TexasCHLforum.com

RoyGBiv wrote: If the dealer offers you a better deal (first time the dealer beat my bank by 3/4%), just tear up the check. No harm, no foul.

In the few cars that I've purchased, I've found that I get the best rates from the dealer. When we bought a truck for my wife, the dealer said they will go as low as X% (I don't remember what). I said, OK well we have our own financing lined up. Magically they dropped it another .5% below my credit union's offer when the credit report came back.

DocV wrote:
Child V used USAA last year. Turned out to be through True Car.

That's too bad. Scratch my previous advice then.

One thing I've read is that the listed invoice isn't really what they're paying these days and there is no doubt more wiggle room in the price than the invoice would lead you to believe. Now clearly, dealers have to eat too but make them earn it. I've avoided some of the car buying services like True Car in the past because, while the prices are better than MSRP, they are still funneling you to a dealer in their network. And the fee they earn from the dealer for steering a sale to them is what you're helping to pay in the sale price. USAA is probably one of the best bets if you're eligible because they are so protective of their members.

Food for thought.

I hate dealing with the Finance manager when buying a car. The last one I dealt with threw a temper tantrum because I refused the extended warranty after pointing out it was useless on top of the certified pre-owned program for the car. I nearly walked from the sale but he finally came down off the ledge but he was incredibly rude for the remainder of the transaction.

Right after that, I went back over to the sales side and let the salesman and his manager know that their finance guy came this close to costing them a sale. As we were leaving, the sales manager was HOT and storming over toward the finance department.