08' Mercedes C-Class v.s. '08 Infiniti G35 Sedan

[mredskins]

^ Seriously that story is made up. If you actually had water in the compersion chamber the piston rod would be coming thur the block. Buster if you really think Fords are better then Toyota you need to re-vamp your automotive thinking. If Ford is such a great product why are they receiving record losses every year?

[hooskins]

Originally Posted by mredskins

^ Seriously that story is made up. If you actually had water in the compersion chamber the piston rod would be coming thur the block. Buster if you really think Fords are better then Toyota you need to re-vamp your automotive thinking. If Ford is such a great product why are they receiving record losses every year?

Yeah, Buster Fords really aren't better. No way you can compare a Taurus to a Avalon or a Camry. Just not even on the same level.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by mredskins

^ Seriously that story is made up. If you actually had water in the compersion chamber the piston rod would be coming thur the block. Buster if you really think Fords are better then Toyota you need to re-vamp your automotive thinking. If Ford is such a great product why are they receiving record losses every year?

I have had 3 fords in the past 14 years and cannot say anything bad about their product. My latest is a 1998 Explorer which currently has 198,000 miles and has never had any major repairs. To date my biggest repair was a front wheel bearing and I also tow a 22' boat all the time and the motor and trans show no signs major of wear and tear.

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by firstdown

I have had 3 fords in the past 14 years and cannot say anything bad about their product. My latest is a 1998 Explorer which currently has 198,000 miles and has never had any major repairs. To date my biggest repair was a front wheel bearing and I also tow a 22' boat all the time and the motor and trans show no signs major of wear and tear.

Please rub my arm or something, cause you're the luckiest bastard on the planet.
You would have to GIVE me a Ford for me to drive it, otherwise, it would remain on the lot.

For the guy who said something about Toyota, you're right. That new Camry Hybrid 50th anniversary edition is one great car. Toyota's are great cars...I just wish they had better exterior designers.
I own a GMC Sierra, and a Pontiac Grand Prix...I'll tell you that the best car on the road is a BMW if you're willing to spend. If you want to save money, Toyota's are great cars. I'd take just about anything before I'd take a Ford.

[Lady Brave]

I test drove an 08 Accord EX-L this evening. I'm really diggin the new design and this 4 cylinder trim model comes with leather.

Base invoice is around $24K. I didn't really talk too much about price and told them I'd come back later in the week. They offered it for $26,400. Time to put my game face on. I hate haggling. Any advice? (ahem... paging canthetuna)

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by Lady Brave

I test drove an 08 Accord EX-L this evening. I'm really diggin the new design and this 4 cylinder trim model comes with leather.

Base invoice is around $24K. I didn't really talk too much about price and told them I'd come back later in the week. They offered it for $26,400. Time to put my game face on. I hate haggling. Any advice? (ahem... paging canthetuna)

I'm one of the worst hagglers you'll ever meet. You have to be prepared to say no...these guys are professionals.
My advice would be to go to N.A.D.A. Official Used Car Guide Company and do the "price with options" option so you can know EXACTLY what it costs. Offer them $500 to $750 max over invoice and they should take it. I have literally purchased 5 brand new vehicles, I have never paid more than $500 over invoice. They might try to say the manager won't allow it etc...then make up some BS story about another dealership that is 50 miles away offered $750 over invoice, but you like them and they are closer, so if they offer $500 over invoice, it's a done deal right now.
If they say something like, well "how bout 1k over invoice...it's only $500 more, I have kids to feed." You respond by saying, I have kids to feed too, and if it's "ONLY" $500 more, then a big bad super dealership like this could afford to pay that meezly figure for me. Just be strong. No weaknesses. Don't waiver in front of them...be fast and firm with your comments. If you pause and think about it, they will try their best to break you. If you are extremely firm then they know not to waste a lot of your time. They want that sale. It works...trust me.
I just paid 5k even for brand new top of line windows for my house...my buddy (who has 3 MORE windows in his house) paid $7500. He "thought" he got a deal, but they played him. With me, I kept saying no. They started at close to 12k, then without me saying anything they dropped it to 8500 and said that's the best they can do. I said thanks for your time have a good day. They stopped me and made a "mysterious" phone call to his manager and told me good news, we "just now" got co-op money and that will bring it down to 7k. I said no thanks, I have a magic figure in my mind, and you're not touching it. He asked for the figure and I said don't worry about it, you aren't there. He then gave me "manager discounts" and a military discount (even though he knew I wasn't in the military), and it came down to $5600. I said let me think about it, go put your stuff away while I talk to my wife. I talked to her, and laughed, she said "you have a figure in mind don't you?" I said yeah, 5k. She said, "go get em." I went out to him and said, here's the deal. I want my wal mart card (free card for listening to the speal) to be doubled to $100, and I want the windows for $5k even, no tax...just 5k. He got on the phone and his manager dropped it to 5400...I said 5k...then his manager said 5k but I have to pay tax...I laughed and said that's only like 50 off the 5400 you offered. I said 5k or nothing, and don't think I won't go to some hungry window company and get em for cheaper than you. You have this last chance. He said OK but you owe me...I said what...he said I have to put a sign in my yard for two weeks. I laughed and said sure.
You have to be willing to work them. They are experts at taking your money, you need to be an expert at keeping it.

Sorry for the long winded story, I see too many people get skrewed by sales people who know what to look for.

[Lady Brave]

Originally Posted by jsarno

I'm one of the worst hagglers you'll ever meet. You have to be prepared to say no...these guys are professionals.
My advice would be to go to N.A.D.A. Official Used Car Guide Company and do the "price with options" option so you can know EXACTLY what it costs. Offer them $500 to $750 max over invoice and they should take it. I have literally purchased 5 brand new vehicles, I have never paid more than $500 over invoice. They might try to say the manager won't allow it etc...then make up some BS story about another dealership that is 50 miles away offered $750 over invoice, but you like them and they are closer, so if they offer $500 over invoice, it's a done deal right now.
If they say something like, well "how bout 1k over invoice...it's only $500 more, I have kids to feed." You respond by saying, I have kids to feed too, and if it's "ONLY" $500 more, then a big bad super dealership like this could afford to pay that meezly figure for me. Just be strong. No weaknesses. Don't waiver in front of them...be fast and firm with your comments. If you pause and think about it, they will try their best to break you. If you are extremely firm then they know not to waste a lot of your time. They want that sale. It works...trust me.

I always do a ton of research before I walk into a dealership. I'm usually pretty prepared and I don't budge on my bottom line price. Also, this car has very little add ons on it and I'm not paying for them. Seriously, you want to charge me $199 for undercoating and $99 for a pin stripe I can get at auto zone for mere pennies? Those things are strictly profit items. I know exactly what my trade is worth, so I won't budge on that either.

It's not that I don't know how to haggle. I just hate doing it. I've walked out of every dealership I've ever been in. I already told the salesman I have a very low tolerance for watching salespeople wear a path in the carpet to their manager's office. I was just wondering if anyone else had any tips or tricks to make the process go any faster.

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by Lady Brave

I always do a ton of research before I walk into a dealership. I'm usually pretty prepared and I don't budge on my bottom line price. Also, this car has very little add ons on it and I'm not paying for them. Seriously, you want to charge me $199 for undercoating and $99 for a pin stripe I can get at auto zone for mere pennies? Those things are strictly profit items. I know exactly what my trade is worth, so I won't budge on that either.

It's not that I don't know how to haggle. I just hate doing it. I've walked out of every dealership I've ever been in. I already told the salesman I have a very low tolerance for watching salespeople wear a path in the carpet to their manager's office. I was just wondering if anyone else had any tips or tricks to make the process go any faster.

I actually enjoy it...I have bought 2 cars for my inlaws and 2 for my friends too. I get funny looks when I don't sign the paper work. LOL. They get upset but I tell them I know how to sell, I have been to classes and I have used it in the real world, if I don't help you'll kill them. You can get the next guy. LOL.
There is just about no way to make it go a whole lot faster, they have nothing else better to do but haggle you. The only way to make it go faster is to make a sense of urgency for them.
Call another Honda dealership and ask for a sales person, when you get one, write down his name and ask him if he has any BMW 3 series, he obviously won't, but now you have his name. So when you talk to your salesman, say, "so and so from DC Honda told me he'll have my car ready for only $650 over invoice, so either you drop it to $500 over invoice RIGHT now, I'll buy, if not, I'm going over there. You have 5 minutes to make a decision."

I would also use other comments like "so how many sales do you have this month?" Especially if it's the end of the month. Most also have contests, so you can ask where he is sitting compared to everyone else. Then say, well this could be the easiest sale you will have, cause I've already decided to buy, but at my price...will you match it?

[EternalEnigma21]

Originally Posted by jsarno

Call another Honda dealership and ask for a sales person, when you get one, write down his name and ask him if he has any BMW 3 series, he obviously won't, but now you have his name. So when you talk to your salesman, say, "so and so from DC Honda told me he'll have my car ready for only $650 over invoice, so either you drop it to $500 over invoice RIGHT now, I'll buy, if not, I'm going over there. You have 5 minutes to make a decision."

i wouldn't deal with guys like that.... my fav. line was, "well, it looks like we're not going to do business but we'll leave friends... or you'll leave and drive to another dealer and start all over with this crap... I'll just stay here for the next customer to come to me within the next five minutes, and maybe I'll have better luck" and shake your hands.

bullying salesmen works on new guys and scared salespeople, but the old pro's will only try harder and harder to screw you... the guys who are seriously trying to make a career out of car sales won't waste alot of time with someone if they cant find a common playing field...

I did business a little different, though. I had the HIGHEST CSI (customer satisfaction index) for 3 years in the store that had the highest scores in the northern VA area, and 75th in the nation, because I didn't jerk customers around, but had the self respect not to put up with the games people play either...

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by canthetuna

i wouldn't deal with guys like that.... my fav. line was, "well, it looks like we're not going to do business but we'll leave friends... or you'll leave and drive to another dealer and start all over with this crap... I'll just stay here for the next customer to come to me within the next five minutes, and maybe I'll have better luck" and shake your hands.

bullying salesmen works on new guys and scared salespeople, but the old pro's will only try harder and harder to screw you... the guys who are seriously trying to make a career out of car sales won't waste alot of time with someone if they cant find a common playing field...

I did business a little different, though. I had the HIGHEST CSI (customer satisfaction index) for 3 years in the store that had the highest scores in the northern VA area, and 75th in the nation, because I didn't jerk customers around, but had the self respect not to put up with the games people play either...

Dude my heart goes out to you I don't know how you could work in that business. So many assholes. Seriously if you are a educated buyer no one is going to screw you. There is no need to go into the dealership like you are going to do battle, they tell you a price if you don't like it walk out. No need to go back and fourth waste of time.

When I bought my 04 Accord I went to Brown Honda in Fairfax, they could have given two shits about me or my needs. So I politely said thanks but no thanks and head off to Rosethale in Tysons. Very nice people spent lots of time with me showing me the diffrent cars and which would work best for my finicial needs and personal driving needs. Halfway thur the process Brown honda calls me and offers me the same car as Rosenthal for $200 less, I told them politely no thanks I will pay a few extra dollars to a dealership that seems to guienly care about my needs.

When buying new cars espically hondas and toyotas there is very little room for huge discounts. I personally would rather go to the dealership have a nice experience, not get ripped off (educated buyer), and come home with the car I want.