How to Buy a Car From a Dealership: The Short Answer
How do you buy a car from a dealership, and what’s happening behind the desk while you do? This guide walks through the whole process step by step, from both sides of the desk, using our own store at 5240 Golf Road in Skokie as the example. Our marketing team filmed it, so you can watch each step as you read.
How Do Car Dealerships Work? Who You’ll Meet Inside
A dealership is really several businesses under one roof: sales, finance, service and parts, each with its own team. Most are laid out the same way. At ours, the salespeople’s desks fill the main floor, the finance offices sit right behind them, and the sales managers’ desk is behind that. Parts and the customer lounge are off to the side, the service department is through the glass doors at the far end, and the technicians work in a separate building out back.
| Team | What they do | When you’ll meet them |
|---|---|---|
| Sales & Leasing Consultants | Your main contact, from the first question to check-ins after the sale | First, and long after you buy |
| BDC (business development center) | Answer phone calls and online inquiries, confirm a car is still on the lot, set appointments | Before you visit |
| Sales managers | Approve the final numbers on every deal | When your salesperson goes to talk to the manager |
| Finance managers | Finalize the contract and the paperwork | At the end of your visit |
| Lot manager | Checks in every car that arrives | Never, but your car met them first |
| Technicians | Inspect cars before they go on sale and service customers’ cars | Every time you come back for service |
| Porters | Keep cars clean, fueled and moving around the lot | Behind the scenes on delivery day |
Behind the Scenes: Before a Car Goes on Sale
Most cars arrive on a transporter: new cars from the factory, used cars from anywhere in the country. (Trade-ins arrive with their owners; see Step 4.) Each one gets a stock number, both keys are logged into the system, and the lot manager books it an inspection slot with our technicians. The whole intake takes about a week, sometimes a couple of days less, so a car you see coming off the truck may not be listed online yet.
New and used cars get different inspections. Dejan, a technician at Old Orchard Nissan for more than 30 years, walks through both in the video.
New Cars: Pre-Delivery Inspection
When a new car comes off the truck, the technician checks tire pressure, removes the protective film, adds wheel locks on cars with aluminum wheels, tops off fluids including washer fluid, and tests the battery to make sure it’s properly charged before delivery.
Used Cars: 156-Point Inspection
Every pre-owned vehicle gets a full look-over: brakes, tires, fluid leaks, suspension components, warning lights and the exhaust. It also gets an oil change. Then it goes out on a road test.
On the road test, the technician is listening for three things:
“Make sure the transmission’s shifting properly, there’s no abnormal noises when going over bumps, and there’s no vibrations or anything weird going on.”
Dejan, Technician
Step 1: Before You Visit
A salesperson’s day starts long before you walk in. Over a 12-hour shift, mornings go to follow-up calls, afternoons to appointments, and evenings to working deals. In between, the team walks the lot and gets cars ready for test drives. A little preparation on your side fits right into that rhythm:
- Book a visit. A call or online inquiry confirms the car you saw is still here, and your salesperson can have it pulled up and ready when you arrive.
- Know your numbers. Write down your budget and your top three must-haves. Our best used SUV under $30,000 guide shows how three of our consultants did exactly that.
- Decide how you’ll pay. Cash, a pre-approved loan from your own bank or credit union, or financing through the dealership, subject to credit approval. A pre-approval gives you a rate to compare.
What to Bring When Buying a Car
Here’s what you need to buy a car from a dealership:
- A valid driver’s license.
- Proof of insurance, so you can drive the car home.
- Your payment: a pre-approval letter, or the details of how you’ll pay.
- If you’re financing through the dealership: proof of income and residence. Your finance manager will tell you exactly what the lender needs.
- If you’re trading in: the title or loan payoff details, the registration, and both keys.
Step 2: Questions, Inventory, Test Drive
Expect the first conversation to be about you, not a car. A good salesperson starts with your budget, the features you need, and practical questions like whether you need a third row. Then you look through the inventory together, narrow it to a couple of cars, and take them out for a drive. Only after that, if one feels right, do you talk numbers.
Make the test drive count. If you commute on the Edens, take it up to highway speed there; if you parallel park on a tight Evanston side street, try that too. Use the tech you’ll actually use, and in a Chicago winter, check how fast the heat and defrost clear the windshield.
Step 3: “Let Me Talk to My Manager” and What Really Happens
Every car buyer has heard it. Here’s where that walk goes: to the sales managers’ desk, where our general sales manager, Kasper, and his team review three things on every deal. Your trade-in value. The car’s price, checked against the market. And your payment options, whether that’s cash, financing or a lease. The salesperson can’t set the final number alone; the managers make the final pricing decision.
“At the end of the day, the salespeople are here to fight for you to get you guys the best possible deal… As long as you’re getting a good deal, we’re getting a good deal.”
Kasper, General Sales Manager
What that means for you: the back-and-forth is a normal part of the process, not a stalling tactic. If a number doesn’t work for you, say so and say why. That’s exactly what the manager needs to know.
Compare offers on the out-the-door price, not the sticker. At our store, Your Price on every listing already includes our documentary and filing fees, itemized on each vehicle; Illinois caps dealer documentary fees, with the limit adjusted each year for inflation. Tax, title and license fees come on top, so ask for the out-the-door number before you compare.
Step 4: What Dealers Do With Your Trade-In
When you hand over the keys, the appraisal starts with a VIN scan, so the car’s VIN and mileage go into the system and get checked against the car. Then it’s photographed all the way around, and those details produce an instant offer. A manager drives the car next, and if anything turns up, the offer is adjusted to match.
After the deal, your old car gets one more inspection, this time to decide whether it earns a spot on our used lot. The bar is a healthy engine, a healthy transmission, and a clean car. Across the industry, trade-ins a dealer decides not to keep usually go to wholesale auctions or other dealers.
“If you ever are looking at one of our trade-ins, don’t think someone traded it in for something else. Actually, it was good enough. We kept it… One of our union mechanics looked at it.”
Kevin, Sales & Leasing Consultant
Before you trade in
- Get an estimate first. Value your trade online so you know the range before you arrive.
- Count the tax savings. In Illinois, your full trade-in value reduces the taxable price of the vehicle you’re buying, with no cap.
Step 5: The Finance Office
The last stop is a finance manager’s office. This is where you sign the purchase or lease contract and, if you’re financing, the loan paperwork. The finance manager also handles the title, plates and registration, so you don’t have to stand in line at an Illinois Secretary of State facility.
You’ll likely be offered optional protection products here, such as an extended service contract or gap coverage. They’re optional: the FTC notes that you can usually buy the vehicle you want without any add-ons. Ask what each one costs and what it covers, and read the contract before you sign.
While you sign, your car is getting ready too. Our porters clean it inside and out and fill the tank, and it gets a final pre-delivery check to make sure everything is as good as it was on your test drive.
Step 6: Delivery Day and After
Before you sign for the car, walk around it and check that it matches the one you test-drove and agreed on, down to the options and the mileage. Then your salesperson pairs your phone and walks you through the features again; modern cars have a lot of them, and they can be overwhelming at first. That isn’t the end of it. Expect a check-in call every week or so at first, and keep your salesperson’s number for any questions.
And then there’s the bell. At our store, every buyer gets to ring it, and the whole floor stops to cheer.
Two customers who rang it in the video:
“I got my first car on my own. It’s a brand new Nissan Kicks SV all-wheel drive, and I’m very happy about it.”
Ashanty J., Old Orchard Nissan customer
“Old Orchard Nissan actually had the F-150 that I was looking for… got me in, got me out same day.”
Jordan F., Old Orchard Nissan customer
Dealership Secrets: Rapid-Fire Answers
To close the video, Giovanni, one of our Sales & Leasing Consultants, put Kasper on the spot. His answers, at the time we filmed:
- How many cars are on the lot? “Between new and used, we’re sitting around 450 cars. So, a little something for everybody.” That number changes every day as cars arrive and sell, so for today’s count, or to check a specific car, ask our sales team.
- What’s the most common trade-in? “It’s got to be a Nissan. More specifically, you’re looking at a Nissan Rogue. Most people love the Rogue so much they trade their old one in for a brand new one.”
- Do salespeople know every car on the lot? “They should… Make sure that they keep customers informed on what we have.”
- Oldest car on the lot? A 2002 Buick.
- Most expensive? “One of our Corvettes. We got a couple to choose from.”
Why Shop at Old Orchard Nissan
- Can’t find it on our lot? We’ll locate your vehicle, typically within 48 hours, and we offer free delivery within 10 miles.
- The same team after the sale. We service all makes and models, so the technicians who inspected your car can keep looking after it.
- Financing for every credit story. Our in-house financing team works with a network of lenders, including options for bad or no credit, subject to credit approval.
- Recognized by Nissan. Old Orchard Nissan is a Nissan Dealer of the Year (2019, 2023, 2024).
FAQs About How to Buy a Car From a Dealership
How long does it take to buy a car at a dealership?
When is a car dealership busiest?
Can I buy a car from a dealership with cash?
Can I trade in a car I still owe money on?
Can I take a longer test drive?
See It for Yourself
Ready for Step 1? Book a visit to our Skokie showroom on Golf Road, meet the team from the video, and take your time.
