I almost bought a car online - Autobytel gave me a leg up.
Written: Nov 23 '02
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If you look online for car information, then you will almost surely see Autobytel. In fact, I hit that site so many times from so many places that I started to wonder if it was the ONLY car site on the web. Sometimes I could not even tell I was clicking through to Autobytel and ended up sending multi requests to the guy at the local dealership (if you call an hour away the local dealer).
Since I buy almost everything online, I thought that buying a car might work out. The idea of doing the research on the web, comparing prices and getting the best deal possible, and then having the vehicle driven right to my house and my old Toyota taken away sounded pretty good.
I was a little confused about buying cars online to start with. I thought I would see multiple cars from multiple dealerships and compare. If such a system does exist online, then I sure didn’t find it. The used cars are set up more in that fashion to some extent, but the new car set-up is that you click by vehicle and then get routed to a specific dealership. Now, what that tells me is that some costs are written in. When you have a middleman like Autombytel, then they have to get some money for contacting the local dealership and telling them to get in touch with me. It would certainly seem to make more sense to go talk to the dealership, but the direct approach can end up costing a lot more.
The good thing about Autobytel is that you can look around and think and see what you might like and what that might cost.
You can see used cars through dealerships with the photos in most cases and also private cars by the owners. One thing to look at though is that the used cars tend to be the really expensive ones. Otherwise, it would not be worth the time to put up the information and field potential buyers from all over the place. The one used vehicle I considered would have been more expensive for the 2000 model with 32k miles on it than the brand new model I bought.
As far as new cars, then you need to decide on the make and model. Really, you need to know exactly what you want to go the Autobytel route. After all, it’s not like you are walking around the car lot and picking by what you see and like. You key in that car information and then contact information. Then, a salesperson contacts you using the info you put in the fields. You can specify home/work, phone/email, and so on.
I picked my make and model from seeing a vehicle I liked on the road. I couldn’t see what kind of SUV it was, but I looked at the lists at Autobytel until I found the SUV by the photo. That was a bit complicated, since Autobytel put the Nissan Xterra under the sub-compact category. If you look at one of these, then you will see that it is clearly not small. The actual category is mid-size SUV. They need to clean up the category system at Autobytel though I did not see any other mistakes in the SUV category.
After I put in my information, I got an email from Autobytel telling me which dealership and which salesperson I would be hearing from. That click was “price quote,” so I didn’t really know that was the system. I did want to know what I needed to pay for the Xterra though, so I was fine with all that.
The next day I got an email and call from the salesperson.
Salesperson needed to know very specifically what vehicle I wanted in order to find one and give a quote. Since I had done quite a bit or research, I knew I wanted a Nissan Xterra. I also knew I needed 4-wheel drive to go up in the mountains to the family land and a 6 cylinder to pull a boat. One thing that I really cared about was the color. I wanted a red Xterra. The first time I bought a new car (and the only other time besides getting the Xterra this week) was after I graduated college. I wanted a red Mustang. The saleswoman said she had one and would get it, but she got a gray one instead. When it came in and I said I asked for red, she said: “If you aren’t serious about buying a car, then don’t waste my time.” I hate to confess that I cried at home, and my dad talked to them and got a burgundy car which was close to red. I never did fall in love with that car though, and it ended up being a lemon. I always wondered if it had something to do with the color and it not being what I wanted, but I don’t think color has a thing to do with alternators burning up in Mustangs from the 80s.
The salesperson said that he had a red Xterra and that he could get that right over for x number of dollars. He gave me invoice less $1500, and I knew it was a good deal. But, I started looking at the colors online, and I figured out that the red color is really a burgundy sort of color. After that first car fiasco and also after driving the burgundy Toyota for 8 years and 175,000 miles, I really did not want burgundy. Some people may see red and burgundy as the same, but I don’t. My hearing is not real good, but my eyesight is keen. I want fire engine and NOT cranberries.
I emailed the Autobytel person to say that I wanted to make sure about the red color. He confirmed what I thought—it was burgundy and not red-red. So, I said that I would want to have blue or green rather than burgandy. But, I was not clear on the 2003 greens. There are 2 colors in green for Xterra, and the online colors are hard to see. Salesperson said he didn’t think the green ones looked very good, and he didn’t have a price on those. Then he said that I probably needed to figure out what I wanted to buy.
One thing I have noticed when buying cars is that women get treated pretty bad. Some salespeople do great with women, but some are horrid. The last time I was looking around for a car (8 yrs ago), one salesguy told my younger brother (who was just along for the ride) to take me out on a straight stretch of road and let me try out the car. I really am the better driver (and the oldest), and I sure did not appreciate that approach.
One thing I learned back then was that I did not have to put up with any crap. When I am plunking down a lot of money, I don’t have to be insulted with a gray vs. red car I put money down to buy or with being sent down the road to a straight stretch.
My personal feelings are that the Autobytel link salesguy thought I was a female flake. If he had suggested that I visit the lot (even though it was an hour away) and see the colors and options, then I probably would have been game for that. Really, he just said that I was wishy-washy when I balked on color. Color may not be a big deal for him, but it is for me. If I’m paying close 30k for this vehicle and driving it 8 to 10 years, then I want a color that I feel really good about. Salespeople need to understand that RED is RED and not BURGANDY. I’m just glad I didn’t get that SUV hauled out to my house and then had to drive it for a long time like I tend to do.
My next step was to visit the local Nissan dealership. That one is 20 minutes away and not an hour. Since I really had done a lot of research (though the Autobytel guy didn’t seem to think so based on my color problem) and since I had the hard numbers from Autobytel, I was in a good position to talk cars locally.
When I walked on the local lot, I knew that burgundy Xterra was as close as a phone call away if I wanted to do that. I knew the invoice on the vehicle and the incentive ($750 but ONLY for 2002) and the prices on some options I wanted. I didn’t pull any punches with the local salesguy, and he treated me great. I drove up in my ratty Toyota wearing blue jeans and a sweatshirt and with two little boys for the test drive. Though my life is better now than last time I bought, I didn’t want to dress up or drive in with the Sep’s vehicle or anything that might signal that I should get better service. I remembered that last time and how the bank didn’t want to lend a separated single mom much money and how they wanted a co-sign with my separated husband, dad, or brother (which I refused to do). When the salesguy asked which Xterra I wanted to test drive, I went with the most expensive and manual shift which some men think women can’t drive.
If you don’t know, then a car on the lot would be much easier to talk DEAL on than one the lot might search out and bring in from another lot. That makes sense. You know the car folks have to get more money when cars are changing hands. Anyway, I knew I liked and wanted the black Xterra on lot and that I might be able to work something out on that one.
All cars are NOT created equal. I was looking at the Autobytel with an automatic transmission but more bare bones. The lot had the souped up model (SuperCharger) but manual (stick shift). I can drive either one, and I did like the idea of the 6 CD player and electronic locks and the fog lights (not on the burgundy).
Armed with the numbers from Autobytel, I said that I wanted that price quoted but a hitch added and also the accessory ashtray (since 2002 did not have a built in one). The numbers were close I knew, since I had done research. The auto transmission adds on about $600, and the options on the one on the lot were priced close but a little higher.
Salesguy sat down with the REAL numbers. They would make $100 if they gave me the hitch (but not the Nisson name on that—which was fine) and then they get about $800 in 9 months for the incentive on Xterra. As I told my boys who got to watch the whole deal, the car guys need to eat and support families too. I’m good on that, but I don’t want to pay more than other people either. This was a deal the lot could deal with, and I could too.
Autobytel did help on the research end. The price I got was very fair. They nailed that. On the local lot, they juggled the numbers, so it looked like I paid more for the Xterra but got more on the trade-in (that old raggedy Toyota). The only numbers I would talk with anyone was out-the-door or loan numbers. I really don’t care how they write all that down. What I want to know if how much I pay. I wouldn’t even talk adding this and that and taking this and that off. Give me the number . . . the real number.
The salesguy at the local liked me. When we went to gas up the Xterra, he told me that he appreciated that I knew what I wanted and what I wanted to pay (and based on real and fair info). He said that most people come in with no idea on anything including what they want to buy. He also said that I played hardball really well and never did give away that I would walk out with the Xterra (and on a dealer tag and my promise to show up with money the next day). My oldest son said the same thing – “Gosh Mom. I didn’t know you were going to buy this. You looked like you could wait forever.”
I am a savvy buyer now. When I was a “kid,” I wasn’t. After I left the boys’ dad, I figured I better get things figured out if I wanted them to have nice things. I did a great job on the Toyota 8 years ago, and I did great this week on the Xterra. Yes. We do have the SUV I thought would be the best for what we want to do. It’s rugged and has the space we need, but it’s cute too which mattered to me. It’s black which is not a color I thought of to start with, but when I saw it . . . I loved it.
If you do know exactly what you want, then do check out Autobytel. You may be able to cut the deal and be done with it. Most people like to drive the vehicle and look it over, and I can relate to that. The Autobytel numbers can help on that end, though they are only as good as the salesperson giving those to you. I wouldn’t rely totally on Autobytel, but they did give me a fair quote . . . though the salesguy might want to brush up on his “How to Deal with Females” skills.
If you are looking for a car, then the following site may help. It includes guides and also links to get more help including one-on-one phone assistance for under $30.
http://www.fightingchance.com/
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CyndiA
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Member: Cyndi
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Get some sleep and dream of rock 'n roll - Bread.
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