Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
Options
Any Questions for a Car Dealer?
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
of course, it wont matter after you trade out of it in february...lol.
You know what Walter Matthau said about assuming, didn't you (Bad News Bears reference)....
So come October we will have to buy a set of winter tires for the dually (don't want a repeat of his embankment dropping like last winter) and a set for the Titan.
The dually will probably need new summer tires next summer, the ones that are on it are starting to dry rot. Plenty of tread, but they are 5 years old.
Great idea? Mark
Would we do it again? No -- at the time, the kids were 12 and 10 -- we weren't thinking in terms of practicality, we were thinking in terms of "cute".
Now that the son is driving it, I keep waiting for it to need a clutch job (this is his first car with a manual transmission). It just got a new set of tires (3rd set) a month ago and it could stand a good detailing (more inside than outside), but overall, it hasn't ever let any of us down.
In fact, the wife may be getting a new car in the next couple of months, and she's mentioned a Turbo NB Convertible as a possible candidate. We'll see.
I would much rather go to the dealer or a trusted independent even if it's a couple of bucks more.
Did get a great deal, $10k for my Alero, and $19 for the Intrigue off a $27+ sticker. Love the Intrigue and would never trade it..
Now the fiance's Alero is a different story. We hate it and frankly its turning into trash right before our eyes. Just needed a new rack and pinion unit, outside of warranty of course at 20k miles! Noises abound everywhere, particulary in the front and back of the roof. Engine sounds awful, door sealants are falling off...and the rearview mirror just came off.
So the fiance flat out doesn't want it anymore. We can hardly afford a new car, but we really can't afford to put money into that disaster either and I think we'll have to. We started looking around and we both took an intense liking to the new Malibu Maxx--perfect for us with the room and the unbelieveable level of equipment. Drove it and loved it.
So its negotiation time, which brings me to my 'question for a car dealer.' I've found a dealer will to go $1500 under invoice, which is far more than the holdback. How do they do this? I know its a legitimate deal because I talked to them and I bought my Alero from them at a similar deal. Its a super high volume place and I know that plays a role in it, but is there really that much extra money in volume?
Another dealer I spoke with will give me his entire holdback, which is a a good $700 under invoice but not $1500, and he insists there is no way to make that deal and make money.
So what's up?
By the way, in case you don't know, these Malibu Maxx's were talking about here going in the mid-15s with the 4k GM Loyalty (although even if you don't have a loyalty there's a big conquest rebate anyway). That's a steal for this car!
Anyway, after our disasterous fishing trip today (I swear the fish hate us) we decided to head into Anchorage, eat dinner, and look at camping trailers.
Hubby wanted me to drive from Montana Creek (fishing spot), so I was backing the Titan up and didn't see the log laying across the drive behind it. Backed right into it, OOPS......tore up the 7-pin wiring (will have to replace part of it) and bent part of the hitch (didn't hurt it really). Oh well, least I got the first one out of the way. *Chalk it up to a blonde moment*
Now, maybe I will do an AKANG1 on a new Subie outback.
Nah...my wifie would kill me.
... l..o..l .. you don't need a truck, you need a Bumper Car .. how long has it been, 3/4 days ..?
Terry ;^)
My wife, in fact, insisted that we use the dealer for the 60K service, even though it would have been cheaper to have it done locally. The car has never left us stranded and has done what we have asked of it quite well.
Me and Mrs. Racer are planning on likely purchasing some sort of vehicle by next spring. Replacing either or both a motorhome and the family truckster Exploder. We've had some unplanned but coverable expenses over the last year, things like three of us needing major dental work, including orthordontia, totalling like $5grand, the generator on the rv took a dump - $1600, bought 2 rooms of furniture a month before all these other suprises, and so on. I fortunately have a FICO in the 750-780 range, so I took advantage of one of them 0% for x months credit card deals that I get like 3 a week of, and paid the balance off after about 6 months with a combo of bonus and tax return. Anticipating potentially buying something, I checked my credit score before and after paying this $7500 off. My only other balances are mortgage, Home Equity Line of Credit, and another no interest-no payment deal from Home Depot for this year's round of home improvements. Obviously, no negatives in the history. FICO score went up a whole 2 points!
My guess is score formula is weighted to different factors depending on previous history. While playing around on the myfico site, I clicked on the simulated score if per chance I maxed out all my credit cards, which would be in the range of $150,000!. The score went down to like 690-700, way higher than I assumed it would be considering being in that kind of a hole with credit cards would be impossible to climb out of.
Just an experience to offer when shopping and using your credit.
if you missed 1 car payment, you would probably drop 100 points.
Now hubby OTH.........well, we won't go there.
If we could just decide on a camping trailer we'd be doing good. Guess its kinda nice that we've got a few months to play with. Torn between 3 trailers.
"LAM Dealer Contribution" $222.25
and "LAM Group Contribution" $222.25
I'm told these are GM Ad fees added to the Invoice, so the true cost of the invoice is $444.50 above what its listed at.
However, when negotiated with other local dealers, the deals we made for (under invoice) did NOT include the AD fees. So what gives, do I really have to pay these and does every dealer pass them on?
if your price is comfortable, dont worry about it.
i swear i dont know why people fret over stuff like this.
We are looking at a 27 ft camping trailer, torn between it and a 24 ft. Both have a wet weight of ~6000 lbs. Think that's too much length/weight for the Titan to handle on a long 3 week trip to the states? We are worried about killing the truck, lol.......then we'd have to buy a new one.
One RV dealer says no more than 4/5000 lbs and 22 ft and the other dealer says no problem.
"LAM Dealer Contribution" $222.25
and "LAM Group Contribution" $222.25
I'm told these are GM Ad fees added to the Invoice, so the true cost of the invoice is $444.50 above what its listed at.
However, when negotiated with other local dealers, the deals we made for (under invoice) did NOT include the AD fees. So what gives, do I really have to pay these and does every dealer pass them on?
i would imagine, though, that you will be ok.
i pulled an 11k lb. camper with a customer a few months ago, and it pulled it like a champ...the only problem was that the tongue weight was 1100 lbs.
on a long trip, i would make sure you dont go over 7500 lbs. total...including you and hubby and a full tank of gas...just to be safe.
The GCWR with the trailer loaded and the Titan loaded would hit ~13,000 lbs, which if I read it right is well under the 14,800 GCWR for the Titan.
We are going to tow our car hauler trailer with the Titan next week, it has a horribly heavy tongue weight (300+ lbs empty) and maybe load it with some dirt we need to pick up.
We are over the break in miles (1200), I think we are hanging in the 1500 miles range now. I didn't look when we got home last night....was way late.
The trailers we are looking at are Forest River Surveyors......they are made for SUV's and light duty trucks, so are fairly lightweight. Very nice trailers though. I'm glad we walked last night or we would have come home with one. Have to stick to the plan.
The biggest limitation on the Titan are probably two things: 1) the chassis GVW, which I think is about 6500lbs, allowing about a 1500lb payload. The trailer tongue weight has to be in that payload number. To allow for family, dog and beer, I wouldn't go above 750 on the tongue. 2) The other issue is I've heard is Titans don't lock-up the torque converter in anything but 5th gear. Pulling hills with a trailer, they'll be lots of times the tranny will be in 4th or even 3rd. An unlocked torque converter is a fluid coupling that makes for a lot of heat. Since it is an electronic tranny, perhaps there is a software update out that will change the lock-up point.
In any case, they are nice trucks for a very reasonable amount of money. I'm considering one myself, since I can't quite stomach the cost of a Suburban.
also, if she got the bench seat in front, it has a manual shifter button on the column shifter. if its the buckets, it has a gated shifter.
as far as the tranny, it has a tranny cooler with the big tow pkg. no worries there.
And if Dealer A can sell me the car without the ad fees, why can't Dealer B? Caveat: Dealer B has the color I want, but I'm not satisfied with the price because Dealer A is giving me a better deal.
The point is: is this a legitimate charge or not? Why doesn't every dealer have this charge? I
I believe its because some dealers belong to some co-opts they have GM do their advertising for them and charge per car for it. But Dealer B with the ad fee says EVERY dealer has this charge. So what's up?
if invoice W/O the fees is $20,000.00, then your price is $19,700.00.
that would make the invoice of the one WITH fees $20,000.00+222.25+222.25= $20444.50. if you are $600 under that, then that gives you a price of $19844.50.
you mean to tell me that you would get a car you DONT WANT over $144?!?!?!?!?!
i swear, people...i think im going to throw my mouse in a minute!
regards,
kyfdx
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
My husband is very experienced with trailers........Ever seen a man get a rig stopped after the 18 ft car hauler trailer popped off the ball without so much as breaking a sweat? He did a couple years ago, talk about a scary moment, icy roads, cars in the oncoming lane, hit a bump and the tongue popped off the ball and went under the truck. No damage to the truck or trailer, but I think the guy in the VW that was in the oncoming lane had to go find some clean pants.
Back to the trailer/Titan thing. We are thinking about putting a Hensley anti-sway system on the truck/trailer, I hear its worth its weight in gold. Also buying a Prodigy brake controller this week.
Next May we are headed to the lower 48 for a 3 week trip.........about 9000 miles round trip with 2 kids and a darn dog.
Ok, back to our regularly scheduled programming.....before the hosts crack down on us.
BTW, Bowke28, I have the buckets and the gaited shifter......LOVE IT!!!
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
Jolie, with a 140" wheelbase crew cab Titan pulling a lightweight construction 25' trailer, I'd say a Hen$ley is overkill. Reese dual cam should be fine. The Prodigy I've heard is a super unit, though I get by with a low-end Voyager in both the motorhome and the Exploder, pulling a car on an open trailer with a front storage box. About 4500lbs total with 600 on the tongue.
Amazing though, what pain some people will put themselves through!
Unbelievable!
I've heard great things about the Prodigy. My husband has a draw tite controller in his Dodge and he HATES it. I can see him upgrading since he routinely pulls 9k-12k lbs and the controller he has know makes the braking very jerky on his car hauler trailer.
Now if I could just learn to back a trailer.....oh heck, I can't even back my truck, lol.
My out the door price is going to be $600 under invoice. But which invoice? I can't make the offer unless I know what I want to take $600 off of.
Now I just have to get over my OCD and actually buy something (although I did impulse buy my Miata last year, so I know it can be done).
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I don't know if I got the best deal in the world on the Titan, I probably left some $$$ on the table, do I care? Nope, not in the least. Now that's a wonderful feeling!!!
Figure out what the average buyer is paying, and what the vehicle is worth to you.. shop around at more than one dealer, and take the best deal you can get. Telling a dealer that you want to pay $600 under invoice is like asking them to lie to you.
On another point, KBB has the most accurate invoice prices on the web... Though they still won't have advertising charges listed, as those are most likely regional in nature.
regards,
kyfdx
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
But that isn't the point. I just think there is some merit to finding out what this LAM charge is and if everyone charges it, pure and simple. Frankly, I'm just curious at this point. What's so wrong with that?