New buyer tips for Ram searching and buying

[calvinjns]

Sorry in advance if this is getting posted in the incorrect forum. I just joined yesterday and I've been reading alot of the previous pages on how to get the best deals and incentives. I'm pretty new to the "Serious haggling" of truck shopping so some of the terms that is used here I am not familiar with such as ( Hold Backs, dealer discount vs rebates, MSRP vs invoice price, TTL, etc) I'm looking to get a new truck soon seeing as my family has grown and I have out grown my older car. If someone has time and could give me a breakdown of what certain things means and what I should look and ask for when getting a truck (what fees should I pay and which ones shouldnt I pay, what wuesto ask to get true price and best deal, how much should I try to get in dealer discount and how much I'm rebates, etc) that would be very helpful. Thanks again in advance.

 

[chrisnack]

I’ll just say I’ve bought and sold a lot of vehicles, more than most people will ever in a lifetime. I have a problem, I’ll admit it.

Rebates change monthly. Dealer discounts do as well but also have to do with the model and how long it’s been on the lot. Invoice price is mostly irrelevant as most vehicles will sell below that and the dealer will tell you they are losing money which they are not. They get kickbacks and things from the manufacturer.

if you want the best deal you need to be willing to walk away, that’s the most powerful tactic you can use, you will often get the best deal as you are leaving or they will call you back in. If you are there they have you.

Regarding RAM, they are some of the most heavily discounted vehicles I’ve ever seen. In my search for my Limited with a MSRP if $66k, I created an excel sheet to track all models within 150 miles. The average discounted price was $52k for a an average discount and rebates of $14k. Rebels for example won’t be discounted as much because they are super popular. If you want to lease they won’t be discounted as much either and the rebates are slightly different as well.

With the unprecedented times right now you should be able to get a hell of a deal right now as people aren’t buying vehicles.
Do your research and check other dealers as often you will find better deals in larger metropolitan areas as the competition is stiffer. Don’t rush into it and don’t be afraid to walk away and think about it for a day. Unless it’s the last day of the month, the deal will still be there tomorrow.