How to Use Edmunds Price Promise to Get the Best Car Deal

The secret to negotiating the best car deal is actually quite simple. All you need to do is get price bids from 7 different car dealers, then shop the best bid among those same dealers until you're left with the best deal. But guess what? Most car shoppers don't want to spend the 4 to 5 hours of work it takes to contact all the dealers and communicate back and forth via email/phone to get those bids (even though it could save you thousands).

That's why I'm always on the lookout for tools that will make it easier and quicker for you to get these important price bids. The latest tool that I have personally reviewed and now recommend is Edmunds Price Promise. It's an online tool that let's you see the lowest price dealers are offering on vehicles in your area. This is a tool every consumer should use as part of their negotiation process.

Here's how it works: First, you go to the Price Promise page and enter your zip code and the vehicle you're interested in purchasing or leasing.

Next, you will see a list of vehicles that are currently in stock and come with a pre-negotiated upfront price. You can filter the results by choosing the colors/options/trims you're intersted in, then click the "View Price Now" button on the vehicle you're interested in.

Edmunds will automatically find the closest matches from other local dealers. Make sure you leave all the buttons checked to get prices on those vehicles as well. Fill out the form and submit to see the price bids.

And here is what your price bid looks like. Along with the certificate, you get the contact info of the internet sales manager for that dealership.

My recommendation is to use Edmunds Price Promise as part of your overall negotiation strategy (read my full step by step guide here). Price Promise will save you some time and hassle gathering those important price bids. Also remember that dealers are almost always open to negotiating further, especially if they're about to lose a deal to a competitor.

Since we're near the end of the month, now is the best time to use this tool. Dealers are constantly changing prices on a daily basis in response to supply and demand, and they're hoping to close out the quarter with lots of sales on the books.