Thread: Car buying tips

Originally Posted by Mango_Attack

o okay thanks for all your tips

you have any idea how much I can expect to work around with the $6500 cash? should I start by saying I have $6000 and see what they say? I know that cash is a lot more attractive than finance plans so I'm hoping I can get a pretty good deal somewhere n thanks nih & abitar, definitely leaning towards the nissans now.

I have had nissan, and they really are good cars that will last if taken care of. If you want to compare facts of 4 vs 6 , in most nissans I have dealt with there is no problem unless its the altima 2.5 trying to keep up with the maxima 6. I had a sentra spec v. It has the altima 2.5 and maxima 6 speed tranny, it is 4 door and had NOO problem at all with having enough power. It would run consistant 9.4 to 9.7 on 8 passes in the 1/8. I had no problem at all with gas mileage being the car was lighter than the altima with the same engine. But Nissan does make a good 6 that is strong as h311!! If you can find a Maxima then I would definately go with the altima or maxima. It shouldn't be hard to find either for about 5k if you look for 00 to 04 models.

Originally Posted by GReYVee

That's a fairly common misconception. Dealership will get it's money whether you pay in cash or in a loan. deathgodusmc pretty much said it, very good tips for buying a used vehicle. Esp #9.

Greyvee is right. Although dealerships like cash, they also like selling you financing. Often times, they can make more off selling you their financing than they do with the actual vehicle sale.

Originally Posted by dex71

Greyvee is right. Although dealerships like cash, they also like selling you financing. Often times, they can make more off selling you their financing than they do with the actual vehicle sale.

This is true, they do all the interest on top right off the bat and that is the first thing you are paying off is the interest. They will get more for the car if you put down payment and finance or just finance. It really does not matter to them, although some dealerships do try to make you think you have to have a down payment.

Dont show them your hand! Cash doesnt mean shit! So many people walk in to dealerships and retail and say, can I get a better price for cash. The answer is no. Financing makes money. All your major retailers have store credit cards for a reason. Why do you think Home Depot offers 10% off if you put it on their card.

Let them think you are going to finance, start with a low offer, if they dont come down to where you want be prepared to leave. If they come down, get the price in writing then when they take you to the finance office, say you've decided to pay cash. They see young, dumb, no credit and 14% interest rate! If they think they have you for financing they may come off the price $1000 cause they know they can make more than that in interest.

Even if the dealership doesnt finance it, they get a bounty off you for getting you the loan.

Originally Posted by Mango_Attack

o okay thanks for all your tips

you have any idea how much I can expect to work around with the $6500 cash? should I start by saying I have $6000 and see what they say? I know that cash is a lot more attractive than finance plans so I'm hoping I can get a pretty good deal somewhere

n thanks nih & abitar, definitely leaning towards the nissans now.

Start at 4,000$

1. Don't go in waiving around your money. They will steer you into a more expensive car because they don't care about cash they want you to finance it.

2. Most places have specials with 0% financing. Take advantage of this.

3. All cars are not the same anymore, this is completely false. Not only are the parts different, but where they are manufactured plays a role as well. In my opinion, the Nissan is your best bet for reliability out of the cars you posted.

4. Good tip on the mileage - make sure the maintenance has been done or you'll be handing over some extra money for the timing belt, water pump, etc. 100,000 miles is a milestone for a lot of these more costly maintenance items. When you inspect the car, look for any obvious signs of oil leaking around the block and underneath. A lot of people get rid of their cars when this starts to happen.

5. Dents and dings are normal for some used cars, just keep them minimal. You really want to check for rust (look under the car).

6. Check carfax report.

7. Always get the internet pricing. It is typically the lowest price most places will offer. If they label you as an internet shopper you have a better chance of not being scammed.

8. There is a calculator to determine the delivery charges and other costs that can be negotiated away for each car. Make a firm offer at around this discounted price and be prepared to literally walk away. You can always come back another day and buy it for the price they want, but if you walk away they may lose the sale. Trust me.

9. Never pay for GAP insurance or any of the bogus extras they try to sell you at the signing.

10. If you want to speed up the process, bring your own financing from your bank of choice. Sometimes their financing department will screw you over on %.

11. You can finance the car 100% and then make your payment to the bank later. Bringing in the cash just doesn't help you at all with most places unless it's a mom & pop place or a for sale by owner situation that actually wants your cash for tax purposes.


You can shop around online easily at cars.com and look at used inventory. I like to use this as a benchmark.

See if this helps. new car prices, dealer scams, negotiating, dealer invoice price, Car buying tips

There is a difference in pricing for used vs. new cars, but more information is not a bad thing.

Originally Posted by deathgodusmc

9.4-9.7 on the 1/8th? We're you pushing it or was a wrecker pulling it?

It was stock at the time when I put it on the track. And it is a 4 cyl after all. I probably could of shaved it more towards 9 if I had stripped it out some before I went. Just put it on the track for the fun of it, I was also on factory tires which did not help the grip any.