How to get crazy car deals?

[MartyNg]

I was recently talking to a friend who visited a large Mazda dealer when traveling to North Carolina. They had brand new Mazda3s starting at $12,000 and Mazda6s starting at $14,000. He decided he didn't really like the cars, but how can this pricing be? This sounds too good to be true. Was this a special promotion for this certain dealer?

My friend actually ended up getting another crazy deal at another dealer. He got a brand new Kia Optima for $10,200. The 2nd best price he found for the same exact car at another dealer was $15,900!

How can there be such a price discrepancies? This seems far beyond the normal rebates and incentives you normally see. Could these have been dealers that were specifically selected by the manufacturers for some tremendous deals?

I'm in New York looking for a Mazda3 S. If I can find out where these special dealers are, I don't mind driving 15 hours to save $8,000!!

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[Daedalus]

Perhaps you could ask your friend where he found these crazy deals--he's more likely to know where he found them than the members here. Once you find out please post back and let us know. If I can get cars for 33% below invoice I'll be thrilled!

[Houdini]

:stupid:

Ask him, not us. Especially since the new 3 has ungodly horsepower for its price, I'm skeptical.

H <---also on high spam alert...

[cheapchinese]

this happens when the dealership expects a huge shipments comming in.

depending on the dealership, but most deals are best strucked at the end of the month

and dunno why, winter always seem to be a bad month, (no one visiting dealerships perhaps) so.. good deals usually can be made during Jan, Feb

[Jeffbx]

It also varies greatly depending on the region you're in. If Japanese cars sell like hotcakes in CA, for example, you're less likely to see major discounts. On the other hand, the Japanese mfrs will have to really push the incentives in a city that has, say, a huge Ford or Chrysler manufacturing plant.

[Prngr44]

this happens when the dealership expects a huge shipments comming in.

depending on the dealership, but most deals are best strucked at the end of the month

and dunno why, winter always seem to be a bad month, (no one visiting dealerships perhaps) so.. good deals usually can be made during Jan, Feb

Plus you've also got the dealers wanting to clear out the previous year's models while the new ones are coming in.

(Shop in Jan/Feb '07 for great deals on '06s)

[johnnymk]

Maybe they are damaged?

A friend of mine moved to Florida 2-1/2 years ago and discovered a dealer selling new Altimas for $14,000. The top of the car, the hood and the decklid were full of little dents.

There were quite a few of these cars available during that time because the factory site where the cars were sitting had encountered a severe hailstorm.

Just a thought.

[Houdini]

Also watch out for "Katrina Cars." Plenty were damaged/flooded across the Gulf Coast, but are somehow making their way to dealers in other areas...

[attgig]

Plus you've also got the dealers wanting to clear out the previous year's models while the new ones are coming in.

(Shop in Jan/Feb '07 for great deals on '06s)

jan/feb 07 is kinda late for 06's. you'd be lucky to find any left.


they usually bring in the next year models during the summer months. by sept/oct, the current year models are running thin.

[Jeffbx]

Yeah, right about the fall is when the '07s hit the showrooms. Nov-Dec is the best time to buy the 'previous' year's models, since they are trying to get rid of them & trying to boost the end of the year sales at the same time.

It's also the best time to lease the new models, since they'll have a higher residual value than the olders cars.

[Houdini]

Yeah, right about the fall is when the '07s hit the showrooms. Nov-Dec is the best time to buy the 'previous' year's models, since they are trying to get rid of them & trying to boost the end of the year sales at the same time.

It's also the best time to lease the new models, since they'll have a higher residual value than the olders cars.

I've never leased, but the car I own now was an '03 CPO. The warranty was actually LONGER than the 50,000/4 year warranty offered new - up to 100,000 and 2 more years for the engine/tranny, etc. And I was able to buy much more car (optioned out completely) for much less than the equivalent new '04 model. No major problems. Recently had a battery-to-ground short in an unfused power line going to an amp, which started a small car-b-que in my trunk, but I blew it out. Now I probably need new carpet to get rid of the electrical/burned carpet/burned wire insulation smell. But that was my fault as I was relying in the fuse in the amp/sub combo (Infinity Basslink), though it was out of the loop at the time.

I drove an '84 Olds Omega for a few years. Many problems, difficult to work on (damn transverse engines.) While I liked my used '91 Camaro, and it got me by for many a year, it always needed new parts. I did retrofit it to R134 to save money on a leaky freon line.

My fav (besides my current sports sedan) was a '77 Volvo 244. Ran like a champ. 170,000 miles when I got it, but the ODO was seized up. So I have no idea how many it really had. Only major problem with it, besides an occasionally clogged AC drain (tended to spill cold water on my passengers' feet during left turns) was a loose front in. Fixed in my dad's garage in a few days - new tie rods, etc. Never needed a new clutch, and the brakes were as good or better than anything on the road now. No power steering, but it was a great car. I still have the grille somewhere. I donated the engine to my brother's burned up '76 242 coupe, and it still ran several years.