You just have to know how to play the dealer right.

Example:

I go to school here in Wisconsin but I'm from Maryland. When the WRX came out I wanted a test drive. So I go to a Subaru dealer and he sees me pull up in my '92 GSR with Maryland plates on it. Oh and at the time my hair was a hugeass afro (I'm a whiteboy).

I tell the dude I'm lookin at a WRX. I also tell him my folks are going to buy me a new car at the end of the semester if I get a 3.5 GPA, but I want to test drive stuff before winter comes and there's snow everywhere. Bam, hour-long test drive and I didn't even give the dude my phone number.

I assume you're gonna finance the thing. Just walk in and say, "I'll give ya $16.5k and nothing more for that blue GSR." They still get a chance to screw ya on the the trade-in and financing which they'll go ahead and try since you're a young guy trading in his Integra for another Integra.

Just be an informed purchaser. Go on KBB.com and edmunds.com to get the value of the car if sold by a dealer and also the real trade in value of your car. I don't know anything about financing though, I'm an English major and I paid for my car up front.