What do pilots, police officers and car shoppers all have in common? They work best with a partner — a wingman. Car buying is a difficult process for many people, and although there is an alternate online strategy that can save you much of the hassle, there are times when a trip to the dealership might be the best thing.
That's when a wingman comes in handy. At some point in the purchase process, you'll want to take a test-drive. And, distasteful though it might be, you might need to negotiate or sign contracts in person. At times ... Back to article
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3 comments
By lilgreenchik
on 01/27/11
2:23 PM PST
The wingman strategy realy works...especially if its somebody that knows more about cars than you do!
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By knowledgepower
on 02/09/11
9:32 AM PST
Sometimes the "wingman" isn't always a good idea. First and foremost you must do your own research before ever coming to the dealership. If you must bring someone with you make they are looking out for your best interest and they don't go overboard when assisting you. Having them there for moral support is a great idea as stated in the article. In my experience so-called wingmen or "third basemen" as said in the auto industry have done more to screw up good deals than assist. Everyone from Dad to Uncle Charlie can sometimes hurt.
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By youautoknow
on 02/16/11
10:58 PM PST
It is very discouraging that a great company like Edmunds would publish an article advising prospective car buyers to purposely lie and mislead when they go to purchase a vehicle. Ronald Montoya is doing your readers a great disservice by putting a chip on their shoulder with accusations of dealer dishonesty. I run the sales department at a large Mercedes dealership and personally resent the article. I stress being honest with clients to my sales staff and will not tolerate dishonesty. We stress training in product knowledge, not deceptive practices. We also stress great customer service as our clients deserve. Articles like this create an anticipated adversarial relationship between client and sales person that we have to overcome. Very dissappointed that Edmunds published this article!
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