Go
to one of the resources listed below and select new car from the top
navigation bar then price w/options from the top bar. You may be asked
for your zip code here. Select your make and model of car. You will
then arrive at the price w/ options screen. Select the vehicle you want
with all the packages and options you want. Here you will see the MSRP
and Invoice price for all the options available on the make and model
car. These invoice prices are 100% accurate. These are the exact
numbers on a dealer invoice.
Look
at the manufacturer rebate in the bottom of the page and subtract it
from the Invoice price. This is the purchase price you should pay for
the car.
Most
makes of cars also have something called dealer holdback included in
the price. Traditionally it is about 2-3% of the MSRP of the car. Start
negotiating at the invoice price minus the rebate minus the holdback.
There
is a destination charge of about $500 added to the price of the car.
That is the charge to get the vehicle from the factory to the showroom.
It is unlikely you will get this amount of the price of the car but you
can try to negotiate this amount off the price of the car too.
Shop
at the end of the month when dealers and sales people are trying to
make their month end quota for new cars. All bonuses and incentives are
based on a calendar month. Dealers and Salespeople are extremely
motivated at the end of the month to sell new cars. If they think you
are a buyer they will work very hard to get you to buy their car.
Before
you go shopping look at all the local new car dealer web sites to see
if they have the car you want. This will save you time. Any dealer can
locate a car and get it for you but they will be more aggressive with
their pricing if they know there is a car on their lot you would like
to take home that same day. If you don't know the names of local car
dealers simply search the web to find the manufacturer's site and
locate a local car dealer using your zip code.
Once
you find the car dealerships that have the vehicle you want send an
email to their internet department or call them. Let them know they
have the car you want, the price you want to pay for the car and ask
for confirmation that the vehicle is available. Let them know you will
be in that day for the car if they agree to sell the car for the price
you are willing to pay. Have them send you an email confirmation with
the VIN -vehicle identification and the agreed upon sales price. You
will be surprised how many car dealers will do this. Almost all of them.
If
you are going to finance your car you should apply for a carloan at
your bank or credit union unless you are planning to take advantage of
a low interest rate program at the car dealership. Car dealers make a
lot of money from financing and will often charge you an inflated rate.
If
you have a vehicle to trade in you don't need to tell the dealer about
that until you negotiate the price of your new car. The price of the
new car and the money they will give you for your trade should be
discussed separately. You can check one of the referenced sites below
to learn the value of your trade.