Buying a new CX-5 in NJ. Any advice?

[Mariana]

I'm in the process of buying a CX-5 in NJ. It has not been easy to gather information, so I thought I'd share what I found so far here and ask for advice.

I ruled-out some dealerships before getting an actual quote because they were pushy and/or not forthcoming with actual pricing and fees. These include Action in Flemington (NJ), Lodi Mazda (NJ), and Island Mazda (NY).

Here are the best quotes I received for a CX-5 GT AWD with the tech and I-activsense packages. Hopefully they will be of use to someone else who is also looking for a new CX-5. Sale prices include all pre-tax fees (e.g., destination, ad fees, etc.). Out the door (OTD) prices include sales taxes and other post-tax fees (doc. fee, title, registration, some surcharges that were not properly explained, etc.). OTD prices do not include any of Mazda's incentives for mazda owners, military personnel, recent college grads etc. I think a large share of buyers will get an additional $500 bonus through those.

Wayne (NJ) 31,575 (sale), 34,897 (OTD)
Palisades (NY) 32,145 (sale), 35,374 (OTD)
All American (NJ) 31,397 (sale), 34,626 (OTD)
Irwin (NJ) 32,389 (sale), 35,349 (OTD)
Hamilton (NJ) 31,995 (sale), 35,011 (OTD)

I'm continuing to collect additional information in this spreadsheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U5kLHE-XK50q_szKAhgc9GhYLele-6osJnaKiHs4oIE/edit#gid=0) and want to select one with an good price for a configuration I like. But collecting enough data points to make an educated choice has been a challenge.

Wayne Mazda offered me one of the best prices so far, but my experience there was very unpleasant. It's a headache-inducing, high-pressure sales floor. They charge $299 for VIN etching (see http://www.consumerlawgroup.com/blog/2014/06/games-dealers-play-vin-etching.shtml) and an exorbitant $399 doc. fee. Yet, it may be impossible to avoid them altogether because they have a huge inventory (340 2016 CX-5s right now).

My best interactions were via email with Irwin Mazda in Freehold (NJ) and Hamilton Mazda in Hamilton (NJ). They were transparent about their fee structure and gave me their best quotes fully itemized via email along with a link to the window sticker, so I know what they are promising to sell for that price. The Internet sales person at All American Mazda in Brick (NJ) is also super nice (no pressure, good customer service) and they offered the best quote I received so far, but they snuck in a $299 fee for vin etching (red flag).

TRUECar and Edmunds were an ok place to start, but I did not receive very good quotes through them. The quotes above were only offered after I exchanged emails with Internet sales reps at the dealerships. And in-person at Wayne Mazda.

This is my first time buying a new car and I'm starting to wish it could be the last. How did you do this?

 

[MikeM.]

This is my first time buying a new car and I'm starting to wish it could be the last. How did you do this?

I feel your pain and wish it were not so.

The automobile sales model is old and out dated. Most states have laws against the manufacturer selling their products directly to the consumer using their own showrooms (like Tesla is doing in a few states and is in legal fights in many of the remaining states to deal directly with the customer. These laws were illogical and anti-consumer from the beginning - they were designed to protect owners of dealerships from competition. But they are anti-consumer and anti-competitive. Buyers in a Tesla showroom do not need to dicker - the price is the real price. That's the way it should be for all cars.

 

[Mariana]

We were hoping to avoid this hassle and wait for the model iii (will it ever come?), but the old car needs to retire.

 

[bmninada]

PM me, Mariana. I'm in NJ and bought CX5 recently. I can recommend to you few things.

 

[silvercx]

I recently got my GT AWD w/ Tech for about $150 above invoice. The CX-5 is still a hot item despite the recall. I live in NYC. Since you live fairly close to NY, why don't you check out the dealers here. Dealer fees are capped at $75 in NY.

PM me if you want more details.

 

[rwortman]

Just buy the damn thing and enjoy it. Nothing in your life will change if you don't get the best deal in the history of Mazda on your car. A few hundred dollars amortized over the life of a car is nothing.

 

[russiankid]

Buying a new car is a hassle, even more of a hassle if you're trading in a car. You don't want to get ripped off on your trade, you want the closest value to the book, but you also want the cheapest price for the new car. There are people out there who know the in's and outs of this process and can get great deals, but from my personal experience if you're trading in a car you're losing money, so may as well pick what you want and don't think twice. If you're not trading in, find all the possible incentives that the manufacturer offers, in addition to potential holiday sales coming up. I have ran into situations in the past where the dealer did not include an incentive in the price until I mentioned it, then it was "oh that's right I forgot about that one!"

 

[banjos-n-beer]

Buying a new car is a hassle, even more of a hassle if you're trading in a car. You don't want to get ripped off on your trade, you want the closest value to the book, but you also want the cheapest price for the new car. There are people out there who know the in's and outs of this process and can get great deals, but from my personal experience if you're trading in a car you're losing money, so may as well pick what you want and don't think twice. If you're not trading in, find all the possible incentives that the manufacturer offers, in addition to potential holiday sales coming up. I have ran into situations in the past where the dealer did not include an incentive in the price until I mentioned it, then it was "oh that's right I forgot about that one!"

A co-worker hates buying cars. But he knows someone local who used to work in the business, and therefore has tons of contacts around the state. For $150, he'll do all the dirty work to sniff out the best deal. Then all you have to do is snow up and sign the papers. I considered using him, but was happy with my original offer and ultimately went my own way.

But for those that hate the car shopping experience, I'm sure the $150 spent is well worth it.

 

[jcpharm]

my advice is don't kill yourself over getting the best price. the fact that all your OTD prices are within $1000 of eachother tells you that you've found the true market value. buy the car where you want it and enjoy it. it is a nice car.

 

[NelsonLewis]

I recently got my GT AWD w/ Tech for about $150 above invoice. The CX-5 is still a hot item despite the recall. I live in NYC. Since you live fairly close to NY, why don't you check out the dealers here. Dealer fees are capped at $75 in NY.

PM me if you want more details.

help getting $150 over invoice?

If you paid over invoice, you paid way too much...

 

[doopie]

I used an indie auto dealer. The car was delivered to me in Queens.
It came from an Open Road Mazda dealership in New Jersey. I don't know which one exactly?
Try dealers further away from you. Don't be concerned to have to buy from a close dealer for future service. Service departments shouldn't care where you bought the car, as long as you bring your car to them for any service. They get paid for warranty work by Mazda.
I had the pricey headlights which were de-laminated replaced under warranty with a local Mazda service department.

I'm surprised prices haven't dropped in all this time since I bought mine this past Spring. I thought I bought high because it was early in the season for the 2016's. My OTD was in the range of the ones you posted.

I'm also surprised prices haven't dropped with the 2016.5's due soon or probably in dealerships already. Slight tweaks with an up in price on them.
"Build and Price" feature on the Mazda website still posts 2016 model prices.

 

[russiankid]

A co-worker hates buying cars. But he knows someone local who used to work in the business, and therefore has tons of contacts around the state. For $150, he'll do all the dirty work to sniff out the best deal. Then all you have to do is snow up and sign the papers. I considered using him, but was happy with my original offer and ultimately went my own way.

But for those that hate the car shopping experience, I'm sure the $150 spent is well worth it.

Not a bad deal. I personally like driving new cars, longest I have kept a new car is 2 years. The whole process of finding the best deal is the part I dislike, but being that I am fairly financially responsible, I pucker up and do it so that way I am not regretting my financial decision months later. The part I enjoy the most is driving off from the dealer and coming home in the brand new vehicle.

 

[bmninada]

Just buy the damn thing and enjoy it. Nothing in your life will change if you don't get the best deal in the history of Mazda on your car. A few hundred dollars amortized over the life of a car is nothing.

Nah.... I LOVE taking the damn sales guys for a ride. For my previous car, I went in at 2:30 pm and came out at 10:30 pm with the car. Started with MSRP, ended with $3000 less than MSRP + host of accessories. It depends on how hot the model is, time of year, etc. I have an open invitation to my friends who take me to negotiate a car, did it at least 10 times.

For my CX-5, 2.5L, Tech, AWD, iActiveSense, mud guards, cargo cover, cargo tray, all-weather mats, tire insurance (upfront paid) I got for $33,000 with reg. tax.

 

[NelsonLewis]

Nah.... I LOVE taking the damn sales guys for a ride. For my previous car, I went in at 2:30 pm and came out at 10:30 pm with the car. Started with MSRP, ended with $3000 less than MSRP + host of accessories. It depends on how hot the model is, time of year, etc. I have an open invitation to my friends who take me to negotiate a car, did it at least 10 times.

I know the feeling.

 

[banjos-n-beer]

Not a bad deal. I personally like driving new cars, longest I have kept a new car is 2 years. The whole process of finding the best deal is the part I dislike, but being that I am fairly financially responsible, I pucker up and do it so that way I am not regretting my financial decision months later. The part I enjoy the most is driving off from the dealer and coming home in the brand new vehicle.

He swaps out his lease every 3 years... so its worth it to him to have such a contact.

I really don't like the negotiation process, simply because its a waste of 2 hours. They always end up where I want them to, but its the whole song and dance to get there that I find irritating. I've got better things to do.

 

[TimelessMazda]

help getting $150 over invoice?

If you paid over invoice, you paid way too much...

Pretty sure he meant dealer invoice not full MSRP.

 

[NelsonLewis]

Pretty sure he meant dealer invoice not full MSRP.

That's what I interpreted it as well.

 

[MikeM.]

My favorite new car purchase was when I bought my 2010 F-150. I had a very specific list of options the truck needed to have, the engine, rear-end ratio, back-up camera, etc. and certain options we didn't want on there at all. We were preparing to buy a horse trailer for my wife's horse and needed a tow vehicle. Also needed a truck for firewood cutting. After scouring an entire 5 state area, there were zero vehicles with our very specific and non-negotiable specs and we didn't want the delay of a factory order. But we were about to bite the bullet and special order one when an Internet search finally turned up the exact truck we were looking for, right down to the color and it was only 40 minutes away! I didn't want to over pay so I devised a plan because this was the only truck within a 1000 mile radius that was properly equipped.

Ford has a plan for employees and their families called the X-plan that provides the lowest, no-haggle price. I didn't qualify. But I called up the dealer and asked them if they would honor the X-plan price on that blue F-150 I noticed on their lot, but I didn't mention that I didn't qualify for the X-plan. He assured me they would and I told him I'd be right over. When the salesman showed me the truck I just commented on how much I liked the deep blue color. He asked me what I needed a truck for and I put on a sheepish look as I told him "Honestly, I don't really need a truck, I just want one and that blue color looks great." This sent the message that they had an impulsive buyer and they needed to close the deal now or potentially lose it. He said we should go on a test drive and I told him I didn't have time because I had to pick-up my wife in an hour and she's not too keen on the truck thing, let's just sign the papers and be done with it. He didn't want to close the deal without a test drive but I insisted.

So we had all the papers filled out with the rock bottom employee X-plan pricing when he asked me for my X-plan registration number. I dropped my jaw and looked shocked telling him they confirmed over the phone that they would sell that truck for the X-plan pricing. They explained it was only for people who qualified for the plan and if I didn't, we could still work out a deal but it would be more. I said this whole thing was a bad idea and I better go pick up my wife before she started wondering where I was. Shortly the manager came out and said "If we give you the X-plan price, you'll buy this truck right now?" I looked him right in the eye and acted like I was considering the potential wifey repercussions (but she actually wanted that truck more than I did), put on a brave face, looked at my watch and said "If we can close this deal in 15 minutes, I'll go get a cashiers check from my nearby CU right now." He said, "Mr. Mike, your personal check is good with us, let's do it!".

And that is how I bought the only F-150 that met my very specific specs for the lowest possible price and kept the wife happy at the same time! It was a win/win/win situation and I was out of there in under an hour. You should have seen the quizzical and confused look on the salesman's face when my wife drove the truck off the lot!

 

[russiankid]

He swaps out his lease every 3 years... so its worth it to him to have such a contact.

I really don't like the negotiation process, simply because its a waste of 2 hours. They always end up where I want them to, but its the whole song and dance to get there that I find irritating. I've got better things to do.

They're out there to make money and you're out there to save money, so it is a tough battle. The thing I also have noticed is that if you arrive to the dealer with a fairly new car, chances are you're not in a huge rush to get rid of it so it'll be harder for the salesman to make the sale. If you're coming in with a old POS, chances are you need a new car, thus chances are high for the salesmen to get the sale.

 

[russiankid]

My favorite new car purchase was when I bought my 2010 F-150. I had a very specific list of options the truck needed to have, the engine, rear-end ratio, back-up camera, etc. and certain options we didn't want on there at all. We were preparing to buy a horse trailer for my wife's horse and needed a tow vehicle. Also needed a truck for firewood cutting. After scouring an entire 5 state area, there were zero vehicles with our very specific and non-negotiable specs and we didn't want the delay of a factory order. But we were about to bite the bullet and special order one when an Internet search finally turned up the exact truck we were looking for, right down to the color and it was only 40 minutes away! I didn't want to over pay so I devised a plan because this was the only truck within a 1000 mile radius that was properly equipped.

Ford has a plan for employees and their families called the X-plan that provides the lowest, no-haggle price. I didn't qualify. But I called up the dealer and asked them if they would honor the X-plan price on that blue F-150 I noticed on their lot, but I didn't mention that I didn't qualify for the X-plan. He assured me they would and I told him I'd be right over. When the salesman showed me the truck I just commented on how much I liked the deep blue color. He asked me what I needed a truck for and I put on a sheepish look as I told him "Honestly, I don't really need a truck, I just want one and that blue color looks great." This sent the message that they had an impulsive buyer and they needed to close the deal now or potentially lose it. He said we should go on a test drive and I told him I didn't have time because I had to pick-up my wife in an hour and she's not too keen on the truck thing, let's just sign the papers and be done with it. He didn't want to close the deal without a test drive but I insisted.

So we had all the papers filled out with the rock bottom employee X-plan pricing when he asked me for my X-plan registration number. I dropped my jaw and looked shocked telling him they confirmed over the phone that they would sell that truck for the X-plan pricing. They explained it was only for people who qualified for the plan and if I didn't, we could still work out a deal but it would be more. I said this whole thing was a bad idea and I better go pick up my wife before she started wondering where I was. Shortly the manager came out and said "If we give you the X-plan price, you'll buy this truck right now?" I looked him right in the eye and acted like I was considering the potential wifey repercussions (but she actually wanted that truck more than I did), put on a brave face, looked at my watch and said "If we can close this deal in 15 minutes, I'll go get a cashiers check from my nearby CU right now." He said, "Mr. Mike, your personal check is good with us, let's do it!".

And that is how I bought the only F-150 that met my very specific specs for the lowest possible price and kept the wife happy at the same time! It was a win/win/win situation and I was out of there in under an hour. You should have seen the quizzical and confused look on the salesman's face when my wife drove the truck off the lot!

My father does similar moves with salesmen. Heck, if I had a dollar for every time he told the dealer that another dealer down the road offered a better price and starts fiddling with his phone to "pull up" an E-mail quote, they instantly drop the price.