The email approach worked great for me. Once the dust settled I bought the car I wanted for $800 less than the first place’s “Best Price”. Send emails to all of the Pontiac dealers in your region. If it’s possible, be willing to travel. The lowest price I found was three hours away, but I was willing to go there until a local dealer matched the price. I emailed maybe five or six dealers asking for their lowest price, including all fees. I included my email and phone number, said exactly what I wanted, and asked what they could do. I really enjoyed the experience, because I was getting phone calls, and emails first thing in the morning. I could see all the prices being offered, and get a range of where dealers would price the car. If it was too high, they were off the list, if the it was competitive, then I knew that was one I could pursue.
Now, if it really is their lowest price, they may not be willing to negotiate any more from that price. Still, get an offer, and then try to negotiate a little more. When I was buying I got solid offers in emails and phone calls. One email came back without a solid offer, but he included a link to Edmunds, saying what the TMV was. I responded that I was looking for something lower than that, he wrote back within the hour saying it would be easier to get his boss to come down on price if I was in the dealership. I did go in, he explained how he could offer a lower price since I was an “internet customer”, and that it would be less than if I had just come in off the street. He admitted (who knows how much of this is sales speak) that they knew there was more competition for internet customers, which is why I was going to get a better deal. He wasn’t really committing to a price, so I told him price was my main concern, and asked what he could offer. His offer didn’t match the lowest offer I had in an email from another dealership; I told him so, and left. He caught me in the parking lot, and said his manager was willing to make another offer. He made another offer that wasn’t low enough, so I told him the quote I had, which he then got his manager to match.
Don’t fall in love with the car. Even if that is the car you want, don’t tip off the salesman. Do you know what color you want? Are you open to other colors? I was willing to go with a couple different colors (not black, and not white). There were different shades, and if they had the color I wanted, but there were different shades, then as far as the salesman knew, that wasn’t the shade I wanted. “Oh, it’s that shade of gray. I was thinking more of a silver” (or vice versa). If you aren’t in immediate need of a car, and are willing to leave/wait, you will have the upper hand with the salesman.
Of course the salesman is going to tell you there is a lot of demand (whether there is or not). They will also tell you (among other things) how there is “hardly any mark up” on the car. That’s relative, since $100 here or there means something completely different to both parties.
Definitely try emailing multiple dealerships. I easily found the internet sales email links on the dealer websites. Email places in neighboring states too, if it isn’t too far out of the way. I got personal responses that were timely and helpful, and follow up phone calls.
Good luck!
4.09% is the best I’ve seen in the last month. Not incentivzed by the manufacturer. There are no CU’s in my area that can touch that. My biggest competitor here is SECU and their auto loan rate right now is 5.75%. Everyone seems to be missing my point though. Here it is again: Secure your financing through an outside source, then give the dealer the opportunity to save you some money. Ferchrissake, if the CU or outside source is better or if the dealer is, then you have researched ALL of your options and not left any money on the table in the deal. Again, I speak to my experience.