First new vehicle purchase

Hello everyone! I am a long time TacomaWorld reader, first time poster.

So after saving up for quite some time, I am nearing my first new vehicle purchase. I have done a good amount of research about how to get a fair price (and feel comfortable about obtaining one) but was curious about the Toyota Care Plan that is supposedly "free". I live too far away from a dealer to be going there for any oil changes, so that just ain't gonna happen. So my question is: Is it worth me using this fact as a bit of a bargaining chip OR does a dealer actually want me to use the care plan for oil changes because they get paid by Toyota for performing the services (or something similar)? Hopefully the way I explained that made sense.

The reason I ask is that I wouldn't want the dealer to think, "Oh man, we are gonna miss out on the cash from Toyota if this guy doesn't use the care plan so we better not drop the price too much from MSRP."

Thanks for any insight on the subject from those with knowledge/experience! TacomaWorld is a great site that I am glad to become a part of!

 

Welcome!

That won't be an issue for them and don't mention it because it will make you sound like a sucker when you are doing the negotiation. Simply, just beat the hell out of them to get the price down as low as you can. Check the threads here on prices paid and go in with what you think is a good price for you to pay, stick to your guns and use your money to negotiate. Don't be afraid to walk away, they want the sale and the money is everything.

 

Thanks RadSurf!

I am obviously looking to get a decent price on anything I buy so it's good to know that I shouldn't even mention that I won't be using the "free" oil changes. I have decided that it is in my best interest to keep the cost down as much as possible (school teacher salary) so I will be getting a Regular Cab 4X4 with manual transmission. Hopefully I can get the dealer down to between $20,000-$20,500. I think that should be possible if I play my cards correctly.

Can anybody give me some advice on using my down payment during negotiations? I will be plunking down $10,000 so I was thinking I should not mention this since too soon as I will be financing a somewhat small amount and they are offering 1.9%. I figure if they knew the amount of my down payment, coupled with a decent interest rate for me, they would be less likely to come down on the price.

Any other information on negotiating is much appreciated. Thanks!

P.S. Due to the far distance of the dealer, I will be doing all negotiations via telephone/e-mail until the day I would drive the truck home.

 

One other point of advice. When you go to meet with the finance manager to finalize the sale, they will try to push a few things on you, primarily the extended warranty *and* an extended Toyota care package.

Now, it's up to you regarding the warranty; some people like the piece of mind, others consider it a waste of money. If you're budget minded, you'll probably want to avoid it. Since you said you're not even gonna use the free maintenance provided, you definitely won't want the extended Toyota care.

Now, I mention this because these guys can be sneaky. It's not like they are gonna come right out and say, "Do you want this or don't you?" Instead, they will go over the program and then unless you say "NO, I'm not interested in that", they'll try to just add it to your sale.

 

Thanks for the heads-up Pete! It's little things like that which I am looking for information about to help ensure I don't get slam dunked at the dealership for something I don't want/need. I will be making this purchase entirely on my own and it's my first new vehicle so I am obviously a little leery of potential dealer antics.

 

Free oil changes...http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=eKgPY1adc0A

 

I should bring G.W. to the dealer to help me negotiate a price. Primarily because all of his decisions have been both fair and just. That's a funny clip!