Go to the dealer to look and decide what you want, not to buy.  Then get
prices from dealers by email.  Each dealer has an "internet sales rep".
Call and get their email.  This person will give you a lowish price without
any negotiating via email after you've told them exactly what you're looking
for (doing this in an email is probably best).  Get these email quotes from
the 10 dealers closest to you.  Take the lowest quote, and email it around
to the rest giving them a chance to beat it.  Repeat until all the reponses
are that you have a killer price and they can't beat it.

On Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 9:27 AM, David Marshall
<mailinglist@fastforward.ca>wrote:

> OK it's Friday so non Vanagon stuff is allowed on the list... this does
> partain to Volkswagens so I'm OK right!?
>
> My wife wants to trade
> in her 2006 V10 TDI Touareg (20.000km / 1 year warranty remaining - just
> wants a smaller car) and get a 2009 TDI Jetta wagon.
>
> Anyone
> have any sound advice in dealing with the car weasels er um sales people
> out there?
>
> Using round numbers, the Jetta (full load) is 35000,
> three different dealers have what we want, and the average CraigsList
> private price of the Touareg is 55000 - realizing that the dealer needs to
> make a living and trading a more expensive car for a less expenisive car
> is always a bad thing... what is the best deal I can hope to get from a VW
> dealer.  The highest opening offer from the dealers is 35K for the
> car (no one will move on price) and 39K for the Touareg which to me is way
> low... or is it...
>
> Help me get in touch with the "inner
> rodent" of the car sales person!
>
> David Marshall
> VW
> Adventure Driver and BMW Adventure Rider
>
> http://www.hasenwerk.ca
>