Lets Make A Deal

Me: What should i expect from a dealer? I know they have a profit margin ... i can pay cash or i can get a loan. I can get a loan from my credit union (LIKE CASH) or i can go thru the dealer (or I can just pay cash cash but i think i want a loan to jack up my credit rating).. Do dealers lower the cost of the car if i took a loan out thru them? Does having a TRADE IN affect the price of the CAR (more or less). What's my best angle to get the lowest price possible?

(I think i might hold out for this OBAMA bill to pass where we get a $4500 rebate if the car we trade in has higher mileage than the car we buy).

Mom's right he is going to give us BUCKETS of MONEY. : )

Jim: Looks like the $4500 offer will apply to older vehicles with less than 18MPG and you have to improve by 10 MPG with the new car. Assuming your present car was 18 MPG or less you may get $4500 off a new car. I’d wait for the details before you buy a new car as that is a bunch of dough. Congress is being pushed hard to get this through so details will probably be pretty firm in 60 -90 days.

Best angle is multiple quotes and don’t be afraid to walk. When you trade-in that complicates the issue but you will be looking for the lowest net cost. If they are going to test drive your old car bring a second set of keys as dealers will sometimes lose your keys temporarily so they can talk you into buying. Always, always buy on the last day of the month and late in the day. You may save a couple of bucks with their financing but not much. Don’t get the longer term warranty unless it is about 5% or the total car cost and can offer another 3 years or 50000 miles.

Me: Thanks Jim this is good information. I also sent this to Mike and he said it helps to be Ukranian (funny). He also had some good suggestions but they do a lot of research and I am such an impulse buyer. I pick haircuts based on what the lady whose cutting my hair has. At this point i am having trouble separating myself from my money now that i have it, and my current car is better than just a good car if i want practical (it gets 26-28 mpg) so i think i CAN walk away. Car dealers sound a lot like insurance agents.

Laura: Bullshit, get a MANUAL, how about Hummer? That'll keep ya safe!

ME: Well yeah if i want 12 mpg ... the amount of money i got from the house just barely fills my mattress so its not THAT much. ..and if i get another manual car then i can keep my bmw and mom will kill me. i want a new car for my image not because i need one...and a hummer probably isn't safe. I bet it rolls easy.

Laura: A HUMMER won't roll. And it could be bullet proof which would be a good feature in YOUR neighborhood! What kind of image does a mini-cooper give you?

Me: British cool i hope, i was going for hot but i suspect more like middle aged woman midlife crisis since i've been surveying my friends and thats what 50% of them have (well i asked 4 people and really only 2 of them are friends). I am trying to lose the soccer mom look anyway. The good thing about where I live is that there is a retired EMT two doors down and my landlord is a fireman.

Laura: you know i'm just teasing you, get what you like, you deserve it. British cool sounds about right. My friend Connie has one, she loves it. She's partial to BMWs because the dealer washes it for free whenever she likes. She's in some BMW club too.

ME: I could tell..... actually what i think would be safe others would characterize as aggressive.. i'd want a snowplow on the front (to clip anybody who got to close and to ensure people would yield the right of way ALWAYS) and some of those James Bond spikes on my hub caps that NEVER retract.

AS IT TURNED OUT I AM NOT GOING TO GET A NEW CAR (changed my mind..don't want to
part with the money).