Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Finally got a good deal!

Many times in the past, I felt I had been screwed in the transaction of buying a car. (Especially with my Ford Truck, where I actually saw the salesman high-fiving when I walked out the door... not a real good feeling!)



This time, I think I have matured enough to do this right, though I still don't like doing this. I called my dealer yesterday and asked for a quote for a specific car. He gave me a quote, and it wasn't great. Basically just the dealer invoice price. I said, "Thank you" and hung up. An hour later, he called back and offered me a quote substantially less, like 1000 off invoice. Now we're getting somewhere. But he said, "You gotta take this deal today." I hate that.



I got several quotes from local dealers for the same car. (I am blessed with a community of five Hyundai dealers within 30 miles.) I took the quotes to my local dealer and used them to start the haggling.



So I go in on my way home from work, two hours before closing. They're trying to clear the lot of the 05's, because the 06's arrive in October. So this is a good time to buy. I ask to test drive it, and take it home to show the family. I bring back the family and the kids 30 minutes before closing. I tell him that I like it, but am still stuck on the hatchback and can't decide. Then I tell him that if he'll drop the price $500 more, I'll do it today. Well, he's got to talk to his manager on that one. (Of course.)



Half an hour later, he offers 350 lower plus points out that the cruise control is included, which is another 250 (which I don't really care about). So he's really come down about 600. I still am not sure... gosh, I really want that hatchback in Frederick... the one I have the quote for. Finally, after talking it over with my wife, I decide that I've come as far as I can, and take the deal. The extra two hundred in the price is not worth me spending several more hours with this dealer, or the one in Fredrick.



From looking at Edmunds.com, it looks like I made a really good deal. Their TMV price is an average of what people in my area are paying, and it looks like I got about $1400 lower than that price. I'm pretty pleased. Maybe it'll start making up for my past errors in buying cars.



In retrospect, what was also smart is that I got him to start talking to me in "final" (as he put it, "All-In") price, which included tax, tags, and title. So there wouldn't be any more little additions at the end. I have to remember to do that again in ten years!



By the way, it also helped to have a wife who was willing and VERY able to play the "bad cop." She was marvelous! A stoic of granite proportions!



© Copyright 2005-2014, Scott E. Harris. All Rights Reserved.
Please do not reproduce or copy without the permission of the author.