HarryJay97

Hi Q5 Forum Members,

I am new to the board and looking at getting a '13 Q5 P+. I came across Unhaggle, which gave me invoice prices and a contact to my local dealer, I'm in Toronto and happens to be a sales associate in Audi Mississauga.

My question, has anyone used the invoice prices to negotiate any discounts from MSRP? Given that I am going to meet the sales associate this weekend, and that he is well aware that I know what the actual invoice prices are, would it be fairly easy to negotiate?

With a baby on the way, but not quite ready to make a jump to a minivan (not in my cards), I can't describe in words how excited I am to eventually own a Q5.

I just want to save some $$ in doing so and any helpful hints will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Parsec

I used Consumer Reports car buying service (free w/my online subscription) to negotiate based on invoice price. (Note the invoice price doesn't reflect the dealer cost, but that's what google is for if you are interested in reading up on corporate incentives). I ended up calling 2 local dealers and told them I was using the Consumer Reports service. One told me they would price match so I didn't have to drive all the way to NJ and the other told me they would beat the quoted price I got online (which was $2k above invoice) and offered something like $1250 or $1500 (I can't remember exactly) above invoice for any Q5 I custom-ordered. Since, the Consumer Reports buying service was only valid for in-stock vehicles, I think I got a pretty good deal on a custom order. No haggle, just a couple quick phone calls.

idale

These days, most people will know invoice. Will it help? Not necessarily, since in the end it's about supply and demand: the dealer's not going to sell to you if they can easily sell to someone else willing to pay more. Not to say you won't get a good deal, it's just that it's not magic or guaranteed.

Usually the simple way (IMO) is to go through internet sales and be willing to travel a little to cast a wide net. When buying a previous car, I'd sent emails in to various dealers in the state and asked flat out what their best price (out the door total) was on a specific vehicle spec I was wanting. With no negotiation I got a pretty good deal from a dealer around 200 miles away that I couldn't get the local dealer to match (despite efforts of the sales guy to get it approved). Some of the dealers quoted me full retail when nobody was paying anywhere near that; those guys were obviously removed without a second thought.

Just see what they're willing to do, have your own budget in mind on what you want to pay and what you'd be willing to pay if necessary, and see if they can get you what you're aiming for (or close to it). As long as you're leaving them a reasonable profit margin I would think that you'd at least get a serious consideration (from any reasonable dealer, that is).

Interex

6% under MSRP is all you'll get a dealer down to. Don't expect to purchase an Audi under invoice, it just won't happen. I always ask for the invoice whenever I buy a car. We did this when we ordered our 2013 P+ and that's as low as they would go.

Parsec

Sorry about the confusion, but I just checked my paperwork. The Consumer Reports car buying service gave me a guaranteed price of $1k above invoice, whereas the dealer came back and took $2k off MSRP which is the deal I got without any major haggling. Invoice was $41,183 with my configuration and MSRP was $43,775, which is a 5.9% difference and very close to what Interex said above. I got it for $41,775, or 4.5% off MSRP which was ok with me since I hate to haggle.

Here's how you can save some more money: you can lock up your financing anytime after you sign the contract and before you pick up the vehicle (up to 5 months later). Audi is offering 1.9% financing right now (it usually fluctuates between 1.9% and 3.9% the past couple years). If you can hammer out the deal this week, then I recommend signing the financing paperwork while you're at it instead of waiting since the rate will most likely go up by the time your car is ready. Only thing you have to think about with financing is whether to roll the cost of Audi Care into the loan or not, so keep that in mind if you are interested in purchasing it.

cambridge99

I think the best you'll get from a Canadian dealer is around 5-6% discount off of MSRP. Alex is well known on most of the forums so good luck and welcome to Audi.

Interex

That's great! Is this advertised anywhere? Last time I looked for financing incentives, nothing was offered for the Q5.

HarryJay97

Thanks All for your help! You have all been very insightful. I will report back after the weekend when I visit the dealership!

Parsec

Sorry I haven't confirmed with Audi, but I read it earlier today on another Audi forum. So might not be reliable information :/

rjrdomer

You'll rarely get an Audi under invoice becasue there's no holdback, so the dealer makes the difference between sales price and invoice plus any incentives the factory is offering them (which you will never know).

Then the dealer makes money and all of that aftermarket crap the F&I guy tries to sell you to "protect your investment." All hogwash.

If you are ordering a car to your specifications from the factory, it will take about 3 months for delivery. Dealers are more likely to negotiate special orders since they won't sit on their lot for very long and won't cut into their floorplan expense. But if the car you want is in inventory, or they can get it, the negoitating they do depends on how long the car has been on their lot. With Q5s, they don't sit for very long. So getting one at about $1500 over invoice is a very good price, especially for a desirable color combination/option configuration.

If you want a specific car, scour the internet for it and play one dealer off another. Don't let dealer A sell you a car dealer B has without contacting dealer B yourself. And don't let dealer A charge you a BS shipping charge to get it from one dealer to the next. Also it helps if you are financing, to go in knowing what a normal bank will give you so you can negotiate with the dealer on financing. If they say 2.9% and your bank offers 2.75% say that. Audi is very gray and not very transparent on financing, so there is usually wiggle room on that front. Good luck.