William Bragg - Car Buyers and Leasers Negotiating Bible, Third Edition

To every man whos ever bought a new car or truck and wondered whether the next guy got the same vehicle for a lot less.

To every woman whos suffered through the purchase process and wondered whether she was a victim of gender-based price discrimination.

To every member of a minority group whos wondered whether he or she has encountered race-based price discrimination when buying a new car or truck.

To every young person whos about to buy that first new vehicle and wonders whether he or she will end up asking the same questions.

To everyone who dreads walking into a new-car store to negotiate the price and wishes there were a better way.

This book is for all of you. After reading it, youll wonder why no one ever told you this before.

As difficult as this project was, it would have been impossible to accomplish without the support, encouragement, and love of my wife, who loses a husband for several weeks with each new edition. Thank you, Ricky, for understanding that perfection is the enemy of excellence and accepting me as I am.

I must also acknowledge the patience and love of my surfer-girl teenage daughter, who loses a daddy, a ball game, and movie buddy for the same period. Thank you, Casey, for understanding that grownups cant come out to play every day and for giving me those rain checks.

To my three grown children, Laurie, Karen, and John, who have watched their father write several editions of this book and start a very demanding national business at a time in life when other fathers are kicking back. Thank you for the encouragement and love I needed when I couldnt see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Surf, our lovable female golden retriever, cant read this, but her constant companionship at my feet has helped keep my emotions on an even keel, even when Ive had only four hours of sleep.

Finally, I am grateful to my editors at Random Housepartly for suffering through my missed deadlines, but mostly for believing this was still a book worth doing.

W. James Bragg

The problem we all face in the negotiation process. The objective: to make you more knowledgeable than any car salesman.

The evidence that women and minorities are charged more. The most probable explanation for it. The light at the end of the tunnel.

An overview of the seismic structural changes that have occurred in recent years, who the winners and losers are, and what it all means for the new-car shopper. Including a review of the strengths and weaknesses of each nameplate that may make you think twice before you finalize your vehicle choice.

Product quality impacts both your ownership experience and your pocketbook. Better-made cars break down less often, last longer, and fetch higher prices when you trade or sell them. Those previously secret initial quality and longer-term dependability ratings are published widely these days, and you may be surprised by some of the results.

How to use crash test data to identify vehicles that are structurally sounder and inherently safer than others.

A look at the attitudes you must adopt to shop and negotiate successfully: Economics 101, Geography 101, Psychology 101, Anatomy 101, and Reality 101.

The three areas where car stores make profits on the transaction. How the typical retail selling system works to prevent you from focusing on them individually.

The 80/20 Rule of Life. How most people buy cars. How smart shoppers avoid the sad fate of most people.

The surprising importance of used-car sales to the profitability of new-car dealerships. Why most people get too little for their trade-in, and how to avoid leaving big bucks on the dealers table.

How to learn what your car is really worth to the dealer. (This number is not in any book.)

How to get top dollar by selling your used car yourself.

Expanding your financing options so that you can evaluate whether the dealers financing is an attractive alternative.

How to get through the test-driving phase without getting stuck in a negotiating session.

Intrigued by Saturns success, other dealers have adopted a no-negotiation price strategy: Why theres less in it for the buyer than you might like. And why no-dicker pricing wont become standard industry practice.

How your knowledge of the current sales and inventory picture for the model you want can enhance your bargaining position.

The information available on invoice costs, holdback, and traditional dealer cash incentives is helpful, as far as it goes. But today automakers are motivating dealers with new types of cash incentive programs that are tied to each stores performance against its specific objectives. Theres no way to know what an individual store is earning, but there is a way to get it to pass those dollars on to you.

How to time your purchase to maximize your savings.

Unwanted factory-installed options are difficult to avoid, but just say no to the Mop n Glow and other expensive back-end addons dealers try to sell you.

How to negotiate the price of your next new car, without walking into a car store, by using the fax attack to make dealers bid competitively for your business. Complete instructions on
identifying the right dealer contacts, preparing and sending the fax, fielding the responses, making the follow-up calls, and finalizing the deal by telephone to avoid unpleasant last-minute surprises.

Alternative ways to accomplish the same objective, either by doing it yourself or by hiring someone to do it for you. Why Internet carbuying services, auto brokers, and affiliation-group referrals may not be the best answer.

The basics of leasing demystified. Determining whether leasing makes sense for you. How to negotiate a favorable lease without letting dealers use the boomfog of leasing terminology to juggle you into a high-profit deal. How to do the arithmetic to check the monthly payment figure they are trying to sell you.

How to determine whether you should buy an extended warranty contract and how to shop smart for the coverage you need. Why the safe bet is usually the automakers contract, not the cheaper no-name alternatives youll find on the Internet and elsewhere.

The preownership inspection. All the things to go over while they still own the car, before you give them the final check and sign the delivery receipt.

How to getdirectly from Fighting Chance, quickly and easilythe specific information package you need to negotiate from a position of strength for the vehicle you want: the most recent dealer invoice pricing and holdback data, details of manufacturer incentives in effect (customer rebates and traditional factory-to-dealer cash programs), and an updated overview of how your vehicle is doing in the marketplace, including a feel for the actual
transaction prices paid by knowledgeable shoppers. Think of it as the Swiss army knife for buying or leasing a new vehicle.

The economic argument for buying or leasing a late-model used car instead of a new one. How to identify and find the most desirable previously owned vehicles. The growing importance of factory-certified used cars.

A brief reminder of the major points covered in the book, with referrals to the relevant chapters.