SurvivingInfidelity.com^®

So after having problems with my current car that require days off from work, finding a decent mechanic, waiting for parts, taking cabs, and basically being screwed over on the whole "warranty" concept because Suzuki isn't here anymore, so there aren't any authorized Suzuki service stations around that would honor the warranty, I'm proceeding with the idea of buying a car that will have local support.

This will be my first attempt at buying a car by myself. Even my current car was purchased by me post-divorce, but XH was there anyway to help basically by being a guy from Brooklyn who looks tough

There is a car at a dealer near me that I'd like to test drive. I clicked on the "email price" because they refuse to just put the sales price on the website (I have no idea why they do list prices for some cars and not others). 3 emails exchanges later, I still don't know the price. I realize it's negotiable, but why can't they just provide the best price possible right up front, and if I don't like it, I won't buy the damn car?!

Sorry, I just hate this haggle shit. I don't see the point. And I don't want to play games with passing numbers back and forth.

Any advice from other wimmenz who've been through this nonsense?

kbb.com

Remember that you do not have to buy the car from the deal to use the dealer maintenance dept.

I bought a used car last year. I was looking for a 2-3 year old car with less than 40K miles and I found most places that sell used cars like that did post prices. But you pay the advertised price, no negotiating. I ended up buying a car that had been a lease and recently turned in and had less than 30K miles.

Although I did not buy from carmax, I did use it when I was researching cars. They post prices and do not negotiate.

If you are looking to buy a new car, you will have to go into the dealer and negotiate a price and then it is only good for about a day. They do not want you "shopping" the price and using their quote to get a better deal at another dealer.

Edmonds.com

They will tell you what fair market value is - offer that and if they won't sell - walk away. There is more than one car out there so you don't HAVE to have that one.

NL

I just negotiated for a new car this week...

I basically went in and stated what I was looking for and what kind of terms/pricing/monthly payment I wanted. I asked what they could do for me, but was clear that I was not interested in anything else.

I got exactly what I wanted. I was prepared to walk away if they wouldn't give it to me, though.

I went through my credit union, which has a car buying service. No hassle, good price. They even delivered the car to my local credit union office.

If you have a CarMax in your area, and will be satisfied with a new used car (which is usually quite a bit cheaper than brand new) I recommend them. I have purchased two vehicles from them with the extended warranties, and have been thrilled with the service, and the no haggle price. They are not over value on most cars.

Thanks, everyone! I truly wish we had a carmax here, but the nearest one is quite far away (although it might be worth it for the no-haggle feature).

I do realize that I don't have to buy a specific make used car from its own dealership, but what I've found in the past is that the dealer usually has more of their own used cars on the lot. So if I wanted a Subaru (just as an example), I would probably find more used Subarus at that dealer than at, say, the local Ford dealership, even though they might have a couple from trade-ins.

Also, thanks for the link to kbb.com - for some reason I often forget to check there first for price ranges.

I will keep looking since I'm truly not sure what I want beyond a new-ish used car that's a compact or mid-size SUV. Basically, I want my Suzuki Grand Vitara but with an authorized service garage/mechanic here in town so I don't have to pay for everything that should still be under warranty, but apparently that's not an option.

That still leaves me with a lot to look at