Four Square- tool of the new car salesman

The four square is a piece of paper that is broken in four parts. They are labeled payment, down payment, price and trade. By filling these blanks in, you are giving the salesman information about what you think you can afford. Never in this equation are the words number of payments or interest rate mentioned. The following was taken from "Confessions of a Car Salesman"

The next step in my training involved the use of the "4-square work sheet." Michael told me the 4-square was my friend, it was the salesman's tool for getting "maximum gross profit." As the name implies, the sheet is divided into four sections. When you have a prospect "in the box" (in the sales cubicle) you pull out a 4-square and go to work.

The information about the customer is written along the top together with the make, model and serial number of the car they want to buy. Then the salesman writes the sticker price of the car in large numbers in the upper right square on the worksheet. Michael stressed that the price of the car should be written in large clear numbers to give it a feeling of authority. He added that we should always write "+ fees" next to the price of the car (This includes license fees and sales tax.).

Another description of the four square can be found at The Consumerist

They never mention the term they are asking you to sign up for, the longer the term, the more money you will pay. The best way to approach the dealership is to be able to say I am approved for $15,000 or some amount, this is the car I want, can you sell it for that price? This involves going to your bank or credit union beforehand and getting approved for the loan. Most credit unions can also sell you a warranty, that will be just as good, but cost less than the one the dealer will try to sell you.