The Slickdeals Approach to Negotiating the Price of a New Car (Updated July 22, 2010)

If I lease a car in one state and then move to another state do I still need to return the car to the original dealership at the end of the lease?

you have to check your lease documents. usually you can return it to any dealership of the same make. ie ford. but some dealerships in my area advertise that they can take any make lease trade ins

RIght, you can return same to same almost all the time (ie, GM car to any GM dealer). You can also deal with the leasing company directly to terminate the lease - we did this one time & just ended up dropping the car off at a nearby wholesale auction house where they sell them.

But MOST dealers will be happy to handle the lease turn-in (no matter where you got it) if it means you're buying a new car from them.

I tried this method and came out with the following results:

2012 Toyota Sienna XLE
MSRP: $34,340
Invoice:$32,160.40

Sent feelers to 8 dealerships using the canned email in the OP
Four replied asking me to come in
Four replied with pricing
Costco price was $600 over invoice
Prices ranged from a little over invoice and the lowest was $900 below invoice. The dealer who offered this was ~100 miles away.

I went to the local dealer and asked him to match the price. He agreed and drew up a purchase order for me to put a $100 deposit on.

One caveat: All the dealers charged a $190 doc fee. The local one charge who I will be buying from charges an additional CVR fee ($24). Checking around, it looks like dealers are tacking on CVR fees to electronically file everything with the DMV/SOS. You can refuse it, but then it takes the full 8 weeks to get a plate/plate info transferred. Looks like that's going to come in no matter what.

End run down:
Price: $31,260.40 (includes destination)
Doc Fee: $190
CVR Fee: $24
Sales Tax:1,875.63
--------------------------------------
Total: $33,349.024

Toyota is offering 1.9% on 60 months, so I'll jump on that. The only accessories I'm potentially adding is the all season floor mats and the mud guards ($190 for the floor mats and $99 for the mudguards). I checked pricing for the aftermarket fitted all season floor mats and the price difference is nominal (if any).

Thanks OP. Probably saved $500 or so through this process.

Edit:

Rep'ing you seems of little value now

I got siennna 2012 Basic XLE
MSRP: $34,340
Invoice:$32,160.40

I was told that costco has $800 discount form invoice.

I started with emails but I only got down to 30,800 with email; managed to get to 30,500 with calls.
I walked away from 2 dealerships, since they did not have that color in stock or failed to get it using dealer swap;
at that time we only had 3 XLE in my color within 500 miles radius.

All other fees were in the range for IL.
They had some admin $75 fee, but since they got it from a different place I paid;

Agan only 3 cars with in 500 miles radius.

Using this technique now. Here are the details:

In the process of buying a 4-door AT iTouring Mazda3 2012. Currently, best offer OTD in Atlanta, GA is $19,666.05, or $18,343.50 excluding TTL. Have had 3 dealers in the area already say they cannot beat this price. I gave all dealers until Thursday this week. Have this quote in paper through email with a internet sales manager.

Thoughts on this OTD price? Again, 4-door AT iTouring Mazda3 2012.

They did bundle in a $500 'document' fee, but still puts this car even below invoice according to Edmunds and Truecar.

Edmunds invoice = $19,497 excluding TTL
Edmunds TMV = $19,862 excluding TTL
Truecar invoice = $19,751 excluding TTL.
Truecar market average = $19,478 excluding TTL.

Getting it for $18,343.50 excluding TTL seems pretty damn good, yeah?

Averaging the invoices across the two sites, I get an average invoice price of $19,624. My offer appears to be $1,280.50 below invoice. Seems pretty sweet.

Quote from bassec : Using this technique now. Here are the details: In the process of buying a 4-door AT iTouring Mazda3 2012. Currently, best offer OTD in Atlanta, GA is $19,666.05, or $18,343.50 excluding TTL. Have had 3 dealers in the area already say they cannot beat this price. I gave all dealers until Thursday this week. Have this quote in paper through email with a internet sales manager. Thoughts on this OTD price? Again, 4-door AT iTouring Mazda3 2012. They did bundle in a $500 'document' fee, but still puts this car even below invoice according to Edmunds and Truecar. Edmunds invoice = $19,497 excluding TTL Edmunds TMV = $19,862 excluding TTL Truecar invoice = $19,751 excluding TTL. Truecar market average = $19,478 excluding TTL. Getting it for $18,343.50 excluding TTL seems pretty damn good, yeah? Averaging the invoices across the two sites, I get an average invoice price of $19,624. My offer appears to be $1,280.50 below invoice. Seems pretty sweet.

Looks pretty good to me- The fact that you have a bunch of dealers saying they cannot beat the price is a good indication that you did well.

Alright since Memorial Weekend is coming up.. I've been trying do some research into my first new car purchase.

Interested in: Honda Civic LX Sedan

MSRP: 18,805

Invoice: Edmunds: 18,127
Cars.com: 17,484
Carsdirect:17,692

Pricing at local dealership: $16,500 (memorial weekend sale)

This price does include destination fees. So just TTL on top of that sales price.

Anyone have any input? They also have .9% for 60 months I believe at all Honda's.

I'm set on this car and model for the budget/driving I need to do. But Inputs? thanks guys

Quote from bookapow : Alright since Memorial Weekend is coming up.. I've been trying do some research into my first new car purchase. Interested in: Honda Civic LX Sedan MSRP: 18,805 Invoice: Edmunds: 18,127 Cars.com: 17,484 Carsdirect:17,692 Pricing at local dealership: $16,500 (memorial weekend sale) This price does include destination fees. So just TTL on top of that sales price. Anyone have any input? They also have .9% for 60 months I believe at all Honda's. I'm set on this car and model for the budget/driving I need to do. But Inputs? thanks guys

thats pretty good, even truecar.com is asking over 18k....2012 Civic 4dr AUTO
Factory Invoice:$17,485 http://www.truecar.com/prices-new.../A9B01996/
try ask lower the "Destination Fees" like i did,,,from $790 to $200bucks on my Odyssey (never hurt to ask, or slip $100 under the table if don't work) and wave the "Regional Ad Fees" $188.
Good luck~!

Quote from nomorenow : thats pretty good, even truecar.com is asking over 18k....2012 Civic 4dr AUTO Factory Invoice:$17,485 http://www.truecar.com/prices-new.../A9B01996/ try ask lower the "Destination Fees" like i did,,,from $790 to $200bucks on my Odyssey (never hurt to ask, or slip $100 under the table if don't work) and wave the "Regional Ad Fees" $188. Good luck~!

Thanks! Will do! How did you ask your way to lower your destination fee? But then again.. with such a low price I'd be surprised if they'd budge on the destination fee. Wouldn't hurt to ask though!

Quote from bookapow : Thanks! Will do! How did you ask your way to lower your destination fee? But then again.. with such a low price I'd be surprised if they'd budge on the destination fee. Wouldn't hurt to ask though!

On my story, did I pay the Internet manager $100 bucks after the deal is done.
At first he wouldn't budge regardless what I said about "giving me more discounts"
Then that's when I thought of the "Hotel $20 trick" slip $20 bill under the credit card to get room upgrades.
So I use the same approach, That's when I said this to him,
"How about this, You make me happy & I'll make you happy, I'll give you $100 bucks to cut the BS fee's plain & simple, he reply back, give me few mins let me see what I can do on the computer." sure enough he discounted............

That's how I got the deals, $100 exchange for over $588 of savings.

Thank you OP for the write-up, and also all subsequent posters who posted their experiences.

I am in the market to buy a minivan sometime this year. There is no "deadline" per se but I would like to have it before 2013. The two main ones we are looking at are either the Sienna or the Odyssey.

My wife and I also need to sell/trade-in one of our existing cars. Have not decided which one yet. But i was curious --

1) private seems to usually get the seller the most money. I've read online though (kbb) that some states have a policy where when you buy a new car you can deduct any value from your trade in for sales tax calculation purposes (i.e. if you bought a new car for 20K but traded in a 8K car, you'd only be taxed on the difference of 12K)...from what i've read, CA does not have that policy - is that right?

2) Using this e-mail approach, do i tell the dealers i have a potential trade-in too? Is that a good thing or a bad thing in terms of negotiations (for me?)

3) Anybody PREFER dealer trade in to private sale? With a new baby in the house we barely have time to eat...let alone try to sell a car on craigslist or whatnot. Seems an awfully lot easier to trade it in ... but then again I would be potentially outing myself of thousand of dollars, right??

edit: 4) Always had heard year-end is the best time to buy a new car. Is that what the SD community thinks as well? Or is there a better/just as good time of the year? (also considering we have a car to sell/trade in too?)

Quote from Jcaelum : Thank you OP for the write-up, and also all subsequent posters who posted their experiences. I am in the market to buy a minivan sometime this year. There is no "deadline" per se but I would like to have it before 2013. The two main ones we are looking at are either the Sienna or the Odyssey. My wife and I also need to sell/trade-in one of our existing cars. Have not decided which one yet. But i was curious -- 1) private seems to usually get the seller the most money. I've read online though (kbb) that some states have a policy where when you buy a new car you can deduct any value from your trade in for sales tax calculation purposes (i.e. if you bought a new car for 20K but traded in a 8K car, you'd only be taxed on the difference of 12K)...from what i've read, CA does not have that policy - is that right? 2) Using this e-mail approach, do i tell the dealers i have a potential trade-in too? Is that a good thing or a bad thing in terms of negotiations (for me?) 3) Anybody PREFER dealer trade in to private sale? With a new baby in the house we barely have time to eat...let alone try to sell a car on craigslist or whatnot. Seems an awfully lot easier to trade it in ... but then again I would be potentially outing myself of thousand of dollars, right?? edit: 4) Always had heard year-end is the best time to buy a new car. Is that what the SD community thinks as well? Or is there a better/just as good time of the year? (also considering we have a car to sell/trade in too?)

Since I've been currently looking at car deals.. I see sometimes that dealers will give incentives for trading in and buying a new car. I know Anderson Honda in California did a 2,000 dollar coupon on top of your trade in. (Had to be a trade in above 5k in decent condition)... but 2k on top of whatever price they state is pretty good IMO. The next big sale holiday will be July 4th. I think they'll be trying to push out 2012 cars for 2013's to start rolling in. From what I've seen sales are usually pretty good in the summer because of this.

Hope this helps! It's always easier going through the dealership since all the paperwork is done for you.. but you do get charged fee's for all of this. In your situation... it might just sound like it'd be better for you to let the dealers give you the best pricing for your trade in AND new car.

Just make all the dealers around you fight for your business! It usually works out.

Quote from bookapow : ... Hope this helps! It's always easier going through the dealership since all the paperwork is done for you.. but you do get charged fee's for all of this. In your situation... it might just sound like it'd be better for you to let the dealers give you the best pricing for your trade in AND new car. Just make all the dealers around you fight for your business! It usually works out.

thanks for your help, rep'd