Growing up, dad always took care of negotiating and buying our cars. My mother, my sister and I all gave input on color, etc. but when it got down to brass tacks, my dad took it from there. And, since 
car buying involves getting into finances, I was never allowed to observe the negotiations. I've negotiated the price of a few cars since I've become an adult but I can't say the experiences have ever been very good. Sure, you can go in armed with all the information you can find on the internet but it always seems that there's a reason why that information doesn't apply to the car I'm trying to buy.
And, before you know it, the sales guy and I are arguing over something. I've always gotten the car I wanted but the process just tends to taint the happiness for me. Maybe I just suck at negotiating.
According to Kipplinger, though, there may be a better way for me to go about buying my next car. In their article Hate to Haggle? Here's Help, they provide overviews of services that will negotiate the price of your desired car for you.
Most people don't want to pay sticker, but they don't want to work at whittling it down, either.
You specify the make, model and style of the car you want, and CarBargains solicits bids from at least five dealers in your area. You receive a copy of each bid and the name of a contact at the dealership. The service costs $190.
Using CarsDirect.com (available in 39 states) involved almost zero hassle. The buying service negotiates with dealers in advance, so it has a list of prices waiting for you. Choosing the car and options are straightforward, and the site also divulges all current rebates and incentives.
With Drive One, the vehicle price is guaranteed to be at or below Kelley Blue Book's New Car Blue Book Value -- the average transaction price for a new model, which also is listed in our December issue new-vehicle buyer's guide. (KBB's New Car Blue Book Value doesn't include cash rebates, which go directly from the maufacturer to the consumer.) You can try to negotiate even lower prices when you get to the dealer.
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