re: Buying a new car need the OT'S advice

I don't sell anymore. I'm in a management role, but everybody is a salesman in some way! Even you.

Here is my advice:

Lease new or buy a 1 to 3 year old vehicle, unless you drive over 15k miles a year and/or keep a vehicle for more than 5 years.

Have them show you the invoice on the vehicle. Ask to see their programs and how much incentive money they have on them. Ask if they have a dealer demo or courtesy loaner they can gut the deal on. See how transparent they're willing to be. Try to get then to go into hold back (similar percentage as the gross from msrp to invoice) ask them to throw in a maintenance plan. Wait until the last couple of days of the month, and the dealership will be trying to meet quotas and goals. They will usually be more aggressive then.

You can use the out for town dealerships to beat your local dealerships price, because remember that they're willing to come to you with their pants down because they would love to pull someone outside of their marke . But always give your local guys the opportunity to match the deal. Just find a good salesman that seems like a genuine person and build a relationship with him, so if you break down or have issues, he will expedite your service work and give you a loaner. Service after the sale is key for a good salesman and a quality that will get him promoted quickly.

There is a lot of subpar people in the car industry which is why if you're just above average, you can have a 150k job at 30 with no college degree. Haha

Good luck.