Insider Secrets From a Top Car Salesman

Walk into your next car purchase feeling more confident than ever with these industry tips

As told to

Nicole Pajer,

AARP

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Published October 28, 2025

an illustrated collage shows various images from the car-buying experience, including a key fob, salesman, fuel gauge, tires, a car for sale and engine oil

Andrew Einhorn has 18 years of experience as a top car salesman at dealerships.

Amber Day

Buying a car can feel like stepping into a high-stakes game of chess when you’re not exactly sure how to play. Salespeople can use confusing terms, pressure you to make on-the-spot decisions or say yes to add-ons that they swear you need. With so many moving parts, going in with a strategy can save you time, money and stress.

Who better to ask how to go into a dealership prepared than a former car salesman? We chatted with Andrew Einhorn, executive sales consultant with LuxConcierge, a team of car brokers that helps buyers find the best deal on the car they want.

Einhorn drew on his 18-year history as a salesman at car dealerships to bring you these 17 insider secrets. Read on for tips, in his own words, on how to navigate the process like a pro and walk away feeling good about your new set of wheels.

An illustration shows a woman on the phone with a cup of tea, sitting a desk trying to buy a car

Calling a dealership ahead of time to ensure the make and model you want is available will save you time and hassle.

Amber Day

That deal you saw an ad for might be a bait and switch

You might see an ad from a dealership in the newspaper or online offering the exact car you want at a great price, prompting you to make a trip out to the dealer. But once you arrive on-site, be ready. The car salesperson might tell you that the particular color, make and model you saw in the ad isn’t available anymore. They used to call that “selling the ad car.” In those situations, sales associates could actually get in trouble if they sold the car at the price they were advertising and didn’t switch you to something else. While this tactic is not as common nowadays, it’s still something to watch out for.

If you see a specific car that you want to test-drive, call the dealership ahead of time to confirm they have it in stock before making the trek out there. They should be able to confirm that it’s available over the phone. They can even pull it out of the lot to have it ready when you come in, saving you both time. Most dealers will also have their inventory updated on their website.

December is not the only time of year to buy a new car

We’ve all heard to try to get a new car in December — and that’s true. In December, everyone is trying to hit their year-end goals. So dealerships are desperate to get some cars off the floor, and this can be a great time to land a deal. But car-shopping in August can also be a great time to snag a deal on the current-year model, as dealers start to get inventory on the next year’s models around this time.

Stuck on whether you should buy a 2025 or 2026? If you’re leasing the car, it doesn’t matter as much what year it is, because you’re going to give it back. If you’re buying, purchase closer to the beginning of the model year. If you were buying a 2025 right now, you’re already taking a one-year hit of the depreciation (unless you can get a discount that makes up the difference).

Know what you need — and what’s legal — when it comes to warranties

We tend to think of the car’s price tag as being the big sales pressure push, but a lot of dealers put their sales hat on when it’s time to talk about financing. If, when you’re doing the paperwork, the finance manager says the bank requires you to buy this warranty, or that if you buy this warranty you will get a lower interest rate, that may be incorrect and even illegal for them to claim that. Don’t be afraid to call the dealer out on this by asking them to explain the specifics.

Not buying in person can save you some hassle

Buying a car doesn’t have to mean visiting a showroom, test-driving, then sitting for hours in a dealer’s office while you haggle over prices, not to mention the piles of physical paperwork to sign. You can actually work out the transaction over the phone. I’ve closed many deals over the phone. You can also purchase through services like Carvana, CarMax and the Costco Auto Program, where you can lock in deals virtually. It can also be convenient to use the services of a car broker, like me, who, for a commission on the sale, serves as the middleman between the client and the dealer to make the process run more smoothly.

If you’re not ready to walk, you might not land your ideal price

Your strongest leverage is your willingness to say “no thanks” if the deal you’re offered doesn’t work for you. Always be willing to walk away to get the lowest price. And don’t just say you’re going to walk and not end up doing it. You have to be truly prepared to go through with it. Dealers would often rather make the sale than risk losing it over an extra thousand, so this strategy can make them see that you’re not going to budge on their “final offer.” Have a backup dealer or alternate car seller in mind in the event that the dealership you’re walking away from doesn’t give in to this strategy. But it’s often your best bet.

An illustration shows a woman at a car dealership showroom, trying to decide between a new and used car

Undecided on whether to buy new or used? Keep in mind that dealerships will give you a bit more wiggle room on the price of a new car than a used one.

Amber Day

There is more wiggle room on new car pricing than used

On a new car, there’s the MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price), and then there’s the margin (the difference between the MSRP and the dealer invoice cost, which is what the dealer paid for it), or incentives below that. On a used car, standard practice is for a dealer to price it at market value, leaving little room for negotiation. So typically, you’ll have more negotiating power on a brand-new vehicle.

On new cars, the negotiations start around MSRP, and you can negotiate from there. Some dealers might have a business model where they just have a fixed price. And so with every car they’re just going to say, “This is the MSRP, and we’re going to give you $1,000 or $2,000 off the price. That’s it, and there’s no negotiating.” At other dealers, you can negotiate. And it never hurts to try.

So, how much can you realistically get them to come down? As a general rule on a new car, if you’re getting 10 percent off, that’s usually a good deal. So if the MSRP is $40,000, see if you can get them down to $36,000.

Make a committed offer

The best way to negotiate is to make a committed offer. Figure out what that number is for you, then tell the dealer, “I’m willing to pay this price, and I’m willing to buy it right now.” But don’t make this declaration if you aren’t in a position to buy the car today for that price, because the dealer will see through it. A lot of times I’ll say, “Thank you for the offer. If I can do that, are you ready to buy it right now?” And when I’m ready to get the paperwork started, the customer says, “Oh, well, I need to buy in two weeks because I’m waiting for some money to come in for my down payment.” This doesn’t work in your negotiating favor. Make sure you have your finances in order before getting into this stage of negotiating.

Pit dealers against each other

Different dealerships offer different incentives, but you can use that to your advantage. If you’re looking to buy a specific car and the dealership across town says they have 1.9 percent APR for five years, but your local dealer is telling you it’s only 1.9 percent for three years, don’t be afraid to ask for that. And if another dealer is selling the same car you want at a better price, point that out and see if they can match it. You can say, “This guy offered me this, can you beat the deal?” It won’t always work, but oftentimes they’ll match it. But do your best to get that cheaper price quote in writing, and prepare a reason why you didn’t buy the car at the first dealer, because normally the car is not equal and that’s why it’s a lower price, and the salesperson might call you out on that.

You can’t return cars once you sign the contract — most of the time

You know the movies where the husband comes home with a new sports car that he didn’t run by his wife and she immediately tells him to take it back? It doesn’t work that way in real life. When you sign a contract for a car, it’s yours. And once you drive it off the lot, it has already depreciated. So if you purchase a car and then take it home and decide it doesn’t work for you, you’re stuck with it. Your only option, then, is to sell it yourself or try to trade it in at a dealership to go toward the purchase of another car.

There are some tiny loopholes to this, however. Some states will also allow you to purchase (you have to ask for this to be in the contract) what’s known as a “contract cancellation option agreement” on a used car, meaning you will have the option of returning it within a certain window. You can usually find that information on your local Department of Motor Vehicles or Secretary of State website.

Really test-drive the car before you buy it

Don’t just have the dealer pull up with the model you want to test-drive, hop in the driver’s seat and take off. This is something that I’ve seen happen, which can set customers up to make the wrong decision about whether the car is right for them. Make sure, before you test-drive the car, you take a minute to set the seat and the mirrors to your size and comfort level.

Plenty of people get in the car, start driving and they can’t see anything, and they’re uncomfortable. And if you’re uncomfortable, right away you’re not going to be able to give the car a fair assessment. You could also possibly end up with a car that isn’t as convenient for you. For instance, maybe the seats are harder to adjust than you were hoping for, but you didn’t play with that enough before you bought the car to notice. Open and shut the doors and trunk, adjust the seats, and have the dealer demonstrate how the navigation works. Also, do your homework and make sure the car fits in your garage.

If you’re considering a European car, you might want to lease instead of buy

To lease or to buy is always a great debate. But one thing I would recommend is to never own a European car out of warranty. That’s because European cars can be much pricier to repair due to the cost of imported parts and specialized labor. But if you lease and drive a car under warranty, your repairs will be taken care of as part of your contract. Then, when your contract is up, trade it in and get a new car under warranty again. When deciding to lease or buy in general, check the current incentives and run the numbers. Leasing may save money and reduce depreciation risk.

Understand which add-ons are optional

Some vehicles include dealer-installed extras that inflate the price. If it’s included in the car, it has to be on the sticker with the car. Otherwise it’s an optional add-on. You can negotiate some of these prices down and even try to remove some unnecessary extras. Examples of add-ons that are heavily marked up include paint protection or a 3M edge guard around the doors. Some of these things are already installed, but if the cost is $200 and they’re selling it for $1,000, you might be able to get them to lower the price a lot. So go in knowing the wholesale cost of a car — via a service like Kelley Blue Book or Carfax — so you can identify if there are add-ons.

Focus more on the total price versus the monthly payments

You need to make sure you can afford your monthly payments, of course, but know that it doesn’t tell the full story of the deal. Monthly payments can be manipulated with long terms or hidden fees.

Make sure to negotiate the out-the-door price first, then talk about financing. Sometimes, on a new or used car, the car will be advertised at a really low selling price — lower than everybody else. But when you get there, it has $3,000 to $4,000 of mandatory add-ons, so the deal isn’t quite as good. Thus, you should always compare the total payment versus the price of the car.

An illustration shows a mechanic inspecting a car while the salesman and potential buyer look on

Getting an independent inspection for a used car is often worth the money, as it could save you from having to spend on surprise repairs after purchase.

Amber Day

Do an inspection or find a reputable dealer when buying used

Used cars can be tricky, so it pays to get an independent inspection before bringing one home.

That said, if the car is manufacturer-certified and sold at its namesake dealership (a Toyota car from a Toyota dealership, for example), it doesn’t need to be inspected. If the car is sold “as is” and you’re buying it from an independent seller, a generic dealership or another company’s dealership, you probably do want to do an inspection with an independent mechanic.

An independent inspection by a local mechanic is generally around $132 to $200, which could save you a lot from dealing with the costs of hidden repairs you didn’t know the car you just purchased needed.

“I have to talk to my manager” isn’t always a ploy

One of the most common scenarios in car sales is for a customer to ask for a deal and the dealer to say, “I have to go ask my manager.” While it may seem like a ploy to draw out the negotiations, salesmen typically do have to ask their manager. This is because most salespeople don’t have control over the prices. What’s happening is they’re either reviewing something on the deal, or the salesperson is trying to convince the manager why they should do this price.

Use that time when they step away from their desk to review the contract more thoroughly — check the price and financing rate to make sure it’s everything you discussed. You can even Google comparable cars at other dealers on your phone to make sure you are, in fact, getting a competitive rate.

Expect a lowball offer on a trade-in

A dealership is out to make a profit. So if you’re looking to trade in a car toward the purchase price of another, make sure it’s a fair deal. Get an offer from an online appraisal service or a service like Kelley Blue Book or Carfax, and compare that with the dealer’s offer. Otherwise you’ll have no idea how much the car is worth and can’t try asking for more. If the dealership says they’ll give you $10,000, what if CarMax or Carvana would give you $13,000, but you never went on the website? It’s always a good idea to walk into those negotiations with the paperwork to back it up.

It’s not the sales that bring in profits at dealerships. It’s the maintenance.

At a lot of dealerships, the majority of money is made in service. You should do any required maintenance under warranty; then, when the warranty is over, shop around for out-of-pocket services and repairs. And speaking of warranties, yours will be void if you don’t keep up with the recommended maintenance. Let’s say you don’t change your oil for three years and your engine breaks, and they go, “When did you change the oil?” and you say, “I never did.” They’ll say, “Well, it’s your fault. We’re not going to cover it.” So don’t ignore your service lights and notifications, and keep up with things like tire rotations and oil changes. If you have service done at the dealer, it will be recorded in a central database, so they’ll be able to see if you’ve kept up with service requests.

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