The pandemic didn’t just send Costco members flocking to stores for toilet paper, canned goods, and disinfecting wipes in 2020, but rather vehicles through the big-box chain’s car-buying program.
Even as car sales as a whole took a dive, Costco members bought more than 689,000 new and used vehicles through the its auto program last year, a 12% increase over 2019 sales according to Business Insider. Costco attributes that bump to an increase in the amount of “limited-time” member-exclusive deals with brands like Audi, Chevrolet, and Volvo.
Once you’ve chosen a vehicle and your preferred trim, features, and exterior color, Costco sends you the contact information for a participating dealership and salesperson, at which point you can visit the dealership to find out the vehicle’s discounted price and decide if you’d like to buy or lease it.
The range of available vehicles extends from budget options that start under $20,000 to luxury vehicles that top $100,000.
A Costco representative told Business Insider in 2018 that its members saved an average of over $1,000 off the price of a vehicle when using the program.
In addition, members were also able to get a 15% discount on parts, service, and accessories at participating service centers.
The best part is, the program is easy to use. All you have to do is go to the Costco auto program webpage and you can browse the available vehicles, calculate monthly payments, and read reviews. You can also call the company’s customer-service line to have an employee walk you through the process over the phone. There are a variety of classes, including sedans, sports cars, SUVs, trucks, and crossovers.
Once you provide your contact info and Costco membership number, you can go to participating dealership and you can buy or lease the vehicle with the Costco discount.
Just keep in mind it’s not final though. Once you’ve reviewed the discounted price, you can buy or lease the vehicle, but there’s no obligation to do so if you don’t like the price or change your mind.