Buying a Prius

[Gumby]

I can report a good experience with a dealership during my last car purchase (late-December 2007). The young wife and I needed to replace our 1993 Accord and were looking for a hybrid. I researched the various options and prices on-line and we narrowed our search down to a Honda Civic Hybrid or a Prius. We went to the Honda dealer first. We had to wait a short while because it was very busy and all the sales staff was occupied. The sales guy took us out for a test drive and gave us the literature. We said we needed to go to lunch and would be back in after that. We ate lunch, then went down the road to the Toyota dealer and test drove a Prius. After driving both, we decided to go with the Civic. I called the Honda sales guy and told him that I would be willing to buy the car for $____. He immediately said yes and we drove back to the Honda dealer. We went in the back with the woman who does the paperwork and completed it. It was easy enough to say "no, I don't want the extended warranty and no, I don't want the credit life insurance". We went back several days later to pick up the car. All in all, it was a very pleasant experience.

Did we get the absolutely lowest price? I don't know, but based on my research, we were in the ballpark, and it was fine by me.

 

[73ss454]

Yeah, at least there's one person happy with a car dealer. Amazing Gumby

 

[Frugality_of_Apathy]

However did you know that Lexus buyers rarely negotiate their purchases, even though their markup is 22% versus GM's average of 8%, why is that??

Because people buying a Lexus are doing it for the status and like to brag about how much money they wasted.

73 was making a general point that "everyone" that walks into a dealership "thinks" they know everything about the process but that is far from the truth. I think most folks on here buy cars from craigslist or through classified ads........

What's so fundamentally different about buying a used car off a lot and buying a used car off craigslist? Why can I hand over a check sign the title and have my car in ten minutes from a private party but it's got to take three hours off a lot?
If the professional "process" takes an order of magnitude more time than the amateur process then your process needs to change.

I've never successfully bought a car off the lot; though not from a lack of trying. After my second hour a waiting I walk off the lot and look in the paper or craigslist for the exact same car that's only difference is color.

 

[bright eyed]

Well, most folks are price shoppers. However did you know that Lexus buyers rarely negotiate their purchases, even though their markup is 22% versus GM's average of 8%, why is that??

As you know, my SO works for Lexo and has so many stories about people walking in, buying a $70k car cash or w/ the black amex etc...nuts! He's on the service side though and has many customers who don't blink that the multi-$k bills they get.

I used to work in brentwood at a fancy gift store and people would buy the dumbest stuff that I know you could get for 10% of the price in any dept store - guess over a certain income it's not worth your time to shop around or negotiate which might make you look cheap!

 

[kyounge1956]

Yup, I agree. I think that the car industry should hire you as a consultant. Because the 1000's of various car dealers across the nation all have it wrong and you are right.

They have certainly got it all wrong if they are wondering how to sell me a car! And it sounds like I'm not the only one they are wrong about, either.

 

[kyounge1956]

(snip)If two places have a flat screen TV for sale, one @ $899, the other @ $999. I'm going to buy from the one at $899 (all else being equal). (snip)

-ERD50

and if one of them has a flat-screen for $999, and the other one won't even tell me how much it costs without yanking me around, making me wait in the office for half an hour, "checking with the manager", literally holding me hostage, or any of the rest of the garbage describe on this thread, I wouldn't so much as darken their doorstep. I would ask myself two questions:
1) do I have $999? and
2) do I want the flat screen TV enough to pay $999 for it?
and then I would either buy it or not, based on my answers to those two questions.

 

[Andy R]

I'd like to ask that we drop the "who's fault is it" regarding the dealership's practices. We can vote through our wallets by giving dealers who do "no haggle" business (if that's what you choose). Going on and on about who's fault it is about the process is not productive...

I am going to close this thread for a bit just so we don't keep harping on the same ole stuff... Thanks for understanding.