2 Women Go To Kia Dealership To Buy 2 Cars. Then They Ask For $10K Off. Are There Group Rates?

"How much money you got?"

Photo by: seanthompson864 & markobe

By: Alexandra Samuels

Jul 10, at 4:00pm ET

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A Kia salesman recently shared a negotiation he had with two prospective buyers. Their very different demands made for an entertaining back-and-forth.

Sean Thompson (@seanthompson864), a salesman based in Atlanta, Georgia, filmed the interaction as the women debated whether they would compromise on the color of their new car’s interior.

“Brown interior only colors on the lot,” Thompson wrote in the text overlay. It’s unclear whether the woman already knew that before the conversation began.

In the clip, Thompson tells the pair he’s running a special on Kias with brown interiors.

“I told you I wanted blue,” one woman says, adding that blue is her favorite interior color.

The second woman is more flexible, but only if the price is right. At one point, she asks whether there are any “two car deals” available. She also said she’d consider the brown interior car if the dealership knocked $10,000 off the price.

“Is that the only way you’re going to take it in the brown?” Thompson asks.

He explains that he can get a Kia with a blue interior, but because it isn’t already on the lot, he can’t offer the same discount.

“You’re a salesperson. You’re supposed to get what I want,” the first woman replies.

The negotiation continues, with one customer refusing to budge on the blue interior while the other says she’d accept brown only if the dealership gave her a steep discount.

“You drive a hard bargain,” Sean says. By the end of the video, the woman who wanted the blue interior specifically a Kia K5, says she can put $1,000 down, while the other says she has $500.

It isn’t clear whether either customer ultimately bought a car—or whether the exchange was staged. As of this writing, the video had more than 809,700 views.

Why Dealers Discount Cars Already On The Lot

The color argument in Thompson’s video gets at a real part of car buying: Dealers often have more room to negotiate on vehicles already sitting on the lot (especially if the car has been there for a while, MarketWatch reports) than on cars they have to find elsewhere.

Dealerships stock vehicles they think will sell, and tend to stock more “boring” colors (e.g., black, white, and grey), meaning shoppers are less likely to see funky color combinations on the lot and may get a spiel from a salesperson about why they should buy a car in a more “traditional” color.

Edmunds notes that dealer inventory usually reflects popular options and colors, while less common builds may be harder to find without placing an order or having a dealer locate the car from elsewhere.

That can affect the deal. Dealerships have more incentive to move vehicles that are already in stock, especially if they have been sitting for a while or if the store has manufacturer incentives attached to that model. Kelley Blue Book says these can include customer cash, low-interest financing, dealer cash, and other offers meant to encourage buyers to act.

But if a salesperson has to track down a specific car in a specific color, the negotiation can change. The dealer may need to trade with another dealership or arrange transportation, and the buyer may lose access to the same discount offered on the car already parked outside.

That does not mean shoppers should settle for an interior they hate—and, in fact, many drivers say they won’t. It just means the best price is often attached to the car the dealer most wants to get off their lot.

So if a buyer cares more about color than savings, they may have to be patient. If they care more about the monthly payment, the less favored interior may suddenly become much more attractive.

Do Dealers Do Group Rates?

Although the women don't ask for a special rate because they're buying two cars, some wondered whether it's possible to get a discount for buying multiple cars at once.

While there's no rule of thumb and every dealership is different, the online consensus seems to be that you won't get much of a discount for buying two cars. Jalopnik refers to it as a "common misconception" that there's a discount for buying two. A commenter on CarEdge even suggested it works against you to let a salesperson know you're in the market for two vehicles at once.

It may be possible to get a discount for buying more than one vehicle, but people online believe you'll save at best a few hundred dollars per vehicle.

You may be able to get a steep discount, according to one Redditor, if you're buying a fleet of vehicles, not just two.

"Multiply your purchase by at least 10x before you can consider volume discounts," they wrote. "2 cars vs 1 car doesn't change anything on their costs so there are no savings to pass on. They may cut you a break at $100-200 but don't expect a significant decrease in the price just for buying another car at the same time."

Viewers Love The Color Negotiation

Commenters were hooked on the back-and-forth, especially once the conversation turned to blue, brown, and just how much money it would take to compromise.

“I ain’t never heard of a car with a BLUE INTERIOR,” one viewer wrote.

But others said blue interiors are worth it.

“Our MDX has a dark blue interior, and it’s dope asf,” one commenter wrote.

“Aye, I just looked at the wolf grey w/ the blue interior. That mf go crazy for real,” another added.

Some viewers were more interested in the potential discount.

“For $10k off, I’d take it and just get seat covers,” one person wrote.

“I’ll take any color for 10k off shi,” another added.

“I’ll take the pink for 10 grand off too,” a third joked.

Others focused on the actual negotiation.

“10k off and 500 down, what are they car note looking like,” one commenter asked.

“Not having any cash down but wanting 10k off is wild,” another wrote.

Several viewers also praised Thompson’s sales style.