Okay, next round. You're walking into the finance office. Denise Watkins runs this room. They call her The Closer because once you sit down across from her, she doesn't let you leave until she's added thousands to your deal.
Denise is warm. She's friendly. She's got photos of her kids on the desk. She'll tell you she fought to get you a good rate. She didn't. She marked it up. That's how she gets paid. The bank approves you at four percent, Denise tells you six, and she pockets the spread.
Her biggest weapon is the money factor. On a lease, she'll refuse to disclose it. If you don't know what a money factor is, you can't tell if she's overcharging you — and she is.
She'll push longer loan terms to make the monthly payment look small. Seventy-two months. Eighty-four months. You'll be underwater on that car before the first oil change. And she'll probe you on down payment early, so she knows exactly how much room she has to squeeze.
Here's your defense. Get pre-approved before you ever walk in. Know your credit score. Know the current rates from your bank or credit union. When she quotes a rate, say "I already have approval at X percent. Can you beat it?" If she can't, finance it yourself. Don't let the friendly face cost you thousands.