Hellobee Boards

we're in Boston, just north, but have bought 2 cars in the last 8 years or so... here's my advice.

Don't rush it - be patient. You'll get a better deal. If you have to go back to a dealer 2 or 3 times (even though it's a pain in the a) do it.... We were very firm on our prices, and even though they usually said NO the first time, EVERY one of them (except VW) eventually met our price/financing deals.

Shop around. We were deciding between a Subaru & a new Honda CRV - and we went to multiple dealerships for each, and felt we got the best trade in/financing offer where we ended up.

Again - be firm in the deal you want, if they won't work with you - leave a number, leave, go find another dealer ( i guess end of the month is best) - and sometimes the first one calls you back & agrees.

haha - I sound crazy - but my husband is an EXCELLENT negotiator, and it took us months to get our new car - but we got a fantastic trade-in for our old one, and a great deal on a brand new car.

FUN!

My husband is a great negotiator too-thank goodness! He told the car salesman we dealt with at the last dealership that it didn't matter to him if he had to rake someone over the coals to get a better deal for his family...deep down I was horrified, but glad to have someone willing to get a good deal! In the end, we walked away, but not after we got them down to the invoice price on the car plus above average on our trade in! It makes for good negotiating power with other dealerships.

Like pp, don't be afraid to walk away! They will call back. Make sure you've done research about what different dealerships will offer and bring those with you when you are looking.