Pricing A New Car, Part 3

When I was a teenager, Dad did a lot of car work on the family cars.  He also bought a few.  He never let me help on repairs or go along when he bought a new one.  I received an old car he purchased as a birthday gift when I was 20.   I drove it to college and had no idea how to maintain a car.  After a couple years. it died.  The mechanic showed me that the oil was like tar. 

Well who knew you had to change that?  Dad never mentioned it.  So I walked miles and rode buses for year because I was DEAD BROKE and living on Hamburger Helper.

I didn't ASK for help, but Dad took SOME pity on me and bought another old car.  It lasted 3 years.  My BIL replaced the engine from another old car but that lasted only 6 months.  After that, I never mentioned problems.

Not knowing anything about negotiating car prices, I paid sticker price for a used Chevy Vega Hatchback.  The car has a terrible history, but I actually got a good one.  After it died, I asked a friend to drive me around to several local dealerships to find a new one.  I didn't want a used car.

Now, my friend was an experienced negotiator.  Did contract negotiations.  Had bought several cars (and explained later that he had worked the price down).  We finally landed at a Chevy dealer and I asked to see the cheapest car on the lot.  I said "OK" to a Chevy Scooter at full price.  I didn't know you could negotiate.  My experienced friend did not so much as whisper a suggestion in my ear. 

And a knowledgeable friend would do that, right?  He didn't.  He just let me go on being a real sucker. I only understood what a sucker I was later.  HE said "Well, it was up to you".  Some friend... I think it made him feel "superior".  Well, we had some other things in common like fishing and games.  But I finally dropped him like rock in 2011 and am greatly relieved for having done so.

The next time I needed a car, I researched.  I found Consumer Reports car pricing site.  Loved it.  But that is all detailed in the previous 2 posts.

I've learned to negotiate and rather strongly.  I've learned that "best offers" are never the best.  I will survive without the CR pricing data.  I've learned to never offer the fair price, because salesmen just consider that a starting point to increase.  I probably won't get as good a price as I used to, but probably will pay well less than average. 

You do what you can with the information you have...