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yournamehere · 03-24-2009, 02:01 PM

Kind of repetitive, but . . . . . .

Research the price of the car on Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds. These sources will give you the average price the dealer paid for trade-in, and what they'll most likely list the car at. I always figure that everybody deserves to make a living, so I usually offer $300 more than what I think they paid for it. That's not too bad for what should only be an hour's work - and the salesman, manager, and owner can split that $300 any way they want. After you make the offer and it is refused, give them contact information and leave - do not stick around and negotiate. Do this for about a half dozen vehicles. One or more of the salesmen will call you within a week accepting your offer. It helps if you shop near the end of the month - everyone has bills they want to pay.

Once you know it's the car you want, take it to a mechanic and have it checked out. Never buy a car that hasn't been independently looked over. If the dealer or seller doesn't want you to do that - walk away and don't look back.

Also, get carfax - if any of the previous owners lived in a flood-prone area, like Houston or New Orleans, be wary - and have the mechanic look specifically for water damage.

Finally - as has been mentioned, gas mileage and insurance are also factors in the true cost of the vehicle, so do your research.

Always remember - they want to get that car off their lot every bit as much as you want to buy it. They have to sell a few cars every week to make a living, and only have 30-50 to sell at any given time. You, on the other hand, have thousands to choose from. Car buying is always a buyer's market.

03-24-2009, 02:01 PM	#9 (permalink)
yournamehere Invisible Location: tentative, at best	Kind of repetitive, but . . . . . . Research the price of the car on Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds. These sources will give you the average price the dealer paid for trade-in, and what they'll most likely list the car at. I always figure that everybody deserves to make a living, so I usually offer $300 more than what I think they paid for it. That's not too bad for what should only be an hour's work - and the salesman, manager, and owner can split that $300 any way they want. After you make the offer and it is refused, give them contact information and leave - do not stick around and negotiate. Do this for about a half dozen vehicles. One or more of the salesmen will call you within a week accepting your offer. It helps if you shop near the end of the month - everyone has bills they want to pay. Once you know it's the car you want, take it to a mechanic and have it checked out. Never buy a car that hasn't been independently looked over. If the dealer or seller doesn't want you to do that - walk away and don't look back. Also, get carfax - if any of the previous owners lived in a flood-prone area, like Houston or New Orleans, be wary - and have the mechanic look specifically for water damage. Finally - as has been mentioned, gas mileage and insurance are also factors in the true cost of the vehicle, so do your research. Always remember - they want to get that car off their lot every bit as much as you want to buy it. They have to sell a few cars every week to make a living, and only have 30-50 to sell at any given time. You, on the other hand, have thousands to choose from. Car buying is always a buyer's market. __________________ If you want to avoid 95% of internet spelling errors: "If your ridiculous pants are too loose, you're definitely going to lose them. Tell your two loser friends over there that they're going to lose theirs, too." It won't hurt your fashion sense, either.