How Do You Shop for A Car or Truck?

A few nights ago, we were well positioned to tune in to a conversation between two friends, one of each gender, about her quest to buy a new car. FWIW – she is a massage therapist; he is a home improvement contractor. Here are some of the highlights.

She: I really loved my old (brand name). I’d like to get one of those again. I saw some commercials for (dealer name), and the prices looked really good.

He: You have to go online and find out exactly how much the dealer paid for the car. Then, you offer them less.

She: The prices in the ad were really good, but the cars were probably completely stripped. I’m going to want some options. I thought I would go in and see what they could do for me. My old car had the best back support... not enough to push you forward, but a little bit of lumbar support so I always felt great when I drove it.

He: I always deal with the fleet manager. He can give you the best deal. But, you should really go online and find out how much the dealer paid for the car. I spent three months negotiating with dealerships before I bought my last truck, and the final price was thousands less than the first offers.

She: I bought my last (brand name) at (dealer name). I told them how much I wanted to pay each month, and that if they could meet that payment I would buy the car. They did, so I bought it there. But I won’t go back because I didn’t like the way they dealt with me.

At this point, we butted in...

We: Try going to the service department before you go to the sales department. They are the ones who will be taking care of your car, and if you ever have a problem you will really need to rely on them. One dealer might give you a little bit better of a deal on the purchase price, and any dealer can beat another one, but how you are treated and how much you pay in service is something you’ll be dealing with for four, five, six years or more.

The conversation ended there. She seemed to think that was a good idea. He told me where online I could find a book for negotiating my best deal.

How do you shop for a car or truck? What’s more important, the price or the payment? The model or the color? How they treat you in sales, or what you can expect from service? Something else we haven’t even mentioned?

We’d be really interested in reading your thoughts. Post them here or drop us a line at whatsnew@boylebuickgmc.com.