New car buying checklist: 10 things to do before you sign
1. Set your out-the-door budget — not a monthly payment. Work backward from what you can pay all-in (price + taxes + fees + any down payment). Once you have an OTD target, everything else is just math.
2. Research transaction prices, not sticker prices. Edmunds, TrueCar, and CarGurus publish real paid prices. Find the 10th-percentile price in your area — that's what good negotiators pay, not the middle of the range.
3. Get your own financing pre-approval first. Your bank or credit union will usually beat dealer financing. Walk in pre-approved and the finance manager's rate-markup game loses its teeth.
4. Expand your search radius. The same car at a dealer two states away can be $2,000–$5,000 cheaper, especially in lower-tax, lower-fee states. Factor in a $500–$900 transport fee and you're usually still ahead.
5. Separate every variable. Negotiate the vehicle price to completion before discussing trade-in, financing, or add-ons. Dealers blend these to hide movement — keeping them separate forces transparency.
6. Request competitive written quotes by email. Three is the minimum. Five is better. The dealer who knows you have competing offers is the dealer who sharpens their pencil.
7. Build a fee rejection list. Before you arrive, decide which add-ons you'll refuse: paint sealant, nitrogen tires, fabric protection, VIN etching, dealer prep, 'market adjustment.' Put it in your first email so it's not a surprise at signing.
8. Check the buyer's order line by line. The finance desk routinely adds items — sometimes silently. Every line on the buyer's order is negotiable until you sign. If something appears that wasn't in the written quote, ask for it to be removed in writing.
9. Don't let the finance manager reframe to monthly payment. When a number seems too high, every good finance manager's move is 'well what monthly payment works for you?' That question is a trap. Anchor to OTD.
10. Have a walk-away point. Before you enter, decide the exact OTD number above which you will leave — and mean it. Dealers know most buyers won't walk after three hours in the showroom. Knowing your number and saying it out loud makes it real.