How Much Will Dealers Come Off Their Advertised Price?
 

Hi, I'm new to the forum, but I'm in the market for a used C6, either a Z06 or a Grand Sport.

My title kind of says it all, do any of you guys have a feel or past experience on what these dealers will come off their advertised price on AutoTrader and/or Cars.com? I know every situation is unique, but what do you guys think I should expect or realistically offer?

Thank you, I look forward to being on this forum a lot in the future.

Welcome to the forum. I don't think there is a "set" amount a dealer will come down on the price of a car. Lots of factors....what they paid, how many are for sale in the area, condition of car, size of dealership, etc, etc. Too many factors to say. If you are looking at a specific car, just call and ask what the bottom dollar is. Good luck.

used cars are crap shoot. I'd go to cars.com or car trader and deal with sale by owner.

You could compare the asking prices of owners vs dealers and then consider the markup & profit.

There are lots of low mileage garaged Corvettes. Find a nice one. The Z06 and GS choice really restricts possible availability. You might try driving some cars and see if you'd rather have a lesser model, that rides better, is cheaper to maintain (tires) and more likely not have been abused.

But if you must have a wide body, be patient.

Dealers can be funny with used cars, so there is no easy answer to this. Example, when I was shopping for my C6 I found a nice GS at a Maryland dealership asking $42,700. I offered $38,000 for the car but the sales man told me no way, that we were not even close. He said I had to come up substantially or it wasn't even worth discussing anymore. I told him he was asking too much for the car and he disagreed and refused to budge much from asking price. Long story short, two months later they still had the car and were asking $38,900 OBO. By that time, I was no longer in the market anymore since I had already found another car. Sometimes timing has a lot to do with it.

:iagree: with every thing except calling them. I would do some research on what they are going for in your area and then offer them a few thousand less and negotiate from there. Good luck :cheers:

Do your homework on the value in your area. You can't beat the dealer, they set the market nation wide. That being said, the dealer will always buy cars on the cheap because that is where their money is made. If you have ever traded a car to a dealer they will not offer anything even close to market value unless they can make it up on the sale of the new car. There is no formula for dealer discounts you just to do your homework and make the best deal that you are comfortable with.

Depending on how bad you want one consider out of state. I am in San Diego where demand is high. I found my low mileage 2010 3LT base in Chicago for thousands less at a dealer (Bill Kay). I purchased just before winter hit the area. (Maybe that affected the price)? Even with airfare & hotels I saved $$$$ and got to drive it home through the Rocky Mountains! Beautiful and an absolute blast!!!

There is no set price. It depends on how they have priced it, what itnis, where it is, what's the condition, etc. Some dealers have gotten wise to the secret of the internet, and so they price their cars at their best price from the get go. Some cars are unique and desirable, so they hold firm on price. It really all depends.

I think in today's age, it's unrealistic to expect a dealer to have more than 1000-2000 in room on a car advertised online. Not saying it doesn't happen, but 95% of the time.or more, they're gonna list it as a reasonable price as they know that they're being cross shopped.

As everyone has said, do your research and find the true value of the model your are looking for. The second thing is try to find out how long the dealership has had the car. Many times they (dealership) start getting pretty nervous after having a used car for six weeks. That's not a hard and fast rule, but generally speaking they want to move their used car inventory so they can take more used cars in trade. If they can't retail a used car many times they will wholesale it, but obviously they would want to retail it if possible to maximize their profits.

Find out the value of the model you want, the length of time the dealer has had it then call the used car sales manager, talk directly to the manager if possible and let him know you are making a sincere offer for the car and will be buying one this week. Then offer him about four thousand less than what they are wanting for it.

He'll turn you down, but usually will make a counter offer. Then you're off to the races and you should be able to make a deal for about $1500. to $2000. less than asking price.

Be ready to walk if he won't deal with you. If you don't get that one another one will show up.

Yay!!! Good for you!!

Good luck!!! One dealer comes to mind, I know of plenty, they just plain don't deal at all. A lot of my friends just buy other places. I really don't understand it, but be aware!!

My experience has been that quite a few dealers are switching to a "no-haggle" set price. They generally won't budge off that price. However, they will lower that "no-haggle" price if the cars sits for too long. At that point it just becomes a waiting game between you and the dealer as well as a game of chicken between you and other potential buyers. Who will be the first to hit the bait when the dealer lowers their set price?

Most dealers mark the cars up 3k to 4k above what they paid wholesale.

I've worked at dealerships since 1990 and a lot has changed. New car margins are lower and used cars are a crap shoot. A dealer may get a car at wholesale (or trade, for that matter) real cheap only to need to sink a couple grand into it so it's saleable. Any more the money in dealerships, of any kind, is in finance and service.

That being said, the best way to get a decent deal on a used car is to do your research, be patient and be prepared to walk away. Many dealers use codes in their pricing just like other retailers. If the price ends in an 8, for example, it's probably been lowered as low as it's going to go. Different dealers use different numbers, but if you look at the prices on other cars, you can probably figure it out.

Timing also has a lot to do with it. If it's the last day of the month, they'll be more likely to deal. They have sales numbers to meet or beat. Last fall the sales manager at one of our stores was discounting new trucks $10+k on the last day of the month so he could meet a sales number and store would get a nice bonus from the manufacturer...enough to cover the discounts.

When I bough my Centennial Grand Sport I was super picky about what I wanted and was prepared to walk away (I traded my 07 base coupe so, either way, I was driving home in a Corvette). I found a car that has been on the lot almost 60 days (important number), it was the end of the month and end of the year, the dealership was going through a buy-sell, and the freeway exit right there was under construction and closed for the last 3 years. I paid trade for my 12 and they gave me clean retail for my 07. It took some time and me sticking to my guns (it was hard....I really wanted the 12), but I got a WAY better deal on the 12 than I did on the 07 when I worked for the dealer.

Basically, it's all about research, timing, and patience. If you can, go with your own financing. Most importantly, as long as you're happy and can't keep your eyes off it, it's a good deal because you have a perma-smile on your face.

10% off is my offer - take it or leave it is my opinon when lookng at a car,

I buy the car most of the time. my last 2 Grandsport were just that. he wanted 46K - I got it for 41.5K - the Torch Red 2012 with 5,900 miles.. bought last year.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the input.

Online shopping is a whole different ball game. Dealers tend to hold onto cars longer if they think they can sell 'em. Some of the online sites show how long the vehicle has been for sale, how long at that dealer, and/or relative value compared to others (latter is often incorrect). Regardless, I would never start very close to the asking price. Determine what you are willing to pay for the car, knock off 10%, and make that offer with supporting reasoning. All they can do is yes/no/counteroffer.

On a used car, dealers won't go below what they could auction the car off for.

Depends on the condition of the car, how long the car has been sitting in their lot, and the salesman. There are not too many folks shopping for used Corvettes. I'd go check it out, and if you like it, give them a fair offer. If they want the sale they will take it. Leave them your number and if they don't sell it in a few days, I bet you they will give you a call. Just make sure it's a fair offer though. Good luck.

I noticed when I bought my 2012 GS a few months ago that there was very little room for negotiation with the dealers. They all seemed to think (correctly) that their cars would sell. This is opposed to when buying a new car where I've been able to negotiate 5k plus off the asking price. At least around here (DC Metro) there is enough demand for these car that they don't need to negotiate.