Metro Detroit Car Shopping

I'm kind of hoping for some recent experiences please. My old man totalled his car & now the hunt for another one has started. However, we've not purchased a car in over 7 yrs. I guess I'm asking what should I expect. I remember the "bad old days" of price haggling and trying to chew down the price with the salesperson at the dealer. It seems to me now that activity is gone out with VCRs & other old stuff. My perception is that now there is no negotiating down the price, just looking to see what discounts/incentives you can get & what kind of financing you can get off the sticker price. Is this correct? Just wondering what others have had in more recent experiences before I start hitting the dealerships. Any input is appreciated.

Nothing's changed. If you can't get a friends and family discount, then you need to haggle. The stealerships want you to believe you don't need to haggle.

You do have a new ally in the internet.

Don't overlook gems like this https://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/cto/5429237997.html

https://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/cto/5420042798.html

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jackie5275

I'm kind of hoping for some recent experiences please. My old man totalled his car & now the hunt for another one has started. However, we've not purchased a car in over 7 yrs. I guess I'm asking what should I expect. I remember the "bad old days" of price haggling and trying to chew down the price with the salesperson at the dealer. It seems to me now that activity is gone out with VCRs & other old stuff. My perception is that now there is no negotiating down the price, just looking to see what discounts/incentives you can get & what kind of financing you can get off the sticker price. Is this correct? Just wondering what others have had in more recent experiences before I start hitting the dealerships. Any input is appreciated.

---

Zacha341 tells me the new ones come with those "USB ports", and 2 lighters.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ndavies

Nothing's changed. If you can't get a friends and family discount, then you need to haggle. The stealerships want you to believe you don't need to haggle.

You do have a new ally in the internet.

---

I have to agree. My last experience was unfortunately due to a tree falling on my car and I experienced the same old crap - salesperson attempting to sell me what he wanted to get rid of despite my being very specific with the type of car and options I wanted, another dealer kept doing the "talk to my manager" thing, it's not changed at all.

All the old rules still apply, make them talk about total cost, get the financing cemented before you leave [[if you can get a pre-approval through a credit union or other entity I'd go with that), look through the paperwork carefully to see if they've added extended warranty or service contract, gap insurance [[and I'd like to add that if you have a decent insurance company with good coverage, gap insurance is NOT needed)...I'm a woman, so they try all these things with me, which makes buying a car a real hassle.

we haggled for an escape in 2012 with 1 1/2% financing. out of all the ford dealerships in the area, roy o'brien was the best. we even got better pricing than the "friends and family".

also, was told today that costco is selling cars through participating dealers and at a fair price. don't know anything about it but i just might take a look.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jackie5275

I'm kind of hoping for some recent experiences please. My old man totalled his car & now the hunt for another one has started. However, we've not purchased a car in over 7 yrs. I guess I'm asking what should I expect. I remember the "bad old days" of price haggling and trying to chew down the price with the salesperson at the dealer. It seems to me now that activity is gone out with VCRs & other old stuff. My perception is that now there is no negotiating down the price, just looking to see what discounts/incentives you can get & what kind of financing you can get off the sticker price. Is this correct? Just wondering what others have had in more recent experiences before I start hitting the dealerships. Any input is appreciated.

---

Wow..... I think you couldn't be more wrong. Haggling is as alive and well as it's ever been. Huge discounts on 4 door sedans, less so on small SUV's. Honda and Toyota discount a lot, Kia and Hundai not as much. The big three all discount. VW discounts big time. Go ahead and make an offer on a vehicle you like because that's exactly what they're expecting you to do.

In Arizona, AAA offered a auto broker service that worked very well for me.

You told them what you want and what you wanted to pay. They put the request out on their broker network. No haggling. If they could find it, they'd tell you and you inspected, approved, and bought it from them. Of course the more reasonable your request, the sooner they'd find it. Real simple.

They found me a two-year-old 1999 Mustang GT for $7k less than the local asking price.

I think Michigan AAA did not offer the service at the time but if you can find a similar broker that might be a good way to go.

To avoid initial depreciation, always buy two or three years old.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by black gold man

Don't overlook gems like this https://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/cto/5429237997.html

https://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/cto/5420042798.html

---

The first one was deleted by the time I looked at it. However, the second one WOW!!! My dad had a 1975 Newport. Looking at those pictures took me back in time. If I had some extra Dream Cruise cash, I'd check it out in person. However, that won't fit what I need for my old man's daily commute to Flint.

Uh, if I said that I meant to say two or more USB ports on the new ones. Old an older car like mine [[a 2000 luxury level Japanese foreign model) surprisingly for the age I have a cigg lighter AND an extra bullet USB adapter hole for phones and stuff.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Zacha341 tells me the new ones come with those "USB ports", and 2 lighters.

---

Goodness! And I thought I drove an old car!! Nice finish though....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by black gold man

Don't overlook gems like this

https://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/cto/5420042798.html

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Uh, if I said that I meant to say two or more USB ports on the new ones. Old an older car like mine [[a 2000 luxury level Japanese foreign model) surprisingly for the age I have a cigg lighter AND an extra bullet USB adapter hole for phones and stuff.

---

Your hooptie's as old as my hooptie. I too have a cigarette lighter, and an extra "charging port", they're the latest thing, you know.

Don't cha' love NOT having a car note - in addition to the high Detroit car insurance! Plus, I have access to another older car if need be!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Don't cha' love NOT having a car note - in addition to the high Detroit car insurance! Plus, I have access to another older car if need be!

---

It's been a good long while since I've owned a car, but my last one cost $400 and about $30/month to insure [[GP address). Great gas mileage too. I sold it 5 months later for $200 when I returned to NY. My time was worth more than the extra $100 I probably could have gotten had I kept trying.

I'll never drive anything like that again, but no matter how easily or not I could afford it, you'll never see me drive a luxury car either.

A good honest horse is all people really need. Not the newest. Not the prettiest. Not the fastest. Not the most prestigious pedigree. :cool:

^^^ I'm feeling you on that! I drive a USED somewhat luxury level that does not rate as luxury per se. It even takes standard size wheels! So it works out on affordability.

I had to purchase it from a dealership though, as less people are selling used cars privately [[too dangerous in some cases). So I paid about a grand more than I would have a private sale. Oh well.

^^^ I read advice recently how to conduct a used car purchase in Brazil, where those transactions can be dangerous.

From the buyer's perspective, it went something like this:

1) Get to know a mechanic at a car dealership near a safe mall;
2) Reserve a hotel room near the mall and car dealership;
3) Schedule appointments 2 hours apart at the Starbucks in the safe mall with sellers all day long, and the next day if necessary;
4) Each time you meet a seller, allow them to size you up before they agree to show you the car [[they're going to be worried you'll drive off with it); Meanwhile size up the seller;
5) If you pass that test, check out the car in the garage, and bring a refrigerator magnet so you can make sure it sticks everywhere along the body to detect an unspecified bondo repair;
6) If it passes that test, pay the parking, take it for a test drive;
7) If it passes that test, take it to the dealership, pay the mechanic to do a quick inspection;
8) If it passes that test, ask the seller for the paperwork;
9) If it's provided, and it looks legit, drive to the hotel, where you have ample cash hidden in the room, so you can pay on the spot [[the seller will accept nothing else).
10) Be prepared to go to a branch of the seller's bank so he can deposit it directly there and never has to carry so much cash without security.

Steps 9 and 10 will soon be replaced with a person-to-person mobile digital payment. The cash transaction, and the test drive [[for the seller), are the most dangerous parts.

We're not Brazil, but it seems in some ways we're getting closer. I liked it growing up trusting people. Let's still can.

Attachment 29389
My new car. Just picked it up Thursday

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ndavies

Attachment 29389
My new car. Just picked it up Thursday

---

You have my seal of approval. Enjoy!

Looks like it could be a good horse!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ndavies

Attachment 29389
My new car. Just picked it up Thursday

---

Nice Stang, is it a GT ?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

Nice Stang, is it a GT ?

---

Yes, 2016 GT convertible with the GT performance package. Manual Transmission. 430 Horses.

Wow! I miss driving a stick sometimes. Nice car!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Wow! I miss driving a stick sometimes. Nice car!

---

Personally, I won't by a manual. I don't like them in heavy traffic, stop and go and they're a lot harder to sell when you're ready to get something different. It limits the amount of potential buyers.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ndavies

Yes, 2016 GT convertible with the GT performance package. Manual Transmission. 430 Horses.

---

It's a really nice car, but I don't see a point to a manual on them anymore. Last time I test drove a GT at the Ford dealership, the automatics came with a toggle to use a paddle shifter on the steering wheel like the supercars. If you're taking it to the track, a paddle shifter is way better timewise with this kind of hp. I've got a manual now and the clutch started slipping at 50K miles and I'm not even abusing it, so any savings initially on the manual version was lost on replacing the clutch later on and the clutch is not even covered under Ford's so called bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by softailrider

Personally, I won't by a manual. I don't like them in heavy traffic, stop and go and they're a lot harder to sell when you're ready to get something different. It limits the amount of potential buyers.

---

That's the advantage to having several vehicles. I have other vehicles I drive when I know the traffic/weather is going to be miserable [[like driving to work or in a snow storm). This car won't see any salt and only a limited number of days commuting.

I don't worry about resale. I usually keep them until they are completely warn out.