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Walking out, or the threat of doing so is one of the biggest weapons you have. When they really want to get a deal done it's kinda funny how quickly they try to get you back in. Use the threat strategically. Like when things get tense, tell them you're going to grab lunch or dinner to think about it and that you'll be back. Or in your previous example just say you'll be back the next day or you're going somewhere else. You know as a former commissioned salesperson that it's not a good idea to see a customer leave saying they'll be back because there's no guarantee they will come back. They'll try to get you to stay but don't fall for it. Leaving accomplishes a few things: 1) It gets you out of a tense and pressured situation. If you stay on the premises some of the pressure is still there so it's best to go somewhere else. 2) It tells the salesperson and the sales managers that YOU are absolutely in control of this transaction. I leave when I say I'm going to leave and I come back or stay only if and when I want to. If you want me to stay you'd better make this worth my while. It takes commissioned salespeople out of their comfort zone and brings the balance of power back to you. 3) If things aren't really going your way and you stay at the dealership, emotionally a lot of times, you just feel like you want to get the deal done and might compromise in an area you normally wouldn't. Getting away helps you think about things rationally again.

I was a commissioned salesperson in a previous life too. LOL! Consumer electronics for me. Vendor spiffs went directly to our paychecks in my case. I agree with akirby on dealing with a sales manager especially if you know exactly what you're looking for. As for my most recent purchasing experience, I was able to negotiate $6,000 off of a 2009 Audi A3. $2,000 of it was from factory marketing support. Other factors that worked in my favor included the fact that it was near the end of the 2009 model year, that I wasn't deadset about color and some other features, and most importantly I dealt with a sales manager that was no nonsense but helpful. I ended up emailing him and from his very first response he gave me the option of 1) any 2010 on the lot for $200 over invoice or 2) negotiating for one of the 2009s with the $2,000 in marketing support. Within 2 or 3 more emails, we were able to agree on an additional $4,000 off which translated to a bit less than $4,000 below invoice. All the negotiation was done via email and all I had to do was spend an hour at the dealership test driving the car (since I hadn't driven that specific car yet) and signing the paperwork. One of the most important things that happened was that I let him know when I gave him my final offer that if he gave me that price, I would be in later that evening to pick it up. Another great way to get a deal is to get the car that's in the ad. There was a time that these cars sold really quickly but that's not necessarily the case anymore. The disadvantage of this, of course, is that you don't really have much of a choice in color, equipment level, etc. The upside is that you can sometimes get a car with more equipment than you really wanted at an even lower price. In regards to your comment about having a bad taste in your mouth about car sales, you shouldn't feel that way at all. It's pretty obvious you do your research. If anything, armed with the info that you have, you should actually relish going to the dealership. The key is remembering that you ultimately have the greatest power - you don't have to buy if you don't want or if you feel uncomfortable. And if you don't like the person you're dealing with, you can find someone else. Car buying can be fun especially when you show them that you've done your homework and that they're going to have a hard time putting one over on you. It really changes the way the salesperson treats you when that happens. If you can, make sure you go to the dealership with a level-headed friend or family member. They can help you keep a balanced approach and deflect any pressure the salespeople might try to put on you. Good luck to you in your search!

Elle, to understand why you're not getting the quantity or quality of responses you're expecting, you need to understand the motivation of the salespeople and the dealerships. Giving you a price via email is often not in their best interest. The reason is simple. Instead of gaining a sale, it could actually lose it for them. They figure you're probably going to take their price and show it to another dealer, playing them against each other, and taking the one with the slightly better price. Of course, that's what you've already done. I'm not judging you; I'm just proving my point. Salespeople are reluctant to give price quotes, especially written, unless they know the prospect is serious about buying. I'm going to guess (but I'm not sure) that Mike is part of the internet sales or fleet sales team. Fleet salespeople are not always compensated in the same way as regular commissioned salespeople. Instead, they might get paid on volume so they don't need to mess around. They just give you a price that should be reasonably good and if you take it fine. If not, they just move on. For a better chance (but not a guarantee) of getting better responses, keep these things in mind: 1) No salesperson wants to spend time educating a customer about a car, taking them on test drives, and basically do all the work only to lose the sale to someone else over a few dollars. 2) Salespeople want to know as soon as possible how serious you are about buying a car today or in the very near future. 3) Commissioned salespeople make money on the profitable sale of a vehicle and other automotive-related products. There is nothing wrong with that. They deserve to make a living just like everyone else. Salespeople as a whole get a bad rap because of a few bad apples. 4) The salesperson or "sales counselor" that you talk to at the dealer lot is usually not authorized to give you a binding price. That's why they always need to take the price you've discussed to the sales desk where a manager either okays it, rejects it, or counter offers. So the key here is to play a little psychology. You need to tell them all the things they want to hear but at the same time not come across as a pushover. Once you do that, they'll be on your side. So the next time you ask for a price quote: 1) Tell them you're serious about buying a car in the very near future. When they know you're serious, they'll give you more of their time. Let them know the better the price, the nearer in the future it might be. Let them know that you might even come in and pick it up today if the price is good enough. No one wants to work hard hammering out a price when there is no chance that you're going to buy the car anyway. Let them know it's not all about the price. Tell them your decision will be based on price and service. Say that you would pay $100 more for a car if you knew that dealership/salesperson was really going to go the extra mile for you. 2) Let them know you want to make it a win-win situation: They get to make a little bit of money and you get a great deal. The benefit for them is even though they might not make quite as much on commission as they would like, remind them that you've done all your research already so they don't really have to do too much work. They get to make some commission and move right on to the next customer. You can use this logic to get them to try harder to convince the sales desk to take the deal. See if these suggestions help. The dealerships that still don't respond favorably don't deserve your business.

Though I do think the Interceptor in some ways is an answer to the 300, I don't think it was inspired by it. What I like about this concept, as opposed to the 300, is the Mustang-like proportions with the long hood and short deck. The 300 has a short deck too, but the Interceptor's more steeply raked glass at the front and rear of the greenhouse give it a racier look. From the photos, I am really impressed with the surface detail and smoothness. It looks like a pool you could fall into. Whatever one's opinion, it looks like Ford has accomplished what it intended which was to create a strong reaction be it positive or negative. In a production version, I think the greenhouse would have to be a bit taller, but overall I really like this design.