Questions on buying a new car

“I've posted this question on an auto website but I haven't got an answer yet, so I was wondering if anyone here could help me.

I'm looking to purchace a new Nissan Xterra 4x4. The major problem is, I LIVE IN LAS VEGAS!!! Everyone here buys SUV's for image and looks and not for 4x4 trips into the backcountry. So between the 5 nissan dealers in town there are maybe 10 4x4 Nissan Xterras and probably over 100 4x2s. About 5 of those 4x4s are white!?! Why would anyone want a 4x4 that was white, it would show the dirt and the rock dings in no time. Anyways, the 5 I have to choose from range from no options to fully loaded.

I'm looking for 2 specific options in any one of 4 colors. There are several that have port installed options (PIO) and dealer installed options (DIO) that I don't really want. I understand DIO's but what is a port? Can the dealer remove the POI's or am I stuck with them? I really don't want to pay for over priced extras that I don't even want but if they are on the only vehicles with the "packages" that I want what do I do?”

“Just buy one from the internet that's in another state! LOL.”

“From my research, you're stuck with the port stuff. Of course you could PAY someone to remove them.

I think you're stuck.”

“Be sure to not test drive it too before buying.”

“It has "port" installed options because it is an imported vehicle. That is the only way any profit from these vehicles stays at home. Please buy American made (owned) vehicles. The job you save could be yours and it is mine. I have worked for GM for 19 years and would like to stay long enough to retire. But with NAFTA, Bush and the rest, workers is this country don't stand a chance. If you are serious about a GM vehicle, drop me a e-mail and I will try to help you out.”

“It has "port" installed options because it is an imported vehicle. That is the only way any profit from these vehicles stays at home. Please buy American made (owned) vehicles. The job you save could be yours and it is mine. I have worked for GM for 19 years and would like to stay long enough to retire. But with NAFTA, Bush and the rest, workers is this country don't stand a chance. If you are serious about a GM vehicle, drop me a e-mail and I will try to help you out.”

“It has "port" installed options because it is an imported vehicle. That is the only way any profit from these vehicles stays at home. Please buy American made (owned) vehicles. The job you save could be yours and it is mine. I have worked for GM for 19 years and would like to stay long enough to retire. But with NAFTA, Bush and the rest, workers is this country don't stand a chance. If you are serious about a GM vehicle, drop me a e-mail and I will try to help you out.”

“It has "port" installed options because it is an imported vehicle. That is the only way any profit from these vehicles stays at home. Please buy American made (owned) vehicles. The job you save could be yours and it is mine. I have worked for GM for 19 years and would like to stay long enough to retire. But with NAFTA, Bush and the rest, workers is this country don't stand a chance. If you are serious about a GM vehicle, drop me a e-mail and I will try to help you out.”

“It has "port" installed options because it is an imported vehicle. That is the only way any profit from these vehicles stays at home. Please buy American made (owned) vehicles. The job you save could be yours and it is mine. I have worked for GM for 19 years and would like to stay long enough to retire. But with NAFTA, Bush and the rest, workers is this country don't stand a chance. If you are serious about a GM vehicle, drop me a e-mail and I will try to help you out.”

“lets ask oh hiker!”

“I've only only owned White pick up trucks and found that White doesn't show the dirt. Black and Silver are far worse.”

“Port installed options are stuff that's installed at the "port of entry" where the cars come off the boat from Japan. They aren't installed at the factory because the US govt imposes import quotas based on the dollar amount of vehicles imported. If they send the cars here stripped, they are worth less, so they get more vehicles into the country before the limits are exceeded and tariffs are imposed. When they come off the boat they have popular options installed at a hugh "service facility" the car mftr has near the dock.

Dealer options? These are things the dealer adds onto a car to increase their margins. And boy, do they take you to the cleaners on those! Typical mark up is 100%(!!) over the dealer's cost. Typically they install custom wheels & tires, pinstriping or decals, specialty leather upholstry, and even "lift kits" on trucks and SUVs. We had a contrctor lift SUV's for $3000, then marked up the window sticker $7000! They sold like hotcakes!

My advice - port installed options are OK - they come with a factory warranty. If you want any aftermarket items get them installed later. The money you save will pay for some great backpacking gear (or rock gear if you frequent Red Rocks near Vegas).

Other tips: Buy at the end of the month - the dealers are trying to meet sales targets and will give you a better deal, especially if you have good credit. Also get outside financing - its typically 1-2% cheaper (Bank, credit union, etc). Dealers add that 1-2% markup as their profit for selling you the financing.

By the way, I don't sell cars anymore - they put the 'ethics bar' so low I couldn't slither under it anymore.”

“Port installed options are stuff that's installed at the "port of entry" where the cars come off the boat from Japan. They aren't installed at the factory because the US govt imposes import quotas based on the dollar amount of vehicles imported. If they send the cars here stripped, they are worth less, so they get more vehicles into the country before the limits are exceeded and tariffs are imposed. When they come off the boat they have popular options installed at a hugh "service facility" the car mftr has near the dock.

Dealer options? These are things the dealer adds onto a car to increase their margins. And boy, do they take you to the cleaners on those! Typical mark up is 100%(!!) over the dealer's cost. Typically they install custom wheels & tires, pinstriping or decals, specialty leather upholstry, and even "lift kits" on trucks and SUVs. We had a contrctor lift SUV's for $3000, then marked up the window sticker $7000! They sold like hotcakes!

My advice - port installed options are OK - they come with a factory warranty. If you want any aftermarket items get them installed later. The money you save will pay for some great backpacking gear (or rock gear if you frequent Red Rocks near Vegas).

Other tips: Buy at the end of the month - the dealers are trying to meet sales targets and will give you a better deal, especially if you have good credit. Also get outside financing - its typically 1-2% cheaper (Bank, credit union, etc). Dealers add that 1-2% markup as their profit for selling you the financing.

By the way, I don't sell cars anymore - they put the 'ethics bar' so low I couldn't slither under it anymore.”

“Port installed options are stuff that's installed at the "port of entry" where the cars come off the boat from Japan. They aren't installed at the factory because the US govt imposes import quotas based on the dollar amount of vehicles imported. If they send the cars here stripped, they are worth less, so they get more vehicles into the country before the limits are exceeded and tariffs are imposed. When they come off the boat they have popular options installed at a hugh "service facility" the car mftr has near the dock.

Dealer options? These are things the dealer adds onto a car to increase their margins. And boy, do they take you to the cleaners on those! Typical mark up is 100%(!!) over the dealer's cost. Typically they install custom wheels & tires, pinstriping or decals, specialty leather upholstry, and even "lift kits" on trucks and SUVs. We had a contrctor lift SUV's for $3000, then marked up the window sticker $7000! They sold like hotcakes!

My advice - port installed options are OK - they come with a factory warranty. If you want any aftermarket items get them installed later. The money you save will pay for some great backpacking gear (or rock gear if you frequent Red Rocks near Vegas).

Other tips: Buy at the end of the month - the dealers are trying to meet sales targets and will give you a better deal, especially if you have good credit. Also get outside financing - its typically 1-2% cheaper (Bank, credit union, etc). Dealers add that 1-2% markup as their profit for selling you the financing.

By the way, I don't sell cars anymore - they put the 'ethics bar' so low I couldn't slither under it anymore.”

“Port installed options are stuff that's installed at the "port of entry" where the cars come off the boat from Japan. They aren't installed at the factory because the US govt imposes import quotas based on the dollar amount of vehicles imported. If they send the cars here stripped, they are worth less, so they get more vehicles into the country before the limits are exceeded and tariffs are imposed. When they come off the boat they have popular options installed at a hugh "service facility" the car mftr has near the dock.

Dealer options? These are things the dealer adds onto a car to increase their margins. And boy, do they take you to the cleaners on those! Typical mark up is 100%(!!) over the dealer's cost. Typically they install custom wheels & tires, pinstriping or decals, specialty leather upholstry, and even "lift kits" on trucks and SUVs. We had a contrctor lift SUV's for $3000, then marked up the window sticker $7000! They sold like hotcakes!

My advice - port installed options are OK - they come with a factory warranty. If you want any aftermarket items get them installed later. The money you save will pay for some great backpacking gear (or rock gear if you frequent Red Rocks near Vegas).

Other tips: Buy at the end of the month - the dealers are trying to meet sales targets and will give you a better deal, especially if you have good credit. Also get outside financing - its typically 1-2% cheaper (Bank, credit union, etc). Dealers add that 1-2% markup as their profit for selling you the financing.

By the way, I don't sell cars anymore - they put the 'ethics bar' so low I couldn't slither under it anymore.”

“Port installed options are stuff that's installed at the "port of entry" where the cars come off the boat from Japan. They aren't installed at the factory because the US govt imposes import quotas based on the dollar amount of vehicles imported. If they send the cars here stripped, they are worth less, so they get more vehicles into the country before the limits are exceeded and tariffs are imposed. When they come off the boat they have popular options installed at a hugh "service facility" the car mftr has near the dock.

Dealer options? These are things the dealer adds onto a car to increase their margins. And boy, do they take you to the cleaners on those! Typical mark up is 100%(!!) over the dealer's cost. Typically they install custom wheels & tires, pinstriping or decals, specialty leather upholstry, and even "lift kits" on trucks and SUVs. We had a contrctor lift SUV's for $3000, then marked up the window sticker $7000! They sold like hotcakes!

My advice - port installed options are OK - they come with a factory warranty. If you want any aftermarket items get them installed later. The money you save will pay for some great backpacking gear (or rock gear if you frequent Red Rocks near Vegas).

Other tips: Buy at the end of the month - the dealers are trying to meet sales targets and will give you a better deal, especially if you have good credit. Also get outside financing - its typically 1-2% cheaper (Bank, credit union, etc). Dealers add that 1-2% markup as their profit for selling you the financing.

By the way, I don't sell cars anymore - they put the 'ethics bar' so low I couldn't slither under it anymore.”

“So, lets see if I can do this without repeating myself several times. The best advice I have is get a/c! Then you will probably have to get new tires if you intend to take your 4x4 off-road. (LOL)”

“Forester by Subaru.Lower and much better.will go anywhere that big tall thing will ,with better mileage and it is safer.SUV's are a risk with the COG so high,they put 20'000 mile tires on them when they're new ,because they are softer ,therefore, safer.”

“My wife has a 4x4 v6 xterra. She loves it, but we're in snow country. Pulls her pop-up. Lousy gas mileage. Needs elec door locks.”

“I love our Forester!”

“buy the car you want...

bongofreak suggested I go to this website and read this stuff...it really helped me make decisions to get the car i wanted at the price i wanted recently

http://www.carbuyingtips.com

i gotta say i love that forrester....the better gas mileage is a welcome releif from bigger suv...all wheel drive rocks...it handles the offroad and drives like a sports car on the road.
happy hunting~~~~~~~~”

“top dawg probably said it best.

-Buy near the end of the month
-Have your financing arranged ahead of time

I can add:
-Use something like www.Edmunds.com to find out what the dealer is paying. Don't deny them a reasonable profit. Something like invoice. Know what dealer holdbacks are. Be aware of incentives offered by the manufacturer. This is all on the Edmunds site.
-Don't trade with the dealer. If you have a vehicle to sell, sell it on your own. I had good luck with www.autotraders.com. Edmunds will give you an idea what your used vehicle is worth.

Car dealers have three basic ways of getting you to pay more: your trade, the price you pay for the new vehicle, dealer financing. I hate buying cars because it's such a game. Knowing the unwritten rules of the game from the dealers' perspective can only help you know how to play.”

“White hides dirt better than dark colors.

I highly recommend the GMC Envoy. Awesome vehicle.”

“Las Vegas, doesn't it get HOT there?

White reflects more heat, so if you are going to go into the desert get a Black vehicle and all the chicks will think you are hot.... and they will be right.

So what that you have to replace the air conditioner more often, it is only money.”

“I just can't stand white vehicles, I don't know what it is about them, I just find them ugly. I'm not thinking of getting black either... I'm not in the secret service or in the herse business.

I've driven one to many Fords to ever buy a Ford again, I seen to many GM/Chevy work trucks in need of repair to want to buy a GM/Chevy, I like the Forester but my wife (who will be driving it) does not, so I'm left with Nissan or Toyota. The 4runner is out of my league in price so I'm left with Nissan.

I've got the carbuying website already as a favorite and I'm working on my "book". I'm looking to buy at the end of this month or next month.

I won't mind about the 20k tires, it just means less time until I can put BFG's on it.

Thanks for all your help, but does anyone know if the dealer can uninstall port installed options?”

“They probably can and they will probably charge....”

“FORD - Found On Road Dead
Fix Or Repair Daily

Chevette - pronounced 'Shove It"

FIAT - Fix It Again Tony

and you can't afford a "Toy Yoda" of Hooters fame ?”

“I've given up on trying to get the wife to buy a Nissan Murano. I've settled on this car...



The Bugatti Veyron. What they did was take two 4.0 lt. V-8 Porch engines and put them together to make a 8.0 lt. W-16. Then they turbo charged it! The result is a car with 1,000 bhp and a top speed (even with a governor) of 252 mph. It does 0-60 in 2.5 seconds and is the fastest and quickest car in the world. How fast and quick? If you raced this beside the previous fastest car, the Mclaren F1, from 0-200 you could give the F1 a head start to 120mph and it'd still win. It's so powerful and sophisticated it has 10 radiators to keep it cooled down.

Price: $3.5 million. I may need a second job for a while.”

“At $20 a pop, you'd only have to suck 175,000 _____.”

“No V. I'm the one paying for it. Not your mom. :P”

“V didn't say that under his real name.

Hey V, I emailed you a couple of days ago to the thebackpacker.com address.”

“Got it.

And no - I DO NOT want to buy any herbal viagra.”

“OH, well if you're the one paying for it, Nigal, that's different! That would be 1,166,666 bj's at your going rate, $3.”

“You're getting as much as $3 a shot? Damn! I'm coming and taking over your corner.”

“ewww... bj's (what's up with that apostrophe anyway?)? I was talking about lollipops.”

“I'll beeyatch-slap you into next week if you so much as try it, Nigal!
:-D

Yeah I knew the apostrophe was a mistake while I was typing it...I'm going to hell for that one! Lollipops aren't good for you, too much sugar.”

“lyra works a corner?”

“Can you get it with a roof rack?”

“The thing doesn't even have a trunk but look at the inside...just gorgeous !

”

“I think I saw it on the news the other day. They said if you floored it, you would only get a 1/4 mile down the road before it ran out of gas.”