New car musings

[MadImmortalMan]

You should be able to get them to give you a trade in price before you do anything.

[DGuller]

Sounds like the trade-in question is pretty simple after all.  Get them to give me a trade-in quote before I do anything with the lease, and then compare.  Double taxation shouldn't be an issue, since the trade-in is subtracted from the new car price.

I have another question.  I've looked behind the couch cushions, went through my pockets, counted my penny jar, and it turns out that I have enough in my bank accounts to pay for the car in full.    

How much leverage, if any, does that give me in the new car price negotiations, if I can just offer to write a check and be done with it?  I don't see any financing deals at the moment, so my guess is not much, since I'm not going to be saving them any financial subsidies, but I hope I'm wrong.

[Barrister]

Sounds like the trade-in question is pretty simple after all.  Get them to give me a trade-in quote before I do anything with the lease, and then compare.  Double taxation shouldn't be an issue, since the trade-in is subtracted from the new car price.

I have another question.  I've looked behind the couch cushions, went through my pockets, counted my penny jar, and it turns out that I have enough in my bank accounts to pay for the car in full.    

How much leverage, if any, does that give me in the new car price negotiations, if I can just offer to write a check and be done with it?  I don't see any financing deals at the moment, so my guess is not much, since I'm not going to be saving them any financial subsidies, but I hope I'm wrong.

It depends.  Supposedly at one point car companies made money on financing, so they'd give you a better price on the car expecting to make it up in interest.  On the other hand some companies use "0% interest" as a sales point, but you know that is being made up in the cost of the vehicle.

Go in and tell them you mght be able to pay in full, but are uncomfortable tying all of your money up so are looking at financing, and see what they can do for you either way.

[DGuller]

Good idea.

[Zanza2]

You should obviously get a Mercedes, not some stupid BMW, Audi or VW.

Have a look at the Mercedes C63 AMG. That's a fun car to drive. I could only drive it for half an hour, but it is really insanely good.

I've got an Mercedes S500 with a fuel card for the next weekend. Will be fun on the autobahn.

[alfred russel]

It depends.  Supposedly at one point car companies made money on financing, so they'd give you a better price on the car expecting to make it up in interest.  On the other hand some companies use "0% interest" as a sales point, but you know that is being made up in the cost of the vehicle.

Go in and tell them you mght be able to pay in full, but are uncomfortable tying all of your money up so are looking at financing, and see what they can do for you either way.

I've been told (not sure how true this is) that it is best to negotiate the price of the car without brining in the payment terms, and then once you have a deal negotiating the payment terms. For example, if you are going to pay lump sum, they may be more inclined to push for a higher price because they know they won't make anything in interest.

My advice: 1) negotiate the price without discussing financing or trade in. If they want to toss in 0%, keep the value in the back of your mind but don't negotiate that.
2) Then bring up the trade in. 3) Then once you have a deal, discuss financing.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Interesting bump timing.  I had dropped my car off at the service department yesterday to get a bunch of stuff checked out when I had some time (A/C making weird noise + not getting cold, abnormal vibration and noise when the engine is running, puddle of power steering fluid on the garage floor, door suddenly fucking squeaks), and they just called me back about 20 minutes ago:

A/C Compressor is fucked, needs replacement
2x engine mounts collapsed, need replacement
Hole in the power steering reservoir, needs replacement
A/C pollen filter clogged, needs replacement
Serpentine belt needs replacement
Some asshole dented my door down at the very bottom front corner, causing that to rub on the body work.  It's not a body shop, but they can try to adjust the door on the hinge so it won't rub anymore

Thank god for warranties.  Total cost to me: $50 + $230 for the belt, filter, and door if I want them to fix that stuff out too.  You know...instead of more than $2000 + the $230.

I won't have a rental car until probably Thursday though. 

[DGuller]

I've had a "fun" visit to the Audi dealership tonight.  The guy I first talked to there weeks ago, and who I really liked, wasn't there, so a far less pleasant guy was talking to me instead.  Not only was he far too aggressive for my tastes, and talked to me like I was slightly retarded and unable to do the math, but he also had a plaque on his table describing how "Horsepower sells cars, torque wins races."     Oh, how I hate that stupid, stupid saying.  I would've preferred if he called me Dorsey than to have to read that gibberish.

Beeb was right; they won't be offering me >$14k as a trade-in, and the more I pressed the issue, the more they acted like they were about to tow my car from the parking lot, because it disgusted them so much.  They did offer to take in the car and waive the turn-in fee, which is $350, so that's not too bad (although the inspector told me that I could negotiate it away anyway due to my very low mileage).  I'm not giving up yet on the idea of buying out and trading in, but I am giving up on that idea with that dealership.

When it came to the new car, I was shocked that the first quote he gave me was $1000 below invoice.  I expected the final price to be right around there, as that's what the Internet quotes were, but I didn't expect to be hit with it right away as a first offer.     Anyway, I got hit to write down the full quote, with all the fees and everything, and went home.  Next time I come there, I'm going to make sure that the first guy is in and available.

[DGuller]

You should obviously get a Mercedes, not some stupid BMW, Audi or VW.

Have a look at the Mercedes C63 AMG. That's a fun car to drive. I could only drive it for half an hour, but it is really insanely good.

Maybe when I'm 60.  

As for C63, I'm afraid it's far too expensive for me, and far too powerful.  We don't have autobahns here, we just have plenty of speed traps.  One of the reasons I like the Audi is that its 210 HP engine with the typical turbo power curve is just right.  Zippy enough to be fun, but not so pointlessly powerful that you drive around constantly with blue balls after you blip the throttle and hit the speed limit.

[CountDeMoney]

I am a fully-converted Jeep Wranglerer.  I hop curbs and black families.

[DGuller]

Further investigation on the Internet revealed two things.  My used car is hot, but ain't hot enough to bother buying back just for trade-in.  Waiver of the $350 fee is a pretty good deal.  Secondly, the offer on the new car the guy gave me was within $200 of the best I could get on the Internet, guaranteed.  He was fair on both accounts, which makes his dickishness a bit more puzzling.  If you're going to adopt the tactic of dropping the bullshit and going straight to the point when it comes to price, you should probably also drop the tactic of being an asshole. 

[Ed Anger]

I am a fully-converted Jeep Wranglerer.  I hop curbs and black families.

Plus you'll be able to drive to the store in a snowstorm. And run over black families trudging home after the Pookiemobile slid off the road.

[katmai]

I am a fully-converted Jeep Wranglerer.  I hop curbs and black families.

Plus you'll be able to drive to the store in a snowstorm. And run over black families trudging home after the Pookiemobile slid off the road.

It isn't the vehicle, it is the driver.
I get around all winter in a Honda. Accord

[Ed Anger]

I am a fully-converted Jeep Wranglerer.  I hop curbs and black families.

Plus you'll be able to drive to the store in a snowstorm. And run over black families trudging home after the Pookiemobile slid off the road.

It isn't the vehicle, it is the driver.
I get around all winter in a Honda. Accord

All I know is I could plow threw shit in my Grand Cherokee's. Including you people in riceballs.

RIP, Greenie and Blackie. 

[Scipio]

I am a fully-converted Jeep Wranglerer.  I hop curbs and black families.

Plus you'll be able to drive to the store in a snowstorm. And run over black families trudging home after the Pookiemobile slid off the road.

It isn't the vehicle, it is the driver.
I get around all winter in a Honda. Accord

I get around year-round in a Honda Accord coupe.  Cause I'm cool like dat.