Buying a new car

[Kevin]

I look online and get an idea, but it really boils down to what they have on the lot. Just like me, I would rather sell you what I have instead of ordering something. I am also not into going way out of town to buy something anymore unless it is just too good of a deal to pass up.

I don't like to argue. If I feel like someone is trying to screw me too bad I will just get up and leave.
I am pretty satisfied with the deal we got on this car, they gave us almost exactly what we wanted to start with. We didn't have to think about it too much. Again, I probably could have gotten more money out of selling my wife's car but I do not have the patience for that anymore.

I think the dealers make it harder than it has to be a lot of the time. Some of them would not even talk to me much on the phone, "you need to come in." Well if I wanted to come in, I would already be there. Why don't you just give me the numbers and if I like them, I will be there shortly. The answer is: it's easier to keep you there until you buy something once you are on the lot. That is just annoying.

Sounds like you and your wife will really enjoy this car. Congratulations!

 

[fiasconva]

There isn't many things I hate more than car or truck shopping. Some of the dealers are now charging up to $800.00, non-refundable, just to test drive one of their vehicles. My wife's cousin had that happen to him at a Kansas City Toyota dealership. $800 to test drive a new Toyota, then you had to pick from whatever they have in stock on the lot. If you decide not to buy you are out the $800. He told them what to do with their dealership. I've been looking for a new truck for months and dealing with almost any dealership in this area has been a PITA!

 

[bergmen]

Let me ask this:
Of those who have to argue with the sales person. Or anyone really….

Do y'all look online first? Figure out what you want, which model etc. And then go to the dealer? Or do you just show up and look at what's available?

I looked on line at the Toyota website to see what the options were. I studied all of them, came up with a "must have" list and "don't want" list and was flexible on most everything else. The salesman I worked with was great, listened carefully to my situation and worked with me to find the right vehicle. There were no 2wd Tundras on his lot so he did a comprehensive search. Found two in California that met my criteria, one in Southern California and one about three hours away (I live about 2 hours north of San Francisco). I chose the one closest and we closed the deal.

BTW, I never mentioned how I was going to pay, it never came up. Once we shook hands on the deal he led me to the finance office where I declined to borrow money (paying cash) and declined the extended warranty, paint protection and everything else they tried to sell me.

When the Tundra arrived, I wrote a check, drove it home and couldn't be happier.

Dan

 

[Jeepnik]

There isn't many things I hate more than car or truck shopping. Some of the dealers are now charging up to $800.00, non-refundable, just to test drive one of their vehicles. My wife's cousin had that happen to him at a Kansas City Toyota dealership. $800 to test drive a new Toyota, then you had to pick from whatever they have in stock on the lot. If you decide not to buy you are out the $800. He told them what to do with their dealership. I've been looking for a new truck for months and dealing with almost any dealership in this area has been a PITA!

In '82 I was in the market for my CJ-8. Now they were far from the most popular model, so there weren't a lot at the dealers. And there weren't very many Jeep dealers to start with. Bu I went to one dealer that had one and ask to test drive it. He said I could only test drive it if I agreed to buy it first. I went to another dealer and the salesman tossed me the keys. That's where I bought my Scrambler.

 

[Johnnu2]

I walked into the Toyota dealer in town; told him I wanted a Camry XLE; he told me the price; I said "OK"; he asked if I was paying 'cash'; I said yes and he dropped the price another $1300 +/-. Forced me to the finance guy who I told what the price I was going to pay was; he tried the usual tricks and I told him no about 3 times +/-. That was 2016 and I expect to keep it until I'm 90 (when I'll treat myself to a new car if I can find one with no useless "technology").

J.

 

[bigbillyboy]

There isn't many things I hate more than car or truck shopping. Some of the dealers are now charging up to $800.00, non-refundable, just to test drive one of their vehicles. My wife's cousin had that happen to him at a Kansas City Toyota dealership. $800 to test drive a new Toyota, then you had to pick from whatever they have in stock on the lot. If you decide not to buy you are out the $800. He told them what to do with their dealership. I've been looking for a new truck for months and dealing with almost any dealership in this area has been a PITA!

Wow ! What a racket ....

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

I had an elk run into my Toyota Tundra after about 8 years. It was totaled. I ended up buying a Ford F150 with 13,000 miles. I suspected it was originally a rental so I bought an extended warranty. Then I moved back to Alaska. I’m now wishing I had not bought the extended warranty. The local dealership is run so poorly, I doubt I could even get an appointment within a month. I’ve driven Ford trucks since the ‘70’s and not really had any problems, but would be reluctant to buy another Ford. Sad to say that.

 

[coyotesgator2]

Thank you! I'm happy to hear this.

Car buying is supposed to be fun and exciting! Not contentious arguments.

Let me ask this:
Of those who have to argue with the sales person. Or anyone really….

Do y'all look online first? Figure out what you want, which model etc. And then go to the dealer? Or do you just show up and look at what's available?

As a gearhead, it should be fun.

Balance the desire and need with availability and go drive one. The next part is easy.

Email every dealership within 200 miles (I'm near a major metropolitan area) and get their out the door cash price. Someone wants your business.

Pay outright or use your own financing and bring a check. Bring said check to the finance meeting and place it on the desk.

They have to ask, but you don't have to say yes.

 

[GasGuzzler]

Extended warranties are cash cows for the dealer and the company and everybody else except for the buyer

Why is it that people think the dealer makes so much on the warranty? Is it because some try to sell a $3K warranty for $12K? I have never heard of that until the post above but I also think some people's math is off. Is the $12K is if you financed it along with the car and is not any worse than paying $52K for a $30K car because of interest? I got lost in the grammar and spelling so apologies. So really the first number is $5K where I would still say is too much.

How much of the price of the warranty goes to the dealership? You must know since you said they are a cash cow. Self-financed extended warranties are extremely rare so nearly all dealers sell one backed by a third party or the manufacturer and therefore a normal dealer will earn around 6% of the price of the warranty, just like the margin on selling the car. Wow what thieves!

What company are you referring to that is separate from the dealer? If you mean the manufacturer, they get nothing at all from the sale of a warranty unless they are the ones offering it. Either way the dealer isn't making big bucks unless they heavily inflate the price ... which is not common in my experience. Yes, the warranty company makes money on playing the odds but the dealer makes a reasonable "fee" once then benefits from getting the work into the shop as well. I feel like some people think the dealer takes the price of the warranty and puts it in the bank in a big pile with everyone else's money and hopes to not pay for repairs but that is simply not true. Aftermarket warranties work more like car insurance than factory warranty. Extended warranty would not pay for a cracked screen so she was wrong there.

Here are typical prices for the most common repairs:

A/C compressor $1700
Transmission $9K
Thermostat $1200
Turbocharger $2700
Oil leak repair $1200-5000
Radio $1700

Buying during Covid was a really bad choice for most because there was no inventory and everyone was racing to buy up all the cars. We got down to 11 new vehicles when we generally keep 175-200.

There's a phenomenon where men like to brag about how poorly they've been treated yet some have had no issues whatsoever. Weird.

There isn't many things I hate more than car or truck shopping. Some of the dealers are now charging up to $800.00, non-refundable, just to test drive one of their vehicles. My wife's cousin had that happen to him at a Kansas City Toyota dealership. $800 to test drive a new Toyota, then you had to pick from whatever they have in stock on the lot. If you decide not to buy you are out the $800. He told them what to do with their dealership. I've been looking for a new truck for months and dealing with almost any dealership in this area has been a PITA!

Wow! What a racket!! I'd like to see the fine print on that as it sounds highly illegal.

Balance the desire and need with availability and go drive one. The next part is easy.

Email every dealership within 200 miles (I'm near a major metropolitan area) and get their out the door cash price. Someone wants your business.

Pay outright or use your own financing and bring a check. Bring said check to the finance meeting and place it on the desk.

They have to ask, but you don't have to say yes.

Yes, all this. It really is this simple and without all the male drama spoken of in other posts. I will add that in general if you stay in the same area and your salesperson works at a decent enough place that he stays with them, you can start with him the next go 'round.

 

[Kevin]

There's a phenomenon where men like to brag about how poorly they've been treated yet some have had no issues whatsoever. Weird.

And since everyone has a car, everyone has a car buying story.

Plus the fact that everyone thinks their way of buying a car is the best… Well it does make for some good stories.

Didn’t Mark Twain say “Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.”

 

[vito]

Told him I would only deal with my credit union, which I already had, or FMCC. He slapped all kinds of numbers around and shows me his better deal. Looks really good and then I ask how did you get FMCC to drop the rate? "Oh it's not FMCC." I got up to leave. It still took another 45 minutes to get out with what I had previously arranged.

Enlighten me as to why it matters to you who gives you the auto loan? The only factor I consider is the percentage charged on the loan. Who provides the cash is of no consequence to me at all, and I don't understand why anyone would care about this. If I can earn a better percentage, on average, with the cash that I would use to buy a car outright, than the percentage offered by the loan company, then it is in my best interest to finance the purchase. Simple.

 

[peachhead]

@GasGuzzler wow, touched a nerve there, did I?

 

[peachhead]

Email every dealership within 200 miles (I'm near a major metropolitan area) and get their out the door cash price. Someone wants your business.

Actually I tried this too. You would be amazed at how many dealerships will not talk to you unless you actually go there.
And the ones that do give you prices, I said is this your absolute best out the door price, they said well if you want a better price you'll have to come in and sit down because we'll have to talk to the manager, etc.
Nobody, but nobody, would give me any price via phone or email that was lower than the price on their website.

 

[Rclark]

o y'all look online first? Figure out what you want, which model etc. And then go to the dealer? Or do you just show up and look at what's available?

I look on-line. I 'know' what I want. I 'know' what it should 'cost'. Being armed is the best insurance to being pushed into a deal you may regret. So when I go in, I am prepared. I tell them this is what I am looking for and the options/colors/etc (all on a sheet of paper copied from the internet). If that vehicle is not on-hand, I just order it up just the way I want it. Oh, I never (unless you must) go in with a 'need' to have a vehicle 'right now' either. If it takes a few months, it takes a few months. In fact the model year I wanted back in 2023 I couldn't get, so I had to get the next years model, a 2024 (which was luckily identical look/feature wise BTW). Took 2-3 months before I got the call that it was in.

 

[Jeepnik]

Actually I tried this too. You would be amazed at how many dealerships will not talk to you unless you actually go there.
And the ones that do give you prices, I said is this your absolute best out the door price, they said well if you want a better price you'll have to come in and sit down because we'll have to talk to the manager, etc.
Nobody, but nobody, would give me any price via phone or email that was lower than the price on their website.

While I didn't email I did hit several dealers. I had previously used the online build your truck software and knew that price. Interestingly the dealer I went with didn't have the color, trim and options I wanted on hand. But the salesman did find it at another dealer.

Dealers and salesmen were getting hungry due to low sales numbers. They got the vehicle I wanted and still discounted over $8000 off what the app said. Yea I know the apps are inflated. But the app did reflect the sticker exactly. Pretty good sales trick when both prices were the same and the salesman offered it for quite a bit less.

 

[mirglip]

What gets me is all the people who trade off their good running 15 year old vehicles that are paid off and only have liability insurance to "simplify their lives" by purchasing a new vehicle.
To me, newer vehicles are the farthest thing from simple with all the electronic garbage we didn't ask for.. And studying warranties and insurance policies is pretty mind boggling... Legal language and because you can't anticipate all the scenarios before they happen.
I hear it all the time....."I traded in my old Ford pickup and bought a new one, now I wish I kept the old one. I hate this stupid truck."

 

[Kevin]

What gets me is all the people who trade off their good running 15 year old vehicles that are paid off and only have liability insurance to "simplify their lives" by purchasing a new vehicle.
To me, newer vehicles are the farthest thing from simple with all the electronic garbage we didn't ask for.. And studying warranties and insurance policies is pretty mind boggling... Legal language and because you can't anticipate all the scenarios before they happen.
I hear it all the time....."I traded in my old Ford pickup and bought a new one, now I wish I kept the old one. I hate this stupid truck."

This is some of the best sarcasm I’ve read on this forum. You are being sarcastic, right???

 

[mirglip]

This is some of the best sarcasm I've read on this forum. You are being sarcastic, right???

Why would you think I'm being sarcastic? New vehicles are a nightmare.

 

[jimbo1096]

I've been looking at cars recently. I've visited three larger dealerships in my small town and they have had nothing I was interested in. I am kind of curious that no one has mentioned using any of the online companies like Carvana, car guru, auto trader, etc. I would like feedback from anybody who had used them and had any pros or cons about their experience.
I am highly reluctant to consider buying anything that hasn't been physically looked at or test driven.

 

[GasGuzzler]

@GasGuzzler wow, touched a nerve there, did I?

Blatant misinformation is troublesome but when it's a subject I know well, it matters more. Took a few words to describe all the errors.

Actually I tried this too. You would be amazed at how many dealerships will not talk to you unless you actually go there.

And that would automatically get them crossed off my list. Any dealer in this era should understand how it works...online is key, especially in more urban areas with more competition. In my case, the same family owns the Ram, Dodge, Ford, and GM dealers in town and there are no foreign makes or any other new car dealers for 25 miles so we automatically get customers.

This is some of the best sarcasm I've read on this forum. You are being sarcastic, right???

I doubt it. I hear it a lot too. Maybe it's a rural thing? A long time customer and former part time employee traded his pristine 2001 short/short V8 2WD Sierra on a new one and kept the new one four days before reversing the deal. His old truck is still around (his son brought it in for service two weeks ago) and is pristine. My inlaws won't accept a loaner vehicle because they're not comfortable with the technology. My MIL finally got rid of her 2008 Grand Prix supercharged with 240K miles. Didn't want a new car.

I've been looking at cars recently. I've visited three larger dealerships in my small town and they have had nothing I was interested in. I am kind of curious that no one has mentioned using any of the online companies like Carvana, car guru, auto trader, etc. I would like feedback from anybody who had used them and had any pros or cons about their experience.
I am highly reluctant to consider buying anything that hasn't been physically looked at or test driven.

Is Carvana's class action law suit been settled? Those giant puppy mill type dealer chains are great for certain customers and hell for others. The main issue with any business or industry is the bad apples and those companies are not set on loyalty like a family owned dealer is so the hire/fire situation is a revolving door.

 

[Rclark]

To me, newer vehicles are the farthest thing from simple with all the electronic garbage we didn't ask for.

That is so true. My '24 came with the eye-sight technology... standard, no way around it . Can't even use cruise control if it happens to be 'disabled'. If you seat belt is off it won't engage the cruise either. Stupid interlocks... It will brake at times when I know the car ahead will have turned off the road by the time I get there. Stupid. I wish you could just say 'no' ... but you can't. Even in the base model, it comes standard...

That said, I am holding on to my '97 Dodge RAM 4x4 truck as it doesn't have any of those things. Simple to use, simple to run, simple to work on. Permanent plates on it too, so no recurring 'tax' every year. It may only get 9/10 miles to the gallon in the winter ... but a lot cheaper to put gas in it than buying a 'new' truck.

 

[mirglip]

I've been looking at cars recently. I've visited three larger dealerships in my small town and they have had nothing I was interested in. I am kind of curious that no one has mentioned using any of the online companies like Carvana, car guru, auto trader, etc. I would like feedback from anybody who had used them and had any pros or cons about their experience.
I am highly reluctant to consider buying anything that hasn't been physically looked at or test driven.

I assume you're referring to used vehicles. I have bought more than 50 in my lifetime and I always buy from private sellers. I would never buy a used vehicle from a dealer.
There are oodles of entities who like to position themselves as middlemen in vehicle transactions. All they bring to the table is added cost,financing, detailing and lies. If you want to make sure a used vehicle is OK before you buy it and don't have the expertise yourself, hire a disinterested party. The middleman is not a disinterested party.

 

[peachhead]

Blatant misinformation is troublesome but when it's a subject I know well, it matters more. Took a few words to describe all the errors.

blatant ooookay whatever you say. I still ain't gonna buy it, though.

 

[Ctsigsd]

I just bought my son a new 2025 Jetta SE and he absolutely loves it. It was $24,600 (approximately) out the door. It is the most affordable and highly rated new vehicle I could find.
33 mpg city and 40 mpg highway.
Good warranty and it drives like a dream. 1.5 liter turbo, 8-speed automatic (not a CVT!!). The A/C is really cold! Fantastic stereo system.
All the other new cars have CVT transmissions and those are junk.

Yea screw that Cvt trans..Just pulleys and belt in there . Cheaper for THEM to make .