GreenHybrid - Hybrid Cars - View Single Post - Who had more information you or your salesperson

tjd24 · #18 (**permalink**) 07-19-2007, 05:55 AM

I always thoroughly research the cars I'm interested in to narrow the list to those I want to test-drive. Once I'm down to the Best & Final I go to sites such as edmunds.com & kbb.com (Kelley Blue Book) to see Invoice Pricing & what other customers are paying as market price.

In visiting the Dealer for the test-drive I seek to confirm any features I've read but don't completely understand & if the salesman "says-so" I ask to see the feature demo'd &/or in the Owner's Manual description. My TCH purchase was done in 45 minutes, though after whatever time I spent on my own & a previous test-drive visit which may have lasted 1.5 hours at another Dealer (who didn't have the loaded TCH in the color I wanted). I realy appreciate the ability to check Dealer inventory on-line - at least you know they show the model in-stock though always good to call to confirm. I asked for an on-line quote on the TCH I purchases & brought that quote to the Dealership in closing the deal. Good thing as the salesperson mis-quoted NJ Registration for a Hybrid & tried to get me to pay $100 more to which I pointed to the on-line quote I received from him - his sales manager honored the quote.

To close the deal I do build a spreadsheet of what the Car lists for & at Invoice to determine the spread, plus known Dealer Hold-back which they never want to negotiate on but sets up that I know there is more to play with on their side. I even show the spreadsheet to drive home I know what the spread is between where they can be & where I want to be in final price. I also priced Accessories which become part of the negotiation in-terms of discounted selling price & installation price to which they have room on as-well. Final note - I pressed for pin-stripe to be included & was told they only do that for "showroom" cars - to which I say, are you going to lose the sale over "pin-stripes"? Deal done... When it came time to discuss ToyotaCare I was armed with the Toyota of Greenfield price for the 0/7/1000,000 plan to leverage the Dealer - he couldn't match it so I went with Troy.

Always be more prepared than the salesperson or dealer staff (sales manager, finance manager).