I entered the auto dealer’s showroom thinking the no-haggle approach was the new way of doing business. The hard-sell designed to separate me from more of my money, I thought, was a thing of the past.

That naïve notion was quickly dispelled.

There’s no better feeling, of course, than getting a good deal on any big purchase, especially a new car or SUV. And I had lined up a great deal to buy a new Volkswagen Tiguan Limited. Or so I thought.

A day earlier, I’d followed the car-buying experts’ advice of doing all the negotiations ahead of time online, far from the frenzy of the showroom, where they have a home-field advantage.

After pushing for an even better price on the steeply discounted SUV, I got a number I liked. In an email, the dealer quoted me a price nearly 30 percent below the sticker for the four-wheel drive set of wheels I’d been coveting for months. It was an offer sweetened by sizable incentives. I couldn’t pass it up.