Youve come to the end of your lease and you like you car enough you want to keep it in the driveway. Just like buying a used car, there is some research to be done to nail a good deal.
First, you need to know the cost of buying out your lease. Read the fine print of your contract and look for the purchase option price. This price is set by the leasing company and usually comprises the residual value of the car at the end of the lease plus a purchase-option fee ranging from $300 to $500. When you signed on the dotted line, your monthly payments were calculated as the difference between the vehicles sticker price and its estimated value at the end of the lease, plus a monthly financing fee. This estimated price of the car value at the end of the lease is what is termed in leasing jargon residual value. It is the expected depreciation or loss in value of the vehicle over the scheduled-lease period. For example, a car with a sticker price of $40,000 and a 50% residual percentage will have an estimated $20,000 value at lease end.
Now that you know the cost of buying out your lease, you need to determine the actual value, also termed market value, of your vehicle. So, how much does your car retail for in the market? To pin down a good, solid estimate you need to do some pricing research. Check the price of the vehicle, with similar mileage and condition, with different dealers. Use online pricing websites, such as Cars.com, Edmunds.com and Kelly Blue Book for detailed pricing information. Gleaning pricing information from various sources should give you a fair estimate of your vehicles retail value. All you have to do now is compare the two amounts. If the residual value is lower than the actual retail value, than youre into a winner. Unfortunately, there is a good chance a car coming off a lease is a little on the high side. Dont despair though. Leasing companies know as much that residual values on their vehicles are greater than their market value and as such are always on the look out for offers. You can knock down on the price of your leased vehicle with some smooth negotiating tactics. Put forward a price that is below your actual target and negotiate hard until you wind up near that figure.
Tags: Buying A Used Car, Car Value, Depreciation, Despair, Dotted Line, Edmunds, Good Chance, Jargon, Kelly Blue Book, Lease Period, Leasing Companies, Leasing Company, Mileage, Option Fee, Option Price, Purchase Option, Residual Value, Residual Values, Retail Value, Sticker PriceRelated posts
When it comes to negotiating your best deal on the car youve got your eye on, first and foremost you have to do your research and homework on all the various parts of putting a car deal together.
At a high level, this is all the pricing, rebate, and dealer incentive numbers you can find on your perspective car. Youve lined up your financing so you know what you qualify for, how much you qualify for, how long you can finance, and what your monthly payments will be based on a few different financing scenarios. And (if applicable) you know the actual cash value, and retail value of your trade-in.
If you dont have a firm grasp on the aforementioned, proceed no further (dont show up at a dealership) until you do.
But if you have, and you feel confident, lets talk a bit further about negotiating.
Rule number one when it comes to negotiating and car deals.
Never negotiate from the MSRP down Youll never get to the price you want.
Always negotiate from invoice price or dealer cost up.
Since youve done your homework, go to the dealership with your opening offer in mind. Be confident in yourself and the fact that although you certainly arent going to offer sticker price, your number will be fair and not ridiculous. If you offer up something totally ridiculous for the selling price from the dealer, youve wasted your time and havent really opened the negotiating process because your offer wont even be viewed as serious. Keep your offer within the win-win window.
When you know your numbers and you come across as confident (because you are) the sales people and the others at the dealership will be aware of this and will spend less time trying to work you.
Give yourself room to eventually feel good. By this I mean, dont table your first offer with the price you have in mind that you are willing to pay. Think about it for a moment; by definition there is going to be some negotiating going on here, so you certainly dont want to begin at the price you want to be and simply hold firm. This may sound easy but this is truly a point where many miss the mark. Many people feel uncomfortable about starting below their target price, but it is an absolute must when it comes to successfully coming close to or hitting your pricing goal.
If the salesperson or the dealership is the first to offer up a number to get things going, rather than you countering with an actual dollar amount simply let the salesperson know that his number simple not within your budget and they need to come back with a better offer. By doing this, your goal is to get an even better opening price without tipping your hand.
Remember, a dealership is always going to take a couple shots at maximizing the deal for their side first.
Keep in mind that negotiating is just that negotiating. It isnt a one-way street where you get everything you want and the dealership simply acquiesces. There is plenty of give and take and it may not (actually hardly ever is) limited to just the price of the car. In other words, if you feel like you have to come up a bit off your offer or counter offer, see if you can get some return value for your effort such as some complimentary maintenance, even floor mats or something.
When you do this it keeps the negotiation alive and lets the dealer know that you are serious about putting together that win-win deal that works for both parties.
Stay open minded during the process and treat the entire car buying process as a negotiation package. There are numerous avenues that you can probe for negotiation during the car buying process. Its not just the price. However, dont agree on the price and then start trying to negotiate other items. Once youve said yes to the price, you lose your leverage. Remember its the entire package.
Finally, always keep in mind that without you there is no deal for the dealer. If you reach an impasse if you have to walk. Dont rationalize giving in against your better judgment because you really want the car, or that youve spent the better part of your day at the dealership. Remember the dealer and the salesperson have their time invested as well and dont want the deal to fall through either. Be patient, keep the negotiation communication lines open and chances are youll be rewarded with a new car at a price you feel good about paying.
Tags: Actual Cash Value, Car Buying, Car Deal, Car Deals, Dealer Incentive, Fir, Grasp, Homework, Invoice Price, Msrp, Perspective, Retail Value, Rule Number One, Sales People, Scenarios, Sticker Price, Win Win