Community Chat

[SeaMaiden]

Husbands car is on it's last leg....head gasket leaking....among other things.....he has had it for about 17 years. Not worth the $3000 to repair to repair the head gasket.  Not having bought a new car in so long it is rather daunting to think about going to a car dealer and "dealing" with their antics.  Is it best to go with cash and make a full cash offer these days? Will we get a better deal?  I do not want to deal with car payments.

With all the improvements in cars  since 1998,   I know it will be quite an experience to have an updated modern car. Still I am not looking forward to the experience of buying it.   

Any helpful hints or suggestions appreciated!  We will probably buy a one or two year old car.

[Sooner]

If you can get one of today's REALLY cheap car loans, bank the cash and borrow against it or some part of it.  Interest rates will likely go WAY up in the next few years and as the loan is paid off you can probably make money on the cash as it becomes available.  

[151949]

We bought a car 2 years ago so it is pretty recently we dealt with the dealer and the cost. However , we went to the car show one rainy day just for something to do and OMG - we were stunned by the prices. Cars have so much not really needed electronics on them now and it has severely driven up the prices.We looked at a fully decked out Buick Enclave because that is what we have - 25% more than what we paid 2 years ago, for essentially the exact same car.

So be prepared for sticker shock and enjoy your search.

[Mz iMac]

There are plenty of websites on how to deal w/dealerships when purchasing a new or used car.  Do some research.

If you plan on paying CASH, you can negotiate a great deal.  Just don't let the sales person know this fact until the price of the vehicle is near to what you want to actually pay for the car.

Why isn't your husband doing the negotiations????????

I plan on getting a "new" car (2017), November of this year.  This scares me because of all this new technology in cars now. 

I just want to basics in my new car...

auto transmission

radio

That's it.  Anything else will have to be standard or what the dealer wants to throw in for FREE to get my business.

I am taking my brother & SO w/me as backups.  They will be helping me w/the negotiations in case I missed something.  Dealerships tend to take advantage of females.

I plan on putting down a large down payment + getting a 3 yr bank loan from my bank which has lower interest rates than the dealership.  The larger the down payment, the lower the car note premium.  Right now, I am looking at a $150/month no interest to 1% interest car note.

My current vehicle is 16 yrs old in good condition, never any problems.  At my age (65), I do not want to put any $$$$ to it if anything goes wrong.  Reason why I want a spanking new vehicle.  I want to enjoy it for another 20 yrs.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

[scotnovel]

If you do plan to pay for it outright don't tell the salespeople that until after your deal is done.  They make more money if you finance through them so if they think you are going to finance it, they might make you a better deal.  A few years ago, our salesman actually cursed at us, saying he wouldn't be able to take his wife out to dinner on the commission he was making from us, when at the very end, we told him we were paying for the car and not financing.  He never asked about financing until after we finished negotiating a price and we never said anything.  

Also there are apps now that you can use to see how much people in your area are paying for a specific car type and what dealer in the area is giving the best deals.  You may want to use one of those.

[SeaMaiden]

Thank-you everyone who has contributed such helpful info! I  really appreciate the time you took to write and share

[fthunt]

Excellent advise from poster who said - don't tell salesperson you're paying cash out of pocket or through your personal bank/a loan).  My salesman was really mad at me when I said I didn't need HIS financing.  He claimed he never could have given me such a good deal had he known.   (ya, sure!)

[msvictoria]

My suggestions as a single woman who had to learn how to buy not 1, but 2 cars on her own.

1. Know what you want to buy or at least a good idea - small car, mid-size, 2 door, 4 door, SUV, "bells and whistles" and even color.

2. Then shop several dealerships - do not tell them you are paying cash. Get them to quote you prices and negotiate as much as possible. Don't get pulled in by 2 free oil changes or stupid stuff like that.The bottom dollar is what really counts. 

3. If you're going to sell your husband's car - don't offer it as a trade in YET, if at all, because they will just juggle the numbers to make it look like they're giving you a hefty amount for your trade in. Chances are you can get more money if you sell it yourself instead of trading it in. Trust me - I can attest to that - I sold my 2 old cars outright and got a really fair price for them

4. DECIDE ON ON THE CAR YOU KNOW YOU WANT AND HAVE A CONFIRMED $ FIGURE FROM THE DEALERSHIP/S. Once you have those facts, then you can ask them, "will you give us a better price for cash and if so, how much? Now you're in the "driver's seat" sort of speak.

5. Most importantly, know what the going price is for your chosen vehicle. Kelly Blue Book is the most widely used referenceD publication to my knowledge.

6. Good luck and good for you for asking for some help! I hope you end up with a great car. I did, but it sure was a learning curve, but I finally figured out how to do it and I paid exactly what I knew I should have paid for it.Let us know how you make out!

[Perkup]

DH has a theory that any time you drive a new car off the lot it automatically becomes a used car.  He's right.

We have purchased several cars over the past eight years. And each time we have found amazing gently used cars on TrueCar.  (I think that's how it's spelled).  Decide what car you want and see what you can find.  We've been lucky in finding some great vehicles at very reasonable prices. You might want to try.

And be sure that you really want all the new electronic "widgits" on a new car.  A close relative is a "trouble shooter" for one of the major car companies, and he spends many hours a week dealing with the electronic gimmicks on cars.  Not only do they seem to go bad quickly, but they are very very expensive to repair.  Something to think about.

[Another new name Sue]

You are buying a brand new car?  Costco can help with pricing. If you are not a Costco member but someone else in your family is, see if they can add you onto their card.  (I did this with a family member.)  I also think AAA can help too. 

Best bet, though, is to buy one coming off lease, a couple years old with lower mileage.  That's a much better value for your money. 

Sorry if this all was suggested.  Didn't have time to read.