So is this something you just have to go through, like childbirth or your daughter’s dance recital, No. The good news is that, with some smart planning, you can cut that three-hour dealership ordeal down to an efficient 45 to 60 minutes. It still won’t be as easy as buying a gallon of milk, but the process doesn’t have to be as time-consuming as binge-watching a season of House of Cards. Know what your current car is worth. Regardless of whether you’ve settled on a specific car, this is something you can do right away. Several websites can give you a good approximation of your current car’s trade-in or wholesale value—two closely aligned, but not identical numbers that are critical as you negotiate the deal. If you don’t know what your car is worth, you will waste not just minutes but potentially hours getting to a common number with the dealership, and even then you’re likely to get the worst of it.Know what you want to buy. There are more than 300 new-vehicle models available for purchase in the United States. If you don’t know what you want to buy, you will never sort through even one brand’s offerings in 60 minutes or less. It’s much better to do your research before you go to a dealership so you can narrow your choice from that unmanageable 300-plus to, hopefully, just one car or truck. Know the market value of the new car you want to buy. Once you’ve decided on the vehicular object of your desires, do some online research to determine what that vehicle will cost. Again, third-party sites are the best places to do this, because you want to gain a close approximation of the price for the make and model you want, equipped as you want, and in your local area. Remember that the quoted value you get is an approximation, not the exact price you should (or will) pay. Know what dealerships actually have.
A real car that you can buy might not have each and every piece of equipment your heart desires. Maybe the factory never builds ’em that way, or, more likely, maybe dealers in your area don’t order them that way. So before you drive yourself nuts with an all-too-detailed approximation of the “perfect” car in the preceding step, we suggest you just get close, and then go hunting online for cars on dealers’ lots that closely match your criteria. When you find one, that’s where you shop. Know how you are going to pay. Some people buy their cars with cash. They know how much they want to spend, and they write a check. But most people take out a loan to buy their car. Now you’re ready to contact the dealership. But you still shouldn’t just walk in the door. Instead, a phone call or an email to someone with a title such as Internet Sales Manager is the next logical step in the process.
Do a data dump on him or her. Tell the salesperson which vehicle you’re interested in, what you think you’d be willing to pay for it, what your current car is, what you think that’s worth, and the details on your prequalified car loan. With any luck, you’ll be able to come to a meeting of the minds right over the phone. If you feel you have a deal, ask the dealership to run a credit check and assemble the paperwork. While on the phone, set a one-hour appointment to visit the dealership and talk with the sales manager. If you have a trade-in, you can examine and test drive your prospective purchase while the sales manager examines what could soon be your former vehicle. All of this, including the test drive, should take no more than 30 minutes. That means you and the dealership have 30 minutes to finalize any loose ends and complete the paperwork. Remind them you are serious about getting this done in half an hour. Within an hour of walking through that showroom door, you should be in the delivery area ready to take possession of your brand-new car. What you do with the two hours you saved is up to you.
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