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Set price-Non negotiable
Only certain dealerships-not all
The idea is to negotiate your best deal with the dealer (Audis for March and April), Volvo and GM sometime later in the year, then ask if they can apply the active "bonus" Costco incentive to your deal. Maybe one dealer doesn't honor the Costco incentive, but you should be negotiating with multiple dealers anyway to get the best pricing, so one of them will take it.
All it is that Costco ensures the buying process is MSRP and no hidden mark ups. Costco partners with some local dealerships to provide the lead and I'm sure Costco pays the dealers a flat fee for brokering.
People don't understand how car dealerships work so it requires another party to incentivize the dealers to offer a car at MSRP without haggling.
I would never buy a brand new car because the dealership has a lot of discretion how they want to pad the sale and there's nothing you can do.
Buying used is the way to go.
If I dont like the deal they presented, I just tell them no and find a different vehicle to purchase (or buy it from someone else).
The idea is to negotiate your best deal with the dealer (Audis for March and April), Volvo and GM sometime later in the year, then ask if they can apply the active "bonus" Costco incentive to your deal. Maybe one dealer doesn't honor the Costco incentive, but you should be negotiating with multiple dealers anyway to get the best pricing, so one of them will take it.
It cannot be both. It's either Costco pricing or not.
I used it. I got a discount on a popular model that I probably would not have gotten. Have to buy from dealer stock, but I would use it again. Takes some of the hassle out of the equation.
With Costco auto program, you get a fixed price and are eligible for all rebates and financing offers. Depending on the vehicle, you may pay less if you want to go in a haggle rather than having that fixed price and saying "I want that one." One has to place a value on one's time and sanity.
I've bought cars at a fixed price (Odyssey at MSRP when they first came out), Ford X Plan (Explorer), and a used BMW in 2021 when cars were hard to find. All in all, I appreciated the no BS approach of fixed prices. I could have saved a little bit on each if I wanted to spend hours, but IMHO it wasn't worth it.
That question was about the AARP program Elnina mentioned.
Just a note that anyone can join AARP (regardless of age) and it's $12 for the first year and $16 a year after that, so if any of the programs are of interest, it's not a big outlay.
Here are some insights from reviews: Pros
- Streamlined car buying experience
- Helpful online tools
- Enhanced customer service
- Exclusive deals
- Discounts on car maintenance and parts
- Savings for Costco members can be applied regardless of where you buy your vehicle
Costco maintains standards for its car-buying program dealership partners
Costco's program is designed for you to buy local
Cons
- Must be a Costco member
- No upfront pricing
- Not all dealers participate
- Not available for all makes, models, and trims
- May still end up haggling
- Limited selection
- A lot of emails from participating dealers
- The program isn't designed for people looking to score the best possible deal on a specific vehicle
The program also offers incentives from manufacturers, such as special lease terms or discounts. Costco program features over 3,000 dealerships nationwide that you can choose from.
Wait for Costco car promo for extra savings.
You might want to compare it with AARP car buying program that also offers great savings.
If your not getting the best possible deal, then what is the point?
If your not getting the best possible deal, then what is the point?
Because nobody ever knows if they really got the best possible deal - they get the deal that is best for them. That magic number is up to the individual to decide.
With this program, it eliminates the time sink of having to haggle over the price of the car. Those hours have value to some.
As I noted, the 3 best car buying experiences I ever had were:
2000 Honda Odyssey - they were selling every one before they hit the lot and I paid MSRP without any add-ons
2011 Ford Explorer - I was able to buy via X-Plan which was a fixed price and it was simple to simply point to the one I wanted
2014 BMW 3 Series I bought in 2021 - used cars were hard to find and I was able to get one at a reasonable price (albeit overpriced vis a vis normal times.)
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MKTwet
All it is that Costco ensures the buying process is MSRP and no hidden mark ups. Costco partners with some local dealerships to provide the lead and I'm sure Costco pays the dealers a flat fee for brokering.
People don't understand how car dealerships work so it requires another party to incentivize the dealers to offer a car at MSRP without haggling.
I would never buy a brand new car because the dealership has a lot of discretion how they want to pad the sale and there's nothing you can do.
Buying used is the way to go.
That for me is the problem. I have never paid the MSRP, I have always bought for $2,000-12,000 less than MSRP, on new vehicles that I bought in 2020, 2017, 2014, 2007, 2003, and 1990. The short periods where dealers were marking up over MSRP have ended, today they are making deals again. For people that don't like to negotiate Costco is a good alternative. I happen to enjoy it, sometimes taking 2-3 hours and overcoming every trick in the dealer's book, to get a good price. When I bought my wife's Outback it was during Covid and they were not offering discounts, just low or no interest. I just told the salesman that I had never paid full MSRP and wasn't about to start, and he knocked off $2,000, and we got 0 interest loan.
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