In 2001 when I bought my last pickup, there was a website where you could spec out a new vehicle with the options you wanted. The website would then give you a total price for the vehicle, and you could order it online. Or if you wanted, you could use that spec/order sheet, bring it in to a local dealer, and use it to negotiate with them. (Unlike the other car-search websites out there now, you weren’t contacted by dealers and given their proposed selling prices.) I am now in the process of purchasing another new pickup, but I cannot remember nor can I find the name of that website. Does anyone out there know what I’m talking about? If so, what’s the name/address of it so I can repeat this process? It saved me thousands of dollars when negotiating with a dealer last time, and I hope to do the same this time. BTW, anyone looking for a 2001 low- mileage Ford F250 4X4 4-door short bed diesel?
Just go to the manufacturer’s website, pick the truck you want, and choose “build and price”
truecar.com gives a pretty good bottom-line price. I used it a lot when buying my CRV. The price varies because of incentives and such, so it is best not to be in the biggest rush and evaluate the market for a while. But then sometimes the best deal is the one on the 1st day-happened to me, didn’t take it and took me another 3 months to get back to the same price point.
There are a lot of other websites for info and education, kbb.com; edmunds.com
Carsdirect.com is a good site
For new cars they will give you a guaranteed price right on the site, you just need to work with a dealer they work with, which depending where you are could be a drive.
They list used cars as well, basically it is a listing of participating used car dealers, they post a price.
You can find out what the MSRP, invoice, and the current going price for the truck of your choice is, including options, at Edmunds.com. I find their True Cost to Own to be accurate for new vehicles. Once you have the information, you can go to any dealer and order the truck. Oh, the salesman will tell you that it costs just so much more to order a “special” truck, but that’s what happens to them when they suck too many toads.
The real deal is that every so often, the sales manager orders vehicles from the manufacturer. When they do, you have them order your “spec” truck. Normally that means speculation, but in your case it means special. When they hem and haw (they always do), tell them that their boss doesn’t have to pay a bit of interest while the truck sits on the lot, and that you want that, too. It’s 3% of MSRP for a Detroit 3 vehicle and 2% for Toyota and Honda, and 2.8% for Nissan. If you use the True Cost to Own, that is already factored in.
If you can wait for the next shipment to come in, you don’t have to pay extra for the custom-ordered truck. If they say no, just go to another dealer. One of them has to be smart enough to do the deal. BTW, if you show up with a whole lot of knowledge, you can do a great deal. I’ve been getting fabulous deals for 15 years. It’s not that I’m so darned smart, but that I took the time to get educated. You can do it, too.
I wasn’t charged anything but my own time when I ordered my car last year. In fact, I paid just slightly over sticker price(~$300) out the door for it.
If they don’t have what you want, are willing to wait, and the salesman figures it out, then you should be able to haggle price and everything as though the car was on the lot, then get it ordered.
Make sure you keep the paperwork and get everything signed and go over the car before you drive it off the lot when it comes in.