First; sorry for your position.

Second: call local shops around you (not dealers) and see what they’d quote you for a new cat. $500-2,000 is a big gap.

A lot of used cars right now will put you under within a month due to their actual value vs what they are marked up for, which is why new is a better option (if you can get MSRP or less).

Do not let a dealer run your credit info unless you KNOW you’re going to be purchasing there. Ask for the out the door numbers. They will try to keep you there for hours. They will try to ask you how much you want to pay monthly because they know they can stretch loans to get you in a car.

NEVER TELL THEM WHAT YOU WANT YOUR MONTHLY PAYMENTS TO BE.

Absolutely no markups. When I was shopping in March, I went to check out a Honda CR-V, they didn’t have the trim I was looking for, but they still tried to sell me on something when I told them it was out of my budget. They also said that they don’t do markups, but once the car arrives and before you pickup, they added $4k worth of accessories. They didn’t see that as a markup because they are adding things, but you didn’t sign up for that.

Be stern. Go in with an actual budget. If they want to beat around the bush, walk away. Seriously, just get up and leave.

Do your research on the exact trim of the model you want. Compare it to other dealers.

What I did was setup a wide net of dealers within 100+ mile range (inventory is tight, so you might want to consider further options if you get a better deal). Entered their details in an excel sheet, contact name, number, details of the call, car, price, etc. then compare them all.

Hell, you can use that to negotiate if you want and literally call the other dealer in front of the one your at and make them compete.

Bottom line. Car dealerships think you’re dumb. They’ll try to be as polite as possible to sucker you in to a shit deal.

Wish you the best of luck in your search! Car shopping is a PITA