Any Questions for a Car Dealer?

snowful · March 2003

snowful · March 2003

Oops! - sorry I accidentally hit return and posted an empty message before.

$500 was not the total cost of transporation - the dealer was splitting the cost with me and $500 is what I have to pay. Frankly, I don't feel like squabbling over $500 at this point since I did agree to it at the beginning. I will inspect the car very carefully and I'll be a happy shopper if everything is perfect and to my specs. I just pray that's the case!

rroyce10 · March 2003

.... How much is the transport .? is it $500 or is $1,400 .. ?

Terry.

aimhigh · March 2003

he says the dealer is splitting the cost with him so the transport fee must be $1000. If you ask me that seems alittle bit steep.

jasmith52 · March 2003

Would you ever look at someones bad credit score and advise them that

1) They really don't need a new car
2) They should focus on paying their bills

Or do you just assume that this person will do as they want and buy from someone else ??

I just wondered

masspector · March 2003

http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=4944

Come on buyers...a gross profit of $1531 per vehicle? You guys need to be negotiating harder. Seems to be plenty of money left on the table..LOL

Making money on floor plan?

Mr Buyer " well I want the car at invoice and all of the holdback, and $18 more because I heard you were making money on the floorplan." Bet this starts some interesting negotiations at dealerships.

kbui · March 2003

Thanks to all who responded with advice.

So you don't have to scroll back to find the original message, this was my situation: I found a new *2002* Mazda Protege. The same car, but 2003 model year, would be about $12.4K OTD (including TTL), after rebate.
I was wondering how much I should offer the dealer for the 2002, since there was no difference to speak of between the two model years. And I drive my cars for a long time, so resale value is not a factor (current car is a 1989 Mazda 626 5-sp - 209K miles on the odometer - and still on my first clutch).

I called up the dealer today, the last day of the quarter, and offered $11.5K, about a grand less than the 2003 model. He thought about it for a few minutes and accepted. I'll pick the car up later today. The whole thing took about 10 minutes, not counting the test drive. Car buying should be like this...

snowful · March 2003

Total cost is $1400 - dealer pays $900 and I pay $500.

rroyce10 · March 2003

.... **** The average dealer made $18 on each new vehicle stocked after paying interest on inventory. After the incentives, dealers paid an average $103 per **

Yeah, and all you guys think this stuff is easy ....

Terry.

rroyce10 · March 2003

...... When it arrives, make sure it's Exactly what you ordered - it's in the wrapper and it glows in the dark ...

Terry :-)

rivertown · March 2003

Very cool! Bravo!

rivertown · March 2003

"I will inspect the car very carefully and I'll be a happy shopper if everything is perfect and to my specs."

Right on! Here's to a fluke free delivery! Remember, you don't have to take the car if there's anything wrong with it. Look it over hard and drive it a little (short test drive) before you sign anything.

BTW, how far is/was the transport?

chile96 · March 2003

Well I talked to 2 other dealers and they each had different extended warranty companies. One did say however that before my car goes out of the manufacturer's warranty, I could have it certified for $2200 to $2700. On top of that, I would have to actually sell the car to them and then they would sell it back to me(I hope!) They said they only charge $500 for that part of the deal!!? Sounds like a lot more trouble than it's worth! I am perplexed that BMW does not offer their own extended warranty - maybe they know how much repairs are and when they are going to happen, i.e. after 50K miles! Who knows, maybe they will start to sell one in the next few years - keeping my fingers crossed.

zueslewis · March 2003

more trouble than it's worth and sounds like you're being fed a whole line of bull. Drive the wheels off of it - for the $2700-3200 you'd save by not going that route, you can pay for just about anything.

mica88 · March 2003

is offering an 02 IS300 Sportcross with 9000 miles for $26000. He got it at the Southwest Region auction in Aug 2002. He believes a Kansas bank, the first owner, bought it in Nov 2001. First Owner date verified by Carfax report.

The service rep at my local Lexus dealer in Texas says any car this new with so few miles and sold at an auction most likely will have water damage or will have been in an accident. The used car dealer says the Sportcross has not been in an accident and has not had water damage; and that many late model cars with low miles and in perfect condition are sold at auctions. He suggested I have the Wichita Lexus dealer inspect the car.

(1) Are 2002 cars with low miles and in excellent condition often found at auto auctions? What about a 2002 Sportcross?
(2) Would most service departments be able to tell if a car had been in an accident or if it had sustained water damage?

zueslewis · March 2003

Yes, and yes. You never know just how many vehicles, with no problems, go through the auctions. Maybe there was a divorce, a repossession, an IRS lein; maybe the person just wanted something else.

Also, many dealers who have "written down" demos will send a car through the auction just because it's easier than leaving it on the lot for 60-90 days.

mica88 · March 2003

Thanks for the peace of mind.
Hope the Lexus inspection provides confirmation so that I can finally replace my 91 Nissan.

rroyce10 · March 2003

...... If the vehicle has a clean Carfax and a tech put's it on a lift and it checks out, then I wouldn't even give it a blink of the eye ..

       *** The service rep at my local Lexus dealer in Texas says any car this new with so few miles and sold at an auction most likely will have water damage or will have been in an accident ***

        I might me a little more suspect of the service guy, perhaps he's on the stores "sales kicker".l.o.l. and that is common .. All dealers, Lexus, Chevy, Benz, BMW, Ford, Volvo, Dodge, buy vehicles at the auctions and 40% of all the vehicles you drive by, are from there .. A vehicle can be the cleanest, nicest, low miler on the lot, but if it isn't moving in 60/90 days, it's going bye bye ..

       Any vehicle on the road has already hit the auctions first .. 03 H2's, 04 Jeeps, 03 Convert VW's, 03 BMW, 03 Acura's, etc, etc, etc, ... the one thing that I have found out in this business is: the reason why people trade vehicles in - "Is because they can ..."

       If the vehicle is fine, then so is the price .. IS300's are really not the best selling off the Lexus line, this doesn't make it a bad vehicle, it is what it is .. they are doing the high $23's, low $24 at the auctions, so $26 is fair price for both ...

          I hope this helps .....

                Terry

mica88 · April 2003

Thanks for your comments, especially the auction prices. Useful to know what the auction prices are so that I can make a reasonable offer with good expectation of acceptance. Perhaps $25.5K would be a good starting point?

biscayne · April 2003

I am shopping for something slightly used and the IS 300 is on my short list. I have gone to several Lexus dealers in the South Florida area to look at used IS 300's. Some of the cars are certified pre-owned and some are not. Other than mileage, I haven't noticed much of a difference between the ones that are and are not. My question is....what is the criteria to certify or not to certify a used car? Would an accident, warranty work or previous mechanical problems exclude a car from Lexus certification? How much does the certification add to the price of the car? Any insight would be helpful. Thanks.

snowful · April 2003

Thanks guys for all your help. I finally picked up my car yesterday after waiting 9 days for it. Surprise, surprise, they were still running late getting it all ready for me when I arrived at the dealership but in the end, I inspected it and test drove it and she really wowed me. I was so happy about my new car I forgot to ask where they got it from but I will be talking to the dealer soon, so I will find out. My salesguy wants to take a lesson from me on how to use the navigation system. I don't think I could have been better prepared for buying a new car without reading these edmunds boards.

P.S. I bought a 2003 Honda Accord EX V6 auto with leather and navi. LOVE IT!!!

rivertown · April 2003

Very COOL!

;~}

(I'm still curious about how far they trucked it. If finding out is a hassle, though, don't sweat it.)

JPham · April 2003

snowful · April 2003

I plan to ask - it might be several days before I talk to the dealer, but I will find out and post it on here.

jwadell82 · April 2003

What are the differences between a LX and a SEL that make the price so much different?

bolivar · April 2003

The window sticker shows the dealer where a car was originally delivered. You did get the window sticker?

jasmith52 · April 2003

Does Anyone Have a reference to current FREE Residual Lease Values ??

Ideally an online site would be great

I know you get what you pay for. Some ballpark numbers would be enlightening.

Thanks

vikd · April 2003

...in there you will find a thread titled "lease questions ask here". Car Man can provide you with virtually every current residual value...

Regards... Vikd

cyprian · April 2003

We are buying a new Toyota Highlander. The dealer didn't have the color in stock that we wanted. First choice: red, Second choice bluestone. On Monday, we gave a $500 deposit, signed a purchase agreement, and were told they should be able to have a car within 3 days. On the 3rd day (yesterday) they called to say they could not find a red one and would now look for the bluestone. My question is, are we committed to this purchase? I really wish we hadn't given a second color choice. We really want the red one. I would like to take our $500 back and go to another dealer. Are we bound by this contract and lose our $500?

bretfraz · April 2003

You say you want a red Highlander. They say they're are none available. You said you would accept another color and are now changing your mind. Why not just call the dealer and tell them you only want a red one?

Wha do you think another dealer can do that this one has not?

mirth · April 2003

I'd definitely call them and tell them you only want red. They'll give you your money back if you want, since nothing has been ordered yet. But if they couldn't find it, you probably won't have any luck at another dealer. You could call other dealers and ask if they have one in stock, but you might get a couple that say, "Yeah we got it" but when you get there they say "Oh, I thought you said white". You may end up having to order one and wait a few months or so.

Having said that, it's hard to believe that red Highlanders are in short supply (maybe I'm wrong). Also, once I had a dealer tell me they couldn't find a car, but another local dealer had it. Turned out the owners hated each other so the poor salesmen couldn't do trades.

vikd · April 2003

Unless you need a new vehicle immediately, why not simply let the first dealer keep your deposit and let them to continue working on finding you a red one? I'm sure they could do a locate and find one SOMEWHERE or at the very least order one from the factory. If red is what you want, why settle for anything else?

Regards... Vikd

afk_x · April 2003

If you REALLY want red start calling -

lifesomtime · April 2003

What happens if you take delivery from someone other than your salesperson. I had a friend once who worked at a car delearship and he told me he got shafted out of pay since he wasnt there to take delivery of a car he sold to someone( or maybe he wasnt there to give the car personally to the buyer) I dont remember which, assumed they were both the same. The salesperson treated me fair and dont want to cause him to lose his commission. Is there a fast and hard rule or did my friend work at a crappy delearship.

Thanks

landru2 · April 2003

If your friend didn't know when his customers were picking up their new car or if he chose not to be there at that time then the fault is all his.

If the customers showed up out of the blue before their scheduled time then that is not his fault. It is also not the fault of the guy that ended up doing the delivery. A split in commission would be reasonable.

richard103 · April 2003

What's a reasonable price for a '00 Catera (roof, chromes, high 20k mi)? Several GM dealers in my area have had them sitting on their lots for weeks. What are the pros/cons of buying such a vehicle; I've read the horror stories about the reliability of '97-'98 models.

What would this vehicle go for at the auction? As a dealer, would you put one on your lot? Thanks.

tk865 · April 2003

against a Catera at any price. We hit them WAAAYY back of book on trade, and usually send them straight to auction. The few we've had on the lot were junk - yeah, they passed a mechanical, and CARFAX checked out, but you could tell from the valve rattle they weren't long for this world. We sold them all in our "AS-IS Bargain Corner." Even then they ended up going to aution, no takers.

Short version: RUN!

zueslewis · April 2003

in lemon law suits - strange, given the relatively short supply.

rroyce10 · April 2003

.... Don't let the Yota fan scare ya, they hit everything back of book, including BMW's .l.o.l..

        Zues is right, they had some problems with 97/99's - the 00's are much better, and a Great buy with 4yr/50,000 warranty .. I buy these all the time, no problemo's. Just make sure you can drive one for an hr or so to make sure you like it, they are a semi-sport drive type and a rwd. Right now with 25k, they are doing the high $11's, low $12's with the slider, heated bun warmers, Bose, chromes, etc, etc. You should be able to pick one up for "around" $14ish, not bad considering it was $35 new ...

             Good luck .....

                  Terry.

acrafton · April 2003

Helping a friend with a vehicle purchase/trade and since it is a diff make than I have I do not have any relationships to leverage, so . . .

Went into a dealership that obviously uses the 'up' system and I get a kid that barely looks like he can drive and knows very little about the vehicle we are interested in - i mean really basic stuff like is it front or rear wheel drive, etc. . .Any question I have sends him running to the sales mgr for an answer and this gets really old really fast.

So, in an up store how can you get a 'good' sales guy? As I am in sales of sorts I don't want to send someone to the back of the line or get them in trouble, etc. but do want a competent person. Can I just ask the person who greets me to send me someone with x years, etc. . .?

Adam

zueslewis · April 2003

who was the salesman of the month last month?

or which salesman has been here the longest?

You want one of those guys, and it might be one in the same person.

And don't worry, the greenpea will get another customer.

maxappeal · April 2003

find the fleet/internet manager if they have one. Call and ask specifically for him. Then set an appointment. Ask for a quote before you go if you know exactly what you want.

gluey · April 2003

hello! i was wondering if i could get an opinion about negotiating a price for acura mdx 2003 suv. what i'm looking at is the suv with touring package and navigation system. not interesting in other accessories such as running boards, etc, at this time. i have a family member who has purchased an acura mdx also from the same dealership and was wondering if that would give me any more in way of a lower price. (same car dealer) is invoice price+ destination charge too low to start with?

raybear · April 2003

If things haven't changed in the past few months they'll escort you to the door with that offer. MDX's have sold at MSRP+ in many areas.

masspector · April 2003

I want to ask you guys opinion on the following cars I am considering, especially the car guys.

I am looking at buying a new 2003 Camry XLE or a cpo 1999 Acura RL, 2000 Acura TL, 2000 Lexus ES300. The particulars are below. The way the CPO works I would have about 2 years warranty on the acura's and about 3 years on the lexus. Which would you buy and why? Thanks for any help

2003 Camry XLE(this has a few options included) 0 miles $22,500 price

1999 Acura RL premium 40K miles $25,000 asking price

2000 Acura TL 39K miles $21,000 asking price

2000 Lexus ES300 40K miles $22,000 asking price

rroyce10 · April 2003

..... Raybear brings up a good point .. even the 03 Canadians (no warranty) are pulling almost $35,0 at the auctions - contrary to the Acura boards, you can't buy em' for invoice or $500 over like I have read, it won't happen.

       I'm not a Acura dealer, but I can tell you, they get A L L the money new and pre-owned.

           Good luck ...

             Terry.

rroyce10 · April 2003

....... Before I answer that question, have you driven these for at least 1/2 an hr or so .? (no sales person in the vehicle, helps) .. these are 3 different vehicles doing 3 different things, but all of them are nice ..

The TL and ES are going to be similar and the RL will be more towards a GS or a LS Lexus .. like I always say, Always buy and drive what YOU like ..

Terry.

bobst · April 2003

All the salesman is going to do is take your offer over to the sales manager to see if they will accept it. Why do you need a superstar salesman to do that?

Who cares if the salesman knows much about the car you plan to buy? Haven't you done your own research to know the info about the car?

Green peas can be very nice to deal with. They will be more appreciative of your mini offer than the cocky self-assured 'salesman of the month'.

isellhondas · April 2003

We don't have such a thing.

We do get a customer once in awhile who will ask the receptionist for our "best" salesperson, or for our "most senior" or for a woman to wait on them.

Personally, when I'm buying something I just want to deal with someone who knows their product and a person I can understand.

zueslewis · April 2003

some people need a salesman - there are many reasons - maybe it doesn't apply to you, but it does apply to 75% of the car-buying public.

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