Before you think that a woman doesn’t deserve special treatment, especially when buying a car, just read my first few thoughts on the matter. In fact, I can sum this up in one sentence.
What a woman needs to know when buying a car is exactly the same as what a man needs to know.
But there’s no getting around it. Women are treated differently when buying a car. And I have some recent examples supporting that.
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was probably going to buy a Toyota Prius V after I moved. Well… I’ve moved and I’ve been looking and test driving.
It started when my husband found the car I was looking for and put a deposit down on it. So I decided to test drive it and get my trade-in car assessed before the deposit became non-refundable. And here’s how it went down.
I showed up a little frazzled after an hour long drive with my son who was none too keen on “test driving” a car. I visited the sales rep who assured me my “husband had picked out a really nice car for me.”
Oh really? My husband picked out the car for little ol’ me? That was sweet of him.
So we test drove it and he explained that, of course, the car we were test driving was unfortunately not the color I wanted.
Oh really? Because I was pretty sure the EXTERIOR COLOR affects the performance of the engine on a test drive.
Then, as we got onto the highway and I told him I wanted to test the acceleration of the car, he switches it to “Power” mode to give me the extra gasoline engine boost. Yeah. That wasn’t what I really had in mind.
If I could have worn a name tag that said, “Hello. I’m a silly woman that knows nothing about cars,” I would have.
I waited patiently as he took information about my trade-in and had my car assessed. He came back with what I felt was a ridiculously low offer. He pleaded slightly and then I walked out. The next day, the manager called my husband to try to work out a deal. No go.
So we went to another Toyota dealer. This time, the guy was really knowledgable about the car but he kept telling every detail to my husband. Because apparently women can’t understand big words like horsepower and torque. We only understand “where do we put our purse?”
He came back with an offer we refused and then he tried to play the numbers game and again, we walked out.
And today, we went to a third Toyota dealership. And we got exactly what we wanted – a different car altogether.
So, ladies, listen up. If you’re looking to buy a car, here’s what you need to know.
Top 10 Car Buying Tips for Women
1. Don’t have your husband call about ANYTHING. Because if he does, they’ll assume he is the sole decision maker.
2. When you do visit a dealership, take a man with you. I know that seems to contradict all of my feelings but if you have a man in your corner, even if he’s not buying the car, your voice will be heard a little louder.
3. Women are emotional buyers. Even if we’re not, that’s what car salesmen think. Therefore, the rock solid level-headed MAN is there to balance out our silly emotions. At least, that’s what the sales rep will think.
4. Know everything you can about the car you are looking at. The websites today have so much information that you have the ability to show how much you know about the car you want to buy and can ask intelligent questions. It helps gives you more of an air of authority if the whole man-thing isn’t working out for you.
5. Ask to look under the hood. Even if you could care less what is under the hood and don’t know what the dipstick is, pretend you know and you care. Again, it goes back to showing you know something about cars.
6. Know the true market value of the car you want. This isn’t the MSRP and it isn’t the invoice price. It is the average price that the car you want is selling for in your area (based on zip code). It’s based on supply and demand and gives you a realistic look at what you should pay. I usually use CarsDirect.com Target Price or Edmunds.com True Market Value.
7. Assume that EVERYTHING is negotiable. Because it is. This includes the price of the car, the value of your trade-in, the package prices, the dealer fees, and the interest rate on your financing. It sucks to have to argue every point but if you want a good price, you need to fight. They won’t give it to you otherwise.
8. Be prepared to walk away. NEVER buy on impulse and never buy because you feel bad or think you’ll lose the deal. It’s a game and I will almost guarantee that if you walk out of a dealership because you are unhappy with the terms, you will get another offer from them the next day that is the same or very close to the offer you actually want.
9. Pit the dealerships against each other. It sounds terrible but they play the same game. “Well, XYZ Dealership will sell me the car for $26.5 AND give me the $500 rebate. Can you match that?” Ultimately, this is how we got the deal we wanted. And we were honest about that.
10. Know your rock bottom deal. Don’t play games. The best way to get a deal is to give an ultimatum. Tell the sales rep that if they can give you THIS car at THIS price, you will buy right now, on the spot. That motivates them to work harder for you.
I’m going to stop at 10 because I like nice, even numbers. But I could go on. Like the “sales manager”? The sales rep likes to blame everything on his manager, a seldom-seen figure who seems to wield power over everything. If you ever want to know how those conversations really go down, watch the movie Fargo (love that movie).
Having just come through the very traumatic car buying experience that had a happy ending, and having done this with almost every single car deal I’ve ever made, I know whereof I speak. You owe it to yourself to get the best deal. I’m just here to cheer you on.
This post was originally published on May 25, 2012.
32 comments
I find this quite hilarious & maddening at the same time, especially since it was little old me who shopped & selected the last car my husband eventually bought. I test drove them all (without him) & narrowed his choice to the one I felt was the best value. He did negotiate the trade-in value of his old vehicle & locked in his financing.
Yes, once you know the game, it IS both hilarious and maddening!
I help woman and men buy cars. I have to admit that women are more likely to be treated with less respect and not get as good as of a deal as men. Of course it depends on the person, but that is what has been my experience. I enjoy helping men and women get their best deal possible.
Love these! My brother has been a car dealership manager for at least15 years, the majority being for Toyota. I know all of these and I use that my brother is a car dealership salesman or manager and they step up their game! lol And have I ever told you that Toyota is my FAVORITE brand! My parents had Toyota’s all my life, I had Toyota’s since then up until a few years ago (only because we don’t have one close by).Â
I’ve only been a Toyota owner for 2 days now but so far I’m loving it! And I’m glad you know all the tricks!
I haven’t had that experience. Probably because my mom taught me how to haggle. 😉 My husband is the person they start talking to *at first*, but it’s not long before they figure out which of us is more aware of what’s going on. It’s a good thing, too, because my hubby would just march in and pay whatever they ask, just to get it over with. He’s too nice to say no. So is my dad. That’s not to say that I haven’t had to deal with the “little woman” treatment, but I haven’t found it so difficult to overcome, after all.
You’re right. Sometimes men don’t do the trick either. I just think it gives a different perception and they can be firmed without seeming emotional or bitchy.
I’ll be honest and say that my husband has done all the car buying in our family. I don’t know how I’d do with it!
Well, if you don’t have to, then don’t do it. It’s stressful!
Great tips Fadra. I despise car shopping because it’s such a numbers game. When my husband was growing up his Dad worked at a car dealership for a little while so he knows some of their games. Luckily my husband is a no BS guy when it comes to cars. If he doesn’t hear the numbers we want we/he will walk right out.Â
Perfect. That’s exactly how you need to do it… provided you actually know what the numbers should be.
I had this same experience last time I was car shopping… and hubs and I weren’t even married yet, he was just a boyfriend! He kept telling the salespeople, “It’s not my car, it’s hers. Talk to her” and they STILL didn’t listen!
I’m glad you’ve come out of this mostly unscathed, and can’t wait to see pics of the new baby!
Oh, yes! My husband did the same thing. “It’s HER car!” and they would still talk to HIM. So we ended up doing the good cop/bad cop routine quite nicely.
I like to play the “talk to the boyfriend, even though I’m the one at the end making the decision.” Cuz you watch the funny dance they do to get you to buy the car, and I’m pretty set in my negotiations, so Ryan really looked to me to keep him in check and to not take a deal that wasn’t really a deal for him. 😛Â
Love it! I think the problem is that people (male or female) don’t always know that everything is negotiable or they just don’t feel comfortable with it!
True. For me, I just hate how long it takes.Â
Unfortunately we won’t be going big and getting a new one. But when we do…it’s usually I that welds the stay or go power. I hate sitting around as they throw numbers around and talk about how they have to feed their kids and blah-blah-blah. I don’t want to hear it and will get up and walk out when I’ve reached my limit.
I have to admit that the first dealership I walked out of and the second dealership it was Sean that did the yelling but I was quick to follow him when he got up and walked out!
Great tips, Fadra! Love this!
I just leased a new car in January, and I had a woman salesperson. Big difference having a woman. Even though they are still sales people, a woman understands a woman. Since I went in with no ideas, I got what the credit company dictated. That made it easy, and I didn’t care this time. But, when I bought my first vehicle, on my own, it was different. I knew what I wanted, did my research on the price, and went for it. It happened to be a Dodge Ram pick-up. My husband (at the time) went in with me. I did all the dealing. In fact, the salesman practically ignored my husband. We went for a test drive. He tossed me the keys, and climbed in the front seat next to me. My husband sat quietly in the passenger seat. It was pretty funny at the time. Research is the key.I agree with you about having a man with you, even if he’s ignored.
I don’t think i’ve ever bought a car from a woman. Interesting that it’s so different. Maybe car companies should focus more on building up their female salespeople!
So true! Â When I got my car, I went in by myself and then with my BF and later with my father. Â It made a difference in how I was approached. Â I also knew as much as possible about the car.
I looked at the post and thanks for including me. I hope I have a chance to do it!
My husband does the research, the shopping for just the right car, then he says – “I have to get the boss on board.” Tells me what he wants to spend, I test drive and if I like it I proceed with the negotiations. He totally can’t walk away. I can and have and will again.
I love it! Sometimes men are so strong and yet so weak. My husband and I are usually a good balance and I’m getting much better at telling him no 🙂
These are great tips! I am looking for a car and have visited a few White Rock car dealerships with an without my husband. There is totally a difference in the way they treat me! It is a common misconception that girls don’t know anything about cars. I bet you if a woman goes into a dealership alone she knows quite enough. Thanks for sharing. Great read!
much of this advice
What a brilliant idea! Loyalty builds long term customers and positive word-of-mouth. I think the program you guys have here is quite smart from a psychological standpoint. Incentivizes me to want to get others to buy a car from you. Keep it up!!
This is one of the most sexist articles I’ve read in a while. If you actually think these things when a salesperson is talking to you, I feel bad for you.
You call is sexist. I call it realist. It’s based on my own firsthand experience having bought many, many cars. If the article doesn’t help you, you live in a different world than I do! Good for you! But many women are intimidated at the carbuying experience and knowing the way car dealerships (and many old school salesman) work certainly aids in the process.
There are many good points in this article. I have helped many women purchase cars. They have told me the horror stories about how they were getting ripped off and not being treated with respect.
This is so true, and not just when buying a car. Walk into an auto-parts store and you’ll get the same treatment. My favorite thing to do is research exactly what I need and why I need it before I walk in there. Then I’m not wandering the rows like a lost little lamb who needs help, and if I do need help I know exactly what to ask for. The looks on their faces when you know what you’re talking about are priceless. 😀
I have shopped for and purchased all my/our vehicles, and our family car (gently used) my husband never even saw, let alone drove, before I bought it. We’d done our research before hand and knew what we wanted and what we should pay for it. He trusted me to go shop for it and when I found the car I reported everything to him and filled out the paperwork the same day.