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Comment by mikeash | Hacker News Reader

The best way to buy a car is from Tesla. Configure your car exactly as you want it online. See the exact price you will pay. When you're ready, click the button and put down a deposit using a credit card on their web site. When the car is delivered, pay the balance with an ACH transfer. Drive it home.

You certainly can do well with traditional dealers if you're prepared. It's just crazy that you even have to worry about it.

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I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned CarMax. I won't argue as to whether CarMax is best or not but I can attest that it is a very straight-forward, no-haggle, and pretty fair-priced way to buy a car. Even if you don't feel they are best-priced, you definitely will 100% avoid all of the anxiety and nerve-wrackiness that comes with going into traditional dealerships. That alone might be worth a slightly inflated price to avoid that experience anyways.

True and they will ship cars around their lots for you. That said, you pay for it if you don't end up purchasing the car but I think it opens up a lot of inventory to sift through.

Most people can't afford a Tesla... so thats a moot point.

I disagree. It's an existence proof that there is a better way, and demonstrates that dealers are blocking our ability to access that better way.

Not long ago, one could have argued that the dealership model was the best you could do. Now it's impossible to argue that, since the best car-buying experience out there doesn't involve dealers.

Thanks for the downvote I guess? I said it was a moot point because you said just go buy a Tesla! Which most people can't afford or want to spend on a car.

I'm not in love with the dealership model but its not a choice for 99% of buyers.

I have no idea who downvoted you, but just for the record, on HN, it's not possible to downvote any post that is a reply to you.

I don't know why people always assume the person who replied is also the person who downvoted. There are probably a couple thousand people with downvote privileges who've visited this thread. Even ignoring the bit where I can't downvote you, the odds that it's the person replying are small.

I didn't say just go buy a Tesla. I said that Tesla is the best way to buy a car. I didn't say it was an option for everybody, and "the best way" doesn't require it to be.

I genuinely prefer the no-haggle car sales process. It's ridiculous that some people pay hundreds or thousands more than others for these cars.

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