Buying a car

[Meathelmet]

That thing is going to need a little TLC.

And it should be given to Road Kill duo and get redone with a 430 wildcat and 3 speed manual gearbox.

[JongDoe]

Did you have to wait long for a table with an umbrella?

People get there at 6 a.m. and put their towels on them to reserve it, then don't show up til after noon.

[liv2ski]

^^^^Towels, meet trash can

[stealurface831]

bumping this because my suburban is on its last legs. low oil pressure is about to do her in.

so i need a new car. i'm leaning towards an FJ at the moment. Anyone have anything to report on these, good or bad? I'm really in it for the offroad capability. I know they are no Land Cruiser but I think they will serve my needs as an everyday whip capable enough to handle rough, decommissioned fs and logging roads.

[simple]

Resale value on the FJ is a little more than typical toyota bonkers high

Used to drive in one. Awful blind spots but every owner I know would never get rid of theirs. Just like Honda Element owners.

[Jeremiah Frost]

See, I’m off on the cost of everything these days.


I kept my p.t.s. 996 cab though, cause I know what that’s worth to me. �� I bought it last year in September. Had a few troubles with money so got some car finance. Now dream about Teals.

Not long ago Tesla announced its Model S Plaid + and I am still shocked with the specifications of the car. The price is high, much too high in my opinion, but in terms of technologies it is far ahead of the latest Mercedes EQS. So I would buy Plaid + version when it costs something about 70-80k.

[ticketchecker]

dragging this one off the floor

I'm in car shopping mode for the GF, looking at new CR-V, RAV4 and similar. Went to the first dealers last night, still not much on the lot and unfortunately it seems like the stuff we're looking at are strong sellers.

Anyone have a feel for how much negotiating dealers are doing these days? I've bought a few new cars at dealers over the years so have a decent understanding of the game in general.

I remember years ago getting reports from Consumer Reports? maybe?, that would show dealer invoice, holdbacks and any other sale promos that were current.

[simple]

If you are looking to buy the most popular small SUV and not many on the lots then the best deal you are going to get is MSRP and a good interest rate.

Only deal I have used in recent years is Costco. Other one I've seen is that ugly green Tacoma that sat on Toyota lots.

Holdbacks and discounts still seem to be done. Don't bend over backwards to save $1000. Buy without a loan to get the best price of a car.

[BmillsSkier]

I have found that at either end of the spectrum, one being an extremely popular car and the other being a low production hard to find car, the result is the same in this post-pandy world: online price tends to be at or about the floor with no wiggle room.

Costco, dealer specials and cross-shopping nationally seem to be the best routes to the lowest price.

[Mazderati]

Hard to negotiate on the high-demand stuff like RAV4 and CR-V even if the invoice, holdback, etc. are known. Dealers are generally so short-term focused and there is little reason for them to negotiate if they already have trouble keeping stock.

[Touring_Sedan]

I have found that at either end of the spectrum, one being an extremely popular car and the other being a low production hard to find car, the result is the same in this post-pandy world: online price tends to be at or about the floor with no wiggle room.

Costco, dealer specials and cross-shopping nationally seem to be the best routes to the lowest price.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. These blanket statements are not accurate. We got $5K off and a 10 year, 120K warranty thrown in when we purchased a used Atlas in Feb. The 'rents got $6K off a new Telluride last month.

I think some of you guys spend 7 hours a day looking at rare manual diesel wagons and extrapolate some of those markups onto the rest of the market. Some of us are just looking for dime a dozen family haulers.

[riser4]

There are always exceptions. Most of us are not getting your results.

[BmillsSkier]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. These blanket statements are not accurate. We got $5K off and a 10 year, 120K warranty thrown in when we purchased a used Atlas in Feb. The 'rents got $6K off a new Telluride last month.

You're not wrong. I'm just using my own reference points. If I look at my own recent experience I did get about $7K off the sticker, it was just baked into the price the dealer put online as its "special". Saved us both the time.

[Touring_Sedan]

There are always exceptions. Most of us are not getting your results.

I don't listen to car advise from people who drive a CVT.

[Mazderati]

A friend recently bought a 4Runner at a true 1,500 off sticker so there is that data point, too. Are most dealers offering that deal?

[Timberridge]

I'm not sure how a used Atlas in one location is a proxy for a new CR-V/RAV4 in another but carry on.

[Touring_Sedan]

I'm not sure how a used Atlas in one location is a proxy for a new CR-V/RAV4 in another but carry on.

So why should all the "chicken little, the sky is falling, I can't find a decently priced broken Volvo" bullshit be a proxy for everywhere?

[Ted Striker]

My local Toyota dealer's lot is half empty. Same goes for Subaru, and Honda's even worse (they're all next door to each other). If you're shopping new, and can find the car with your must-have options for msrp out the door, I'd call it a win.

[MontuckyFried]

It's still a real shit show out there, so prepare yourself mentally.

First, review this thread:
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...nd-Free-Carfax

And then follow up with this thread:
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...od-Put-em-here

[Ted Striker]

A friend recently bought a 4Runner at a true 1,500 off sticker so there is that data point, too.

Because it was that ugly green?

[MontuckyFried]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. These blanket statements are not accurate. We got $5K off and a 10 year, 120K warranty thrown in when we purchased a used Atlas in Feb. The 'rents got $6K off a new Telluride last month.

I think some of you guys spend 7 hours a day looking at rare manual diesel wagons and extrapolate some of those markups onto the rest of the market. Some of us are just looking for dime a dozen family haulers.

Dude. You have a VW Atlas. Your parents, a Kia Telluride. Both of those are PLENTIFUL at my local dealerships. Ticketchecker said his gf's looking at CRVs and RAV4s, both of which are much slimmer pickings. Good luck getting thousands off MSRP these days on those. But sure. Go ahead and keep telling us about your Atlas and how the market out there resembles anything remotely close to normal.

[Mazderati]

Because it was that ugly green?

White with black, believe it or not. SR5 Premium trim, I think?

[mcphee]

Anecdotal data superiority is TRGs lifeblood

[Touring_Sedan]

Dude. You have a VW Atlas. Your parents, a Hyundai Telluride. Both of those are PLENTIFUL at my local dealerships. Ticketchecker said his gf's looking at CRVs and RAV4s, both of which are much slimmer pickings. Good luck getting thousands off MSRP these days on those. But sure. Go ahead and keep telling us about your Atlas and how the market out there resembles anything remotely close to normal.

First off it's a Kia. Second easily one of the most in demand SUV's on the market..... and they're still negotiating on the price. But if it makes you feel better, keep telling yourself it's a shit market so you can keep searching for those rare wagons.

[Timberridge]

The salesman I bought my bike from a few years ago I got to know pretty well after the sale.

Fast forward, I meet a guy who I never met before at a bikes and coffee thing and he starts telling me what a great deal he got on his bike (the same bike as mine but a '22--mine's a '21--about a year later from the same salesman.) He said he got $1200 off (I paid just under sticker...sucker.) From our conversation every bike and car he's bought he's an expert in negotiating and always gets loads of money off.

Early this spring I'm at the dealer. "Hey Al, wtf I met this guy who's telling me you're cutting deals on bikes like a Turkish merchant." After I describe the guy he laughs and says "Oh yeah, that guy is financing the whole bike at 18% and I had to get the sticker down to a number or they were gonna reject him."