[Jaysatthelake]

Based on where you're located I'm guessing you have access to a few dealers. By all means play them against each other but remember they're not in business to break even. But at the same time they don't need to make all their profit on you.


I'm from a small town with one dealer so was limited but have been very upfront and said I'd prefer to buy from them but they had to compete with prices from other/bigger dealerships. They've done a great job and it's a nice option when your vehicle needs service to have that good relationship.


I agree with never paying "sticker" price so be smart on what the cars going to cost by going on line and "building" one on GM's web site. I'd guess right now all dealerships are doing whatever they can to sell cars. If they have one on the lot or can dealer trade I'm guessing you can get your best price that way. It may not be exactly what you want but the cost may allow you to get more than you wanted.

[vtirocz]

Originally Posted by Orangeman13

So I’ve never ordered a car before. I’ve only bought new off the lot using search engines like CarGurus.

So, in order to get a good deal what’s the best way to approach a dealership? Should I sit down and build it with them and then discuss price?

Should I expect to pay MSRP since I’m ordering?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Before you order, I'd recommend you cast a wide net (as far as you're comfortable going) to ensure the same car isn't already available on a dealer's lot. I recall using cars.com, Autotrader, and Chevy's site to locate all of the cars that met my criteria.

Either way, if you find the car on a dealer's lot OR if you plan to order it, here's some recommendations and tips based on my limited experience:

• Build the car on the Chevy site and know exactly what MSRP is for the car you want.
• Determine what incentives are currently available (and which ones you qualify for) and what you're willing to pay for it. When I was shopping for mine, GM had recently had "red tag" specials with up to 20% off on 2016 models, so that was my "best case" target even though the red tag sales were not going on at the time I was looking to buy. Shoot for that, but you probably won't get it (or you might with the current economy). I ended up getting approx 17% off w/ various incentives stacked up + negotiation and was happy with that.
• If you find the car you want at the price you want, but the dealer is too far away, you can still use that datapoint in the negotiations with the local dealers (that's what I did)
• Contact several dealers (since you're in Cincinnati, I'd contact dealers from there, Indy, and Louisville since those are all close to you) online or over the phone and let them know what you want and start the negotiations on price before stepping foot in the dealership.
• Very important: Negotiate an out the door price including all taxes, dealer fees, and any other misc. fees. If you negotiate "MSRP", they'll tend to tack on a bunch of other BS fees.
• If you're not eligible for supplier discount, look into getting a farm bureau membership ($50) or I believe also Costco can essentially get the same level of discount. You should be able to do better though, especially given the current economy
• Be patient during the negotiations and make sure they know you are serious. For instance, if they agree to your price, you'll be in the same day to sign paperwork and pick it up.

I bought my car from Bachman Chevrolet in Louisville and had a good experience there. I found the exact car I wanted, sent the dealer an email and called them with my OUT THE DOOR offer and within 24hr purchased the car.