OP. There are several sources to determine price. Forums (prices paid discussions on Edmunds), Facebook groups, Amex auto buying program, etc. Decide what price you want to pay based on these.

Sign up for a new e-mail address. Then e-mail all nearby dealers (50 mile radius) for a quote. Be specific.

Take the best price you get and if that's close to your target price, call the nearest dealership and ask to price match.

I've done the above a couple of times over the years - 2005 and 2012. I suspect the sources of information available to buyers has only gotten better since then.

Anonymous wrote:How do you broach the subject of a trade-in when negotiating online? I'm getting close to my Out-the-door "magic number," and im wondering, do i bring it up now tio try to get them to that number, or do i settle on a number (OTD) and then spring the trade in on them??

Have you brought the car to Carmax? I’ve found I’ve gotten better offers there than the trade-in price at the dealership, though part of that may be that I wasn’t buying the same brand as the trade-in.