How do *you* purchase a vehicle?

We do a lot research and narrow it down to a few candidates. Then we go do a little test driving and decide what we’re going to get. Then we use USAA’s auto buying service. Soooo easy. I loathe the dealership shenanigans and this completely removes them. Last time, we selected the car online - the price is already set and fair - and the dealership brought it to us. We had to sign one or two pieces of paper when they delivered it, and they took a few minutes to pair our phones and garage door opener and then left. We completed all the rest of the paperwork online with USAA. It was fabulous.

We try to alternate buying our two vehicles so one is new or newer, one older.

We drive them into the ground. Neither of us minds buying new, but we have bought used - lease return, GM program car, but we always buy the warranty on used cars, never on new cars.

We will finance part, but look for the best deal on that, too.

We both research what we want, then go drive cars to ensure we still like it. DH is tall, so that matters.

We used to go directly to the dealer by our house. We had a relationship with a salesman there, through my job. They closed, unfortunately. 

Now we ONLY buy thru Costco. We have purchased 2 new and one used car and had great experiences at 2 different dealerships.

We lease. I’ll get into a groove and really like a certain car so I will lease the same model in a different color for 2-3 leases. Right now I’m on my second Buick Encore and I wouldn’t mind getting it a 3rd time! It’s small and has all-wheel drive but actually holds a lot of stuff when the seats are down.

We buy new and drive till the wheels fall off. DH and I both go as we are tall and both want to be comfortable. When DH bought a new truck after driving the same one for 29 years, he had been researching for a couple of years and decided he wanted a Toyota Tundra 4WD. We were picking up a table out of town, stopped for gas and DH saw the shiny Toyota truck parked next to us. Talked to the guy, we pulled away from gas pumps and he chatted a few minutes longer. We picked table up and stopped at the Toyota dealership we bought my car from and he test drove, decided on all the options and the salesman found one in Georgia. Our DDs were floored. He kept his old truck.

DH is a Ford retiree, so no research necessary. He has driven F150s for over 30 years. I am driving my 3rd Edge, which I love. We have always bought new and 0% interest. Different stages in our lives require different vehicles. It's not the same, now, as when the kids were still at home and driving. 

While we usually buy, we have rented a few cars over the years. I am a good candidate for a lease but DH is not as he puts a lot of miles on a car. We tend to buy new, fully loaded and then drive them for a long time. The last car I had for 12 years, while the current one will be 6 years in Dec. DH has been driving his car for 8 years. DD recently traded her 10 year old car in and bought a 2017 model SUV.

For the actual buying process, I am a negotiator while DH is not. When DD made her trade last month, she asked me to go with her but specified her dad could not. Her reason? Dad just finds the car he wants, asks how much and writes a check. Turns out DD is quite the negotiator and did an excellent job.

I buy from a dealer. I usually lease because I do not want to deal with car repairs as it ages. Plus, I like having something up to date every few years.

I bought my last vehicle and regret that decision. I have had it almost three years and within the next few months will probably sell it and lease again.

I am also in the market for a new car right now. Like you, I prefer to go to a dealership because I feel like I'm less likely to get a "lemon" from a dealership because they check out and repair the cars they get and it's in their best interest to do it right. That said, I HATE going to a dealership because all the car salesmen use the same antiquated high pressure sales tactics that they've been using for decades and it makes me feel like they think I'm an idiot who will fall for their crap.

I don't like to buy from private individuals because you don't know the history of the car or what kind of "gremlins" the owner isn't disclosing to you.

DH and I shop for our own vehicles however we want to, he doesn't even go WITH me to buy my car (I had a car salesman tell me to go on home and ask my husband about buying the car I was looking at - I gave him an earful about being an independent woman who didn't need my husband's or any other man's opinion on MY car - I doubt he ever used that particular line again LOL)

I hate car shopping. I wish I were brave enough to use one of those new services where you buy the car online and they just drop it off at your house.

1 - Decide on type (sedan, SUV, etc), how many seats we want, features
2 - Eliminate all the crappy brands per DH, who is in auto repair
3 - Find vehicles made by the reliable brands that meet criteria #1
4 - Decide what year(s) we are shopping for. We only buy used, but never the model that was the first of its release
5 - Look for private sellers who are selling the exact make, model and year we are looking for in the color we want with the features that are must haves
6 - Drive several vehicles that meet criteria #5. Eliminate the shitty ones
7 - Find THE ONE. Make an offer based on KBB and condition. Get turned down. Walk away. Get call back from same seller next day accepting our offer.

ETA #8 - Pay cash

We do the research, then my dh will haggle with about 6 different dealerships. We tried the Costco thing once, it was a scam. We did it ourselves and were about $3000 below what Costco was offering. My dh doesn't mind putting them against each other. He deals with them through emails so that there is a paper trail and he can show one dealership what another one is offering. We also have them do all the paperwork and then bring the paperwork and the vehicle to our house so we don't have to wait for hours for them to try and pressure us with other crap.

We buy new. My husband researches the heck out of everything. He reads Motor Trend. He watches video reviews online. He goes to the dealerships and test drives a few options and narrows it down to maybe two or three vehicles that he likes. Then he brings me in for a test drive. (I have veto power, even on the car that he will be driving. I once vetoed a car because the passenger seat was uncomfortable.)

After the test drive, I go home and leave DH to negotiate. I hate car shopping and I reeeeeallly hate watching DH negotiate. It's painful for me. He knows to the penny how much the dealership will have put into the car. He is perfectly willing to walk away if he can't get the deal he wants. He also shops multiple dealerships to get the deal he wants. He always ends up dealing with the sales manager directly and he always ends up paying far less than the "Lowest We Can Go." He'll purchase on the last day of a slow sales quarter, counting on the sales manager's desire to bump up his quarterly sales to earn dealer incentives. The last time we bought a car, the sales manager requested I come in without my husband the next time I want to purchase.

I'm not into cars. I want something reliable, comfortable, and preferably pretty. I'm annoyed with myself that I let DH talk me into the gray Audi I'm driving now. I like the car when I'm in it, but I hate the color.

We prefer to pay cash, but we'll put part of it on our credit card to get the cash rebate. Also if there's a discount for financing, we will finance the smallest amount possible and pay it off as soon as allowable (usually at six months). A huge part of DH's pleasure in a new vehicle is knowing he got a great deal.


Side note: I used to drive a Toyota Sequoia and absolutely loved it. After 9 years it was having some issues (electronics, acceleration). I wanted another Sequoia. But they changed the specs on the Sequoia. They've turned a great passenger SUV into a truck. It's awful. On the test drive I didn't even get out of the dealership parking lot. I braked and put it in park and said No. I can't imagine ordering a car without having driven it first.

We buy used and keep them for a fairly long time. Well I try, dh is ADHD so he likes to find something newer. In the 23 yrs we’ve been married he’s had 3 vehicles and I’ve had 4. I dig my heels in because I usually really like whatever I’m driving, but sometimes I need to give it up. Like when we could no longer fit all our dogs in my car and had to get my 4Runner 

Dh always wants low mileage. He just bought a 2018 Toyota Tacoma and sold his 2005 Tacoma to my son. I have a 2007 Toyota 4Runner. I would like a newer model for some of the upgrades, but mine is in such good shape there is no reason to change.

Buy a vehicle that's a few years old and pay cash and drive them until they die. We've always done it this way but neither DH or I care on bit about cars as long as they get us from point A to point B. My DH is really interested in the new Bronco but will prob wait until he get one that's a couple years old.

I used to lease and turn mine in every 3 years. I have a really short commute to work - less than 3 miles each way, and I'm not lugging kids around to sporting events anymore since they are all grown. I found I was turning in a perfectly great vehicle with low mileage (less than 25k ususally) so I decided to buy my last car. I found 0% financing in 2014 through Ford so I bought a Ford Fusion and I still have it, it has whopping 36,400 miles on it. I'll keep it a few more years and then I'll buy again. I will say - I wish I had a few of the bells and whistles that I see on my friends cars. I would really like a remote start, a back up camera, heated seats and a navigation system. These will be must have's for me on my next vehicle.