I know there might have been a thread like this for anybody to post in but anyway...feel free to use this for future car buying questions.

Looking at a 2012 Mazda 3 i sport. Only 3000 miles. Lady leased it but traded back in for a new miata. 5 speed, pretty standard options, no Bluetooth or cruise control. Asking price was $15,995. Dealer said he has $14,400 in it, which I think is probably accurate. I offered $15,000 plus tax/tag/etc, which he agreed to. I figured with it being barely used its a pretty good deal. Comparable other listings tend to be a year or two older with a lot more miles. A thorough test drive is still in order though.

What say you TWW?

6/18/2012 7:58:23 PM

2012 Mazda Mazda3 4dr Sdn Man i Sport
Base Invoice $15,648.00
Destination $795.00
Gas I4 2.0L w/5 Speed Manual

Total Invoice $16,443.00

So you basically knocked ~$1,500+++ off the price in exchange for ~3000 miles logged on the car. Not bad if you were looking to purchase that exact car anyways.


Be very weary of them saying they have "X dollars" in the car, especially on a used car (new cars come with invoice paperwork which some dealerships may disclose if they REALLY want to work with someone and close the sale). This information doesn't matter and is somewhat irrelevant to your deal. What does matter is the final price you are willing to settle on.




[Edited on June 18, 2012 at 8:20 PM. Reason : .]

6/18/2012 8:14:54 PM

It did kind of throw me off when he told me that up front. I had already done my own research and found average trade in value on that car was around the same amount though. The wife is pretty set on that car so finding one in that condition was a bonus. I'd look into more equipped packages but then we're getting out of our price point.

I feel comfortable with the price but was just looking for some assurance from the garage or if I should have tried to go cheaper.

6/18/2012 9:02:17 PM

The dealership just make "crazy" amounts of money off that car. Chances are, they already made money the first time when it was sold. The first owner took a hit on it when they bought it back plus they sold her another car, which I'm sure they made a profit on again. Now they are going to sell the same Mazda 3i Sport a second time for about $150 profit on the front end (assuming they do have $14.4k in it). I mean, chances are if you don't buy it someone else will, so they probably won't budge on price much more. Kind of a win-win for everyone, except the first owner who traded it in

Not my finest moment, but once I told a guy who was looking a Dodge Ram 1500 trade-in that the dealership took it in for $20k an that I'd be real with him and sell it to him for $20,100 (~$2k off advertised sticker) if he'd buy it. Dealership really had about $16k. I mean, I could make up any number I wanted as long as it sounded like a damn good deal because with a used car there was hardly a solid paper trail. Managers could adjust the "invoice" price at anytime (ie: raise it in the system prior to showing the customer "proof" of the used car invoice, and then lower it back to the old value if the customer didn't buy to keep track of profit margins). Used cars are where the dealerships make money, generally speaking.

[Edited on June 18, 2012 at 9:19 PM. Reason : ..]

6/18/2012 9:10:35 PM

Quote :

"Kind of a win-win for everyone, except the first owner who traded it in "

I'm ok with them making a little profit as long as I'm not getting screwed. I'm not trying to screw them either.

6/18/2012 9:43:47 PM