# Questions and help with pricing, Dealer Holdback & True Dealer Cost



## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

Without a doubt, you'll be the most informed first-time Cruze owner when the time comes!


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## PureEnergi (Aug 22, 2012)

Dealer holdback is based upon the vehicle. Its tough to understand and calculate it, in fact its a very difficult question to even answer. Chevy usually has a 3-4% DHB of total MSRP. Its different for every brand of car. Very few brands of cars have no holdback.. BMW and AUDI come to mind. But often when buying a premium model of those cars, you wont even get close to sticker anyway, nevermind invoice. (dealer markup) Holdback is money given to dealerships by the manufacturer. The money helps the dealer in many ways, too many to mention. Notice how a dealer can advertise selling a car at "invoice" well.. they can and they can still make money at the end of the month. Going after dealer holdback is usually ugly, and it usually wont get you very far, maybe if you have bought 5 cars off the store?? My boss tried to explain it to me once or twice... "if we sold every car in here at invoice, we could still keep the lights on and make payroll from holdbacks." Going in looking for a dealer to go into holdback for a car is like declaring war. And most Gm's will just throw you out and wait for another customer. Why? because another customer WILL come. The easiest way to see whats going on with car prices is to use the internet. But not everything is written... many things are left untold in the car business. 

I sell cars. My advice? look for rebates. Ask about dealer cash<very easy to hold, hardly anybody even knows about it.. and any MONTHLY incentive. Every month incentives change. Some incentives work for the buyer, some for the seller. You'll probably get a better deal at a LARGE autogroup, a small autogroup more than likely cant afford to lose money on a car just to move a unit, but a big group usually can and will. Find out when "end of month is" often its NOT on the last day of the month like most think. Dealers/salesmen have quotas but you need to know when the axe is falling. Best deals come off the dealers lot, not when he has to go swap something in cause you want purple seats. Never bring your trade to the table until you have nailed down the price of the new car. Beating up a dealer is what everybody wants to do... but i mean.. If i asked you to sell me your product that YOU sell or market at YOUR cost, what would you tell me? I often come right out and ask my customer how much they will let me make... I can tell you some unreal stories of the answers and facial responses to that question. People generally are clueless tho and the best thing you could every do is make friends with a car salesman and stick with him. Or at least pay him 100$ to come with you to buy your new car. You want to make a friend?? If you beat the **** out of the dealer for the last dime and your salesman gets a "mini" usually 100$ (which is garbage money for what he has to do to get that car to you), palm him a 50$ or 100$ bill and make a pal. Cars have issues, even new ones and if you are that grinder for the last dime on the vehicle and allow nobody to make a decent deal... karma will SURELY remember you. And you will get basically NOTHING if you have future issues and problems but a cold shoulder and a LONG wait in the service lounge. Making a buddy of your salesman can help you out in ways you would NEVER even think to imagine. Especially if you buy /lease often, or intend to put 200k on your chevy. (good luck) >:O)


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

If you're looking for the best price, find a high volume sales dealership. They tend to have more leeway in their sales prices.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

Thanks PureEnergi! I really appreciate you taking the time out to answer the dealer holdback question. Yeah, I read that GM/Chevy's holdback is 3%. I also read too that its a big no-no to go after the dealer's holdback but to lightly mention it if the dealership tries to play the " i won't be able to keep the shirt on my back" card. Yeah, it looks like since I am a USAA member I will have a rebate available at about anytime i actually buy the cruze. I've been using sites like truecar.com and edmunds.com that have helped alot.

So what is still the proper way to insure i get the cruze at or better yet, below invoice pricing? Obviously I'm not going to pay MSRP and I would really like to get the car with tax, tag, title and processing fee right at or somewhat above invoice if possible? 



PureEnergi said:


> Dealer holdback is based upon the vehicle. Its tough to understand and calculate it, in fact its a very difficult question to even answer. Chevy usually has a 3-4% DHB of total MSRP. Its different for every brand of car. Very few brands of cars have no holdback.. BMW and AUDI come to mind. But often when buying a premium model of those cars, you wont even get close to sticker anyway, nevermind invoice. (dealer markup) Holdback is money given to dealerships by the manufacturer. The money helps the dealer in many ways, too many to mention. Notice how a dealer can advertise selling a car at "invoice" well.. they can and they can still make money at the end of the month. Going after dealer holdback is usually ugly, and it usually wont get you very far, maybe if you have bought 5 cars off the store?? My boss tried to explain it to me once or twice... "if we sold every car in here at invoice, we could still keep the lights on and make payroll from holdbacks." Going in looking for a dealer to go into holdback for a car is like declaring war. And most Gm's will just throw you out and wait for another customer. Why? because another customer WILL come. The easiest way to see whats going on with car prices is to use the internet. But not everything is written... many things are left untold in the car business.
> 
> I sell cars. My advice? look for rebates. Ask about dealer cash<very easy to hold, hardly anybody even knows about it.. and any MONTHLY incentive. Every month incentives change. Some incentives work for the buyer, some for the seller. You'll probably get a better deal at a LARGE autogroup, a small autogroup more than likely cant afford to lose money on a car just to move a unit, but a big group usually can and will. Find out when "end of month is" often its NOT on the last day of the month like most think. Dealers/salesmen have quotas but you need to know when the axe is falling. Best deals come off the dealers lot, not when he has to go swap something in cause you want purple seats. Never bring your trade to the table until you have nailed down the price of the new car. Beating up a dealer is what everybody wants to do... but i mean.. If i asked you to sell me your product that YOU sell or market at YOUR cost, what would you tell me? I often come right out and ask my customer how much they will let me make... I can tell you some unreal stories of the answers and facial responses to that question. People generally are clueless tho and the best thing you could every do is make friends with a car salesman and stick with him. Or at least pay him 100$ to come with you to buy your new car. You want to make a friend?? If you beat the **** out of the dealer for the last dime and your salesman gets a "mini" usually 100$ (which is garbage money for what he has to do to get that car to you), palm him a 50$ or 100$ bill and make a pal. Cars have issues, even new ones and if you are that grinder for the last dime on the vehicle and allow nobody to make a decent deal... karma will SURELY remember you. And you will get basically NOTHING if you have future issues and problems but a cold shoulder and a LONG wait in the service lounge. Making a buddy of your salesman can help you out in ways you would NEVER even think to imagine. Especially if you buy /lease often, or intend to put 200k on your chevy. (good luck) >:O)


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## carbon02 (Feb 25, 2011)

I'd suggest to use chevy.com to do a dealership locate to find 2-3 cars equiped just the way you want. Then using the internet find the best local price in your market. Using the best pricing approach the dealers with the 2-3 cars the chevrolet.com search found for you.

I agree that your best price is on a car on the lot. Going to a dealership being firm about the car that you are there to see, show's you're there to make a deal. 

I resist dealerships offers to do locates, but using chevrolet.com works well.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

carbon02 said:


> I'd suggest to use chevy.com to do a dealership locate to find 2-3 cars equiped just the way you want. Then using the internet find the best local price in your market. Using the best pricing approach the dealers with the 2-3 cars the chevrolet.com search found for you.
> 
> I agree that your best price is on a car on the lot. Going to a dealership being firm about the car that you are there to see, show's you're there to make a deal.
> 
> I resist dealerships offers to do locates, but using chevrolet.com works well.



Yeah, I've done that before on their site. I'll do it again but my plan is to actually have it special ordered from factory.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

obermd said:


> If you're looking for the best price, find a high volume sales dealership. They tend to have more leeway in their sales prices.


Not always. Got an amazing price on the Toyota from a low-volume dealership. They are more inclined to make the sale than see you walk out the door and buy a car somewhere else. Before rebates, we got the $23.5K I4 SE for $20.5 (WITH taxes, title, fees)...minus a $1000 college grad rebate, minus a $750 loyalty rebate. And free tires for life. By far the _*BEST*_ dealer I have ever dealt with. Her family bought one car from this dealer before, and they want to keep repeat customers more than anything.

My Chevy was bought from a high-volume dealership, and I know I didn't have as much negotiating room with them, but my dad did drive a hard bargain. Took walking away from the dealer to get them down to invoice price with a call from my salesman the next day. 

I actually had a dealer in the same network offer me a price on that same car (hard-to-find 1LT 6M), and I think that tipped off the first dealership, so they called back with a counter-offer.

Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate!


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

Hey _2013cruze_, i saw your comment that I likely won't be able to get a factory ordered cruze for invoice. Somehow I went to respond and it took me to some weird page by accident and now your comment isn't there...

but to respond, why would i not be able to get a factory ordered cruze for invoice? By the car not sitting on the lot (usually a 90 day avg) won't that automatically save the dealership some money? Also depending on when I go to special order it, which could be the start of the summer, they might be more willing to give me a good deal due to the 2014 cruzes getting ready to come in.


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## Hoon (Mar 18, 2012)

Not going to read it all, but ask the dealer for the invoice. If they're credible, they will give you the build sheet with their invoice price right on it. 

The hold back is 3% of MSRP on all Chevy products. 

You should have NO problem getting a cruze for invoice, even if you order it. Below invoice is tough, there really isn't much room in the hold back. If you're at invoice or slightly below you're doing well. $100 below invoice leaves $500 for the dealer...which is about a $200 profit after they pay the sales guy, cover the expenses to detail the car for delivery, etc. 

Unless it's a Fugly car they need to move, it's very difficult to do better than that. 

People don't overpay for cars, they overpay for financing...that's where the money is now. 

I won't explain how F&I really works, but get pre-approved from several banks before you walk in. If the dealership can't beat your lowest rate, tell them to piss off. 

Everything else they try to sell you, like paint and wheel protection, is a complete sham. Over 50% of the price for the "protection" goes right into the dealer's pocket.


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## 2013Cruze (Aug 4, 2012)

Hoon said:


> Not going to read it all, but ask the dealer for the invoice. If they're credible, they will give you the build sheet with their invoice price right on it.
> 
> The hold back is 3% of MSRP on all Chevy products.
> 
> ...


Is getting rustproofing worth the price?


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## Hoon (Mar 18, 2012)

Personally i don't think any of it is worth it on a new car. 

Extended warranties can be worth it if you're buying a used car known for reliability problems, but even then i'd try to talk them down on the warranty price by a large amount. About 50% of the warranty price is profit for the dealer.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

Hoon said:


> Not going to read it all, but ask the dealer for the invoice. If they're credible, they will give you the build sheet with their invoice price right on it.
> 
> The hold back is 3% of MSRP on all Chevy products.
> 
> ...


Thanks and I totally agree with what you said. I have USAA so I'll likely finance the car through them or my bank (wells fargo) or some credit union, which ever gives me the best rate. I don't plan on purchasing anything from F&I except GAP insurance, that other stuff, like you said is purely profit. I will have to watch closely that they havent stuck any extra in there without me knowing about it. If i have to be there all day reading the contract line by line and matching numbers that's what I'll do. 

I've been reading and trying to learn about the big and small tricks that salesmen and the finance departments do at dealerships...a lot of sneaky stuff to watch out for!


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## GS340 (Jan 6, 2013)

check out fightingchance.com


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Starks8 said:


> Thanks and I totally agree with what you said. I have USAA so I'll likely finance the car through them or my bank (wells fargo) or some credit union, which ever gives me the best rate. I don't plan on purchasing anything from F&I except GAP insurance, that other stuff, like you said is purely profit. I will have to watch closely that they havent stuck any extra in there without me knowing about it. If i have to be there all day reading the contract line by line and matching numbers that's what I'll do.
> 
> I've been reading and trying to learn about the big and small tricks that salesmen and the finance departments do at dealerships...a lot of sneaky stuff to watch out for!


Get a financing offer/check from USAA. Your dealership will attempt to get you to use their financing, but I have discovered that as soon as you tell the finance person you have a USAA check they get real competitive on rates.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

obermd said:


> Get a financing offer/check from USAA. Your dealership will attempt to get you to use their financing, but I have discovered that as soon as you tell the finance person you have a USAA check they get real competitive on rates.


Haha yeah, that's what ive heard too. It seems it might be best to finance the car with USAA, my bank or a credit union even if the dealership does match or beat the interest rate just to bypass the sneaky F&I department at the dealership. Would that be a fair assessment? Or would I still in some way have to deal with the F&I department even if I chose not to finance the car through the dealership?

It just seems that avoiding financing through the dealership could save me some headache on having to watch out for stuff being slipped into my contract and stuff being added to increase my price that I didn't agree on or was unaware of. Granted I want GAP insurance and have to do the TT&T numbers with them, but if i could limit it to that, it would be ideal!


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Starks8 said:


> Haha yeah, that's what ive heard too. It seems it might be best to finance the car with USAA, my bank or a credit union even if the dealership does match or beat the interest rate just to bypass the sneaky F&I department at the dealership. Would that be a fair assessment? Or would I still in some way have to deal with the F&I department even if I chose not to finance the car through the dealership?
> 
> It just seems that avoiding financing through the dealership could save me some headache on having to watch out for stuff being slipped into my contract and stuff being added to increase my price that I didn't agree on or was unaware of. Granted I want GAP insurance and have to do the TT&T numbers with them, but if i could limit it to that, it would be ideal!


You'll still have to deal with the dealership's finance person. When you apply for a USAA car loan you can add Gap insurance while you're applying, so that's not an issue. I have financed 5 cars through USAA over the years and the paperwork is easy to do. After you select the vehicle, the dealership will fill in the VIN on the paperwork and submit the check to USAA. USAA will go 10% over the approved amount to cover taxes and initial titling fees. One tip, however - don't use IE when doing the USAA paperwork as Adobe refuses to properly support PDF downloads in IE. It's also a lot easier to get the GM/USAA $750 discount when you have a USAA check with you.

Take a look at USAA's car buying service and price your car there. Print this out as well. This should be the absolute maximum you should pay before any incentives and discounts. If you're trading, keep that a seperate transaction. Some states will reduce the "sales tax" purchase by subtracting the trade in before computing sales tax. Also, make sure you know what your sales tax rate is and if it is charged at the dealership's location or at your home address. There can be significant differences between the two.

Regardless of how you pay for your new car, you still need to go over the dealership's numbers with a fine tooth comb. Take a calculator with you to ensure there are no errors on the paperwork. If you decide to special order a car, be prepared to put a major down payment on the order. I put $2,000 down on my Montana. The flip side by doing this is that when it comes in no one else can test drive it.


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

Unfortunately, I don't think I got mine for as good as I could have, but I didn't do too bad. The supplier discount isn't as great as I'd like though. Considering I made them trade for the exact car I wanted, I'm happy.

I'm actually financed through Wells Fargo Dealer Services, and they offered me a much better rate than my credit union could do.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

obermd said:


> You'll still have to deal with the dealership's finance person. When you apply for a USAA car loan you can add Gap insurance while you're applying, so that's not an issue. I have financed 5 cars through USAA over the years and the paperwork is easy to do. After you select the vehicle, the dealership will fill in the VIN on the paperwork and submit the check to USAA. USAA will go 10% over the approved amount to cover taxes and initial titling fees. One tip, however - don't use IE when doing the USAA paperwork as Adobe refuses to properly support PDF downloads in IE. It's also a lot easier to get the GM/USAA $750 discount when you have a USAA check with you.
> 
> Take a look at USAA's car buying service and price your car there. Print this out as well. This should be the absolute maximum you should pay before any incentives and discounts. If you're trading, keep that a seperate transaction. Some states will reduce the "sales tax" purchase by subtracting the trade in before computing sales tax. Also, make sure you know what your sales tax rate is and if it is charged at the dealership's location or at your home address. There can be significant differences between the two.
> 
> Regardless of how you pay for your new car, you still need to go over the dealership's numbers with a fine tooth comb. Take a calculator with you to ensure there are no errors on the paperwork. If you decide to special order a car, be prepared to put a major down payment on the order. I put $2,000 down on my Montana. The flip side by doing this is that when it comes in no one else can test drive it.


Thanks for your response. Not to seem stupid but what exactly is IE? What do you mean a USAA check? It it something that is mailed/emailed to me and then I bring it to the dealership if I do indeed decide to finance through USAA? 

Also if financing through USAA, my bank, or a credit union, will that void any cash rebates that I could get from the dealership? 

Yeah, I certainly don't want anyone else driving my car and that's why im going through all the trouble of having it special ordered, along with that fact its really hard to find what i want on the lots. But do i really need to put down a huge down payment like that? Would $100-500 not be enough? If I order the car, and do all the paperwork and they know its mine would they really let someone else test drive it? Or are you saying if i haven't signed anything yet and just have them order it from factory and after it came in, i then decided to buy it, that i run the possibility of someone else test driving it?


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Starks8 said:


> Thanks for your response. Not to seem stupid but what exactly is IE? What do you mean a USAA check? It it something that is mailed/emailed to me and then I bring it to the dealership if I do indeed decide to finance through USAA?
> 
> Also if financing through USAA, my bank, or a credit union, will that void any cash rebates that I could get from the dealership?
> 
> Yeah, I certainly don't want anyone else driving my car and that's why im going through all the trouble of having it special ordered, along with that fact its really hard to find what i want on the lots. But do i really need to put down a huge down payment like that? Would $100-500 not be enough? If I order the car, and do all the paperwork and they know its mine would they really let someone else test drive it? Or are you saying if i haven't signed anything yet and just have them order it from factory and after it came in, i then decided to buy it, that i run the possibility of someone else test driving it?


IE is Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

I assumed from your earlier post that you are a USAA member. If not, I'm not sure you can get financed through USAA. The USAA check is a "blank" check that USAA allows you to download after being approved for a car loan. There is no penalty on GM and dealership incentives except if they specify financing through GM Financing.

Your down payment for a special order is going to depend on a credit check, the purchase price of the car, and the dealership (not necessarily in that order). The down payment is the only way to guarantee that no one else test drives your new car. The only reason I would consider a special order is if you're trying to get a rare set of options. I ordered my Montana this way because it was the only way I could get the options and colors I wanted. You won't have nearly the price negotiation latitude on a special order.


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## 2013Cruze (Aug 4, 2012)

Starks8 said:


> Thanks for your response. Not to seem stupid but what exactly is IE? What do you mean a USAA check? It it something that is mailed/emailed to me and then I bring it to the dealership if I do indeed decide to finance through USAA?
> 
> Also if financing through USAA, my bank, or a credit union, will that void any cash rebates that I could get from the dealership?
> 
> Yeah, I certainly don't want anyone else driving my car and that's why im going through all the trouble of having it special ordered, along with that fact its really hard to find what i want on the lots. But do i really need to put down a huge down payment like that? Would $100-500 not be enough? If I order the car, and do all the paperwork and they know its mine would they really let someone else test drive it? Or are you saying if i haven't signed anything yet and just have them order it from factory and after it came in, i then decided to buy it, that i run the possibility of someone else test driving it?


When a dealer order's a car for a customer they order the car as sold so it doesn't go against what they are allowed to order from GM. So that's why most dealers want at least 500 hundred to a $1000.00 deposit.


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## 2013Cruze (Aug 4, 2012)

If you look at the one pic in my garage if you see the sticker on the drivers side front door it says sold in big black bold Letters. It comes off the transport truck that way. Sold stickers on both front doors.


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## 2013Cruze (Aug 4, 2012)

I added a pic to my garage that shows a close up of the sold sticker on the passenger front door.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

obermd said:


> IE is Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
> 
> I assumed from your earlier post that you are a USAA member. If not, I'm not sure you can get financed through USAA. The USAA check is a "blank" check that USAA allows you to download after being approved for a car loan. There is no penalty on GM and dealership incentives except if they specify financing through GM Financing.
> 
> Your down payment for a special order is going to depend on a credit check, the purchase price of the car, and the dealership (not necessarily in that order). The down payment is the only way to guarantee that no one else test drives your new car. The only reason I would consider a special order is if you're trying to get a rare set of options. I ordered my Montana this way because it was the only way I could get the options and colors I wanted. You won't have nearly the price negotiation latitude on a special order.


Oh okay, duh, of course, lol!

Yes, I am a USAA member I just didn't know how the process with the check goes because I've never purchased a brand new car before. All my cars have been purchased from a private seller, so things are a lot different, lol. It would be great to get a good APR rate from USAA and still be able to take advantage of GM/Dealership incentives but i guess i'll find out when the time gets here, lol. 

Well I certainly hope I wont have to throw down a $1000 deposit but if I have to, I guess i will. I heard its best to do it with a credit card just in case there is some trouble getting it back or it isnt applied to the car price once you take ownership of the car. So if i do a deposit, i make sure to charge it to my usaa credit card, lol! 

Yes, a reason i am special ordering my cruze is because I pretty much want all the tech and safety options along with the rs package and for it to be summit white with the light cloth interior. There are some cruzes locally that are a near match to what i want but not a 100% match and so i will be special ordering it. I also want to have it ordered to insure i was the only one who has driven it and to avoid the dealership from detailing it , adding pin stripping, or adding their dealer logo, etc. Any of that will void me buying the car but of course I will tell them that so they know ahead of time.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Visited eight different Chevy dealers within a 30 mile radius of my home, all quoted prices were within a couple of hundred dollars. No only for quotes, wanted to see what they had in stock and also to become more familiar with the car and look over their service facilities and even chat with their service manager to judge their intelligence.

Narrowed it down to two, but when you walk in the door appoint a salesman to you, really didn't like the one a good dealer appointed to me and was stuck with him. Didn't know crap about the Cruze, got into small arguments on what was included and had to listen to his personal problems. I am not your therapist.

In regards to invoice pricing, the one dealer in town has to $150,000 per year in just property taxes and that doesn't include other forms of overhead with lies like we are only making a hundred bucks on selling you this car. Another key person at the dealerships is that accountant that fills out all those forms.

Not saying its easy to be a salesman, here in winter time, have to clean off all the snow from the cars in the lot, get a minimum paycheck, key income is commission. Can make extra good money by selling you OnStar, XM, extended warranty, body, and interior protection, 50% profit for them. Roger, my salesman was good at that, just replied, Roger, if I was an idiot, would be scared to death to drive that Cruze out of the parking lot without those plans. You know as well as I do, they are worthless. He just replied, he is obligated to offer them.

Factory rebates are the only way to get a better deal, not easy with the Cruze, its a hot selling car right now with the high price of gas. They are regional, all this is available on the GM card earnings site. Could have saved a thousand bucks, but would require to fly across the country and had to drive it back at a cost of over a thousand.

Back in the old days, was 30% off the base price of the vehicle and 50% of accessories. A rear view mirror was an accessory. Japanese changed all that by including the most popular accessories in the base price of the vehicle. US companies had to do the same.

But still playing games like carpeted floor mats, far more expensive than rubber ones, but that extra price tag for rubber ones. Or the lack of splash shields you have to have to save stone chips on your front door or rear bumper. Still dealing with marketing idiots.

Other means to earn a living off of you to have esoteric codes for reading information that is already there in your vehicle in case of a problem. Surprised us Americans aren't make an issue out of this. But if you have the electronic knowhow, can work around this.

With the clunker program, a disaster, with my old GM card, was cheaper to buy new than used, really getting robbed today on buying parts, even if you can do the work yourself. Wasn't that way for buying a new 57 Chevy with tons of chrome on it for around $2,500 bucks. Can tell you with all the automation and even with inflation, cheaper to build a new car today. One key factor in this, is our wonderful government, blame them for the high cost of cars.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Starks8 said:


> Oh okay, duh, of course, lol!
> 
> Yes, I am a USAA member I just didn't know how the process with the check goes because I've never purchased a brand new car before. All my cars have been purchased from a private seller, so things are a lot different, lol. It would be great to get a good APR rate from USAA and still be able to take advantage of GM/Dealership incentives but i guess i'll find out when the time gets here, lol.
> 
> ...


Do the financing on-line at www.usaa.com. If you have them directly deduct the payment you'll get a quarter percent drop in your interest rate. I agree on using the credit card for the down payment so if there is a problem you have some recourse. You're going to pay for the the dealership to detail the car as part of their prep, so let them do it, but unless you ask they won't pinstripe it. I agree on the dealer logo - most are Ugly and Obnoxious. Get the no dealer logo in writing. They may ask to put their license plate holder on the car - let them as you can easily remove it later and you'll have a free license plate edge protector to prevent your tags from being damaged by ice. I did this in lieu of a dealership sticker. When you pick it up go over the car with a fine tooth comb. Shipping damage does occasionally occur and the dealership should have found and fixed any as part of the detailing. If you order items like fog lamps and mud flaps, the dealership will install those as part of delivery prep as they are listed as dealer installed. Make sure they are tight and don't wiggle.

It's going to take a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks for your car to arrive. Some other members here have ordered a Cruze this way and can give you a better estimate.


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## yourdoinitwrong (Aug 7, 2011)

You obviously have done your due diligence for purchasing a new car which is definitely a good start. I will begin by saying that I'm a finance manager at a Chevy dealership so you know where I'm coming from......and not all of us are sneaky! :th_coolio:

As others have said before, trying to get into holdback won't be worth the effort and usually only works on a unit the dealer has had for quite some time. Even then $100 is about the most they will give up. Holdback on Chevrolets is 3% of the MSRP minus destination.

The Cruze is a volume vehicle and a dealer should not have a problem selling you an ordered unit at invoice. Simply ask to see it to verify that you are getting it at that price. There is a line toward the bottom right of the invoice that says "PAY 310" with a number after it, that is the dealer invoice amount. If a dealer won't show you the invoice then you are probably better off shopping elsewhere.

I have had several customers get their own money from USAA which has very competitive rates. Sometimes they beat my rate, sometimes I beat theirs. Find out your rate through USAA using an example vehicle that is similar to what you will be purchasing and let the dealership know that they have to beat that to get your finance business. That happens quite a bit and no one should be offended by it. There is a lot more to it than just credit score but a lot of national lenders have extremely low rates. I have gotten several customers a 1% rate, though that is the exception rather than the rule.

When going over the paperwork/numbers keep in mind that by law all charges should be itemized on the Buyer's Order making it easy to see all fees, charges, etc. Go line by line to make sure you understand each number. Contrary to what many people think, the finance department is not always out to "get" a customer. Of course we exist to make a profit but that can be done very easily without doing anything shady. I try to treat everyone sitting across my desk as if they were my relative buying a car. I have to sleep at night and a job is not worth compromising my integrity. This business is very competitive and I realize that our customers have many other choices of where to purchase the exact same vehicle.

All of that being said, find a dealer that makes you comfortable and is up-front with any information that you request. If you are not at ease at a particular dealer, look until you are. I guarantee there are dealers out there that will appreciate your business and will treat you accordingly.


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## rac3850` (Jan 11, 2013)

Starks8 said:


> Hey _2013cruze_, i saw your comment that I likely won't be able to get a factory ordered cruze for invoice. Somehow I went to respond and it took me to some weird page by accident and now your comment isn't there...
> 
> but to respond, why would i not be able to get a factory ordered cruze for invoice? By the car not sitting on the lot (usually a 90 day avg) won't that automatically save the dealership some money? Also depending on when I go to special order it, which could be the start of the summer, they might be more willing to give me a good deal due to the 2014 cruzes getting ready to come in.


There is a saying in the business that goes something like "nothing increases sales like the pressure of inventory." Dealers want to move what they have on hand in order to avoid paying even more floor plan on the vehicle. 

A couple of other points, hopefully the average on lot time for a good selling car like the Cruze is about 30 - 40 days at a larger dealership. The often quoted "90 day" days supply for domestic brands includes their thousands of smaller, rural dealerships with lower inventory turns and relatively high inventory to sales rates --their large metro dealers do not typically have that long of a days supply.. Foreign brands don't have the small rural dealerships that the domestics do, so you won't see as high a days supply quoted for them, which is also why the foreign vs. domestic days supply number comparisons are like comparing apples to oranges. 

If you wait til early summer to order a 2013 Cruze, there is a chance you may not get to order one. It all depends on when the factory takes final build out orders for the model year. If its a normal schedule, build out orders may close sometime in May. Also, some colors and options can be quite hard to get in buildout periods.

And finally, if you are seeking a car at invoice, inclusive of taxes and licensing fees, before rebates and incentives, then you will probably be seeking such a deal well into your senior years. In my state, sales tax is 6%, that alone would blow well past the dealer's holdback and put him/her into a disastrous loss for the car. If you mean your net net price, after rebates and incentives, then you might be able to get there. By the way, purchase price is just a number on a sales agreement, the real deal is the total economic value of the selling price and financing method. Often, the financing incentives are worth more than the cash rebate. I got my Cruze for 0% for 60 months with nothing down, that is conservatively worth about $2,000, give or take (either interest cost or opportunity cost of paying cash). The cash rebate was only $1,000.


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## PureEnergi (Aug 22, 2012)

there is VERY little markup on a chevy product. Its a tough market. And what Hoon says above is true, I would never buy anything in f+i now that i know the game. Shop rates at your credit union/banks etc... know the numbers and DONT tell the salesguy or sales manager when he starts on you what you are getting for a rate. Let them sweat...they get kickbacks from the banks on how many deals they can finance thru said banks they deal with. Sometimes they get you better numbers.. sometimes they dont but they will CERTAINLY try to make coin off you. The business is actually to make money and if the f+i guy is on his game, he will. Selling Chevy taught me a harsh lesson. Ill never sell a domestic brand again. Its just not worth the trouble. be happy if you get to invoice, there isnt much left over.


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## Nikon1234 (Nov 25, 2012)

Hi. Starks8:

I just bought a 2012 cruze eco mt with no options on 29Dec2012 at Austin, TX. I paid 18.6k total. I got it totally financed from Dealer with 24 months 1.1% rate. After I came to home, I found out that there is a promotion from Costco, it is $500. So finally I paid 18.6K + $200 (1.1% interests in 24 months) - $500 (Costco promotion).

Dan


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## Nikon1234 (Nov 25, 2012)

PS. I used 3 dealers at Austin area and went with the cheapest one. It was towards the end of the year and I did not want any options with the car.

Dan


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

Nikon1234 said:


> Hi. Starks8:
> 
> I just bought a 2012 cruze eco mt with no options on 29Dec2012 at Austin, TX. I paid 18.6k total. I got it totally financed from Dealer with 24 months 1.1% rate. After I came to home, I found out that there is a promotion from Costco, it is $500. So finally I paid 18.6K + $200 (1.1% interests in 24 months) - $500 (Costco promotion).
> 
> Dan


So im guess you have to be a Costco member to get that $500 promotion?


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

obermd said:


> Do the financing on-line at www.usaa.com. If you have them directly deduct the payment you'll get a quarter percent drop in your interest rate. I agree on using the credit card for the down payment so if there is a problem you have some recourse. You're going to pay for the the dealership to detail the car as part of their prep, so let them do it, but unless you ask they won't pinstripe it. I agree on the dealer logo - most are Ugly and Obnoxious. Get the no dealer logo in writing. They may ask to put their license plate holder on the car - let them as you can easily remove it later and you'll have a free license plate edge protector to prevent your tags from being damaged by ice. I did this in lieu of a dealership sticker. When you pick it up go over the car with a fine tooth comb. Shipping damage does occasionally occur and the dealership should have found and fixed any as part of the detailing. If you order items like fog lamps and mud flaps, the dealership will install those as part of delivery prep as they are listed as dealer installed. Make sure they are tight and don't wiggle.
> 
> It's going to take a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks for your car to arrive. Some other members here have ordered a Cruze this way and can give you a better estimate.


Most manufacturers pay dealers to remove the coatings and coverings that protect the vehicle during shipment and to clean up the car for you, so there's no justification for me to pay the dealer again for this service, especially if I ask for them not to detail it in fear that they will possibly put unwanted scratches and marring to the paint. 

I know how to take window stickers and protective coverings off a car and I personally desire to detail my own car properly once I get it home, so politely asking them not to do it and getting it in writing hopefully won't be a problem? Obviously I know they have to look over both the interior and exterior for damage or imperfections from delivery/factory and do things like check fluid levels and put gas in it but I really don't want to take the chance that some young punk who doesn't give a crap about my car will mess it up during the PDI or detailing process. 

Plus I really desire to keep as much of the interior protective plastics on the car (i.e. seat plastics, floor plastics, steering wheel, touch screen protective plastic) until I get it safely home to put the seat covers/floor mats, steering wheel cover etc in and out of the messy/greasy hands of the service department crew.

Sorry, I'm really not trying to sound like a jerk. I'm just particular and OCD about certain things and getting a new car happens to be one of them, lol!


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## 2013Cruze (Aug 4, 2012)

I didn't even let my dealer PDI my 2013 Cruze LTZ RS without me there. I told my salemen when I order my Cruze if any covering were took off the car without me present I would not take delivery of the car even if it cost me my deposit...


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## 2013Cruze (Aug 4, 2012)

The pics in my garage are right after it was taken off the transport truck.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

2013Cruze said:


> I didn't even let my dealer PDI my 2013 Cruze LTZ RS without me there. I told my salemen when I order my Cruze if any covering were took off the car without me present I would not take delivery of the car even if it cost me my deposit...


Nice, lol! I will now be doing the same thing my friend, haha! What did our dealer say? what was his reaction? Did you watch them perform the PDI? What all did they do or not do during the PDI?


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## 2013Cruze (Aug 4, 2012)

Starks8 said:


> Nice, lol! I will now be doing the same thing my friend, haha! What did our dealer say? what was his reaction? Did you watch them perform the PDI? What all did they do or not do during the PDI?


My salesmen already new I did the same thing with my Cobalt and my 2012 Cruze LTZ I just remind him just to make sure he knows that's still what I'm going to do. My wife's 2013 Cruze LTZ RS just got delivered today I'm going to be doing the same with her car this Thursday. With the PDI just checking the fluids and for the test drive the only thing I let them do is a ride with me to get gas in the car.


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## DrVette (Dec 6, 2011)

I got my ECO mt 10 mo. ago for $20,388 OTD.

Nearest quoye was $1500 more.

How?
I emailed Every dealer within 50 mi.

Your Q. is a secret.


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