GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

but if I can save just one person it will be worth it!Just a reminder - do not go to the dealership alone when you are buying a car.Unless you are well versed in stealership practices, take someone older and/or wiser than you.A co-worker of mine just picked up his 2010 Mustang last night. I thought little of it because he had been driving a last generation Mazda 3, and he's in his late 20's or early 30's so I figured he knew what he was doing.I went to compliment him on the new ride (sweet grabber blue, V6 w/pony package and the "right" wheels") and he has buyer's remorse over the extras the dealership sold him on.1. Extended warranty - I bought one of these on my first car. Never used it.2. Paint protection package - can't believe they still sell these with a straight face.3. Clear bra - I got one myself but I suspect he paid way to much (at least it will be under warranty, I suppose).4. Service package - I suppose if you are going to let the dealer rip you off for their "30,000 mile" service, etc., you might as well pay for it up front and get some kind of discount.Long story short, his $26,000 car turned into a $34,000 purchase. Yes, he paid about $8k for all the extras.So kids, the moral of the story is be informed and have a support system in place to keep you grounded so you don't fall prey to these vultures.

He could be driving a BMW for that price... Imagine all that interest too...

Quite a horror story Kincaid.It's not even the 8k in charges that is the nightmare.It's the fact that he probably paid full MSRP for the Mustang.Most new car buyers either ingnore or don't understand what the "S" stands for in 'MSRP'... it's suggested. Meaning that you NEVER pay that price.Last time I bought a new car was for a 2000 Celica GT-SRetail value was $23,500Through Consumer Reports New car price check, I found out that the dealer paid $18,700 for the exact car I was loooking for.The trick is, is to negotiate from what they paid for the car up. Not MSRP down.I ended up buying the GT-S for under $20,000This may not be the best example, because in the year 2000, the GT-S was a desireable and limited car on the lot, but you get the idea.

Quote, originally posted by MSAGRO »Through Consumer Reports New car price check, I found out that the dealer paid $18,700 for the exact car I was loooking for.The trick is, is to negotiate from what they paid for the car up. Not MSRP down.That's a really good thing to keep in mind, thanks!

At least on the extended warranty there might be a 7 day or so period during which you can back out. That probably screws up any financing though.But if not for these people who overpay, we older and wiser buyers could not get the good deals that we do. Somebody has to pay the dealer overhead.

What amazes me is the extended warranties for Chrysler, GM, and Ford around around $3000 dollars for 100,000 miles. The extended warranty for Toyota vehicles (100,000 miles) is somewhere around $900 bucks.

When I bought my '09 Vibe we got the extended warranty and the GAP coverage, I negotiated down on both (you can negotiate the price on these!) Since the Vibe already had a 3 year 30k mile bumper-to-bumper and a 5 yr 100k mile PowerTrain I saw little use in it and told hte finance officer as much. (He said, "Power train only covers the engine and transmission." I replied, "You mean the expensive stuff?")He eventually went down to $2 a month, I was about to say no until I realized that is only $120 WITH INTEREST. I figured if one power window broke it would be worth it. I don't remember what I paid for the GAP, but I negotiated on it too, I think I did pretty well.

Quote, originally posted by spiffy1001 »When I bought my '09 Vibe we got the extended warranty and the GAP coverage, I negotiated down on both (you can negotiate the price on these!) Since the Vibe already had a 3 year 36k mile bumper-to-bumper and a 5 yr 100k mile PowerTrain I saw little use in it and told hte finance officer as much. (He said, "Power train only covers the engine and transmission." I replied, "You mean the expensive stuff?")He eventually went down to $2 a month, I was about to say no until I realized that is only $120 WITH INTEREST. I figured if one power window broke it would be worth it. I don't remember what I paid for the GAP, but I negotiated on it too, I think I did pretty well.$2 a month! I think his calculator was acting up that day.As for the "expensive stuff", there's the expensive stuff like a power window, alternator, cruise control etc. etc., and the REALLY expensive stuff like an engine, transmission and maybe even an air conditioner or abs brake system/If I keep my '09 beyond 3 years I might bite on an extended warranty because there is so much stuff on that car.

The Mustang buyer should get an award from the Federal Government for keeping at least five people employed for another month:SalespersonSales ManagerF&I ManagerService ManagerLot jockeyand probably several others!It DOES pay to know the whole dealership process BEFORE you fall in love with your next car. I usually refer people to edmunds.com

jake, I would be reticent on even paying $2 a month for an extended warranty on a Vibe.The only time I would consider that would be if I bought a car with known reliability issues like a Chrysler or Saab.Our Vibes have been famously reliable. I realize that 'peace of mind' is a good thing to have, but by buying double coverage is a waste of money.If you do get the extended coverage, make it kick in AFTER the 3 year factory one is up..

Quote, originally posted by ou.grizzly »What amazes me is the extended warranties for Chrysler, GM, and Ford around around $3000 dollars for 100,000 miles. The extended warranty for Toyota vehicles (100,000 miles) is somewhere around $900 bucks.Why would this amaze you? It's simple really. An extended warranty is nothing more than an insurance policy. As with all insurance policies, the level of risk and the cost of the premium is directly related.Insuring a Toyota against mechanical failure is a relatively low-risk proposition whereas covering the domestic brands you mentioned is the equivalent of insuring a 17 year old male eating a burrito and speeding through a school zone in a V-8 Camaro while texting his girlfriend that he's running late for their date because it was hard to find someone outside the liquor store to buy the beer.Quote, originally posted by MSAGRO »jake, I would be reticent on even paying $2 a month for an extended warranty on a Vibe.The only time I would consider that would be if I bought a car with known reliability issues like a Chrysler or Saab.Our Vibes have been famously reliable.I realize that 'peace of mind' is a good thing to have, but by buying double coverage is a waste of money.If you do get the extended coverage, make it kick in AFTER the 3 year factory one is up.Good point. The last three new vehicles I've purchased have been two Toyotas and my Vibe. When given the hard sell on the extended warranty, each time I politely replied, "No thanks, I'm purchasing a Toyota (Vibe) so I wouldn't need an extended warranty." That usually ends that conversation.PlatinumVibe08