Don't go to the dealers...e-mail is your friend. Spec out the car you want and then use the dealer's internet buying department...they all have one now. Negotiate the final price, not the payments, via email and have the deal done before you step foot in a dealership. Make sure the dealership knows you will walk if the deal isn't exactly the same as the one negotiated via email. This will make your car buying experience far less painful and allow you to find the best deal.

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Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.

I work for a car manufacturer. Basically whatever car they put on special pricing for us employees is what I pick. So to answer you question about 2 minutes.

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

That's a great idea, but I'd still have to haggle on the price of my car and the payment, etc.

I'm going in on Saturday to test drive a car, I'll just walk out and then haggle via email like you said. I hate sitting in the dealers. "Let me go check with my manager." Watch this bitch walk out the door.

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"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." Jimi Hendrix

Exactly. Once they have you trapped there, they have all the power. Test drive the car, determine exactly what options you want, and then go home and figure out what the wholesale cost is for the car (all sorts of websites will help you with that). Then email the dealers knowing what the price should be close to (wholesale). I would also line up my own financing if possible.

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Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.

Also, there are some organizations or companies that can get you some good deals if you go through them online such as Costco or a Credit Union.

Also, test drive the car to make sure the make and model feels right. Last time I bought a car I was sure of what car I was going to get until I test drove it.

What model Mazda?

The price will tend to be the same, until you're there. If you can, go to the dealer where you got your last one, and where you serviced the car.

Ask about loyalty rebates, if you're staying with the brand. They don't have the power when you're there, that's false. Unless they duct tape you to a chair, and beat you with a bar of soap in a towel. I haven't checked to see if President Trump has made that legal yet, doubt it, you're a grown up, you can leave.

If you do try multiple dealers, go for the one that is reputed to be the low-cost option, then take that offer to the dealer that you WANT to buy from...they'll likely match it, better if they're part of a dealer group and not a single-point franchise...

Check prices for off lease - 2 year old model. Payments, figure that out with local credit union - pass on dealer provided financing
Why do you need to buy new?

That is always a good idea, but I haven't seen a good deal on a slightly used car in the past 20 years.

I will answer for the LR: Too much.

As threads here indicate, any buying decision is carefully researched. Most denizens here formerly resided in tri forum (some still do) where a bicycle cannot be bought until a wind tunnel is rented and a white paper is written.

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

I wouldn't say that in my experience. And being willing to drive an hour saved me an additional $1500. One thing I noticed with the last car I bought was that the different levels/options tended to flatten out. I got a fully loaded Camry. It was essentially the same price as base levels and less than new price for a Corolla. Being able to shop used cars via the internet has really helped when looking for a better price.

Granted this was years ago, but don't assume every dealer will give you the same price. When we bought our last new car in Columbus, the exact car we wanted was sitting at a facility in Cleveland. Both dealers were going to have to drive up and get it. There was over $2k difference in price between dealers 10 minutes from each other

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

You aren't looking in the right places (or you idea of a "good deal on a slightly used car" much different than mine.

I bought a 2015 Mazda CX-5 in April of 2015. It was a program car. List was $31,000. I paid $23,000 for a car that was 3 months old and had 9,000 miles on it. Looked like new, had all the warranties, etc. I would consider that a reasonably good deal on a slightly used car.

I bought a Mazda MX-5 GT brand new in 2015 at lunch a few months later. I didn't even drive the car. I pick the one I wanted, signed the paperwork, and came back 45 minutes later and drove it away, after figuring out how the top went down.

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"...the street finds its own uses for things"