His post was made to point out these risks and the added benefits (warranty, better financing, and smell). You, however, feel you can minimize risks by being selective when shopping used and by having a mechanic inspect the car before buying. Also, you don't value the added benefits the way ShizNet does. I agree it's possible to get a good deal on a used car, and it sounds like you got a good deal on your wife's car. That doesn't mean ShizNet is "wrong" to buy new and that you are "right" to buy used. The two of you value different things when car shopping and have different risk tolerance. This has nothing to so with bending over in a shower.

 

[freeguy007]

Insrance, taxes.....if you're in a state that has sales tax plus proprty tax -> ouch. Plus - if you finance at anything above 0%, you are paying $ for a depreciating asset.
I bought a $3k pre-dented 3rd car for our trips into risky areas (Boston, NYC, other urban areas). It has been an excellent investment. You just can't have your self-image tied up with the car you drive. You do have to be willing to make the car purchase a non-emotional event. But I guess even emotion affects us private party buyers - it's happiness not getting shilled.