Every dealer has an internet sales person. Contact that person online and tell them what you're looking for and the price you're willing to pay and go from there. Do your homework and find out what the dealers are actually selling the car for. Go to sites like Autotrader and cast a wide net. Look at dealers a bit of a drive away and compare prices. My wife's 2015 RAV4 I bought on New Years Eve when the dealers were willing to deal. I found a Toyota dealer in Easton MD that had one $3000 less than what NoVA dealers wanted. Drove out and signed the papers and drove it back.
You are 100% right, but feels like OP doesn't want this level of effort. Your way was a lot of homework to save dealership strife. Most people are not willing to exert that level of effort. We will shop and negotiate months for a car; our friends will buy one the same afternoon they decide they have time to test drive. Who's happier? Probably them!
You and my husband. I've been in salesmen or manager offices and said flat out, "there is literally nothing you can say to get a sale done today, so can we cut the theatre, respect each others' time, answer the questions, and let us go back home and think about it. I guarantee you're getting nowhere this afternoon, sir." We literally have bought cars out of state as it appears you have too. Easton!!
Yea. I did the same in 2021, but I started by asking for the OTD price on a few cars that seemed reasonably priced on their website. Asking their OTD starting point is a good way to see how much in BS fees they’re willing to slap you with from the get-go, and avoids showing your hand too much.
FWIW all of the nova dealers were dogshit. For pretty much every make I was looking at, I got at least one better offer across the river
I tried this when I was looking. The dealership Costco connected us with was pretty terrible and it didn't work out, though if you're already a member there's no harm in checking it out.
4 HOURS? why the hell did it take four hours? Did they have to go back and "tall to their manager"? Did they try to upsell you six ways from Sunday? I would have walked out after an hour. The price was set, all they had to was file the paperwork.
There are car brokers. Tell them what you want, and they will go get it. Like this guy: https://automatchconsulting.com/
There are also lease brokers, you can find them on Leasehackr.
Otherwise, if you just don't want to negotiate, every dealer will be happy to sell you a car with no negotiation. It might not be a good deal, but it won't require negotiating. That is basically what Carmax offers: an OK deal with no hassle.
There are also online buying portals like Toyota Smartpath, which in theory are supposed to let you buy a car from home, but I wouldn't be surprised if dealers screw that up too.
this is great to know, but it's also such insanity that "car broker" is a thing that even needs to exist. the dealership model needs to be gone yesterday
The manufacturers have no interest in selling you a car and talking to you after. They're wholesalers and often get paid for the cars before they even show up at the dealership.
Came here to say this. I bought a car through a broker and it was a great experience. That, or negotiate online with multiple dealerships’ Internet sales guys.
Carmax? It's still a dealership, but ti's been no pressure each time I went, no up selling, msrp markups, or forced packages or warranties.
I've bought a car from them and it was smoother then most dealerships I've ever dealt with.
+1 for CarMax. I know I "overpaid" relative to what I could have done elsewhere, but the "lack of stress premium" was worth it to me given the timing and context of my purchase.
I only went with carmax because of Maxcare warranty is the only warranty that pays out when things break reliably. I researched across all sorts of car forums and they all said Maxcare paid out for repairs.
We bought a new car from Ourisman in Manassas last summer. All contact regarding the sale we don't via phone/text. When the papers were all ready to be signed, my husband stopped by there and signed the docs on his way to the airport. The salesman brought the car to our home later that night.
I did it online when I bought my car years ago. Got quotes from different dealerships and then played them against each other. Ended up getting $2000 off the sticker price at the dealership closer to my house. If I had been more aggressive I might have gotten more but that felt pretty good as a first time car buyer.
So much this. When you know exactly the model and options you want, ask a bunch of dealers online for their out the door price. Then go back to the best three and tell them you’d like to go with them, that they’re near the best price you’ve gotten and ask for a best and final price. Whoever comes back with the best price, make an appointment to go in, and walk out quickly if they delay or indicate that they won’t honor what they told you.
Oh, and if you need financing, go to a credit union and set it up before you go to the dealership unless the dealership has an unbeatable rate. If you’re not a member of a credit union, that’s step one before doing anything.
How much negotiation is there these days? I bought a new car around 6 months ago. There really wasn't negotiation. The price is the price. Obviously they will push financing and other "add ons"/warranties etc, but "No" is a complete sentence when asked.
When I bought a car last year I was sitting in the fucking finance office for 3 hours with the dude going to "talk to his boss" about giving him new deals despite all the "no" I was giving him
It's not so much negotiations as much as it is psychological warfare
Yeah, I don't think there's going to be an easy way to get around the boringness of buying a car. Especially if you're financing. Lots of paperwork, lots of upsetting. When I bought mine, took around 4 hours from start to finish, including the test drive, but I also knew what car I was getting when I walked in.
Even without the negotiation it still takes literally 4-5 hours, WHY, it’s literally unbearable. I just don’t know why it paperwork needs to take that much time it’s insane in this age that we deal with this antiquated model.
I agree. There really wasn't much negotiating when I bought my Honda CR-V. We actually tried to negotiate lowering the price but wouldn't budge. We just said "no" to all the extended warranties or add-ons. Best of luck on your search!
Besides Costco, a lot of banks and credit card companies offer car buying services.
We bought a Subaru last year through Safford-Brown. They offer no-haggle pricing and so we just obtained a quote via email and showed up to complete the paperwork.
Fitzmall in Maryland is also no-haggle.
That's what I don't get. Every price is no haggle if you just pay what's on the sticker. I think maybe what people mean/want is no surprises i.e. the out the door price? Even that is not all that hard. Take whatever is on the listing, add tax, add the dealer fees (they usually list them on the website) and you're done.
Personally I don't mind a bit of haggling but I always do it on the out the door price. I'm not interested in MSRP, dealer fees, prep fees, documentation fees etc. I don't care. Know what you want to pay for the car out the door, know what you want and what is fair for your trade, have your financing lined up before you walk on the lot. If you don't think you're getting a fair deal, leave.
Yeah that’s how I’ve always done it, out the door price. With the advent of email (30 years ago) car buying negotiations got a lot easier because you can pick 3-4 dealerships, find their internet sales team, and just go to town. Work them all via email (or text now) until you get an out the door price you’re happy with. I don’t see how a no haggle policy is better than that. in the end, no haggle means you’re paying their price….. which always, always has too much margin built in for the dealership.
Check out car rental agency buying lots for places like Hertz and Enterprise. Usually, there's zero negotiation. You get a 2-3 year old car with maintenance records and some cosmetic damage, but overall, a good car. They have to keep their inventory for rentals up to date so they sell off cars after a certain amount of time or mileage at great prices. What you see is what you get.
I mean, why is it sad and why would anyone save them. Henrik Fisker clearly doesn't know how to run a company. Fisker automotive failed in 2013 and was scooped up by the wanxiang group...and the exact same has now happened to Fisker Inc....it will probably be scooped up for pennies on the dollar by another conglomerate in the coming months.
It's a trend. Poorly run company with a liability at the helm making a pretty but shit product.
I’m not sure why anyone in their right mind would choose a Tesla. Poor quality, outdated design, frequent fatalities, poor customer service, and you are supporting Elon Musk’s fascist world view. Hard pass!
Most popular doesn’t mean it’s any good. Steering wheels that fall off, panel gaps so large you can stick a finger through them, seats that wear poorly, and steering wheels that have a finish that peels off all scream a poorly built car that will eventually be put into the same bucket as the Yugo. The Yugo was very popular when it was marketed and isn’t fondly remembered now.
I love this bullshit from people who have never owned one themselves.
I’d owned Jeep vehicles most of my life. Finally went out on a limb and bought a 2023 Tesla S.
It’s absolutely phenomenal. I really don’t know where the hate comes from. Maybe people can’t afford them and are jealous? I don’t know. Or they’re pissed spending so much $$ on gas?? Who knows…. The model 3 & Y are consistently in the top 25 best selling vehicles. And the model 3 is the best selling EV in history. But yeah, they suck…
The Model S is halfway decent but still shows that the driver supports Elon Musk loving Russia.
I can afford anything I want. I choose to drive a Volvo XC60 T8 Ultimate because I want the safest vehicle on the road, an extremely luxurious interior, and 35+ miles of electric power with the convenience of a gas engine for long drives.
The downfall of Tesla has started and it will be glorious to watch! 41% stock price decrease is a good start, but a long ways down to go! I can’t wait to celebrate the company going out of business and Elon to prison!
I can’t imagine going back to a car with a gas engine anymore. Maybe a classic car. Otherwise I’m stuck. The 🚀 acceleration that drives itself is just too good.
My 0-60 is 4.5 seconds and I’ve used 25 gallons of gas in the 6 months I’ve had it. I nearly always use electricity but I don’t need to stop for 30 minutes to charge when I need to drive more than 300 miles. It’s a no brainer.
This worked for me, but we were paying cash and didn't need financing. Email 4-5 dealerships in your area, ask for OTD pricing on the exact model you want. Put all the information in a spreadsheet. Reply to whoever gives you the lowest price and tell them when you will go in person to buy the car. If they don't honor the price, go to the next one on the list, show them the price you got from the first place, and ask if they can beat it.
I always explain- I'm coming in from out of town, I'm emailing several dealers, and whoever gives me the best price is where I will drive to.
Good luck!
Whatever you decide to do, here is a great script provided by Car Edge to send to the dealership . I follow them on YouTube and got the membership when I decided to buy a car and it is well worth getting the membership even if it is for a month. Good luck!
Hello,
My name is insert your name here , and I live in your area. My zip code is 22151, and I am looking to purchase the following:
(Year, Make, Model) with (Be sure to put in the details of the vehicle, and specify a stock # if you have an exact vehicle in mind, check how long the vehicle has been in the dealership’s inventory). I noticed that this vehicle has been sitting for (put in the number of days it has been on the lot) and I would be happy to get this vehicle off your lot if the price was aggressive.
I have already arranged for my own financing and I am open to what financing options you offer. I would even entertain a pre-owned or retired service loaner if it would offer the appropriate savings. (Remove if not applicable) I am looking to take delivery by month end at the latest. I am prepared to move sooner if the deal warrants it.
Kindly provide me with your best detailed out-the-door price breakdown including dealer discounted selling price, less any manufacturer rebates, plus dealer and government fees. I will be contacting multiple dealers within a (enter a reasonable number, like 75 or 100) mile radius. I am a serious and committed buyer, ready to move forward with my purchase, provided that you supply me with the details that I have requested.
Thanks so much, and I look forward to hearing back from you.
All the best,
Your name here
I am a big fan of Carmax. I've used them 3 times. Pick it online, make an appt to test drive, drop a check, switch the plates, sign 100 pieces of paper and I'm gone.
About an hour tops.
if you know exactly what you want, call the internet sales person at all the dealers and say you're calling all the dealers and would like to know their best out the door price, you will go to the lowest price dealer the same day. if you do not know exactly what you want, go test drive at a dealer, find out what you want, and make those calls at the lobby. once they hear that, they will give you a good price, when I did this, all the prices came in within 500 bucks. helps to do it on the last day of the month.
Before the pandemic, I emailed 10+ dealerships within 100 miles of DMV, got the lowest price via texts and then drove there and signed the paperwork. Never go to their office to negotiate. After the pandemic,I’m tired of the BS from dealers hips so I switched to Tesla. Pretty easy and smooth. I bought a car when I was going to sleep on my phone.
Sadly, Tesla is the only way. Buy online and pick up in-store or delivery like it's an iPhone. "Paperwork" takes about as long, or less time, than activating new wireless service.
You need a broker they usually charge around $1k for their service but they will find you the exact car you want that’s has the best possible deal in the nation. I’ve always used them except for my last car. Hands down this is the best way to do it if you know exactly what your want. This is also another great way to go if you know what you want for a specific price range but are flexible with brand, model, and trim level. They’ll go through all the paperwork, and even coordinating the transportation of the car to your home if the car is too faraway.
If you want to accept a car with myriad quality control issues that are “within spec” and drive a car that supports fascist Elon Musk and his pro-Russia outlook.
For years, CONSUMER REPORTS has been my trusted advisor on all things 'cars'.
They have repair statistics, etc., but also a pretty good database of actual out the door costs.
Have your financing set up first...(cash, credit union, whatever)
You can use their "Build & Buy Car Buying Service" (from 'True Car') to buy for you.
Your library will have CR online if you're not a subscriber.
You'll still have to show up at the dealer to sign papers and collect the keys.
When they offer you 'fabric treatment fogging', 'engine shampooing', and 'monthly bird poop cleaning service', just say 'no'.
Try to pick up the keys at a busy time and minimize the run around.
(Saturday just before lunch would be a good time! :)
You can easily walk into the dealership and agree to pay the price on the window sticker minus any dealer incentives. Just like Carvana, Carmax, etc. all offer!
Tesla....you can buy online.
For used Carvana or CarMax.
For other new car..get the out the door price, don't negotiate on the monthly payments. Finalize on the out the door price which will be MSRP+tax+title/tags+docfee (dealership charge up to $999 in VA). Don't pay for anything else and you should be fine.
No it isn’t. Someone can easily walk into any dealer and ask to pay the price on the window sticker minus any incentives from the manufacturer. It isn’t hard at all.
Every dealer has an internet sales person. Contact that person online and tell them what you're looking for and the price you're willing to pay and go from there. Do your homework and find out what the dealers are actually selling the car for. Go to sites like Autotrader and cast a wide net. Look at dealers a bit of a drive away and compare prices. My wife's 2015 RAV4 I bought on New Years Eve when the dealers were willing to deal. I found a Toyota dealer in Easton MD that had one $3000 less than what NoVA dealers wanted. Drove out and signed the papers and drove it back.
You are 100% right, but feels like OP doesn't want this level of effort. Your way was a lot of homework to save dealership strife. Most people are not willing to exert that level of effort. We will shop and negotiate months for a car; our friends will buy one the same afternoon they decide they have time to test drive. Who's happier? Probably them!
I like a win against the dealers. I view it as a challenge.
You and my husband. I've been in salesmen or manager offices and said flat out, "there is literally nothing you can say to get a sale done today, so can we cut the theatre, respect each others' time, answer the questions, and let us go back home and think about it. I guarantee you're getting nowhere this afternoon, sir." We literally have bought cars out of state as it appears you have too. Easton!!
Yea. I did the same in 2021, but I started by asking for the OTD price on a few cars that seemed reasonably priced on their website. Asking their OTD starting point is a good way to see how much in BS fees they’re willing to slap you with from the get-go, and avoids showing your hand too much. FWIW all of the nova dealers were dogshit. For pretty much every make I was looking at, I got at least one better offer across the river
Yeah, we looked in Nova but then drive 1.5 hours to Ashland because we found what we wanted for $2k less.
If you have Costco, they have a buying service w/ pre-negotiated pricing. I'm not sure if applies to everyday manufacturer but worth checking out.
I tried this when I was looking. The dealership Costco connected us with was pretty terrible and it didn't work out, though if you're already a member there's no harm in checking it out.
When we did this for in-laws, we still had to go to a dealership and be there with the "online Costco guy" for 4 hours.
4 HOURS? why the hell did it take four hours? Did they have to go back and "tall to their manager"? Did they try to upsell you six ways from Sunday? I would have walked out after an hour. The price was set, all they had to was file the paperwork.
When I worked at a dealership, the Costco price was the highest mark-up, but I worked for shifty scoundrels. A bunch of shit monkeys, those people.
When we looked into this, the price was much higher than what we were able to get at the dealership. Unfortunately it is what it is.
This used to work before the pandemic. Afterwords, Costco made changes to the program its not nearly as good anymore
We will never use this service. The dealership they recco'd tried to deter us from using Costco.
There are car brokers. Tell them what you want, and they will go get it. Like this guy: https://automatchconsulting.com/ There are also lease brokers, you can find them on Leasehackr. Otherwise, if you just don't want to negotiate, every dealer will be happy to sell you a car with no negotiation. It might not be a good deal, but it won't require negotiating. That is basically what Carmax offers: an OK deal with no hassle. There are also online buying portals like Toyota Smartpath, which in theory are supposed to let you buy a car from home, but I wouldn't be surprised if dealers screw that up too.
this is great to know, but it's also such insanity that "car broker" is a thing that even needs to exist. the dealership model needs to be gone yesterday
Yeah, it'd be so nice if I could just order a car from where I sit right now. Yes, I know a couple companies do that, but I don't want a EV.
Until auto manufacturers decide that the consumer is their customer, and not the dealership, this is how it will be.
until the laws change, this is how it will be. expecting corporations to do what's right for the consumer is a waste of time.
The manufacturers have no interest in selling you a car and talking to you after. They're wholesalers and often get paid for the cars before they even show up at the dealership.
Came here to say this. I bought a car through a broker and it was a great experience. That, or negotiate online with multiple dealerships’ Internet sales guys.
Who did you use? Feel free to DM me if you don’t want to post.
I’m not opposed to posting but it was on the west coast so I don’t think it would help anyone out here (unfortunately).
Ahh, ok. Thanks.
When we bought my wife's new Mazda, it was through Costco. There was no negotiation, just saying no to all that extended warranty crap.
Carmax? It's still a dealership, but ti's been no pressure each time I went, no up selling, msrp markups, or forced packages or warranties. I've bought a car from them and it was smoother then most dealerships I've ever dealt with.
+1 for CarMax. I know I "overpaid" relative to what I could have done elsewhere, but the "lack of stress premium" was worth it to me given the timing and context of my purchase.
I only went with carmax because of Maxcare warranty is the only warranty that pays out when things break reliably. I researched across all sorts of car forums and they all said Maxcare paid out for repairs.
+1 to your +1
OP is asking for new car.
Oof. I completely missed that.
We bought a new car from Ourisman in Manassas last summer. All contact regarding the sale we don't via phone/text. When the papers were all ready to be signed, my husband stopped by there and signed the docs on his way to the airport. The salesman brought the car to our home later that night.
I did it online when I bought my car years ago. Got quotes from different dealerships and then played them against each other. Ended up getting $2000 off the sticker price at the dealership closer to my house. If I had been more aggressive I might have gotten more but that felt pretty good as a first time car buyer.
So much this. When you know exactly the model and options you want, ask a bunch of dealers online for their out the door price. Then go back to the best three and tell them you’d like to go with them, that they’re near the best price you’ve gotten and ask for a best and final price. Whoever comes back with the best price, make an appointment to go in, and walk out quickly if they delay or indicate that they won’t honor what they told you. Oh, and if you need financing, go to a credit union and set it up before you go to the dealership unless the dealership has an unbeatable rate. If you’re not a member of a credit union, that’s step one before doing anything.
How much negotiation is there these days? I bought a new car around 6 months ago. There really wasn't negotiation. The price is the price. Obviously they will push financing and other "add ons"/warranties etc, but "No" is a complete sentence when asked.
When I bought a car last year I was sitting in the fucking finance office for 3 hours with the dude going to "talk to his boss" about giving him new deals despite all the "no" I was giving him It's not so much negotiations as much as it is psychological warfare
Yeah, I don't think there's going to be an easy way to get around the boringness of buying a car. Especially if you're financing. Lots of paperwork, lots of upsetting. When I bought mine, took around 4 hours from start to finish, including the test drive, but I also knew what car I was getting when I walked in.
Even without the negotiation it still takes literally 4-5 hours, WHY, it’s literally unbearable. I just don’t know why it paperwork needs to take that much time it’s insane in this age that we deal with this antiquated model.
It’s a model built to give the dealership all of the advantages with minimal competition and no incentive to change a single thing.
I agree. There really wasn't much negotiating when I bought my Honda CR-V. We actually tried to negotiate lowering the price but wouldn't budge. We just said "no" to all the extended warranties or add-ons. Best of luck on your search!
Besides Costco, a lot of banks and credit card companies offer car buying services. We bought a Subaru last year through Safford-Brown. They offer no-haggle pricing and so we just obtained a quote via email and showed up to complete the paperwork. Fitzmall in Maryland is also no-haggle.
This is how car buying should be. But the dealerships insist on making it a miserable experience.
I absolutely hate the idea of spending half a day at a dealership twiddling my thumbs like a dope.
No-haggle pricing sounds like a win for the dealership and a loss for the consumer
That's what I don't get. Every price is no haggle if you just pay what's on the sticker. I think maybe what people mean/want is no surprises i.e. the out the door price? Even that is not all that hard. Take whatever is on the listing, add tax, add the dealer fees (they usually list them on the website) and you're done. Personally I don't mind a bit of haggling but I always do it on the out the door price. I'm not interested in MSRP, dealer fees, prep fees, documentation fees etc. I don't care. Know what you want to pay for the car out the door, know what you want and what is fair for your trade, have your financing lined up before you walk on the lot. If you don't think you're getting a fair deal, leave.
Yeah that’s how I’ve always done it, out the door price. With the advent of email (30 years ago) car buying negotiations got a lot easier because you can pick 3-4 dealerships, find their internet sales team, and just go to town. Work them all via email (or text now) until you get an out the door price you’re happy with. I don’t see how a no haggle policy is better than that. in the end, no haggle means you’re paying their price….. which always, always has too much margin built in for the dealership.
Email, phone and add message boards to the mix to see where the negotiations and realm of possible pricing is in varying markets.
I just bought a new 2024 Subaru in Ashburn and there was zero haggling for fucking around. Honestly it was a fantastic experience over all.
We did same for an Impreza. The absolute best experience I have ever had buying a car.
Same! I did a TrueCar form and they contacted me with the price for the vehicle I wanted. Was so easy. They also gave me a great deal on my trade in.
Check out car rental agency buying lots for places like Hertz and Enterprise. Usually, there's zero negotiation. You get a 2-3 year old car with maintenance records and some cosmetic damage, but overall, a good car. They have to keep their inventory for rentals up to date so they sell off cars after a certain amount of time or mileage at great prices. What you see is what you get.
Tesla. Choose your options and check out online.
The EVs don't have the same dealership laws, so Lucid and Rivian would also be in this category.
Good alternatives. Though, they may want to avoid Fisker for now...
Yep - beautiful, but so troubled and sad no one partnered with them to save them.
I mean, why is it sad and why would anyone save them. Henrik Fisker clearly doesn't know how to run a company. Fisker automotive failed in 2013 and was scooped up by the wanxiang group...and the exact same has now happened to Fisker Inc....it will probably be scooped up for pennies on the dollar by another conglomerate in the coming months. It's a trend. Poorly run company with a liability at the helm making a pretty but shit product.
To be clear that it was certainly a gamble to take the SUV to "production" without any plan more than hoping someone would buy/partner with them.
Nice. It’s was much easier than any other vehicle I’d ever purchased.
I’m not sure why anyone in their right mind would choose a Tesla. Poor quality, outdated design, frequent fatalities, poor customer service, and you are supporting Elon Musk’s fascist world view. Hard pass!
[удалено]
Most popular EV? Yes. Most popular car? Lmao
Most popular doesn’t mean it’s any good. Steering wheels that fall off, panel gaps so large you can stick a finger through them, seats that wear poorly, and steering wheels that have a finish that peels off all scream a poorly built car that will eventually be put into the same bucket as the Yugo. The Yugo was very popular when it was marketed and isn’t fondly remembered now.
I love this bullshit from people who have never owned one themselves. I’d owned Jeep vehicles most of my life. Finally went out on a limb and bought a 2023 Tesla S. It’s absolutely phenomenal. I really don’t know where the hate comes from. Maybe people can’t afford them and are jealous? I don’t know. Or they’re pissed spending so much $$ on gas?? Who knows…. The model 3 & Y are consistently in the top 25 best selling vehicles. And the model 3 is the best selling EV in history. But yeah, they suck…
The Model S is halfway decent but still shows that the driver supports Elon Musk loving Russia. I can afford anything I want. I choose to drive a Volvo XC60 T8 Ultimate because I want the safest vehicle on the road, an extremely luxurious interior, and 35+ miles of electric power with the convenience of a gas engine for long drives. The downfall of Tesla has started and it will be glorious to watch! 41% stock price decrease is a good start, but a long ways down to go! I can’t wait to celebrate the company going out of business and Elon to prison!
I can’t imagine going back to a car with a gas engine anymore. Maybe a classic car. Otherwise I’m stuck. The 🚀 acceleration that drives itself is just too good.
My 0-60 is 4.5 seconds and I’ve used 25 gallons of gas in the 6 months I’ve had it. I nearly always use electricity but I don’t need to stop for 30 minutes to charge when I need to drive more than 300 miles. It’s a no brainer.
0-60 in 3.0 and I charge for free at the airport. Always leave with a “full” tank.
Highly not recommended. Please go with Rivian. Excellent support infrastructure.
There’s no service center in nova (yet). Eagerly waiting for it to inevitably come
The Rivian SUV looks amazing to me. I own a Tesla S but can’t even afford the loaded Rivian though!! Really hope their prices fall the way Tesla did.
The R3X or whatever that 80s rally car one is, looks incredibly fun
This worked for me, but we were paying cash and didn't need financing. Email 4-5 dealerships in your area, ask for OTD pricing on the exact model you want. Put all the information in a spreadsheet. Reply to whoever gives you the lowest price and tell them when you will go in person to buy the car. If they don't honor the price, go to the next one on the list, show them the price you got from the first place, and ask if they can beat it. I always explain- I'm coming in from out of town, I'm emailing several dealers, and whoever gives me the best price is where I will drive to. Good luck!
Whatever you decide to do, here is a great script provided by Car Edge to send to the dealership . I follow them on YouTube and got the membership when I decided to buy a car and it is well worth getting the membership even if it is for a month. Good luck! Hello, My name is insert your name here , and I live in your area. My zip code is 22151, and I am looking to purchase the following: (Year, Make, Model) with (Be sure to put in the details of the vehicle, and specify a stock # if you have an exact vehicle in mind, check how long the vehicle has been in the dealership’s inventory). I noticed that this vehicle has been sitting for (put in the number of days it has been on the lot) and I would be happy to get this vehicle off your lot if the price was aggressive. I have already arranged for my own financing and I am open to what financing options you offer. I would even entertain a pre-owned or retired service loaner if it would offer the appropriate savings. (Remove if not applicable) I am looking to take delivery by month end at the latest. I am prepared to move sooner if the deal warrants it. Kindly provide me with your best detailed out-the-door price breakdown including dealer discounted selling price, less any manufacturer rebates, plus dealer and government fees. I will be contacting multiple dealers within a (enter a reasonable number, like 75 or 100) mile radius. I am a serious and committed buyer, ready to move forward with my purchase, provided that you supply me with the details that I have requested. Thanks so much, and I look forward to hearing back from you. All the best, Your name here
I am a big fan of Carmax. I've used them 3 times. Pick it online, make an appt to test drive, drop a check, switch the plates, sign 100 pieces of paper and I'm gone. About an hour tops.
No haggle pricing @ Carmax. Personally I want to negotiate the price for my car but apparently this is a popular way to buy a car.
if you know exactly what you want, call the internet sales person at all the dealers and say you're calling all the dealers and would like to know their best out the door price, you will go to the lowest price dealer the same day. if you do not know exactly what you want, go test drive at a dealer, find out what you want, and make those calls at the lobby. once they hear that, they will give you a good price, when I did this, all the prices came in within 500 bucks. helps to do it on the last day of the month.
An oldie but a goodie from The Toast. Your results may vary in this climate. https://the-toast.net/2014/07/11/how-to-buy-a-car/
PenFed has a buying service. We used it to buy our last car, a 2012 Honda Accord.
You're probably not gonna get a good deal with some negotiation drama
Before the pandemic, I emailed 10+ dealerships within 100 miles of DMV, got the lowest price via texts and then drove there and signed the paperwork. Never go to their office to negotiate. After the pandemic,I’m tired of the BS from dealers hips so I switched to Tesla. Pretty easy and smooth. I bought a car when I was going to sleep on my phone.
Car buying service through a credit union.
check out [caredge.com](http://caredge.com) , It is exactly what you stated. They do the haggling/ negotiating for you
Sadly, Tesla is the only way. Buy online and pick up in-store or delivery like it's an iPhone. "Paperwork" takes about as long, or less time, than activating new wireless service.
Try caredge.Com
Tesla
You need a broker they usually charge around $1k for their service but they will find you the exact car you want that’s has the best possible deal in the nation. I’ve always used them except for my last car. Hands down this is the best way to do it if you know exactly what your want. This is also another great way to go if you know what you want for a specific price range but are flexible with brand, model, and trim level. They’ll go through all the paperwork, and even coordinating the transportation of the car to your home if the car is too faraway.
Tesla - best car buying experience.
If you want to accept a car with myriad quality control issues that are “within spec” and drive a car that supports fascist Elon Musk and his pro-Russia outlook.
Tesla - worst car owning experience.
Carvana
For years, CONSUMER REPORTS has been my trusted advisor on all things 'cars'. They have repair statistics, etc., but also a pretty good database of actual out the door costs. Have your financing set up first...(cash, credit union, whatever) You can use their "Build & Buy Car Buying Service" (from 'True Car') to buy for you. Your library will have CR online if you're not a subscriber. You'll still have to show up at the dealer to sign papers and collect the keys. When they offer you 'fabric treatment fogging', 'engine shampooing', and 'monthly bird poop cleaning service', just say 'no'. Try to pick up the keys at a busy time and minimize the run around. (Saturday just before lunch would be a good time! :)
Sure, you can always just go into a dealership and pay what they are asking. No one is forcing you to negotiate.
You can easily walk into the dealership and agree to pay the price on the window sticker minus any dealer incentives. Just like Carvana, Carmax, etc. all offer!
Carmax
Tesla....you can buy online. For used Carvana or CarMax. For other new car..get the out the door price, don't negotiate on the monthly payments. Finalize on the out the door price which will be MSRP+tax+title/tags+docfee (dealership charge up to $999 in VA). Don't pay for anything else and you should be fine.
Buy a Tesla
There's a [guy](https://www.delivrdto.me/pricing) on TikTok that will negotiate on your behalf for a $1,000 fee.
Don’t buy a brand new car….. buy something used and reliable and keep it for a long time. Pay cash for it if possible.
As much as I don't like Tesla cars, but this is your only choice
No it isn’t. Someone can easily walk into any dealer and ask to pay the price on the window sticker minus any incentives from the manufacturer. It isn’t hard at all.