Heres the fastest way to get an online price quote. Browse the Edmundsinventorypage and find a vehicle you want to know more about. Some cars will have a Lease Offer link, and others will have a Purchase Offer. After entering your contact information, both will present an upfront, guaranteed fair price on that specific vehicle at the dealership listed. The lease offer will instead show the monthly payment, total due at signing and list the mileage terms.
Get a Great Price Without Getting the Runaround
As when youre buying new, your goal should be to have a list of at least three vehicles youre interested in. Try to get as close as you can to the year, trim level and mileage. Well now proceed with the assumption that youve test-driven them all. Reach out to the used-car salesperson at the dealership and ask for a price by email.
Pay attention to the following numbers: The dealer retail price is an estimate of what dealers will be selling the car for. The trade-in value is what the dealer might have paid for the car at auction or from the prior owner. Your goal is to make an offer in between those, allowing for some profit on the dealers end. For example, if the dealers asking price is $25,000 and the trade-in value is $22,000, you might want to counter with about $23,500 and work your way up.
Some salespeople will be more receptive to negotiating than others, but explaining that youve done some research on pricing goes a long way in showing that youre a serious and educated buyer.
The salesperson would then narrow down the choice for you, and, we hope, confirm that the car is in stock. A good reply on your part would be, Whats your asking price? This is a soft way of asking them to make the first offer. A number of people make the mistake of saying, Whats your best price? This approach can come off as abrupt and standoffish, which goes against the rules of negotiating. More on thathere.
Car shopping can often be overwhelming for first-time buyers or those who havent done it in a while. Most people do the following to get a price: Visit the car lot, test-drive, then spend hours going back and forth with a salesperson as they try to home in on a price that fits their budget. Theres an easier way to do this and well explain how.
Getting an online quote for used cars is slightly tougher since condition levels and mileage vary. It isnt quite an apples-to-apples comparison. Dealerships are willing to talk price over the phone or via email, but youll want to make sure youve seen and driven the car before making a serious offer.
How to Get an Internet Price Quote for a Car
Using a dealer quote system will get you a price for a car without your having to visit a dealership.
In either case, it is important to read the fine print and contact the dealership to verify that the vehicle is in stock. We recommend getting a few offers since pricing can vary from one dealer to the next. If youre not the negotiating type, the next step would be to take the best offer and redeem it at the appropriate dealership. Other shoppers have been known to use the offer as a reference point in negotiating a lower price.
If you get a price over the phone, ask that your contact at the dealer also email it to you so you have it in writing. Now, do that at least two more times and youll get a good idea of the real-world prices for this car. From here, you can either take the best offer or, if you like the price from dealer A but dealer B treated you better, ask that dealer to match the price.
In some cases, youll run into dealerships who will ask that you come down and test-drive the car before talking price. Not every dealership will be willing to make an upfront offer for fear of the customer then shopping the price elsewhere. Thank them for their time and move on.
Asking for price quotes on widely available cars, such as this 2014 Toyota Camry, will quickly bring responses.
In some cases, the price quote will be the same as the listed price. Heres how to counter that: Use the Edmundsappraisal tooland enter the year, make and model of the vehicle youre interested in. Make sure that the trim, miles and options match as closely as possible because those factors will affect the results.
How to Get an Internet Price Quote for a Car
If you see a vehicle on the inventory page that says Request Price Quote, it means that it doesnt have a special offer, and your request will be sent out to the internet sales department of that dealership. A salesperson will then call and email you with the price quote.
This more traditional method may take a bit longer than an instant price, but it is still very effective. Call, text or email the internet sales manager of the dealerships near you. Make sure to include the stock number of the vehicle if youve found it on the dealers web page. If not, the internet salesperson should easily be able to locate the car you want.
A shopper can send s dealer quote request form to many local dealerships simultaneously.
A shopper can send s dealer quote request form to many local dealerships simultaneously.
As a senior consumer advice editor, Ron helps shoppers navigate car buying. He has plenty of firsthand knowledge since he buys and sells the cars in the Edmunds long-term test itter
Using a dealer quote system will get you a price for a car without your having to visit a dealership.
It helps to have a first and second color preference, as well as knowing your must-have options. The initial question might go like this:
Hi, Im Ron. I was looking for a 2018 Toyota Camry with leather seats and the safety package. I like red the best, but Id be OK with a blue one, too.