Agree - I think if someone wanted one of these, either for now, or for it’s value in 20+ years, this is pretty much the one to want.  It has all the right things that make this one ‘the one’.  

not so much anymore - the internet makes value pretty easy to figure out. Dealer ask isn’t usually too out of line, or they won’t sell many cars at all.  The exception is the rare cars, the unicorns, etc. where very little data makes it opaque.

a person with limited negotiating skills and limited knowledge of what she/he is looking at and potentially buying is generally well advised to stay away from random used car lots and stick with branded dealerships. Branded dealerships wholesale the garbage and marginal cars they get on trade to the auctions - that’s…

legit question - what area do you live in? That can make a difference. What kind of car at what price point were you trying to negotiate? That also makes a difference. Was it a ‘used car lot’ or a used car on a branded dealership (ie Ford, Toyota, pick any brand) lot? That absolutely makes a difference.

Diesel Prius FTW

You are literally just messing with this guy...fabulous post! Very jalop man.

Lincoln Town Car a better choice, but the margin is slim. RWD V8 > FWD v6

potato, potahtoe...but yeah.

The experience at a Lincoln dealer is WAYYYYY different than the experience at a Dodge dealer - true all day long. 

you don’t have to work with the salesman who approaches you -  you can work with any salesperson you choose to work with.  People don’t often realize that....what happens is that the most aggressive salesperson is most likely the one to approach you.  When you go to the dealership, walk around a while, observe the…

I paid for a $12K car at a Lincoln dealership in ACTUAL US CURRENCY last year....dealer finance guy nearly crapped his pants. And there were extra forms to fill out (anti-money laundering laws)

a few hours spread over a 5-15 year span of ownership isn’t all that big of an investment of time, and certainly more valuable than your personal cost of time (in economic terms)

what you are describing in Amazon vs Best Buy is a combination of Arbitrage and Price Discrimination in Economics terms. I explained this to my son the other day in terms of Bud Lights - the can he was drinking at the kitchen table that cost him $0.75 is the same can he could buy at a local bar for $2.50.   Same beer,…

you didn’t save anything - you avoided overpaying by $4k by discovering the ‘market clearing price’

KBB is more of a lie than CarFax - Edmunds today is even worse.  Follow the money trail and you’ll discover why.

welcome to Free Market Economics, bud!  

that strategy actually does a better job at finding the ‘market clearing price’ than the traditional overprice-and-offer-under.  It’s the same thing, just in reverse.   It’s just like a Mecum car auction if Mecum sold houses.

you can haggle with Amazon...it’s just not the traditional haggle process ;)

there are FAR more market dynamics in housing than in cars.  housing is not a rational marketplace, it’s an emotional marketplace.

take the chip off your shoulder, bud.  that weight ain’t worth carrying.  presume people to be honest, and approach them that way...if they prove you wrong, use your feet, and find an alternative scenario for your transaction.