Paying for a car with cash

My experience has been that they don't want you to pay cash. They want you to finance with them.

IRL conversation with the money girl after the sale:

Her: So, Mr. Zach, how do you want to finance your new car?

Me: I don't. I'm gonna write a check.

Her: Oh, you don't want to do that.

Me: Why not?

Her: Because, it's always best to buy with other people's money so you can invest your own.

Me: What should I invest my own in?

Her: Uh, oh, well, something like the Japanese yen.

Me: The Japanese yen is in the shitter.

Her: OK, write a check.

I can't find the article that I read but you will get the best deal if you finance through them. Don't tell them you have the cash. A few days after you buy it, send them a check.

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Paying for a car with cash
What kind deal can you expect from the dealer?

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Don't tell them you're paying with cash. Imply you're going to finance through them. After you settle on the price, then tell them you've decided to pay with cash.

If they think they're going to pick up financing, they cut a little (not much, but a little) off of the price.

Last car I bought after we negotiated the final price when I got out the check book they offered to knock off another $500 if I financed it with them. I refused to finance and then I dug in my feet and finally got them to give me $300 more off even though I paid in cash.

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I can't find the article that I read but you will get the best deal if you finance through them. Don't tell them you have the cash. A few days after you buy it, send them a check.

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I had a friend that agreed on price specifically because he had agreed to finance with them. They sent him to the finance office, and the guy asked him how many payments he was looking at (36, 48, 60, etc). He took out his checkbook and said, "just one" and wrote a check for the agreed upon price. Supposedly, they were pretty pissed.

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I had a friend that agreed on price specifically because he had agreed to finance with them. They sent him to the finance office, and the guy asked him how many payments he was looking at (36, 48, 60, etc). He took out his checkbook and said, "just one" and wrote a check for the agreed upon price. Supposedly, they were pretty pissed.

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I'm planning to buy my next vehicle cash. I thought about negotiating to a price I like based on their assumption that I might finance, then turn the tables like your friend did. However, I'm starting to think that I will tell them I'm paying cash, offer $500 below invoice, and see if it goes from there. I really don't know which strategy is better.

I bought a car and got a $1,500 discount off our agreed upon price to finance through them. Did that...Next day, I sent a check in to pay off the car. Heard nothing from the car finance people at all...

If you have great credit why not keep your money especially in the $20 to $30,000 to $40,000 range. Let your money make you money. Chase Bank, Cap One, etc are crazy low right now. As low as 2.5%.
Why in the hell wouldn't you go for that and keep your money in the bank? Please make me understand how dropping $30,0000, $40,000, $50,0000 at one time instead of borrowing at 2.5% makes sense...?