I got a letter from the dealer that my dad bought the car from. It said we would get a $4,000 discount if we present the letter to them. Do they really take that 4 grand off the sticker price or is it another way to lure us into buying a car?

 

4G discount is just that , but you know if you have that you will not be able to negotiate at all.
Thats just what i think will happen

 

You should go down there and negotiate a good price and then whip out the letter.

 

The dealer will make his/her money one way or the other. I'm guessing you must "present upon arrival", and is not valid w/ other offers/rebates...plus if you trade in your car they'll lowball you on that. Lots of ways they can make it up.

 

You should negotiate your interest rate. For a $25K car, every 1% is about $1000 difference at the end.

 

It's another lure you in mechanism. Best to have financing worked out/pre-approved by a credit union or bank prior to buying from a dealer. That way you are a cash buyer to them and will not be subject to the financing schemes which might exist. Don't trust the finance manager, he's the slickest salesman in the joint.

 

it's all just b.s.
if you look carefully, i believe it says somewhere that you have to present that check before the negotiation.