5 Things Not to Say When You’re Buying a Car

You’re test-driving a new car and you really, really like it. The car salesperson senses your excitement and casually asks, “So, what do you think?” The words “I love it!” are forming in your mind, but ...

If you say this, or a number of other things, you’re unwittingly revealing information about yourself. Car salespeople are trained to quickly evaluate you, your taste in cars and your economic profile, industry experts caution. And, as the saying goes, what you say can and will be used against you once you reach the bargaining table.

Eliminating the following statements when you buy a car can help you negotiate a better deal.

1. ‘I love this car!’

Saying this to a car salesperson would “give them a hand up when it comes time to close the sale,” says Scot Hall, a former car salesman and now executive vice president of operations for Swapalease, which matches leaseholders with car shoppers looking to take over a lease. “In any negotiation, you want to be careful of what you say and how you say it.”

As a salesperson, “you’re always looking for a commitment,” says Robert Crow, who sold Infinitis for over five years before becoming a real estate agent. Saying you love the car “tells them you’re committed to buying.”

Instead of pledging your devotion, play it cool. Act noncommittal or indecisive when asked for your opinion. After all, you want the dealer to think you can take it or leave it. The ability to walk away from a deal will make you a better negotiator.

2. ‘I’ve got to have a monthly payment of $350.’

This tops Hall’s list of forbidden phrases. Turning a customer into a monthly-payment buyer is the favorite weapon of car salespeople, he says.

“There isn’t a dealership out there that wouldn’t say ‘yes’ to any number you name,” Hall says — and you’ll wind up paying more in interest that way. Negotiating on the monthly payment “takes the focus away from the price of the car.”

A smart finance manager can simply extend the length of the loan until the monthly payment amount is what you want it to be, Hall says. The best protection against this, he adds, is to come in with a preapproved loan. That essentially turns you into a cash buyer at the dealership, allowing you to take dealer financing only if it’s a better deal.