CarsDirect

Full review
Just bought a new Toyota Highlander using CarsDirect.com. It was an easy and pleasant experience. I did purchase the Consumer Reports price report on the car (the free sources do not tell you the "holdback", the amount below "invoice" the dealer really pays) and they indicate that if you can get a car 4%-8% above their real cost to the dealer you have gotten a good deal. I paid just below a 5% markup (including a somewhat bogus "document fee" I had to pay) of this figure for my Highlander so I am satisfied I got a good deal. Had I gone to all the dealers in my area, played one off the other and really bargained could I have gotten a cheaper price? Quite likely. But, it was not worth my time to save a few bucks as long as I was getting a pretty good deal.

The process was very easy with CarsDirect.com. I configured my dream car and submitted the request. Got a call within a day from a rep who went over the cars actually in inventory. Did not get quite my configuration but close.

At no time did the price deviate from the web price except for the addition of the $180 document fee (this is not the government registration fees) which I did not like but which I have told is fairly common (along with "advertising fees", of which there was thankfully no mention).

At the end they tried to sell an extended warranty and Lojack but it was not a particularly hard sell and the rep backed off quickly once I told them I was not interested.

Once I agreed to the deal I was directed to the actual dealer and went there to pick up the car. Since the deal was all done I did not need to sit through any attempts by the dealer to sell "extras" as I have every other time I bought a car. This was very welcome.

All in all the easiest car I ever bought.