I pull a consumer reports new car sheet and find out what everything costs.  I figure out then what I am willing to pay on top of their costs (usually $500 max) and go to buy, not to shop.  If they can't do it, I give them my phone # and tell them to call me when they can do it for that.  Works every time.  

If they aint negotiating seriously, I walk. I deal my way or don't deal. I know what a car is worth before I go to buy, I find out what the invoice and holdabck are before I go. I understand that the dealer needs to make a profit, but I am not willing to single handedly put thier kid through college. The last time I went shopping for a car, I walked into dealer A, told him what I wanted, he took me to look at several cars that were less expensive than what I told him I wanted, and this bugged me, finally he started showing me the cars I told him I wanted to see, I find the one I want and ask him what they can do on it. He comes out and says that it is a popular model and he isn't sure they can come off of sticker price, I told him I wouldn't want to deprive anybody else of thier dreamcar so I'll go buy one somewhere where they aren't so popular, he tells me to hold on. I decided that I ould give him one more chance and tell him I want him to find whoever he needs to talk to and ask them if they will accept my offer, and that it was a one time offer that I had cash on my person and was planned on driving a new car home that day, so if they couldn't do it for what I was offering, I would leave and buy a car at one of the other dealers in town. He came back and told me that they could not quite meet my offer, I told him thank you, and left. I went across town to dealer B, told salesman exactly what I was looking for, and that if he tried showing me cars that I had not asked to see I would find another salesman, two hours later I drove home in a brand new car for less than I had offered the first dealer, for an identical car (actually it had a sunroof and the first one didn't). Thirty minutes after I get home, dealer A calls me up and tells me his boss had thought about my offer some and thinks maybe we can deal, I asked him what part of one time offer didn't he understand, and tell him I had already found an identical car for less money than that, he called me a liar, so I gave him the stock number and the name of the salesman at dealer B, then hung up.

Moral is, car dealers are trying to sell you something, but you have to make them understand that you are serious, you also have to be willing to leave without the car you just fell in love with, you have to remember that anything dealer A can sell you dealer B can sell you as well, if he doesn't have just what you are looking for ask them to get it, they will. But the main thing to remember, is never fall in love with a specific car, once the dealer sees that look in your eye, he knows you will do some stupid things to get it, including paying way to much (a couple of years ago people were paying over sticker for PT Cruisers, now they have big rebates, no car that is in current production is truely rare).

Put the bulk of your money into something that appreciates in value, then buy a vehicle as a tool.

My newest vehicle is 7 years old, I got it for the wife and kids two years ago.  My truck is 10 years old, just turned 100K last week.

The money I saved bought rental properties.  I don't need to look cool in a new rig or try to pick up chicks.  I want to retire someday.

Quoted: Put the bulk of your money into something that appreciates in value, then buy a vehicle as a tool. My newest vehicle is 7 years old, I got it for the wife and kids two years ago.  My truck is 10 years old, just turned 100K last week. The money I saved bought rental properties.  I don't need to look cool in a new rig or try to pick up chicks.  I want to retire someday.

But you aint gettin no props from yo peeps rollin in no old bucket! Yo, you gotta be gettin a new whip twice a year, dawg! Then you be gettin mad lovin from da ho's.

Just kidding, I agree with you, a used vehicle is the only way to buy any car economically nowadays. My next vehicle will be a late model 300M, and I will pay less than ten thousand for it, while a new one is going over thirty thousand.

I have never been an asshole to anybody who didn't deserve it in my life, I am always polite to people I do business with. When buying a car, I really don't even negotiate, I listen to the spiel, I think carefully about what I am buying, take into consideration that the dealer is doing business, not running a charity to give me cars, and make an offer, before I make an offer I let the salesman know that it is the only offer I am going to make, and that it is not negotiable. I am still driving, I have been turned down (mostly because the salesman thinks they have me hooked on thier bucket, and believe I am bluffing). What burns me is when they call me later that day and get huffy when I tell them that I did just what they said and went somewhere else and try and get that deal, and was succesfull.

On new cars/trucks, I take the dealors invoice from the net, figure a decent profit usually $500, then hand my card with what I want to the manager with what I will pay for what.

Typical answer is "We can't do that."

My answer is "Well call me when you hit a month end and need to move a car." then walk out.

I get a call at the end of the month to come pick my vehicle out.

Tj

One of my best friends is a Nissan Dealer. No haggling necessary.