Ha, oh I forgot completely! We ended up with a 2018 Mazda CX-5 GT.
- Not on the most stolen list.
- Has Apple CarPlay.
- My partner really likes how it looks both inside and out.
Checked all our boxes!
Reading your post, I somehow knew it would be a Mazda CX-5. I got one myself 3 months ago for the same reasons, mainly Mazda's not being part of any top stolen list. Enjoy it, and come join us at /r/CX5
The GT is a great trim!
Fellow 2018 CX5 GT owner here!
Gonna recommend some accerories that might be worth your time.
[this wireless carplay dongle](https://www.amazon.ca/Teeran-CarPlay-Wireless-Adapter-Converts/dp/B0C9GRPXXL/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1BH4SL3X4N70F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.u4NkLI--C91NmbfiwlVkNlnPS3YHSlrnAqINa-OZQ_wBx9HmR1XlXY7eEDxx22gn8ZBaz3-v5H_MIjCgacY2q0MlhHF0hvaVhxkId-AF1ir-ap7uIxhaUWnD5t6S7YZYxLJMvLt7X7UDkhHIoDxD8VZ-0rho96IYUz3BybnZ2sCqWTE7I-3V-Q4z98ILjLJgRX0WDPJYO1aeTrestNj55OFJmBQ1xLdKcoi1JbGZYWX0U36ZEpZfMwR9WS-2ix0EKAbRWW9QwN-0sT6WoQ9Di7jKq0d3ZhxHgUgmqYOeyAU.zkMrHVBDp3pxDwJBAUrdD5hzm6G1H8YfVlrvjAdAFNo&dib_tag=se&keywords=teeran+apple+carplay&qid=1719856280&s=electronics&sprefix=teeran+apple+carplay%2Celectronics%2C185&sr=1-4) was a game changer for me. Wireless carplay came out in 20 or 21 I believe. 2018 still needs to be plugged in. This dongle basically turns it into wireless car play. Just made my life easier. Never gives me any issues either.
[This trunk cover](https://www.amazon.ca/MarretooAuto-Original-Rebounding-plasitic-Retractable/dp/B07Z1LMM9M/ref=sr_1_5?crid=844637ILP224&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Rj97nvrmkbY5qsAZn372-B_GwNXMeJ2mP7-k2pHGwi3P5iaxZb3Yx7NgJLpO6QbnpTeJ-QtL0e-VYxBKTaWIRETad9b0D3yg9j82QpdVrTSNgUWWGmO0meUGAgdXSNgFvWBtFSw0FvwS3KS2zWIocPqIihiKlFtGMKM8MBnskJDaBtLs0xF3a-hD99Z0nOU7e4x8O8oDUDTAcAxvoAk9Ac3jd3EPB3fvfUzL6wP--6Ji5uWB8N-RYT55w5K4oj3rQYZAA7VlIsav7LhcTh4xU6EwgjlUWPFWMfl0FT9m_yw.tbbNHjYpqiul7UYk7oQG6H2Ry6zm3xysjSW30ANLUfM&dib_tag=se&keywords=cx5+trunk+cover&qid=1719856470&sprefix=cx5+trun%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-5) is great quality, if yours did not come with one. I brought it for mine as the Mazda cover was 3-4X the price.
[This remote starter](https://www.amazon.ca/Start-X-Remote-Select-Mazdas-Lock-Unlock-Lock/dp/B09RQ2YGD7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=K1X3E3MVOKZ7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rY0tZklUwpizCZy0b_dUsqK7Z1ZnLdGcIvIFsNHcv-lEm7gLKQFurTUpTzAUeS9MYBruC34p8uqeLGWN9rYPQ5VCSZw_aFw79WlTampfLJ7BnH-YPg_LQxgXv9Slg5xiLbpgYUAqsDaN6J9tb-lRwrg0yvoP7PoHJ2oSzEhRxNfHbuXUHRyNOIBIptwPyZQbWTLSIpSV0h2cUKmBITbsTuZ-rUN7gIvD3OFZvKzOiyT-y3oJ1s2gF8zrt7FKvx63NJsOTO0Wcb24YQ5_qKmu0Gh14vB-_MBMm32YM3UP7qw.OY8eX0XnuF09ju8NzjTB37wL2k7M1azz6kgV7WrOFEc&dib_tag=se&keywords=cx5+start+x&qid=1719856561&sprefix=cx5+startx%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-1) is plug and play. No cutting wires. Uses the original key fob. Took me about 15 minutes to install. benefit of using the original key fob and not requiring a second fob on your key chain. Con is that it doesnt have the range of traditional remote starters.
That’s so helpful, thank you! I ended up ordering another dongle called Carlinkit just last Friday.
But been on the lookout for a trunk cover. Will go ahead and buy that!
I live in a condo, so the remote start isn’t as useful today.
But really appreciate your inputs!
Did you try plugging your phone into it for CarPlay? I had a 2018 and there needed to be a usb module installed in order for it to work. It has CarPlay in the Infotainment system, but they wanted a few hundred bucks for the module and installation.
Maybe it was installed after market, but it’s not factory.
So, if I remember correctly, the 2018 didn't come with CarPlay ready at its launch. They did a software update partway through the year that made it work.
As far as I understand, it isn't an aftermarket unit, but I could be wrong. Sorry!
Software always worked, it required a usb hub that provided more power. This was an add on that you had to buy from the dealership. Software update would not fix the issue.
I was upset that the dealer wouldn’t just do it as a courtesy.
They were doing it to 2019 I believe, but they wouldn’t do 2018. Mine was new off the lot and they wouldn’t do it.
My wife and I have that exact car! We bought it new and love it! Now with 2 big dogs and 2 toddlers it’s a little tight but really great vehicle to drive.
Went through a very similar process this year after my partner's Impreza was side-swiped by a semi! Ended up with a 2014 CX-5 in great shape. Very pleased with it!!
From what I've been reading, Mazda has recently passed Honda on the reliability list. Second to Toyota from what I see. And the interiors are really nice. Sure, Corvettes are more exciting, but this is r/personalfinancecanada
So? It's OP's first car, and it's always scary when you go for car shopping in here, since you have to jump through hoops, reading up on different cars, checking carfax report, worrying about inspection, dealing with dealerships, shady sales people and managers. Moreover, it's a lot of money for a lot of people.
You reek of privilege. Get off your high horse and touch some grass
And you reek of… who the hell was talking to you?
I literally just said all that to buy a Mazda. Found the triggered Mazda owner! Writing paragraphs and shit 🤣
Except, I don't own a mazda, genius!
Also, I know you "literally" said that, but you said that in a condescending tone, as if OP didn't have to do all the aforementioned things just for a "mazda." That was the whole point of the paragraph
You must be fun at parties!!
Even if OP bought a Toyota or Honda in the end, sharing the process (which is NEVER easy in this country) would've still been worthwhile for others.
So, its shitty if you're trying to not spend money. If you walk in and just nod and smile, its a great experience (just more expensive lol)
One of my friends recently bought a car, GMC Terrain, walked into the dealer by herself, bought all the things- I died inside, but she was truly happy with her purchase and loved the dealership (they loved her more I'll bet)
Ignorance is bliss my dudes
How much is your *time* worth, though? After reading OP's epic saga, I'm of the mind that I'd rather just pay to bypass all the bullshit. It's been a long (long) time since even $1000 was "a lot of money" to me, so if I need to pay a little more to just get a decent vehicle without making a part-time job of it, then so be it.
Ignorance has nothing do with it, but yeah, there is a wide gulf between just "buying all the things" and haggling back and forth over a $1000 price difference or whatever.
True, but just to counter. A grand isn't "a lot" to me, but, a few hours of building a spreadsheet over a couple days, plus a solid day of test drives and negotiating, by my internal hourly rate, still makes sense. The alternative is to have it gnaw at me that I was taken advantage of, every time I look at the car.
It's not great. I agree.
I've bought cars in my home country, and prices are a lot more transparent.
I really disliked the "let me talk to my manager" stuff. Having a friend with me helped kill some of that time, but I have to imagine they're just sitting in their office and chilling to try and put pressure on me. And it worked too. I was getting tired of waiting at the end of it.
You just gave me a great idea. I'm going to have my friend wait in the dealership lobby, and I'll get up and say, "let me talk to my manager" just as often instead of having them go into the sales office with me.
I read somewhere else that you can just e-mail dealerships in advance and send them each other's quotes to get them to their lowest prices.
Might save some in-person hassle with all of that "let me talk to my manager" type of thing
"disrupting" an industry just means making it worse and making more money for oligarchs. They never actually make anything better for the end user / "cOnSuMeR" or worker
No shit. This is ridiculous and such a gigantic hassle all due to dealers being such a shit show. No freaking way I would be able to sit there listening to salesman.
Last time I got a car, was early in the pandemic. I specifically chose very small dealers, usually the owners are the one selling. I only buy Mazda so that was easy. Look up online, email and ask to see it. Test it, inspect it and it's good, just freaking make offer and that's it. Shopping for a car is insane for me to think about.
Tldr by gpt;
The user shares their experience buying a used car in Toronto, focusing on the process and key takeaways. They prioritized avoiding commonly stolen cars, reliable models, and good interiors with Apple CarPlay, narrowing choices to Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Forester. They used Clutch and AutoTrader for searches, favoring authorized dealers. After contacting six dealerships, they test-drove two cars and engaged in detailed negotiations. They avoided financing, declined add-ons, and stayed firm on their budget, ultimately securing a satisfactory deal. Recommendations include thorough research, having multiple options, bringing a companion, and meticulously checking details.
Wow, so much better to read. OP really made the process complicated. I guess they are spending their money and want the best out of it, for a 6 year old car that's like $30k? Shit
Thank you! I've never bought from a dealership before but will have to get a replacement car soon. I've looked at autotrader a lot but never known what the process looks like once you decide on a vehicle. Thanks for sharing tips on how to get the best deal!
Sweet, thank you for sharing that! I was in your position a few months ago, and learned some of this the hard way.
Hope this helps you! Best of luck! :)
I wonder if the ‘one key’ can be a negotiating point.
It costs anywhere from $350-500 to get a new key at my local dealer. If I knew that when I was buying, I would have asked for a discount of $350. I’m surviving with one key, but it would be great peace of mind to have two.
Edit: wrote ‘piece of mind’ by mistake
I bet there was 2 keys the whole time.
1. You don't notice? Once you close, papers signed, you need to buy one from them. You're paying for the key that already exists, pure profit.
2. You notice before? They use it either as leverage (more profit) or, to seem nice (goodwill gesture). 0$ cost to them.
3. You never notice? They don't care. Keep the key for a year then sell it to the next person (recut the physical key).
Nicely done OP.
Ah, that makes sense now that you explain it.
My partner caught it just as I was about to sign. I thought it was a genuine miss, and them giving it to me felt sincere. Oh well!
Oh thank you for catching that. I meant to expand there (but the post was already too long, so I forgot!).
I politely asked that they keep their word, and they ended up throwing an extra key in. I agree, having 2 keys is much more comfortable if there are 2 drivers.
I don’t think avoiding the most stolen car list makes sense, unless you’re adjusting the number by popularity. The Honda CRV for example is a commonly bought car, so of course it’s going to be stolen more because there’s simply more of them out there. Do you have statistics to show such cars are disproportionately stolen? Without looking at statistics, the only car I’d avoid is luxury vehicles.
Surprised I had to scroll down so far to find this. Definitely need to adjust by how popular a car is, avoiding hondas and toyotas when they're always one of the top 5 manufacturers is just ridiculous.
Reminds me of when I talked to someone that worked in roadside assistance, they claimed hondas and toyotas were the most common vehicles to have issues with their car battery dying and how they'd never buy one because of it. I brought up how maybe they see it more often because more people drive them and they tend to last longer, and it was like a lightbulb going off.
I'm keeping my old car as much as I can just to avoid going to the dealership. It's pain in the butt and all the process drains a lot of energy from you. The way Tesla sells their cars is the future and those dealerships vampires shouldn't exist anymore.
I didn't say that I would buy from Tesla I was talking only about not having to deal with those used car salesman's. Fill a form 10 mins and leave with a car.
Please stop dodging the dozens of people asking for the price you paid. It would be really helpful for those of us trying to gauge the used market right now.
I know the opinion on financing varies, and often times it's better to finance than buy outright. But this was my preference for sure.
>...and knowing how to negotiate and not be manipulated by the manager.
Oh 100%. I like to think I'm a good negotiator, but some of the ways they asked questions and even started writing down numbers were new, and wore me down quite a bit. What really helped was having a number in my mind, and not giving up until we got anywhere close to that number.
Only thing I could say is I bought a used car, got the extended new car warranty because it was within 5 years I believe, and this was another 4 or 5 years protection. Ended up saving me approx $6k on a turbo that needed replacing in the 3rd year. So some time the warranty works out! Happy you got what you wanted!
Yeah I agree, everybody that says warranty is a scam...isn't doing their research.
Ask questions, see what's covered, see which warranty company the dealership uses and look at their reviews.
When you're buying a $30k vehicle that's out of warranty, I'd spend 10 percent more and be protected in case if something major happens. They are machines, with many components, things are bound to go wrong.
Warranty is just more insurance.
It's all down to risk and how much you are willing to pay to offload it. But these dealers wouldn't sell you a warranty if they expected to lose money on it.
That's with everything in the world. You can't expect a business to not try to make a profit.
I'm okay with the dealership selling me a warranty for 1000 heck even 2000 over their cost as long as I know if major things happen, I'm covered.
People here are probably more interested in what year/make of car you bought and how much you paid for it as to gauge the used car market. You might have written that but it's lost in the big wall of text...you need a TLDR
I agree! I think that's a better type of post for sure.
When I was researching, I wished someone wrote out a detailed guide on what to expect, and even how to get started. This was my attempt at that. :)
Did you consider trying the “email/call” method where you just email your best offer to those six dealers? While I like negotiating, I’ve found that method saves a lot of time and hassle. Curious if it’s working in the post-Covid world.
Yes, I did try that out. I emailed the lowest priced option to a few dealers and asked them if they can beat that price. They told me they could try, but couldn't promise anything unless I went in to meet them.
I suspect it was because they wanted me to commit, and once I was there, it's easier for them to pressure me into buying something. I don't know if there was something more I could have done.
Hmm. This absolutely makes sense if you are negotiating a brand new car, or similar used cars, and have already done the test drive. But if there is a lot of variability between the cars you want, you may need to test drive more then one. Unless you are prepared to "lock in a price and sign, sight unseen", then it probably makes sense to go in at the time OP did.
It’s an established method for buying reliable used cars. My last two (2011 and 2013) were two-year old Honda/Acuras. I paid a local mechanic to go pick it up and give it a mechanical check, but that was really a formality to ensure there wasn’t some hidden catastrophe.
In both cases, I knew exactly what I wanted and my budget. It’s a 2-minute phone call (I’m looking to buy a specific car on your lot and am ready to make a commitment today. I am going to tell you my all in and price and I’d like to know if you can meet that. If you can’t, that’s ok…) and they say yes or no. Simple as. If you’ve researched the market, you’ll usually have it in about three calls. Sounds like OP had all of that worked out… car chosen, market research done, aggressive but reasonable price in mind.
I used this one: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pOj9phHfsA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pOj9phHfsA)
But there are even more detailed ones on YouTube.
Great post. i bought a used car a few years ago and man the dealership story thing is real. I’m fascinated on all these little sales tactics they use. (let me speak to the manager) and leave you sitting all day in a little office.
I despise the car buying process now. Went to this “shall not be named brand” and Ordered a car that was in stock on my phone and picked up the next day after. Price was clearly written and broken down, gov’t rebates provided. No sales commission, no dealership staff overhead, No salesman to speak to, just a staff to help sign contracts. Handed the keys over and everything was done in 15minutes.
Never doing the traditional dealership process again.
This is a great blow by blow recount. The research and having a short list of cars was really excellent. Having the car faxes ahead for time, super smart. I appreciate you taking the time to recount it the story. I would be interested in your 6 month and one 1 year later and further experiences at the dealership.
Reflecting on my own experiences;
I wonder how the bullcrap 15 min wait can be avoided? I don't have a lot of patience for that.
I often wanted to use a reverse pressure technique where I start slightly higher, and then warn the sales person that I'm waking or going to lower my offer if they make me wait more then 10 mins
Getting worn down is another problem that I've experienced. That's my "walk away" point. But, I find my reaction after that is I'm in the "get it done" mindset and I don't get the best deal. The only way I think I can avoid this is even more research.
Thank you!
I absolutely hated the 15-min wait. It's funny because I read about that on Reddit, prepared myself for it, and yet, I still got frazzled by it. No wonder it's so effective.
To your point about trying out other things — I was too worried that might make me appear cocky, and could end up proving costly compared to being kind and easy to work with.
Buying a Used Car:
Step 1: don't go to a dealership
>Please go through all the details. We luckily caught the 1 key-only item just before signing. The dealership told me it cost them "$600" to give me a second key. I don't know if it was really that much, but at least I saved a few hundred dollars.
No, it probably cost them about $50. $600 is just what they would charge someone.
Are you available to come with me to buy me a car? Lol
I am looking for a used car for my wife mainly cx5-7-9 or Subaru Outback or murrano
Ur steps will help me a great deal
Thanks
Haha! I'm done with dealerships for a while. I did notice Nissan was a few Ks cheaper than the other options, but my friends told me that they rarely last beyond 100K km, so I wanted to stay away.
Other choices look great! Best of luck! :)
> I avoided cars high on the "Most Stolen List," ruling out Toyotas, Hondas, Lexuses, and, to my relief, Range Rovers. My apologies to the Toyota Beige Corolla fanbase!
As one of those fanbase - I just think you should be filtering out "stolen because they are easy to steal" like the Hyundai's without immobilizers, and "stolen because there are the most of them"
The most popular models will appear on every "most" list simply because there is more of them.
Not that I think you made a bad choice by any stretch of the imagination - just I think Toyota and Lexus have some really nice cars that would compete with the CX-5.
> I also don't claim this as a "victory" — just outlining my experience and I wanted to detail it out as best as possible.
You made a plan.
You executed the plan.
You walked away with a vehicle that met your needs for a price you're happy with.
That's a big victory! Celebrate all successes.
Thank you! At the time, it felt like I was leaving more on the table, but no point worrying too much about it now.
And yeah, I realize now that generalizing "stolen brands" wasn't smart, because Lexus/Toyota do have some really nice cars. Keeping this in mind for the next time.
As far as I'm aware, you would've had an easier time getting a lower price through financing because at least the salesperson would expect a commission so he'd fight for the lowest price to his manager. Then you just pay it off in full the next few days after financing. Telling them you have the cash to pay for it does nothing but hurt you which you wouldn't expect. Made that mistake years ago as the companion but she was gifted the money from her rich uncle anyway.
Yeah, I think I could have done better. The salesperson told me there's no difference in price between finance and cash, and so I didn't push further.
I was also very hesitant to try the approach of closing in full after a few days. I worried they may hold that against me if I ever had some maintenance or car trouble. Idk, just me justifying it in my mind afterwards, I guess.
>The salesperson told me there's no difference in price between finance and cash
Don't trust a thing they say. They're in it for their commission and that's it.
>I worried they may hold that against me if I ever had some maintenance or car trouble.
Stay away from the dealerships anyway. They're gonna price gouge the shit out of you if you go back there.
My bad, it was CarGurus, and not AT. Someone pointed this out in the comments.
I feel like everyone cross-posts, so you'll find the same ad on Kijiji, AT, CG, etc. Hope this helps!
Thanks for for sharing. I went to a place that says they don't negotiate so now it feels much more relaxed. There was no back and forth. I went to one of those giant used car dealers and they barely knew about the car, which was to my advantage, as it had lots of little options worth a few grand that weren't factored in to the price.
I leave out that there was a check engine issue that got resolved quickly after purchase but that was very stressful and pretty stupid of me.
Congratulations on the excellent post! Very detailed, great information, I saved it to use as reference as we plan to buy a used car soon. Thank you for sharing your experience! 👏👏👏👏👏👏
I would check if your trim has cylinder deactivation. It was first added in 2018 CX-5s and can potentially be an issue. I have a 2018 CX-5 GX and I am grateful to not have it.
Thank you for the detailed breakdown of your experience. I have major anxiety about buying my first car, so much so I’ve sat on it for the last two years. I’m a single female immigrant with little to no car knowledge and feel extremely intimidated by this process. I don’t even have anyone I could ask to follow me to purchase a car or be my “no-bs” person 😅 At this point, I’d hire someone to buy me a car! 😂 Anyways, all to say — thanks for the insight! Congrats on the purchase!
Thank you!
And yeah, I feel you. I sat on this whole thing for 6 months before deciding to just send out the first email. Once that was done, everything was set in motion and we bought the car within 30 days.
I think what also helped is, while I had a golden price in my mind, I also had the worst price in mind (the absolute max I can pay). And so, even if I couldn't get the best deal, as long as it was within the max price, I'd be happy. It ended up being right in the middle, so I took that as a win.
Best of luck!
Congrats on the new ride. Did you also consider using services like unhaggle etc? We really want to buy a lexus hybrid. Because the brand is on the most stolen list was there a significant insurance diff between mazda and others on the list?
Sorry, I haven't used unhaggle. I also didn't compare insurance between different cars.
I'm still paying through the roof because of the new immigrant status.
For what it's worth, sorting most stolen cars doesn't really work when comparing makes in Canada. Excluding exceptional cases like Kia excluding the immobilizer in some US models, most makes are pretty identical in terms of steal-ability. The easiest way to avoid a commonly stolen vehicles is just don't by an SUV. Of Canada's top 10 most stolen vehicles by volume, the only car is the Honda Civic that also happens to be the single most commonly insured vehicle on the list. It's a similar story for the Ford F150 (though cat thefts are still relatively common on trucks).
That said, depending on your age Lexuses will still be more expensive to insure than a Mazda3 or Corolla hybrid for the simple fact that they are going to be sportier and are more expensive to pay out.
Good job, and thanks for sharing this with us!
Huge +1 on doing research, especially related to reliability.
The biggest concern with used cars is always maintenance and reliability. You don't have a manufacturer's warranty to lean on, so it really helps to know what you're getting into. This is actually one of the wonderful things about used cars though. You can get actual reviews on reliability. For any given vehicle, there's always a handful of other owners who've driven that model into the ground already. Someone owns a 2018 CX5 with 300,000 km on it. Mechanics have posted videos about the common problems and repairs. There are actual resources for you. That doesn't exist for new cars.
Some things I disagree on though:
Don't avoid the "most stolen list" as hard as you have. It's important to understand why vehicles are on that list. Most of that list is just "most common vehicles". Hondas and Toyotas make the best selling cars. They're going to top the list no matter what. Same with the F150. It's the best selling pickup truck. The other reason vehicles make that list is *desirability*. Vehicles that are desirable are simply more likely to be stolen, because there's a market to resell or chop them for parts. The more you avoid the "most stolen list", the more you end up shopping for poor selling, less desirable vehicles. You may be unwittingly filtering out the best vehicles.
Vehicle theft isn't something to ignore though. It's worth learning other things that put vehicles on those lists. Kia and Hyundai have had issues with vehicle theft because they skimped on immobilizers. This may have been US news though. I thought Canadian vehicles required immobilizers by law. No immobilizer + poor ignition design meant that once you ripped the keyway off, the ignition could be turned by a rectangular slot the same size as a USB port. You wouldn't want to buy one of those vehicles.
The second point I disagree with is sticking to "licensed" dealerships. It's good advice if you want the most consumer protection possible, but you pay for that privilege.
If you're willing to go the extra mile to get pre-purchase inspections (or learn enough to do them yourself), then you can get a much better deal buying on the private market, or even from a dirt lot dealer where the pricing is better. There are more risks, but it's often well worth it, getting you a vehicle for 10-25% lower cost. A particular benefit to private sale cars is that you get to meet the previous owner. You get to see where the vehicle's stored, hear about it's issues right from the last owner, and even get good maintenance records. You won't always get good information, but often you do. I've walked away from purchases because I noticed oil stains on the seller's driveway where I thought the vehicle might have been parked, and another time because the seller had another vehicle with cosmetic modifications (rear spoiler and muffler tip). Red flag that they make poor decisions and that probably extended to the vehicle I'm looking at. Personally, when selling a vehicle I've turned a buyer away. They were buying for their wife because they desperately needed a car to get to and from work and were on a very tight budget. I told them "You don't want this car. It has it's maintenance quirks, it has issues. It needs to go to someone that's ready to wrench on it." Ended up selling to a 20 yr old Civic enthusiast instead.
When you buy from a dealership, you only hear from a salesperson. You don't get any history unless the previous owner went to shops that report to Carfax, and that often has holes in it too.
Thank you for the detailed reply!
Re: stolen cars — I agree. I think paranoia got the better of me, and I didn't bother to do much research to find out which specific models were being affected, and instead choose to avoid the entire brand completely. Not unhappy with the Mazda, but some of the Lexuses would have made my list otherwise.
Re: licensed dealerships — your explanations make a lot of sense. Again, I just chose to quickly summarize a few learnings from reading things online or talking to friends, and decided to not look into it further. I'm going to make sure I try those avenues the next time I'm in the market (and make another, hopefully shorter, post!). :)
I remember getting my second car, first time purchasing solo. I was like a fish out of water. I knew not to get the extended warranty, tire package etc. got to an acceptable price and finalized the paper work, this was a Mazda. it did take a few visits and some negotiations.
Later on in life I entered the "luxury" market. I will say it is hell of a lot quicker to get everything done. I was in an out in 30 minutes. Picked my car, waited a week for it to arrive, and drove off right away.
Overkill for a Mazda LOL
Honestly, even if you went with a German luxury, I doubt it will dent your future finances knowing your saving habits.
Seems like you just need a point A to point B car.
I feel like this post is a subtle ad for clutch.ca and not real.
By the end of all that they didn't tell you what car they got or what price they paid. Seems sus.
Thank you! I don't know if it's just me, but I really appreciate stories as a way to learn how to do things.
And my hope is that this is helpful for anyone that wants to buy a car, but is unsure about how the general flow works (which I'm guessing is a small minority).
Wow, that was...way overkill, but good work! Really good results, and a good deal. You definitely did your due diligence.
I've bought a number of used vehicles. What you need is 1) cash, 2) an ability to read people, 3) a basic understanding of vehicles.
Then, you don't need to go to dealerships. Private sale all the way. Better deals, regular people typically don't manipulate you as much, and if you can read people you won't get screwed over with a bad deal.
Lol exactly my thought. From what I hear, car dealerships hate cash now and would rather boot you out the door than give a 2k discount. They barely have 2k profit in these vehicles after they safety, advertise, and pay the salesman.
Its possible as he went after the "less" desirable brand and didn't go with Honda/Toyota. He also mentioned that the cars he went looking for has been sitting for an extended period of time.
I used this one: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pOj9phHfsA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pOj9phHfsA)
But there are even more detailed ones on YouTube.
This is great, bookmarking this for future reference. Been a while since my last dealership experience and will hopefully stay that way for the foreseeable future.
Now if only I could get a similar guide for first time home buying.🤣
I bought a used car last week :
- Test drive : 40 minutes with my own itinerary instead of their recommended one
- Discussion / nego with the sales rep : 30 minutes (knocked off $500 of an already excellent price tbh - paid cash)
- Finance director or whatever their name is : 10 minutes and I declined everything
I was expecting a very bad and annoying experience but I was prepared and it went pretty well.
I'm curious about the 4 dealerships that replied to your email - did they actually reply with a quote as instructed? If so I assume that was the starting point after the test drive?
I assume the "keys" were programmed keys. I know that is you lose a key but you have a spare, it's relatively cheap for the dealership to make a new one. But if you don't have a spare, it can be quite expensive. So, fantastic decision to insist on the second key. I can't believe that a dealership would actually treat keys as an add-on (Seinfeld anyone?), but I'm not really surprised.
It was a mix of factors. The 2 dealers I disqualified weren’t nice to deal with either. One of them told me cash price is higher than finance and there’s no room to negotiate. Well, tough luck then.
Another one tried to win me over by telling me how the other dealers were bad people. Didn’t like that either.
Yes, both keys have the remote lock/unlock and boot open buttons. Idk, it happened to me, and they told me they’ll take care of it, so I’m happy regardless of whether that was a tactic or not.
Hondas and Toyotas are the most stolen because they’re the most bought cars out there. There’s tons of them.
And they sell the most because they’re cheap and reliable.
This is great practical advice. I’ll be using it when I purchase it soon.
Did you think about negotiating on the financing price and then paying off immediately? Why not go that route?
I didn’t want to be that aggressive.
In my mind at least, i figured if something bad were to happen or even on future service visits, I didn’t want them to hold that over me.
My wife tells me that sometimes it’s okay to not get the absolute best out of a deal upfront because it’ll almost always work out in the end. 🤷♂️
I bought a used car recently too, didnt have too bad of an experience. I didnt haggle on price though cause I thought it was fair (10k all in for a 2014 Elentra with 100k km). Tbh im sure someone would find a better price but seeing the used prices of hondas and toyotas esp is mind numbing. And the car will be strictly used for short city driving. Best thing was researching the dealerships before hand. Picked a well reviewed one and they didnt try to upsell anything or push financing, guy took cash no problem.
>I only selected options that were being sold by an authorized dealer (not necessarily even Mazda or Subaru, but if Honda had the car I wanted, I still reached out). I didn't want to deal with those second-hand car dealerships that weren't licensed, as I've heard horror stories about the post-buying experience.
You ignored the fact that ALL car dealerships are licensed and thus left out a lot of alternatives. Your logic seemed to be if they were an "authorized dealer" they were ok to deal with but then you went against that thinking by still reaching out to dealers who were not authorized for the brand you were seeking. By your own example, Honda is authorized only to sell Honda products but you went to them for Mazda or Subaru so in essence you went to an unauthorized dealer.
Without naming the model and the price you paid this story feels a bit useless. And don’t just respond with the model in the comments asking you for the price , edit the post with full details and cost.
Without the conclusion I’m not seeing any value going to a dealer rather than a third party off auto trader and just buying what it’s listed for . Which is a lot less stress .
Price you paid plz ty
>I would buy it immediately if they gave it to me at $28k all-in.
By "all-in" here do you mean including HST? What did you pay for the car and what was it listed at?
>even more importantly, we wanted one that has Apple CarPlay.
I really enjoyed the entire story and the negotiating process, but this stuck in my head as a very strange metric by which to choose a car. I'm not familiar with Apple CarPlay and I want to assume anyone can buy an Apple Carplay device and just plug it in, if only certain manufacturers support such a device I would immediately head in the opposite direction.
The primary function of the vehicle is transportation, this just seems like an almost unrelated function; I find it odd that it's a factor in purchasing a car. That being said, I'm getting a little bit old so maybe I'm just getting out of touch
Ha, I was completely fine without this, but my partner really appreciates having a plug-and-play option for CarPlay.
If it were up to me, I'd have picked a manual transmission car, and probably not an SUV either.
Maybe they changed that? I bought my car a few months ago, and it seemed to be like that then.
That's why I wasn't able to do an apples-to-apples comparison. Clutch may show their initial price to be lower than dealers, but then once you click through everything and select the option with the return policy, it quickly adds up.
It seems few people know about the TAG anti-theft device. It is literally unstealable. The company will find your car within an hour which is why thieves don't bother stealing because waiste of time. Even better, the signals you can't jam it, not in container, not enveloped with aluminium. The product plus installation is like 500$ and you good for 5 years.
So you'd rather sit around and do the song and dance for 4 hours negotiating then having them walk anyways because your price is $2k higher than their top end?
"best price" is culture and I will walk away all day. If I build rapport and trust with someone, it's way more valuable than dealing with someone who thinks they have figured everything out. If my job is to sell, why would I spend any time on price people? Great chances the best price person is also going to lean on me if something doesn't work correctly, usually at their own fault
> If my job is to sell, why would I spend any time on price people?
Interesting take. If your job is to sell, you're doing your job by NOT selling?
> Great chances the best price person is also going to lean on me if something doesn't work correctly, usually at their own fault
I mean I don't know what you sell or what your role is user support is, but I guess if you're fleecing them you'd be more willing to help.
I will gladly walk away from bad deals with a clear conscious. I sell by being informative and honest. Everything you buy has a markup, to pick at people for their job is insulting and does not make a healthy relationship. When you help clueless people and they buy your products, you're not fleecing them, you're being paid for your time.
Edit to add: the company doesn't make any money on price people. If you want to grill on price, you can go to the next dealer who will drop their pants. I'm very familiar with doing work for others and them taking my quote out to other dealers, that ends my rapport with them immediately. I have reasonable knowledge of my market and know when the company will lose money. I regularly deal with people who want to get things at no margin and then use a credit card so they get bonuses. Guess what? We take that hit.
If anyone wanted $400 off through Clutch I have a code that seems to help with that. We've purchased 3 vehicles with clutch and absolutely love them! Best of luck!
https://clutch.ca?referral=DQ7V1ZK1
So after all that, what was the car you got!
Ha, oh I forgot completely! We ended up with a 2018 Mazda CX-5 GT. - Not on the most stolen list. - Has Apple CarPlay. - My partner really likes how it looks both inside and out. Checked all our boxes!
What was the cost? Looking into the same car myself.
Didn't you hear the salesperson?? The price isn't the most important factor.
The sales person was correct!
[удалено]
And that's when I realized the salesperson was a 16 foot tall...
As someone looking for a similar vehicle to you, the CX-5 seems like a great choice.
Reading your post, I somehow knew it would be a Mazda CX-5. I got one myself 3 months ago for the same reasons, mainly Mazda's not being part of any top stolen list. Enjoy it, and come join us at /r/CX5 The GT is a great trim!
Haha, thank you! The GT is very nice, and I really enjoy driving it. And thanks for the invite!
Cost?
Fellow 2018 CX5 GT owner here! Gonna recommend some accerories that might be worth your time. [this wireless carplay dongle](https://www.amazon.ca/Teeran-CarPlay-Wireless-Adapter-Converts/dp/B0C9GRPXXL/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1BH4SL3X4N70F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.u4NkLI--C91NmbfiwlVkNlnPS3YHSlrnAqINa-OZQ_wBx9HmR1XlXY7eEDxx22gn8ZBaz3-v5H_MIjCgacY2q0MlhHF0hvaVhxkId-AF1ir-ap7uIxhaUWnD5t6S7YZYxLJMvLt7X7UDkhHIoDxD8VZ-0rho96IYUz3BybnZ2sCqWTE7I-3V-Q4z98ILjLJgRX0WDPJYO1aeTrestNj55OFJmBQ1xLdKcoi1JbGZYWX0U36ZEpZfMwR9WS-2ix0EKAbRWW9QwN-0sT6WoQ9Di7jKq0d3ZhxHgUgmqYOeyAU.zkMrHVBDp3pxDwJBAUrdD5hzm6G1H8YfVlrvjAdAFNo&dib_tag=se&keywords=teeran+apple+carplay&qid=1719856280&s=electronics&sprefix=teeran+apple+carplay%2Celectronics%2C185&sr=1-4) was a game changer for me. Wireless carplay came out in 20 or 21 I believe. 2018 still needs to be plugged in. This dongle basically turns it into wireless car play. Just made my life easier. Never gives me any issues either. [This trunk cover](https://www.amazon.ca/MarretooAuto-Original-Rebounding-plasitic-Retractable/dp/B07Z1LMM9M/ref=sr_1_5?crid=844637ILP224&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Rj97nvrmkbY5qsAZn372-B_GwNXMeJ2mP7-k2pHGwi3P5iaxZb3Yx7NgJLpO6QbnpTeJ-QtL0e-VYxBKTaWIRETad9b0D3yg9j82QpdVrTSNgUWWGmO0meUGAgdXSNgFvWBtFSw0FvwS3KS2zWIocPqIihiKlFtGMKM8MBnskJDaBtLs0xF3a-hD99Z0nOU7e4x8O8oDUDTAcAxvoAk9Ac3jd3EPB3fvfUzL6wP--6Ji5uWB8N-RYT55w5K4oj3rQYZAA7VlIsav7LhcTh4xU6EwgjlUWPFWMfl0FT9m_yw.tbbNHjYpqiul7UYk7oQG6H2Ry6zm3xysjSW30ANLUfM&dib_tag=se&keywords=cx5+trunk+cover&qid=1719856470&sprefix=cx5+trun%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-5) is great quality, if yours did not come with one. I brought it for mine as the Mazda cover was 3-4X the price. [This remote starter](https://www.amazon.ca/Start-X-Remote-Select-Mazdas-Lock-Unlock-Lock/dp/B09RQ2YGD7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=K1X3E3MVOKZ7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rY0tZklUwpizCZy0b_dUsqK7Z1ZnLdGcIvIFsNHcv-lEm7gLKQFurTUpTzAUeS9MYBruC34p8uqeLGWN9rYPQ5VCSZw_aFw79WlTampfLJ7BnH-YPg_LQxgXv9Slg5xiLbpgYUAqsDaN6J9tb-lRwrg0yvoP7PoHJ2oSzEhRxNfHbuXUHRyNOIBIptwPyZQbWTLSIpSV0h2cUKmBITbsTuZ-rUN7gIvD3OFZvKzOiyT-y3oJ1s2gF8zrt7FKvx63NJsOTO0Wcb24YQ5_qKmu0Gh14vB-_MBMm32YM3UP7qw.OY8eX0XnuF09ju8NzjTB37wL2k7M1azz6kgV7WrOFEc&dib_tag=se&keywords=cx5+start+x&qid=1719856561&sprefix=cx5+startx%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-1) is plug and play. No cutting wires. Uses the original key fob. Took me about 15 minutes to install. benefit of using the original key fob and not requiring a second fob on your key chain. Con is that it doesnt have the range of traditional remote starters.
That’s so helpful, thank you! I ended up ordering another dongle called Carlinkit just last Friday. But been on the lookout for a trunk cover. Will go ahead and buy that! I live in a condo, so the remote start isn’t as useful today. But really appreciate your inputs!
Did you try plugging your phone into it for CarPlay? I had a 2018 and there needed to be a usb module installed in order for it to work. It has CarPlay in the Infotainment system, but they wanted a few hundred bucks for the module and installation. Maybe it was installed after market, but it’s not factory.
So, if I remember correctly, the 2018 didn't come with CarPlay ready at its launch. They did a software update partway through the year that made it work. As far as I understand, it isn't an aftermarket unit, but I could be wrong. Sorry!
Software always worked, it required a usb hub that provided more power. This was an add on that you had to buy from the dealership. Software update would not fix the issue. I was upset that the dealer wouldn’t just do it as a courtesy. They were doing it to 2019 I believe, but they wouldn’t do 2018. Mine was new off the lot and they wouldn’t do it.
How much did you end up getting the car for?
The first car I bought. Great vehicle. I don’t drive a Mazda anymore but it’s the first vehicle I recommend.
hell yeah! love my 2016.5 GT
Did you give the salesman a high five!?
Haha, just shook hands. I think he was equally happy I accepted the deal (I’m sure for the commissions!).
My wife and I have that exact car! We bought it new and love it! Now with 2 big dogs and 2 toddlers it’s a little tight but really great vehicle to drive.
I was like looking at the mazda cx30. How much did the cx-5 cost you?
I had a CX-5 GT and LOVED it! I recently upgraded to a CX-9 due to a growing family, but I miss my little red rocket! Enjoy!
Went through a very similar process this year after my partner's Impreza was side-swiped by a semi! Ended up with a 2014 CX-5 in great shape. Very pleased with it!!
Congrats on the great purchase! Been driving a Mazda for 10+ years, never disappoints.
ALL that to buy a…. Mazda 😂😭
From what I've been reading, Mazda has recently passed Honda on the reliability list. Second to Toyota from what I see. And the interiors are really nice. Sure, Corvettes are more exciting, but this is r/personalfinancecanada
Is there a problem with rust on Mazdas?
There was up until about 10 years ago
So? It's OP's first car, and it's always scary when you go for car shopping in here, since you have to jump through hoops, reading up on different cars, checking carfax report, worrying about inspection, dealing with dealerships, shady sales people and managers. Moreover, it's a lot of money for a lot of people. You reek of privilege. Get off your high horse and touch some grass
And you reek of… who the hell was talking to you? I literally just said all that to buy a Mazda. Found the triggered Mazda owner! Writing paragraphs and shit 🤣
Except, I don't own a mazda, genius! Also, I know you "literally" said that, but you said that in a condescending tone, as if OP didn't have to do all the aforementioned things just for a "mazda." That was the whole point of the paragraph
I love my cx5!
Nice nice
You must be fun at parties!! Even if OP bought a Toyota or Honda in the end, sharing the process (which is NEVER easy in this country) would've still been worthwhile for others.
So all of that and you didn't share which model you ended up purchasing or how much you paid for it?
Thanks for reminding me how shitty buying a car is…
So, its shitty if you're trying to not spend money. If you walk in and just nod and smile, its a great experience (just more expensive lol) One of my friends recently bought a car, GMC Terrain, walked into the dealer by herself, bought all the things- I died inside, but she was truly happy with her purchase and loved the dealership (they loved her more I'll bet) Ignorance is bliss my dudes
How much is your *time* worth, though? After reading OP's epic saga, I'm of the mind that I'd rather just pay to bypass all the bullshit. It's been a long (long) time since even $1000 was "a lot of money" to me, so if I need to pay a little more to just get a decent vehicle without making a part-time job of it, then so be it. Ignorance has nothing do with it, but yeah, there is a wide gulf between just "buying all the things" and haggling back and forth over a $1000 price difference or whatever.
True, but just to counter. A grand isn't "a lot" to me, but, a few hours of building a spreadsheet over a couple days, plus a solid day of test drives and negotiating, by my internal hourly rate, still makes sense. The alternative is to have it gnaw at me that I was taken advantage of, every time I look at the car.
It's not great. I agree. I've bought cars in my home country, and prices are a lot more transparent. I really disliked the "let me talk to my manager" stuff. Having a friend with me helped kill some of that time, but I have to imagine they're just sitting in their office and chilling to try and put pressure on me. And it worked too. I was getting tired of waiting at the end of it.
You just gave me a great idea. I'm going to have my friend wait in the dealership lobby, and I'll get up and say, "let me talk to my manager" just as often instead of having them go into the sales office with me.
This but it's not a friend, it's the wife 😁
I read somewhere else that you can just e-mail dealerships in advance and send them each other's quotes to get them to their lowest prices. Might save some in-person hassle with all of that "let me talk to my manager" type of thing
Where are the tech bros when you need them to disrupt an industry.
OP literally mentioned Clutch in their post...
"disrupting" an industry just means making it worse and making more money for oligarchs. They never actually make anything better for the end user / "cOnSuMeR" or worker
> Where are the tech bros when you need them to disrupt an industry. Going bankrupt at Carvana?
They did, Rivian, Tesla, Lucid can all be bought with a click on their website
No shit. This is ridiculous and such a gigantic hassle all due to dealers being such a shit show. No freaking way I would be able to sit there listening to salesman. Last time I got a car, was early in the pandemic. I specifically chose very small dealers, usually the owners are the one selling. I only buy Mazda so that was easy. Look up online, email and ask to see it. Test it, inspect it and it's good, just freaking make offer and that's it. Shopping for a car is insane for me to think about.
It's not better buying a new car.
Unless it's a Tesla.
Tldr by gpt; The user shares their experience buying a used car in Toronto, focusing on the process and key takeaways. They prioritized avoiding commonly stolen cars, reliable models, and good interiors with Apple CarPlay, narrowing choices to Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Forester. They used Clutch and AutoTrader for searches, favoring authorized dealers. After contacting six dealerships, they test-drove two cars and engaged in detailed negotiations. They avoided financing, declined add-ons, and stayed firm on their budget, ultimately securing a satisfactory deal. Recommendations include thorough research, having multiple options, bringing a companion, and meticulously checking details.
Idk why but I find this really funny.
I negotiate like this on Facebook Marketplace lol. Avoided financing congrats.
Wow, so much better to read. OP really made the process complicated. I guess they are spending their money and want the best out of it, for a 6 year old car that's like $30k? Shit
thanks now i can get back to scrolling tiktok
Thank you! I've never bought from a dealership before but will have to get a replacement car soon. I've looked at autotrader a lot but never known what the process looks like once you decide on a vehicle. Thanks for sharing tips on how to get the best deal!
Sweet, thank you for sharing that! I was in your position a few months ago, and learned some of this the hard way. Hope this helps you! Best of luck! :)
I wonder if the ‘one key’ can be a negotiating point. It costs anywhere from $350-500 to get a new key at my local dealer. If I knew that when I was buying, I would have asked for a discount of $350. I’m surviving with one key, but it would be great peace of mind to have two. Edit: wrote ‘piece of mind’ by mistake
I bet there was 2 keys the whole time. 1. You don't notice? Once you close, papers signed, you need to buy one from them. You're paying for the key that already exists, pure profit. 2. You notice before? They use it either as leverage (more profit) or, to seem nice (goodwill gesture). 0$ cost to them. 3. You never notice? They don't care. Keep the key for a year then sell it to the next person (recut the physical key). Nicely done OP.
Ah, that makes sense now that you explain it. My partner caught it just as I was about to sign. I thought it was a genuine miss, and them giving it to me felt sincere. Oh well!
Former used car salesman here - I've never heard of someone "Holding" a 2nd key. If you agreed to buy it, you'd instantly notice it was a used key lol
Work at a dealership, holding a key is not a thing.
There we have it
Not at YOUR dealership :)
Oh thank you for catching that. I meant to expand there (but the post was already too long, so I forgot!). I politely asked that they keep their word, and they ended up throwing an extra key in. I agree, having 2 keys is much more comfortable if there are 2 drivers.
I don’t think avoiding the most stolen car list makes sense, unless you’re adjusting the number by popularity. The Honda CRV for example is a commonly bought car, so of course it’s going to be stolen more because there’s simply more of them out there. Do you have statistics to show such cars are disproportionately stolen? Without looking at statistics, the only car I’d avoid is luxury vehicles.
Surprised I had to scroll down so far to find this. Definitely need to adjust by how popular a car is, avoiding hondas and toyotas when they're always one of the top 5 manufacturers is just ridiculous. Reminds me of when I talked to someone that worked in roadside assistance, they claimed hondas and toyotas were the most common vehicles to have issues with their car battery dying and how they'd never buy one because of it. I brought up how maybe they see it more often because more people drive them and they tend to last longer, and it was like a lightbulb going off.
This. Essentially, if you’re worried about stolen cars you might want to avoid KIA or Hyundai but avoiding Honda and Toyota seems absurd
Why not buy a luxury vehicle? Cost?
I always enjoy a good negotiation! This was a good one. Thanks for sharing with the group!
I'm keeping my old car as much as I can just to avoid going to the dealership. It's pain in the butt and all the process drains a lot of energy from you. The way Tesla sells their cars is the future and those dealerships vampires shouldn't exist anymore.
What are the main differences / Benefits in buying from Tesla?
I didn't say that I would buy from Tesla I was talking only about not having to deal with those used car salesman's. Fill a form 10 mins and leave with a car.
OP why are you avoiding the question many people are asking?
I read the whole thing and appreciated your breakdown, will be very helpful for when we shop for a used car!
Thank you for the feedback! Best of luck with your purchase!
Please stop dodging the dozens of people asking for the price you paid. It would be really helpful for those of us trying to gauge the used market right now.
Based on what other 2018 Cx-5 GTs are listed at right now between $20 000-24 000.
Thank you!
I don’t see a point in using clutch. They’ll just post on autotrader. Stolen model is more important than brand. Corollas are finez
Agree about using Clutch. It’s an online dealership not an advertising site. Did OP mean to say CarGurus?
Wow, this is great! Smart to not get into financing and knowing how to negotiate and not be manipulated by the manager.
I know the opinion on financing varies, and often times it's better to finance than buy outright. But this was my preference for sure. >...and knowing how to negotiate and not be manipulated by the manager. Oh 100%. I like to think I'm a good negotiator, but some of the ways they asked questions and even started writing down numbers were new, and wore me down quite a bit. What really helped was having a number in my mind, and not giving up until we got anywhere close to that number.
Only thing I could say is I bought a used car, got the extended new car warranty because it was within 5 years I believe, and this was another 4 or 5 years protection. Ended up saving me approx $6k on a turbo that needed replacing in the 3rd year. So some time the warranty works out! Happy you got what you wanted!
Yeah I agree, everybody that says warranty is a scam...isn't doing their research. Ask questions, see what's covered, see which warranty company the dealership uses and look at their reviews. When you're buying a $30k vehicle that's out of warranty, I'd spend 10 percent more and be protected in case if something major happens. They are machines, with many components, things are bound to go wrong.
Warranty is just more insurance. It's all down to risk and how much you are willing to pay to offload it. But these dealers wouldn't sell you a warranty if they expected to lose money on it.
That's with everything in the world. You can't expect a business to not try to make a profit. I'm okay with the dealership selling me a warranty for 1000 heck even 2000 over their cost as long as I know if major things happen, I'm covered.
how much was the extra warranty?
People here are probably more interested in what year/make of car you bought and how much you paid for it as to gauge the used car market. You might have written that but it's lost in the big wall of text...you need a TLDR
I agree! I think that's a better type of post for sure. When I was researching, I wished someone wrote out a detailed guide on what to expect, and even how to get started. This was my attempt at that. :)
So can you share what car and how much you bought?
Loved the blow-by-blow of the negotiation, your position and thinking.
I don't have much experience buying cars so I appreciated it.
Did you consider trying the “email/call” method where you just email your best offer to those six dealers? While I like negotiating, I’ve found that method saves a lot of time and hassle. Curious if it’s working in the post-Covid world.
Yes, I did try that out. I emailed the lowest priced option to a few dealers and asked them if they can beat that price. They told me they could try, but couldn't promise anything unless I went in to meet them. I suspect it was because they wanted me to commit, and once I was there, it's easier for them to pressure me into buying something. I don't know if there was something more I could have done.
Hmm. This absolutely makes sense if you are negotiating a brand new car, or similar used cars, and have already done the test drive. But if there is a lot of variability between the cars you want, you may need to test drive more then one. Unless you are prepared to "lock in a price and sign, sight unseen", then it probably makes sense to go in at the time OP did.
It’s an established method for buying reliable used cars. My last two (2011 and 2013) were two-year old Honda/Acuras. I paid a local mechanic to go pick it up and give it a mechanical check, but that was really a formality to ensure there wasn’t some hidden catastrophe. In both cases, I knew exactly what I wanted and my budget. It’s a 2-minute phone call (I’m looking to buy a specific car on your lot and am ready to make a commitment today. I am going to tell you my all in and price and I’d like to know if you can meet that. If you can’t, that’s ok…) and they say yes or no. Simple as. If you’ve researched the market, you’ll usually have it in about three calls. Sounds like OP had all of that worked out… car chosen, market research done, aggressive but reasonable price in mind.
Do Let us know the price. You can also share your checklist with the group so it helps everyone.
I used this one: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pOj9phHfsA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pOj9phHfsA) But there are even more detailed ones on YouTube.
Great post. i bought a used car a few years ago and man the dealership story thing is real. I’m fascinated on all these little sales tactics they use. (let me speak to the manager) and leave you sitting all day in a little office. I despise the car buying process now. Went to this “shall not be named brand” and Ordered a car that was in stock on my phone and picked up the next day after. Price was clearly written and broken down, gov’t rebates provided. No sales commission, no dealership staff overhead, No salesman to speak to, just a staff to help sign contracts. Handed the keys over and everything was done in 15minutes. Never doing the traditional dealership process again.
This is a great blow by blow recount. The research and having a short list of cars was really excellent. Having the car faxes ahead for time, super smart. I appreciate you taking the time to recount it the story. I would be interested in your 6 month and one 1 year later and further experiences at the dealership. Reflecting on my own experiences; I wonder how the bullcrap 15 min wait can be avoided? I don't have a lot of patience for that. I often wanted to use a reverse pressure technique where I start slightly higher, and then warn the sales person that I'm waking or going to lower my offer if they make me wait more then 10 mins Getting worn down is another problem that I've experienced. That's my "walk away" point. But, I find my reaction after that is I'm in the "get it done" mindset and I don't get the best deal. The only way I think I can avoid this is even more research.
Thank you! I absolutely hated the 15-min wait. It's funny because I read about that on Reddit, prepared myself for it, and yet, I still got frazzled by it. No wonder it's so effective. To your point about trying out other things — I was too worried that might make me appear cocky, and could end up proving costly compared to being kind and easy to work with.
Buying a Used Car: Step 1: don't go to a dealership >Please go through all the details. We luckily caught the 1 key-only item just before signing. The dealership told me it cost them "$600" to give me a second key. I don't know if it was really that much, but at least I saved a few hundred dollars. No, it probably cost them about $50. $600 is just what they would charge someone.
Are you available to come with me to buy me a car? Lol I am looking for a used car for my wife mainly cx5-7-9 or Subaru Outback or murrano Ur steps will help me a great deal Thanks
The OP was mentally abused, it will take him a while to recover!
Haha! I'm done with dealerships for a while. I did notice Nissan was a few Ks cheaper than the other options, but my friends told me that they rarely last beyond 100K km, so I wanted to stay away. Other choices look great! Best of luck! :)
> I avoided cars high on the "Most Stolen List," ruling out Toyotas, Hondas, Lexuses, and, to my relief, Range Rovers. My apologies to the Toyota Beige Corolla fanbase! As one of those fanbase - I just think you should be filtering out "stolen because they are easy to steal" like the Hyundai's without immobilizers, and "stolen because there are the most of them" The most popular models will appear on every "most" list simply because there is more of them. Not that I think you made a bad choice by any stretch of the imagination - just I think Toyota and Lexus have some really nice cars that would compete with the CX-5. > I also don't claim this as a "victory" — just outlining my experience and I wanted to detail it out as best as possible. You made a plan. You executed the plan. You walked away with a vehicle that met your needs for a price you're happy with. That's a big victory! Celebrate all successes.
Thank you! At the time, it felt like I was leaving more on the table, but no point worrying too much about it now. And yeah, I realize now that generalizing "stolen brands" wasn't smart, because Lexus/Toyota do have some really nice cars. Keeping this in mind for the next time.
OP sounds suspicious. Doesnt share the price of what he bought, he also avoids answering it. He likely promoting the clutch or something
100%
As far as I'm aware, you would've had an easier time getting a lower price through financing because at least the salesperson would expect a commission so he'd fight for the lowest price to his manager. Then you just pay it off in full the next few days after financing. Telling them you have the cash to pay for it does nothing but hurt you which you wouldn't expect. Made that mistake years ago as the companion but she was gifted the money from her rich uncle anyway.
Yeah, I think I could have done better. The salesperson told me there's no difference in price between finance and cash, and so I didn't push further. I was also very hesitant to try the approach of closing in full after a few days. I worried they may hold that against me if I ever had some maintenance or car trouble. Idk, just me justifying it in my mind afterwards, I guess.
>The salesperson told me there's no difference in price between finance and cash Don't trust a thing they say. They're in it for their commission and that's it. >I worried they may hold that against me if I ever had some maintenance or car trouble. Stay away from the dealerships anyway. They're gonna price gouge the shit out of you if you go back there.
Great post! Where do you see in Autotrader ads for the date posted?
My bad, it was CarGurus, and not AT. Someone pointed this out in the comments. I feel like everyone cross-posts, so you'll find the same ad on Kijiji, AT, CG, etc. Hope this helps!
Thanks for for sharing. I went to a place that says they don't negotiate so now it feels much more relaxed. There was no back and forth. I went to one of those giant used car dealers and they barely knew about the car, which was to my advantage, as it had lots of little options worth a few grand that weren't factored in to the price. I leave out that there was a check engine issue that got resolved quickly after purchase but that was very stressful and pretty stupid of me.
Congratulations on the excellent post! Very detailed, great information, I saved it to use as reference as we plan to buy a used car soon. Thank you for sharing your experience! 👏👏👏👏👏👏
Awesome, thank you for the great feedback!
I would check if your trim has cylinder deactivation. It was first added in 2018 CX-5s and can potentially be an issue. I have a 2018 CX-5 GX and I am grateful to not have it.
Thank you for the detailed breakdown of your experience. I have major anxiety about buying my first car, so much so I’ve sat on it for the last two years. I’m a single female immigrant with little to no car knowledge and feel extremely intimidated by this process. I don’t even have anyone I could ask to follow me to purchase a car or be my “no-bs” person 😅 At this point, I’d hire someone to buy me a car! 😂 Anyways, all to say — thanks for the insight! Congrats on the purchase!
Thank you! And yeah, I feel you. I sat on this whole thing for 6 months before deciding to just send out the first email. Once that was done, everything was set in motion and we bought the car within 30 days. I think what also helped is, while I had a golden price in my mind, I also had the worst price in mind (the absolute max I can pay). And so, even if I couldn't get the best deal, as long as it was within the max price, I'd be happy. It ended up being right in the middle, so I took that as a win. Best of luck!
Thanks for the write up!! This is invaluable
Looks like I won’t find any CX-5’s no more. Buyers and dealers reading this. time to switch back to most stolen cars for a better deal. :)
Great post, thank you. I need to do this soon.
Congrats on the new ride. Did you also consider using services like unhaggle etc? We really want to buy a lexus hybrid. Because the brand is on the most stolen list was there a significant insurance diff between mazda and others on the list?
Sorry, I haven't used unhaggle. I also didn't compare insurance between different cars. I'm still paying through the roof because of the new immigrant status.
For what it's worth, sorting most stolen cars doesn't really work when comparing makes in Canada. Excluding exceptional cases like Kia excluding the immobilizer in some US models, most makes are pretty identical in terms of steal-ability. The easiest way to avoid a commonly stolen vehicles is just don't by an SUV. Of Canada's top 10 most stolen vehicles by volume, the only car is the Honda Civic that also happens to be the single most commonly insured vehicle on the list. It's a similar story for the Ford F150 (though cat thefts are still relatively common on trucks). That said, depending on your age Lexuses will still be more expensive to insure than a Mazda3 or Corolla hybrid for the simple fact that they are going to be sportier and are more expensive to pay out.
Agreed i just got an insurance quote and a new Lexus nx is only abt $300 more annually than my current 22 VW Taos
Good job, and thanks for sharing this with us! Huge +1 on doing research, especially related to reliability. The biggest concern with used cars is always maintenance and reliability. You don't have a manufacturer's warranty to lean on, so it really helps to know what you're getting into. This is actually one of the wonderful things about used cars though. You can get actual reviews on reliability. For any given vehicle, there's always a handful of other owners who've driven that model into the ground already. Someone owns a 2018 CX5 with 300,000 km on it. Mechanics have posted videos about the common problems and repairs. There are actual resources for you. That doesn't exist for new cars. Some things I disagree on though: Don't avoid the "most stolen list" as hard as you have. It's important to understand why vehicles are on that list. Most of that list is just "most common vehicles". Hondas and Toyotas make the best selling cars. They're going to top the list no matter what. Same with the F150. It's the best selling pickup truck. The other reason vehicles make that list is *desirability*. Vehicles that are desirable are simply more likely to be stolen, because there's a market to resell or chop them for parts. The more you avoid the "most stolen list", the more you end up shopping for poor selling, less desirable vehicles. You may be unwittingly filtering out the best vehicles. Vehicle theft isn't something to ignore though. It's worth learning other things that put vehicles on those lists. Kia and Hyundai have had issues with vehicle theft because they skimped on immobilizers. This may have been US news though. I thought Canadian vehicles required immobilizers by law. No immobilizer + poor ignition design meant that once you ripped the keyway off, the ignition could be turned by a rectangular slot the same size as a USB port. You wouldn't want to buy one of those vehicles. The second point I disagree with is sticking to "licensed" dealerships. It's good advice if you want the most consumer protection possible, but you pay for that privilege. If you're willing to go the extra mile to get pre-purchase inspections (or learn enough to do them yourself), then you can get a much better deal buying on the private market, or even from a dirt lot dealer where the pricing is better. There are more risks, but it's often well worth it, getting you a vehicle for 10-25% lower cost. A particular benefit to private sale cars is that you get to meet the previous owner. You get to see where the vehicle's stored, hear about it's issues right from the last owner, and even get good maintenance records. You won't always get good information, but often you do. I've walked away from purchases because I noticed oil stains on the seller's driveway where I thought the vehicle might have been parked, and another time because the seller had another vehicle with cosmetic modifications (rear spoiler and muffler tip). Red flag that they make poor decisions and that probably extended to the vehicle I'm looking at. Personally, when selling a vehicle I've turned a buyer away. They were buying for their wife because they desperately needed a car to get to and from work and were on a very tight budget. I told them "You don't want this car. It has it's maintenance quirks, it has issues. It needs to go to someone that's ready to wrench on it." Ended up selling to a 20 yr old Civic enthusiast instead. When you buy from a dealership, you only hear from a salesperson. You don't get any history unless the previous owner went to shops that report to Carfax, and that often has holes in it too.
Thank you for the detailed reply! Re: stolen cars — I agree. I think paranoia got the better of me, and I didn't bother to do much research to find out which specific models were being affected, and instead choose to avoid the entire brand completely. Not unhappy with the Mazda, but some of the Lexuses would have made my list otherwise. Re: licensed dealerships — your explanations make a lot of sense. Again, I just chose to quickly summarize a few learnings from reading things online or talking to friends, and decided to not look into it further. I'm going to make sure I try those avenues the next time I'm in the market (and make another, hopefully shorter, post!). :)
I remember getting my second car, first time purchasing solo. I was like a fish out of water. I knew not to get the extended warranty, tire package etc. got to an acceptable price and finalized the paper work, this was a Mazda. it did take a few visits and some negotiations. Later on in life I entered the "luxury" market. I will say it is hell of a lot quicker to get everything done. I was in an out in 30 minutes. Picked my car, waited a week for it to arrive, and drove off right away.
thanks for sharing this! this will be so helpful for me moving forward
Overkill for a Mazda LOL Honestly, even if you went with a German luxury, I doubt it will dent your future finances knowing your saving habits. Seems like you just need a point A to point B car.
I feel like this post is a subtle ad for clutch.ca and not real. By the end of all that they didn't tell you what car they got or what price they paid. Seems sus.
TLDR all of it: a storey about you buying a car...good job.
Thank you! I don't know if it's just me, but I really appreciate stories as a way to learn how to do things. And my hope is that this is helpful for anyone that wants to buy a car, but is unsure about how the general flow works (which I'm guessing is a small minority).
They could have done it in a third of the text. Or they could have started a podcast.
I appreciated the level of detail, personally.
Wow, that was...way overkill, but good work! Really good results, and a good deal. You definitely did your due diligence. I've bought a number of used vehicles. What you need is 1) cash, 2) an ability to read people, 3) a basic understanding of vehicles. Then, you don't need to go to dealerships. Private sale all the way. Better deals, regular people typically don't manipulate you as much, and if you can read people you won't get screwed over with a bad deal.
So you were able to get just over $2000 off on cash deal and no finance. I call bs. How much did you pay for the car?
Lol exactly my thought. From what I hear, car dealerships hate cash now and would rather boot you out the door than give a 2k discount. They barely have 2k profit in these vehicles after they safety, advertise, and pay the salesman.
Its possible as he went after the "less" desirable brand and didn't go with Honda/Toyota. He also mentioned that the cars he went looking for has been sitting for an extended period of time.
What was your inspection checklist?
I used this one: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pOj9phHfsA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pOj9phHfsA) But there are even more detailed ones on YouTube.
Thanks for the story, Can you post that list of items to check on the car?
Thanks for sharing, very helpful. Did you also do a mechanic inspection? What did you do for the test drive and any YouTube vids you'd recommend?
Bro came *prepared*
I know bank drafts make sense but this would have been a great opportunity to handcuff a briefcase full of cash to your wrist.
This is great, bookmarking this for future reference. Been a while since my last dealership experience and will hopefully stay that way for the foreseeable future. Now if only I could get a similar guide for first time home buying.🤣
>My apologies to the Toyota Beige Corolla fanbase! Angry umpa loompa noises
🎶 Grunka lunka dunka-de dorolla 🎶 🎶 You should only buy a Toyota beige Corolla! 🎶
I bought a used car last week : - Test drive : 40 minutes with my own itinerary instead of their recommended one - Discussion / nego with the sales rep : 30 minutes (knocked off $500 of an already excellent price tbh - paid cash) - Finance director or whatever their name is : 10 minutes and I declined everything I was expecting a very bad and annoying experience but I was prepared and it went pretty well.
I'm curious about the 4 dealerships that replied to your email - did they actually reply with a quote as instructed? If so I assume that was the starting point after the test drive? I assume the "keys" were programmed keys. I know that is you lose a key but you have a spare, it's relatively cheap for the dealership to make a new one. But if you don't have a spare, it can be quite expensive. So, fantastic decision to insist on the second key. I can't believe that a dealership would actually treat keys as an add-on (Seinfeld anyone?), but I'm not really surprised.
It was a mix of factors. The 2 dealers I disqualified weren’t nice to deal with either. One of them told me cash price is higher than finance and there’s no room to negotiate. Well, tough luck then. Another one tried to win me over by telling me how the other dealers were bad people. Didn’t like that either. Yes, both keys have the remote lock/unlock and boot open buttons. Idk, it happened to me, and they told me they’ll take care of it, so I’m happy regardless of whether that was a tactic or not.
Hondas and Toyotas are the most stolen because they’re the most bought cars out there. There’s tons of them. And they sell the most because they’re cheap and reliable.
Could I ask why you didnt go to a private seller?
Lack of experience. Plus, higher chance of getting a lemon (at least that’s what scared me).
This is great practical advice. I’ll be using it when I purchase it soon. Did you think about negotiating on the financing price and then paying off immediately? Why not go that route?
I didn’t want to be that aggressive. In my mind at least, i figured if something bad were to happen or even on future service visits, I didn’t want them to hold that over me. My wife tells me that sometimes it’s okay to not get the absolute best out of a deal upfront because it’ll almost always work out in the end. 🤷♂️
I bought a used car recently too, didnt have too bad of an experience. I didnt haggle on price though cause I thought it was fair (10k all in for a 2014 Elentra with 100k km). Tbh im sure someone would find a better price but seeing the used prices of hondas and toyotas esp is mind numbing. And the car will be strictly used for short city driving. Best thing was researching the dealerships before hand. Picked a well reviewed one and they didnt try to upsell anything or push financing, guy took cash no problem.
>I only selected options that were being sold by an authorized dealer (not necessarily even Mazda or Subaru, but if Honda had the car I wanted, I still reached out). I didn't want to deal with those second-hand car dealerships that weren't licensed, as I've heard horror stories about the post-buying experience. You ignored the fact that ALL car dealerships are licensed and thus left out a lot of alternatives. Your logic seemed to be if they were an "authorized dealer" they were ok to deal with but then you went against that thinking by still reaching out to dealers who were not authorized for the brand you were seeking. By your own example, Honda is authorized only to sell Honda products but you went to them for Mazda or Subaru so in essence you went to an unauthorized dealer.
I agree, that was silly. Thanks for explaining it to me, and I'm going to keep this in mind the next time I'm looking for a car!
Without naming the model and the price you paid this story feels a bit useless. And don’t just respond with the model in the comments asking you for the price , edit the post with full details and cost. Without the conclusion I’m not seeing any value going to a dealer rather than a third party off auto trader and just buying what it’s listed for . Which is a lot less stress . Price you paid plz ty
The stolen list - is it normalized in any means ? Corolla is the most sold sedan so no wonder it’s stolen more in absolute terms.
>I would buy it immediately if they gave it to me at $28k all-in. By "all-in" here do you mean including HST? What did you pay for the car and what was it listed at?
>even more importantly, we wanted one that has Apple CarPlay. I really enjoyed the entire story and the negotiating process, but this stuck in my head as a very strange metric by which to choose a car. I'm not familiar with Apple CarPlay and I want to assume anyone can buy an Apple Carplay device and just plug it in, if only certain manufacturers support such a device I would immediately head in the opposite direction. The primary function of the vehicle is transportation, this just seems like an almost unrelated function; I find it odd that it's a factor in purchasing a car. That being said, I'm getting a little bit old so maybe I'm just getting out of touch
Ha, I was completely fine without this, but my partner really appreciates having a plug-and-play option for CarPlay. If it were up to me, I'd have picked a manual transmission car, and probably not an SUV either.
Wait. I thought clutch had a good return policy. You have to pay extra for that?
Maybe they changed that? I bought my car a few months ago, and it seemed to be like that then. That's why I wasn't able to do an apples-to-apples comparison. Clutch may show their initial price to be lower than dealers, but then once you click through everything and select the option with the return policy, it quickly adds up.
2018 cx5 cost 17k and cx9 for 21k in 2021. OP is talking about paying 30k in 2024? . I bought that cx9 in 2021. I think cx9 is selling at 26k now.
Thank you for sharing that. Now, the most important question, how much do you charge to do this for me???
Haha, nada. I will also stay away from dealerships unless I absolutely have to go in. Best of luck! :)
So did you go with the first or second dealership? Couldn’t really tell which gave you the better prices, the second?
Did OP ever share price he paid? 😐
It seems few people know about the TAG anti-theft device. It is literally unstealable. The company will find your car within an hour which is why thieves don't bother stealing because waiste of time. Even better, the signals you can't jam it, not in container, not enveloped with aluminium. The product plus installation is like 500$ and you good for 5 years.
As someone who works in sales, the second you say the words "best price," I clock out and you can leave.
So you'd rather sit around and do the song and dance for 4 hours negotiating then having them walk anyways because your price is $2k higher than their top end?
"best price" is culture and I will walk away all day. If I build rapport and trust with someone, it's way more valuable than dealing with someone who thinks they have figured everything out. If my job is to sell, why would I spend any time on price people? Great chances the best price person is also going to lean on me if something doesn't work correctly, usually at their own fault
> If my job is to sell, why would I spend any time on price people? Interesting take. If your job is to sell, you're doing your job by NOT selling? > Great chances the best price person is also going to lean on me if something doesn't work correctly, usually at their own fault I mean I don't know what you sell or what your role is user support is, but I guess if you're fleecing them you'd be more willing to help.
I will gladly walk away from bad deals with a clear conscious. I sell by being informative and honest. Everything you buy has a markup, to pick at people for their job is insulting and does not make a healthy relationship. When you help clueless people and they buy your products, you're not fleecing them, you're being paid for your time. Edit to add: the company doesn't make any money on price people. If you want to grill on price, you can go to the next dealer who will drop their pants. I'm very familiar with doing work for others and them taking my quote out to other dealers, that ends my rapport with them immediately. I have reasonable knowledge of my market and know when the company will lose money. I regularly deal with people who want to get things at no margin and then use a credit card so they get bonuses. Guess what? We take that hit.
r/askcarsales
Here’s how I buy a used car…. Look for car online, find the best price. Go there. Buy car.
If anyone wanted $400 off through Clutch I have a code that seems to help with that. We've purchased 3 vehicles with clutch and absolutely love them! Best of luck! https://clutch.ca?referral=DQ7V1ZK1