Overhaulin'

How to negotiate a new car price when it's already low?

I have compared the "no haggle" price of the car I want to various sources: reviews, MSRP, edmunds.com, nearby dealers, etc. and it's about $2k lower than anything else I've seen. I don't want to go pay the price on the tag, but I don't know how to negotiate when it's already the lowest price around.

Public Comments

1. Find out what the invoice price on the car is. Edmunds will generally have the invoice and the MSRP. Subtract all rebates from the invoice price, then add $200. That's where you should start bargaining from. Anything over that total is profit for the dealership. Granted, they are there to make money, but that is their margin.
2. dont ever let them know what you are willing to pay or can afford,just say that you want a better deal because you dont like the price,these places are making a bundle so dont be shy about getting them down more
3. Get the invoice price and tell the dealer that you will pay that price, tell him you will go somewhere else, or get a lower price somewhere else and ask him to price match it
4. Make sure you have the Edmund's "dealer's invoice" cost of your car with the options you want. Hopefully, that's the "no haggle" price your talking about, because even when the dealer sells the car at the dealer invoice price, he's probably making at least $500 on the typical car of which some has to be paid for the salesman's commission. If you live in a metropolitan area, once you know if you can buy the car at "dealer's invoice", I would contact a dealer in a smaller town up to 100 miles outside your metropolitan area by telephone and/or internet to ask them if they can sell below the dealer's invoice price on the car your looking for. Sometimes their costs are less and if your local dealer's didn't want to meet their quoted cost, you could have a friend drive you the 100 miles to pick up the new car if you could save another $400 or so. Have a little vacation while your there! I saved myself $500 on two cars doing that.
5. 1st- give them a lower price that you want it 4 2nd- have money 4 down paymt. make sure they see money! 3rd- start haggling. once they see money they will try to work with you. It will be lower. good luck.
6. There is not a lot of money in new cars any more, at least not for the dealer. If the car is $2k less than anything else you have seen, rest assured that you are getting a good deal on the price of the car. As far as negotiating is concerned, look at things like the finance rate, trade-in value (if there is a trade-in), etc...I have seen a lot of people talk themselves out of a good deal because they felt that if they did not negotiate down the price thy were getting ripped off. Just beware all the extended warranties, paint & fab protection, "Dealer" installed alarm etc...most of that stuff is not worth the price you pay.
7. Ferret gave an excellent advice except that after you came to a specific price, do NOT negotiate - call or email (don't go!) as many dealers as it takes, and ask if they sell you the exact model you want for exact amount of money you are willing to pay. When you get a definite positive answer, go and get it. Make sure you know who you are talking to AND do not discuss trade-in, financing, etc. until the first step is completed. They will ask you about that but you should not get engaged into discussion - say something like "that's a separate issue, and let's finish with the first one".