If I get an Internet car quote, do I have to buy online?

Many people have asked us this question.  The answer is simple, absolutely not!!!  Now if you want to buy a car online, there are some perfectly safe sites like CarsDirect, and they will give you a low price guarantee.  However, it’s certainly understandable that you may not feel comfortable dropping 10-30 grand into an online shopping cart.  We are strong advocates of negotiating online, and that almost always leads to a physical purchase at the car dealership.

The reason it’s in your best interest to negotiate online is that you can make multiple car dealerships compete with each other to offer you the best price on a new car.  If you were physically at a single dealership, there’s no competition and the salesman has far less of an incentive to give you a competitive price.  On the other hand, if you get Internet car quotes, each dealership knows they must give you a competitive offer.

Your best bet is to go to a dealership, take a few test drives, and then go home!  Get on your computer and negotiate over email with multiple dealerships.  Once you’ve settled on a specific car and price, THEN go back to the dealership to finalize the sale.  You’ll still have a chance to kick the tires and examine the merchandise before you sign on the dotted line.