car shopping

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Day Two: Car shopping

We visit the Willmar dealership, they ain't got the car we were gonna look at. They say it's at the Detail/body shop. SalesDude calls that shop, and says he'll go get it and bring it back in 10 minutes. 30 minutes later he drives up in a car that's a decade older (2005) and looks like a teenager beat the hell out of it.

While SalesDude was gone, we troll the parking lot and find another car with possibilities, it had info sheets in window, but no price. After we told SalesDude that the 2005 car was crap and weren't interested, we tell him we are interested in a car on the other side of the lot. He asks which one. We tell him, he looks confused and says he wasn't aware of a car like that on the lot.

We take SalesDude for a walk. Show him the car. He shakes his head and looks at his phone and says he can't find it in the inventory list. He calls someone. That someone says that car was sold last week, but needs some "stuff" to finalize the deal.

We ask again about the original car we came to look at. SalesDude says he doesn't know where it's at. SalesDude says that car is probably on a run. My buddy acts like he knows what the SalesDude means. I DO NOT know what the hell the SalesDude means.

After thinking about if for 10 minutes, I ask SalesDude, What the hell is a run? He says 3 or 4 employees take a car off the lot, to drive to another Dealership to pickup a group of cars that were destined for this dealership.

As we leave the dealership, I tell my buddy that "run story" is a load of crap. He agrees.

Stay tuned,
Day three: Car shopping will likely happen in a week or so.

[waksupi]

Last I shopped for a car, I asked for the "out the door" price. They gave me a quote I agreed to. I went back to pick up the car, and handed them the check. They said there were docking fees and such that needed added to the price. I took the check back, tore it up, and left. When you ask for an "out the door" price, they are supposed to honor that. Fortunately, a few days later a friend at another dealer called me and told me they had just got in exactly what was looking for, for well below book price. They got my business.
Some years before that, my mom was looking for a new car. The dealer was trying to screw her over, being an old woman, so she walked out. The guy called a couple days later and asked if she was still interested in the car? She said no, she had bought one from another dealer the same day. They guy was mad because she didn't buy from him.

[deltaenterprizes]

Day Two: Car shopping

We visit the Willmar dealership, they ain't got the car we were gonna look at. They say it's at the Detail/body shop. SalesDude calls that shop, and says he'll go get it and bring it back in 10 minutes. 30 minutes later he drives up in a car that's a decade older (2005) and looks like a teenager beat the hell out of it.

While SalesDude was gone, we troll the parking lot and find another car with possibilities, it had info sheets in window, but no price. After we told SalesDude that the 2005 car was crap and weren't interested, we tell him we are interested in a car on the other side of the lot. He asks which one. We tell him, he looks confused and says he wasn't aware of a car like that on the lot.

We take SalesDude for a walk. Show him the car. He shakes his head and looks at his phone and says he can't find it in the inventory list. He calls someone. That someone says that car was sold last week, but needs some "stuff" to finalize the deal.

We ask again about the original car we came to look at. SalesDude says he doesn't know where it's at. SalesDude says that car is probably on a run. My buddy acts like he knows what the SalesDude means. I DO NOT know what the hell the SalesDude means.

After thinking about if for 10 minutes, I ask SalesDude, What the hell is a run? He says 3 or 4 employees take a car off the lot, to drive to another Dealership to pickup a group of cars that were destined for this dealership.

As we leave the dealership, I tell my buddy that "run story" is a load of crap. He agrees.

Stay tuned,
Day three: Car shopping will likely happen in a week or so.

I work for dealerships and we use cars on the lot to make runs to the auctions to pick up vehicles for inventory.
I pity you having to go through the car buying process right now.
The sales guys that I talk to say to plan on 6 months ahead of time.

[Finster101]

I work for dealerships and we use cars on the lot to make runs to the auctions to pick up vehicles for inventory.
I pity you having to go through the car buying process right now.
The sales guys that I talk to say to plan on 6 months ahead of time.

The Dealerships I worked for did the same thing to get cars from auctions or other dealers, pretty standard practice. However given your experience with that salesman and confusion among the staff about inventory I would think twice about buying from them.

[TD1886]

Where I live at the dealership I bought a used car they have the out door (or off the lot price) but you have to add state tax and registration fees. Also they say on the stick no haggling, and's, if's, or but's. That's the final price on the sticker.

[schutzen-jager]

5+ decades at Ford + Lincoln Mercury dealerships as P+S administrator, 27 years at one of them, only one of them was 100% honest - last new car purchased at dealer was 1967 - many changes in franchised dealers over the years - now even the parts + service personnel are basically commissioned salespeople looking out for their paycheck + not customer needs -

[Idaho45guy]

I despise car shopping. I despise car salesman as 80% of them are dishonest and 100% of their managers are dishonest lying scum who I wouldn't let on my property.

I've worked as a car salesman for a few months as I thought it would be fun as I know cars and enjoy helping people. Nope. If you know cars and like helping people, then you will fail hard as a car salesman as your job is to swindle as much money as possible out of people that walk onto the lot. The more you lie and cheat, the more admiration you will get from your manager.

If you buy used, then buy from a private party and go through your credit union. If you buy new, then get a couple of dealerships working against each other for your sale.

The pandemic was a nightmare for car buying since used prices skyrocketed, new vehicles were non-existent, and interest rates went up.

I tried to buy a new pickup and my low-mileage 4Runner was highly sought after. I went to a couple of different Toyota dealers and ended up walking away and just keeping my vehicle. They would lie about a pickup being in stock, or they would have a 4Runner identical to mine on the lot for $42k and then offer me $32k trade-in for mine. My favorite was a "detail fee" of $1300. Used trucks were more than new ones, and new ones were months back-ordered.

I decided to just sit it out for another year or so.

[DougGuy]

JonB I buy and sell my vehicles on Craigslist or Marketplace, have you looked into buying from an individual instead of a dealership?

I once bought a little Chevy Cavalier station wagon with the 3.1L V6, same V6 they put in the Z24, it leaked oil at the ends of the intake manifold which those motors are NOTORIOUS for, the parts cost $35 and my labor was no charge, I had that thing 10 years, annual cost of ownership including tires, wiper blades, brakes, and the engine parts was less than $300/year.

I bought a Chevy Astro van off ebay, flew to Ohio to get it, drove it back to Virginia, it carried me and my tools working construction for many years. I put a new engine from Craigslist in it a few years after I bought it, $1500 well spent, that one cost me about $350/year including the new engine and all the tires and brakes and other repairs.

I try to drive a vehicle for a year for less than what most people pay for one month's car payment. I have been doing that all my life. It works.

Oh yeah. Pay cash. No car payments no loans never have.

[Bloodman14]

Out here we have an outfit called 'Auto-by-Rent'. I bought a 2004 Chevy Cavalier (4-banger with a five-speed, fun, fun!!) that I drove for the next 12 YEARS!! I am a pretty good mechanic. Weekly payments (yes, a pain) but paid it off in 2 years. Because the last payment was considered the 'sold for' price, I only paid sales taxes on that final payment. I miss that car.

[Rapier]

Never understood what sales people think they are doing with dishonesty in the deal, never ends well. Same thing as a Gun Show, always tell the buyer what you know about the deal, right up front. If you do not know tell them. Never sell a known problem, it will absolutely, come back on you.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I despise car shopping. I despise car salesman


>>>SNIP<<<

The pandemic was a nightmare for car buying since used prices skyrocketed, new vehicles were non-existent, and interest rates went up.


Car shopping for new cars is sure a lot different than used cars...that's all I got to say.

Thanks everyone else for the hints, tips, tricks so far.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

5+ decades at Ford + Lincoln Mercury dealerships as P+S administrator, 27 years at one of them, only one of them was 100% honest - last new car purchased at dealer was 1967 - many changes in franchised dealers over the years - now even the parts + service personnel are basically commissioned salespeople looking out for their paycheck + not customer needs -

One thing I noticed is big dealerships in Large Cities (and surrounding Suburbs) are sure lots different than dealerships in small Cities with Population less than 50K...or maybe it's just that I'm a redneck small town boy?

[Electrod47]

Car Shopping....Even in the best of times...Heaven help you.

[M-Tecs]

I've purchased three new vehicles in my life. Once in 1986, 1992 and 2023. In 86 and 92 it was possible to research what the actual price the dealer paid. In both cases I paid $200 over actual dealer price. That was well below invoice price and invoice price is way lower than MSRP. The dealership also gets a kickback for the manufacturer and the is a highly guarded secret.

The 92 was a new Chevy 1500 that I put 343K miles on. Its replacement was a 2002 Chevy 4x4 with 89K on it. I have not sold it yet but it has 289K one it is at the end of its life. I started look for a replacement used vehicle shortly after the pandemic started. Ten- to fifteen-year-old trucks with 200K on them were selling for $35K in this area. That was not going to happen.

I gave up and went the new route. I wanted the new LZ0 3.0 baby Duramax engine and if I was spending that much I wanted it exactly as I wanted it so I ordered it to 100% of my specs. They became available to order in May of 22 but I didn't get an allocation until Sept. I was delivered about 3 weeks ago. When I started looking last May most dealers were 2K to 5K above MSRP. I only dealt with two that would sell at MSRP. In the time since I placed the order most dealers in this area are selling at or under MSRP. In Nov chevy had a price increase. That did make me happy but I didn't have many options other than to cancel the order. When it was delivered I was able to get the price reduced 3K down to the claimed invoice. On Sat. I received a check for $1,168 from the Chev dealer price protection program. Chevy honors the price at the time of the order and this dealer (Mauer Chev) was honest enough to cut me a check. I was not aware of that program.

New prices are becoming negotiable again. I haven't looked at used price since I made up my mind to go new about a year ago so I don't know if used prices are becoming more realistic.

[rockrat]

Last year, was looking for a Highlander for the wife. Went to big city dealership and they had just what she wanted, but the sales manager came over with a smirk and said since we were out of town, he probably wouldn't make any money off service, so the price was 2K over retail.
We ended up leaving and in a smaller town, found an almost identical car, for 1K under retail. Saved 3K by driving 200 miles. And I got to see my Niece, since she lived along the way. win-win

[MrWolf]

I will check with internet pricing and such and will use Costco's auto buying program (need to be a memberbut the other warehouse stores probablyoffer the same thing). No hassle, negotiations, etc.. That will, give you a decent idea on what to expect for the car you want.
Ron

[GregLaROCHE]

I hate shopping for vehicles new or used. My father used to go talk and haggle just for something to do and not planning to buy. Once he haggled with a guy at a boat show, that he ended up buying a boat he hadn’t planned on, just because the deal was so good.

[Idaho45guy]

I will check with internet pricing and such and will use Costco's auto buying program (need to be a memberbut the other warehouse stores probablyoffer the same thing). No hassle, negotiations, etc.. That will, give you a decent idea on what to expect for the car you want.
Ron

I remember when I worked for USAA insurance, they offered a car-buying service for members that was supposedly pretty slick. Never tried it.

And a good friend of mine bought a new Honda Pilot EX a couple of years ago through Costco for $37k. Dealers were offering him $40k cash for it.

The woman I'm with now is a hard-core Dave Ramsey fan and is pressuring me to pay off all my debt and pay cash for major purchases. I think if I came home with a new pickup and another $20k in debt, she would walk.

[Wag]

I don't mind shopping for a car, mostly because I usually don't go in with a car in mind. Just a "let's see what's on the lot" kind of attitude.

What I hate is sitting in the "finance manager's" office forever and ever while he tries to sell you a hundred different warranties, under coatings, service plans and other crap you don't need. Then, I have to read the agreement before I sign and make sure he didn't add any items he never told me about. When I do find such things, I nearly always stand up and walk out. The sales guy and/or the sales manager usually follow me off the lot asking about what went wrong. I just say, "Your finance guy can tell you all about it."

Best car-buying I ever did was at CarMax when I bought the Vette. Easy in, easy out, no haggling, nothing. Just a decent car and when one thing did go wrong, they fixed it, no questions asked.

--Wag--

[schutzen-jager]

One thing I noticed is big dealerships in Large Cities (and surrounding Suburbs) are sure lots different than dealerships in small Cities with Population less than 50K...or maybe it's just that I'm a redneck small town boy?

you are correct - the only honest dealer i worked at for 27 years ago was in small hometown - sadly back when i was retiring Ford + several other manufacturers was forcing all the hometown ones to move to large high way facilities or close - some that were family owned for 30+ years are now long gone -

[farmerjim]

I bought a new car last year. It cost more than any house I ever bought.
I did talk them down $500 and drove the car home. Many of the dealers did not even have one new car on the lot.

[waksupi]

I have bought several vehicles from Craigslist, and got a good deal every time. Most had complete maintenance records. The last truck I bought off of there, I drove for five years,and sold it for more than I had gave for it.

[MaryB]

Day Two: Car shopping

We visit the Willmar dealership, they ain't got the car we were gonna look at. They say it's at the Detail/body shop. SalesDude calls that shop, and says he'll go get it and bring it back in 10 minutes. 30 minutes later he drives up in a car that's a decade older (2005) and looks like a teenager beat the hell out of it.

While SalesDude was gone, we troll the parking lot and find another car with possibilities, it had info sheets in window, but no price. After we told SalesDude that the 2005 car was crap and weren't interested, we tell him we are interested in a car on the other side of the lot. He asks which one. We tell him, he looks confused and says he wasn't aware of a car like that on the lot.

We take SalesDude for a walk. Show him the car. He shakes his head and looks at his phone and says he can't find it in the inventory list. He calls someone. That someone says that car was sold last week, but needs some "stuff" to finalize the deal.

We ask again about the original car we came to look at. SalesDude says he doesn't know where it's at. SalesDude says that car is probably on a run. My buddy acts like he knows what the SalesDude means. I DO NOT know what the hell the SalesDude means.

After thinking about if for 10 minutes, I ask SalesDude, What the hell is a run? He says 3 or 4 employees take a car off the lot, to drive to another Dealership to pickup a group of cars that were destined for this dealership.

As we leave the dealership, I tell my buddy that "run story" is a load of crap. He agrees.

Stay tuned,
Day three: Car shopping will likely happen in a week or so.

These guys were pretty good to me https://www.kruseford.com/used-inventory/index.htm they turn inventory fast so be ready to pull the trigger if they have what you want...

[fatelk]

Car shopping- I hate it with a passion. I'm probably a bit unusual when it comes to vehicles. Many people identify with their vehicle, and it's important to them to drive a nice rig. I don't; couldn't really care less so long as it gets me down the road reliably.

My wife bought a brand new Saturn, at the end of the last century just before we met. We drove that car a quarter-million miles, until our daughter wrecked it. We sold it to a scrap yard just last year. What a great little car, sad to see it go.

I bought my truck used just before 9/11, four years old but excellent condition. I bought it private party at a great price, and am still driving it. Other than routine maintenance and tires, I don't think I've spent a thousand dollars on it in the last 22 years.

We bought a used high-mileage minivan over a dozen years ago, $4k cash from a used car lot. It has ran like a top and my teenage son is now driving it. Three years ago we bought a used high-mileage Scion from another lot, also $4k, and it's been going like a million bucks since. We've had really good luck with used cars.

That's it for our car buying, in the last quarter-century or so. Raising a family on my income alone, with medical bills for my wife's issues, there's no room for car payments, haven't had them in nearly twenty years. I can't even imagine buying a brand new car. It's as foreign a thought to me as buying a yacht. Nothing against those who like nice cars; I just have simple tastes when it comes to wheels.

[Bored1]

I suggest you look online. I found both my 2015 nissan titan and my wife's 2019 Jeep Trailhawk last year that way. The pandemic got a lot of dealers to get much better at listing vehicles online. I stumbled across Capital One auto and found both vehicles listed for much lower (my truck was 9k less) then the stickers on the windshield at the dealer's lots. The out the door price is right there on the screen. Just have to print it out and take it in. If you want to finance it you can also do that all online, Capital One's website actually ran numbers from 4 different lenders for me then matched the one that beat them. Went to the Dealerships with the paperwork, test drove it and the finance dept at the lot tried to match Capital One and couldn't.

Best part was no stress or wondering, did it all on the couch chatting with the wife and kids.

[fixit]

I actually enjoy car shopping! Being a gear head, plus having put in a 2 year stint as a dealership auto tech, I have a little more insight on dealership tactics and operations, but having said that, I have never bought a new car and probably never will. I will not tolerate the games that salesman sometimes play. One of the more upsetting realizations of recent years is that dealerships will sell unsafe cars under the as-is agreement with no concern of consequence. My daughter and her husband bought a small suv that had severe brake problems. After 3 or 4 days the calipers and wheel cylinders had leaked so that it drained the master cylinder. When I went to the dealership to read the manager the riot act, he was unconcerned, and let me know that my daughter had no recourse, since they had signed the as-is agreement! Now, I am aware, I am old school, but the idea that a dealership would sell a potential death trap blows my mind. Hopefully, my daughter will have me inspect the next vehicle BEFORE they buy it!

[rockrat]

I kind of enjoy the vehicle shopping thing. Wife hates it. Grandad loved to haggle and I learned from him. Friend of mine used to be a service writer and he would tell me a bunch of stories and what things really cost. If the dealer is being what some other dealers have been like, I have no problem walking out the door.

Thats one thing Grandad said, "Always be prepared to walk out the door".

[Outer Rondacker]

Car shopping- I hate it with a passion. I'm probably a bit unusual when it comes to vehicles. Many people identify with their vehicle, and it's important to them to drive a nice rig. I don't; couldn't really care less so long as it gets me down the road reliably.

My wife bought a brand new Saturn, at the end of the last century just before we met. We drove that car a quarter-million miles, until our daughter wrecked it. We sold it to a scrap yard just last year. What a great little car, sad to see it go.
I just have simple tastes when it comes to wheels.

I am with you. I dont care about looks or other things. I just want to get from point a to point b. Sadly I am shopping at the same moment again for a vehicle also.

[Duckiller]

Fixit have your daughter talk to a lawyer. Selling that vehicle and telling her she has no recourse is BS. What they did may be illegal. Factory may not be happy with what the dealership did. Factory doesn't have to sell dealership cars.

[DocSavage]

Going to buy a new vehicle is the next best thing to open heart surgery with out anesthesia.

[Gator 45/70]

Think I'm about done with dealers, Probably the next one will be an F-100 or its mirror cousin with letters C/K in it.

[rockrat]

I agree with Duckiller. I think that the vehicle has to be in safe , operable condition, to be able to sell it at a dealership, in some states.

[fixit]

Duckiller, too many years and too much water under the bridge at this point. I did the fix and it's been a fairly good car since then. I was just illustrating how attitudes have changed since I was working in the field. Back then the attitude I got from most dealers was,if it's not safe, it goes to auction. Interestingly, the dealer spiel, and their excuse for the unsafe nature of the car, was it was a trade in, it was headed to auction, and if they had inspected it, it would have cost more. Still no excuse! Yes, they should've gotten a lawyer, if for no other reason but to teach the dealership how wrong they are, but time and money are in short supply when you're starting a family, so it didn't happen.

[.45Cole]

Have fun with the experience. I usually just call them and ask them to take a pic of something particular on the car (was looking for a 2015 TDI passat) so you'll be able to tell if something's funky. I hate to say it but it's best to only buy from the big places (ford chevy ect), they have less inclination to play games.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Bad time to be car shopping. But prices are reported to be coming down slowly. We bought a 2016 Toyota Avalon Touring back in the fall of 2018, had about 17k on the odo. Got it for $22,500. I hate to think about hitting a deer with it. Not going to find a deal like that again I'm afraid. Could be our last car I guess.