Posts Tagged ‘Car’

Canadian New Car Buying Tips & Advice

Thursday, November 25th, 2010

Before you Buy a NEW Car anywhere in Canada - Review the Following Information;

  Buying a new car is a big decision, but it doesn’t have to be a difficult one. The average person will buy 10-12 cars in their lifetime. Preparing yourself and doing your homework is the key to being able to make the important decisions with total confidence. Once you’ve decided on the car you will buy or lease, you will need to be able to determine what is a good price. This is where it can get very tricky. Before you sign on the bottom line you need to know how to recognize a good deal when you see one Understanding the Complexity of New Car Pricing in Canada M.S.R.P. – The Manufacturer’s suggested retail price, commonly known as the List price or window sticker is the retail price set by the manufacturer. This is typically the price that the new car dealer would like you to pay. Although the overwhelming majority of new cars are sold at less than the M.S.R.P., some dealers will hold out for this price on a very hot-selling vehicle that is high in demand and limited in supply. Dealer invoice price – Every manufacturer sends an invoice to the dealer for their vehicles as soon as they are delivered to the dealer. The dealer will typically pay for the vehicle via a prearranged line of credit. Commonly, the dealer will start paying interest charges from the first day onwards. Holdback – Most manufacturers help subsidize the interest charges and marketing/advertising that a dealer incurs by paying the dealer a holdback amount, after the vehicle has been sold. This amount typically ranges from 2.0% to 2.5% of the invoice amount. Dealers will rarely consider this when negotiating a new car deal Maximum dealer margin/profit – The difference between the M.S.R.P. and the dealer invoice price is the maximum dealer margin/profit that the dealer has to work with when negotiating a deal.Dealer and buyer goals - The dealer’s goal is to negotiate a deal as close to M.S.R.P. as possible and the buyer’s (your) goal is to negotiate a deal as close as possible to the dealer invoice price.

    Actual dealer margin/profit – The amount over the dealer invoice price that is finally negotiated between the dealer and the buyer (you), is the dealer’s actual dealer profit/margin, before sales and overhead expenses. Dealer overhead and bottom line profit - From the actual dealer profit/margin amount the dealer has to cover the sales rep and sales manager’s salaries, commissions and bonuses. The remainder goes to the dealership to cover all other expenses, with the final balance representing the actual net profit to the dealership.Factory-to-consumer incentives – In an effort to stimulate sales, many manufacturers will offer incentives to the consumer (you). These incentives are commonly advertised in the media and can consist of low rate financing/leasing rates, such as 0%, cash rebates, such as $2,000, or a combination of both. If a manufacturer is offering you 0% or $2,000 cash, the emphasis is on OR; which means that you cannot get 0% financing and $2,000. You have to decide between the two. In some cases, you can combine the 0% and $2,000, but not very often. Factory-to-dealer incentives – Commonly referred to as hidden or secret rebates. Internally these non-advertised dealer incentives can be known as marketing credits, trading dollars, factory cash, dealer cash, dealer bonuses, invoice credits, etc. Many manufacturers will use them as additional stimulus for the dealer to sell more vehicles. In some cases, the manufacturer may not want to advertise that they are offering incentives to avoid tarnishing their image, where others will use these incentives to encourage dealers to carry more inventory and thus potentially sell more vehicles. Most dealers will factor in these factory-to-dealer incentives when negotiating a deal. Effectively this may allow the buyer (you) to buy/lease a new vehicle for less than the dealer invoice price. Conclusion - As you can see, new car pricing can be very complex. Knowing what you now know, would you ever simply walk into a dealership and negotiate a deal on your own, without having all the information above? I would bet that your answer would be a resounding NO! Join CarCostCanada to get all the information you need click here

Step 1: Narrowing Down Your Choices . . . One of the most important steps of new car buying is deciding exactly what type of car fits your needs. Do you want a large vehicle with lots of room or a small car that’s very fuel efficient? Whether you’re looking for a practical Dodge Caravan minivan to take the kids to hockey practice or a sporty Mazda Miata convertible to drive through the summer, it’s essential to define your model class and price range. Step 2: Research. . . Once you have defined the class and price range, the next step is to research features, safety ratings and reviews. There might be ten different cars in the class you are looking at, therefore using existing analysis from expert sources to narrow down your choices can be very useful. There are many places to do in-depth research about new cars, including online car magazines such as Car & Driver www.CarandDriver.com, TheCarMagazine www.TheCarMagazine.com, Motor Trend www.MotorTrend.com and CanadianDriver www.CanadianDriver.com. Some of the better Canadian car manufacturer websites are www.Honda.ca ,www.Toyota.ca , www.Ford.ca , www.Nissan.ca , www.BMW.ca , www.Mazda.ca and www.Subaru.ca. For reliability rankings try www.Edmunds.com , www.JDPower.com or www.ConsumerReports.org. Step 3: The Test Drive . . . You should always thoroughly test drive all of your prospective vehicles. No matter what the reviews say, the only way to tell if you feel comfortable in a vehicle is to drive it yourself. Bring the whole family and take it out for at least 20 minutes or the same types of roads that you usually use. Move the seats around, familiarize yourself with the car’s features and the pros and cons of each vehicle will quickly surface. Step 4: Purchase Strategy . . . The Most Important Step! When you are ready to make your purchase there are a few key elements you should consider in order to have an enjoyable car buying experience. Everyone wants to get a good deal on the car they want. The problem is how do you know you’re getting a good deal? This is where the anxiety really kicks in. If you are debating between two cars priced at $30,000, how do you decide which one to buy? On the first car, you may only be able to get a $500 discount. One the second car may be able to get a $1,000 dealer discount plus a $3,000 factory cash rebate that is not advertised. If you had this information, the decision would be much easier. The car salesperson’s job is to try to sell you the car for the MSRP or Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price. In order for you to get the best price, you need to know what the factory invoice/wholesale price is and more importantly, you need to know which factory rebates are available on the cars you’re considering. All of this information is included in a CarCostCanada Wholesale Invoice Price Report. Take the invoice/wholesale price, deduct all applicable cash rebates. This is the ideal place to start your negotiations, because this is the actual price that the dealer paid for the car from the factory. Considering the potential savings, the cost of buying reports is minimal. It will greatly reduce negotiation time and save you anywhere from $500 to $5000 or more on your new vehicle purchase. Step 5: No Hassle Purchase. . . After you’ve generated your price reports, make an appointment to speak with a senior salesperson or sales manager at one of our pre-screened dealers or your local dealership. Most dealers will try to make a 10% profit on the car’s selling price. For example, if you are buying a $30,000 car, the dealer may have paid $25,000. Therefore, a 10% profit would be $2,500. That’s a lot of your money going into the dealer’s pocket and not towards the actual price of the car. Fortunately, most dealers are willing to sell their cars for 3%-4% above the invoice price and pass along all factory rebates, if and only if, they feel they have to, when making a deal. Looking at that same $30,000 car again, if the dealer was willing to sell it for a 3% profit, that is only $750 to the dealer. This translates into savings of $1,750 plus the PST and GST on the $1,750 (at 14% tax, it is a total savings of $1,995). That is a lot of money! Once you are in the price discussion mode, show them the report and tell them you are willing to pay a fair price. This will lead to a quick and relatively painless transaction that will make you feel great and get you boasting to your friends about how great a negotiator you are. Join CarCostCanada to get all the information you need click here
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2011 Ford Explorer – Pictures, News, Specs & Prices…

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010
After a long wait, Ford has released it's 2011 Ford Explorer and it looks like it has lived up to the hype! To get the FULL DETAILS from Ford on the New 2011 Ford Explorer, click here to see Ford's press release. 2011 Canadian Ford Explorer prices have now been announced starting from $29,999 + Freight and taxes. But that's just the retail price. CCC members always pay less than retail. Click the links below to get started down the road to savings. For 2011 Ford Explorer Retail and Wholesale Prices click on this link. For 2010 Ford Explorer Retail and Wholesale Prices click on this link. CarCostCanada.com 2 for 1 special - Dealer Invoice prices, factory rebates, low priced dealers and more . Join CarCostCanada for only $39.95 to get instant access to Wholesale Invoice Price Reports Today. CAA Members click here to get 25% off and pay only $29.96.
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Confusing Car Buying Advice – What Not To Say When Buying a New Car – We’ll Help Set the Record Straight

Friday, July 23rd, 2010
It seems like every two days there is a new opinion out there on how to purchase a new car.  Don't do this.  Never say this.  This is the way. Well, here's another opinion from the pen of Hannah Elliott found on CTV News.  In her article titled: "What not to say when buying a new car". Hannah gives some odd and contradicting advice. Example 1: "...keeping your mouth shut (at least in the beginning) about several things, like how you plan to pay for the vehicle, or the fact that you're not sure exactly what you need in a car, will serve you well when you finally do make a purchase." I'm not exactly sure how this is helpful advice?  "Ya, I'm looking for a car... or an SUV.  I dunno.  I may lease, I may finance.  I may not.  I dunno...". You can expect GREAT service after that!?  The only thing that piece of advice will do is aggravate the sales person because now he/she does not have a clue what you are asking for.  How can they possibly show you anything of interest if you yourself appear to have no idea what you are looking for? A better example would be suggesting you are interested in a certain type of vehicle (IE: mid-size sedan) and are open to the options in regards to how you may purchase it.  Now the salesperson will show you his mid-sized line-up and offer you several payment choices. Example 2: "Dealers kind of prey on the fact that you're going to be excited," says James Bell, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book.  "Getting a new car is fun, and it's exciting, and you can't wait to drive home and show your neighbours. They know that." That's solid advice, my man!  Let's take all the fun out of making the second biggest purchase in your life.  Instead, let's do this:  Make it a complete chore and go out of your way to have ZERO fun.  Go into the dealer and be really pissed-off looking.  Grunt and groan about how you hate buying cars and can't stand salespeople.  Maybe bring your kids in just before dinnertime so they can be just as angry as you are. People feed of each other's energy.  If you want to have a positive experience in a showroom, perhaps try being positive.  I think these writers don't give consumers enough credit.  Just because we're enjoying something doesn't mean that we will leave our common sense at the door and throw our budget to the wind. But, Hannah does try to redeem herself at the end of her article by stating "Above all, be honest, decisive and direct." HUH?!?  Don't tell them a thing but be honest and direct.  Lady, your confusing us all... If you really want to enjoy your car buying experience, I have 3 simple steps to buying a car with no non-sense:
  1. Visit www.carcostcanada.com
  2. Build & Price the vehicle(s) of your choice
  3. Print Wholesale Price Report and visit dealer with it in hand and you'll be amazed at how easy it is to buy a new car at a great price.
You won't go wrong, when you know what the dealer paid... If you'd like to read the full article on What Not To Say When Buying A Car on CTV News by Hannah Elliott follow this link.
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Ford will offer Hybrid at same price as Gas model

Friday, July 23rd, 2010
Maybe this is how Ford continues to grow!!! "For the first time, a North American automaker plans to sell a hybrid car for the same, lower price as its gas-powered counterpart, removing at least one obstacle for drivers who want a greener ride.
At a little more than US$35,000, the 2011 Lincoln MKZ sedan won't be cheap, but the decision by Ford to match the prices of the two styles could lead competitors to follow suit with future models. The hybrid MKZ, debuting this fall and running on both gas and electric power, will be a bargain after factoring in savings at the pump. It gets more than double the mileage of the traditional version in city driving. While automakers won't reveal what they spend to install a hybrid system in a car, the final product usually costs several thousand dollars more than a gas-powered version of the same car...." - CTV News.ca Read the full article on Ford offering a Hybrid for the same price as the Gas model on CTV News.ca
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Ford Earns $2.6B Second Quarter Profit!

Friday, July 23rd, 2010
It's amazing how far Ford Motor Company has come. When others were seeking billions of dollars in Government bailout funds; Ford said "No thanks".  When others concentrated more on big-wig staffing changes and who gets what bonuses; Ford concentrated on their model line-up.  And when others fell short of goals and sales targets; Ford blew right by them! "Want more proof that Ford is really starting to pick up some serious momentum? The Wall Street Journal is reporting that The Blue Oval will follow up its $2.1 billion first quarter profits with another $2.6 billion in black ink for the second quarter. That's a far cry from the $424 million the automaker lost in the second quarter of last year and another big step towards sustained financial success. Ford is making money in part because of restructured costs, but also because of increased awareness in its well-reviewed new products. Ford is looking better on many fronts, including models with more competitive pricing, higher residual values, improved quality and sales increases that are outpacing most of its rivals. Ford now has a competitive small and midsize car lineup for the first time in decades, but the big money is still coming from larger vehicles. F-150 sales, for example, are up 25 percent for the quarter, while Super Duty sales are reportedly up 55 percent. In terms of average transaction prices, another success has been the revamped Taurus, which is fetching a whopping $6,300 more than the outgoing model and $850 more than the average Toyota Avalon. "  -  Chris Shunk - Autoblog.com
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