Carmax- really haggle free?

[Anonymous]

We are planning to buy another car and considering using Carmax. Is there really no price negotiation? Has anyone successfully negotiated the price down some?

Thanks for any input!

[Anonymous]

We didn't. We sold our car through Carmax. For us it was worth it -- totally easy and we did get some money. I thought the price was fair but on the low side.

[Anonymous]

It's really no haggle. But they are very pleasant to deal with. We bought a car there 18 months ago and it was the easiest process ever. Here's what you're qualified for, test drove a couple cars, went inside, completed the financing, got it detailed- in and out in two hours total.

[Anonymous]

Yes, very easy. Not the best prices on either end of the transaction, but it is easy.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PP - so easy, no pressure.

We had a USAA car loan ready to go and the whole process took no time at all. We bought two cars from them, and have also sold two. So worth it for the time saved, even if we probably could have worked for better deals somewhere else for both the buying and selling.

Although, then I bought a car using the USAA car buying service - it sent us to a local dealership, car was ready to go for a terrific price. I'll do that again for the next car.

[Anonymous]

Yes, no haggle. Slightly higher prices than you'd get elsewhere but totally worth it.

[Anonymous]

We bought our minivan there. No haggling. No surprises. The price is on the website and on the vehicle window. I felt the prices were decent, not the absolute lowest I could find in a perfect world, but fair. We got pre-approved for our car loan from the credit union and there was no hassle or pressure to use Carmax financing.

My experience with dealers is that they will try to squeeze you for every penny and force you to waste hours as they try to wear you down. I hate car dealers and will never buy from one again.

For my next car I will use Carmax or my credit union's buying service.

[Anonymous]

I think if you're ready, willing and able to haggle you will do better someplace else. CarMax's whole schtick is appealing to buyers who DON'T want to haggle.

[Anonymous]

Yes, no haggle but not the most competitive pricing. That works to their advantage, I think- not yours.

[Anonymous]

Went to Carmax and there was no haggling. But they acted like hungry dogs that hadn't been fed for a long time.

[Anonymous]

No haggle, but when they explained to me their pricing they base it off dealer auction value (which is far below dealer or private/individual transactions). If you can stick it out and have a decent car/model, try craigslist (free).

[Anonymous]

I'm not paying 3K more for a car becuz they say it's worth it.

[Anonymous]

You can also email dealers and ask for their best price quote -- it's nice to be able to get a bunch of emails with prices and select the best one. But this is for new cars, not used. Check www.mrmoneymustache.com for advice on buying used cars for the best price.

[Anonymous]

We bought a new highlander (2013) from a dealer in august for the same price Carmax wanted for a 2010 with the same options. We did spend all afternoon at the dealership going back and forth but I would rather have a car that's 3 years newer than those 3 hours back. Also we got 0% for 60mos and car max wasn't offering anything nearly as good.

[Anonymous]

The only reason to use Carmax to buy a car is because you don't want to haggle with a dealer though as another PP stated you can negotiate the price of a new car through emails.

But I have sold three cars through Carmax because it was hassle free though I would agree that it was not the best price especially compared to what I may have received through a private sale.