How to Buy a New Hybrid Car Without Face-to-Face Negotiation
Buying a new hybrid car is a good thing – you are helping out the environment by using fewer natural resources while saving money at the time. When gas prices rose to above $4.50 per gallon at one point in 2008, many were left scrambling to figure out how to save money on gas by getting the maximum number of miles out of a gallon of gasoline. Buying a new hybrid car was the answer for many. If you are entertaining thoughts of owning your own but would rather skip the face-to-face negotiating with the dealer, here are a few tips to guide you along the way.
The first thing that you will need to decide is what make and model you want. There are quite a few to choose from with the Toyota Prius being high on many lists. Other popular models include hybrid versions of the Honda Civic, the Nissan Altima, the Toyota Camry, and now the Honda Insight. If you are having trouble making up your mind, just research the vehicles that you are most interested in on the Internet. You will find lots of consumer research and reviews from actual owners.
The Negotiating Power of the Internet
After you have decided which new hybrid car is for you, normally the next step in the buying process is to visit local dealers and haggle with hungry salespeople who want to make a sale. However, if you are willing to do a bit of research on your own, you can skip this step entirely. After all, who wants to ruin the buying experience spending hours negotiating with salespeople? The Internet has broadened the buying experience and it can be a great tool for buying new and used cars. In fact many have used the Internet to purchase cars without even stepping into the dealership except to pick up the cars themselves.
Using the Internet to get the best deal on your new hybrid automobile is a great way to get the lowest possible price and avoid dealing with salespeople. However, there are a few things that you should know before jumping in headfirst. Here’s how the entire process might work.
Getting Prices from Dealers Without Stepping into Showrooms
There are numerous websites that you can visit online that you can use to assist you in your quest to purchase a new vehicle. You simply complete an online search – try a few of the websites until you find one that you are comfortable with – simple process, easy to understand navigation, and clear instructions.
Once at your favorite online “car buying” site, you will be asked to select the make, model, and options of the car you are interested in. Most of these websites require you to input your name and email address so that you can receive results via email. Once you have provided your information, there is nothing else to do besides wait for the results. Within a few days (but often the same day), you will receive multiple bids with selling prices from local dealerships for the vehicle that you are interested in. If you use more than one of these sites in your search, you are likely to get a better range of vehicles that fit your criteria, as well as a better range of prices.
Once you have your results, take your time to compare the prices you have received versus features included. There may be some communication back and forth between you and the proposing dealers to iron out questions, issues or any other problems. Once you find a price that you like and everything else to your liking, simply arrange a date and time to pay for your new car and pick it up, plus complete any paperwork required. It’s a low-stress way to buy a new car. There is no real time, face-to-face haggling because you’ve done all that through emails. It’s just a simple and straightforward process.
The Caviats
There are a few things that you need to be aware of when using this “no negotiation” method to purchase your new hybrid car. First, dealerships pay the online “car buying” websites to list their inventory, which means this cost may be passed on to you. Second, the lowest price that you receive online may not be the lowest price for that particular vehicle in your area. Another dealership may have an exact selection listed at a lower price.
Also, you’re buying a new product sight unseen. This may or may not be a problem for many people, and it helps to know exactly what you want, including by talking to people you trust or even renting the same model to drive around for a few days. Finally, you’ll want to pre-arrange any financing needed for the transaction. This will keep you in a better negotiating position, albeit through emails.
The key to successful “no negotiation” method is research and knowledge. When price proposals are sent to you via email, do really take a few extra minutes to research at reputable sites such as Edmunds.com to ensure that you are getting what you want for a good, fair deal. If you think that you can get a lower price, do research of inventory at other dealerships in your area, and maybe even use one quote to negotiate for a better deal elsewhere. You can definitely do this remotely over the phone or email before ever stepping foot into a dealership. Again the key is to make an informed decision so that you are happy with your new hybrid car purchase.
