How can I negotiate a better price for a new car?
A. Before you visit a dealership, learn the dealer’s invoice price of your intended purchase—the make, model and options you want—as well as what other buyers in your region paid for a similar vehicle. You can get this information for free at TrueCar.com or Edmunds.com. TrueCar also provides the approximate dealer’s “true cost,” including “holdback” payments it receives from the manufacturer for keeping cars in stock and any dealer or customer incentives in force. The invoice or true dealer cost is a better starting point for negotiations than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price listed on the sticker. But your chances of getting a price close to the dealer’s cost are affected by several factors, such as local availability and demand for your desired vehicle and how aggressively regional dealers are competing with one another. So it helps to also know what other local buyers actually paid for the same vehicle, and aim to beat their deals. Many dealerships offer special pricing on
