Well it has been a few months and the times are speaking to good deals on domestic cars.
Just got an email from my local honda dealer stating no payments for 90 days. Is this every honda dealer?
Call and ask other dealers? 
How do you find out who the real sales manager is? Just ask??
https://www.hondafinancialservices.com/forwhatitsworth
The college grad program that’s always had that option?
Yes it is for all Honda stores.
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I am currently shopping for a new car and have told dealers that we need to get close with negotiating before I come in to the dealership. I don’t want a lot of phone calls until we get serious about a car and a reasonable price for me to make the purchase. If I had to get a car I might be more willing to go in to the dealership but as it is, I just want a new car. If this doesn’t work out, I just will not be buying a car anytime soon!
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PLEASE! I’m new to this but it seems like so many people coming from so many angles have made the whole leasing process more confusing than ever. Can someone write (for instance) a 8-10 step process for getting a good deal. From my simple understanding, here is the process I may follow below. Please help (at least me) flesh out what can done to simplify getting a good deal because there is so much on this site to sift through and there needs to be some demystifying of it all and the more someone reads here, the more fragmented it becomes to assemble a working process.
Here is what I have:
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Run the lease numbers on Leasehackr calculator including the MF, Residual, etc., on the “no-brainer” quote I got (for example) a Mazda CX-5 for a Sport at $24,592.
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Get the Edmunds lease quote and observe the difference between Leasehackr and the Edmunds quote.
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Print out both quotes.
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Talk to the salesperson I got the “no-brainer” quote from and let them know the average number between Leasekackr and Edmunds, or just pick one of the quotes.
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See if the saleperson comes back and gives me a quote that matches the aforementioned numbers and then tell them I don’t want an extended warranty or some stupid liquid finish on the car and not let them build in more profit and also have them explain any fees that do not show up in Leasehackr or Edmunds.
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If they do not try to add a higher finance percent rate to build in more profit (I have 825 credit scores across the board) and they don’t add any extra charges that are not in the Edmunds or Leasehackr quote then:
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Buy the car.
Am I missing anything? We need someone on here who can demystify the whole process and create a step-by-step that anyone could possibly follow.
1ST RULE - DO NOT MENTION LEASEHACKR OR THE CALCULATOR.
Then everything else
Here is my process:
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Go to the Edmunds forum for MF/RV/incentive information on the trim level I am interested in and a couple above it.
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Compare pre-incentive discount information from comparable deals to establish a baseline price for what the vehicle should cost for the trim I want and a couple above it. Having the baseline for the deal is so I know exactly what it should cost prior to talking to a dealer. Conversations with the dealer are for finding one to agree to your deal, not figure out numbers.
2b. Be surprised that going a trim level or two higher is actually cheaper sometimes, and if so, target that instead.
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Identify all of the vehicles that meet my requirements within the distance I’m willing to travel (usually 150-200 miles)
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With a dummy account, hop on truecar to see which dealers are advertising larger discounts.
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Email the dealer with the vehicle I want making an excessively detailed offer outlining all the numbers on a specific stock number, concluding with if they agree to said offer, I will be there in x hours to sign.
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Show up in x hours to sign after they have said yes, with their agreement and my detailed offer printed in hand.
Exactly. I would simply mention that I ran the numbers based on the no-brainer deal which on the surface for the CX5 looks good, and if they ask me my source, I will just turn it back to them and let them explain to me anything that does not match the proper MF, interest rate, and basic fees - as well as anything outside those fees and if they try to build in a profit by adding additional things, I will walk. It should only come down to the common dealer and delivery fees, the finance rate, MF, Residual, lease miles per year, and that is it…in other words, nothing that is not seen in Edmunds or Leasehackr - and I will not reveal my source.
Cool! Thanks for the details!
what is no-brainer deal?
Use the resources to understand what a good lease price should be. Check comparative deals for the appropriate discount and incentives to know what is realistic.
When you talk to dealers, you should know what to expect. You may have to hold their hand to do it but it shouldn’t be that hard. I think you are over-thinking the problem.
boozinix - you asked what a no-brainer deal is. It is tied to a number of dealerships and is also mentioned on Edmunds. But to get the quote, you have to reach out to the dealership. For instance, a salesperson may show you a number lower than any on Edmunds or other sites. As an example, I received a quote for a CX5 sport for $24,592 which is lower than anything published anywhere on the planet that I know of. So I take that quote and run it through Leasehackr to determine the lease amount per month. If the dealership quotes a higher monthly rate, I ask them to explain anything that is not part of the common fees and charges that Edmunds shows (or secretly, Leasehackr) and that is what I work off of.
Unless your mind is made up, forget about it. There is no floor. You can use it as baseline but you can probably try to push for more. Also, forget about whats published.
Reach out to dealers, check what is the best discount you can get, try to push for more, and when dealers tell you to F-off, that’s when you have reached the bottom.
@rtausch, I would add to your flow to post your detailed quote (MSRP, selling price before incentives, list of incentives you qualify for, MF & RV the dealer is quoting you & what Edmunds says) in Ask the Hackers section for evaluation. Even better, post a calculator link along with your post. That way, you know if this so called “no brainer deal” is actually a good deal or just another dealer gimmick. Don’t be afraid to reach out to multiple dealers, or find a broker on this site to help. There are many ways to go about finding the best deal, you have to find what works best for you.
Don’t forget to nominate ZeroDownHero for a 2020 Hacky Award in the category: “Best Reply from a Dealer to An Online Quote Request" 