*deep inhale* FUCK car shopping

[Turbowaffles]

Specifically used car shopping. I an so tired of haggling with every dealer within a 100 mile radius for the right price on the specific car I want. But I also don't want to compromise and get a different car.

I just fucking hate it so much at this point. I wish my vehicle would never have went kaput. :(

End rant I guess.

 

[Courage]

Yeah, I just had to go through this. Hyundai dealerships in my area especially are the worst. If you're going for CPO and want to circumvent the haggling, you can try Costco's Auto program which partners with authorized dealers and usually offers competitive quotes.

 

[nanskee]

Actually I've had pretty good interactions with private sellers. But all three of my cars are Honda so I guess I couldn't go wrong.

Pretty much have money available, but also have additional money (let's say 1,000~) to fix any potential problems.

But so long as you live in a decent area, or travel to get what you want, it's a gamble but usually people are pretty good

You can always play safe and go to a dealership. Contrary to popular belief, dealerships often have good deals on used cars so long as you work with them a bit. They want to offload their cars ASAP

 

[fragamemnon]

Specifically used car shopping. I an so tired of haggling with every dealer within a 100 mile radius for the right price on the specific car I want. But I also don't want to compromise and get a different car.

I just fucking hate it so much at this point. I wish my vehicle would never have went kaput. :(

End rant I guess.

Click to shrink...

There really isn't a huge margin on used cars. Most of the money is made in trade-in and the backend financial products. It's more or less a volume business for most reputable dealers.

What are you trying to buy? Last time I went shopping for a used car, I found the good price/great price evaluations on cargurus was pretty much spot on. That was the market price, so that was the price I more or less paid. If I was like "but if I go to this place 100 miles away, they have the same car* for $1,000 less", they would have told me to go buy it there, lol.

*- it's never exactly the same car btw

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

The last car we bought a year ago was a breeze. The sales guy was brand new and clearly hated selling cars. We were in and out of the dealership in under an hour at a good price.

 

[Richiek]

 

[Dr.Phibes]

On the other hand, shopping for cars when you don't need one / are looking for a track car is amazing.

 

[roflwaffles]

As a fellow waffle, yeah it sucks.

 

[Deleted member 69573]

I've only ever had good experiences with private sellers. You can also get pretty good deals on more high end models because rich people tend to keep cars for only a handful of years (and usually don't drive them that much). Got a 3 series BMW for 8k less than the going market rate because the owners were desperate to get rid of it to make space for something new.

I have had absolute trash experience with used car lots and mixed experience with dealerships. I think if you're patient, private sales is worth the effort.

 

[Justin Bailey]

I bought a used car from Carvana a few years ago and it was a breeze, plus the price beat what dealerships we offering.

I also just bought a new car a few months ago and because of the COVID-19 stuff, I didn't have to set foot in a single dealership. I did all the negotiating via text or email. It was great.

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

Eh, I've never found it a bother so long as you're not in a hurry. Stick to email, get quotes in writing, and be willing to walk away and/or wait.

On the flip side - be realistic about pricing. Most used cars under ~$25K, you're not gonna be able to haggle more than about a grand off the sticker assuming it's in line with other options in the area. The days of haggling 20% off are LONG behind us in they age of the internet (at least with dealers).

 

[turbobrick]

Well, if it makes you feel better, you usually get ripped off buying a used car from a dealer no matter what you do.

*source: worked for a car dealer

 

[Mammoth Jones]

On the other hand, shopping for cars when you don't need one / are looking for a track car is amazing.

Click to shrink...

My dude! Doing this changed my whole perception. Feels great to know I can and will just walk away. Fuck their shitty first offer. Fuck their waiting until it's time to sign to suddenly change the price by a few grand over "fees".

 

[Choppasmith]

I bought a used car from Carvana a few years ago and it was a breeze, plus the price beat what dealerships we offering.

I also just bought a new car a few months ago and because of the COVID-19 stuff, I didn't have to set foot in a single dealership. I did all the negotiating via text or email. It was great.

Click to shrink...

I actually JUST THIS WEEK got my first car with Carvana and I agree. I mean I had to jump through a bunch of hoops since this was my first car ever, but yeah I got a 2016 Ford C-Max Hybrid for 15k out the door and I still feel like I'm dreaming.

 

[Geeko]

I got a car a few weeks ago through Hertz car sales and it was a relatively painless. I know getting used rental cars can be a pretty risky maneuver but if you find one that is not too old with low mileage, good chance is that it will last years. I found a 2019 Silver Kia Rio with a little over 30,000 miles roughly ~$11000, $2000 down. I'm pretty happy with my purchase. Car is super clean, in great condition and runs great.

it's worth looking into trying to get a car that way but of course YMMV. Good luck either way.

 

[dhlt25]

yea buying used car sucks. Buying new car is super straight forward for me. I knew I qualified for the 0% financing so I just went in the dealer and ask for the cheapest new camry on the lot, took all of 1 hour for me to get the car

 

[JoJo'sDentCo]

Try Carvana.com if it's in your area.

 

[Kraid]

I found Cars.com to be super helpful. I could filter to the years/makes/models I wanted, select only ones with a free CarFax, and then make a decision. I knew most of the dealerships I went with were no haggle, so I just waited to find what I wanted. But it made the sales pressure so much lower.

 

[nanskee]

I got a car a few weeks ago through Hertz car sales and it was a relatively painless. I know getting used rental cars can be a pretty risky maneuver but if you find one that is t too old with low mileage, good chance is that it will last years. I found a 2019 Silver Kia Rio with a little over 30,000 miles roughly ~$11000, $2000 down. I'm pretty happy with my purchase. Car is super clean, in great condition and runs great.

it's worth looking into trying to get a car that way but of course YMMV. Good luck either way.

Click to shrink...

Wow actually sounds like a great deal

 

[rokkerkory]

I used truecar and negotiated everything before getting to dealer

 

[TheSkullPrince]

I read somewhere that it's best to buy a car toward the end of the year, when salesmen/dealers get desperate to meet their sales quotas.

 

[Envelope]

i was happy with carvana as well, you could definitely haggle a better price at some shady lot but the convenience and upfront nature of carvana as well as being able to pick the exact car i wanted was worth the small premium for me

 

[Biske]

Something like truecar definitely helps make the car buying experience, less sickening.

It's a lot nicer to have a clear idea of price and quotes and all BEFORE you are even at the dealership and looking around and haggling. Even if you don't get super into the techniques and tricks of the car buying process something like this gets you off on a great footing.

Specially if you have got quotes from multiple dealers and can see which ones are just flat out too high.

 

[Red Comet]

It's the worst. Thankfully my girlfriend just bought a new CRV so the salesman gave me all the discounts possible on my civic I recently purchased since she referred me.

 

[Chan]

Purchasing motorcycles is even worse

 

[Justin Bailey]

I actually JUST THIS WEEK got my first car with Carvana and I agree. I mean I had to jump through a bunch of hoops since this was my first car ever, but yeah I got a 2016 Ford C-Max Hybrid for 15k out the door and I still feel like I'm dreaming.

Click to shrink...

That's awesome. Carvana really is great. They've got to have the dealers sweating. I was half-tempted to use their "vending machine" but I was in a hurry to get that car since mine had died lol.

 

[Mage_of_Cinder]

I'm going to have to do that soon. My car is 20 years old, and my mechanic says "its falling apart, but running."
And my dad says, "the worst time to buy a car is when you need one. They see what you're pulling up in." With those two things in mind, I'm using my tax return next year for a down payment for a car.
Good luck, by the way.

 

[Forerunner]

I bought last October and it was relatively painless. I originally was going to get a Civic.

I get to the dealership and I'm greeted by a salesman.

Me: Do you have any new Civics?

SM: No, we only have used.

Me: *I realize I'm at the wrong dealership.* Oh, this is the Toyota dealership. Honda is in the other lot. lol

SM: I can take you over to the Honda dealership if you want.

Me: No, it's fine. I'll look around here.

*look around for a bit*

Me: I like this Corolla.

SM: Want to take it for a test drive?

Me: No, but I want it.

SM: You sure?

Me: Yes!

SM: Ok, let's go do the paperwork.

SM: *SM comes back after all the paperwork is done.* This is what we can do for you.

Me: APR is a bit high. Can you lower it?

SM: I'll go check.

SM: How does this look?

Me: Much better. Deal!

I was there less than an hour. Salesman was super cool, he was newer so it was one of his first sales. My Corolla has been great, no complaints.

 

[turbobrick]

Purchasing motorcycles is even worse

Click to shrink...

At least motorcycles are cheap enough you can just pay cash a lot of times, don't have to worry about financing.

I bought last October and it was relatively painless. I originally was going to get a Civic.

I get to the dealership and I'm greeted by a salesman.

Me: Do you have any new Civics?

SM: No, we only have used.

Me: *I realize I'm at the wrong dealership.* Oh, this is the Toyota dealership. Honda is in the other lot. lol

SM: I can take you over to the Honda dealership if you want.

Me: No, it's fine. I'll look around here.

*look around for a bit*

Me: I like this Corolla.

SM: Want to take it for a test drive?

Me: No, but I want it.

SM: You sure?

Me: Yes!

SM: Ok, let's go do the paperwork.

SM: *SM comes back after all the paperwork is done.* This is what we can do for you.

Me: APR is a bit high. Can you lower it?

SM: I'll go check.

SM: How does this look?

Me: Much better. Deal!

I was there less than an hour. Salesman was super cool, he was newer so it was one of his first sales. My Corolla has been great, no complaints.

Click to shrink...

This entire post boggles my mind how this is a real thing that could happen. Not just walking into the wrong place despite it probably saying Toyota everywhere and the showroom being full of new Toyota models, but also buying a car without ever driving it.

At least you really can't go wrong with a Toyota anyway, so I guess it worked out.

 

[BarringGaffner]

So OP you have felt the prices were unfair?

I just bought my 2019 Forester today. Looked up comparable a on auto trader, it was a 'good' deal, good history, so I am not going to haggle.

 

[bmdubya]

If you're looking for a used car, go to Car Max. My wife and I bought a car from there about a year ago and the buying process was amazing. We found a car on their website we liked, set up a time to test drive it, loved the car, and bought it. We were there for probably 2 hours. And we got a great deal on a Subaru for where we live (Colorado). Can't recommend Car Max enough especially if you're looking for a used car.

 

[Kendrid]

Carmax if you have them near you. Fixed pricing and you can look at he stock online.

 

[RecRoulette]

It sucks right now because you're thinking "Now HAS to be a great time to buy a car with COVID and all slowing things down" but nope, EVERYONE'S thinking that too.

Went through it a month ago, and I got a good deal but I completely understand why so many people just do CarMax

 

[Isilia]

It's the opposite for me. Dealers hate working with me because I don't tolerate crap and have offers from other places to force them to cut to the final phase of the nonsense.

I used to be polite but not anymore. No games.

 

[The Awesomest]

Follow the three C's for a painless process: Carmax, Carvana, or Costco.

 

[Sectorseven]

Why not buy from a private seller?

 

[____]

It's not fun for sure. But you have to make it entertaining. Fuck with them as much as they fuck with you.

Hint: They need to sell you a car much more than you need to buy one. Use that to your advantage.

 

[RedMercury]

On the other hand, shopping for cars when you don't need one / are looking for a track car is amazing.

Click to shrink...

That's just being rich which I assume is amazing haha

 

[SeeingeyeDug]

I'm 46 years old and have owned 9 cars. None were new. Only one was bought at a used car dealer because at $25,000 a '95 NSX was a steal.

Dont go to dealerships.

 

[Sirhc]

What sort of lots are you shopping at?

Specifically used car lots are normally going to be pretty ass for shopping as that's their bread and butter, a normal dealership is just trying to move trade-ins or leases for their used selection and want to be rid of them without losing money so the process isn't as bad.

 

[Tlaloc]

I used car gurus to find my current car. Went through my credit union for the loan and within 24 hours and a few signatures later I had my car. It was really painless.

 

[Foltzie]

Hire Tom McParland from Jalaponik https://automatchconsulting.com/

 

[turbobrick]

That's just being rich which I assume is amazing haha

Click to shrink...

nah, you don't have to be rich at all. I own 6 cars and I've never made over $15/hour in my life.

What sort of lots are you shopping at?

Specifically used car lots are normally going to be pretty ass for shopping as that's their bread and butter, a normal dealership is just trying to move trade-ins or leases for their used selection and want to be rid of them without losing money so the process isn't as bad.

Click to shrink...

In my experience working at dealerships, used cars almost always bring in more profit because you often get scammed on your trade in. Though used car lots generally are worse as their inventory is mostly cars from auctions that the big dealerships send off because its not worth their time/money to fix/sell.

 

[Border]

It's actually pretty fun once you realize you can fuck with them and throw out lowball offers all day.

Get your purchase financed through a local credit union before you even walk on a lot. Don't give them the opportunity to play around with the APR or try to negotiate a particular monthly payment.

Look up what is in stock on the internet before you get there. Ask to see only the cars that you saw on the website that interested you. Don't let them walk you around and just shove you into any old car for a test drive.

 

[Inugami]

What sort of lots are you shopping at?

Specifically used car lots are normally going to be pretty ass for shopping as that's their bread and butter, a normal dealership is just trying to move trade-ins or leases for their used selection and want to be rid of them without losing money so the process isn't as bad.

Click to shrink...

This has been my experience as well. Just bought a car recently and we were in and out of just 2 dealerships with the car we wanted at a good price.

 

[Sirhc]

In my experience working at dealerships, used cars almost always bring in more profit because you often get scammed on your trade in. Though used car lots generally are worse as their inventory is mostly cars from auctions that the big dealerships send off because its not worth their time/money to fix/sell.

Click to shrink...

I suppose it depends on the used car, certainly a big difference between a 15-20k used car and a 2-3k used car on a dealerships lot.

 

[Eye for an Eye]

I knew the car I wanted and managed to find it. It was like a 90 mile drive out there, but totally worth it. I had been looking for months and knew that it was a great price. The bank was a bit slow on sending the check, but I was so happy they financed it.

If you have weaknesses in dealing with stress or people, maybe take a trusted friend along. It was my friend who drove me out there and took a look over at the deal. But honestly, I knew how the car was supposed to feel and handle, and I knew there were no problems (plus its a manual). But he made the difference when it came time to sit at the table. We do have a few good stories of looking at cars closer to home as "alternatives".

I know my friends and family drag me into their things just because I won't back down to anyone. They let me use my strengths and I'm grateful that they trust me.

 

[BMW]

Used cars have went up in price significantly. Inventory is just low all over.

 

[ViperVisor]

I have only won ebay auctions for my 2 cars. Takes time and you will have to pay $300-500 to trailer it to your house but has worked for me.

 

[Turbowaffles]

To everyone asking what I am looking for: 2016-2017 Mazda CX-5 in the $18k out the door price range.

Side question: if I decide to go with my bank for financing... how do I factor in the down payment? Say the car is $18,500 total and I decide to put $5k down. Does that $5k go to the bank or the dealer? I'm still fuzzy on how that works.

Thanks for the suggestions as well you folks rule.