Hacker News Reader

Comment by Cshelton | Hacker News Reader

Tesla does not really have "Model Years". The vehicle is constantly changing week to week, and priced so. You just need to buy when you want and be happy with the product. Just like an Iphone!

Also, other car manufactures actually change their prices all the time based on cost of materials, shipping, etc. The Dealer will change the price based on inventory space, cost to hold, etc. You just don't see it as much because it is hidden behind Dealership "Deals" and "Promotions" that come and go.

Traditionally, it has always been the best to buy a vehicle at the end of the year, when the dealers are trying to make room for the next "model year".

View on HN

"Just like an Iphone!" - wait, what? An iPhone changes week to week? Since when?

>Traditionally, it has always been the best to buy a vehicle at the end of the year

This is still fairly true with the Tesla. They change more often but they still do larger changes that seem to sync up with the calendar year. At least the Model 3 interior refresh did.

Although the best time to buy a Tesla is when Elon needs to hit an earnings goal.

I've read several articles about when is the best time of month/year to buy from a dealer. Some say end of the month is best, because people are trying to meet their quotas. I've read an article written by a hostage negotiator about how to get the best price from a dealership.

I can list off the top of my head a good 20 or so considerations that would go into buying the right truck for my needs. All of them are more important to me than the famously shitty minutia of the actual sale process. Buying a vehicle is a whole can of worms, and Ford's site forces me to open than can before I can even start imagining life with my fancy new truck.

Getting the best price from a car dealer isn't that hard, you just have to be prepared. 1. Decide on the vehicle you want. 2. Research the options and shop around for pricing. 3. Find the bank with the best auto rates and get pre-approved. 4. Visit a dealer and make them an offer. 5. If the dealer balks then just leave. 6. Visit another dealer and make them the offer. 7. Leave this dealer too. 8. Tell each dealer that the other offered you a better price. 9. Repeat, using other dealers if needed, until you get the price you want or the best you can find. 10. Take the best deal, use your own financing, don't take any dealer options or add-ons.

Or, 1. Tesla.com, 2. Configure, 3. Pay.

Yes, buying a car at a dealer sucks. But you can play their kind of games too.

While Tesla's are neat, they seem kind of junky to me. Honestly, I don't want a web site experience when I'm buying a car - buying a car is not like buying say a flashlight. Cars require a 'trust but verify' approach - especially a Tesla.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com