The guy that came "from above" in your first deal was what is called the "closer". He is there to step up the pressure and get you to buy TODAY! You did well by not going for it.

Now that you have info on dealer inventory, you should find the car (or cars) that fit what you want (color, options, etc.). When you call (emphasize call, not go to) the dealer, let them know that you have found a car or two in their inventory off of the mazda website that fit your needs and you would like to schedule a time to go in for a test drive and talk turkey. Since you know in advance what the car is equipped with you should already know what you are willing to pay for the car before you even go in to look. If they do not accept your offer, don't sweat it, just leave and try somewhere else. You can always go back later if you find that no one accepts your offer.

The point is, if you go in knowing which car you want, how much you're willing to pay for it, what financing you can qualify for, and how much you want for your trade-in (if you have one) the process should be pretty easy. Just stick to your guns.

Thanks again for the great info.

Now I need to work on getting my own credit report.

I think I just got the ten dollar one. All you really need is your becan score. The rest is good to know for your own personal info but not needed for the car purchase.
Now that I think about it I bought mine from truecredit.com which was a mistake . I paid 10 or 15 but eqifax is the standard and is what you need.

I hear lots of ads for a "freecreditreport.com" on the radio, might try it.

I have seen some free report service ad from many yahoo pages too. I clicked in some, most of them ended up require you to pay at the last minute.

Most companies go by equifax. When i got my truecredit report it was a 706, when I got my equifax it was a 656. There can be a big difference between the 3 major credit bureaus . I don't know what makes them vary by so much.

Thanks for the info.
I've just got mine from Equifax.

The F&I person will probably go with whatever score qualifys you for the 0% just to get you into the car so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Some more questions.

Besides the price of the car (after closing the deal), what are other fees I will have to pay the dealer?
(tax, title, freight, warranty, etc etc)

The only fees you have to pay are

1. Doc fees
2. Regional ad fees, these come from the manufacturer. Depending on your region you may or may not have to pay this.
3. Sales tax
4. License Fees to the Dept of Revenue

That's it. You don't have to pay for warranties, theft guard, mop-n-glo, rustproofing, scotchguard, or "dealer prep. fees" etc. unless you want them, but I don't know why you would.

What if the salesman kind of "forcing" this fee on you? Like if he said those fees are kind of their "company policy sh_t". How do you prove it to them that a buyer doesn't have to pay for those at all while buying the car?

or you can do it the easy way, just go straight to the fleet manager. Know exactly what model color etc.......the guy I dealt with just charged me 300 over invoice, we had the same numbers, I had my yahoo invoice quote, so it was no hassle. I have to admit the fleet manager did some creative financing. I had a 98 f-150 with about ten thousand on the loan, in order for the loan go thru they paid me more on the trade in value for my truck. Then I picked up my new black p-5. Remember go straight to the fleet manager.......

How does it help by going straight to the fleet manager? Is that the same guy called the "closer"?

you gotta pay for window etching too...at least I did

the fleet manager is the dude that deals with group purchases, for example if you had a business and needed 14 cars, you would deal with the fleet manager, but if you just call ahead and ask for him, ask may I speak to the fleet manager please, and when you get him or her, ask for an appt, make sure you pick out your car first, go to yahoo and get your free car qoute, or at least know what you invoice price is, then go meet him or her, and drive your car away,,,,,thats it