Buying Tips - How Do I Get the Best Deal?

tsgeisel

As a suggestion - run it through the Edmunds "Used Car TMV calculator". If you're getting a large hit on the value because of price, you might want to consider a private sale, unless you have documentation on work done, and the car is in nearly pristine condition.

80k miles on a 2000 car (probably bought in 1999) is roughly 11k miles/year which isn't so bad at all.

Anyway, run it through the calculator and see what they come up with. Then check online ads and see what people are offering (I like craigslist.org for that).

biancar

I'm not seriously thinking of selling it any time soon, hope to make it to 150,000 miles, maybe more, before replacing it.

It was bought in the summer of 2000, so it literally is exactly 6 years old right now.

I was just interested in the principle of the thing, if there is a certain mileage number when no one would want it anymore. If/when I hit that number, I'll probably donate it to a charity or a high school vocational ed. class for auto mechanics or something. Just kinda wondering what that point might be. Guess not for a while yet.

pdxtaurus

I've got a '93 Taurus with 120k miles, and am shopping for a new car.

The last dealership I was at offered $300.

A competing dealership (which hasn't actually seen it yet) said they could offer between $300 and $500, and told me to sell it on craigslist.

I think for something like a Taurus, anything older than 2000 or so is undesirable. A Nissan should hold value longer, though.

pdxtaurus

"PD...........Just ask the dealer to see the invoice! "

Thanks!

The Chevy dealership ended up not having the car we were interested in, but at the Ford dealership we went to later I did just that, and the employee plan pricing was right there. Good info to know!

biancar

According to Edmunds TMV, my car should be worth anywhere from around $8,000 (trade-in) to around $12,000 (dealer retail).

As long as I could reasonably expect to get more than $5,000 for it, I'd sell it. If less than that, I'd donate it.

Just hypothetical at this point.

snakeweasel

I was just interested in the principle of the thing, if there is a certain mileage number when no one would want it anymore.

Personally speaking I would say between 150K-200K depending on the car, or 15-15 years (age can do a lot to a car too). I wouldn't touch a car with over 200K on it. Others may differ in their opinion but to me there is just to much of a chance of something big time going wrong after that.

isellhondas

Two extreme examples...

A Maxima and a Taurus. A 120,000 mile Maxima wouldn't be a real easy car to sell but anyone who knows Maximas wouldn't be afraid of it. a well maintained Maxima is good for 200,000 miles or more.

A Taurus on the other hand, is a great example of a used car that few people want. A Taurus with 120,000 miles is a scary thing. They are not known for long term durability.

Funny,,,a 1993 Honda Accord or Toyota Camry sold for about the same price as a Taurus. A 120,000 mile Accord or Camry would quickly sell for a lot of money.

I have to deal with this every day.

isellhondas

Well, yeah...

At 200,000 miles if one major event happens, the car would be rendered a total.

snakeweasel

Yes and over 200K miles the chances of a major engine probelm increases greatly regardless of what car you have.

isellhondas

About losing an automatic transmission or having the A/C fail.

On the other hand, if a person had a short commute or just needed a beater to drive five miles to a Park and Ride, a 200,000 mile 500.00 car could last awhile.

snakeweasel

Sorry I usually lump all drive train issues as engine. I couldn't care less if the A/C fails on a 2ooK mile car, the windows still roll down don't they?

I used to have that 5 mile ride to a "park and Ride" if I had it again I would use a scooter.

jlawrence01

A Taurus on the other hand, is a great example of a used car that few people want. A Taurus with 120,000 miles is a scary thing. They are not known for long term durability.

I would not buy a 120k Taurus as a used car off of a retail lot or a complete stranger as I have no clue as to how it was maintained. I would not give up a 120k Taurus, in the fear that something **MIGHT** go wrong as I maintain my vehicles well and will easily get 150k-200k on the vehicle.

And I would say the same thing about an Accord or a Camry because I have seen some that have been very poorly maintained ...

isellhondas

I wouldn't be afraid of a well maintained 120K Taurus.

I also wouldn't say they can "easily" get 150k-200k miles without something major happening. They certainly can, however.

Kirstie_H

A reporter aims to talk to some empowered consumers who pay no attention to ads and instead seek out their own information through community forums before making purchases.
Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com by Monday, July 10, 2006 and be sure to provide your daytime contact information and a few words about your experience.

graphicguy

Most of the Ford, GM and Chrysler iron I see with 100K + miles sit on the "buy here-pay here" lots.

Back to getting the best deal.....I know of one guy who I work with that will pit one dealership against another "over a 250 mile radius". Now, he's a Benz, BMW type buyer and most of those stores will let him walk...every once in a while, he'll get a couple of different Benz dealers, for example, to get into a bidding war with each other. Doesn't happen often, but it does happen for him on occassion.

pdxtaurus

We just bought a Fusion, and one of the most useful things we did was to search dealer inventories through forddirect.com.

We were able to find the one car within 40 miles that had exactly the options we wanted, without the options we didn't want, and go to that dealer. Knowing exactly what other dealers had our second-choice package also helped us in terms of our bargaining position (mainly, not falling in love with the deal before it was satisfactorily concluded).

So, if you can find out if the dealer has what you want before going to the dealership, do it. It'll prevent you from being in the position of bargaining over things you don't want but the dealer has to sell.

Like I said, Ford has forddirect.com. Anyone else do the same thing?

graphicguy

I too love "browsing" inventory on-line. It's more prevalent with the domestic nameplates. Most even let you look at the MSRP sticker on-line of the model that suits you, too. Some foreign brands allow shoppers to look at inventory on-line, too (Lexus being one of the few exceptions....they want you in their stores to look at their wares....not online). Not all do it that way, though.

Some only list the car, and without the options on the individual car you are seeking. That's next to useless.

I find shopping inventory on-line a convenient way to see who has what I want before making a trip to the dealer. It's a good idea to give them a call to see if what's listed on-line is still available, though.

nortsr1

Chrysler also has that type of website. Punch in your zipcode and a bunch of nearby dealerships pop up for you to check their inventory. It is updated every day.

biancar

Yes, I did the same thing with my recent purchase of a 350Z roadster. I checked inventories of other Nissan dealers within a 50 mile radius. One had a white one that I would have considered if the deal for my Redline hadn't come through favorably. No one else had a Redline equipped as I wanted. It was very helpful to check inventories.

snakeweasel

I personally would advise not going that route unless you don't want the hassle of the car buying experience. In the vast majority of cases with a little homework and a little negotiation skill you can do much better than a broker can. All a broker really does is add another profit center between the manufacturer and the dealer.

Just out of morbid curiosity what car (make model and trim) was this where a broker saved you $2,300? Pardon my skepticism but that looks like an awful lot of money.

socala4

This sounds like an advertisement to me.

(This is the poster's first and only post on the board, and the link is to a specific auto broker. And that broker website has been around for just a couple of months. Hmmm...)

nortsr1

plus...what is the cost of the autobroker HOW MUCH do they charge,,,$$$. I didn't see any prices on their website. :mad:

Kirstie_H

Erm... yup, and gone.

lkn2race

LOL-This was my first new car experience since then I've been wanting to learn more about cars (hence my newness). Anyways, to answer the question it was a 2006 5 seat Nissan Maxima 4dr Sedan SE with Auto transmission, leather seats. I paid $38755 (I believe the retail price is around $41100).

Kirstie_H

Well, apologies if we had you tagged as an advertiser. We're really careful about avoiding any hint of solicitation.

socala4

They often roll in a fee of a few hundred dollars or more into the purchase price.

If you know how to negotiate, you should be able to get the same or better deal that the broker did, and avoid paying that hidden commission.

snakeweasel

You said that you bat the price of your friends who had negotiated a good deal by $2,300 but now you are saying that you got it for around $2,300 off of sticker. Something doesn't sound right.

Using Edmunds I configured a Maxima SE to come out about $41,100 (almost completely loaded is it not?) and according to their TMV it runs in the neighborhood of $36K or so (including a $1,500 rebate). Not sure how accurate TMV is in this case but it invoices at 37,800. I will not say if you got a good deal, an ok deal or a bad deal, I will just let you analyze the data. fair enough?

Of course this all depends on what the option list is and how accurate your "around $41,100" is.

lkn2race

Woah-relax!! All I said was that I got a better deal than a couple of people I know, yes by about $2300 (cdn dollars as I live in Canada) and with more options than they had. The base is $41125...to be exact, the last time I checked so considering I got it for almost invoice with extra options I'd say...it's a good deal.

socala4

Now it's a bit clearer -- most of the posters here are Americans, who are accustomed to US prices quoted in US dollars. The Canadian prices are going to be in higher dollar amounts than would be the US prices, the Canadian prices are often higher even after converting to US dollars and the invoice information is more costly to get. Paying US$41k for a Maxima in the US would be painful, but paying C$41k in Canada could be a better deal, particularly if that price includes both the GST and PST.

With the relatively strong Canadian dollar, it might be worth investigating buying a car in the US for your next purchase. You have to make sure that the car is approved for importation to Canada, and you have pay some inspection fees and such, but with proper planning, you shouldn't have to pay US state sales taxes and could save a lot of money.

farout

Anyone know who is the largest Jeep dealer?

I am asking, and I am NOT connected with anything except my wife, (I am retired)

Farout

snakeweasel

Anyone know who is the largest Jeep dealer?

Well there is this one dealer west of Chicago who has to be close to 350 pounds, can't say that there is anyone larger.

roundtrip

Oh, would my former English grammar teachers love you!

Kirstie_H

Thank you... I nearly spewed my coffee

ghillix

This is a bit off topic, but it's related to getting the best deal, but on a motorhome, not an automobile. Does anyone know of an alternative to the NADA used rv guide, which is said to be somewhat inflated like the Kelley Blue Book prices for cars, and doesn't really reflect actual sales prices.

Kirstie_H

Believe it or not, we've got a Motorhomes discussion. You might check that out... the answer might already be posted.

farout

snakeweasel: I thought this funny, but no where near answered my question. So thanks for the joke, no thanks for the referral.

Farout

snakeweasel

Well you are welcome and as I said I don't know anyone who is larger than he is.

Anyway why do you ask such a question?

And what do you mean by largest?

cluedweasel

I "Googled" this one (largest Jeep dealer in U.S.) and came up with a place that claims to be the largest Jeep/Chrysler/Dodge dealership in the world. Located in Idaho of all places!

deserth8r

Being in Idaho maybe they meant largest in land area occupied, not volume of cars sold

nortsr1

I believe it is Dave Smith Motors, and yes, it is supposed to be the "largest" and I believe "volume" Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge dealer in the USA. I read that people from all over the USA fly into the local area airport, get picked up and taken to the dealership, etc., etc. Presumably all vehicles are sold at invoice or "below. How true that part is, I cannot verify.

cluedweasel

That's the one. Didn't mention the name because I wasn't sure on the rules about that.

Kirstie_H

We're OK with dealership names... just not names of individuals.

nortsr1

kirsti h:
I mentioned DaveSmith...but....that's the name of the dealership. Whew/ I wasn't deleted.

tidester

It is often the case that the name of the dealership is the name of the dealership owner. That's not a problem!

tidester, host

nortsr1

Has anyone had any experience dealing with Fitzmall.com (the Florida dealer)?? not the Maryland one.(however they probably both operate the same). They advertise almost ALL their new vehicles well below invoice.Either their prices are too good to be true, or they lowball the trade-ins, as some of their prices are hard to believe.

biancar

The Maryland one has a good reputation. If it's indeed the same folks, then I would guess the Florida one would be ok too.

They do big volume. I'm not sure if they're "no haggle" exactly, but their advertised prices usually are about as low as you could find even with haggling.

Note: I've never bought from them as I live in No. Virginia and have always found my deals closer to home, but colleagues of mine have bought there and been happy.

nortsr1

biancar:

The reason I asked was the fact that right now Chrysler has "Employee pricing" until the end of July. "Before" employee pricing, there was a $1500.00 rebate and a $500.00 mfg.to dealer incentive. Most dealers were selling the PT Cruiser at $1500.00 to $2000.00 "below invoice. ( I know because I was offered same.[ from two different dealerships). Which meant I could purchase a PT Limited, auto, with Sirius, for approx. $17,000.00.
Since "Employee Pricing" the same vehicle is now a thousand dollars "MORE", however; Fitzmall still advertises the old prices. I called Fitzmall and yes, they are still selling at the old VALUE deal. The only catch though....the invoice at Fitzmall comes up approx. $300.00 MORE than Edmunds, Cars.comm and NADA. The salesman says that is because their invoices have a $299.00 adv. fee :confuse: already on the invoice...plus they also charge a $499.00 "dealer fee". I have never had any other Chrysler dealer state that there is a $299.00 advertising fee on the invoice.
By the time they add on the dealer fee and advertising fee, I can now see why they can still advertise such a lowball initial "BELOW INVOICE" price. I have a feeling they probably "lowball" the trade-ins as well.
NORTSR1

snakeweasel

I read that people from all over the USA fly into the local area airport, get picked up and taken to the dealership,

Are the prices that much lower to compensate for the added expense and time to fly in and pick up your car?

british_rover

Well ad fees or RAG(Regional Advertising Group) fees vary from location to location.

For example our RAG fees for Land Rover are 300 dollars but cars up around boston have a 500 dollar fee. Advertising in boston costs more money.

Conversely rovers down in the VA area have a 200 or 150 dollar fee depending on the part of VA they are in.

Edmunds never gets the RAG fees right as they vary from region to region and some regions may have no RAG fee.

As for the 499 pre fee I think that is actually low for flordia where fees of 799 and up or common.

nortsr1

british rover:
I had heard before about different areas having different advertising fees )Hyundai, for example has the fee right on the invoice in some areas and yet no fee in other areas.
I really don't know about Chrysler, :confuse: it is just that I have never had a Chrysler dealer in my area (I live in Melbourne Beach, Florida) (and I believe Fitzmall is somewhere in the Tampa, Florida area) ever say that there is a dealer adv. fee on the invoice.
Perhaps if there is a Chrysler dealer that reads these posts, he or she might chime in??? :confuse: