I am still truck shopping, might have narrowed it down to this:

[Tyler Durden]

Did I mention that I think it was a total bait and switch?
 

[Timothy]

It happens...did it to me about ten years ago and I've not been back to that dealer again!

I found a no haggle dealer and dealt with them for a decade or better.  I'm two years into this vehicle, it's going to make it at least 8 more before I buy again and then I'll be close to retiring.

[Big Frank]

I like to order my vehicles so I get all the options I want and none that I don't want. I can wait for it.

[Jrlobo]

Tyler,

      Old news: My wife had a 1993 Ford Explorer that she just loved, but it was in the shop every two months to get some recall part replaced or fixed and had brakes and electronics foibles. So she traded it in for another, new 1997 Ford Explorer (the dealer asked what the condition was of the 1993 and we told them "like new", he laughed) and got new tires within a year (remember the Firestone mess?), electronics again, brakes...you name it. The 1997 was "crushed" in the cash for clunkers era and wifey now drives (and loves) her Toyota RAV-4 (you know, floor mat accelerator pedal troubles, windows catching on fire and a thermometer that is anal) and she loves it. Why did, does, she love them? Because they fit her to a T; they were, are, drivable. Me? I still drive my 96 F-150 and no recalls!

      My point: No car or truck is perfect. No car or truck manufacturer is perfect. And certainly as you found that no car or truck dealer is perfect either. Now if that Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 dealer puts a SCAR 17S in the gun cabinet, I'm buying it!

[fightingquaker13]

Did I mention that I think it was a total bait and switch?
 

Tyler
Buy a little book yoiu can find at any Barnes and Noble etc.. It shows you exactly what dealer cost is on any model and any upgrade. It explains dealer hold over (the interest they pay to the company), and then figure in, taking that into account a 2% profit. Offer them that. Its what companies like Sam's Club offer. I bought my F-150 for $850 over the money the dealer had in it, but it was a cash deal and the truck was the last model year (I'd found what I wanted at a dealer in Oklahoma). I bought a $99 one way ticket on SW Air from Austin to Oklahoma city, a dealer employee picked me up at the airport, and I gave them a bank check and drove the 10 hours home.

[Sponsor]

[Tyler Durden]

This is the one I was getting all giggity over.

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tracktype=newcc&csDlId=&csDgId=&listingId=85786940&listingRecNum=2&criteria=fuelTypeId%3D31763%26fuelTypeId%3D31765%26sf1Dir%3DDESC%26drvTrnId%3D27105%26alMdId%3D21095%26mkId%3D20015%26drCntId%3D28004%26stkTyp%3DN%26mdId%3D21095%26rd%3D50%26crSrtFlds%3DstkTypId-feedSegId-mkId-mdId-fuelTypeId-drvTrnId-transTypeId-prcId-drCntId%26zc%3D62269%26prcId%3D28575%26rn%3D0%26PMmt%3D1-1-0%26stkTypId%3D28880%26sf2Dir%3DASC%26sf1Nm%3Dprice%26sf2Nm%3Dlocation%26isDealerGrouping%3Dfalse%26alMkId%3D20015%26transTypeId%3D28113%26rpp%3D50%26feedSegId%3D28705&aff=national&listType=1

It is.... Err.... Was???  about 10 to 11 thousand under the original MSRP/sticker price.

Thanks gor the gouge about that book at Barnes and Noble.

I have insurance through USAA.  They have a car buying program.  The only catch is you pretty much have build your car througg them and then USAA emails out "certificates" to the participating dealers.  I wish you could just enter the VIN of a car that is already on the lot.  .

Ughhh...

Somewhere I heard about this thing called "back screen" which somehow ties into the incentives the manufacturer hooks them up on the back end for selling X amount of their cars per year.

Which implies that "invoice" doesn't mean poop.

All smoke and mirrors...argghh...

[Tyler Durden]

I found this:

http://www.carbuyingtips.com/car3.htm

When I went to google with "how to haggle for new car"

[fightingquaker13]

This is the one I was getting all giggity over.

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tracktype=newcc&csDlId=&csDgId=&listingId=85786940&listingRecNum=2&criteria=fuelTypeId%3D31763%26fuelTypeId%3D31765%26sf1Dir%3DDESC%26drvTrnId%3D27105%26alMdId%3D21095%26mkId%3D20015%26drCntId%3D28004%26stkTyp%3DN%26mdId%3D21095%26rd%3D50%26crSrtFlds%3DstkTypId-feedSegId-mkId-mdId-fuelTypeId-drvTrnId-transTypeId-prcId-drCntId%26zc%3D62269%26prcId%3D28575%26rn%3D0%26PMmt%3D1-1-0%26stkTypId%3D28880%26sf2Dir%3DASC%26sf1Nm%3Dprice%26sf2Nm%3Dlocation%26isDealerGrouping%3Dfalse%26alMkId%3D20015%26transTypeId%3D28113%26rpp%3D50%26feedSegId%3D28705&aff=national&listType=1

It is.... Err.... Was???  about 10 to 11 thousand under the original MSRP/sticker price.

Thanks gor the gouge about that book at Barnes and Noble.

I have insurance through USAA.  They have a car buying program.  The only catch is you pretty much have build your car througg them and then USAA emails out "certificates" to the participating dealers.  I wish you could just enter the VIN of a car that is already on the lot.  .

Ughhh...

Somewhere I heard about this thing called "back screen" which somehow ties into the incentives the manufacturer hooks them up on the back end for selling X amount of their cars per year.

Which implies that "invoice" doesn't mean poop.

All smoke and mirrors...argghh...

That's basically what this book, and I'm sorry I can't remember the name of it, but its been 14 years, does. It prices out every upgrade from AC to a CD player. I'm a USAA member and I belong to Sam's. They pay 1.5% over cost, or at least they did. I offered 2% and got my price, plus the hundred mile ride from the airport free as the parts girl (attractive and a country music fan) was in OKC anyway, I just had to stop at a couple of parts houses. It was a slim red book in with the periodicals, not on the book shelves. It cost me about 10 bucks in 1999, and I would recommend you buying one today. Most brands have a website that will show where to find the truck you want. You call, talk to the manager, say "This is my no BS offer, will you take it or won't you"? and go from there. Good luck.

[Timothy]

KBB.com (Kelly Blue Book) can do pretty much the same on new and used vehicles.

Edmunds.com

I've used Consumer Reports as well!  Remember, there are sometimes three negotiations in car buying!

1) Price
2) Financing
3) Trade-in (if you have one)

Don't start the next negotiation until the previous is on paper!  Every dealer I've ever seen wants to know what you're willing to pay monthly!  It's really something to know in your mind but don't ever let that information out!  Keep it to yourself!

[Tyler Durden]

Thanks!

I am going to try to go through USAA to get financing instead.  I think it is bull crap that the dealership needs just about everything including a stool sample and a blood draw to get me financing.

 

I kinda feel like having them finance it, I am losing some of my leveraging power or negotiating power.