I'm taking for granted that most of the readers here in this sub-reddit would be looking for used vehicles rather than new ones.
Also, and this CRUCIAL!!!! Make sure you get the vehicle history before entering negotiations. There are a ton of flood damaged vehicles on the market right now. Make 100% sure that the vehicle that you are looking at has not been in a flood. Research the VIN number.
But don't think of this as a negative. This year, all those extra vehicles on the market will only further drive down the going prices of the undamaged vehicles that you are looking at.
This is the week that dealerships are stuck with an excess of vehicles after the Christmas rush of trade-in's and upgrades. Add to that the fact that dealerships have to pay tax on all vehicles on their lot at the stroke of midnight on December 31 and you get the perfect storm for buying a new vehicle.
If you know how to negotiate, you can get rock bottom prices this time of year.
First, do not go to dealership where the price on the window is non-negotiable or where they specialize in used vehicles. You're just wasting your time there. Go to dealerships that work with New inventory primarily and only have a few trade in's.
Second, check out used vehicles at higher end dealerships that do not match the make. For example, look for a Ford, Chevy or Toyota at a Porsche dealership. Often times the blank spot being filled by the vehicle you're looking at is worth more to them empty than with anything other than their own brand in it.
Third, do your best to try to figure out how much in taxes they are going to have to pay for the vehicle and work that into your end of the negotiations. If you can figure out that they are going to have to pay $1,500 in taxes come the first of the year, you can know that they are willing to give up $1,400 in the negotiations than they normally would.
Fourth, Dealerships know that people are generally tapped out financially after the holidays and are just trying to clear the lot in the meantime. That means that they are more willing to work with the price than at other times of the year.
And finally, and this goes for pretty much any negotiations, but this time of year it is worth a lot more. Be willing to simply walk away after you've hit a hard bottom with them. For 51 weeks out of the year, they will let you go to wait for the next person in line, but this week, they are just trying to clear inventory and will not let you go if they have room to move, even if it ends up as a "loss" on their spreadsheets. They will not let you go if they have any room to move on the price. Then, if they DO let you go, you know what the lowest price they are willing to work with is, and you can come back the next day willing to "negotiate" again, this time knowing their floor and being able to work in "perks" to get you to sign.
All of these things will help you to get the best price on a new (used) vehicle.
December 26, 2017 at 09:13PM
