Has buying a car really changed???

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LJ4174

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Daughter's FIL in VA just bought a Toyota 4Runner from Carvana. He said it was great: got the price he was looking for, and they bring the car to YOU. Never need to leave home. You drive it for a while, and if you don't like it, they come and take it back.

Apparently, you tell them what you're looking for, and they find it for you: wave of the future, methinks.

/Mr Lynn

WOW!!! Really? Carvana has come up on quite a few of my searches and I instantly dismiss them. Perhaps I need to look into this. I thought they brought the car to you and you were stuck with it, either way...

Thanks!
 

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Negotiate by text or email, then confirm " $--k as described" before going out to look at it

Then negotiate down from there about any hidden flaws
 

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Negotiate by text or email, then confirm " $--k as described" before going out to look at it

Then negotiate down from there about any hidden flaws
 

coolzzy

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Are you willing to travel for the right deal? How much are you wanting to spend, it seems for a short few months there was a glut of 15-17 expeditions with 30-50k miles for around $32k. Looking now I don't see this, so I'm guessing all the fleets did their upgrades already to the newer model year.

Keep in mind expeditions are not produced anywhere near the numbers of a Tahoe/Yukon, I think they sell less than 50k of them a year compared to twice that or more of the GM offering. Finding a low miles late model year is tough considering the high price tag of these new, I don't think many private party trade ins are showing up yet and won't for another 2 years. Some fleets trade in every year right before the bumper to bumper warranty runs out which is how I bought mine. I will tell you these vehicles don't show up at dealer auto auctions either. You have to be a Ford dealer to attend the special fleet auctions to buy the late model low miles units. This is why you'll have to buy from a big Ford dealer to get one, and don't expect them to negotiate on the price, however you can negotiate on your trade in to lessen the tax burden of the new vehicle. I negotiated 6k more on my trade than their initial offer.
 

mrlynn

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. . . I will tell you these vehicles don't show up at dealer auto auctions either. You have to be a Ford dealer to attend the special fleet auctions to buy the late model low miles units. This is why you'll have to buy from a big Ford dealer to get one, and don't expect them to negotiate on the price, however you can negotiate on your trade in to lessen the tax burden of the new vehicle. I negotiated 6k more on my trade than their initial offer.

We lucked out in 2014. I was just looking for Suburban-sized truck, but there weren't any used Chevy/GMs around, when I found this handsome dark-green long 2013 Expedition at our local Ford dealer. Turns out it was a fleet (rental) vehicle from CA, with 33k on it. We paid $35k. I had a sun roof put in (really wanted a convertible!). I was able to negotiate the price of the sun roof because I found a red one at another dealer in the area for slightly less, but they are indeed scarce.

Expy has been fine, except rear AC lines went out from rust/corrosion this past winter (we're in MA). I would have just closed them off, but was overruled; cost $1,000.

/Mr Lynn
 

ThatOneMike

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So the last 4-6 weeks or so I've been looking for an Expedition EL and considering a Lincoln Navigator L. I have had 2 dealers now simply let me walk. Won't negotiate at all, didn't even have any interest in negotiating. The last one just this week, I offered asking price, but wanted them to get me out the door for that price. A difference of about $1500. Wouldn't budge...

Is this common these days?
you gotta play their game bro, they know if you don't buy the car someone else will. Next time have a friend call you in the middle of talking to the salesman and act like their rival dealership has the car you want, in the color you want for 4-7 grand less than the dealership youre at, excuse yourself go outside for a few minutes, act happy as hell, then shake the hand thank them for their time let them know you've found a better offer and walk away...if their sales manager sees you do this they'll think their salesman was being a dick and usually try to intercept you and start the ball rolling again, just be polite and say that you just got a call from big dealership B and you're going with their offer of "so much money" for "the same car" in the "color you want". then they usually counter offer,you got em by the balls then cuz you take that offer to the other dealership and start the same games. make sure to use one liners like ,
"oh sorry I must have missed the line."
they always reply with a quizzical look "what line"
to which you say " the line of people around the block whom are all waiting to buy this vehicle from you at the price you want"
I know this seems like nonsense, but when you find the dealership/salesman desperate for the sale...it will work.
AND NEVER EVER act nervous, or excited. put your poker face on and be a ******* shark.
Practice answering dealer questions and statements with more one liners that make you seem like you know their price sucks ( because it's almost always thousands and thousands of dollars over msrp which we all know the dealership pays thousands and thousands less than.
Always remember you can easily save thousands of dollars buying from remote dealerships starved for sales.
You make the price that you're willing to pay,and when they act like they have the best price in town remember to remind them you're perfectly willing to buy out of town or even out of state for a few grand off the price.
This works because most people just go in and say "discount for me now!" instead of "why would I buy from you when I can save 5 g's driving an hour out of my way?"
you get a lot more respect from salesmen when they realize you aren't a sheep and you rebuff all their ********.
 

Dorzak

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I use many of the tactics that ThatOneMike mentions, plus a couple more. Let the dealer know price is a concern by asking about other vehicles on the lot that are cheaper. If they know you have your heart set on one model they think they can play that.

I also tell them a few stories to try become part of "us" with the dealer instead of "them". My grandfather was an accountant for years at car dealerships. He has since passed away. However, it helps to put the dealership staff on a "you are one of us" level when I tell one of his old stories.

There was some vagaries to the US Customs rules that allowed you to import certain cars you couldn't otherwise if they were owned by you, and had been used a certain amount at lower tariffs in the 80's. As a dual US/UK citizen he and his boss used that to pay for his vacations to the UK, and bring over rare vehicles at a profit. He drove these vehicles while on vacation in the UK. (New Bentleys was the most common)

I still paid more than I would have liked to for mine total. However, when I walked in it was right after a car accident and my credit report still showed the other loan open. I ended up with a much lower interest rate than I expected, and price about $2500 more than I would have liked. I walked out of the building twice, and mentioned walking at least 4-5 times. I took calls and discussed other vehicles with family members. I even when they couldn't get the payments where I wanted a first, I asked about cheaper vehicles on the lot. "I am really looking for three comfortable rows, could we look at this 2016 Flex you have listed on your webpage? It looks like it is about $8,000 cheaper, how would affect the payment?" (yes, I know how it would affect the payment, it was a negotiating question) The payment was a little less than I wanted it, even if the price was higher than I would have liked.
 
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LJ4174

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So the first Expedition we looked at back in the middle of May is still sitting on the lot, they have reduced the price now by $1500 - according to some of the car research websites - it is still $1000 - $1500 too high, to even start with. Looking at other comparable Expeditions it's priced high. I approached the sales manager at the end of Q2 and end of the month in June asking for best price and if they want to sell it, etc. I offered about $3K less... Nope... They said they'd take another $300 off... So, I'll continue to watch it and see if they want to make a deal on it at the end of this month perhaps unless something else comes up...
 
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