Fact or Fiction: You get a better deal on a car purchase at the end of month.

[scooter]

Might finally make the move to an 09gt soon, but have a few concerns... The first being that they will actually put an incentive on it come July 1. So I was thinking of waiting until after the first of the month.... However, I had always heard you get better deals towards the end of the month as the dealers try to make goal. Is this fact or fiction? I want to wait until after July 1, in case of incentives, but afraid if they don't, I wont get as good a deal then. I'm not gonna bet on any incentives at this point, but if they put one on it 2 days after I picked up the car I would be very very sad.

[lovemyraffe]

Fiction.Having been in car sales, they are willing to make you a deal at anytime if you know how to play your cards right. With new cars, there usually isn't as much room to work with as with a used car, the biggest thing with new cars is the rebates from the manufacturer. Shop around to different dealers and get the deal you want.

[Bikerscum]

My best advise is to find out what others in your area are paying. And don't trust Edmonds.com for that.... their "what others in your area paid" is BS. Go to the forums. Edmunds does have a Vibe forum with users posting honest info. Users there are reporting in some areas a few hundred below sticker is all they got. Here in Cal, below invoice is the norm. There is a $579 dealer holdback on the Vibe, use that. A dealer can sell at invoice & still be happy. Depends on the demand in your area. Get multiple offers from a site like Edmonds... & walk if it's not what you want. They will call you back.Maybe there could be an official "price you paid" topic here?

[AKLGT]

I've been around car sales, car dealers and well.... I'm on car #10 in 12 yrs. I will have to say that most dealers will be more willing to deal, however that doesn't guarantee you will get a better price, or one that you wouldn't otherwise be able to negotiate at any time in the month. Most of it is finding out if they have a vehicle that has been on the lot for a long time and are more willing to deal on that particular in stock car. However, the last 2 vehicles purchased were ordered and purchased through a special pricing program. You should see if there is anything similar that you get a set price that is below dealer invoice before any incentives.I have found when it comes to GM vehicles, most dealers are pretty willing to work with you. They want to sell you a car, however they are in business and therefore want/need to make a profit. Also, please keep in mind that just like insurance rates, pricing and what you paid will vary from region to region and city to city. Just because member A paid $xx,xxx for theirs in City A does not mean that member B will be able to purchase a like car at the same price in City B.

[altimar]

I'd wait. I think the end of the month super deal rarely happens. Right now the only incentives on the '09 Vibe are financing deals (5.9% APR for 36 months; 6.9% APR for 48 months; 7.9% APR for 60 months) that are expiring on 6/30. That doesn't necessarily mean that they will offer something better on July 1st, but personally, I would make that bet. If you have excellent credit, you can get nearly as good a rate as the above anyway (moot point if you buy outright, but I guess few people do this anymore). Last December, I took the rebates and qualified for 6.2% for 36 months on my own credit.So basically, there's no chance of the deal getting worse, and you may even see something like a $500 summer rebate. The only problem is that fuel-efficient cars are all the rage right now and without being able to sell the higher-margin trucks, I think the small car rebates will suffer some. Good luck though!PS. Don't forget to factor in if a dealer has the exact vehicle you want, because they seem to be selling pretty well. If you wait too long you may lose it. Don't let a few hundred dollars get in the way of what would make you happy.

[NibCrom]

I wouldn't believe that end of the month deal. Different dealers may have different goals (by quarter, etc.). The bottom line is that if they are a competent dealer they will try to sell a car to everyone that comes to their store.

[bodhi_tree777]

this may not always be the case, but it's helped me in some used car negotiations: when a new addition to a used lot comes in, i believe it's inspected right away and a new sticker is slapped on it. This was the case with my Vibe, anyway. So what you have if that is the case is a date, right on the windshield, to tell you how long the car has been sitting on the lot. You can use that to your advantage when talking price. My Vibe was on the dealer's lot for over 2 months when i came across it. They high-balled me, didn't want to budge much at all. I made a note of that date, went home and waited a day for them to call me back. Mentioned that the car's been sitting for 2 months and they concurred...and then, after some haggling, gave me a much better price. They initially wanted $11,995 (03 GT w/ 47k miles at the time), I got it for $10,000.

[altimar]

Quote, originally posted by bodhi_tree777 »... Mentioned that the car's been sitting for 2 months and they concurred...and then, after some haggling, gave me a much better price.That's a good point, but I don't think there are many '09 Vibes languishing around for very long. And from personal experience, they don't all care about how long they keep a car. When I was shopping for an '07 last fall, the one I really wanted had been sitting on the lot for probably more than 6 months and they even had a new '06 exactly like it that had not sold. I told them that with the '09 coming out in 3 months, the three '07s they had would be *two-year-old* cars. He wouldn't budge on the lousy price and neither would the two other salesmen I tried to talk to about it. I ended up buying a different one (had to give up the sunroof I kinda wanted) for about $1600 less (the sunroof was $1050). Seven months later, I see they STILL have not sold one of those '07s, LOL.Talk about a lousy dealership though, they never responded to any online correspondence, the salesman told me he "couldn't give quotes over the phone", until I told him there was no way I was driving 70 miles without a price. He argued with me, wouldn't call me back when he said he would, and the email quote I asked for came from his own Yahoo account and wasn't the same number he told me, nor was it broken down to show extra fees or anything. I'd never been more disgusted by any shopping experience in my life. For the record, this is Martin Pontiac GMC in Lake Charles, LA. Has anyone else ever been treated that poorly?

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by bodhi_tree777 »this may not always be the case, but it's helped me in some used car negotiations: when a new addition to a used lot comes in, i believe it's inspected right away and a new sticker is slapped on it. This was the case with my Vibe, anyway. So what you have if that is the case is a date, right on the windshield, to tell you how long the car has been sitting on the lot. You can use that to your advantage when talking price. My Vibe was on the dealer's lot for over 2 months when i came across it. They high-balled me, didn't want to budge much at all. I made a note of that date, went home and waited a day for them to call me back. Mentioned that the car's been sitting for 2 months and they concurred...and then, after some haggling, gave me a much better price. They initially wanted $11,995 (03 GT w/ 47k miles at the time), I got it for $10,000. The dealer had my 03 Vibe GT on the lot for over 6 mos. I think they ended up selling it for about $13K with 32K miles on it 3 yrs ago... The car I traded it in for had been sitting on their lot for 9 mos, so they were highly motivated to sell it. I gave them an offer and after about a week or two, we came to an amiable agreement. We have now bought our 3rd vehicle from them just this past April.

[Bikerscum]

Quote, originally posted by altimar »Talk about a lousy dealership though, they never responded to any online correspondence, the salesman told me he "couldn't give quotes over the phone", until I told him there was no way I was driving 70 miles without a price. He argued with me, wouldn't call me back when he said he would, and the email quote I asked for came from his own Yahoo account and wasn't the same number he told me, nor was it broken down to show extra fees or anything. I'd never been more disgusted by any shopping experience in my life. For the record, this is Martin Pontiac GMC in Lake Charles, LA. Has anyone else ever been treated that poorly? I went with a particular dealer on a recommendation from someone who bought a Vibe. I emailed the salesman, told him I wanted the same deal, which ended up about $40 below invoice on an '09 GT with auto & sunroof. He emailed me the factory "build sheet" on my car, showing VIN, equipment, etc. Sold. I never saw the guy in person until I picked up the car. They matched my CU's 5.5 APR, I was in & out in under an hour. I just refuse to do business the old way. They have something I want, not something I need.

[scooter]

Quote, originally posted by altimar »Talk about a lousy dealership though, they never responded to any online correspondenceQuote, originally posted by Bikerscum » I just refuse to do business the old way. They have something I want, not something I need.Unfortunately, my experience has been more like altimar's in trying to get quotes online. Half the dealers never respond, others quote sticker. Been a giant waste of time so far.But I agree with Bikerscum - and I have to remind myself, it is something I WANT, not something I NEED!

[Bikerscum]

My correspondence with the dealer....I will sell you this vibe for 20425.40 minus a $500 rebate if you qualify!!! price quote is $19925.40!!! In relation to invoice that is 481.80 under invoice!!! Please let me know!! Thank youLuis m Seita 510-502-5779GM Vehicle Inquiry System Vehicle Build Home - Summary - Claim History - Vehicle Build - Vehicle Component - Delivery Information - Dealer Information - Service Contract - Warranty Block - Branded Title Help VEHICLE BUILD Merchandising Model : 2SN26 -2009 VIBE GT Gross Vehicle Weight Rating : N/A Order Number : MNSVKK Build Date : 03/19/2008 Build Plant : 59ZS GMVIS is not the definitive source of GM Vehicle RPO information and is intended for service reference only. Should there be any questions about the vehicle's original build or RPO information please refer to the original vehicle invoice or window sticker. OPTION CODES AE4 - LEATHER ACCENTED SEATING SURFACES AL0 - SENSOR INDICATOR INFLATABLE RESTRAINT, FRT PASS/CHILD PRESENCE DETECTOR AT8 - RESTRAINT PROVISIONS CHILD, RR SEAT, RR FACING AU0 - REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY AU4 - POWER DOOR LOCKS, PROGRAMMABLE AY0 - AIRBAGS, FRONT, SIDE THORAX & PELVIC, W/ PASSENGER SENSING; FRT HEAD CURTAIN SIDE AIRBAG A31 - POWER WINDOWS B58 - CARPETED FLOOR MATS CF5 - POWER SUNROOF C13 - FRONT & REAR VARIABLE INTERMITTENT WIPERS C2H - FREMONT PORT OF ENTRY C35 - HEATER DUCT, RR PASS C60 - AIR CONDITIONING W/ REAR AIR DUCTS DG7 - DUAL OUTSIDE POWER MIRRORS DG9 - ISRV MIRROR, COMMUMICATION SYS FE3 - SUSPENSION SYSTEM, SPORT F07 - 3.39 AXLE RATIO JL9 - ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM, 4 WHEEL DISC K34 - CRUISE CONTROL LAX - 2.4L DOHC VVT-I ENGINE MVD - TRANSMISSION AUTO 5 SPD MX0 - TRANSMISSION, 5 SPEED AUTOMATIC WITH DRIVER TAP SHIFT CONTROL NK4 - LEATHER WRAP STEERING WHEEL NU2 - EMISSION SYS CALIFORNIA, ULEV2 NW2 - 18" ALUMINUM WHEELS, ULTRA BRIGHT MACHINED FACED QTJ - P215/45R18 ALL SEASON TIRES RAE - REAR CARGO STORAGE SYSTEM R6J - CUSTOMER DIALOG NETWORK R9N - PROCESSING CODE - SEAT SLM - SALES STOCK ORDERS T96 - FOG LAMPS, FRONT, INTEGRAL UE1 - 1 YR ONSTAR SERVICE SAFE & SOUND PLAN UK3 - STEERING WHEEL W/RADIO CONTROLS ULA - AM/FM STEREO CD PLAYER W/ MP3 FORMAT & AUX INPUT (REPLACES STD/OPT RADIO) U2K - XM SATELLITE RADIO - SERVICE FEE EXTRA 1ST 3 MONTHS INCL. U65 - AUDIO SYSTEM, 7 SPEAKER MONSOON PREMIUM SOUND VK3 - FRONT LICENSE PLATE BRACKET V73 - VEHICLE CERTIFICATION - U.S. YF5 - 50-STATE EMISSIONS Z05 - POWER ACCESSORY PACKAGE 1SA - OPTION PACKAGE 1SA 1SZ - TOTAL PACKAGE SAVINGS 14I - EBONY 142 - EBONY 70U - CARBON GRAY METALLIC © 1998-2005 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------From: JL Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 7:13 PMTo: Luis SeitaSubject: '09 Vibe GTHi Luis, I'm looking at getting an '09 Vibe GT, carbon grey with 5 speed auto. My man Jeff refered me to you... got a red GT at below invoice, & said to try you first. I'm way out in Brentwood, but for that deal I'll make the drive, checkbook in hand. Please get back to me...... I gotta start shopping. Thanks,

[scooter]

GM announced today they are RAISING prices on their cars.... no idea if that includes the Vibe or not, but I find that a bit disconcerting... I wonder what that will do to existing inventory, and dealers willingness to deal. With the sticker being what it is, if they know the prices are going up, they may not be as generous.Here is an article on the GM price increase:http://ap.google.com/article/A...1DLG3

[jake75]

The last two cars I bought were on 10/30/03 and 7/31/07. In each case I think I got an extraordinary deal - salesman told me both times that they needed to make quota - if they made quota they got an extra percentage on every car they sold during the quota period. Fact or fiction - I don't know. All I know is that I was ahppy with the deals. The '03 purchase was buying an '04 at the start of the model year. The '07 was end of model year deal.