OK all of you super shoppers ... I'm in the market for a new mini van. In the wake of all the automobile manufacturers financial woes, I've heard rumors that many of them are cutting prices & offering great deals. I'm planning on buying a new mini van in the next month or so. What are the best deals you've seen out there? Thanks in advance for all of your help & advice!!!
Now is the best time if one can afford to buy.... I know they have their issues but for the money Town and Country's are good or the dodge grand caravan, do your homework on the net.. check Kia's Honda's and Toyota's are pricier by a good bit.
Dh got rear-ended this week and we've been researching new cars all week. I was shocked to see that the incentives and rebates are not nearly what I expected. Some further research revealed that right now the best way to get deals is to go directly to the dealerships and negotiate like crazy. So I'd focus on decided what you want to get and how much you want to pay, as well as doing your research upfront about financing terms versus rebates (most places will offer one or the other, and you should run scenarios both ways as there's no one-size fits all answer). Then go to several dealerships and negotiate, then make them compete directly (X dealership said he could that plus this). We're getting close to the end of the month, where you'll typically do really good because salesmen and dealerships are trying to meet quotas, budgets and forecasts. Plus May is apparently a big month for car manufacturers because of what's going on with GM right now.
I would check at any of the Chrysler Corp. dealerships that are closing. I've seen some reports of 30%+ off of sticker price, as these dealers try to unload their inventory. Here's a list of the dealers closing in NC: http://wake.mync.com/site/Wake/news/story/34443/chrysler-dealerships-to-learn-their-fate-today/
Last two vans we've had, we've purchased on ebay. Awesome deals! We bought a 2008 model in Jan. of this year. $12K, immaculate, hardly any miles on it, and was in Sanford. It is a 12 passenger. A few months ago, it was trying to be sold for $32K. So, as you can see, vehicles are getting SO much cheaper. The van before this one we also got on ebay for $7K. Awesome deals. Do know the dealer and do speak w/ them on the phone. One we picked up in Chicago, one in Sanford, NC. Another place we got an awesome deal was at auction direct. They're on Glenwood. Didn't buy a van there but they do have minivans. Good luck. Speaking frmo experience, now IS the best time to buy a van. Stephanie--mom to 7
