Buying a new car: what will the tax, title, license, registration cost?

irvinesinglemom_IHB

irvinesinglemom_IHB

New member
I'm soliciting quotes from dealerships but they're only giving me the price for the car. I plan on walking in with a money order made out to the dealership; you take this check, my Volvo trade-in, and I take the car. So I'm going to get a Kelley Blue Book estimate for my trade-in, a CarsDirect.com quote for the new car, and all I need to complete the equation is all the extra stuff that gets tacked on.



This way, there will be no negotiation. If they want to reject my cash, then I'll walk out.



So any advice? How do I figure out all these other numbers?



THanks!
 
I have always been told a good estimate is to add 10% to the sales price and thats a good estimate for the out the door price.



Before I bought my last car, if I asked for the out the door price, they would give me a breakdown and the final price. This was all done via email.



Keep in mind they will also try to squeeze you on the trade in as well.



I also read this forum alot:



http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.ee9e22f/



For every model they have a "prices paid and buying experience" thread. So hopefully, someone bought your model in SoCal recently that you can use as a comp.
 
I just found <a href="https://mv.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculatorWeb/newVehicleForm.do">the calculator</a> I was looking for and your 10% was pretty darn closed:



The trade-in cost issue is exactly why I plan on doing it this way - walking in with a pre-filled money order. They can charge me whatever they want to for the new car and pay me whatever they want for the trade-in, as long as it adds up to my check amount!



Thanks for the link. I'll check it out but doubt too many people will have posted since my car is a newly-introduced model for 2009.
 
<a href="https://mv.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculatorWeb/newVehicleForm.do">Start here.</a>



Your tactic is a good one. You may also want to consider giving them an aggressive time limit so they don't pull any waiting games with you.



You didn't ask, so maybe you already have the info, but to price your offer well it helps to know exactly what the dealership's costs are. <a href="http://www.fightingchance.com/">Fighting Chance</a> was well worth the cost for a buddy of mine. I only hope it's just as relevant considering how fast prices are changing in the industry now.
 
there is a small tire fee too, in addition to the dmv fees



you might go in with the carmax offer for your old car, to shore up your argument.



good luck
 
[quote author="24inIrvine" date=1234074285]I have always been told a good estimate is to add 10% to the sales price and thats a good estimate for the out the door price.



Before I bought my last car, if I asked for the out the door price, they would give me a breakdown and the final price. This was all done via email.



Keep in mind they will also try to squeeze you on the trade in as well.



I also read this forum alot:



http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.ee9e22f/



For every model they have a "prices paid and buying experience" thread. So hopefully, someone bought your model in SoCal recently that you can use as a comp.</blockquote>


QFT...This is great advice, I used both the "prices paid" forums and their "email for price quotes" option on Edumuds.com extensively before purchasing both my cars, and feel like I got great deals on both the new cars and the trade-ins. The prices paid and buying experience forums are like the IHB for cars. Do the negotiating over email with the internet sales department --- will save you all sorts of time and frustration, and get you a better price.
 
Definitely do the e-mail and internet thing to play one dealership against another. Bring your final best quote from one dealership to another. I did that and they called the other dealership to verify. I still ended up walking to my car, getting in and starting it before two salesmen ran out to my car and banged on the window. It's funny how all of that was over $300, but that little walk saved me $300. They also pulled the $600 for an alarm during the actual signing of the papers which somehow wasn't included in their "out the door" price, so I told them to take it out, which they never did.
 
Not sure if you'd do this, but you can buy a car from a private party and get it registered in Nevada without having to pay the sales transfer tax. Of course, you couldn't transfer the car back to CA until at least a year has passed or CA will hit you with the sales transfer tax.
 
ISM,



Depending on what kind of car you are buying, make sure you consider the amount of dealer holdbacks. MB has 4.5%, and I THINK BMW is similar. Lexus has 3 to 4% too I believe. Those holder backs are profits to the owner of the dealership directly from the car makers. I bought / leased many cars (buy none from big 3), and that amount was never in play until my last purchase which was six weeks ago. if you want to be aggressive, write a check to include all incentives, then minus the dealer holdbacks. It will be extremely rare for a dealer to sell you a car at a true net lose.



In terms of your used car, you should go to carmax to get an estimate. This way, you will at least have a good idea. For me, Carmax has been consistently offering the highest price among all trader - in.



I am not sure you will get the best price by combining your purchase with a trade -in. I highly suggest you to dump your used car with Carmax or sell on your own. One way to do this is to first get a estimate from carmax, then walk into a dealer and get an tradein estimate. This way you are relatively sure of the highest price you might get for your car. If carmax offers you more, you should dump it with carmax, then go for the kill at the dealer just on the new car price. Unless your trade in is under 50,000 miles, all dealers will call around volvo dealers to get bids. Your will likely get very similar bids for your trade-in from different dealers. Carmax usually sell within their network of dealers instead of going to auctions, therefore they are more likely to give you the best price. That being said, there are always exceptions.



If you are considering a MB, or BMW, or Toyota, IM me, and I can tell you which area internet department offers the best price by my experiences.
 
[quote author="usctrojanman29" date=1234094071]Not sure if you'd do this, but you can buy a car from a private party and get it registered in Nevada without having to pay the sales transfer tax. Of course, you couldn't transfer the car back to CA until at least a year has passed or CA will hit you with the sales transfer tax.</blockquote>


This is a very bad idea. You will be exposing your self for potential insurance claim denials. Unless you have no assets, i will never recommend anyone to go this route.
 
[quote author="irvine123" date=1234096284][quote author="usctrojanman29" date=1234094071]Not sure if you'd do this, but you can buy a car from a private party and get it registered in Nevada without having to pay the sales transfer tax. Of course, you couldn't transfer the car back to CA until at least a year has passed or CA will hit you with the sales transfer tax.</blockquote>


This is a very bad idea. You will be exposing your self for potential insurance claim denials. Unless you have no assets, i will never recommend anyone to go this route.</blockquote>
How so? The insurance company never asks you where the car is registered or for your registration. Just make sure you provide them your correct address where you work and you should be fine. My understanding is that insurance rates are based upon the location of where the car is stored, the person's driving record, the coverage levels, and the type of car you are insuring. To do what I suggested, you do need a physical mailing address of where the Nevada DMV needs to send you your registration.
 
I'll agree with whoever mentioned Carmax above. While they do not always offer you the best deal. Its always nice that in an hour they will tell you how much they would give you in cash and that price is valid for a week.



This pretty much guarantees the dealer will at least give you that amount. Just don't tell the dealer you have that carmax price ahead of time, cause no matter what they will just offer you what Carmax offered when maybe they would have gave you more. now if they do give you lower, then just tell them about Carmax's price :)
 
[quote author="irvinesinglemom" date=1234073640]I'm soliciting quotes from dealerships but they're only giving me the price for the car. I plan on walking in with a money order made out to the dealership; you take this check, my Volvo trade-in, and I take the car. So I'm going to get a Kelley Blue Book estimate for my trade-in, a CarsDirect.com quote for the new car, and all I need to complete the equation is all the extra stuff that gets tacked on.



This way, there will be no negotiation. If they want to reject my cash, then I'll walk out.



So any advice? How do I figure out all these other numbers?



THanks!</blockquote>


<strong>You may want to skip the negotiations, but car salespeople dont know how</strong>. Birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim, <u>salespeople gotta negotiate</u>. While doing your homework on your trade-ins value is a good idea, don't waste your time with the rest of it. If the dealer really wants to sell you a car, they will mark your trade-in to whatever makes the deal work. We got $12k for a Camry that was Kelly'd @ $9k, and they lowered the cash amount to cover the taxes, license, and fees. We weren't paying more than $8k in cash, we didn't pay more than $8k in cash, and we drove off the lot in our new $22k (sticker) car.



Now, it helps if you can take one off the lot, and will accept a new '08 versus a new '09. I know you want to skip the negotiation, but really... the only people who negotiate are those who stick around when the deal isn't what they want. The salesman will ask for your keys to inspect the trade-in; what they are actually doing is running the VIN and checking the Title, as well as giving it a cursory inspection. When the salesman walks off to go "present the offer to his manager", <em>follow him </em>and (be pushy, if need be) talk to the manager directly. When they reject your offer, demand your keys and your vehicle. Salesman *have* to negotiate, it's in their DNA, so they will try and counter your offer while getting your car. Typically, it takes 20 minutes to drive your car around the building so they have time to counter your offer and try to feel you out. Stick to your price, but make sure you remind them frequently that <em>you are ready to buy the car right now if they will meet your price</em>... that phrase is kryptonite to sales managers because they have a physical quota to meet every month. Once you see your car out front, if you don't have a deal, get your keys and head for your car. If it's at all possible for them to meet your cash price, they will get to you before you get off the lot.
 
Thanks everybody for all your insight. I will definitely go to Carmax to do more due diligence on reasonable trade-in values on my old clunker. My problem is the car that I really, truly want to buy isn't available in a 2008 model......or a 2009 model! It's only a 2010 model. (Can you BELIEVE that?!!!!). It's the new <a href="http://www.volvocars.com/us/Pages/tour.aspx">Volvo XC60</a>.



I have been trying to convince myself to be interested in other cars. My first ever car was a new Tercel (and the one after that was a Corolla) before I bought the car I currently drive. So I am partial to Toyotas and Volvos. So the problem is that I really have my heart set on a crossover vehicle. Just love the looks and the size. So Toyota has a new crossover for 2009, the <a href="http://www.toyota.com/venza/">Venza</a>, and I had basically convinced myself to settle for the Venza rather than waiting for the XC60 (Volvo doesn't even have any XC60s for sale yet; a few more months to wait). Even fully loaded with navigation, rear-seat DVD, etc., the Venza is cheaper. And my son and I test drove a Venza a few weeks ago and we both really liked it. (I still haven't seen an XC60 live in person yet. They have been having "launch parties" but my schedule hasn't allowed me to attend one yet). So I'm sure I'd be happy with a Venza.



But last night I did the math and realized I could get a base-model XC60 with no bells and whistles for just a couple thou more than a loaded Venza (and a lot of the extras in the Venza are standard in the Volvo). And if it's what I really want....



Well, I'm still undecided. I'm signed up to go to the launch party in Ontario next week, and maybe once I actually see and drive the XC60, I'll be more decisive. In the meantime, keep the advice coming! I want to do all my homework on every aspect of this purchase so I have no regrets.



Thanks!
 
[quote author="effenheimer" date=1234078800]10% over the purchase price is pretty darn close. I've purchased way too many cars in my life...</blockquote>


You're right eff, I was gonna say 11% but....



I was following a black Enza from LAX a couple of weeks ago, the first one I've seen and I remember thinking what a lovely looking ride it is...
 
If you haven't done it yet... i did my work over the internet. I went in and drove a few cars then email the salesman back and forth over the course of a week. We finally agreed on a price and I came in for paperwork only. So.much.easier. Did a pay a little extra, maybe, but i'm completely satisfied with the experience and it is worth a little extra for me.

-bix
 
If you are going for a Toyota, Longo Toyota (in El Monte) has an "Internet Sales Team" that beat other dealers in the area. At least when I was looking for a Toyota.
 
I took today off work (I seriously despise the saccharin crap that goes on in the office every year for Valentine's Day and I wanted nothing to do with it today) and I have spent much of last night and the day today emailing and talking on the phone with a handful of dealerships. I was literally in my car about to get onto the 5 to drive down to El Cajon (!!!) when I finally did a deal with Tustin Toyota that I am extremely pleased with. So I have an appointment at 4pm to complete the deal. I'll post again tonight and let you know how things went. They had better not try to back out of the deal we have agreed to via email! If they do you can bet I'm gonna give them a good old-fashioned IHB bashing, complete with "tell your friends to tell your friends" guerilla marketing. Same is true if they do right by me, of course.
 
I bought two toyotas during the past five years. Tustin Toyota was the least competitive both cases. Things might have changed given the current market condition. The internet departement of Toyota of RSM ( owned by penske) has been quoting me the lowest price.



Also check the tires on the car you want. Many times, same models and options on Toyotas will have different tires on them. Pick the one has the Michelin tires.
 
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