r/carbuying

So. Serious buyer with 30-40% down payment. Going to replace my wife’s 10 year old Ford Explorer. Looking at new Ford Bronco Sport vehicles. Looking at cash down no trade deals.

Was at Wyatt Johnson in downtown Nashville about 2 weeks ago. Internet advertised price was $5k under the actual price they tried to sell once I was there. Had a bunch of dealer add ons. “Paint protectors, door guards, fabric treatments, etc. etc.. you already know the deal…

Long story short I told them I didn’t order these items, they weren’t on the internet price, and I wasn’t going to pay for them. About an hour and a half of gnashing of teeth, and back and forth. They tried to meet us by shaving 2k off the 5k BS charges.

I told them remove or we walk. They called my bluff. We walked. Drove home that night and bought the car we wanted in Bowling Green KY three nights later. No extra BS fees. An honest deal at Greenwood Ford in Bowling Green KY.

Since we walked, Wyatt Johnson Ford has called us 4 times with “exciting news about the Bronco Sport” we were looking at. Sorry guys.. we committed days ago.

Be honest. Don’t play games.

Mine is to shop for cars BEFORE you NEED to. Gives you leverage on being willing to walk away, gives you an opportunity to really research what you want/need, prevents you from making a purchase clouded by urgency.

genuinely asking

you look at a car. the price seems okay. you google it. kbb says one thing, the seller says another. you have no idea what repairs might be hiding. you don't know what that exact car is actually selling for near you right now.

and then you just have to guess and hope you didn't get played

i got so annoyed by this that i ended up spending a few hours on it. found a way to pull what that car is actually selling for right now near you — real listings, not book value — and run the photos through AI to flag repair issues before you commit.

basically turns the guessing into a real number

i still haven't bought a car cause i'm broke but that's a different story lol

anyone else just find this whole process maddening or is it just me

Hey All,

Is it still possible these days to try and negotiate the price of a new Camry? Currently living in the Central Valley of California. The dealership closest to me has a “best price guarantee” and does not negotiate prices.

Thanks!

Extra info:

- I prefer the se / se nightshade. Loved the car but can’t justify spending 40k on one.

- I have enough to pay cash, but I’ll use their financing to try and get a lower price.

Looking to potentially trade my current car that I’m upside down about $3000 on for something more far more budget friendly now that my credit score is much higher and I qualify for a far lower interest rate. I was wondering if it’s better to pay off the $3000 of negative equity for an even trade and give a $3000 downpayment on the new (to me) car? Or should I just give the $6000 as a down payment? Or is it the same regardless?

My friend’s lease just ended on a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek, and I want to buy the car from him.

If he buys it out first and then sells it to me, I’d end up paying taxes again, which kind of kills the deal.

Is there any way for me to buy it directly from the leasing company/dealer without doing 2 transactions and paying tax twice?

Problem is, the lease is already finished, so he can’t transfer it to me anymore. He tried asking the leasing company to extend it so we could do a lease transfer, but they refused because it had already been extended 3 times.

Anyone in Canada been through this?

Been looking in the market since Holiday season, and more than likely gonna wait til this upcoming holiday season to pull the trigger. but my partner and I have pretty much settled on either the 2027 Telluride SX-Prestige or the 2026 Palisade Calligraphy (HEV for both). literally the smallest differences here and there that get me flipflopping, mainly that I love the outside of the Telluride but have more appreciation for the Palisade when it comes to interior. or dumb things like "do i want a built in dash cam, or spare tire?" when it comes to little safety feats for the family, or even down to the two wireless chargers vs having a fwd option. was just wondering thoughts on either? Those of you who've bought one or the other, what was the deciding factor for you?

I’m looking for some advice on a 2025 Chevy Equinox RS (CARFAX). It’s listed as a "CARFAX Great Value" at a Ford dealership, but the Carfax has me spooked.

This is a first-generation redesign, and it already has 5 service entries in a very short window. Specifically:

• 12/09/24: Body electrical, Glass, Trim, and Steering/Suspension all checked.
• 12/10/25: Engine/powertrain computer/module checked.
• 01/23/26: Engine/powertrain computer/module checked again.
• 02/12/26: A/C and heating system checked.
• 03/20/26: A/C and heating system checked again.

The car was traded into a Ford lot almost immediately after that last A/C visit in March.

I really like the RS trim and the tech, but I’m worried I’m buying someone else’s headache. Is this just "first-year model" software updates, or does this look like a potential lemon?

Has anyone else with a 2025 Equinox dealt with recurring A/C or computer module issues? Would you buy this?

I am looking at buying a 2026 Kia Sorento Hybrid XS Prestige. I am at the point where I am ready to buy, got a color in mind, found some dealers around but I am stressing over the negotiating part. I don't want to be the guy who just accepts whats on the website but I dont know what my leverage is, what a fair price is and how to apply pressure without folding on the counter. I hate negotiating but I hate getting screwed too.

I've been getting costco auto pricing from dealers for Honda, Toyota, I tried KIA but the dealer had me drive an hour to get there to tell me that they don't have the car and cant price it for me but the discount is "Usually 1500-2000 off MSRP."

I live in NJ and From what I saw, some dealers are doing 1995-2495 dealer discount + 2500 Customer cash or are offering a $3000 KFA Cash for financing.

Today I tried what Gemini suggested and tried to call dealers asking for their best OTD Pricing and 3 in a row said "We only do deals in person." So now I'm kind of stressed about how to do this. I have a new born at home and driving all over NJ is not really in my availability.

Any tips, guidance, experience in this vehicle would be greatly appreciated!

I have a 2018 Toyota Camry with 76,310 miles on it. In August of 2025, I started noticing some transmission noise, took the car in and paid $9,000 for a manufactured transmission, or so I thought I did.. fast forward to last week, I took the car in again because I was noticing the same noise, they said the transmission is bad again with no explanation, it is under warranty. Now I am considering trading in the car. I still owe $6500 on it. The dealer said they buy cars with bad transmissions, should I expect the dealer to give me significantly less money? The car still drives, it is just making a slight whining noise. The mechanic also said the transmission is on significant back order.. I am at a loss for what I should do.

I was involved in a bad car accident last week and my car is most likely totalled (all airbags went off and damage is really bad). I will most likely be getting $12-15k from insurance (obviously hoping for higher) and need to get a new (to me) car. Due to my ex not paying child support and alimony, my credit took a huge hit.

I am completely overwhelmed by this process. I work 3 part time jobs and need a little bit of trunk space as carry about 3 tubs of stuff. I teach lego class after school, deliver for Whole Foods and another misc job where I use a large duffel bag of items for events. I would like a sedan or small suv and need it to be good on gas mileage since Whole Foods/Amazon loves to make us drive.

I was reading the post that talks about not letting them know you are paying in cash, which I'm fine with but they can't run my credit as it's really bad and I'm working on improving it.

Does anyone have any advice on where best to go? I'll be avoiding car lots but have tons of dealerships, carmax and carvana near me also.

Any advice on best cars or ones to avoid? I've heard Nissans have become bad with transmissions in the past few years.

Thank you for any help!

Hi! I'm looking into purchasing my first car but unfortunately my credit score is a 589 (due to my parents getting credit cards in my name when I was a minor and going delinquent on them and I'm working on it actively). I have stable income, and I was wondering if it's possible to get a vehicle with putting 1.5k-2.5k down or would it be a no go? I was looking at Facebook marketplace cars but unfortunately there are no good options near me so my last option is to go to a dealership.

As the title says I’m in the market for a 4WD that has third row capabilities. Im stuck between the Grand Cherokee L and the 4Runner. Most likely looking at older models considering how expensive new cars are. I live by the beach so i intend on going off roading weekly in the spring/summer/late fall (depending on when i get the vehicle).

Looking for insight on these two cars and if i should buy one over the other. Definitely not doing brand new so im open to finding an older model of either as long as the price is right and the mileage isn’t too crazy. Thank you in advance for your input.