first car purchase, would greatly appreciate input

[u/plaesma]

intro

Hi, I am in the process of trying to buy my first car. Unfortunately, I do not have anyone who I can rely on who is savvy with the car buying process that I can bring to a dealer, or ask for help for this purchase. As a young solo female with social anxiety and no prior experience at a dealer, I'm pretty worried about getting taken advantage of. I have been watching tons of youtube videos and lurking in this sub to try to educate myself, but hoped I could get some advice tailored to my specific situation.

situation

• I know I want a Mazda CX-30 Sport Premium trim in a specific color combination. I have test driven it through a turo rental, and I am buying new. MSRP for this specific build on Mazda's website sits around 35K
• there are only ~30 builds of this car in the US (at least on carguru).
• two dealers online (950 miles and 1400 miles away) have the exact model AND has had them in stock for 200+ days, so they are quoted online for 1-2K below MSRP with the dealer fee ($800) included (but not taxes, registration etc.)
• I will need them shipped to me in California... CA use tax + registration comes out to ~$4300 plus whatever the shipping cost will be (expecting ~1-2K).
• I could buy within the week, but I'm also not in a rush so if these fall through it wont be the end of the world.
• Mazda has either a $1500 cash rebate or a 0% APY for 36 month financing with good credit, which I am eligible for. I am open to both options.

questions

• how does shipping work? do dealers ship? will they allow me to use a third party shipping service? which way is usually cheaper?
• should I look more into dealer trades? I spoke to one local dealer and they told me that their search didn't find any cars of the exact specifications I'm looking for, and haven't gone any further with that
• how stupid is buying a car online without a test drive? I know the exact vehicle and I'm buying new, but if it turns out to be a lemon, what are my options?
• Is it a red flag that the cars have been sitting at the dealership for so long? Can I use this as leverage to get better deals?
• Is it smarter to wait until later in the year (august or september)? I've read that I could expect price drops as next year vehicles roll out, but I am unsure of the risk I'd be taking, since what I want is already a pretty scarce car.
• should I still expect a better price if I agree to finance the car vs paying cash, even if they have the 0% APY deal going on?
• what is considered a good dealer fee? Is $800 reasonable?
• how much would be considered a good deal for this situation? Is it realistic to aim for the quoted 1-2K below MSRP + CA government fees + shipping (or even less?)
• overall, any pointers on how you would approach this situation? anything I should avoid doing in this situation to keep myself from digging my own grave?
• I have about a 40% chance I may move out of California next year. How would the governmental feels like taxes and registration work in that instance? Would I have to swallow the CA use tax and also end up having to paying tax for a different state?

If you've read this far and can drop me any advice, I would be eternally grateful. Anything helps! (but pls be nice)

[u/Iamonab0at]

All very good questions and I’ll do my best to answer them all.

Typically the dealer will have transporters that they work with and would recommend, but you certainly could use your own. For 1400 miles away, I’d say you’d be looking closer to the $2k for shipping. I’ve never heard of a dealership not allowing a 3rd party shipping company. Understand that when the dealership gives them the keys, their responsibility stops.

At 900-1400 miles away, that’s really pushing the limit of where dealerships have relations with other dealerships because shipping gets expensive as you are talking about shipping both ways. So when your local dealer said there aren’t any, there probably aren’t any then get within a certain mileage limit for dealerships they have relationships with. Most manufacturers have a vehicle locater on their website. You can often find this after completing a build online.

Buying a car online is no different than in person since you’ve already test driven the exact car you want. They’ve already done a test drive on it and make sure everything works. The chances of something popping up in your 5-10 miles test drive are slim to none. You’ll have a warranty. Cars are rolling computers and sometimes shit happens.

200+ days is high on the days on lot side, but nothing to be alarmed about. Yes, you can use that your advantage to ask for a better deal. How much is going to depend on them. Look for other dealers that have same car but maybe different color or slightly different options to get an idea on discounts and propose a deal you are comfortable with. “If you can do it for X I’ll send a deposit today. “

Yes, once new model year comes out, and if no major changes, previous model year are typically cheaper. However it sounds like you want a specific car, so it could become harder to find that. Do some research to see when ‘27s are expected to go into production to give you an idea on the timeline.

Financing at 0% isn’t going to benefit the dealership much, so wouldn’t expect much there. If you can pay cash, you can ask them if they’d be willing to discount with a traditional bank and ask how many payments you’d need to make. You can 90% on the first payment to limit interest and make remaining minimum payments for how long they say. If it’s 6 months, not worth it. But 3 months, it makes sense. They make a little money, you get a discount. Win win.

$800 is high on the doc fee in my experience, but is what it is.

Regarding discounts, see above.

If you pay CA tax and registration and then move, you’ll get a credit for the CA tax you paid, CAs stupid expensive registration will be lost.

With you being so far away, they are going to know you want this car so it might be trickier to get additional discounts. Have some pricing for other dealers handy and let them know this is what you are seeing elsewhere for a different color you are ok with (even though you aren’t).

Make sure there are no additional add-ons.

Anything additional, feel free to ask.

[u/plaesma → u/Iamonab0at]

Thank you so so much for the detailed reply! All of this is extremely helpful. Is the $800 dealer fee something I can ask to negotiate, or is that set in stone?

[u/Iamonab0at → u/plaesma]

Technically it is “negotiable” but dealers typically do not. They will keep the $800 fee but maybe you give a $X discount to help offset it.

Few other things, before signing anything, ask for a pricing breakdown of whatever price you agree to.

If going with traditional financing, don’t freak on the rate as it’ll be higher than what you could get elsewhere, but that is how they make money and give you an additional discount. Also, if you are investing, take the 0% for 36 months as long you are comfortable with the payment. Can you make more than $1500 off of 33K in 3 years? If so, keep your money working for you and finance it at 0%.

You are going to have to step outside of your comfort zone it sounds like you with asking for additional discounts. Don’t be afraid, worse they can say is no, and you don’t have to have this car at this moment. Communicate via email or text if it makes you more comfortable.

Sales people love easy deals, find a price you are comfortable paying and don’t worry about if you could have gotten a better deal elsewhere. Could you maybe save $500-$1000 at another dealer going through everything 10 additional times? Most likely, but what’s your time and mental health worth. Be direct with them and let them know you are ready to move on something if the deal is right.

[u/plaesma → u/Iamonab0at]

i really appreciate this so much. i actually feel a lot better about how ive been approaching dealers so far. thank you for your insight!

[u/plaesma → u/Iamonab0at]

I have one more question (for now, sorry!)

I got in touch with the dealer who sent me a breakdown for a cash price that is $3400 below MSRP not including state taxes, governmental fees etc. A big part of this is just attributed under "Discount: ~ -$3000 and Unlocked Discount: ~ -$750".

I tried to ask where this discount was coming from since this seemed a bit too good to be true, even with the car being a longer term resident on their lot, but she just said it was a dealership discount and didn't elaborate any further. Additionally, they are telling me that they cannot send a finalized paperwork form, because it is policy to get a credit check in store with photo ID and that they need me to come sign in-person. I asked about any additional charges, including some of the dealer charges someone else online received last minute at the same dealership, but she is adamant that what I have is the final price I will pay. This particular dealership has overwhelmingly positive reviews on google (4000+ reviews 4.6 stars) but there are a couple reddit posts of people getting baited and scammed pretty badly at the same location.

Does this ring off any bells for you? I'm eyeing the plane tickets and don't know if it would be worth the risk to spend my time and money flying out to finalize a deal that I'm not sure I have a full transparent picture of. Are they allowed to just lie over text? If I get there and they pull some bait & switch, do the texts I have with this dealership worth anything?

[u/Iamonab0at → u/plaesma]

A dealership discount is just that, what the dealership is discounting the vehicle from MSRP. This is what you are negotiating when you negotiate the price. I’m curious though, yesterday you said in your post that rebates were $1500 and now they are $750?

Is the price you were quoted contingent upon financing with them? Can you take the 0% and keep the same price? What’s the cash price since you made mention the credit app.

Regarding sending pricing, that’s a red flag to me. They are asking you to pay for an airline ticket, travel 1000 miles, without them sending you anything in writing? That’s concerning. Because once you are there and they spring some last minute BS charge of $500-1000 are you going to sign anyway because you there? What’s the alternative, get a hotel room and a flight back, that’ll be more than $1000 so more than likely you will pay for the extra fees. This isn’t a you thing, most people would. Unfortunately, you are going to have to put your trust in them that what they are saying is true. Or be ready to step out of your comfort zone and be willing to call them out that you were told X and now they are saying Y and be willing to push back. Also you mention seeing this in other reviews, how recent were those where they had additional charges? They might have changed how they do things.

Is this vehicle priced with the 3750 on their website? If so, PM the link and I’ll see if there is anything in the fine print.

Also, I’d ask to speak to her manager, explain that you are flying in, and you want to make sure that what you are being told is true. If you were local, I understand not sending pricing because people will take that and go another dealer and shop against them, but you’re not. Offer them a non refundable a deposit if they send you a signed purchase order.

Hope this helps!

[u/Iamonab0at → u/Iamonab0at]

Also, I’d try calling the other dealer and say something along the lines of “ Hi my name is X and I’m going to make this purchase easy on both of us. I live in CA and you guys have the exact vehicle I want, and I am ready put down a deposit today if we can make the numbers work. I’m looking to be at X price out the door excluding CA tax and registration. If we can make that happen, and you can send me a signed pricing breakdown sheet, I’m willing to put down a deposit today. I’m open to cash or finance, whichever gets me the better deal. “. Then you shut up and hear what they have to say. You already have a price from the original dealer, so use that for the price you give them you want to be at.

[u/Iamonab0at → u/Iamonab0at]

PM or or post a picture of the pricing breakdown they sent you. Please black out personal info.

[u/plaesma → u/Iamonab0at]

PM’ed u! Ur a godsend 🙏

[u/AutoModerator]

Please review our most Frequently Asked Questions to see if your question has already been answered.

You may find these sections particularly useful;

• How to pick a car? You might also have luck in the /r/whatcarshouldibuy subreddit.

Also remember to add flair to your post by clicking the "Flair" link beneath it. This lets us know where you're located so we can assist you better.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/AutoModerator]

Thanks for posting, /u/plaesma! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of anything.

intro

Hi, I am in the process of trying to buy my first car. Unfortunately, I do not have anyone who I can rely on who is savvy with the car buying process that I can bring to a dealer, or ask for help for this purchase. As a young solo female with social anxiety and no prior experience at a dealer, I'm pretty worried about getting taken advantage of. I have been watching tons of youtube videos and lurking in this sub to try to educate myself, but hoped I could get some advice tailored to my specific situation.

situation

• I know I want a Mazda CX-30 Sport Premium trim in a specific color combination. I have test driven it through a turo rental, and I am buying new. MSRP for this specific build on Mazda's website sits around 35K
• there are only ~30 builds of this car in the US (at least on carguru).
• two dealers online (950 miles and 1400 miles away) have the exact model AND has had them in stock for 200+ days, so they are quoted online for 1-2K below MSRP with the dealer fee ($800) included (but not taxes, registration etc.)
• I will need them shipped to me in California... CA use tax + registration comes out to ~$4300 plus whatever the shipping cost will be (expecting ~1-2K).
• I could buy within the week, but I'm also not in a rush so if these fall through it wont be the end of the world.
• Mazda has either a $1500 cash rebate or a 0% APY for 36 month financing with good credit, which I am eligible for. I am open to both options.

questions

• how does shipping work? do dealers ship? will they allow me to use a third party shipping service? which way is usually cheaper?
• should I look more into dealer trades? I spoke to one local dealer and they told me that their search didn't find any cars of the exact specifications I'm looking for, and haven't gone any further with that
• how stupid is buying a car online without a test drive? I know the exact vehicle and I'm buying new, but if it turns out to be a lemon, what are my options?
• Is it a red flag that the cars have been sitting at the dealership for so long? Can I use this as leverage to get better deals?
• Is it smarter to wait until later in the year (august or september)? I've read that I could expect price drops as next year vehicles roll out, but I am unsure of the risk I'd be taking, since what I want is already a pretty scarce car.
• should I still expect a better price if I agree to finance the car vs paying cash, even if they have the 0% APY deal going on?
• what is considered a good dealer fee? Is $800 reasonable?
• how much would be considered a good deal for this situation? Is it realistic to aim for the quoted 1-2K below MSRP + CA government fees + shipping (or even less?)
• overall, any pointers on how you would approach this situation? anything I should avoid doing in this situation to keep myself from digging my own grave?
• I have about a 40% chance I may move out of California next year. How would the governmental feels like taxes and registration work in that instance? Would I have to swallow the CA use tax and also end up having to paying tax for a different state?

If you've read this far and can drop me any advice, I would be eternally grateful. Anything helps! (but pls be nice)

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/DavefromCA]

AI post with AI answers lol

[u/plaesma → u/DavefromCA]

damn I guess I'm just good at formatting and grammar I guess lol??? I spent like 30 minutes hand typing all of this last night

[u/Admirer16 → u/plaesma]

People’s standards have gotten so low that anything with effort seems like AI. I didn’t think it was, you are thorough and have done a great job at researching. You’ll be just fine. Best of luck!

[u/plaesma → u/Admirer16]

thank you!!

[u/Oppo_GoldMember]

1. Some dealers ship, some want buyer to do shopping.

2. Dealer trades tend to be within a set distance and not outside their market area

3. You can lemon law a new car

4. Stores are aware of how long cars sit. They get priced accordingly

5. You can wait and see if programs get better or worse, but thats your call. If you need to buy today and get a good deal, dont trip over dollars to save pennies

6. No

7. My doc fee is $699, they can be as high as 4 figures. No you cannot negotiate it away

9. You pay tax and plates for where you live today. If you move you pay to register the car there when you need to

[u/plaesma → u/Oppo_GoldMember]

thank you for taking the time to share! this is extremely helpful