Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 2, 1991 TAG: 9104020341
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAMES VINCENT BRADY FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
We would have advised you to shop during the winter holidays and in January and February, when sellers are positively desperate.
Dull? Well, yes. And what do we know of love, anyway?
Not to take the fun out of rushing out rashly and spending thousands of dollars on impulse, but following a couple of points of strategy may actually put you in that dream car for less than you thought.
First, consider used, even if you like to buy new.
Most really sleek, perfect one- and two-year-old cars haven't been abused; the bloom's merely off. Their owners usually have had changes of heart (marital status, employment, second thoughts after a first year of payments or, of course, leaving old dependable for Another Car).
If you're bent on buying new anyway, here's the drill:
The quick study. Read car magazine road tests and the "Consumer Reports" reviews of your beloved. Keep in mind, car magazines tend to be kind, while Consumer Reports can be unmerciful. You must decide what matters, because ultimately you would have to live with ashtrays that are Much Worse Than Average.
Once you've decided on the car for you, look up the dealer cost and suggested retail of the model you're considering in a price-guide book, the most popular of which are by "Edmund's" ($4.95 and available at most bookstores). "Edmund's" publishes both foreign and new car price guides, so you'll have to pick the book that applies to the car you are considering.
After checking the figures, fix in mind a price you'd be willing to pay. Keep in mind that dealers of popular cars - like Toyota, for instance - will not discount the way dealers of less popular cars, like Eagle, will.
Be confident in your common sense. Do you really want to pay $1,600 more than the cost of the base-level Dodge Stealth for a Mitsubishi 3000 - even though it's the same car built at the same factory?
Once you've decided to buy, the easiest way to deal is by informing the dealer's representative that you will be discussing only prices and the car, and do not care to meet the manager or see initial bits of paper with figures on them. It's bottom line, period.
First, offer a small percentage over the dealer cost (the one you looked up, not the one on any "invoice" you're furnished with at the showroom).
Be prepared to counter a counteroffer (remember, the less popular the car, the more bargaining power you have), but don't go over the price you determined you were willing to pay before you walked in. If the sales rep doesn't say yes, shake hands and stroll. Chances are, the sales rep will chase you. If not, there are other dealerships.
If you do make a deal, pay only for the car, destination charge, tax, title and license. Read carefully; some sales reps fold charges into the base car price and then add itemized charges on top. Just do your own math.
You can refuse to pay for insurance of any kind, undercoats, protective paint treatments, "standard" prep treatments and, above all, extended warranties or service contracts that are not offered exclusively by the manufacturer.
Buying a car is one of the rare cases where you can just say no. And the time to do it is when they present you the papers to sign, because that's when the federal laws written to protect you require them to itemize everything you're paying for.
So go to the bottom line. Study the monthly payment. If it's not what you planned, don't let anyone, even yourself, talk you into it. A little discomfort and embarrassment now is better than 48 months of bitter reminders.
If it looks OK, sign away, drive away and don't have a second thought.
by CNB