USAA for Auto buying, details?

2019-07-19T12:39:28-04:00

I'm not one to use a military discount for $2 off a meal or anything like that but major purchases north of $1K can be very helpful financially. A friend told me if you have anything through USAA (bank accounts, insurance, etc.) that you can get a reasonable discount when buying a car. If anyone know or has experience doing this, would greatly appreciate input.

Response by SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 19 at 2019 1:03 PM

2019-07-19T13:03:07-04:00

I'm not too sure what you are asking about. USAA does there own financing for Auto loans I have used them to refinance auto loans before. They do have discount for car rentals.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Jul 19 at 2019 1:08 PM

2019-07-19T13:08:48-04:00

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member Have you asked USAA?

Response by SFC Marc W. made Jul 19 at 2019 2:30 PM

2019-07-19T14:30:09-04:00

It's their car buying program. Truth is, with a down payment and patience, you can get a better deal with the dealership if you can handle that yourself. Their program also doesn't necessarily mean the dealership is going to be a short or easy process. Often times the dealership will try to bait and switch with a car that doesn't fit the program, or other stupid games. You're really better off taking someone who has no interest in the car, doing homework, and being pre-approved thus making the dealership work a little.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Jul 19 at 2019 3:43 PM

2019-07-19T15:43:53-04:00

Not wild about their buying program, but they will give you a Sight Draft for a certain amount that is damn handy when you want to buy a vehicle. Do your research, computers and tablets make it easy, know what the car you are looking to buy should cost, the value of your trade in if you are going that way, and hit them up at the end of the month when everyone is trying to make commissions with what is basically a blank check from USAA, and you may be amazed at how good of a deal you can get on a vehicle.
There is nothing more fun that brutalizing some dumbass salesman that tries to sell me a car payment or is stupid enough to start at about 50 percent above list. Common around a military post.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 19 at 2019 3:44 PM

2019-07-19T15:44:26-04:00

I've used it twice. I customer ordered a 3/4 ton truck the way I wanted it, paid a out $8k less than what sticker would be. On top of that, you still get whatever sales and rebates are going on. USAA also gives you back the finders fee which I think was $450.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Jul 19 at 2019 3:53 PM

2019-07-19T15:53:19-04:00

I did USAA once on a new car. Pretty seamless. You get a price on USAA. If you like it, then you can either work with their financing, someone else, or if you have cash, fine. Do check the COSTCO price. It may be a touch lower, BUT, COSTCO requires a kickback. If you're armed with both numbers, dealerships will usually match the price but will say please don't buy through a required kickback entity. Do ask which dealerships in your region actually do these things. I recall in the Seattle area, about 3 Ram dealerships specialized in USAA and actually had a lower price vs. others down the road. Finally, take a look at what's been sitting on their lot for over a month. Armed with the pricing, you can likely push lower as their pucker factor is increasing. However, if you want a very specific build, then you won't likely get any further discounts.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Jul 19 at 2019 5:45 PM

2019-07-19T17:45:25-04:00

I used TrueCar through USAA and saved like $1,500 on my vehicle purchase a few months ago