Tyrone

It seems that the authorized Autobytel dealer may be the variable here. Different stores may offer different deals. There are 6 Audi dealers within a 90 mile radius of my home and they all were willing to better the Autobytel price on a '99 by a substantial margin. This was when the '99s first hit the showrooms (mid Sept '98). Was your deal made at the same store that wouldn't do less than MSRP to you as an individual? If so, it seems that he was willing to kiss off half of his intended profit pretty easily. I would think that someone who can plug themself into a $100/hr job might be a more skillful negotiator. <br>

GregW

We've tried them twice, both times had no trouble beating their prices (Audi, $500, VW, $2000). <p>I think they're a waste of time, other than as a point of reference. Take their number and use it as a starting point, maybe.<p>FWIW, we'll not even bother with them in the future.<p>--Greg<p>P.S. I *SHUDDER* to think how heavily we would have been screwed on the Bug, had we gone with them - Autobytel was 2K over. Buyer beware; I think it's a scam.<p>

Bob

My experience has been that despite your best knowledge and research, walking cold into a dealership is pretty much a "hit or miss" affair. Is the salesperson who singles you out prepared to bargain on this day or not? Is his sales manager in a mood to deal or shut you down? Are they both going to waste your time trying to persuade you to buy the "almost what you wanted" model on the showroom floor rather than the exact model you're <br>looking for?<p>In addition, there's the "feeling out" process whereby just getting to the "reasonable" range is a time-consuming and torturous ordeal as they try to <br>measure you up. In my case, the local dealer wouldn't bargain at all. (And no this dealer was NOT the Autobytel dealer as well.)<p>What I found is that services like Autobytel cut more quickly to the chase. You've already specified the exact model you're looking for and they know <br>you've done your homework because Autobytel (or CarPoint for that matter) provides you with much of that information themselves.<p>Even if you choose NOT to buy from an online service they generally supply you with a reasonable starting price that you can use for leverage at other dealerships to advance the bargaining process more quickly... or, ummm, should I say more skillfully?<p>In my case, the Autobytel dealership started at a range that was far more reasonable than my local dealership and cut through a LOT of the typical car <br>sales bull****.<p>I also believe that the Autobytel reps are usually the fleet salesmen who are generally in a position to offer better deals than the typical floor salesperson.<p>Perhaps, my experience was an anomaly? But all I know is that my experience walking into a dealership armed to the teeth with research SUCKED and my experience with Autobytel was more in keeping with my original expectation: A calm, reasonable negotiation in the exact range that my research had indicated represented a very good deal. In the end, the final price was know more than perhaps $200 above what I believe would have been the best possible price (short of a miracle). Perhaps I could have gone to another dealership and haggled them down the additional $200 but the effort vs. savings calculation didn't seem worth it.

Tyrone

l agree that any of the buying services will get you closer to a realistic purchase price for the car of your choice. Each dealership is a unique experience.....some good.....others, not so good. If you want to get the best possible price on a new or used car, doing some homework and visiting more than one store is a MUST. If, for whatever reason, you can't do this, then using a service can be beneficial. Let me finish by saying that knowledgeable, courteous salespeople do exist out there and they can make the buying experience a real pleasure instead of the nightmare most of us have heard about.<p>