Most people look forward to a car shopping experience, with the same joy and anticipation as a trip to the dentist for a root canal! It dosn't have to be that bad! I have been doing this car "thing" for 26 years, and I can tell you what the customers that walk(or should I say drive) away with the best deals, all have one thing in common...I will attempt to take you through the process step by step. .. Start off by arming yourself with information. Many people think that the cars are marked up forty or fifty percent, and in actuality, margins are nowhere near that. There are many sources on line, such as Edmunds, etc, which will give you the dealer's cost on any car. When you arrive at the dealership, you will have basic info on what you are looking for in general...You probablly aren"t thinking a family minivan, and switch to a two seat convertible. When the salesman greets you, be confident, yet polite...firm, yet open to ideas... many people don't realize that this "big bad, car guy" is as nervous as you are.His livlihood is at stake.Don't say.. I'm just looking" if you really want help.You will find your salesperson much more receptive to your needs if you are respectful to them. If you feel you are being bullied or are uncomfortable, believe me, a manager will be more than happy to find you a salesperson with whom you are more comfortable ..Don't immediatley go to a price... That is the best way to insure you don't get the features you want and need, and it plays right into the dealers hand. Make the presentaion about YOU. Your needs, Your desires. How the car, truck or van will fit into YOUR life. Negotiating price will be far more productive, once the dealership has considerable effort invested in you. It is always a good idea to visit the web sites of the dealerships and manufacturers before shopping. Ok... now, you have determined which car suits your needs, found the right color, and are ready to procede with negotiations. I can not stress enough how important it is to stay focused only on price. You will lose if the dealer gets you concentrating on payments. Negotiate rate, payment, and trade in, SEPERATLEY.!! If you get the price you desire, the payment will take care of it's self.Make your offer based on what you know the dealer's cost to be.(having done your homework). Don't be outrageous, unless a car is damaged or been in inventory over a year, the dealer has no desire to lose 3,000 , no matter how hard times are! The dealer has additional money , called holdback, on each car. This is additional money he gets back from the factory. In many cases you can offer a dealer his cost, and he will accept that offer, knowing he get his holdback. Remember, he has to stay in business as well, and he has overhead. If you do not get the price where you think it should be, thank them and leave. Compare the price at a competitive dealer.Once a price is reached, that is the time you introduce your trade in. If you tell them about the trade in before hand, they will show on paper what you wanted for your trade, but do less negotiating on the other end.So, let's say we have agreed on price, and trade in...... All done , right? WRONG! This is where everybody makes the mistake of thinking they beat the mean ole salesman! Letting down your guard at this point, could cost you thousands of dollars! Now , we are introduced to a sweet young girl, or a congenial looking fellow, and they introduce them as the "business manager" or" finance specialist".. You have been there 2 hours, the kids are hungry, you are tired, and excited to drive the new car home! This is where you need to be on high alert.. Horror stories about repais etc, and that warranty only costs 15 dollars a month.... Do the math. ask exactly how much that is. They are selling, and seldom to people try and negotiate the warranty.. You will save several hundered on the warranty by offering less (should you want one). The other thing the finance person does is give you your interest rates.Banks allow the dealership to make money by offering to share the profit..how this works is, if the rate you were approved at was say 8%, the dealer writes it up at 10 % and makes several hundered (or more) dollars, and you get nothing for this. Negotiate the rate, or find your own finance source.There are products offered as well, many of them useless, such as etching windows for anti theft, and 495 dollar wax sealers..say no to this junk. It is a common misconception that you have 3 days to change your mind. When you leave there, you are done, so make sure the deal is to your liking! Manufacturers reimburse the dealers for gas, so get your full tank...and I'd ask for an oil change while I was at it! .. Happy motoring from mike the salesman!