The process

How Motrix Actually Works

The end-to-end process for handing dealer negotiation to the Motrix system. No jargon. No fluff.

See a sample deal · What you can count on · Already have a quote? Check the fees free

Sample deal

One deal, start to finish.

Example deal. Numbers are illustrative.

This is what a deal looks like from your side, on the same deal page a real buyer gets. For a real deal with real numbers, read the 2026 4Runner story.

Step 1
You set the car and your zip
Year, make, model, trim, zip code, and whether you have a trade-in. There is no budget to enter: the system goes and gets a number, and you decide on it.
Your request
Car2026 Honda CR-V EX-L AWD
Zip32801
Search radius50 miles
Trade-inNo
Step 2
Local dealers get the request in writing
The system contacts several dealers near you at once. Each gets the same request: this exact car, and an itemized out-the-door price.
2026 Honda CR-V EX-L AWD
Searching
Dealers contacted
Prices coming in
Negotiating
Ready to sign
Done
Step 2 of 6 Dealers contacted
Six local dealers have the request in writing.
6Dealers contacted
0Sent numbers back
Step 3
Dealers send out-the-door quotes
Quotes come back as itemized out-the-door prices. Only a price a dealer puts in writing counts. A number said on the phone does not.
Searching
Dealers contacted
Prices coming in
Negotiating
Ready to sign
Done
Step 3 of 6 Prices coming in
Written prices are coming in.
6Dealers contacted
4Sent numbers back
Step 4
The dealers are pushed against each other
Each dealer is asked to beat the best written number in front of it, and every junk fee is contested by name. You never have to talk to a dealer.
Searching
Dealers contacted
Prices coming in
Negotiating
Ready to sign
Done
Step 4 of 6 Negotiating
The dealers are working against each other's written numbers.
1. A counter was sent to a dealerDay 4
2. A written price came inDay 3
3. A counter was sent to a dealerDay 3
4. A written price came inDay 2
5. Dealers were contactedDay 1
Step 5
You see the best written price and decide
You get one number: the best written out-the-door price, with the full breakdown. Accept it or pass. Nothing is binding until you accept.
Best so far
Best written price
EX-L AWD · Meteorite Gray · In stock
$36,941
Out-the-door · as of day 4
Vehicle price$33,450
Doc fee$999
Sales tax$2,067
Title & registration$425
The store’s name is shown after you accept. Example deal. Numbers are illustrative.
Step 6
You sign at the dealer
You sign the contract directly with the dealer. Motrix never signs for you. Deal and Pro: $0 until you sign.
Searching
Dealers contacted
Prices coming in
Negotiating
Ready to sign
Done
Step 5 of 6 Ready to sign
You accepted. Paperwork and the appointment are next.
Next: you sign at the dealer, on the number you accepted.

The process in detail

01Submit your brief

Step 015 MINUTES

Five minutes. You tell Motrix what you want — year, make, model, trim, zip code, trade-in details if you have one, financing approach. That's it. No SSN. No credit application. No price or budget to set. No anything you wouldn't say to a normal car salesperson. The brief has a market snapshot built in: what this exact build typically goes out the door for in your zip, labeled a typical range, not a quote, so you walk in with a realistic read before you commit.

02Motrix contacts dealers

Step 02WITHIN HOURS

Within hours of brief submission, Motrix reaches out to your shortlisted dealers — typically 5-10 within your zip code — and opens a negotiation with each one. Each outreach is signed by a named buyer's-agent identity — the same name every time for the same dealer. Dealers know they're talking to a buyer's authorized representative. That's intentional. It accelerates response time because rapport-building stops being relevant.

03Every fee contested

Step 03LINE-BY-LINE

When the first quote comes in, agents audit it line by line. Documentation fees compared against the state legal max. Market adjustments refused on principle during off-peak demand. Paint protection, fabric protection, nitrogen tires, VIN etching, dealer prep, theft protection — every line item gets a written refusal with the specific reason ("this duplicates manufacturer warranty," "this is pure margin," "this exceeds state cap"). Acquisition fees get recognized as legitimate captive-lender charges; only the markup above base gets contested. Junk vs legit is sorted before pushback so the dealer takes the agents seriously.

04Counter-offers negotiated

Step 04BACKED BY DATA

Every written quote gets a counter. Agents compare each quote against verified market data: KBB invoice, Edmunds market average, and our own deal wall of out-the-door prices real buyers have paid. Then they counter with a specific number, not a vague "do better." If a dealer holds, agents pull volume — they let the dealer know another dealer in the buyer's zip just quoted $1,400 less. Negotiation is a game of attrition; agents don't get tired. Same calm pushback at 11 PM that they ran at 9 AM.

05Final deal surfaced

Step 05WHEN THE NUMBERS LAND

Once dealers put numbers in writing, you get the lowest qualified out-the-door price across every dealer contacted. Across our deals so far, the median first written quote lands in about three days, and deals have closed anywhere from six days to four weeks after the brief — dealers move at dealer speed, and the point of Motrix is that you are not the one waiting on hold. The deal sheet shows the full breakdown — vehicle price, taxes, tag/title/registration, doc fee, any legitimate fees that survived contest. Junk fees that got refused show as zeros with footnotes. If nothing written is worth signing, Motrix walks the deal — you owe nothing under the $0-until-you-sign Deal model. If something is worth signing, you have everything you need to decide in one place.

06You review and sign

Step 06YOU STAY IN CONTROL

You review the final deal. Ask any question — the agents stick around to clarify line items. Then you go to the dealership (or arrange remote signing where available) and sign the contract directly. Motrix doesn't sign anything on your behalf. You're always the principal in the transaction. Trade-in handled separately, as a fresh transaction with its own price negotiation, AFTER the new-car number is locked. See the callout below for why that order matters.

Why trade-in is handled separately
Bundling trade-in into the main negotiation gives dealers leverage to inflate one number while undercutting the other. Motrix negotiates the OTD price first — locked structure — then opens trade-in as a separate transaction. Same protection real-world dealer-experienced buyers use. Standard Motrix practice on every deal.

Before you sign up

What you can count on.

What dealers hear

Every dealer gets the same written request: this exact car, and an itemized out-the-door price. Junk fees are contested by name, and dealers are pushed against each other’s written numbers.

You approve before anything is binding

You see the full breakdown first. Nothing is binding until you accept, and you sign the contract yourself, at the dealer.

You pick the winner

You get the best written price and decide: accept or pass. If you pass on Deal or Pro, you owe nothing.

Stop anytime

You can cancel the search from your deal page before you accept a deal.

Deal and Pro: $0 until you sign.

A real person behind every deal

Every deal has a person on our team backing it. Motrix was built by one person, Jimmy Sturdivent, founder.

Read his story

What we don’t do

We are not a dealer, broker or lender. We don’t sell cars or make loans.
We don’t sign anything for you. You sign the contract with the dealer.
We don’t count a verbal number. The price you decide on is one a dealer put in writing.
We don’t fold your trade-in into the new-car price. The out-the-door number is settled first.
The brief doesn’t ask for your Social Security number.

Common questions

Questions buyers ask before they sign up.

What does Motrix actually do?

Motrix is a negotiation system that contacts car dealers on your behalf and negotiates the entire deal, with a person on our team backing every deal. You submit a brief about the vehicle you want, and Motrix handles every dealer interaction — fee disputes, price counter-offers, the whole negotiation — until it surfaces a final deal for you to review and sign. You never have to talk to a dealer.

Is Motrix a car broker or dealer?

No. Motrix is a negotiation facilitation service. We're not a licensed dealer or broker. We act on the buyer's behalf, representing the buyer's interests. The buyer makes every final decision and signs the contract directly with the dealer.

How does $0 until you sign actually work?

On Deal ($399, or $299 for the first 100 paying buyers) and Pro ($599), you pay nothing upfront. The fee is charged only when you confirm a deal you chose, and if the dealer backs out of that number you get it back automatically. If we can't find a deal that works, you pay nothing. Beat-your-quote guarantee: if we don't beat your best written quote by $500, you pay $0 (terms at usemotrix.com/guarantee). GovX-verified heroes pay $299 for the Deal. Concierge ($999) is the one tier paid to start.

Will the dealer know I am using Motrix?

Yes. Motrix represents itself transparently as the buyer's authorized agent. Dealers know they're communicating with a buyer's representative, not a private buyer pretending to be tough. This actually accelerates negotiations because dealers don't waste time on rapport-building.

How long does it take?

Straight answer from our own record, not a marketing number: the median first written quote arrives in about three days, and deals have closed anywhere from six days to four weeks. Outreach starts within minutes of your brief, and we push every day in between — but a dealership that takes a week to write a real number takes a week, and no service can honestly promise otherwise. What changes is who spends those days chasing them. You get status updates the whole way.

Can I use Motrix for used cars?

Yes. Motrix handles new, used, certified pre-owned, and lease deals. The fee structures and negotiation tactics adapt to the vehicle type — the brief flow asks which condition you want.

What if Motrix doesn't get me a deal?

Deal and Pro are pay-on-close: if we don't land a deal you sign, you are never charged, so there is nothing to refund. Concierge is the one tier paid to start. Its refunds go by stage: full refund within 30 minutes of paying, or any time before a dealer has been contacted; $99 kept after the first dealer contact; $299 kept after a dealer returns a written offer; no refund once you confirm and lock your deal. If a dealer backs out of your locked number, you get a full refund automatically. Full terms: usemotrix.com/refunds.