Please Share Your Positive Car Buying Experience

[games]

I've always had a BIL in the business, but he's retired.  (And, in retrospect, I question how much he helped anyway.)

 

Where and how are GolfWRXrs buying cars?  Still going to the dealership?  Buying direct online?  Using a major service like Costco?  Has anyone tried a broker?  Haggling or not?  How do you know you're getting a good deal?

 

(FWIW, I'm actually intrigued by Carvana's online setup to the point it drove me to register and even get pre-approved for financing.)

[MtlJeff]

My experience has always been that some places will negotiate and others won't. I dont know if its regional,  based on who owns the dealers...or handed down by corporate what they can and can't do

 

I always buy from the dealer. Its such a big purchase I want the warranties and stuff. I've had a couple of cars that went through numerous recalls

 

My experience here is that American companies will deal a lot more. GM I've gotten cars well under listed price each time. Jeep has been willing to deal  though i never ended up buying. Toyota its really more take it or leave it. 

 

Could also be that Toyota sells very well here so they don't have to deal

 

 

[cardoustie]

I stick with Toyota... have had 6 in a row with zero defects .. all of them over 250,000km

 

Current Sequoia has 320,000 km on it, may get a repeat next summer, the engine is a workhorse and still runs like new (iforce v8)

 

I get them thru a dealer that gives fleet rates.  

 

The 10 and 15 year old sports cars we drive were autotrader, same with my daughters starter cars

[Sean2]

Been getting Toyota's from the same dealership for a number of years, so they treat us very well. I picked up a Tacoma this past Monday. I can't believe all the technology in vehicles these days. I had to spend a good amount of time with the manuals, which I downloaded and read before I picked up the truck. Apple Car Play is a very neat feature. 

[FlyingAce]

I have used Costco twice to get their member’s pricing, then messaged fleet managers at other dealerships in the area to see if anyone was willing to beat Costco’s prices before going in to sign the papers. The last time I actually walked into a dealership without a deal was in the 90s. I used kbb to check pricing and as long as my deal is around average, I am good with it. 

My last 2 cars are Teslas and I ordered them online (the only way to purchase) without test driving. No haggling available. They do have discounts on some cars they want to move at quarter/year end, but most people pay the same price. I also paid in full before delivery without seeing the cars - that’s how they do business. Unless you can take delivery locally, then you can inspect the car before paying. Thank goodness everything worked out smoothly for me.

Their return policy is/was 7 days or 1000miles after delivery, whichever is less. 

Edited December 5, 2020 by FlyingAce

[games]

@FlyingAce Did you purchase the Teslas through Costco Auto?  If not, may I ask where?  I'm thinking I'd like a used Tesla sedan and would love to hear your thoughts and experience with your Tesla.

[FlyingAce]

@games Tesla is through their direct website - Tesla.com

I have a Model S and a Model X - best car I have ever owned. I love that I don’t have to go to a gas station anymore. No issues with either models. 
There are pros and cons depending on where you live. Tesla is not allowed to operate in my state so there are no showrooms or service centers. That means there is no way to check out the cars before buying and also nowhere to bring my cars in for service. What they provide is mobile service - they will send a technician out to my house to fix most things. Any major issues will require towing the car to a neighboring state with a service center. 
I absolutely love my Model S. Checked out the Model 3 too but it is a bit small and I don’t like that there is no dash display other than the screen in the middle. 
I like that I can charge at home but taking a last minute trip will require some planning. Longer trips will take longer because you need to make stops to charge. And if you are in a state with many Teslas (like CA), it may take even longer to use a Supercharger while on the road.  I still have a regular car for emergencies. 
You may not have to pay for gas, but electricity is expensive. It is also not maintenance free so there are still maintenance costs. Insurance is also high because of high replacement costs eventhough the car has high safety ratings. 
You can purchase used from Tesla, private party or 3rd party dealerships. I’d suggest going with Tesla eventhough it is likely more expensive, but you know what you are buying. There has been stories about Tesla taking away features (free supercharging, FSD- full self driving, etc.) after a non-Tesla sale. I’d also not buy a Tesla that is out of warranty - you have to service it at their service center so things can get very pricey when (not if) they break. 
Tesla is not perfect and owning one can be a pain, but I still love mine!

[airjammer]

I’ve bought to vehicles during the pandemic, one Nissan new and one toyota used.  
 

The pandemic has really helped savvy car buyers imo.  Before the pandemic a lot of dealerships refused to actually do a deal over the phone or email..they still don’t want to...so it was very hard to make other dealers compete against each other. Now they pretty much have to in certain states. 
 

Same principles apply for me. Know the vehicle you want before ever visiting the showroom if possible.  

Get on car gurs or cars.com and find several other exact cars in your area. Reach out to those dealerships to start negotiating before you ever step on a lot. 
 

Find out how many are just like it in the area you are actually willing to drive to save a couple hundred dollars or more.

 

If you are trading in a vehicle, get a estimate from carmax first as they are known to “overpay” for used vehicles.  

 

The dealerships lifetime warranty for drivetrain is trash because it only covers the actual metal parts which don’t break. The electronic parts $$ that cause 99% of the issues do break and are not covered. They do sell actually good extended warranties if you keep your vehicles a long time..and those no matter what they say have negotiatable prices and it’s typically the “finance” guys personal profit if they sell a extended warranty. 

[games]

Thanks @airjammer  Actually, I just got lucky with an extended warranty on a Honda (of all things).  It saved me twice in 10 months on the same issue!  Timing chain replacement that is a known issue with mid 2010s CRVs, but Honda refuses to acknowledge the problem with a recall.   It's in the shop now, and I intend to trade it in, first chance I get.

 

I'm a Consumer Reports subscriber, and they do have a nice tool to determine the average price paid on the make, model, and even trim in some cases on purchases near you.

 

I came here, figuring the golf demographic is probably a bit more savvy when it comes to large purchases, and I'm learning a lot from you and the others who took time to reply.  So, thank you!

    

Edited December 6, 2020 by games

[miamistomp]

 My son got an Audi through the Costco service ( in August)- lowest priced was matched and included a $ 500 gift card

   Easiest car we ever bought

[swagee]

On 12/5/2020 at 4:49 AM, games said:

I've always had a BIL in the business, but he's retired.  (And, in retrospect, I question how much he helped anyway.)

 

Where and how are GolfWRXrs buying cars?  Still going to the dealership?  Buying direct online?  Using a major service like Costco?  Has anyone tried a broker?  Haggling or not?  How do you know you're getting a good deal?

 

(FWIW, I'm actually intrigued by Carvana's online setup to the point it drove me to register and even get pre-approved for financing.)

Here’s one for ya:

back in the 2000s, I took a bus to another city to buy a Mustang off of Craigslist. 
The area was shady and the seller looked like a drug dealer, so I was 80% certain that I was about to be mugged. Luckily I wasn’t; but I didn’t even bother to check out the ride. I looked at the car for 2 mins, paid the guy 5k, signed the bill of sale written on what looked like a post-it note, then got the f outa there. 
Got lost on the way home since there were no google maps back then, so I had to stop at Best Buy to get a Garmin gps. 

The very next day I got a speeding tix for going 95 on a 65 without insurance. Tix turned out to be 1200. 

The car ran great tho. 

Still one of my best car buying experiences yet.

 

[games]

1 hour ago, miamistomp said:

 My son got an Audi through the Costco service ( in August)- lowest priced was matched and included a $ 500 gift card

   Easiest car we ever bought

 

You said the lowest price was matched.  Had you done research aside from Costco?  What price had to be matched?  $500 gift card seems like a nice bonus!

[miamistomp]

 My son is a financial analyst by trade and got quotes from the other local dealers- the Costco approved dealer matched the best price

[Munich77]

We bought my wife a Mercedes Cls cpo.  Seeing how much sedans depreciate I will never buy a new luxury sedan again.  Transaction was flawless.  Car was like new 12k miles and three years old with a savings of about 50% compared to new.  

[airjammer]

11 hours ago, games said:

Thanks @airjammer  Actually, I just got lucky with an extended warranty on a Honda (of all things).  It saved me twice in 10 months on the same issue!  Timing chain replacement that is a known issue with mid 2010s CRVs, but Honda refuses to acknowledge the problem with a recall.   It's in the shop now, and I intend to trade it in, first chance I get.

 

I'm a Consumer Reports subscriber, and they do have a nice tool to determine the average price paid on the make, model, and even trim in some cases on purchases near you.

 

I came here, figuring the golf demographic is probably a bit more savvy when it comes to large purchases, and I'm learning a lot from you and the others who took time to reply.  So, thank you!

    

Definitely make a appointment to get car max to give you a offer. The offer is good for 7 days. They gave me 2k more than any dealership offered as a trade.  If you get a offer from them then all you do is find the new car. Negotiate your deal without a trade once you have the final negotiated out of door price you can offer them to buy your old car at car max’s price or better. If they can’t match it then drop it off at car max and in 45 minutes you will be on your way. 

[MPAndreassi]

New cars are a different market right now, at least in my area, since COVID happened. With the shift to a lot of deals being able to be done online and pricing online basically making everyone be on a level playing field there’s a whole lot less haggling going on. I went out looking for a new pickup (work truck) over the summer and even though one dealer had significantly more stock than another they wouldn’t make a deal. Claiming COVID has made everyone keep their prices honest and much closer to their bottom line. 

[Mych]

I'm a stalker when it's time to buy a car. I generally spend a couple months doing price research (on cars.com, carvana, carmax, autotrader) watching rebates and financing offers, etc. I just pulled the trigger on a Ram 1500 with Rambox storage (for my golf clubs) about a month ago, and the most important part for me was prioritizing features as either a must have, nice to have, or doesn't matter.  Otherwise it's really easy to allow emotion to drive up the pricetag. Get really good at using online search tools, and save searches and listings that are close to your criteria. When a new one shows up, track how long it stays available in that price range so you'll know how quickly you need to act when the "right" one comes along.

 

My research tells me that I bought significantly cheaper than the best deals I've seen online. I sacrificed a couple of my "nice to have" features for cost, but in the end I paid $23,500 plus TT&L and the KBB trade-in value estimate is $25,500 (private sale value $29k). In my local market, anything under $30k with my truck's features sells within about two weeks, and I've only seen a couple listed below $28k which all sold quickly. My truck is still under the manufacturer's warranty (barely) and has a lot of powertrain warranty left, so no extra cost for extended protections or warranties. That also left me with some cash left over to add some bling (new wheels/tires). Going through the dealership instead of a private sale or "used car lot", I also get a few perks like service loaners (huge perk) and a year of free oil changes/washes/vacuums.

 

In my experience, dealerships' internet departments price more aggressively and are relying on price to sell vehicles, so they don't have to pressure people to buy.  They don't leave as much room for haggling, but one area where they always have room to negotiate is the "extras" like dealer-added packages, warranties, and gap insurance.  I generally decline all of them to avoid the $2-5k that they can add to the price. 

Edited December 8, 2020 by Mych

[deadsolid...shank]

Deleted

Edited December 8, 2020 by deadsolid...shank

[uitar9]

Due to covid, my son moved to another province and took a 2012 Honda Civic with him. Its pushing 310,000 KM's.

 

He is living in a rural area so decided to buy a 4*4 of some kind. Settled on a jeep. They gave him lifetime winter tire replacement (thats October 1-April 1 where he lives), and $1,500 for the trade. Beauty of that trade? He didn't have to do an inter provincial mechanical. The dealer will do it. Thats usually another $1,000. 

[Hawkeye77]

I've usually had good luck with dealerships and over time relationships are important, to me anyway.  We had a really good experience buying my wife's Subaru Forester a couple of years ago in Sioux Falls.  I'd done a little research but was out of town for my first doctor appointment for my tennis elbow and stopped by the Subaru dealership after.  I had emailed with one of the sales folks a couple of times.  Ended up buying and driving it home that day - my local bank was financing part of it and I didn't even have a check with me for my part of it, lol.  I was driving the 90 miles back early the next week for work so they said bring the checks when you come and we'll do the new car orientation then as well.  Not too many places will do that these days.  What drove the deal, and they didn't have the color she necessarily wanted but were giving me a really good deal, was they wanted my trade and made me an offer I couldn't refuse (the owner said he already had it "flipped" but whomever he was selling it to wanted it that day - and sure enough, later someone came for it and off it went, before I did).  Hey, who knows, lol, but the trade offer was more than I expected to sell it for privately, and the new car price was as low as I could find anywhere.  I'm sure they made money, but on both vehicles I was very satisfied with the bottom line for me.  I've been involved with my daughters' new car purchases, three years ago and this year, and good luck dealing with sales people via email and over the phone, and in both instances wanted to deal with dealerships that were local to where they were living.  One trade situation wasn't near good enough three years ago, and I held the title to her vehicle anyway, so her sister then took over driving it and now with her new vehicle, I have it in my driveway and will be advertising and selling it. The most recent purchase issue, which was with a dealer in Cedar Rapids was going nowhere with the person I was dealing with.  My daughter had a "deal" on paper with a dealer in Iowa City which was much better, so since the person who wouldn't quit calling me didn't know my daughter or that I was arranging this for her, I had her take a chance and just drop in deal with one of the other sales staff as a new customer, show them the other offer and talk a little more realistically about her trade, and what do you know - deal done in about 90 minutes. The other guy still sends me emails, haha.  My Jeep, I ordered from the factory.  Local dealer is useless, honestly really is.  I went to the place I usually deal with which is not a Jeep dealer, he fixed me up with a dealer in their overall group that was way out in Columbus, NE and got a deal that even the folks on the Jeep forum indicated was a good one 5+ years ago, and got an incredible price, sight unseen on my GM pickup - he said he could move it and wanted it.  I'm sure they made money, but I was happy. Paid for a good detailing on the pickup at the local dealer and some minor side moulding repair before driving it out there to pick up the Jeep just to repay the favor a bit and my Midwest sensibilities wanted to deliver a clean vehicle. 

 

Used vehicles are a crapshoot, but in the past had good luck with telling the salesperson what I wanted and letting them do the research and sending me the options.  You can always get good ideas from self-research what's in the ballpark.  I'm not a big "horse trader" kind of person, so probably left a few dollars on the table over the years, but if the deal is where I think it should be I don't waste time worrying later about a deal that didn't happen.

 

Sorry, not much insight into the online services, but I still like having relationships with people when I can that I buy larger ticket items from.

 

 

[jordan2240]

Have never left a dealer thinking I got the best deal, but I always get the deal I was expecting.  Basically, first thing is to determine what car and trim you want, then use the various tools available online to research pricing for your area.  If you have a trade, make sure you get the estimated value on that as well (I've typically relied on Edmunds for this more than KBB since KBB always seemed to favor dealers).  Once I've got all that info, I'll go to the dealer, and if I get a deal within my estimated ballpark, I take it.

 

Now if someone comes on here and tells me I'm doing it all wrong, I'll gladly listen, though I just purchased a new car last year, and hope to keep it until it falls apart, so probably won't be in the market anytime soon.

[Buzzkill]

Haven’t bought a car since 2007.  When I bought my Honda Accord then, all the local dealers wanted $20.5K.  I used an internet salesperson and bought the car for $16.5k!  13 years later, 110K miles, car deal still sweet!

[PreppySlapCut]

Just upgraded.  My first two cars out of college were used CRVs.  Put 120k miles on the first, traded it in for one with 22k and put another 70k on it.  Neither had a single issue.  I needed to upgrade to either a full size or a minivan for work, so after going to a few dealerships looking at 2020 Suburbans and Yukons because of incentives (terrible dealerships), I looked at Lincoln and wound up buying a Navigator.  I got a few quotes from dealers, one was a few grand less and they seemed to get good reviews online.  They were great, didn’t try to upsell me on anything, I got 0% financing.  No complaints.

[games]

Thanks for all the responses.  I did my homework, looked at mid-size SUVs focusing on the Traverse, Pilot, and CX5.  Used Consumer Reports, registered with Carvana,  and went to dealers for test drives.  Found the CX5 sat too low to the ground, and had a bad experience with the Chevy dealer.  I found a Traverse I wanted in their online inventory but it said it was "in transit."  I asked the salesman and he texted me on Christmas Eve to tell me it was "available."  Texted him back and told him I'd be there in 15 minutes.  Got there, and the car wasn't there, but we'd be test driving the same model vehicle.  And, I said I was disappointed, for being led to believe the car I wanted was there and that I drove there on the coldest day of the year to see it.  His response "I didn't say it was here.  I said it was available."

 

Anyway, I ended up with a 2021 Pilot through my brother-in-law.  Price I paid was at the lower end of what CR said similar models sold for.  Also, in line with prior year model prices listed on Carvana.  Honda 0.9% financing.  I'm happy...

[Imp]

On 12/6/2020 at 11:03 PM, airjammer said:

Definitely make a appointment to get car max to give you a offer. The offer is good for 7 days. They gave me 2k more than any dealership offered as a trade.  If you get a offer from them then all you do is find the new car. Negotiate your deal without a trade once you have the final negotiated out of door price you can offer them to buy your old car at car max’s price or better. If they can’t match it then drop it off at car max and in 45 minutes you will be on your way. 

This is what I have done for years. There's only one drawback to this that some people miss... In some states, the taxes paid by the buyer of the new car are based on sales price minus trade in value. I've had a couple where the carmax deal would have been more costly than the trade-in deal. But, in all cases, definitely have that carmax deal in hand when buying, and see if they'll match it or come close. 

Example:
State sales tax (Mass) 6.25%
New Car: $35k 
Trade-in $10k
Carmax: $10.5k

Salestax on the full price of the car, $35k, is $2,187.
Salestax on the new car minus trade in, $25k, is $1,562. $620 differential

While Carmax would give me $500 more for the car, I'd lose $120 from the savings in sales tax.

Best deal, of course, would be to get Dealer to match Carmax. Then it's a win-win. 😉 Some sales people don't know this trick, or some states don't have the same tax law. YMMV. 

--kC
 

Edited December 31, 2020 by Imp

[altess27]

On 12/5/2020 at 9:19 AM, Sean2 said:

Been getting Toyota's from the same dealership for a number of years, so they treat us very well. I picked up a Tacoma this past Monday. I can't believe all the technology in vehicles these days. I had to spend a good amount of time with the manuals, which I downloaded and read before I picked up the truck. Apple Car Play is a very neat feature. 

 

I also got a brand new Tacoma this year. Very impressed!

 

I've never actually purchased a vehicle, I lease my vehicles so I've never really had a bad buying experience. I just pick what I want and sign on the dotted line. 

Edited December 31, 2020 by altess27

[Mullyman]

I always buy used certified and I spend a lot of time investigating KBB and other sites. When I eventually decide what my trade is worth and what car/truck I want. I write a check for what I am willing to pay and go to the dealer. Has worked 5 out of 6 times.