The Art of buying a new/used vehicle...

[Hob684]

I'm planning on buying a lightly used (05 to 07) truck in the next month or 2. My dilemma is that i have no clue what i'm doing. This will be the first vehicle that I will have purchased myself (meaning I deal with the salesmen and whatnot). My father helped with my current vehicle though I paid for it.

What are good questions to ask or be wary of?

How can I get a salesman to take me serious and not blow me off as a dumb kid? (i'm frequently mistaken for underage)

I know there are some people who work for dealerships here locally and I want to be able to haggle smart without being a jackass.

I'm not out to steal a car from a salesman but I want to get my money's worth.

style vehicle i'm looking for is 05-07 Chevy 1500 Crewcab 5.3L, can be 4x4 or no. Budget is $23k or less.

[Fish-Bait]

Good luck buddy. It has taken me 10 dam vehicles to figure out how to actually "deal" with a vehicle salesman. It's not really the salesman you are dealing with. It's the person he takes the paper too that rights out the deal with a huge fat black magic marker.........It's the person you'll see only when actually closin' the deal....

[jkspatty]

Do your homework....know how much the vehicle is worth before you start negotiating. Take $1000 off automatically. Don't do dealer financing if at all possible, don't worry about being a jackass. If you let them take control at first contact you can never get it back. Better yet, email them, tell them what you want and what you are willing to pay BEFORE you meet face to face. That way they can't "read" you.

[fuzzis]

I bought my car online. Decided what it was that I wanted and started looking through places like AutoTrader for one close by. Found a little place in Birmingham that sold lots of the cars that I wanted. Found *the* one, and then paid to have a professional vehicle inspection done (the carfax was included by the seller). The inspection was then sent to my best friends' husbands who are mechanics and who in turn asked for more photos of potential problems, which the seller was happy to provide.

Then a friend, who rides BMW motorcycles, looked in his little BMW riders book and called a guy who lived near the neighborhood (they didn't know each other from Adam), introduced himself and asked if he would mind going by and taking a look at the car for him...since I'd only seen it in pictures. He cruised by, kicked the tires, drove it, and said if he were looking for a car, he'd buy it.

When everything came back good (with a few minor things needing attention per the inspection), I told them I wanted to walk away with it for a certain price (which was about $700 below what they were asking...to cover the tax I had to pay when I brought it home), and still within the Edmunds values for the car), and they said, "OK".

Drove over the next weekend with a check and picked it up. It was my first car purchase on my own, and other than buying my house, the biggest purchase I'd ever made, but all in all, it was painless. Much easier than I thought it was going to be.

I'd do it again. :laugh:

[BlueDogDemocrat]

hey carsales, where are you? Pointers?

[TheKing]

as a guy who used to sell cars...the biggest helpful hint i can give you is this...

dont be afraid to say "thank you for your time" and leave.

[BlueDogDemocrat]

I bought my car online. Decided what it was that I wanted and started looking through places like AutoTrader for one close by. Found a little place in Birmingham that sold lots of the cars that I wanted. Found *the* one, and then paid to have a professional vehicle inspection done (the carfax was included by the seller). The inspection was then sent to my best friends' husbands who are mechanics and who in turn asked for more photos of potential problems, which the seller was happy to provide.

Then a friend, who rides BMW motorcycles, looked in his little BMW riders book and called a guy who lived near the neighborhood (they didn't know each other from Adam), introduced himself and asked if he would mind going by and taking a look at the car for him...since I'd only seen it in pictures. He cruised by, kicked the tires, drove it, and said if he were looking for a car, he'd buy it.

When everything came back good (with a few minor things needing attention per the inspection), I told them I wanted to walk away with it for a certain price (which was about $700 below what they were asking...to cover the tax I had to pay when I brought it home), and still within the Edmunds values for the car), and they said, "OK".

Drove over the next weekend with a check and picked it up. It was my first car purchase on my own, and other than buying my house, the biggest purchase I'd ever made, but all in all, it was painless. Much easier than I thought it was going to be.

I'd do it again. :laugh:

VW's?

[ynotme297]

set your limit, figure what you can spend per month on notes. if they can't do what you want, walk out. just cause you look at it or drive it don't mean you gotta buy it. check with a few banks and see if they have any repos. they will make you a good deal sometimes.

[onlyme]

I'm planning on buying a lightly used (05 to 07) truck in the next month or 2. My dilemma is that i have no clue what i'm doing. This will be the first vehicle that I will have purchased myself (meaning I deal with the salesmen and whatnot). My father helped with my current vehicle though I paid for it.

What are good questions to ask or be wary of?

How can I get a salesman to take me serious and not blow me off as a dumb kid? (i'm frequently mistaken for underage)

I know there are some people who work for dealerships here locally and I want to be able to haggle smart without being a jackass.

I'm not out to steal a car from a salesman but I want to get my money's worth.

style vehicle i'm looking for is 05-07 Chevy 1500 Crewcab 5.3L, can be 4x4 or no. Budget is $23k or less.

Start with the Kelly Blue Book value. This will give you a good starting point. Call as many dealers as you can and let them compete against each other. Have a trustworthy mechanic inspect the vehicle to make sure you are not getting a lemon.
I just bought a new vehicle and was able to save over $2,000.00 by driving to Gulfport instead of dealing with the local dealer. YOU have the upper hand, YOU drive the bargain.

[Petal4Life]

We will have a 2006 Dodge 1500 Quad Cab 4x4 TRX5 for sale shortly. If you are interested PM me for details.

[carsalesguy]

just buy from me.

i have PLENTY of references, many that are on this board.

[carsalesguy]

BTW- you can ask all of them how their purchasing experience was-

all, except for one, took less than 2 hours. the only reason why it too so long is because i insisted that we show the vehicle to his wife, who can finally say that she got something big. (lol)

[onlyme]

BTW, I mentioned driving to Gulfport and not going to the local dealer but I was NOT referring in any way to Carsalesguy or any user of this forum ( unless that particular dealer is member of this forum and I just don't know about it ). All I tried to say was that it often pays to shop around.

[Baloo]

Hob684, shop, shop, shop! Don't let someone presuure you into a "today only special"! Get the info on the ones that you like and check them out on the web. www.cars.com (http://www.cars.com) is a great website for getting pricing ideas.

On another note, carsalesguy is a reputable, honest, hardworking family man who would be as fair or more so than anyone out there!

If you don't find what you want, tell the dealer what you are looking for and a lot of times they can get it for you rather quickly and without any hassles.

Good luck!

[Guru]

Good hint: Stop at any busy mechanic shop and ask the real mechanics what they have to work on the most. Then don't buy it.
Next, ask them what it is the easiest to fix.
Next, ask them what in their opinion is the most reliable.
This should lead you to choosing something.
Do the Kelly Blue Book and NADA online to get both retail values and trade in values. Your price to pay will be somewhere in between all the above. The mileage will tell the tale also if you finance it AT YOUR BANK.
Take it for a ride, look for wet spots under the hood or under the vehicle.
Look for engines or frames that are just a little "too" clean, like they just cleaned up a leaking mess.
Get in an open parking lot and do the forward and reverse close complete circle turning, listen for noises.
Get on a bumpy road and listen for noises.
Turn on everything electric and play with it, listen for noises.
Look for rust, inside and out. Look closely around the front and rear dashes.
Get on the interstate, up to cruising speed, and let go of the steering wheel. It should stay straight. Do the same with stopping but don't let go of the steering wheel.
Bounce it with your hands, listen for squeaks and noises.
Look at tire treads and look for irregular wear.
Stop, put it in gear, hold the break, and give it some gas. Listen for a smooth engine, a smooth transmission and for body squeaks when the torque starts.
Finally, look for wiring that appears to not be in the place where it was originally put. This indicates something that has had serious fix it work.
Hint: you can walk up to a GM with a part in your hand, reach over and replace it a lot of times. If it's a Ford you have to dismantle more things, this is standard. Of course the more congested the engine department the longer it takes for repairs and thus increases your charges for repairs.
Beware of Dodge trucks before 2000-2002, they typically had transmission and rear end problems.
Good luck.

[bpitt]

Just fix the Studebaker and drive it!!

[carsalesguy]

just a note on "financing at your own bank"

what i have seen, 9 times out of 10, that at the bank they only want to loan 80-100% of "loan" value. unfortunately, even at the auction, you will never find a vehicle at "loan"

plus you have to factor in the taxes and fees associated with the purchase of a vehicle.

i know that where i'm at we can 9 times out of 10 meet or beat the interest rate that your bank can offer you, and also do a 100% finance (i.e. sign and drive)

BTW- i actually have some chevy 1500 crew cab SWB trucks in stock that just came in.....but just to let you know, GM vehicles, as well as dodge and ford depreciate faster that most other vehicles.

please feel free to call me if you have any questions (and want a fair deal) 601-520-7473

[Conveyor Belt]

I don't think I'll ever buy a car off a lot again. I get connections inside to the auctions, pay the auction guy a little on top for bidding the car for me, pay for the car, presto... a car that would have cost me $7000 on the BEST day for $2500. You can't beat that.

Anyhow, I'm not picky, and would just as soon drive one of the old used Bellsouth vehicles for $1000 or so...

I've never met a car salesman I can trust.

[Hob684]

Thanks for all the help and pointers ya'll...

Carsalesguy you have a pm..

[pooker]

Just make sure you have a mechanic check it out, get a legitamate blue book of what its worth. Make sure the body is rust free, and drive it around and don't jump on the first thing you see finding the vehicle that is right for you takes time.

[Guru]

Oh, and if you are paying a nice amount of money for a vehicle make sure you have it ran through CARFAX at the sellers expense to find out if it has been totaled or had major repairs done. In this area, and others for those tweedlers in here, there have been many instances of vehicles totaled across state lines, made a new title, and crossed into Mississippi to be sold NOT as a totaled, hail damaged, flooded, major repair vehicle.
Good luck.

[pooker]

If you ever register on www.dsmtalk.com (http://www.dsmtalk.com) , in the lounge you can often find people offering free carfax's also. When they buy one that they can use for a week and the person is often nice enough to run as many as you want!

[carsalesguy]

I don't think I'll ever buy a car off a lot again. I get connections inside to the auctions, pay the auction guy a little on top for bidding the car for me, pay for the car, presto... a car that would have cost me $7000 on the BEST day for $2500. You can't beat that.

Anyhow, I'm not picky, and would just as soon drive one of the old used Bellsouth vehicles for $1000 or so...

I've never met a car salesman I can trust.???????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????

[Conveyor Belt]

Oh, and if you are paying a nice amount of money for a vehicle make sure you have it ran through CARFAX at the sellers expense to find out if it has been totaled or had major repairs done. In this area, and others for those tweedlers in here, there have been many instances of vehicles totaled across state lines, made a new title, and crossed into Mississippi to be sold NOT as a totaled, hail damaged, flooded, major repair vehicle.
Good luck.

don't take the salesguy copy of carfax, though. They use a different system. I had a copy of their carfax, and a copy of my carfax... it was like it was for two different cars.

[pimpalert]

Sounds like you want a used car or truck so check the numbers on Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com) and get the car between trade-in value and retail.

Now if you want a new car, remember the Invoice price isn't always the dealer cost. They have incentives, rebates, holdbacks etc.

Buying a car from a dealer is like a shell game. They try and confuse you by asking what do you want your note to be? They under inflate your trade-in and add that as a discount.

Tell the dealer to hold up and slow down and negociate one thing at a time.

[Guru]

And NEVER answer the question "How much do you owe on yours?"
That's just a way of them finding the lowest price they have to give you in trade to make the deal.

[Hob684]

thanks for the responses guys...

i've been lookin around and i've found a few I really like.. now its just the waitin game til december when i can actually afford to look.

[daisy]

My 1st car was picked out and negotiated by my Mom and uncle.

WHAT NOT TO DO--Do like I did the 1st time I shopped for a car. Mom was with me and it's a wonder she didn't have a heart attack or take me aside and get me back on track.

I needed a car since the 1st car's engine had died or something. Anyway, I oohed and awed over the car I drove. GUSHED and told the salesman how I needed it. We sat down to the desk and I waited for him to knock some off. ((((He didn't need to. I was the perfect person to pay full price. I was shocked and said, is that the best you can do? Mom said, I think she needs to think about it.))))

I was told by Mom how my Dad did and then called a relative who guided me through it all.

Don't act too eager and walk away and come back if need be.

Good Luck.

[Guru]

It helps if you can tell the salesman that you have a copy of the video with him and the midget wrestler at the sales convention in New Orleans.

[bpitt]

Drive the damn Studebaker!!!!!!!

[Hob684]

Drive the damn Studebaker!!!!!!!

the studebaker is a few years from being finished. Hell we ain't even started on it.


First i have to graduate, get a job, finish a 88 Chevy SWB, stepside, 3/4drop, 350ci, 5spd, straight pipes. Right now we're midway through puttin buckets in witha custom center console and Dakota digital gauges.

then we'll get down and dirty on the stude.

can't wait on the 502 though!

[bpitt]

I know, I'm just raggin' ya......

[Hob684]

I know, I'm just raggin' ya......


yeah yeah.. believe me.. i would definately rather be driving that classic than lookin for a new one.

[TheStereoGuy]

I got screwed on a trade in about 4 years ago. Was living in Biloxi, driving a 99 mustang with 38000 miles on it, all original as I bought it new. Not a scratch on it. I was having back problems as I am fat and it sucked getting in and out of that little car. I had a thing at the time for Mitsubishi Montero Sports. A place down there had a leased one just turned in for $10,000, with 63,000 miles on it. I went by there, told them I needed it less than $300 a month, and they went to work. In 30 minutes they told me $258 a month, and I signed the papers and drove off.

I'm such a damn idiot. :oops:

They did it for 66 months at I think 11% interest. Gave me $3000 on the trade-in, but its payoff was $7200. :cry:

I have been wanting a pickup now for 3 years. I really like the new Ford F-150's, of the FX4 variety. I went into, and back out of, the Laurel Ford dealership so many times ( once every 2 weeks for about 6 months ) that ALL of their salespeople know my montero and know me by name. When they see me coming they get this "MOTHER F(*^* NOT HIM" look in their face. I have had them completely run a trade in quote, truck quote, and note quote with interest rate no less than 10 times. Ford in Collins I did it too 6 times, and 2 of their guys knows me by name when they see me. Hattiesburg Ford I have been too about 4 or 5 times. They have a guy who has called me on numerous occasions, then gave up.

None would give me more than $4500 on the Montero trade in ( payoff was $9600 at the time ), or go lower than 9.3% on interest rates. Even when they were running the $8,000 off sales. I know my credit score, and know I can get interest below 7%, if not 0% when they run those specials. They all wanted $630-$715 a month for a truck at $32,000 before trade-in. I think not.

I have given up looking for brand new, as now those 05 and 06 models can be found used with less than 40k miles for $25,000 or less. I have increased monthly payments on the montero to get its payoff down faster. But I feel I will drive it till it dies, or gets paid off before I get a new truck.

[carsalesguy]

yep- you got got

[TheStereoGuy]

yep- you got got

Yes I did. I am not afraid to walk away from a dealer either. If its not in my price range that I can afford a month, I am not buying. I will just keep dreaming.

Where do you work?

[countrygirl]

DON"T GET IN A HURRY! I needed a good car and bought an "interem" vehicle until I found what I wanted. First, decide what you want..safety? good gas mileage" something sporty" Then go online and compare vehicles....and wait until you find what you want. Too many folks buy a car on the spur of the moment without doing their research. I finally found the car I wanted a couple of months ago after looking for 2 years. Believe it or not, I bought an '03 Honda, fully loaded with under 5000 miles. It's called patience.

[Hermione]

I love my 03 Honda!! It's been the greatest car.

[dollfus46]

I'm planning on buying a lightly used (05 to 07) truck in the next month or 2. My dilemma is that i have no clue what i'm doing. This will be the first vehicle that I will have purchased myself (meaning I deal with the salesmen and whatnot). My father helped with my current vehicle though I paid for it.

What are good questions to ask or be wary of?

How can I get a salesman to take me serious and not blow me off as a dumb kid? (i'm frequently mistaken for underage)

I know there are some people who work for dealerships here locally and I want to be able to haggle smart without being a jackass.

I'm not out to steal a car from a salesman but I want to get my money's worth.

style vehicle i'm looking for is 05-07 Chevy 1500 Crewcab 5.3L, can be 4x4 or no. Budget is $23k or less.

First thing I'd do, If I wasn't willing to drive to Birmingham to CarMax is go online to Carmax.com. Pick the truck you want. They get around $2000 more than they have in it and they dont haggle. It's a fair price. Now you at least have a target price.
If you aren't going off-road, don't get a 4 x 4 because it's a badass truck. It is a much harder/stiffer/less comfortable ride than a regular truck. That's what I'd do. Remember, you'll pay more for a truck with less miles too, and vice versa.