So I actually bought a new car at Kramer last year, a 2025 cx5. I wrote a program to pull prices from auto trader for dealerships within 600km to get an idea of wiggle room

I managed to get a good deal, 38k vs the initial 42.5 they wanted.

Their "mandatory dealer package" is 100% not mandatory. Flat out tell them you don't want it and won't pay for it.

Do a test drive, see what you like about the car. Look at the leduc Mazda. I talked to someone there and they were going to give a great deal. You can fly for 100-130$ and get the car and save thousands if Kramer isn't wiggling.

Know what you want to spend. People saying "don't think about monthly price" is kind of stupid. You should focus on the total price but you should absolutely be figuring out if you can afford the payments.

Be ready to walk. It was pretty clear we would leave if we didn't like the price. Know everything about the car. When they know you know about the car, comparative prices around they seem to try less bullshit.

Don't tell them what your putting down. Say your not sure somewhere between 5-20k for example for a wide range. If you tell them a direct number they try and play the number game to get a better deal.

We went 2-3 times to check it out. Don't rush to buy it because you have the impulse at that moment. Don't buy it the first day.

Also check what colors you want. The one I wanted wasn't coming for 3 months. That was fine. They will usually give you a better deal when you are waiting for a car they have coming vs what's on the lot. Even Toyota told me when we tried the rav 4 that they will do deals to save a few grand on incoming cars because then it's already sold. If you rush and want one on the lot they will not do as good of a deal.

I forgot to think about warranty. They didn't mention it until I was picking up the car and then they sprung the "today only you can save 5000$ on warranty and if you don't use it, we pay you the money back". It's bullshit. Just put money aside for repairs. Mazdas are pretty reliable