Flying out of city to buy??

HI all, because of high prices in socal I plan on flying out to either sacramento or santa rosa Ca to buy a '16. I'm not sure how I should go about doing this, whether to get in contact with dealer ahead of time to ensure they will have the exact truck I want and to negotiate on price via email or phone ahead of time. I know a couple people have done this and I would like to get your input on all the logistics. Should I act like I'm not flying in so I have better negotiating stance?

 

I'm driving with my trade in and did everything electronically. Worked pretty well, for the most part. I'd guess revealing you're flying in might put you at a disadvantage in their eyes but you can always walk. Towards the end you might also negotiate a airport pickup.

 

Find the truck you want. Email the dealer (or as many dealers as possible) for pricing.

You should tell your dealer you are from out of town. They will usually give you the best price since they only have one shot at you. You can complete the deal details via email. Send them a deposit. Rent a car one way, or fly and drive your truck back.

I had to fly to Florida to save $2500 on my MX5. and rented a car one way to buy a Corvette in Lake Norman NC

I recieved my best deal on a Tacoma from a dealer 80 miles away. Limited 4x4 for $36665 OTD. I decided I did not want a 4x4 or Limited and took their pricing to my local dealer and offered $500 above invoice plus TAX. They accepted. If not I would have purchased from the dealer 80 miles away,

 

I'd tell em your flying in writing and get the numbers in writing so at least you have some recourse if they f with you. They might know you will raise a ruckus if they play games with you onsite. They dealer usually offers a free airport pickup if they are somewhat close to the airport. I don't even book a hotel. I drive off the lot and sleep in the vehicle on the way back at a rest stop.

 

Not too risky. I once flew from Baltimore to St Louis to pick up a gently used MINI Cooper "S" convertible. Could have gotten there and found oil leaks, worn leather seats, etc. I would have gotten another pair of return airline tickets if I needed to but I didn't. Drove it back 1,200 miles and had a blast. Some times in life you just take a chance. Buying a brand new truck, much less risk involved.

 

I drove from San Antonio to Dallas to buy my wife's vehicle. (Honda Pilot)
I was able to get it below invoice and no dealership in my area would even consider matching the offer.
Had them confirm the price in writing and placed a deposit down.
Told the Dallas dealership to have everything ready to go when I arrived.
Was in and out of the dealership in less than one hour.

 

You can see everything you need to on line. Negotiate the price, put down a deposit and drive it home! I did it with my local dealer. I would have them pick you up as part of the deal. I live in Iowa and bought a Lexus in New York and another in Boston this way and still saved a couple thousand with the drive factored in. Are they selling over MSPR there? I fly for free though. Good luck!

 

i did all my negotiating over text, it helped that i hashed out numbers with a previous dealer before hand but they couldnt get a manual in in time that i wanted so i found a delaership about 500 miles away that had one i told them the price the other dealer gave me send him a pic of their numbers and he did a whole price sheet breakdown signed it and texted me a picture of it so all negotiating was done before i ever showed up, just make sure they make out a price sheet and sign it and email/text you a picture of it so you have it in writing before you show up. I also had a trade in truck and since a local dealer had already appraised it they knew it was good to go and gave me $1400 extra for my trade without ever seeing it. It was way easier having a previous deal worked out with another dealer so they know the numbers your talking arent just made up so if you can i would say go to a local dealer get numbers then call of text the far away dealership and see if they can do better and what they can do for you since you have to make the trip out but they will be more likely to help you if you have previous numbers from someone else they can compete with and just say like hey im flying out to you if you can give me 1k less than these guys etc. it worked out well for me. Good Luck!

They also tacked on a free lifetime warranty for me that the other dealer didnt

 

Knowing they will never need to worry about non chargeable service might buy you a few extra points on the deal as well.

 

I drove 2 hours to buy my '09 a few years ago.

Did all my dealing over the phone with the "internet manager" He and my credit union did their parts over the phone and fax.

Picked up the check that afternoon and drove to the dealer the next day. I'd say 4 hours total dealer time on the phone and at the dealer. Two hour drive each way. Didn't even fool with any dealers in WV.

 

I'm dealing with a dealer who's 4.5 hours away from me, as the local dealers are all selling at MSRP or above, not including tax, etc. Do what's best for YOU, the dealers will get their cut through repairs and other service I'm sure.

 

fly to Vancouver and buy my 2016 Limited long box!!

Best to arrange pricing and only have to fly out once. I have flown in before and dealers know you are serious if you are willing to fly in on your dime.