first, assume everything is negotiable.
second, listen to other folks here...
third, which is just part of the game, is read this:
http://www.caranddriver.com/features...est-drive.html

there are some good hints in it for how to manage the sales and purchase process so you don't feel like a victim. and as you probably well know, that's a very common feeling. i took a "negotiating skills" class through my company, once, and did very well in negotiating a good price for a pickup truck for my stepson. at one point, about halfway through the two-hour process, the salesman looked at me and smiled, and asked "what do you think?"

i looked at my wife, my stepson and his then-girlfriend who was in tow... and replied to all of them: "pepperoni and mushrooms. i'm hungry. let's get some pizza." about an hour later the truck, which had started at something like $5995, was ours for something like $2900 or $3100. he put many good miles on that truck before it was handed on.

try to have fun, too. it's not easy, but it is possible.

 

Not EXACTLY on subject, but IMO there are those who like to haggle with dealers, those who hate haggling with dealers, and, well, that's about it.

For those of us in the HATE category, I suggest looking for a dealer that has a No-hassle, No-haggle one price system. Some say they do, but really don't. Others stick to their guns. Those who stick give a fair discount, and if you don't like it, go somewhere else. The way to tell the difference is that the salesmen are usually not paid on comission, but may get a bonus based on total sales for the dealership.

If you are also in this camp (which it sounds like you are not), you may find a dealer that is discounting hybrids along with everything else. My dealer discounted my HCHII $1,005 - no hassle, no haggle. That was the posted price. I searched far and near and the nearest deal I could find that was as good was four states away.

Just for what it's worth.

 

oh, fer shure! do whatever's most comfortable and what works best for you. i overpaid on the leather for mine [see spreadsheet on my site!] and folks have ragged on me for getting ripped off. but to get the car i'd been waiting a LONG time [for me] for, and getting leather too, it was not a problem. luckily, paying the extra didn't change our lifestyle, either [knock wood or whatever.]

now, if you don't do this too much and end up with a city-wide reputation for it, you might try this: go to several dealers and look interested.... when you're not in the market for a car. this can help you learn their "patter" and acting style if there is one, and alleviate some of the "stage fright" of worrying if you're going to get a good deal: you're not really there to buy, so you can't get a bad deal, but the personal education and pseudo-"buying experience" can help you when you're really in the market.

if you know about what you're willing to pay and know even better what your "i ain't gonna pay that much "walkaway price" is" you'll also feel lots better if a saleman starts trying to tack on extras. not everyone may have the chance of finding a no-haggle dealer. education and experience are invaluable, and in the long run, will save you lots of money.

an old, very good friend of mine once told me, "i never pay list price." when i asked him, what happens if you want to go into Circuit City and buy a camera or something, what do you do, he answered, "i'll ask the salesperson if the camera is on special. if it's not, i'll ask what the last sale price was or when they think it'll be on sale in the next few weeks or months. if i get any answer to those questions, i'll offer the "sale price" on the spot. many times, in order to make a sale today and not a month from now, they can get special dispensation from their manager to sell at a lower price. even big chain stores.

and if you don't really need the item, it's a free way to test their system and gain experience.

also, in some of my "world travels" i've discovered that Americans, on average, hate to haggle or negotiate. in some other cultures, the seller is insulted if you buy for the offering price. try that in the MidEast or Central- or South-America. buying at full price is an affront to the seller and a waste of your money.

and it can be fun.

and if your company offers a "Negotiating Skills Class", run, do not walk, to sign up for it! i never thought of negotiating before i took a class like that; after that class, i probably saved several thousand dollars in the first year as a "graduate", and in one recent business transaction, i probably cost myself a few extra thousand by forgetting to ask a few key negotiating questions: i had some trees removed from my property. the company that removed the trees probably sold some of them to lumber mills, and one or two might have fetched them quite a bit of money. i should have asked for a lower price, to split some of that profit with them. i hope to never forget that lesson again!

 

[QUOTE=plusaf]and if your company offers a "Negotiating Skills Class", run, do not walk, to sign up for it! [QUOTE]

Thanks, plusaf, but I've probably taken three of these classes - negotiating skills, positive negotiations and win-win. But I'm sorry to report that I'm still in the HATE category when it comes to dickering on cars. I understand that I maybe could get a better deal if my heart were in it, but since it isn't I have never been able to cut a better deal, even trying to using the class knowledge, than I can with a no-haggle dealer.

So, either I'm very unusual, or it's different strokes for different folks. The good news for you, hopefully, is that you'll have more green in your pocket!

 

Absolutely right, Bill....
it's always "whatever works or doesn't work for you."

let's all motor happily, whatever.