tell your story of what it was like buying a car at a dealer
01-16-12, 04:08 AM
#16
Dysfunctional Veteran
i'd like to know your approach and the dealer's...
how did you approach showing your interest (or lack thereof lol)?
how did the dealer salesperson act/react?
how did you act/react?
how was the test drive?
did you bring info on paper or your phone, etc.?
did you work from invoice up or sticker down?
did you bring up hold back, incentives, and other items?
if you don't mind sharing, ultimately, how much lower or higher than sticker price, roughly, did you pay?
do you think it was a good deal in the end?
do you think the dealer salesperson played fair or was only out to rip you off?
how did it go after the initial sale with the infamouse finance and interest guys who try to sell you a whole bunch more stuff (packages, extended warranties, etc.)?
how close do you think you got to expectations you had prior to going in (if you had any)?
anything else you can think of to help anyone here not go into a gun fight with a knife!
how did you approach showing your interest (or lack thereof lol)?
how did the dealer salesperson act/react?
how did you act/react?
how was the test drive?
did you bring info on paper or your phone, etc.?
did you work from invoice up or sticker down?
did you bring up hold back, incentives, and other items?
if you don't mind sharing, ultimately, how much lower or higher than sticker price, roughly, did you pay?
do you think it was a good deal in the end?
do you think the dealer salesperson played fair or was only out to rip you off?
how did it go after the initial sale with the infamouse finance and interest guys who try to sell you a whole bunch more stuff (packages, extended warranties, etc.)?
how close do you think you got to expectations you had prior to going in (if you had any)?
anything else you can think of to help anyone here not go into a gun fight with a knife!
I walked in, and told the salesman I was interested in purchasing a lightly-used pickup truck. He was very nice, non-pushy about his ways. I cant say whether he was honest or not, but I knew I was the one in charge. We did not talk money at first, my wife and I just drove a few of the trucks he had on his lot at the time...at first, we did not want a full sized truck, but the only ones he had that were not full-size were imports, and less than a year old, still hovering around the $30-40,000 mark (2 Tacoma's and a frontier), which was ALOT more than I was willing to pay. The salesman left us alone to drive the cheapest Toyota Tacoma, a fully loaded one with 70,000 miles, it was a 2009 model, it was $29,995. We came back and decided at that point that, all things considered, a full size truck might be the better deal.
We drove a 2010 Silverado LT, 4x4, but it didn't have the side steps that my wife needs to get in and out of the truck. Or the bedliner. It only had 10,000 miles on it, and the price was $26,000 which I was a little more comfortable with. The wife hinted at some resistance on that price though. It was very plain inside, and didnt tickle our fancy at all. It rode awful, had tons of noise inside, and was generally just not what I would expect for nearly $30,000.
So we asked if we could drive a 2004 Ford F-150 Lariat Limited model. This truck had EVERYTHING, power sunroof, rear slider, 4x4, leather, woodgrain, power/heated seats, the works...the price, was a low $16,900, which I could live with...until I looked at the odometer. It had 97,000 miles on it, which for a truck that year wasnt bad, but being that it had that many miles, I could not justify the purchase due to it being ineligible for a warranty through USAA.
The Ram was sitting next to the F-150, in the front of the lot. I did not want the Ram at first because of the horror-stories my dad had to go through, they were still ringing in my head...but that was (literally) 10 years before...could they have gotten better? We decided we were going to sleep on it and come back the next morning. We told the salesman our intentions, as it was 10pm, well PAST closing time.
He invited us to take the Ram home for the weekend (it was a friday night), with a full tank of fuel, on them, and decide in the comfort of our own home, whether or not we were ready to buy. I thought this was extremely generous, and we agreed. While the salesman was getting the dealer plates for the truck, we looked at the Ram and to my suprise, both my wife and I were in love with it. It was a 2009, and as such it was almost 2 years old, it had a bit of miles on it, 42,900 if I recall correctly. There was a price on the windshield...$25,500...I shuddered. Thought I might have trouble convincing the wife on this one. The carfax was sitting in the drivers seat, and there was a note taped to the steering wheel:
"For you Mr. and Mrs. Morrison, the price on this Ram is $21,000, out-the-door...Thank you for your service to our country" -The Farr Auto Sales Team.
At that point, we knew we were going to come back and buy a truck from this dealership. It was simply a question of which one...We drove all around that weekend, on their fuel, discussing what we wanted to do, getting used to the truck and just checking it out. This was by far the nicest vehicle I had the pleasure of owning (though I did not own it yet). We went to my in-law's Sunday, My father-in-law (ASE Master Tech for almost 30 years) and I looked it over. It seemed pretty solid. Had some miles on it, but so far as we could see, had not been abused. It did not even have a trailer hitch on it, so we know it wasnt used to tow anything. He said we should pull the trigger for the price.
We went home that night, and my wife and I talked numbers. They were already willing to give us a damn nice deal on the truck...but what would we get on trade for the civic? It was paid for, so anything around blue book would have been a nice deal (around 12k). We decided to shoot for 14k, just to start high. The ball was in our court.
I got the day off Monday morning to take care of everything, and we went back to the dealership at 8am when they opened. Our salesman was there, waiting. My civic was still where I parked it, appeared not to have moved. So we went inside and talked numbers.
He laid down his proposal. He said he was prepared to go 14k on trade, a 100,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty through USAA at dealer cost, and the Chrysler Lifetime Powertrain warranty, also at his cost.
Knowing that dealers go low to start, I wondered what the catch was...turns out, the truck had been bought by the dealer new, and had their advertising decals on it. They drove it to various events around the region, and as such it had alot of miles on it for the year, so they were having trouble moving it. Tax time was coming, and they did not want to pay taxes on it for another year. The truck was never officially titled so legally, it was still new, and eligible for the Lifetime Powertrain Warranty through Chrysler.
We told him, give us another grand on trade and you have a deal. He talked it over with his manager...and agreed. They even filled it up again and detailed it, while we were finalizing the paperwork. They allowed me to take some stuff off of the civic (mod-wise) and still gave me the trade we were promised. When we got the truck to the house, I opened the zipper cover that contained the owners manual...The window sticker was there from the original purchase. Brand-new off the lot, the truck had a list price of $43,950. My numbers in the end:
$25,500 went down to $21,000 out the door. In the end, we ALMOST broke even. They gave us 15k on trade for the civic which means we drove away in the Ram with $6,000 financed at 4%. And we just recently paid it off. I am tickled pink, even to this day the thing makes me smile when I drive it. We own what was once nearly a $50,000 truck...and we paid less than half of that price because we were willing to buy a used one. That is exactly why I will never buy new.
Last edited by ArmyofOne; 01-16-12 at 06:08 AM.
01-16-12, 05:56 AM
#17
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (20)
great, great posts and i'm pleased it's not all rants - some dealers really do try to be reasonable.
i had two bad experiences (one flat awful) at lexus dealers and one awesome one far away via internet/phone. the guy on the good deal eventually wanted to do it quicker than i wanted to help his end of month so he drove up to where i was, drove me back to his dealer so we could do it and i drove home in a new 2000 GS400
other experiences being pretty prepared have been pretty good, at subaru and ford dealers. the ford one was a dance for a while, but all good overall.
i don't have multiple local lexus dealers so couldn't pit them against one another even if i wanted one.
i had two bad experiences (one flat awful) at lexus dealers and one awesome one far away via internet/phone. the guy on the good deal eventually wanted to do it quicker than i wanted to help his end of month so he drove up to where i was, drove me back to his dealer so we could do it and i drove home in a new 2000 GS400
other experiences being pretty prepared have been pretty good, at subaru and ford dealers. the ford one was a dance for a while, but all good overall.
i don't have multiple local lexus dealers so couldn't pit them against one another even if i wanted one.
01-16-12, 06:02 AM
#18
I really enjoy the whole haggling thing.Fun for me.The wife,not so much.She hates to go to the dealer with me.I'm not nasty but am not shy when it comes to nipping the sales BS in the butt early.
Before we were married,my wife walked into a Ford dealership,saw a red with white interior '75 Mustang hatchback on the showroom floor with a $5700 sticker and said I'll take this one.No haggling buy at list price.My wife is wonderful but she is a goody-goody.
Trusts everyone where I'm the opposite.
I still tease her today about that Mustang buy.After her Mustang was stolen.we were together at that time and we bought a '76 loaded white/white Chevy Caprice.I did the negotiating on an ordered car and she was embarrassed but she saved big bucks on a $7200 sticker at that time.She was shocked and saw how you should buy a vehicle.
The thing I hate about most salesman are that most are not professional.That goes for Lexus too.My son in law and I bought a number of Lexus vehicles and really no difference in most cases.We usually go with each other to buy a vehicle.
Initially they come off as more professional but usually blow it during the process sooner or later.
I go to a dealer prepared with invoice number and know of any other perks.The big perk is the manufacturer to dealer incentive which aren't known like a regular rebate.Not always available but at times are.
I know the vehicle in and and in most cases more than the sales person.
I hate when I'm asked how much do you want to pay early.I then say $3.I also hate when they say how much of a payment you looking for.A great way to screw you on a deal if financing.
Most of all I hate greeter and closer dealers.
The greeter(salesman) talks numbers and then the closer(sales manager) plays the we can't go this low on the new vehicle or whatever BS.Then talk trade and the same occurs.
I still love the interaction of buying a vehicle.
.
Before we were married,my wife walked into a Ford dealership,saw a red with white interior '75 Mustang hatchback on the showroom floor with a $5700 sticker and said I'll take this one.No haggling buy at list price.My wife is wonderful but she is a goody-goody.
Trusts everyone where I'm the opposite.I still tease her today about that Mustang buy.After her Mustang was stolen.we were together at that time and we bought a '76 loaded white/white Chevy Caprice.I did the negotiating on an ordered car and she was embarrassed but she saved big bucks on a $7200 sticker at that time.She was shocked and saw how you should buy a vehicle.
The thing I hate about most salesman are that most are not professional.That goes for Lexus too.My son in law and I bought a number of Lexus vehicles and really no difference in most cases.We usually go with each other to buy a vehicle.
Initially they come off as more professional but usually blow it during the process sooner or later.
I go to a dealer prepared with invoice number and know of any other perks.The big perk is the manufacturer to dealer incentive which aren't known like a regular rebate.Not always available but at times are.
I know the vehicle in and and in most cases more than the sales person.
I hate when I'm asked how much do you want to pay early.I then say $3.I also hate when they say how much of a payment you looking for.A great way to screw you on a deal if financing.
Most of all I hate greeter and closer dealers.
The greeter(salesman) talks numbers and then the closer(sales manager) plays the we can't go this low on the new vehicle or whatever BS.Then talk trade and the same occurs.
I still love the interaction of buying a vehicle.
.
Last edited by Joeb427; 01-16-12 at 06:06 AM.
01-17-12, 09:41 AM
#19
Lexus Fanatic
From what I've seen of these discount, no-haggle Internet prices (and I've shopped with a number of people using them for a car-purchase), they are at or close to what you could probably get the old-fashioned way by endless bargaining....and, of course, are a lot less trouble and stress. 
Last edited by mmarshall; 01-17-12 at 10:08 AM.
01-17-12, 09:57 AM
#20
Why haggle like a bazzar in the Middle-East, though, when so many dealerships now have a simple, reasonable, one-step Internet discount price? From what I've seen of these discount, no-haggle Internet prices (and I've shopped with a number of people using them for a car-purchase), they are at or close to what you could probably get the old-fahioned way by endless bargaining....and, of course, are a lot less trouble and stress.
From what I've seen of these discount, no-haggle Internet prices (and I've shopped with a number of people using them for a car-purchase), they are at or close to what you could probably get the old-fahioned way by endless bargaining....and, of course, are a lot less trouble and stress. No stress for me.I don't like the deal,I walk.Still enjoyed the negotiating.List price is list price.
Did you ever see the mark up on most list price or manufacturer's suggested prices?
Internet pricing does work at times.I've never tried.I like in person negotiating.
I have to go to the dealer because I usually have a trade.
01-17-12, 09:27 PM
#21
Tech Info Resource
iTrader: (2)
I've bought a few vehicles in my time, new and used. My Lexus experiences have been some of the best, and some of the not so best.
I bought my IS350 over the Internet after discussing it with the local (Sacramento) dealer who never seemed to be able to find the color and options I wanted. I tried all the dealers in NorCal, none wanted to budge on price in July of '06. Longo Lexus had the car I wanted with the colors and options I wanted at a price no one else wanted to touch. When I posted here on CL about the deal, no one believed the price I paid. Best of all, no finance manager to wrangle out a few more dollars. Elise spent an hour and a half going over every single control, button, ****, and switch on the car. We did a full inspection of the interior and the exterior. We went for a test drive, came back to the dealership, signed all the paperwork, and drove away in 2.5 hours from start to finish - and yes, she picked us up from the airport to boot!
I bought my F locally. I didn't try to wrangle the best possible deal out of them. I got a fair deal with a less than stellar trade-in because an idiot police officer called a scratched rear bumper cover "moderate damage" on carfax. It could have been buffed and clearcoated it was so minor...I didn't do the Internet search because no matter what, I have to deal with JM Family - they own the Southeast for Scion/Toyota/Lexus, and they're not moving much on price. Elise told me I could not buy from Longo for Georgia delivery...
Which brings me to my favorite new car story. I bought my first Supra in 1994. When I got to the finance manager, he started trying to sell me an extended warranty. He even had a visual aid (a Corolla engine computer) to show me the complexity of the device I was buying so I'd be duly impressed and keen on buying protection for this new car. He finished with, "It's only $2200 for the 100k mile, 5 year package."
i replied, "Wait a minute. The guys out on the sales floor were just telling me how reliable these cars are, and now you're telling me it's going to break and I need special insurance for when it does?"
"Oh, NO! I'm just saying in case something happens, you'd want coverage, wouldn't you? How about $1500 for that plan?"
"You know, there isn't anything on this car I can't fix myself, and even if it's something I can't fix, I know the person who can fix it."
"I can go as low at $1226. Would you be interested at that price?"
"For that much money, I can fix almost anything on the car myself. I'm really not interested."
Awkward 2 minutes of silence.
"OK, so I really have to know. If I gave this to you at my cost, $721.00, would you be interested?"
I considered the cost of one of the two turbos failing, and the chance it might happen to me (pretty likely), and decided at that point, $721 was a good deal....I got a free windshield, hatch struts, and passenger's side airbag for my bargaining. I think I made out like a bandit!
I bought my IS350 over the Internet after discussing it with the local (Sacramento) dealer who never seemed to be able to find the color and options I wanted. I tried all the dealers in NorCal, none wanted to budge on price in July of '06. Longo Lexus had the car I wanted with the colors and options I wanted at a price no one else wanted to touch. When I posted here on CL about the deal, no one believed the price I paid. Best of all, no finance manager to wrangle out a few more dollars. Elise spent an hour and a half going over every single control, button, ****, and switch on the car. We did a full inspection of the interior and the exterior. We went for a test drive, came back to the dealership, signed all the paperwork, and drove away in 2.5 hours from start to finish - and yes, she picked us up from the airport to boot!
I bought my F locally. I didn't try to wrangle the best possible deal out of them. I got a fair deal with a less than stellar trade-in because an idiot police officer called a scratched rear bumper cover "moderate damage" on carfax. It could have been buffed and clearcoated it was so minor...I didn't do the Internet search because no matter what, I have to deal with JM Family - they own the Southeast for Scion/Toyota/Lexus, and they're not moving much on price. Elise told me I could not buy from Longo for Georgia delivery...
Which brings me to my favorite new car story. I bought my first Supra in 1994. When I got to the finance manager, he started trying to sell me an extended warranty. He even had a visual aid (a Corolla engine computer) to show me the complexity of the device I was buying so I'd be duly impressed and keen on buying protection for this new car. He finished with, "It's only $2200 for the 100k mile, 5 year package."
i replied, "Wait a minute. The guys out on the sales floor were just telling me how reliable these cars are, and now you're telling me it's going to break and I need special insurance for when it does?"
"Oh, NO! I'm just saying in case something happens, you'd want coverage, wouldn't you? How about $1500 for that plan?"
"You know, there isn't anything on this car I can't fix myself, and even if it's something I can't fix, I know the person who can fix it."
"I can go as low at $1226. Would you be interested at that price?"
"For that much money, I can fix almost anything on the car myself. I'm really not interested."
Awkward 2 minutes of silence.
"OK, so I really have to know. If I gave this to you at my cost, $721.00, would you be interested?"
I considered the cost of one of the two turbos failing, and the chance it might happen to me (pretty likely), and decided at that point, $721 was a good deal....I got a free windshield, hatch struts, and passenger's side airbag for my bargaining. I think I made out like a bandit!
01-18-12, 06:37 PM
#22
Guest
Posts: n/a
Nice stories....here are some of mine
Rick Case Hyundai-Horrible, never will recommend.. Stealership of the year multiple times
Baranco Acura- Horrible, never will recommend.. Such shoddy business practices they either went out of business or renamed themselves "Sons"
Nalley Lexus-Not bad, not great. Salesman was cool, everything was straightforward, no surprises. The extended warranty came in handy.
Lexus of South Atlanta-Horrible, never will recommend. Worst Lexus dealer ever. Lies from head to toe.
Hennessy Lexus of Gwinnett. Best Auto Dealer in the World thus have bought multiple cars from them. I might has sold close to 30 or more cars (probably more I don't keep count) through myself....so I'll share the good stories.
http://www.lexusgwinnett.com/
The bad stories are all similar. Liars, Liars, Liars, pressure, Lying, pressure, Lying, no follow up, **** poor service after the purchase, some bad cars sold, they can all go to hell. I also take some blame myself being young and not being as informed as I should have.
I clearly learned a lot here on CL and reading the internet and just grew up. My story/relationship with Hennessy Lexus of Gwinnett is quite special but I think they are honest more than any other dealer and really try to please the customer. I know this b/c I've sold maybe 30+ cars through myself to them and my friends/family are all happy with the dealer during and AFTER the purchase.
Since we have a relationship I don't try to beat them up over price and they don't beat me up with pressure. They have always offered a fair price. You also have to think, if you haggle to death where they make $3 on the deal when when you come for service or something goes wrong they won't feel too inclined to help since they made no money. Its a give take/take give relationship. A car is most peoples second biggest purchase, not sure why one would not chose a fantastic dealer and have a solid relationship with them.
To me price is not everything. I firmly believe in service and quality and will pay more for it.
Rick Case Hyundai-Horrible, never will recommend.. Stealership of the year multiple times
Baranco Acura- Horrible, never will recommend.. Such shoddy business practices they either went out of business or renamed themselves "Sons"
Nalley Lexus-Not bad, not great. Salesman was cool, everything was straightforward, no surprises. The extended warranty came in handy.
Lexus of South Atlanta-Horrible, never will recommend. Worst Lexus dealer ever. Lies from head to toe.
Hennessy Lexus of Gwinnett. Best Auto Dealer in the World thus have bought multiple cars from them. I might has sold close to 30 or more cars (probably more I don't keep count) through myself....so I'll share the good stories.
http://www.lexusgwinnett.com/
The bad stories are all similar. Liars, Liars, Liars, pressure, Lying, pressure, Lying, no follow up, **** poor service after the purchase, some bad cars sold, they can all go to hell. I also take some blame myself being young and not being as informed as I should have.
I clearly learned a lot here on CL and reading the internet and just grew up. My story/relationship with Hennessy Lexus of Gwinnett is quite special but I think they are honest more than any other dealer and really try to please the customer. I know this b/c I've sold maybe 30+ cars through myself to them and my friends/family are all happy with the dealer during and AFTER the purchase.
Since we have a relationship I don't try to beat them up over price and they don't beat me up with pressure. They have always offered a fair price. You also have to think, if you haggle to death where they make $3 on the deal when when you come for service or something goes wrong they won't feel too inclined to help since they made no money. Its a give take/take give relationship. A car is most peoples second biggest purchase, not sure why one would not chose a fantastic dealer and have a solid relationship with them.
To me price is not everything. I firmly believe in service and quality and will pay more for it.
Last edited by LexFather; 01-18-12 at 06:41 PM.
01-18-12, 07:29 PM
#23
Lexus Test Driver
Ok, I have been on both sides, name is Ryan btw..
As a buyer..
My Lexus IS300, came in, drove it, loved it only had 14k miles back in 2004, price was $25,900, had to finance only wanted to put 10k down, asked me for more, I said reduce price to $25,000, done deal !
1995 Mazda protege, looking for beater car, came in, test drove, it was 2k, sat down, before I started, he said no fees, just price of car, and tags, another done deal..
2007 Mazda 3, working at the dealership at the time, wanted to reach a monthly payment goal, got $2k off the advertised price and no fees, done deal !!
So really in the future, if I think a car is worth the money, I will pay it( except for BS fees), if it is not I will not bother with it, because I know what it is like on the other side....
As a former salesman, and the two main reasons I do not sell cars anymore is, there is no money in it, and they were starting to cut commisson pay by half, if you did not get surveys with 100% satisfaction. I am all for great customer service, but instead of being happy we are selling lots of cars, they just concentrate on stupid BS..could go on, but just want to make some points..
1. The salesperson( unless they are rude to you), is not the bad guy, they are just supposed to greet you, find the car/truck you want and answer you questions.. That's it, be nice to them.
2. Ok found the car you like, and it comes to price, the salesperson again is not the bad guy, he has no power at all, skip the back and forth process, and ask to speak to the manager, to talk price..
3. Do your homework, if you have a trade in, get it appraised at carmax, dealers make all the money on offering low ball money on trade in's, I hated telling the customer, what the manager says what it is worth, it went much better when the manager said it.
4. Please be reasonable, if we show you a actual invoice, for what the dealer paid for the car, you can't say I want "$1000 lower then that", Everyone wants a deal, but some things can't be done. Also know what incentives you qualify for before you get to a dealership, beware of ads from a dealership that shows the same car $2000 less then everyone else, think bait and switch..
5. When you reach a deal and are happy, please give some praise to your salesperson, they work hard, but always are the first to be blamed, last to be praised, and gets paid the lowest by far, if there is a survey, give them top marks, it means more then you will ever know..
So that is some inside info, I can share more if there are any questions..
As a buyer..
My Lexus IS300, came in, drove it, loved it only had 14k miles back in 2004, price was $25,900, had to finance only wanted to put 10k down, asked me for more, I said reduce price to $25,000, done deal !
1995 Mazda protege, looking for beater car, came in, test drove, it was 2k, sat down, before I started, he said no fees, just price of car, and tags, another done deal..
2007 Mazda 3, working at the dealership at the time, wanted to reach a monthly payment goal, got $2k off the advertised price and no fees, done deal !!
So really in the future, if I think a car is worth the money, I will pay it( except for BS fees), if it is not I will not bother with it, because I know what it is like on the other side....
As a former salesman, and the two main reasons I do not sell cars anymore is, there is no money in it, and they were starting to cut commisson pay by half, if you did not get surveys with 100% satisfaction. I am all for great customer service, but instead of being happy we are selling lots of cars, they just concentrate on stupid BS..could go on, but just want to make some points..
1. The salesperson( unless they are rude to you), is not the bad guy, they are just supposed to greet you, find the car/truck you want and answer you questions.. That's it, be nice to them.
2. Ok found the car you like, and it comes to price, the salesperson again is not the bad guy, he has no power at all, skip the back and forth process, and ask to speak to the manager, to talk price..
3. Do your homework, if you have a trade in, get it appraised at carmax, dealers make all the money on offering low ball money on trade in's, I hated telling the customer, what the manager says what it is worth, it went much better when the manager said it.
4. Please be reasonable, if we show you a actual invoice, for what the dealer paid for the car, you can't say I want "$1000 lower then that", Everyone wants a deal, but some things can't be done. Also know what incentives you qualify for before you get to a dealership, beware of ads from a dealership that shows the same car $2000 less then everyone else, think bait and switch..
5. When you reach a deal and are happy, please give some praise to your salesperson, they work hard, but always are the first to be blamed, last to be praised, and gets paid the lowest by far, if there is a survey, give them top marks, it means more then you will ever know..
So that is some inside info, I can share more if there are any questions..
01-18-12, 07:32 PM
#24
Lexus Fanatic
Yep. Totally agree, especially for those who don't do their own service work (which, today, of course, is a strong majority of buyers). For example, It's probably better to pay slightly more on on the initial sale (as long as it's reasonable) and have the dealership take that extra profit and put it into good oil and parts for the service-bays, so that, if you get an oil-change there, you won't drive off with four to six quarts of El-Cheapo junk-oil in your crankcase and a crappy filter. Most dealerships, of course, use factory-brand parts, but I've seen a few try and economize now and then.
Last edited by mmarshall; 01-18-12 at 07:39 PM.
01-19-12, 06:27 AM
#25
Moderator
e.g. When I was looking to possibly trade my pristine 2006 RX400h and purchase a new RX450h this past November, I detailed my RX in advance so it could simply be sitting there sparkling at a distance, I took the test drive I wanted to, he gave me a tour of their impressive new $30M facility, I asked the remaining questions I had from a list he could clearly see, gave the salesperson a copy of the tentative options including list prices as I found them on the web, and research I'd done including my RX400h values printed from KBB, with Sewell price for side moldings and mud flaps (with a polite verbal side comment and raised eyebrow about $750 for side moldings on their showroom stickers 
). We discussed all that and I gave him 5 minutes on why I was coming to his dealership vs. the one 3 miles from my home where I purchased and serviced my RX400h, and a couple examples of why I loved my BMW but was in process of selling it -- tying it all back to my customer service expectations. I told him I'd be in touch. 10 days later I called him to make an appointment for the next morning, saying I wanted to look at colors, had a few more questions and probably wanted to move forward. When I arrived, he had already talked to the GM, Used Car Mgr, and Finance manager about my expectations and this would likely be a "one time shot". He let me just roam around and sit in cars -- giving me his cell number to call if I had questions and he'd come back out (zero pressure - I loved that). My RX400h was inspected, a national search was done for possible matching vehicles, and we closed on the order (yes, under list) with no back-and-forth within an hour. Trade-in was lower than I'd like, but being able to keep it several months until my RX450h arrived helped offset that, and my aggregate cash out of pocket was still OK for me. I put a refundable deposit on my AMEX, and I was on my way still feeling good. A nice thank you letter from my salesperson showed up a couple days later thanking me for my trust and emphasizing he and the dealership would take good care of me. I've received a couple of status emails from my salesperson since. My RX400h trade-in "maintenance required soon" light started appearing last week. I contacted my salesperson, and he said to just ensure it had enough oil, but not to worry with servicing it. 
I should be hearing from him any day now when the dealership receives the VIN on my new RX450h, and expect delivery to go very smoothly with the quality I expect in a $60K luxury car transaction.
). We discussed all that and I gave him 5 minutes on why I was coming to his dealership vs. the one 3 miles from my home where I purchased and serviced my RX400h, and a couple examples of why I loved my BMW but was in process of selling it -- tying it all back to my customer service expectations. I told him I'd be in touch. 10 days later I called him to make an appointment for the next morning, saying I wanted to look at colors, had a few more questions and probably wanted to move forward. When I arrived, he had already talked to the GM, Used Car Mgr, and Finance manager about my expectations and this would likely be a "one time shot". He let me just roam around and sit in cars -- giving me his cell number to call if I had questions and he'd come back out (zero pressure - I loved that). My RX400h was inspected, a national search was done for possible matching vehicles, and we closed on the order (yes, under list) with no back-and-forth within an hour. Trade-in was lower than I'd like, but being able to keep it several months until my RX450h arrived helped offset that, and my aggregate cash out of pocket was still OK for me. I put a refundable deposit on my AMEX, and I was on my way still feeling good. A nice thank you letter from my salesperson showed up a couple days later thanking me for my trust and emphasizing he and the dealership would take good care of me. I've received a couple of status emails from my salesperson since. My RX400h trade-in "maintenance required soon" light started appearing last week. I contacted my salesperson, and he said to just ensure it had enough oil, but not to worry with servicing it. I should be hearing from him any day now when the dealership receives the VIN on my new RX450h, and expect delivery to go very smoothly with the quality I expect in a $60K luxury car transaction.Last edited by BertL; 01-19-12 at 08:05 AM. Reason: Grammar and added maintenance light example
01-27-12, 11:50 PM
#26
Pole Position
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: NY
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Hi everybody, i am planing to finance a used car from Lexus, but before going there i need to find out few things
1. how much usually can go down from shown price?
2. i have good credit, but not long enough and never finance/lease a car yet.
i am 26, me and my wife both of us has stable jobs, am i have any chances to get approved? does anyone went through this before? i would really appreciate it your help. thanks
1. how much usually can go down from shown price?
2. i have good credit, but not long enough and never finance/lease a car yet.
i am 26, me and my wife both of us has stable jobs, am i have any chances to get approved? does anyone went through this before? i would really appreciate it your help. thanks
01-28-12, 08:19 AM
#27
A lot of people have given good advice in the thread already. Here's my take on buying a new Lexus 08 ISF:
how was the test drive?
I walked in the nearest dealer wearing khakis and a button down shirt. Unfortunately, salespeople make snap decisions, why shoot yourself in the foot. Do you want a new car at a good price or do you want to be "right" by showing them a guy in crappy clothes can buy a car. Pick your battles.
how did you approach showing your interest (or lack thereof lol)?
In the test drive, I gave him "honest" feedback. I told him I love the car, but I haven't made up my mind with "my other half" on whether we can afford it right now. It was a lie. I was single and could afford it easily. But it allowed me not to worry about buying the car right there. I just wanted to know if I even wanted the car in the first place or whether I should look at M3's, etc. He asked if I wanted to test drive a IS350. I said no, this is the car I like. He gave me his card, a brochure, and a crappy quote. I left with a huge grin and a heartfelt, "Thank you, let me see how I can persuade the missus" (there is no missus).
did you work from invoice up or sticker down? did you bring up hold back, incentives, and other items?
I reviewed what other people were paying for the car with similar options. I investigated true invoice for the model or across the manufacturer's line-up, figuring with all the rebates, kickbacks, etc. They need to make a profit as well. I figured $1,000 over their true cost is more than enough for them. I did not bring any of this up. I decided what I'll pay and went from there.
how did the dealer salesperson act/react? how did you act/react?
Before contacting any dealers, I made a spreadsheet of dealer names, phone numbers, and more importantly, the live chat links.
I then took an hour to contact all of them via web chat stating, "Hi, I am going to buy a SGM ISF today with blah, blah options. If you can sell one at $xx,xxx. Let me know. I have no interest in wasting your or my time."
2 of the 14 or so dealers on my spreadsheet bit. The others were polite and said no can do. This gives me some feedback that if they are willing to walk away, I must have picked a decent price. In otherwords, if 14 of 14 said, we'll sell it to you, I must have picked a high price because they are quick to sell it without even a counteroffer.
I then replied, "I do not want to drive 2 hours and find I am wasting your or my time. I'm confirming you have it in stock and at this price?"
Both said it's in stock, but instead of confirming price said, come on in, you won't be wasting your time.
did you bring info on paper or your phone, etc.?
This time, I wore shirt and tie and dress pants. I walked in with a very thin portfolio case (the kind that just fits a pad of papers in it, something like this but all black). All I had was 3 sheets of paper. One was the spreadsheet with all the lexus dealer's contact info. I had made some handwritten notes in the margins so if they happen to see my paper, they can see I have handwritten notes. The second was a list of comebacks for me and anticipated responses and counter arguments if I need them. The third was just garbage so I can pretend I have to review information, or think about some decision. I also had a small calculator to pretend I'm calculating something (like trade in costs, finance rates, etc). All of these are to be used only if needed! They are not for show or to play a game. I would only access them if needed. When I sat down at the dealer's desk, I put the portfolio and calculator on his desk so he sees it. That's all he needs to see at this point.
I walked in the dealer, told the receptionist that I was there to see so-and-so. Unfortunately, it was about 6PM and so-and-so left. Another salesman came to the front. I told him I was there to buy an ISF. He took me to his office, we sat down, I pulled out a sheet of paper (never let them see what you have, but also don't play games, look at it only if you need to, otherwise, don't refer to it, just have it open) and said, "I'm here to buy an ISF with this model, color and this price."
He took a few minutes to pull up his inventory. While he was doing that, we made some small talk or if he was focusing on the computer, I reviews my comebacks and counter-arguments in case they are needed. He told me they have it and asked about the price. I told him that's what I'll pay and his competitor also has it for that price. He asked if they have it in stock. I replied, "Yes." short and sweet. I did say the only reason I'm sitting in your office is they are 15 miles further but "I am going there next as they assured me they'll sell it to me."
He said, can you hold on a minute. Walked away for about 3 minutes, during which I again reviews my counter-arguments. He came back and said okay.
We shook heads and he brought the paperwork out. I never had to use my calculator.
do you think it was a good deal in the end?
I think for the next year, I kept my eyes open and haven't t seen anyone pay less than me.
do you think the dealer salesperson played fair or was only out to rip you off? how did it go after the initial sale with the infamouse finance and interest guys who try to sell you a whole bunch more stuff (packages, extended warranties, etc.)?
They are out to make a comfortable living. They are not your friend. Determine your true price and stick to it. You may want to talk about "out the door" cost to have an easy out if they include something extra on the invoice that they shouldn't.
how close do you think you got to expectations you had prior to going in (if you had any)? anything else you can think of to help anyone here not go into a gun fight with a knife!
I knew the lowest price someone claimed to have paid on the internet. I knew what reports were saying dealer kick-backs, holdbacks, rebates, etc were. I made a decision that he deserves about $1,000 for 10 minutes of my time and went with that mentality. I also had arguments if I need to pull them out. "Your competitor will sell it for that price" (It has to be true, you don't want them to call your bluff or your SOL) or "as you know Lexus sales are slow, I'm willing to wait" etc. Turns out I didn't need to do any of that because I set my expectations early with them:
1. I am buying an ISF today.
2. I will pay this much.
3. I have 2 dealers with it in stock willing to sell it at that price. You called back first so I'm sitting in your office.
how was the test drive?
I walked in the nearest dealer wearing khakis and a button down shirt. Unfortunately, salespeople make snap decisions, why shoot yourself in the foot. Do you want a new car at a good price or do you want to be "right" by showing them a guy in crappy clothes can buy a car. Pick your battles.
how did you approach showing your interest (or lack thereof lol)?
In the test drive, I gave him "honest" feedback. I told him I love the car, but I haven't made up my mind with "my other half" on whether we can afford it right now. It was a lie. I was single and could afford it easily. But it allowed me not to worry about buying the car right there. I just wanted to know if I even wanted the car in the first place or whether I should look at M3's, etc. He asked if I wanted to test drive a IS350. I said no, this is the car I like. He gave me his card, a brochure, and a crappy quote. I left with a huge grin and a heartfelt, "Thank you, let me see how I can persuade the missus" (there is no missus).
did you work from invoice up or sticker down? did you bring up hold back, incentives, and other items?
I reviewed what other people were paying for the car with similar options. I investigated true invoice for the model or across the manufacturer's line-up, figuring with all the rebates, kickbacks, etc. They need to make a profit as well. I figured $1,000 over their true cost is more than enough for them. I did not bring any of this up. I decided what I'll pay and went from there.
how did the dealer salesperson act/react? how did you act/react?
Before contacting any dealers, I made a spreadsheet of dealer names, phone numbers, and more importantly, the live chat links.
I then took an hour to contact all of them via web chat stating, "Hi, I am going to buy a SGM ISF today with blah, blah options. If you can sell one at $xx,xxx. Let me know. I have no interest in wasting your or my time."
2 of the 14 or so dealers on my spreadsheet bit. The others were polite and said no can do. This gives me some feedback that if they are willing to walk away, I must have picked a decent price. In otherwords, if 14 of 14 said, we'll sell it to you, I must have picked a high price because they are quick to sell it without even a counteroffer.
I then replied, "I do not want to drive 2 hours and find I am wasting your or my time. I'm confirming you have it in stock and at this price?"
Both said it's in stock, but instead of confirming price said, come on in, you won't be wasting your time.
did you bring info on paper or your phone, etc.?
This time, I wore shirt and tie and dress pants. I walked in with a very thin portfolio case (the kind that just fits a pad of papers in it, something like this but all black). All I had was 3 sheets of paper. One was the spreadsheet with all the lexus dealer's contact info. I had made some handwritten notes in the margins so if they happen to see my paper, they can see I have handwritten notes. The second was a list of comebacks for me and anticipated responses and counter arguments if I need them. The third was just garbage so I can pretend I have to review information, or think about some decision. I also had a small calculator to pretend I'm calculating something (like trade in costs, finance rates, etc). All of these are to be used only if needed! They are not for show or to play a game. I would only access them if needed. When I sat down at the dealer's desk, I put the portfolio and calculator on his desk so he sees it. That's all he needs to see at this point.
I walked in the dealer, told the receptionist that I was there to see so-and-so. Unfortunately, it was about 6PM and so-and-so left. Another salesman came to the front. I told him I was there to buy an ISF. He took me to his office, we sat down, I pulled out a sheet of paper (never let them see what you have, but also don't play games, look at it only if you need to, otherwise, don't refer to it, just have it open) and said, "I'm here to buy an ISF with this model, color and this price."
He took a few minutes to pull up his inventory. While he was doing that, we made some small talk or if he was focusing on the computer, I reviews my comebacks and counter-arguments in case they are needed. He told me they have it and asked about the price. I told him that's what I'll pay and his competitor also has it for that price. He asked if they have it in stock. I replied, "Yes." short and sweet. I did say the only reason I'm sitting in your office is they are 15 miles further but "I am going there next as they assured me they'll sell it to me."
He said, can you hold on a minute. Walked away for about 3 minutes, during which I again reviews my counter-arguments. He came back and said okay.
We shook heads and he brought the paperwork out. I never had to use my calculator.
do you think it was a good deal in the end?
I think for the next year, I kept my eyes open and haven't t seen anyone pay less than me.
do you think the dealer salesperson played fair or was only out to rip you off? how did it go after the initial sale with the infamouse finance and interest guys who try to sell you a whole bunch more stuff (packages, extended warranties, etc.)?
They are out to make a comfortable living. They are not your friend. Determine your true price and stick to it. You may want to talk about "out the door" cost to have an easy out if they include something extra on the invoice that they shouldn't.
how close do you think you got to expectations you had prior to going in (if you had any)? anything else you can think of to help anyone here not go into a gun fight with a knife!
I knew the lowest price someone claimed to have paid on the internet. I knew what reports were saying dealer kick-backs, holdbacks, rebates, etc were. I made a decision that he deserves about $1,000 for 10 minutes of my time and went with that mentality. I also had arguments if I need to pull them out. "Your competitor will sell it for that price" (It has to be true, you don't want them to call your bluff or your SOL) or "as you know Lexus sales are slow, I'm willing to wait" etc. Turns out I didn't need to do any of that because I set my expectations early with them:
1. I am buying an ISF today.
2. I will pay this much.
3. I have 2 dealers with it in stock willing to sell it at that price. You called back first so I'm sitting in your office.
Last edited by testmetest; 01-28-12 at 08:23 AM.
01-28-12, 09:05 AM
#28
Recovering Lexus Addict
Here's a funny story about follow-up at a Lexus dealer:
I bought my 01 LX470 on the day after Christmas from Lexus of Ann Arbor. (Thanks to Carguy89 for alerting me to this ride. I owe him dinner, but don't tell him.) I was back at the dealership last Wednesday for some warranty work on the car - tighten up the rear bumper cover. I waited there, working in the lounge, and then walked out to the showroom to talk with my salesman when they were about done. I heard my name called from the new car sales manager's office and there was my neighbor. I was surprised to see him since the last time we talked about his work was last spring when he was just starting at a new Nissan dealer near Lansing. He said he was just there for a short while to help out a friend and that he'd been at this gig since summer.
He said he had no idea I had bought a car there until his wife needled him about who owned the new LX she'd seen driving around the neighborhood with his dealership's plate frames and a temp tag. When they were out for a walk later in the week, they saw my LX in the driveway and figured it out.
I bought my 01 LX470 on the day after Christmas from Lexus of Ann Arbor. (Thanks to Carguy89 for alerting me to this ride. I owe him dinner, but don't tell him.) I was back at the dealership last Wednesday for some warranty work on the car - tighten up the rear bumper cover. I waited there, working in the lounge, and then walked out to the showroom to talk with my salesman when they were about done. I heard my name called from the new car sales manager's office and there was my neighbor. I was surprised to see him since the last time we talked about his work was last spring when he was just starting at a new Nissan dealer near Lansing. He said he was just there for a short while to help out a friend and that he'd been at this gig since summer.
He said he had no idea I had bought a car there until his wife needled him about who owned the new LX she'd seen driving around the neighborhood with his dealership's plate frames and a temp tag. When they were out for a walk later in the week, they saw my LX in the driveway and figured it out.
01-28-12, 10:06 AM
#29
Lexus Champion
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: BayArea2RockyMountains
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Car dealers have such a bad reputation. I operate and run mine exactly opposite of that. My customers are always happy, always come back and leave great reviews. Times have changed and the whole sales approach and process needs to also.
01-28-12, 12:32 PM
#30
Lexus Fanatic
I have been in actually in the process right now going to dealers with my friends and family members. My friends are both getting used cars and my family member already know what she wants 2012 es350. I honestly hate dealers and everything about them. They think they are God's gift to the earth when in reality they are bottom of the barrel. My friends get pissed with me because, I am not gonna lie, they are morons and they fall for the typical dealer tricks.
I always freshen up on a read of the Art of War if you haven't read this yet, you need to
http://www.amazon.com/Art-War-Sun-Tz...6642721&sr=8-1
A dealer/salesman is not your friend he is in fact your enemy, they will do whatever it takes to rip you off and make buy something. 90% are just as stupid as their customers and know nothing about cars. All they know how to do is write a number on a paper and circle it.
*don't believe a word these dealers say, they all lie*
I always try and go for the least amount of interaction as possible. I always tell them I want test drive it without them and will tell them "I dont feel like listening to your bull****, we are going to buy a car regardless if you are there or not" We negotiation time happens I will always, always always start extremely low; When we bought an accord in 2004 they wanted 24k I offered 19k cash. We settled at 20.4k. Dealers have a lot of wiggle room to sell a car, Never buy a car out of emotion always buy with your brain, be smart and do not be afraid to walk out. You will know if you want to buy the car, the salesman does not, and he will bother you until he can sell it.
Good points for negotiations: (your turn to stretch the truth) I dont like the color, I dont like the amount of miles, I dunno if I really like this car. I was ready to buy this car ( find their closest competitor ) and throw out a ridiculous price. If they are serious about wanted to sell the car they will make a deal happen. Never feels pressured and never buy anything on the spot. always sleep on it!
I always freshen up on a read of the Art of War if you haven't read this yet, you need to
http://www.amazon.com/Art-War-Sun-Tz...6642721&sr=8-1
A dealer/salesman is not your friend he is in fact your enemy, they will do whatever it takes to rip you off and make buy something. 90% are just as stupid as their customers and know nothing about cars. All they know how to do is write a number on a paper and circle it.
*don't believe a word these dealers say, they all lie*
I always try and go for the least amount of interaction as possible. I always tell them I want test drive it without them and will tell them "I dont feel like listening to your bull****, we are going to buy a car regardless if you are there or not" We negotiation time happens I will always, always always start extremely low; When we bought an accord in 2004 they wanted 24k I offered 19k cash. We settled at 20.4k. Dealers have a lot of wiggle room to sell a car, Never buy a car out of emotion always buy with your brain, be smart and do not be afraid to walk out. You will know if you want to buy the car, the salesman does not, and he will bother you until he can sell it.
Good points for negotiations: (your turn to stretch the truth) I dont like the color, I dont like the amount of miles, I dunno if I really like this car. I was ready to buy this car ( find their closest competitor ) and throw out a ridiculous price. If they are serious about wanted to sell the car they will make a deal happen. Never feels pressured and never buy anything on the spot. always sleep on it!
I feel the same way. They are all thieves. The time I bought my GS350 brand new the dealer salesman told me " Im not going to nickel and dime with you......you're a doctor". This POS figured because he thinks Im rich that my money means less to me. I chewed his *** out, called the next dealership from the parking lot of that dealership and told the first salesman I could get a hold of that I would be there in 30 minutes and ready to buy a brand new GS. I got the car from there the same day. Once they see your income then they sit down and start to screw you. I hate car salesmen and dealerships. I used to not have an issue with service side until today when they tried to charge me close to $700 for 4 tire pressure sensors!!!!!!!!!!!!