Purchasing through local dealer vs traveling

joshdent

I could use some advice- I am looking to lease a new Infiniti. I am in Connecticut near 2 dealers. I have decided on the model and amenities I want, but the specific color combination I would like with my specific amenity list has been difficult to find. Looking at online inventory at every dealer between Maine and DC there is only 1 car listed as I would like it- and it is at a dealer 2 hrs 45 mins from me. Is it better to work through my local dealer and hope that they can swap for the car I want, or should I try and negotiate a deal online with the dealer directly and then pick it up on a road trip. Are there additional hassles buying a car out of state? Thanks for your assistance!

stever

Dealer swaps aren't that difficult. That said, some dealers may not be interested in doing swaps, or there may be competitive issues (one store may hate the other). And you have to watch out for transport fees. Some dealers will send a porter down to swap out the cars at no charge. Some people don't want any miles on a new car and they are willing to pay to have a car flat-bedded to their dealer. Ideally it's a straight swap and no money changes hands at all.

Most dealers are familiar with selling cars to people from out of state. You get a temp tag and may have to do some of the DMV legwork yourself - maybe not. The taxes can be a wrinkle but most states have compacts so they credit you if you wind up buying out of state and having to pay taxes in that state. Something to check out with the CT DMV web page.

Lemon laws typically don't apply if you don't buy a car in the state where you live. But you still have the normal warranty claims you can make if you do wind up with a lemon.