I've personally had more success in salary negotiation with using oddball numbers. I think the presumption on the managers side is either 1) I have a specific offer from another potential employer or 2) I've calculated to the dollar how much I think the job switch is worth. (The latter is usually true, but with large error bounds).
I wonder if the second salesman assumed you had already shopped around and found a car of similar price to your offer.
The car was a Honda Insight... the original one from 2001, so there was nothing else like it. I think they probably felt only select customers were going to be interested in that niche car and that I had probably done my research so best to just accept and get rid of this weird inventory.
I wonder if the second salesman assumed you had already shopped around and found a car of similar price to your offer.