If your trade-in is in good shape, consider selling it outright. Generally, a dealership will screw you out of your trade at any point, in any way. I had a Chrysler dealer offer us $3,500 for 1999 Saab 9-3 SE convertible in generally good shape. They will STEAL your trade. I often walk out at that point, never to return. We got nearly 3 times that amount at the dealership where we bought our SRT6. And Saabs are a "niche" brand that even Saab won't buy back for very much. Best if you have time is to sell the trade outright. For the money you save on the above SRT-6, you could get it, finance the whole thing with some decent down payment, then apply the sales price of your Ebay or outright sale to the outstanding balance of the loan to lower the amount due on the loan. Then, refinance the loan (now reduced by your trade-in car amount) to get a lower interest rate... The dealer will also try to get you into a 9% loan... If you plan on refinancing (which we did instantly), go ahead and let them talk you into that 9% loan and just get the price down. Within a month pay off the high interest loan, and use either your home equity line-of-credit (interest is deductible, but rates have climbed immensely) or refinance through a credit union which has 5% simple interest loans... Give it a shot. Maybe the Michigan guys will deal with that. Don't let them go a nickel above that though.