Long distance purchase of a new car: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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May 11, 2011 7:42 a.m. gjz30075 Reader

I'm contemplating a purchase of a new car at a stealership six hours away. Basically, the color and trim I want isn't local and this is the closest I found. So, how can I keep leaverage on my side?

I was thinking of calling and discussing their best deal but it'll come out, I'm sure, that I'm quite distant to them and if we arrive at a deal, what's to stop them from jacking the numbers once I arrive? I'm sure they think that, I've come so far already, I won't be going home empty handed. I can't be afraid to walk. I'm also thinking of the strategy of simply asking if the car is still available and telling them I'll be there 'tomorrow' (whenever that will be) so the distance won't factor into the deal, and simply show up, like a local would and do the deal then.

Any words of wisdom here? Thanks!
May 11, 2011 7:51 a.m. pinchvalve SuperDork

These days, your credit worthiness means more than any other single factor. If you have excellent credit, you could be from the moon and they will still work with you. (Assuming you are financing of course)
May 11, 2011 7:58 a.m. RossD SuperDork

Won't dealerships trade cars around to get local business?
May 11, 2011 8:01 a.m. pigeon Dork

The deal is the deal, location doesn't matter. I purchased our last two cars (CPO used, not new, but that's not relevant) at dealers 4 hours away. I negotiated the deal on the phone, drove or flew in, checked out the car, signed the paperwork and handed over the check from my credit union and drove home. Nobody tried any funny business, and when I discovered a problem with one of the cars a few weeks later the dealer made it right. The key is once you have struck the final deal to have get it in writing signed by them and you - fax the paperwork back and forth. Then there's no room for "jacking up the price" or other monkey business, and you can tell them ahead of time to keep their paint and fabric protection and wheel locks because you're not paying for them.
May 11, 2011 8:02 a.m. pigeon Dork

RossD wrote:

Won't dealerships trade cars around to get local business?

Depends on the dealer, and sometimes the dealer with the in-demand car won't trade if they can't get back something they want.
May 11, 2011 8:05 a.m. Duke SuperDork

Yup. I bought my car CPO from a dealer about 4 hours away. I called up, made the deal on the phone, then faxed them my information. They FedExed the paperwork down to me all signed on their end. I looked it over, signed it, then paid my nephew $100 to drive up with me and get it. We discovered a minor flaw while there, which they fixed before I left. Easy as pie.
May 11, 2011 8:06 a.m. gjz30075 Reader

Thanks guys. No financing here but I do like Pigeon's approach: get it in writing and work via fax.
May 11, 2011 8:09 a.m. tuna55 SuperDork

gjz30075 wrote:

No financing here

Atta boy.

Also, Fax and E-mail in writing should take care of it for ya. What are you buying? New LFA?
May 11, 2011 10:47 a.m. YaNi Reader

I bought a new Golf TDI last month and my dealer found the car in Michigan, which was about 4 hours away. It didn't change any part of the deal and I got the exact car I wanted. I'd rather take it back to the same dealer I purchased it from for any warranty work.

Get the ZAG price and get the dealer's internet price. Emailing was hassle free and I wasn't pressured into anything. I was shopping around for a couple different model cars and the internet price was always below the ZAG and invoice prices. I would never walk into a dealer without something in writing after going the internet route.

Keep in mind that if you are dealing with a scumbag that faxed signatures is not necessarily legally binding and they may make you sign everything again in person.
May 11, 2011 11:30 a.m. Klayfish Reader

Yep, did this a few years back when we bought our minivan (brand new).

Local Kia dealer(s) wouldn't budge below $21k or $22k for a base Sedona. Found a dealership in Virginia (6+ hours away) who quoted me $17,500 + taxes out the door. I called the local dealers to tell them and see if they'd match. They must have thought I was bluffing, as they refused to move. Called dealer in VA back, made the verbal deal on the phone. Followed it up with e-mails. It's been a while so I don't recall exactly, but they sent me some kind of document prior to my paying them. It went very smoothly. I even found a shipper to bring it right to my door for under $250.

Local dealer called about 3 weeks later to say "Come on in...we'll match the price". My response was somewhat less than polite...
May 11, 2011 2:25 p.m. Woody SuperDork

The last couple of new vehicles that I bought, I wet to one dealership and found the model and color that I wanted. Then I e-mailed every dealer in the state with the specs that I wanted. Within a day, they all got back to me. 75% of them gave me the identical price. Attempts to haggle were refused, which indicated to me that this was as low as they could go.

I suspect that so many people buy cars this way now that it's taken a lot of the fight out of the dealers. So, I don't think the distance would be an issue, aside from variations in the destination charge.