Hey all, just thinking about moving up to a 2011 from my 07 F150. My question is how do you guys get the dealers down 5 to 8K on the price of a new truck? I have contacted 6 dealers with the exact same specs and told them to get back to me with their best price. Not one has come below 31k on a MSRP vehicle of $33860. My normal salesman got miffed when he found out I went to the internet even after I pointed out he was trying to sell me the truck at msrp+tax/title, & fees! He came all the way down to $31400! A few of them did not even bother to call or email me. Is there communication between the dealers statewide? Maybe I'll just fly off to Texas or California, I could use a road trip.

 

I know exactly where you're coming from, seeings how I live in a small hicktown in Maine.
I probably could have saved about $500-$1k if I would have traveled 1.5 hours to one of the larger volume dealers.But when I ordered my 2011 I went with the small local dealer which I've dealt with in the past. One thing I took into consideration is they have a great service department with loaner cars, and closer is better if and when it comes to service and warrranty issues.
If I had to do it over again I'm not so sure I would have ordered it because waiting sucks.But the way I wanted it optioned out I probably would've had to travel 1/2 way across the country to find it.

 

Folks telling stories of 5-8 gee whizzers off are calculating from the highest window sticker price. Included in the 5-8 figure generally are the package discounts...discount from retail...and...the rebates. Of course...some dealers also will give up some of the holdback...and...will even lose money if they have to move a unit for some reason. Do your due diligence...let the local guy know what you've come up with...and...give him the last chance to earn your business. Profit is not a swear word...you referred to him as your 'Normal salesman". There must be a reason why!!!

 

If you live DownEast you just need to give a call to a Bangor dealer or better yet call a dealer out of state. But I would think that business is not that good in Maine right now that the local dealers aren't giving a better deal. I know the dealers down here in Maryland will knock 5 to 10K off the price depending on model. Truck buying aside, I own a few acres in Northfield, it's great area. Chris

 

I'd think you're in a bad time to get too much discounts now... you're after the holidays and winter sales, and before summer and end of the model year sales. As others have stated, the deeper discounts come from higher msrp'd trucks. However with high volume dealers and maybe even your local around Memorial day and into the summer they'll be wanting to move inventory and more receptive. I purchased mine over the 4th of July weekend and got 10k off SCrew XLT 4x4 with ford discount, financing discount, and then finally the dealer knocking off some to move the inventory cause they've made the money they needed/wanted to for the model year and just want to clear out what they can before the 11's showed up. So unless you need it now, i'd wait a couple months and see how things go.

My general rule is to find the invoice price, add $300, subtract ford discounts and there's your good deal price. That covers their cost and leaves them some profit without gouging you to get it. Andy dealer unwilling to come close to that needs time to remove their head from their backsides imo. However if that price isn't working for you and you want a great deal you'll need to work the sales staff and manager for a bit but it's possible...

 

OK my Maine brethren, Wiscasset Ford in Wiscasset, Maine on Rt1 is a one price no haggle dealer. I would never go to one of these dealers but their no haggle price is typically fair when compared to a small town dealer who relies on price rather than volume to keep the lights on.

Check em out on the web and use that price a baseline to begin negotiations. Another higher volume dealer is Quirk (sp) Ford, they have dealers in Bangor and Belfast.

Use your local dealer after your done your homework but let him know that you can go anywhere to buy a truck that he'll be obligated to service.

 

Thanks for all the great responses. I have gone to Bangor as that is my normal dealer, Darling's that is. The local one never even comes close as much as I would like to shop local, service is questionable also. I will keep doing my homework, I needed to just see how others approach getting the price down, the dealer invoice is hard to come up with. You cant trust what they say it is. My 07 only has 25000 miles on it so I am in no hurry to buy, I can wait a long time.

Checked out Wiscasset Ford, no trucks in stock to compare. Like what I'm looking at at least.

 

Bangor is quite a hike from Machias. We had some very close family friends over in Cutler that go by the name of Beam. Do you know any?

Anyway, did you consider looking in Ellsworth or MDI?

 

Know them? I grew up in Cutler. Everyone is related somehow down here. Bangor is a hike but so is everything when you live way out here. Just the way it is. I bought a Z71 at the Darling's in Ellsworth once, didnt like the dealership, and I have friends that work at Morrison Chevy also in Ellsworth. I have purchased at Varney's in Bangor and Quirk in Bangor. So far most of my best deals came from Darling's in Bangor. Who knows? We used to fly into Detroit in the 70's and drive them home, saving the transportation fee until they standardized it for the whole country years ago.

Beams Molly, Bum, Charlie, Alan, Mike, Ira, just to name a few.

 

OMG! I remember Bum and Ira! I used to go visit Audbry and Alta. They lived in the old run down green house across from the school. He was the janitor of the school and he drove a bus on occasion I believe. Small world I suppose.

Come to Virginia and get a great deal when your ready. The dealers here are motivated and they deal big.

 

I find the truck I want. Determine the invoice price. Educate myself on current incentives. Once I have this information, I call the dealer and make an offer. The offer price is the invoice price minus incentives. My experience is that you will eventually find a dealer that will make the deal. Just takes a little patience.

 

There's sites online that offer it, kbb.com is one, just poke around the new car section and you can get to pricing and it lists invoice cost. Or there's lots of others, a search for invoice price should turn up plenty. When you're really ready to buy you can also get a consumer reports...report that i believe gives invoicing and market pricing(what people have reported paying) along with other info. I've never used one, but a few people i know have and really liked having the info.

 

Yes, I have been on KBB and I get Consumer Reports, but you have to have a vin to get the invoice price and there are no trucks on the lots to actually look at. Oh, Darlings had plenty of trucks but they are what I call cars, extended cabs with 6ft. beds. useless. CR also charges $14 for the info.

 

You do not need a VIN to get an invoice price.

Go to cars.com (or similar) type in all the options you want on your new truck. The MSRP & invoice prices will then be listed. No dealer pays invoice, that's a scam figure designed for people to assume they're getting a deal.

Dealers finance their new inventory, so FoMoCo gives them enough money to finance for 3 months. This is refered to as "holdback" in the biz.

Edmunds.com has the percentage of the holdback the automakers give the dealers.

Usually dealers will not 'give up' the holdback when making a deal, but it doesn't hurt to chisel once you know what the figure is.

And, if vehicles have been on the lots longer than 3 months, the dealers are now financing them out of their own pockets, so will usually want to get rid of them, so will give a better deal.

Look on the Certification Label for the production date, you can usually figure from that how long the dealer has had the vehicle in inventory.

For example: My 2011 F150's production date is 11/2010, I bought it 1/22/2011.

Do not call dealers to get a "low buck" price. Research first, then contact the dealers internet sales dept, and ask them what their bottom line is.

Usually you can chisel even more in person when you meet with the dealers internet sales person.

And remember one very important thing...the 'glad handed' sales person is only your 'friend' until you sign the contract, afterwards...most could care less.

Read that contract carefully before signing it. Dealers like to "sneak things in" that many people fail to notice...the 'Doc Fee' for example. A Doc(ument) Fee is what dealers charge purchasers to type up the contract!

Dealers will give every excuse in the book what the Doc Fee referes to. Some don't charge it, some charge about 50 bucks, and I know of one cluck that paid a TWO GRAND Doc Fee (on a Nissan Titan), cuz he was stupid.

Do not opt for worthless dealer add-on crap: VIN etching, paint and/or upholstery protectant for examples.

And if buying an extended warranty, be aware that the markup can be between 40 to 60 percent...I kid you not. So whatever price is quoted, chisel the he!! oughtta that quote.

 

Excellent info sir, I knew some of it but not all of it. As I said, I can be patient, I have an excellent truck right now. If the deal doesn't make me smile, I ain't doing it.