[getchoo]

It's not really news that I'm in the market for my first car but now it's really getting to the point that I will be buying a car anywhere from a week to 2 or 3 months. Now I've been searching for a long time and I've come across a few cars that are really what I want but they're all out of state with the exception of one (the Mustang which I came close to buying back in January). One is in the San Francisco Bay Area (not too far from Phoenix in comparison to the others), another is in Michigan, one in Kansas, one in New Jersey, one in Chicago and one in Ohio (that's the one I really want). And being that I've never bought a car before let alone one out of state I need a little bit of advice.

My dad called the dealer in Ohio today and the both of us are going to call them again tomorrow to get some more information and maybe work on the price. But how exactly do you negotiate the price over a long distance like this? I would like to have a set price that both my parents and I as well as the dealer agree on (and have it in writing) so we know what we will have to pay before we fly across the country.

And then there's the question of the car itself. I car in Ohio does have an AutoCheck report that checks out and a few other cars have CarFax reports but I would like to get it inspected, again before we fly anywhere. Also should I be worried about rust for the cars that are located in areas with actual winters? Most of the cars I'm looking at are 2-3 years old but two of them are closer to 8 years old. Should I be worried about rust/corrosion even if the majority of the cars I'm considering are only a few years old?

Also, I two of the cars are being sold by private sellers so any advice as to that?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[MOPAR74]

What Car is in Kansas.... and where in Kansas?


I wouldnt worry about salt and corrosion if they are only a few years old... especially if you are taking it back to AZ

[getchoo]

MOPAR74;46550 Wrote:What Car is in Kansas.... and where in Kansas?


I wouldnt worry about salt and corrosion if they are only a few years old... especially if you are taking it back to AZ

It's in Leavenworth, Kansas.

[greyhairedpete]

Here's some advise....whenever getting a price from a dealer, make sure you get the "out-the-door" price, which is the sell price, sales tax, motor vehicle, documentation fees, etc.

Many dealers will give you an insanely low sell price to get you in the door, then they will rape you with hidden fees and charges. Also, many times the low sell price is because they've taken out for brand loyalty, military discounts, college grad discounts, etc. Then you get there, and the salesman says, "oh, you don't qualify for this or that discount".

We charge a $197 documentation fee, (the cost for the office girls to do all the paperwork), and I've heard of other dealers charging $750 for the same thing.

So, like I said, insist on the final out-the-door price.

[greyhairedpete]

It's good that the Carfax checks out, but also find out what and if the dealer did any service on the cars, like brakes, tires, coolant flush, etc.

[MOPAR74]

What kind of car?


LW is only about 4hrs from me

[getchoo]

greyhairedpete;46554 Wrote:It's good that the Carfax checks out, but also find out what and if the dealer did any service on the cars, like brakes, tires, coolant flush, etc.

Thanks, we'll be asking about all that tomorrow as well as just how it drives and we'll also try to settle on a price.

---

MOPAR74;46561 Wrote:What kind of car?


LW is only about 4hrs from me

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct...dard=false

[MOPAR74]

Yeah id buy that one

[getchoo]

Well we called the dealer in Ohio this morning and they said they could take a grand off the price of the G8 they had and that's apparently their rock bottom price for it. The price is still a little on the higher side of what I would like to pay and hopefully they can take off another $500 but I don't know if they will, or can. Also we found out that registration and sales tax will be paid here in AZ (my dad called today to see what those prices would be) and my mom called the insurance company to see how much that would be and I forget the number she was given but it wasn't bad, even the insurance guy said so.

I still have no idea how it actually drives and if it was driven hard but if we accept the price the salesman said he would drive it and thoroughly check it out and once he's done that I'll make a point to ask about the tires, when it was last serviced and when it should be serviced again.

We might still check with the owner of the one for sale near San Francisco because it has less miles and a lower price so financially it might make more sense but it's not quite everything I'm looking for (the color isn't my first choice) whereas the one in Ohio is absolutely everything I want.

[getchoo]

I just found out that apparently we wouldn't pay sales tax here in AZ (according to the DMV) and we don't pay sales tax in OH according to the salesman...so I don't think we pay it all. Does this sound right?

[MEGAS XLR32]

Doesn't sound right to me. I'd imagine the tax charged will be the AZ sales tax, because you are residents of AZ. The sums are just to significant for no one to charge you tax.

[getchoo]

MEGAS XLR32;47108 Wrote:Doesn't sound right to me. I'd imagine the tax charged will be the AZ sales tax, because you are residents of AZ. The sums are just to significant for no one to charge you tax.

It does sound odd but the DMV here in AZ said no, we don't pay sales tax in AZ, so I don't know if we found a loop hole or not. If we did, that's fantastic.

[getchoo]

Well apparently we do pay sales tax but it's only about $1500 from what I hear.

[MEGAS XLR32]

Well yeah you could see what goes down. I dont know the AZ tax laws. In NY if you buy something out of state you have to pay the NY sales tax rate.

[Super Sport]

Buying out of state really isn't that big of a deal, especially with a newer car. I'd probably lean toward buying from a dealer though. I bought my car from an individual, but we bought my sister's from a dealer. IMO the dealer was a bit easier to work with, and they'll pick you up at the airport, provide a temp plate, etc. Being a business they have a reputation to uphold as well.

Just don't agree to buy it until you've seen the car. I mean, at the small chance something is wrong, the most you'll be out is a plane ticket.

You probably won't get the title immediately, the dealer will probably mail it to you. Once you get it just take it to the DMV like normal. You'll have to pay AZ sales tax. I'm sure they'll give you a temp plate that'll last for a few weeks, so you'll be fine for the drive home. Also, buy insurance for it before going to pick it up. The dealer will probably keep it covered, but just in case make sure you do also.