Perhaps the “shopping gene” is carried on the X chromosome.  We have two “X’s”; thereby we are twice as efficient and productive.  Or perhaps it is an environmental part of our upbringing.  At an early age, wise mothers pass along two key concepts to their daughters: 

1. You get what you pay for  2.Never pay full price

With the New Year come new resolutions.  Perhaps one of yours is to add a new car to your life.  If so, I have a tip:  Bring your better half to the shopping process! 

A sales manager at a Seattle area Honda dealership, who didnt want to be identified,  told me how he has stressed to his staff that major buying decisions used to be controlled by men, women are now taking a more active, if not equal, role.  Maybe it’s a reflection of society as whole, but many women are commanding higher incomes than their spouses. and thus have a bigger role in major purchases.  Sales people are focusing both people equally, regardless of which person is seeking the new ride.  I’ve been told the number#1 tip in reading a female customer is by being attentive to nonverbal cues like eye contact and body language.  

 “Once I see a woman cross her arms, I know the sale is lost,” explains the local Honda sales manager.    

Recently on vacation from the Seattle drizzle, I had a chance to soak in Southern California sun while helping a friend buy a car. In the process I saw some sweet rides, including a replica of the Bumblebee Camaro from Transformers II, the new Audi R9 being used in the Ironman sequel.  While “shopping” (read:  “dreaming”), I had several other conversations with sales managers, at a variety of dealerships, and was pleased to have several hypotheses confirmed regarding the differences between the way men and women shop for vehicles.  They include, in no particular order:

Women prioritize a car that fits their lifestyles. 

• Are there enough seats to meet passenger requirements? 
• The more “hands-free” the better.  Mothers in particular love the convenience of power-operated doors/lift gates, folding seats and seat/pedal adjustments.  Remote starters for engines, heaters and air conditioning are highly coveted and could make lovely last-minute holiday gifts.
• Safety first!  Women typically ask more safety-related questions than men.  

 Women are often more cautious on what they spend than a man.  This is not a blanket statement and clearly does not apply to items like cosmetics and shoes, but in my observations and experience when it comes to cars, practicality reigns supreme for ladies. 

• Women will ask important questions about key elements to budgetary savings like gas mileage and interest rates on loans or leases.

 Men seek “the look.”  According to an eastside GMC/Pontiac sales manager, men are “appearance driven, hands down.”

• Electronic gadgets like navigation systems and touch screen-based radio/temperature controls hold definite appeal but even more alluring are exterior add-ons like upgraded tires, trim and grills. 
• Power is also a critical factor for the male buyer – finding the right combination of acceleration and speed without sacrificing gas mileage.

Motivation for bringing a member of the opposite sex on the shopping excursion can be starkly different (shocker, I know).  

A Seattle area Toyota salesperson told me,  “women tend to bring men (as shopping partners) to get more respect” on the sales floor.  And “9 out of ten times a man brings a woman to shop for vehicles to show her what a great business person he is.” 

He also added, “I’ve been married thirty years and have learned that you never buy what the wife doesn’t want,” he says. ”I wouldn’t even buy a pair of pants she didn’t like.” 

Now those are words one can live by.

Cara Capuano has worked in television, mainly in sports, for over a decade, spending the last four years covering the Northwest Sports Scene for Fox Sports NW and before that on ESPN News. A dedicated storyteller, from time to time she’ll be lending some “female perspective” to SeattleAuto.net.

In terms of which vehicle gets stolen and ripped off the most, there’s something about the early 90’s and Hondas. The most stolen vehicle in Washington State was the 1992 Honda Accord followed by the 1995 Honda Civic. Those are the exact same #1 and #2 from 2007, apparently when car thieves like something, they really like it.

Check out the full 2008 Hot Wheels Report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Here are the Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Washington State

1.     1992 Honda Accord

2.     1995 Honda Civic

3.     1990 Toyota Camry

4.     1995 Acura Integra

5.     1994 Nissan Sentra

6.     1995 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee

7.     1994 Saturn Sl           

8.     1995 Nissan Pathfinder

9.     1994 Ford Explorer

10.  1993 Dodge Caravan

For tips on vehicle theft prevention check out the Northwest Insurance Council website.

You don’t live in Southern California. You don’t live in Florida. You live in the state of Washington where it rains a good 200 plus days a year (give or take some crazy summer). So when it comes to looking at buying a convertible car in Seattle, you ARE taking a chance. Rag top or hard top? The answer is simple, considering the convertible will be closed most of time, better make it a hard top. The last thing you want is to have a slight rip and you find a puddle in your passenger seat in mid January.

So if you must have a convertible for the summer months, here’s a list of some stylish ones that will make you the envy of Seattle, for at least 2 and half months.

2010 Ford Shelby GT-2dr Convertible (5.4L 8cyl S/C 6M)-The quintessential muscle car

2009 VW Beattle-2.5L Blush Edition 2dr Convertible (2.5L 5cyl 6A)-Not REAL manly, but gets the job done in the “fun” department.

2009 Smart Fortwo-BRABUS cabriolet 2dr Convertible (1.0L 3cyl 5AM)-Could offer the best MPG of all convertibles.33/41 MPG

2009 Porche Boxster-S 2dr Convertible (3.4L 6cyl 6M)-A classic.

2009 Mazda Miata-Sport 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6A)-It’s small but feisty

2009 Mini Cooper-S 2dr Convertible (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)-You either love it or hate it

2010 Honda S2000-CR 2dr Convertible (2.2L 4cyl 6M)-Honda reliability in a convertible

2008 BMW Z4M-2dr Hatchback (3.2L 6cyl 6M)-Can’t go wrong with this one.

2009 Cadillac XLR-Platinum 2dr Convertible (4.6L 8cyl 6A)-A head turner.

2009 Maybach Landaulet-4dr Convertible (6.0L 12cyl Turbo 5A)-Had to have a ridiculously expensive one. At $1.3 million… it is.

Everyone knows the basic rules of renting a car – return it with as much gas as was in the tank when you were handed the keys…  don’t light up in a non-smoking vehicle…  take the free map in an unfamiliar locale, even if you think you don’t need one – but there is so much more to the process.   

WHEN AN UPGRADE IS A DOWNGRADE

• There’s nothing I love more than a complimentary upgrade.  Extra spot in First Class for this frequent flier?  Why thank you, I’d love a cup of coffee before we take off.  HOWEVER – be very wary of a common occurrence at the rental counter during this era of a challenging economy – the “free” upgrade. 
• If you have heavy miles to rack up during a trip, don’t be persuaded away from the vehicle size you requested.  That SUV might look spacious and boast a better stereo than the compact car on your reservation, but you’re going to lament those luxuries at the gas pump.  The bigger the ride, the worse the mileage – and it’s your right to rent what you’ve reserved.

THE UNEXPECTED DOWNGRADE

• Flights are late.  It’s inevitable.  But what happens to your rental reservation if you saunter up to the counter several hours beyond when you were supposed to pick up your vehicle?  If you have my good fortune, you could end up with a wee three-cylinder death trap that smells like a dirty ashtray instead of the clean, cozy intermediate-sized ride you reserved months ago (intermediates are VERY popular – first to fly off the lot!)  What are your rights in this case?
• Depends on both the company you’re renting from and your active participation in the process.  Some companies, for example, will ask you to provide them with your flight information so that they can monitor its progress.  If you have supplied the flight number and they can see it is late, they WILL save the ride you requested, anticipating your eventual arrival.  However, this is not a global policy for all companies and you cannot expect the helpful ones to guess where you’re coming from.
• It is on you to do a little research, otherwise, you can only blame yourself for rolling off the lot in a vehicle better served to be in Sanford and Son’s yard (and I’ve been there – more than once).

Check out Part 2 on Car Rental Nightmares

Cara Capuano has worked in television, mainly in sports, for over a decade, spending the last four years covering the Northwest Sports Scene for Fox Sports NW and before that on ESPN News. A dedicated storyteller, from time to time she’ll be lending some “female perspective” to SeattleAuto.net.

Step 6: How to Set a Price For Your Car

The trickiest part of the negotiating game is to set a price that is fair to both you and the dealership. As good or bad as a dealership might be, they still have to make a profit. In fact, you might be surprised to hear that dealerships average about a mere 1% profit per year on total sales.

Normally, I advise to set a general price point around 1% to 3% over dealer invoice on a new vehicle (that’s $200 to $600 for a $20,000 vehicle). In the current economic situation however, dealers are becoming very desperate, so it’s reasonable to aim for invoice pricing and even lower. Checking with sites like Edmunds.com is a good way to figure out what other people have been paying for similar vehicles.

Figuring out the price on a used car is a bit more tricky, but uses the same method. What you want to do is find the wholesale value on the car you’re looking at. This can be estimated by using the Kelly Blue Book and finding the trade-in value of the vehicle. After that, you should add about 10% on top of that value to get a pricing figure. Note that the auto industry and your dealership doesn’t use Blue Book pricing, but instead use what is called the Black Book. This is a wholesale pricing guide similar to Kelly’s Blue Book. While the the pricing is different, it’s similar enough for your needs.

In addition to standard profit percentages, there are many other things that can effect how much you should expect to pay:

• Base car price: The pricier the vehicle, the more you generally pay in mark-up.
• Vehicle lot age: The longer a vehicle sits, the less flexible the price due to reduction in holdback profit
• Demand and supply: Hot cars will simply demand more money
• Day of month: End of the month is better due to monthly sales quotas
• Month: End of the year (Nov, Dec) is also better due to yearly sales quotas
• Dealership: Each dealership has a different philosophy on price point
• Salesman: Each sales guy you meet will be different – some flexible, some not
• Manufacturer: Different auto makers have different holdback percentages, which affect how low a dealer is willing to go

Also, be sure to look up any current factory to dealer or customer incentives on new vehicles. Throughout the year, many manufacturers have a rebate or other incentive to help spur sales, which usually ranges from $1,000 to $5,000 in cash back, 0.00% APR or other goodies. These are the biggest savings you’ll receive on a car purchase and should not be overlooked.

Lastly, it’s a common myth that you can get a great deal by buying a car in cash. Unfortunately, that is not true – and in fact, probably the opposite of the truth. Dealerships can make thousands of dollars on the financing side of a sale, so it’s actually in their interest that you finance a vehicle through them. 

Step 7: The Actual Sales Negotiation

This is the part everybody hates. Your friendly salesman seats you across from him, offers you the coffee or a soda and then asks the magic question: “What would it take for you to drive home with this vehicle today?” Every salesman asks this question in the hope you might be that 1 in 100 sucker that actually replies by saying you’ll take it for sticker price.

Of course, you know better and will reply with the price determined in Step 6. Upon hearing this, your sales guy will make a sour face (don’t worry, they make this face for every reply they get – even sticker price). Your sales guy will say something to the extent of, “Boy, I don’t think this is going to fly with my manager, but I might be able to work something out,” and proceed to head to the sales manager’s office.

This type of sales tactic is used by 99% of the dealerships out there and is known commonly as the “Good Cop, Bad Cop” routine. Your salesman pretends to be your friend, working for your side, while the “evil” manager is working against all of you. Of course, it’s all a well-rehearsed theater that has been performed hundreds, if not thousands of times by your salesman.

The purpose of this sales tactic is subversive, in that it attempts to make you think you are powerless in the decision making process. Emotionally frustrated individuals will then resign themselves to giving control of the process to their salesman and his sales manager – which is exactly what the dealership wants.

When your salesman returns, he will come back with an initial price thousands more than the price you stated. This is just typical push-pull negotiation that tries to shock you into submission – which is why you should completely ignore what he comes back with. Simply stick to the plan and state that you want the price you originally mentioned. Not a cent more.

At this point, your friendly salesman will quickly realize that you mean business and will unleash every sales tactic at his disposal. Among the wide range of tactics you might encounter are:

• Blame: You’re being unreasonable, we would lose money, I need to make a living
• Deflection: My manager won’t let me, I wish I could help you guys
• Disinformation: Your printed invoice is wrong, the price has gone up recently
• Distraction: Let’s talk about your trade-in or financing instead
• False Logic: This is a popular car, this is our last model on the lot
• Hostility: You’re wasting my time, my manager is angry at you guys, I’m getting tired of this
• Lies: We added feature X to the car (not on manufacturer sticker), had to replace the windshield or repaint that car
• Persuasion: You’ve already won- this is the lowest we’ve ever gone, you’ll look great in that car
• Pressure: C’mon- let’s do it (repeat), don’t you want a new car today, this is a one time deal
• Stonewall: That’s our best offer, we can’t go any lower
• Tag Team: “Hi, I’m Jim the finance guy. Steve here tells me you guys want to clean us out!”
• Urgency: We have another buyer who just needs to get financing, take it or leave it

Depending on your salesman, this can be a very stressful situation for you – which again, is another reason to be emotionally prepared for negotiations. Your salesman knows that trying to debate you rationally will probably be a losing cause (i.e., explaining the need for $3,000 profit on a $20,000 car), so most sales tactics rely on pushing your emotional buttons. Again, just remember that is is all theater and to stay calm.

What you should do during negotiations is stick to your guns and ask for the price point you came in at. Say little and stay on the topic of sale price. You can expect that after 20 to 30 minutes of this, your salesman will either collapse and give-in, or you will have a stalemate. In the event of the stalemate, where the dealer refuses to go any lower, you’ll have to make your own call on whether or not their figure is reasonable. If it’s within $100 or $200, you might just say fine. If it’s more, it may be in your interest to say, “Thanks for your time” and walk.

Many people have an aversion to walking out of a dealership, almost as if it’s a social offense. It’s odd, because that couldn’t be further from the truth. Walking out of a dealership is like walking out of Macy’s without a buying new sweater – it simply means you didn’t like what you saw and will now shop elsewhere. A car dealership is the very same way; either both parties are happy or there’s no deal. 

If you’re willing to walk out after 30 minutes, you could easily hit up three different dealerships in the same day and figure out who is willing to offer you the lowest deal. That’s how the school car negotiations worked before the days of the internet, when consumers didn’t know car pricing and only through walking, could buyers find out how low dealers were willing to go. It’s time consuming and not for everyone, but it works.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of the Car Negotiation Guide

Step 1: Come Emotionally Prepared

The statement above should really end with the line “for battle”, because you should come prepared and determined. Buying a car can be a great mental toll, with lots of pressure, so be sure to negotiate on a day when you feel ready, rather than immediately after a long day at work. It will help your decision making skills greatly.

Also, have a confident mindset when you arrive on the lot. It’s easy to forget that as the party with the purchasing power, you are the one that is in control. Having emotional control is important, because salesmen are trained to push your emotional buttons to buy, even though the terms may not be favorable to you. You should be very comfortable saying “no“.

If you know you are timid or uncomfortable at the idea of negotiating, either bring along a friend for moral support or consider buying your car through an intermediary such as a car broker (we are happy to refer a local auto broker if you email us).

Step 2: Know How Much the Vehicle is Worth

It’s impossible to negotiate properly unless you actually know how much your prospective car is worth. Thanks to sources on the internet like Kelly Blue Book or Edmunds.com, you can easily find the invoice pricing of any new vehicle on the market. Print or write the numbers and figures down on a sheet of paper and bring it with you to the dealership. Be sure to get the invoice price of your car with all the right packages and add-ons, as you don’t want to arrive at the dealership only to realize you only know the price of a base price, bare bones car.

When you arrive at the dealership, don’t hide or flaunt the fact that you know their invoice pricing. If you do, the salesmen will probably give you the spiel that not all dealerships pay the same price and that the internet figures are totally wrong. They may even show you an invoice that is far above the figures you found. The truth is that while dealerships don’t always pay the same per vehicle, the difference is within the hundreds, rather than thousands. When in doubt, trust the invoice you printed out.

Step 3: Arrange Financing Beforehand

Before stepping into any dealership, you should also have a firm idea of how to finance your vehicle. If you are taking out a loan, you need to get a credit check to know what your credit score is. Your credit score determines your ability to get a loan and the interest rate of the loan. If possible, you should try to get a pre-approved loan from the bank beforehand, so you have an idea of what APR you qualify for (and if you quality for a loan, period).

With the internet, you can also find many auto loan payment calculators that will tell you how much your monthly payments will be depending on your initial down, APR and loan term (normally 36 months). Because of the complexity of finances, it’s important to figure this all out before negotiating. If you attempt to walk in without any idea of your financing, you might as well have a giant bulls-eye on your forehead when you step into the doors of the dealership.

Step 4: Know What to Expect

Ok, you’ve done your homework and you’re now sitting down with salesman, with your special other or friend looking on. From here on out, it’s what we refer to as the dog and pony show- the big razzle dazzle. Your salesman will most likely bring out a form and start asking how much you’re looking to pay per month, asking about your trade-in, down payment and price you want to pay. This form is often called the “four squares” and this and other similar forms are employed by dealerships to divert your attention and distract you.

The salesmen will usually ask if you have a trade-in at this point. If you do, go ahead and say so, but don’t reveal any more than that. More than likely, another salesman is already out looking at your car figuring out the black book value anyways, but it’s in your best interest to negotiate the trade-in later. At no point, should you ever, ever, give up the keys to your car, license or insurance during negotiations (you do need to provide a photocopy of your license for the test drive, however). If the salesman asks for them, it should be a huge red flag, as shady dealerships will withhold these items from you to prolong negotiations.

Step 5: Negotiate Only on Price, Not Payments or Extras

Now that the negotiation form is out, your salesman is going to try and toss a flurry of figures at you. Politely – but firmly – tell him you want to negotiate only on the price of a car and nothing else. Your salesman knows that most people are emotionally attached to their monthly payments and how much they need to put down, so he’s going to try and push your buttons to play his game. Don’t fall for it. Negotiating only on price makes things easier for you to understand – which is good for you, but bad for the dealership.

Next: Part 2 – Car Negotiation: The 10 Step Guide

The Capri had an eight-track player in it, and I managed to acquire an adaptor that would allow me to play cassettes — the height of technology at the time. “Rust” could be used to describe the color of the car as well as the makeup of much of the exterior by the time I got it. Mechanically, it had seen far better days.

Still, for the year or so I managed to keep it running, I loved that car in the way you can only love your first. I washed it more often than was necessary or practical and cruised through the parking lot of my high school certain that everyone was impressed. They weren’t.

I think every teenager should start with a clunker. It’s a rite of passage, and it gives you great stories about the door you had to hold shut with bungee cords or the time your muffler fell off during your homecoming date. I had a friend whose first car wouldn’t go in reverse, and when we went places we were always hunting for places to park that wouldn’t require backing out later — otherwise as the passenger I was stuck having to push it.

I think I’ve owned nine cars since the Capri, cars of all shapes and sizes. There was the Honda Accord I drove until it had almost a quarter of a million miles, and the Jeep Wrangler I rolled in a snowstorm at Snoqualmie Pass while trying to get to a football game. There was the Datsun 510 hatchback that kept going despite all my abuse, and the Nissan Pathfinder everyone said stunk of wet dog — probably because it had a wet dog in the back seat most of the time.

For 17 years, up until the closure of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in March, I was a sportswriter. I covered baseball for the P-I, which meant a lot of time on the road and a often driving a different rental car every three days. More than a few times, I arrived in a city late at night, drove to the hotel, then the next morning walked out of the hotel and couldn’t remember which car was mine.

I got to drive a lot of different cars, and there were often surprises. I’d get into a car that had an impressive reputation and find that I didn’t like it at all. Or discover a car that was a joy to drive even though it was a make or model I would previously never have even considered buying. Sometimes I’d get a model I’d never even heard of before.

Those experiences have given me a good idea what I like and don’t like in a car, and the little things that make a car the right fit for me. In the end, that’s what matters — having a car that just feels right.

Speaking of which, does anyone know where I can find a 1979 Mercury Capri?

Dave Andriesen is a former Seattle P-I sports reporter. His stories can been seen on SeattleAuto.net as a contributing writer.

“When weather hits here in Washington it’s pure chaos,” says Cook. “Most folks don’t want to change their tires when the weather is bad, it’s easier to use AAA. We offer an all encompassing emergency service. If you’re locked out we’ll send out a locksmith, we can replace a battery if needed, we even deliver gas.”

While most Seattle drivers know AAA for jumping a dead battery or changing a tire, their services go way beyond the tow truck, as long as you know what you’re buying.

“AAA Washington is so much more than just our emergency road service,” explains Jennifer Cook, the spokesperson for AAA Washington. “We offer full leisure travel services and personal lines insurance as well. And our discount programs can save you more in a year than it actually costs to be a member.”

There are a number of money saving discounts to take advantage of. Card holding members can receive discounts all over the state and across the nation.  While most people are careful how they spend their money these days, AAA can be an untapped resource to just about any Seattle area driver.

Who Doesn’t Love a Deal?
Here are a select few discounts AAA Washington offers:

• 30% off for eye wear (Lenscrafters, Pearlevision, Sears Optical)
• 20% off Sirius Satellite Radios
• 20% off at the EMP/Science Fiction Museum
• Up to 20% on Prescription Drugs
• Pay $20.09 Jiffy Lube Signature Oil Change

Considering the low annual price on just the basic service, using AAA just once or twice a year is well worth the cost.  If members utilize the services and discounts, AAA could be worth every penny. It’s all in one shopping for your road traveling needs. Plus, you never have too many maps!

Check out the automotive section for AAA Washington

Don’t forget to take a look at some of the protection incentives from Ford and GM. These will essentially pay your monthly car payment if you lose your job. Be aware that each car maker has different rules for their plans, such as owning the vehicle for a few months before it actually kicks in.

If you don’t like the dealership experience, check out the SeattleAuto.net buying service, as we have teamed up with a customer focused auto buyer. Email cam@seattleauto.net with the make, model, year, and color you are looking for. The more specific you are the better help we can give you. We can find essentially any new/used car at a great price and you won’t have to step foot into a dealership.

Here are some great deals that will come to an end this month.

Buick, GMC,
Cadillac,Chevrolet,
HUMMER, Pontiac,
Saturn, Saab- 0%  APR financing for up to 60 months on many models.  New GM Total Confidence Plan includes payment protection, some protection against negative equity.  Expires: 4/30/09

Ford- 0 % APR  financing for up to 60 months, plus rebates up to $5000 on many 2009s, plus payment protection under new Ford Advantage Plan- Expires: 6/30/09

Toyota- Many models have 0% financing and cash back offers. However deals vary depending on region. Cash back rebates can reach up to $4000 on certain models- Expires: 4/30/09

Mazda- 0 – 0.9% APR financing for 36 months, can also be combined for cash back offers on certain models- Expires: 4/30/09

BMW- 0.9% APR financing (up to 60 months), plus no payments for 60 days on most 2009 models Expires:  5/31/09

Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep- Employee Pricing Plus Plus sale – 0 % APR financing for 36 months, plus employee pricing discounts, plus cash back offers varying by model

Volkswagen-0% APR financing (60 months) on 2009 Passat Wagon, Routan, and Toureg 3.9% APR financing on most models- Expires: 4/30/09

 

But every driver is different and the important question to ask yourself when considering an auto purchase is; what do I need? What do I want? What can I afford and willing to spend?

Answering those questions will guide you to the vehicle that’s right for you.

US News and World Reports published a list of the best and worst vehicles for the money, depending on many specific factors relating to cost. Their rankings are based on opinions from the automotive press, it also incorporates a five year total in ownership of the vehicle, and includes facts from Intellichoice which determines new car values and owning costs.

The rankings are not based on rebate incentives, but more on how much buyers will spend on the maintenance and fuel, while also calculating depreciation. So in reality their rankings are, best car for your money… over time.

Jamie Page Deaton writes

Car shoppers face an uncertain economy and a shrinking ability to borrow. The key to surviving the current marketplace is to stretch your dollars as far as they’ll go — but that doesn’t mean flocking to the biggest incentives.  It means focusing on cars that are proven winners and offer a great value over the entire life of the car.

Here are five from the US News and World Reports 2009 Awards

Toyota Camry -Best Midsize Car for the Money

Honda Fit- Best Subcompact Car for the Money

Hyundai Elantra -Best Compact Car for the Money

Chevrolet Tahoe-Best Full Size SUV for the Money

Lexus GS- Best Luxury Car for the Money

In all, the magazine had 14 different vehicle categories, with Toyota being the big winner. The Japanese automaker placed five Best Vehicles for the Money in their respective classes, also getting another three from Lexus. However the biggest surprise could be the Hyundai Elantra which ended up being the best compact car for the money. Proof the Korean automaker is gaining ground on powerhouses Toyota and Honda.

See the full list of Best Cars for the Money  and all the different categories by US News and World Reports.