I have not been car shopping in 12 years, and that last purchase was our 2007 CX-7 GT AWD. (It is BTW, the most fun and pleasurable vehicle I have ever owned & driven! I have been a fan of the Mazda turbo 4 configuration since the beginning,) It was purchased from a friend who had been in the business for years, and we naturally traveled a distance to the dealership where he was manager. Unfortunately he is no longer in the business.
I am now looking to buy a 2018 CX-9 (GT AWD or Sig) and in a bit of a quandary as to what dealership I choose to begin this process, and I*m curious as to thoughts by those of you who have had more recent experiences.
- Dealership #1 is closest to home, less than 30 minutes away but has only 3 9s in inventory * none of which I would want and not much to for my wife to see.
- #2 in distance (but more than 45+ min) has only 4 in stock. Two could be of potential interest, but similar to #1, there is very little to see and compare.
- #3 is where we bought the 7. It is also close to an hour away, and again only 4 on the lot with no contenders.
- Dealership #4 (about an hour away) has 20 9s on the lot. They have been the most assertive in emails & phone calls since a search thru CR/True Car a couple of months ago. No real name-based contact is established and no 1st choice color/trim candidates on their lot.
- #5 is about 45+ min across town, and has 24 2018 CX-9s on the lot. One or 2 could be of interest.
I am leaning toward #5 because they have much more to actually see to compare, and I*m betting they will be the most eager to deplete an inventory glut of 2018s. Dealer #4 on the other hand seems to be most assertive in follow-up for the sale, at least in terms of the CR/TrueCar lead generation. The ONLY dealership with my ultimate 1st choice in color and trim on the lot is #2, and this is likely where the others will go to swap out for the sale. This will be a straight cash purchase with no trade. So where would you go, and why? Or does it matter?
It is simple. Visit the dealer with the absolute rock bottom price available and buy from them. If it happens to be 3,000 miles away, consider it a good Break In Drive on the way home and don't forget to subtract the fuel and hotel expense from the purchase price - let them pay for your travel cost. If they balk, go somewhere else.
I will travel across country to get a rock bottom price that cannot be obtained elsewhere, as long as my travel expense does not cancel any gains obtained in doing so. The vehicle has to be broken in anyway. So, no big deal if the drive home is long - it just means that I get home with a vehicle already broken in.
At the end of the day, preserve as much of your personal wealth as possible no matter what you buy. Target $44k for the Signature. They will think you are crazy but go for it anyway and be tough in negotiations. Sometimes the absolutely best deal can be done by phone, if you hold your own private blind auction and stick to your guns. Get agreement from the Finance Manager or Fleet Manager by fax or email complete with their first and last name before you visit. Walk in with an 'electronic agreement' in hand and don't budge from that bottom line number when you arrive.
You should not pay more than $45.5 for a new Signature, if you play your cards right and that's on the higher side of what should be possible.
Grind. Grind. Grind the deal. Wear them out. They think they are going to wear you out - just turn the tables and be ready for war when you arrive.
Growl as you walk in. It helps, LOL!
The out-of-the-gate quote for our 1st color choice Signature is $40,150 BT;...
$40K on a 2018 Signature? Buy it. Why wait.
I am also finding that the floor for Sig models in SW PA is $39,600; and this appears to be a rather hard floor.
What the hell? Did you say $39.6 for a Signature? Man you guys got it easy in PA. Buy the damn thing already. That's nearly 5 grand below what you can sniff them for out where I live. Geepers.
No, I am getting EXACTLY (Silver Sig) what I want for $39,412; the $39,600 floor that I have found is common to at least 3 regional dealerships here in SW PA for any Signature.
Heck, that's worth a trip to PA for me. I might be in for a new Black Signature soon and that's nearly $6 thousand below what they sell for around here. That differential covers my travel expense entirely and I get to drive across the country taking in nice views along the way back home.
Anybody know of any dealers selling Signatures in Black for less than $39K? Have checkbook. Will travel. These prices are unheard of around here.