Price haggling with the Dealer

I thought I had negotiated a pretty good price over
the phone for my new '06 Corolla CE automatic with
all-weather package and Convenience package (cruise
with power doors), but now I'm not so sure.

The MSRP for that car is $16,100. Edmunds says the
"True Market Value" of the car in zip code 65201 is $15,600.
I'm getting it for $15,500 (plus only another $50 as a
documentation fee--how's that for a low doc fee).

I thought I had done a great job in the negotiation.
But then yesterday I read the March issue of
Money Magazine, in which they list "Target Prices" for cars
configured with common options, and the Target Price for last
year's *'05* Corolla is $14,500--a thousand dollars
less than what I negotiated for.

Of course that's Money Magazine's Target Price for
last year's Corolla (2005), since the magazine's issue
was published in March of '05.

So maybe I'm comparing apples to oranges, a 2005
to a 2006 Corolla CE. But I'm still left with a
slight amount of gnawing doubt.

Darn, the magazine's target price for last
year's '05 **LE** is $15,100--$400 less than what I'm
paying for the lower end *CE*.

But Edmund's shows this year's base model LE at
$15,800--$300 more than my somewhat loaded CE.

I hope $15,500 is fair for the CE?

Thank you for any advice.

Hagged over the phone? Hardly a sign of a serious buyer hence little
incentive by dealer to give low price other than to get you in the show room
plus unless contract is signed by both its NOT binding. Show up at
showroom -- look over the car and then tell salesperson you are having
second thoughts and walk out. He'll call before you are down the road with a
better price if he indeed can do better.

"Built_Well" <bw@bbbbbbbb.com> wrote in message
news:Glpdf.1903$ZA3.375749@monger.newsread.com...[color=blue]
>I thought I had negotiated a pretty good price over
> the phone for my new '06 Corolla CE automatic with
> all-weather package and Convenience package (cruise
> with power doors), but now I'm not so sure.
>
> The MSRP for that car is $16,100. Edmunds says the
> "True Market Value" of the car in zip code 65201 is $15,600.
> I'm getting it for $15,500 (plus only another $50 as a
> documentation fee--how's that for a low doc fee).
>
> I thought I had done a great job in the negotiation.
> But then yesterday I read the March issue of
> Money Magazine, in which they list "Target Prices" for cars
> configured with common options, and the Target Price for last
> year's *'05* Corolla is $14,500--a thousand dollars
> less than what I negotiated for.
>
> Of course that's Money Magazine's Target Price for
> last year's Corolla (2005), since the magazine's issue
> was published in March of '05.
>
> So maybe I'm comparing apples to oranges, a 2005
> to a 2006 Corolla CE. But I'm still left with a
> slight amount of gnawing doubt.
>
> Darn, the magazine's target price for last
> year's '05 **LE** is $15,100--$400 less than what I'm
> paying for the lower end *CE*.
>
> But Edmund's shows this year's base model LE at
> $15,800--$300 more than my somewhat loaded CE.
>
> I hope $15,500 is fair for the CE?
>
> Thank you for any advice.[/color]

The phone and internet can be a powerful set of tools for the new car
buyer. It takes only a matter of minutes to review the stock of 5
dealers and request a price. Then you sit back and answer the phone
calls. Write down the price from each dealer, take the lowest price and
call the other 4 dealers back and tell them their "non-negociable
internet" price was not the lowest. Then you will hear how these
"nonnegotiable" prices change. I got a car loan, 5 price quotes, 4
re-quotes and bought a car in one afternoon. The use of a telephone does
not always mean the buyer is not serious.

Wolfgang wrote:
[color=blue]
> Hagged over the phone? Hardly a sign of a serious buyer hence little
> incentive by dealer to give low price other than to get you in the show room
> plus unless contract is signed by both its NOT binding. Show up at
> showroom -- look over the car and then tell salesperson you are having
> second thoughts and walk out. He'll call before you are down the road with a
> better price if he indeed can do better.
>
> "Built_Well" <bw@bbbbbbbb.com> wrote in message
> news:Glpdf.1903$ZA3.375749@monger.newsread.com...
>[color=green]
>>I thought I had negotiated a pretty good price over
>>the phone for my new '06 Corolla CE automatic with
>>all-weather package and Convenience package (cruise
>>with power doors), but now I'm not so sure.
>>
>> The MSRP for that car is $16,100. Edmunds says the
>>"True Market Value" of the car in zip code 65201 is $15,600.
>>I'm getting it for $15,500 (plus only another $50 as a
>>documentation fee--how's that for a low doc fee).
>>
>> I thought I had done a great job in the negotiation.
>>But then yesterday I read the March issue of
>>Money Magazine, in which they list "Target Prices" for cars
>>configured with common options, and the Target Price for last
>>year's *'05* Corolla is $14,500--a thousand dollars
>>less than what I negotiated for.
>>
>> Of course that's Money Magazine's Target Price for
>>last year's Corolla (2005), since the magazine's issue
>>was published in March of '05.
>>
>> So maybe I'm comparing apples to oranges, a 2005
>>to a 2006 Corolla CE. But I'm still left with a
>>slight amount of gnawing doubt.
>>
>> Darn, the magazine's target price for last
>>year's '05 **LE** is $15,100--$400 less than what I'm
>>paying for the lower end *CE*.
>>
>> But Edmund's shows this year's base model LE at
>>$15,800--$300 more than my somewhat loaded CE.
>>
>> I hope $15,500 is fair for the CE?
>>
>> Thank you for any advice.
>>[/color]
>
>[/color]

Better yet send a request to the Fleet Sales Manager at the dealership,
listing the vehicle and equipment you want, and ask for a bid for the total
delivered price on a that vehicle.

mike hunt


"ma_twain" <ma_twain@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4376464D.7000608@yahoo.com...[color=blue]
> The phone and internet can be a powerful set of tools for the new car
> buyer. It takes only a matter of minutes to review the stock of 5 dealers
> and request a price. Then you sit back and answer the phone calls. Write
> down the price from each dealer, take the lowest price and call the other
> 4 dealers back and tell them their "non-negociable internet" price was not
> the lowest. Then you will hear how these "nonnegotiable" prices change.
> I got a car loan, 5 price quotes, 4 re-quotes and bought a car in one
> afternoon. The use of a telephone does not always mean the buyer is not
> serious.
>
> Wolfgang wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Hagged over the phone? Hardly a sign of a serious buyer hence little
>> incentive by dealer to give low price other than to get you in the show
>> room plus unless contract is signed by both its NOT binding. Show up at
>> showroom -- look over the car and then tell salesperson you are having
>> second thoughts and walk out. He'll call before you are down the road
>> with a better price if he indeed can do better.
>>
>> "Built_Well" <bw@bbbbbbbb.com> wrote in message
>> news:Glpdf.1903$ZA3.375749@monger.newsread.com...
>>[color=darkred]
>>>I thought I had negotiated a pretty good price over
>>>the phone for my new '06 Corolla CE automatic with
>>>all-weather package and Convenience package (cruise
>>>with power doors), but now I'm not so sure.
>>>
>>> The MSRP for that car is $16,100. Edmunds says the
>>>"True Market Value" of the car in zip code 65201 is $15,600.
>>>I'm getting it for $15,500 (plus only another $50 as a
>>>documentation fee--how's that for a low doc fee).
>>>
>>> I thought I had done a great job in the negotiation.
>>>But then yesterday I read the March issue of
>>>Money Magazine, in which they list "Target Prices" for cars
>>>configured with common options, and the Target Price for last
>>>year's *'05* Corolla is $14,500--a thousand dollars
>>>less than what I negotiated for.
>>>
>>> Of course that's Money Magazine's Target Price for
>>>last year's Corolla (2005), since the magazine's issue
>>>was published in March of '05.
>>>
>>> So maybe I'm comparing apples to oranges, a 2005
>>>to a 2006 Corolla CE. But I'm still left with a
>>>slight amount of gnawing doubt.
>>>
>>> Darn, the magazine's target price for last
>>>year's '05 **LE** is $15,100--$400 less than what I'm
>>>paying for the lower end *CE*.
>>>
>>> But Edmund's shows this year's base model LE at
>>>$15,800--$300 more than my somewhat loaded CE.
>>>
>>> I hope $15,500 is fair for the CE?
>>>
>>> Thank you for any advice.[/color]
>>
>>[/color]
>[/color]

Come to think of it, I think I did okay in the
price negotiation with my local Toyota dealer.

CarMax.com has a no-haggle price of about $14,800 for
a new '06 Corolla CE. But the CE that I'm buying from my
local dealer costs about $500 more because of the added
Convenience package that CarMax isn't currently
offering--so $15,500 has to be a reasonable price to pay.

The $1,000 cheaper "Target Price" of $14,500 suggested
by "Money Magazine" for last year's '05 CE must not include
destination charge of $550 and maybe other things.

So feelin' good again. I wasn't taken to the cleaners
by my dealer after all !

In article <mtxdf.688$Nd.255278@newshog.newsread.com>, Built_Well
<bw@bbbbbbbbbb.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
> Come to think of it, I think I did okay in the
> price negotiation with my local Toyota dealer.
>
> CarMax.com has a no-haggle price of about $14,800 for
> a new '06 Corolla CE. But the CE that I'm buying from my
> local dealer costs about $500 more because of the added
> Convenience package that CarMax isn't currently
> offering--so $15,500 has to be a reasonable price to pay.
>
> The $1,000 cheaper "Target Price" of $14,500 suggested
> by "Money Magazine" for last year's '05 CE must not include
> destination charge of $550 and maybe other things.
>
> So feelin' good again. I wasn't taken to the cleaners
> by my dealer after all ![/color]

In my experience I quickly forget what I paid for something, but every
time I use it I know whether I like it or not. I think you did fine.

Happy miles to you.

Brent

Why lose sleep over a few hundred bucks? Percentage-wise, it's like
worrying about paying $1.55 vs. $1.45 for a loaf of bread. Don't worry
about it.