mellow_sparky

+1

audi40

I'm always curious on these threads that talk about what people paid that no one seems to mention trading in their previous car and what kind of deal they got on the trade. Sure, a dealer might give you a great deal off MSRP or even below invoice, but if they make up for it by low-balling your trade, what did you really save? Is everyone out there doing private party sales on their previous ride?

I just recently bought an A6 for 10% off MSRP with supplier discount and owner loyalty, and got what I thought was a great trade-in amount ($27k) based on Edmunds & KBB for my '09 Prem+ A4 with 23k miles - dealer put it on the lot @ $32,995 (orig MSRP $38,400) and sold it in less than a week.

zerinS4

I had 1k in neg equity on the TT so I just wrote a check for that. Could have sold it privately for more but would have negated the tax credit not to mention the pain in the *** of selling privately.

bmoney

I paid $1000 under invoice and got 36K for my TTS which ended up being a little above good kbb value.

wnpub

Invoice + 1200 less $1500 loyalty discount, except that loyalty discount is tricky because it's off the price plus taxes and fees, so it's not quite "300 under invoice".

nal13

Invoice + 500 - 750 BMW cash = 250 below invoice

FastMarkA

I'd like to make a suggestion based on prior experience. When I leased my current '08 535xi, I did the email procedure, but instead of asking the dealer their price, my email essentially was:

- Hi, I'm Fastmarka
- I will be leasing a 535xi
- Options I want are blah blah blah
- MSRP is this (per bmwusa.com)
- Invoice is this (per bmw order sheet and [internet source])
- I am happy to offer $500 over invoice price.

This email will be distributed to multiple dealerships in the region and I will choose from the one who offers the best deal.

I respect if your dealership has a policy to not negotiate via email, but that will preclude me from transacting business with you.

I want a 36 month lease with 12,000 miles per month. Please provide the following:

- vehicle selling price
- vehicle selling price with [county tax]
- list of lease fees
- money factor
- residual
- monthly payment

My email is xxx@xxx.com. Please do not contact me via telephone.

I would appreciate your information by [a week from sending date].

Despite what the tone of this email might suggest, I'm not a *****. Really. I am a car enthusiast which is why I'm interested in your brand. Simply put, I am a business owner and my time is valuable, and I choose not to spend it negotiating over a car. I am sure you can understand.

I look forward to your response and the prospect of purchasing a vehicle from your dealership.

Kind regards,

Fastmarka

**This elicited about 6-7 responses from Chicagoland dealerships, and the process was painless. YMMV.

tgrundke

I take a similar approach. After I test drive a car and decide to buy it, I email the salesperson I worked with and tell them the options I want along with my standard $500.00 over invoice offer.

I have yet to have a good salesperson/dealership be difficult about it. The deal is usually done right then and there.

MattPec

+1

Plus some additional tax credits (check my other posts or PM me for details).