Resurrecting an old thread...
Reading these has been entertaining, my first jobs* were working for the sales departments of local dealerships. The first was Chrysler Plymouth (& Mitsubishi!), the second was Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick. That was a long, long time ago (IROC Camaros were a new thing).
As for dealing with a purchase on a "new" vehicle, if you really want to put yourself through this... First: Thank you. As a perpetual used vehicle buyer, you are taking the major hit of a new purchase. But to get the best deal, you need to pitch multiple (3 is manageable) dealers against each other. Different stores of the same dealer won't cut it, they (the individual "stores") beat that approach with telephones over 40 years ago.
You need to take the time and start with the online research first. What is the actual dealer cost that day (week, month)? It changes depending on a lot of things like the manufacturer's inventory & backlog. Know this before you set foot in the dealership. Then decide what you want and how much you want to pay, and see who has it. Start there.
But, if one of your stops includes a dealership that has several stores that has one or two of what you're looking for, they'll move it for you, or you could pick it up at a different location, that's negotiable. Dealers will also "trade" vehicles with each other, but you might have to pay for some of that. Exceptions abound, if you want two-tone green paint with light green cloth interior**, a dealer with one on hand would probably jump through substantial hoops to move it.
So, you know what you want, and you know what the dealer has into it, it's time to negotiate! If you're buying right after a price drop, the place will be busy, and they will be less likely to sell cheap. And, if you're after a popular combination, you might have to move fast before they're gone. This is where playing dealers against each other comes into play. Don't tell any of them who the others are (don't even hint!) and don't feel bad about stepping outside to call the others to negotiate a better price on their best price. But, after this is as far as it will go that day (start early), sign the form and write the check. If you don't, (this is important) they won't take you seriously the next time you come back.
This is how their salespeople earn their livings, be nice, be respectful.
I hope this helps someone.
* I did not sell cars, but I saw a lot. Check out the 1980 Kurt Russel flick "Used Cars", from my standpoint it's more of a documentary. I've seen everything depicted except the dead guy.
** True story: a customer ordered a new El Camino with the aforementioned colors and trim. It came in, was prepped, and the customer was notified that the vehicle they ordered was ready to go. I didn't see it (part timer, I was probably at school) but the customer walked into the delivery area, took one look, and said "NO". Since they were a good customer (see above about writing the check and being nice), they were released from the contract and bought something else. We had that thing for about a year. We parked it in the showroom, outside of the showroom, on the lot, pinstriped it, discounted it, etc. We never got a nibble. Then one day a guy walked in, took one look and said "I'll take it!" He'd been looking for that color combo for a while and another dealer told him that we had it. They passed on the sale so they didn't get stuck with it and sent him to us.