Summarize this article in one sentence.
Do not go when the dealership is offering a lot of sales and promotions or when there is a lot of customer traffic. Go to a dealership during a weekday when possible, as weeknights and weekends tend to be the busiest. Choose a day with terrible weather toward the end of the month and you'll have a better chance to make a great deal. You might think that the rush of people would work in your favor since it means less time the salesperson can spend on you, but the rush of people also means that more sales are being made, so salespeople are less desperate to sell the cars on the lot and quicker to let you go without making a sale. There are two schools of thought concerning the way you lead the salesperson to the car you have in mind. The first states that you should let the salesperson know exactly what you want the moment you step into the dealership. The second states that you should never let the salesperson know that you came in with a particular car in mind. On the one hand, knowing what you want and the price you want it for lets the salesperson know that you are thoroughly prepared and will not be easy to persuade. Alternatively, it can also be a good idea not to zero in on any particular car and insist that you love it and need to take it home. Doing so suggests that you are desperate for one specific car, and that is a weak place to start negotiations. The invoice will let you know how much the dealership paid for the car, so you know how low the dealership can afford to go while still making some sort of profit. This gives you a good idea about what your initial offer can be. Keep in mind, however, the dealer may be getting volume discounts and refunds after the invoice was issued. The invoice will also tell you important information about the car. Note that many dealers do not supply this information to customers, referring instead to the "sticker" price. If you make the first offer, you might end up making an offer that is higher than the salesperson's lowest offer and ultimately pay more as a result. A salesperson will be trained to ask certain questions like, "What monthly payment would fit into your budget?" or "What are you willing to pay?" You should answer these questions with your own questions. Explain that you've done a lot of research and have shopped around, but would like to hear from the salesperson first since he is the expert. Conclude by asking for his best price. The focus should be on the price of the car, not the financing that results in a monthly payment. As you move through the negotiating process, make small increments that gradually build to your target price. Take your time. Even if the salesperson is in a rush to make the sale, you can make him follow your pace. Determine what your ideal payment would be based on your target price and tell the salesperson that is all you can afford. Don't get into monthly payment until you've agreed on a final price. The salesperson will go running back and forth to the sales manager for approval. As they come down substantially in price, you inch up your offer very "painfully." A sticker price (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price or MSRP) might seem like the lowest price you can expect from a dealer, but that really isn't the case. The manufacturer's sticker price is a price calculated by the manufacturer that grants the dealer plenty of profit and wiggle room. In actuality, the dealer can still go below that price and still make money. Your starting offer should be low. If you worry about offending the salesperson or not being taken seriously, then you might end up making an offer that is too high to start with, and as a result, you could end up paying more than you need to. Suggest a percentage of the sticker price (88%-90%) as a beginning point if the invoice is not available. When looking at options and add-ons, only add options you know you need and actually plan on using. There is no need for you to end up paying for a bunch of extra stuff you don't really want. Include this cost in the total amount you "can afford to pay." Extended warranties and service contracts may sound nice when the salesman pitches them to you, but in actuality, most new cars already have good warranties. Also, extended warranties have lots of loopholes, so it may not cover a lot of repairs. Be on the look-out for extras that cost more than they're really worth, like fabric protection and rust-proofing. If there are options you do want, make sure to state which options those are in your first offer. The downside of figuring out which car you have your heart set on is that, oftentimes, you might find yourself developing an emotional attachment to a specific set of wheels. When it comes to car negotiations, affection is weakness. You can do a test drive to get a feel for how the car operates, but you should avoid doing anything that could make your attachment to the car stronger, like driving it home or keeping it out for more than a quick spin. You need to be firm to avoid being on the losing end of the deal, but at the same time, you should never get nasty with the salesperson. You want to keep as much of your money as possible, and the dealership wants to make as much profit as possible. Neither party is in the wrong, though. It's just how business works. Also keep in mind that friendly people are more pleasant to deal with, and others may have a natural tendency toward wanting you to stay happy and satisfied if you treat them with the same sort of attitude. You might be tempted to think that being mean or vicious could intimidate the salesperson, or would otherwise encourage her to do whatever necessary to get you to make a deal, but this is not often the case. Usually, being difficult will only make the salesperson feel better about watching you walk out the door empty-handed. This includes the value of your trade-in and, if applicable, financing. While determining the final price of the car, you should only focus on the actual final purchase price. Talking about anything else may end up prompting the salesperson to take the extra cash they give you for a trade-in and add that amount to the price of the new car. Do not talk about financing options, monthly payments or any rebates and incentives until that final price has been locked in. Even if you already have a monthly payment value you can afford, letting the salesperson know this in advance could cause him to stretch financing out for another year instead of dropping the final price of the car. Mentioning a trade-in early on can complicate things and give the salesperson more opportunity to trick you into accepting what only seems like a good deal due to the deal being offered on your trade-in. This applies when he offers to "pay off the rest of your current car" as well. If a rebate or other incentive is calculated before you lock in a final price, you have no way of knowing if that rebate is legitimately less or not. If the salesperson presents a final offer, and that offer is still above your target price, stand your ground and let the salesperson know that you refuse to go any higher. If she still doesn't budge, politely say farewell. Note, however, that this does not necessarily mean that the deal is done. Make sure that the salesperson has your phone number and knows your target price before you leave. If this price is at all possible, the salesperson will probably contact you. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/8b\/Negotiate-Car-Price-Step-14Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Negotiate-Car-Price-Step-14Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/8b\/Negotiate-Car-Price-Step-14Bullet1.jpg\/aid3431958-v4-728px-Negotiate-Car-Price-Step-14Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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Shop during slow times. Determine whether you should state which car you want. Ask to see the invoice. Avoid being the first to name a price. Be bold and ignore the "sticker" price. Decide on your options beforehand. Do not get too attached. Maintain a friendly attitude. Lock in your total price. Walk away when necessary.