I used one method for every car I've purchased since 2005 (three). Most of the time I spent was obtaining emails for 10+ car dealers. I then sent the same email to each of them, essentially worded as follows:
"Dear ___
I will be purchasing a black model ___ (with the following details) ___ for cash this Saturday. No trade-in. I am sending this email to 10 dealerships. I will reply to one and only one responding email. Your email must expressly state that your quoted price "includes 100% of the money I will have to pay including taxes, registration, plate costs and every other fee".
I will not consider any email that arrives after 6:00PM Friday.
Thank you,
_______
I have never received fewer than 6 offers. Most were very close in price. I did not always accept the lowest offer due to issues such as distance, out-of-state, and spirit of the emailed response. This has been so successful that I will never buy a car again without following this scenario.
I do about the same thing, although not as methodical as this.
Even more effective if you send this email on the 26th or the 27th of the month. They have quotas to make for the month and your sales lead will suddenly get a lot of attention in the last day or two of that month.
"Dear ___ I will be purchasing a black model ___ (with the following details) ___ for cash this Saturday. No trade-in. I am sending this email to 10 dealerships. I will reply to one and only one responding email. Your email must expressly state that your quoted price "includes 100% of the money I will have to pay including taxes, registration, plate costs and every other fee".
I will not consider any email that arrives after 6:00PM Friday.
Thank you, _______
I have never received fewer than 6 offers. Most were very close in price. I did not always accept the lowest offer due to issues such as distance, out-of-state, and spirit of the emailed response. This has been so successful that I will never buy a car again without following this scenario.