TIPS: Buying/Leasing a New Car

A few things that I think worked in my favor when negotiating for a new car.

Start Early.
Negotiating pricing is much easier if you have time. Be prepared to walk out if the deal isn't exactly what you want even if they pull the books out and point out how great of a deal you are getting. I was first offered a dealership demo, 30 days later I was offered the same exact terms for a brand new vehicle. Go about car shopping early also will allow you time to visit many dealerships and get the best deal offered since you will have time to compare. Common sense I know, but some people probably don't do this just because they wait.

4-square, Middle Finger.
Many of the salespeople, especially the newer ones, will draw up a 4-square. They will get you to the terms they want by getting you to tell them the terms you want. Turn this around on them by telling them FIRST that you want to know what they want. Once they have narrowed down the terms and pricing, they will try to get you to put your initials on the 4-square. This is bullshit. It is not legally binding and only serves one purpose; to make customers feel like they must honor the deal that they agreed to. I don't do this, and I tell them up front that there is no reason for me to do so. They will BS with you about how the boss needs this. I interupt them and tell I won't sign it. This lets them know that you are experienced and are not playing games.

Take the car home, but make a few stops.
It's much easier to walk away from the deal if you don't have the vehicle. I turned down the offer by a few salespeople to take the car home when I knew I wasn't ready to decide. This is a ploy that the dealerships use to close the deal. When it's decision time, I think you may want to take the vehicle over night. Use this as last minute way to negotiate best deal pricing with the other dealerships. It's probably important that you've established contact with a salesperson at the competing dealerships to save time before you make that final visit. Make sure when you drive up that the salepeople see the borrowed vehicle. Most dealerships have big windows in the offices for the sales people. Park where they can see the car. Point it out to your sales guy when you walk in the door. They will know that you are serious and that they don't have a lot of time to win you over. Tell them that you are about to make a decision but since some bullshit reason (like "you were helpful" or "...great to work with") you wanted to give that salesperson an opportunity to beat offer. They either will or won't and you can rest assured that you got the best deal. Take the vehicle to the next dealership and repeat. The deal I finally agreed to was $70 less per month than what was offered by a competing dealership. I drove up and they saw me in the car with the dealership plates. They had told me on the phone they could beat the deal but they didn't. That's okay. It never hurts to try.

Good luck.