Don't offer your Employment position, as they start deciding how much you can afford. Don't seem genuinely interested, in a car by body language or dialogue. Don't tell them, about how much you want to spend, as they formulate, what you can afford.

 

Don't over dress, in the best threads. Don't ask a lot of questions, seem informed about your car.

 

Tell them, you'll be back after you go back to the other dealership, to get his final offer.

Word of advice - when negotiating a price with the dealer, NEVER negotiate the monthly price. Always negotiate the final price - including taxes, charges, etc. One dealer (at a Kia store) recently tried to sale me on a new Spectra. I asked him the price, he told me around $200 per month. I asked him what the financing rate was going to be - he told me that he didn't know and only had a multiplier that he used. I asked him the length of the loan - he told me that it depended on my down payment. I asked him if he ever sold a car with those kind of negotiations. He told me he did all the time. I told him "Not to Me" and walked out.

I had a similar experience at a Ford Dealership. They kept wanting to know what kind of payment I could afford. And I kept telling them not to worry about the payment and just tell me what kind of price they could afford on the car I wanted. After going round and round, I walked out and they lost the sale. They really hate informed buyers.

I had a similar experience at a Ford Dealership. They kept wanting to know what kind of payment I could afford. And I kept telling them not to worry about the payment and just tell me what kind of price they could afford on the car I wanted. After going round and round, I walked out and they lost the sale. They really hate informed buyers.

 

Your generalization is what plagues the industry. There are many good/fair dealers out there who want to move a car AND make a buck or two. Unfortunately, those that aren't are the ones people talk about.

 

You will never get a sales rep to quote an interest rate until they know your credit. They're not being vague. They simply do not know until you get further along in the process. Once they run the bureau, they can and SHOULD then quote you a rate. Remember that the sales rep makes nothing on the financing of the vehicle. He/she gets paid on the sale price of the car vs the cost.

 

Stay away from quoting your desired payment until after you get quotes from them and then you can negotiate. Trust me, most dealers are looking to move inventory and will take skinny deals on new cars. It costs them money every day it sits there in floorplan expense.

You will never get a sales rep to quote an interest rate until they know your credit. They're not being vague. They simply do not know until you get further along in the process. Once they run the bureau, they can and SHOULD then quote you a rate. Remember that the sales rep makes nothing on the financing of the vehicle. He/she gets paid on the sale price of the car vs the cost.

 

I never asked the sales rep what my exact interest rate would be. I asked for a ballpark figure, assuming I had a credit score of XXX. I wasn't asking for it in writing. I was asking for a ballpark figure - the same ballpark figure he was using when using a "multiplier" that he conveniently did not know the rate to. Again, don't let the sales rep negotiate on the monthly cost - negotiate the total cost of the vehicle so you will know exactly how much you are about to pay. Once the price is settled, then worry about financing.

 

I realize that there are many reputable sales reps out there. This instance proved that this sales rep was one of the bad ones.

If buying new, determine exactly the make model and options you want on it. Then, determine the dealer's actual cost on the car.

 

Then go to about six dealers and tellthem you know what you want, and the cost, and you are shopping for the best deal. Don't mention any trade or financing. You can also call dealers in larger cities and usually get much better discounts than a small local dealer will give in a smaller locale. You should be able to play one low bid against the other and get a great deal.

Like a few posts have said, there is no hard set rule on 70-80 or 90% of the sticker on a new car. Normally, to be fair, you should pay about 3% or more over sticker, if it's a hot selling car. But a Kia, well, they probably provide all sorts of discounts just to get the car on the road. You might as well get the 2 for 1 deal, if they still offer it.