Then now i'm thinking how much lower can I really go? The car invoice based on my research is 26,412.
Can I ask for below invoice and get away with it?
Keep you all posted.
Make sure to get all of the post-sticker price garbage laid out as well, that's the last area they can bite you in & they usually try to hold out til the last minute to stack it all in. In my state (CT), that easily adds $2,000+ to the out-the-door price (mandatory factory delivery charge, tax/title/registration, etc.). They can hide a lot of junk in those fees, especially if you beat them up on the sticker price - deposit fees, doc fees, prep fees, etc.
Nearly everything is negotiable, however, so make sure to have them lay out the fees A to Z, and research what is actually required in your state. They can do some funky wording like "destination charge" (required & usually around $800-ish) and also add on "delivery charge", which is just a B.S. made-up dealer fee that you can usually get negotiate out of the picture.
Just plan on getting ripped off when you go in, and then you won't feel too bad about it when it happens Having a Truecar price & having them lay out ALL of the fees before you sign anything is the best way I've found to do it (and usually requires you being on-site because they freak out if you're just price shopping over the phone). I also don't sign anything until the visit
after I get all of the fees laid out, so I can review everything & make sure I'm not rushed. I got screwed out of $500 once (that hurt, I learned my lesson!) because I didn't pay close enough attention to what they said vs. what they printed & what I signed (and I won't be using that dealership again!).
So don't freak out about it too much...go in knowing that they're going to do everything they can to maximize profits, and that you've done the best you can with learning the legit vs. BS fees, having a Truecar price, etc. Then drive away in your new car & never think about it again