1. Check publications at a library or bookstore, or on the Internet, that discuss new car features and prices. These may provide information on the dealers costs for specific models and options.
2. Shop around to get the best possible price by comparing models and prices in ads and at dealer showrooms. You also may want to contact car-buying services and broker-buying services to make comparisons.
3. Plan to negotiate on price. Dealers may be willing to bargain on their profit margin, often between 10 and 20 percent. Usually, this is the difference between the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) and the invoice price. Because the price is a factor in the dealers calculations regardless of whether you pay cash or finance your car and also affects your monthly payments negotiating the price can save you money.
4. Consider ordering your new car if you don't see what you want on the dealers lot. This may involve a delay, but cars on the lot may have options you dont want and that can raise the price. However, dealers often want to sell their current inventory quickly, so you may be able to negotiate a good deal if an in-stock car meets your needs.
5. Also, if you can, wait till the end of the month t make your purchase. The dearler will always be willing to go even lower on the price when he is staring at his end of month quota's that he has to make.It cost the dealers an awful lot of money to carry over excess inventory. The longer a car is on the dealers lot, the more he has to pay for his floor plan and his interest figures go up exponentially if a car is on the lot more than 90 days.
6. Also, before you buy that dream car, check out the service dept. See if their scheduled hours match yours, find out if there is a loaner program. How many master technicians do they have in there shop? Is the shop clean and organized or does it look like Billy Bob's "you tow, we fix it" repair shop.
7.Remember, the service dept will be taking care of you long after the sale of your new car. Make sure they are going to knowledgeable and eager to take good car of both you and your car.
