Car-Buying Guides Aim to Steer You Straight
The purchase of a new car ranks for many motorists as a long-awaited reward, but for many others it is an unsavory chore.
In either case, you might want to consider getting professional help before you open the door to the showroom.
The desire to avoid overpaying means matching wits with aggressive salespeople and investing plenty of leisure time trying to strike a deal.
Whether you like or hate it, your negotiating skills will be only as good as your knowledge.
A number of books and information services can help significantly. And if your goal is to avoid the drama of the big deal, some services will do the dirty work for you.
The Center for the Study of Services, a nonprofit consumer organization based in Washington, will negotiate prices with five dealerships in your area for $96. You must specify the make, model and transmission.
The quotes include a base price and prices for options. You then choose a dealer from the list, presumably the low bidder, and try to find a car on the dealer’s lot equipped the way you want.
The center can get a better price than consumers because it collects information about secret rebate programs that manufacturers provide to dealers, says its president, Robert Krughoff.
Although consumers are often very familiar with rebates provided to car buyers, there are just as many rebates that dealers earn when they sell a car.
It is not unusual, therefore, for a dealer to be willing to sell a car for hundreds of dollars less than his invoice cost, because he or she can still earn a profit.
The center will also sell consumers a fact sheet on current secret rebate programs for $4.50. The latest fact sheet, called CarDeals, indicates that Toyota dealers can earn $500 to $1,100 on Camry sales, based on certain targets set for each dealer.
And it isn’t just in the low end that you can find these hidden rebates. Jaguar dealers, for example, are earning rebates of $1,990 on the sale of XJS coupes.
CarDeals and the buyer service, CarBargains, can be obtained by calling (202) 347-7283 or by writing to 806 15th Street N.W. Suite 925, Washington, D.C. 20005.
Another company that provides auto buyers with information is Intellichoice, which is known for its automobile ratings that show up in newspapers. The firm specializes in projecting overall ownership costs of cars.
If you have narrowed down your choice of cars to two models, Intellichoice offers an ArmChair Compare Report for $19.
It compares the models, including their dealer invoice costs, features, specifications, safety record and consumer rebates. It does not include dealer or secret rebate information.
Unlike the reports of other services, Intellichoice also includes projected costs of maintenance and repairs.
The reports contain some significant surprises. The cost to replace spark plugs in some BMWs, for instance, is $600, says Charles Donaldson, manager of information and data base development for Intellichoice.
The company also sells the Complete Car Cost Guide, which includes less information than the ArmChair Report but covers all cars. The cost is $39.
You can order either service by calling (800) CAR-BOOK.
Finally, I have written in the past about some other services that negotiate car prices. They include AutoAdvisor, which negotiates for a specific car and offers to refund its fees if the motorist can find an identical car for less.
The cost of the service is $297. You can contact AutoAdvisor at (800) 326-1976.
Vartabedian cannot answer mail personally but will attempt to respond in this column to automotive questions of general interest. Do not telephone. Write to Your Wheels, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, Calif. 90053.
