Tiffany Raiford
Shopping for a new vehicle is no one’s favorite pastime. In fact, I despise it so much I put it off so long before my twins were born that I thought for a moment we might actually have to figure out how to get the twins and our two oldest girls home from the hospital in my 3 series or my husband’s two-seater convertible. That’s how much I detest car shopping. However, my husband forced me to do it a few weeks before I went into labor so that we had a big SUV for our newly large family. Pushy salespeople, negotiating, terms, conditions, blah, blah, blah. It gives me a headache and makes me cranky.
That’s why, when a former car salesman offers up useful tips for paying less for a new car, I listen. Here are five amazing ways you can save big time on a new vehicle without ever paying the sticker price.
Shop Early on Friday Mornings
When car dealerships announce their weekend sales, they do so with the intention of selling one or two vehicles at a loss. These are usually the cars that are marked down the lowest, offered with rebates and other discounts. They’re cheap, designed to get people in and designed to make people by other vehicles. Don’t; buy this car, but be there as soon as the dealer opens on Friday morning to ensure it’s still there for you. You will not find a better price anywhere else.
Look for Old Inventory
If you’ve been looking at a new vehicle and you notice that there is one or two that have been on the lot a few months, target that vehicle. Anything over 45 days on the lot is considered an old product and it’s costing the dealer money. Chances of receiving a good deal simply because dealers want it off the lot are impressive.
Send a Mass Email
If you take the time to compose an email to all the local car dealerships in your area telling them precisely what you want such as color, model, year and a list of every option you want, send it to the dealer with an added notation that tells them you have sent the same email to all the other dealers in the area. Ask them to send the sticker to you with the best price they can offer and you will choose the dealer with the lowest out the door price and be there first thing the following morning to order your new car. You’ll be surprised what you get doing this.
Ask About Executive Cars
When you own a car dealership, you get to drive whatever you want. These are high-end, top-of-the-line vehicles that have very little mileage and are still considered new since they are not DMV registered. This means you get the amazing deal, but you also get to save a lot of money since they’re all still eligible for all the rebates and deals brand new cars are equipped with.
Walk Away
It’s a good concept; and it works. When you work hard for a deal and you’re not given what you want, walk away. When a dealer knows that it’s a small detail such as dropping a monthly payment by $50 or adding a certain feature to a sale, they’re not going to let you get away for long. If that car is still on the lot after a few days, they’ll give you what you want.
Photo by Getty Images
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