The best way to get a price on your next car
Written: Aug 29 '02
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With my wife’s recent promotion at work, she will have to drive a great deal more than she used to. Since she is still driving her first car, a 1987 Nissan, we both agreed that it would be in our best interest to buy a her a new car.
Taking into consideration that we are on a budget and that she would be putting on a good amount of miles, we decided upon the Hyundai Elantra GT. We had visited a few dealerships and took a test drive and decided that this was the vehicle for us. The next task at hand was to be sure that we got the best deal available.
We scoured the newspapers, looking over the numerous dealership ads and could not find any ads for the Elantra GT. We looked at the Hyundai website and learned that there were no current rebates or dealer incentives that would lower the price for this particular model.
Our next plan was to use a couple of no haggle purchasing services such as the ones offered by Costco and AAA. These services put you in contact with three local dealers that will give you a their lowest price, no negations necessary. I also contacted a handful of dealerships through their websites that offered “Internet Pricing”. Again, these were to be non-negotiable prices through the fleet manager (read non-commissioned salesperson).
We ended up with three dealerships emailing me prices directly, three others that would not commit to a price (Despite how the program was supposed to work), instead wanting us to make an appointment and come to their office. I then decided to try a couple of Internet services listed on Edmunds.com that guaranteed the lowest price. This included Autobytel and Carsdirect. The best deal and most informative was with Carsdirect.com.
Once at their site you use the pull down menu to select the make and model of the car your looking for, decide on what trim package you want and then they give you what their price is, it’s that simple. You next pick what accessories and color, submit your request and a Carsdirect rep contacts you with the final details. You will also get an email confirming the exact model you are requesting. Once the specific car is located you will get a final email that lists all of the options, fees, taxes and total cost. This will even include the VIN number.
The next step is going to the dealership and taking ownership of the vehicle. We were give two contact names and all we did was test drive the car, verify that it was the exact model we were expecting and then sign the purchase contract. We were at the dealership for approx 2 hours. Although we were there longer than I expected, it was no fault of the dealer or Carsdirect.com. It was just extremely busy Saturday.
The dealership we were sent to was Keyes Hyundai in Van Nuys, CA. Although we had to drive 50 miles, we were able to save over $600 by choosing Carsdirect.com. Bein at Keyes Hyundai was very nice and treated us as if we were paying full price for the car. He explained all of the features, how to fold down the back seats, checking under the hood, etc. he insured that the car was given a full tank of gas, completely cleaned and detailed as if it was just driven off the transport.
Nicole Wiggs was our contact at Carsdirect.com. She was very patient with me throughout the process and called me back every time she said she would. She was very informative and professional. Below is a clip from the final email that confirmed our purchase.
Vehicle Specifications
Year: 2002
Make: Hyundai
Model: Elantra
Trim: GT (M5) 4dr Hatchback
Exterior Color: Pewter
Interior Color: Gray
VIN#: KMHDN55D82U064791
Factory-installed Options:
Accessory Group 1
Engine: 2.0L I-4 DOHC MPI
Transmission: 5-Speed Manual w/Overdrive
Tires: P195/60HR15 AS BSW
Wheels: 15 in. x 6 in. Silver Alloy
Front Bucket Seats
Leather Seat Trim
Radio: AM/FM Electronic Tuning Stereo w/CD
Monotone Paint Application
California emissions
Carpeted floor mats
Trunk cargo net
Mud guards
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Vehicle Pricing
8.25% Sales Tax Rate
$ 13,333.00 Motor Vehicle, accessories & equipment
0.00 Rebate
1,103.69 Sales tax
0.00 Luxury Tax
45.00 Documentation fee(s) (not gov't. fee)
143.00 Registration (title) and license fees
5.00 Additional official fees
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$ 14,629.69 Total
$ 14,629.69 GRAND TOTAL
I highly recommend Carsdirect.com, at the very least it will give you a low price that will enable you to shop around with to insure you get the best deal possible.
Happy shopping.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Location: Costa Mesa, CA
Reviews written: 35
Trusted by: 8 members
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