I have a 2017 Silverado I'm looking to trade in for an f150. The truck rides like crap and GM is saying it is within specs. I'm considering trading it in on a new f150 and wanted some advice on a good online dealer or dealer with good prices within a 5 hour drive of middle tennessee. Any advice?

 

^^^

Welcome!

Have you driven new F-150? What I've heard from people who have owned both truck is that the GM's ride better but don't perform as well. IDK, my truck rides like a truck should ride. Tough to buy a truck online and be 100% pleased with the outcome.

 

I've test driven several f150s. My chevy vibrates pretty bad at interstate speeds. The center console shakes and drives me nuts. I'm considering going through the arbitration process with it but trading it might work out better.

 

Mine is pretty good. A bit of a drive for ya, but their selling price is listed on their website, and they won't budge an inch from it.

New and Used Ford Dealer Apple Valley | Apple Ford Lincoln Apple Valley

 

You're going to lose a ton of money doing a trade like this (as I'm sure you know).

As an alternate idea, have you gone down to the dealership and taken another truck out on a test drive and seen the same issues? This "trick" has worked with more than one user here and been successful in changing the mind of their service dept. A back-to-back trip in another truck and then yours might be needed to show them specifically what you're talking about.

 

A member here, Franz, is in truck sales and he should be within 5 hours of you. I think he's in southern PA.

 

Paging @Frantz.

 

That would be worth a little drive. That is some good discounts!!
maybe not from Texas, but a couple hundred miles!

 

These guys beat every other dealer I went to by nearly $3K on my '15. They wouldn't move a dime on my trade or the sale price, but the deal was transparent without added fees.

 

Driving 5 hours for a deal is never worth while, unless maybe you live in Alaska (and a few old age unit situations, and maybe for a Raptor or Shelby). Shopping across state lines will lead to confusion and disappointment (or believing the deal you got was better than it actually was). Too many different state laws vary in how things are priced, and looking at pricing in other states is likely looking at rebates you do not qualify for. Rebate are based on your zip code not the dealership you're buying from. Just my 2 cents!

Your Chevy will be worth a few thousand dollars less than whatever the cheapest ones like it sells for today (not when you bought it). Never a good financial choice to trade in that soon. I would try to figure out what's causing the bad ride, IMO none of the current trucks on the market ride poorly.

 

Akins Ford in Winder GA.

 

I have to disagree with you.

In July of last year, I found a deal that was too good to pass up on my 2016 Lariat and I drove from north GA to Mobile Alabama.

If a person is willing to drive or even rent a car, the deals in the southern states are hard to beat.

 

You can disagree all you want. 99% of the "better deal out of state" things I see are not better when all is said and done.

I can't speak for every one but at random I typed Alabama Ford Dealer and went to the top one.

The "Retail Value" they advertise is "$65544", but the real MSRP is $63749. Invoice is $59360, and their sale price AFTER rebates is $58748, but the "savings" is higher then you'd find elsewhere.

They also have two of my favorites at the bottom. Price does not include destination or processing AND/OR documentation fees.

And who knows what else.

So what happens is you get a low price, then they show you the fees and say "bla bla we're your friends and we have to do this to market, but it's what everyone does, so we're still the lowest price and you'll pay fees everywhere!"

BUT while both Georgia and Alabama have no limit and $500+ is common, many states do limit. X plan limits as well. And many states require Destination to be part of the advertised price, but some do not.

So it might be possible to think you're getting a better deal and actually be worse off. AND you don't have someone to easily go back to. A fellow over in the SD forum just found a dented trans pan, you think Ford is going to fix that? But a local dealer likely will and charge it to lot damage to do the right thing and keep a good local customer happy (To be fair he hasn't posted resolution yet but I don't expect he'll have issues).

And maybe you did find a better deal, but honestly with every dealer getting the same price on a truck, I can't imagine finding a deal SO much better to be worth the drive, and if it is, then it's probably got some reasons, or deceptions. I don't believe the avg consumer is equipped enough to be SURE they are getting a good deal by such shopping methods, and therefore I don't recommend it. Again, exceptions being for old units or demos that have stated and justifiable reason for being priced under reasonable local market values.

 

Well Frantz,

It looks like you didn`t have any luck with looking at out of state dealers but i`m sure there are many people who would disagree with you.

Picking a random dealership in Alabama?

I didn`t just pick a random dealership in Alabama when I purchased my truck so your theory doesn`t work.

Opinions are great and everyone has his or her own but I didn`t lose any money when I purchased my F150 and they beat every dealer here in GA by several thousand dollars and they also gave me every rebate/discount from Ford that was offered at the time of purchase with lone exception of the trade in of which I wasn`t doing.

The OP asked for advice and thats why I gave him the info so all he has to do now is compare prices.

I hope you have a great day.

 

Of course people disagree with me, because no one likes to find out they were suckered and they'll go to the ends of the earth to feel the got a better deal. People disagree with me too that it's a much more emotional decision than even grumpy pants hustlers who cross state lines will ever admit. The fact that you're proud they gave you every rebate shows me you're no purchasing expert. It also shows me you don't know how the rebates work, because you can't get "every" one. They aren't compatible. Of course they did give you all you were eligible for, what would they have not giving them to you? I'm not always right about everything, but lets be honest. A consumer who "saved thousands of dollars" compared to everyone in his state probably doesn't know what they are doing as well as someone who sells 150 trucks a year and spends a fair amount of time trolling this forum to mentally gather information about the trends of the industry. You also lost a ton of money when you bought your truck. They are expensive. Your entire mindset doesn't make a lick of sense. I'm all for comparing prices, but you have to compare more than the price and adding variables like different state advertising laws adds to the complexity, and therefor makes poor advice.