How much wiggle room in used car prices

Before you chase the last penny of savings, consider your own preferences. Do you feel more comfortable working with one dealership over another? Only after you agree on a price for the new car should you turn your attention to the trade-in. If you shopped it around to other dealerships, you also know what you can easily get for it.

Provide the figures to back this up, along with printouts from several pricing sources. To lowball you on the trade-in, the salesperson may again try to stall the negotiations and wear you down with frequent visits to the sales manager.

I owe my career to two fateful events: my father buying a Corvette and my purchase of an Audi A4 rather than a Chevy Tahoe. The Corvette jump-started my love of cars, and the Audi led me to automotive journalism, track days, and amateur car repair. In my free time I cycle as much as possible, no matter the season. We respect your privacy. All email addresses you provide will be used just for sending this story. By Jon Linkov. Published July 20, Updated July 26, Photo: iStock.

Competing bids from other local dealerships or car-buying websites. More on Car Buying. New Cars With Biggest Discounts. Leasing vs. Don't Rush into an Month Loan. How to Get the Best Car Loan. They just have more options, from factory rebates to upgrades added to your vehicle. In some cases, you may be able to get a better deal on a brand new vehicle than one that has only been used for a couple of years.

You may be able to negotiate the selling price of your car. Choosing the right used vehicle is less about finding a dealership that will negotiate down on their price, and more about finding a good deal based on the MSRP of the car. Begin by making an offer that is realistic but 15 to 25 percent lower than this figure. Be courteous, but hold to your original figure after receiving any counteroffer.

If you must move your offer up, do it in small increments. State clearly when you have reached your last offer, and stick to it. Learn more about choosing a used car, avoiding a lemon, buying and selling a used car, pricing and financing, and more in our used car buying guide. Get Ratings on the go and compare while you shop. Sign In. Even vehicles with higher mileage may fetch more than you think. Trucks topped the list of the biggest year-over-year increase in average prices in that high-mileage category.

Even if you don't think the car you're trading in is worth much, it may yield more than you anticipate right now amid elevated prices. And that's where your negotiating skills can come in handy: You may not be able to get the price down, but it's possible you could push for more for your trade-in.