Car buying advice

[Joe Seahawk]

It's been a while since I have bought a car, But I'm about to buy a slightly used Denali or Tahoe. I'm trying to decide how much i can get off the sticker price. For example, if they are asking $42,000 how much can I reasonably expect to pay? I'm hoping to find a 2007 or newer with most options and low miles (under 35,000) for $30-$35,000 before tax and licensing.

Any dealers or recent buyers out there that can help me out?

Thanks!

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

If you negotiate from the sticker down, you've already lost. As KCNative said earlier, you need to figure out what they paid for the vehicle based on trade-in values and make the dealer negotiate up from there.

The other way that I have found to be effective is to send out a form letter to several dealerships letting them know that you will be accepting blind bids from all of them and will make a purchase from the lowest bidder on the next to the last day of the month.

Finding out what a dealer bought a trade for is tricky at best, some people come in & roll over while others play hardball (& often dont get anywhere), there can be wide variances.

Having dealers bid for your business like that sounds pretty good though, but obviously you need to be comparing apples to apples at each dealership.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by scott free

Finding out what a dealer bought a trade for is tricky at best, some people come in & roll over while others play hardball (& often dont get anywhere), there can be wide variances.

Having dealers bid for your business like that sounds pretty good though, but obviously you need to be comparing apples to apples at each dealership.

It's not really that tricky. Hell, if you've got a trade in, see what the dealer offers you versus what the book value is. That will give you a pretty good idea of how to calculate what they actually have in the car.

The next step is to basically tell the dealer that you don't care what they paid for the car and that it doesn't matter to you if they paid $5,000 or $50,000. It's worth "X" amount to you regardless. If the dealer overpaid for it, that isn't your problem.

The truth is that you can estimate within about 2-3% of what the dealer paid. Offer them a couple hundred bucks more and don't move more than about another couple hundred.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

It's not really that tricky. Hell, if you've got a trade in, see what the dealer offers you versus what the book value is. That will give you a pretty good idea of how to calculate what they actually have in the car.

The next step is to basically tell the dealer that you don't care what they paid for the car and that it doesn't matter to you if they paid $5,000 or $50,000. It's worth "X" amount to you regardless. If the dealer overpaid for it, that isn't your problem.

The truth is that you can estimate within about 2-3% of what the dealer paid. Offer them a couple hundred bucks more and don't move more than about another couple hundred.

Your pretty good, please dont come see me for your next purchase...

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by scott free

Your pretty good, please dont come see me for your next purchase...

You aren't a dealer are you?

[UsualSuspects]

Sign up for triple A and drive what you have......

Less than half a payment and covers a year.

Signed Bubba.

I need a job dang you.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

You aren't a dealer are you?

I've been a salesman for 3 years.

[TEX]

Stay away from GM ...