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Ford Escape Hybrid Prices Paid and Buying Experiences

705 messages,  Last post on Feb 06, 2009 at 11:46 AM

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What is this discussion about? Ford Escape Hybrid, Hybrid Cars, SUV


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#283 of 705
Looking to buy the 2009 model by neuroboy002
Feb 19, 2008 (8:11 pm)
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Hello everyone,
 
I am hope the 2009 FEH will be the very first car I buy on my own. Over the past couple of months, I have contacted dealers regarding the 2008 models but as my need to make a large down payment has increased, the 2009 models will be out when I am ready to purchase.
 
My questions is, if dealerships are currently accepting paper work orders for the hybrid, does this give me less bargaining power because the care isn't actually on the lot? Is their less incentive for the dealer to come down in price because they are essentially special ordering the care based on whatever accessories I want with it?
 
I think it's harder to negotiate when the actual car isn't even being produced yet. What leverage does a buyer have? As a first time buyer, any adv ice you can offer will help.
#284 of 705
Re: Looking to buy the 2009 model [neuroboy002] by drlarsen
Feb 19, 2008 (10:22 pm)
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Replying to: neuroboy002 (Feb 19, 2008 8:11 pm)

With the current situation of an 8 month backorder I really doubt you'll have much luck negotiating the price. Many dealers are charging $2000 or more extra if they have one on their lot.
 
I'd expect the situation will remain the same going into the 2009 model year unless by some miracle they manage to sort out their production problems.
#285 of 705
Re: My FEH arrived [yvrcody] by drlarsen
Feb 19, 2008 (10:27 pm)
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Replying to: yvrcody (Feb 19, 2008 8:10 pm)

The BC tax credit is actually up to $2000, depending on how much tax you paid. If you only paid $1500 in PST then you'll only get a $1500 credit.
 
http://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/documents_library/bulletins/sst_085.pdf
#286 of 705
Looking to buy the 2009 model by neuroboy002
Feb 20, 2008 (12:08 am)
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Hello everybody,
 
I am hoping the 2009 FEH will be the very first car I buy on my own. Over the past couple of months, I have contacted dealers regarding the 2008 models and have received competitive offers via e-mail. However, my goal is to make a large down payment to offset whatever a short term interest rate is incurred. By the time I have saved enough money, the 2009 models will be in production.
 
My questions is, if dealerships are currently accepting paper work orders for the hybrid, does this give me less bargaining power because the car isn't actually on the lot? Is their less incentive for the dealer to come down in price because they are essentially special ordering the vehicle based on whatever accessories I want with it?
 
I think it's harder to negotiate when the actual car isn't even being produced yet. What leverage does a buyer have in this situation? As a first time buyer, any advice you can offer will help.
#287 of 705
Re: Looking to buy the 2009 model [neuroboy002] by fmorriso
Feb 20, 2008 (3:50 am)
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Replying to: neuroboy002 (Feb 20, 2008 12:08 am)

If my experience in Northern Virginia is any indicator, dealers have no incentive to bargain on the 2008 FEH. In fact, they add a 'premium' of $3000 to the price of any of their FEH's bought off the lot. That $3000 is approximately equal to the tax incentive, effectively 'stealing' it from the customer.
 
As for the 2009's, I can't imagine there will be any price bargaining on the hybrids - there's simply no supply/demand reason to do so.
 
I'd rather know the details of the 2009 packages and options before ordering, which I thought I read elsewhere would be in May.
#288 of 705
Re: Looking to buy the 2009 model [fmorriso] by baysailor
Feb 24, 2008 (11:03 am)
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Replying to: fmorriso (Feb 20, 2008 3:50 am)

Neuroboy,
My experience with the DC mid-atlantic area is not as bad as Fmorriso's but its one where you have to expect you don't have the advantage a typical auto buyer has. First-off, he's right, the demand for the truck is such that you can't expect to get a great deal below MSRP. A lot of dealers are adding "market premiums" and getting them. MSRP is probably as good as you can realistically expect. I found a number of dealers that were willing to sell at MSRP without the premium, but you have to look for them. Even at that, you may still pay top dollar since nearly all the trucks we looked at had the full-up options package, which probably helps defray the negative margins that FMC eats to be able to sell the truck.
 
So you have two options, in my mind:
 
1) Place the order for exactly what you want, and plan to wait 3-5 months, or:
2) Wait until a couple of months after the 09's come out, and get in the game full-scale then. Be prepared to beat the bushes, and take either a FEH or MMH, or the Mazda Tribute Hybrid, which should hit the rest of the country next year.
 
We bought our MMH a month ago, and used a buying service (Costco) to lock in the price with a dealer that was a member of the program, on a vehicle that had just been delivered. To give you an idea of the scarcity, it was on the other side of DC from our home. If I had been completely off the street, the dealer might have hit me with the premium, but he would have caught hell from the buying service, so with his markup, the cost was right at MSRP. We bought the car the day after it had been delivered, so you need to be on your toes, have your financing lined up, and all that jazz. Since then, we've come across another 1/2 dozen buy opportunities, none with a significantly better price to make me kick myself.
#289 of 705
Re: Looking to buy the 2009 model [neuroboy002] by jhorback
Feb 25, 2008 (7:57 am)
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Replying to: neuroboy002 (Feb 20, 2008 12:08 am)

One thing to remember is everything is negotiable. If they don't sell you a car, they don't make money. I would not commit to the first dealer you go to. I love hearing their 'second' offer when I am walking out the door. If possible I would go between at least two dealers to see who could commit to the lowest price. Also, if by some outside chance, Ford offers an incentive at the time you actually make the purchase, pre-orders will qualify.
 
It may be difficult to get a deal much less than the MSRP but I would definately never pay more than sticker.
 
One question I have is if the "production start up" is June 23 2008, does anyone have any idea on when pre-orders may arrive and/or when the dealers could be expected to receive their inventory?
#290 of 705
Costco purchase by bjcarter
Feb 29, 2008 (8:49 am)
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Replying to: jhorback (Feb 25, 2008 7:57 am)

I see where you can purchase a FEH through costco at $500 over the invoice. The salesperson I spoke with at Ford indicated that one can even pre-order a vehicle with this program at $500 over the invoice. Is there a catch? Has anyone else tried this? $500 over invoice for a FEH seems like a pretty good deal at present.
#291 of 705
Re: Costco purchase [bjcarter] by drlarsen
Feb 29, 2008 (9:31 am)
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Replying to: bjcarter (Feb 29, 2008 8:49 am)

The catch is you'll be waiting for 8 months to receive your vehicle, in which case I'd be wondering why I didn't just wait a bit more and get the 2009 model.
 
The good news is if you sign a trade-in agreement with the dealer you don't have to worry about your car depreciating during the wait. I'm not sure if that applies to the Costco program or not since I'm not familiar with it.
#292 of 705
Re: Costco purchase [bjcarter] by teperilloux
Feb 29, 2008 (9:39 am)
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Replying to: bjcarter (Feb 29, 2008 8:49 am)

We went with X plan order over Costco when we bought our FEH last year.
 
Costco is actually around $1000-$1300 over invoice depending on option level. X plan is just slightly above invoice ($100-200).
 
While it may be easier to go Costco as dealers will probably honor costco on lot vehicles, If you're going to order anyway, call around to see if closer dealers will honor x plan, which they *should* be more willing to do than if you ask them to honor x plan on a vehicle on the lot.
 
You can check your employer to see if you qualify for Ford X plan. Generally, if you or someone you know works for a large company they can get an xplan partner code, then go here: https://www.fordpartner.com/partnerweb/login.do and get your pin.
 
Bottom line is Costco is average of MSRP and invoice, while X plan is just above invoice.
 
You will *probably* have better luck on an order with a larger dealer as their allocation is probably higher and you should push to get an allocation of a regular order FEH as your FEH. FEH are allocated by region and if you get a low allocation on the list, there are horror stories of people waiting 5-7 months for their vehicle.
 
I did my homework and the dealer I bought from was on very good terms with his Ford rep and I got my FEH in about 10 weeks! Your mileage will vary, but the more homework you do up front the less headache you will have later.
  
If you ordering an FEH, get a x plan pin, find a dealer to honor x plan, get a decent allocation date, then your are getting the absolute best deal for the best SUV available on the market IMHO.
 
*edit*
After reading previous posts the market may have changed since we bought in fall of last year. A standard 8 month wait would limit my choice to lot vehicles and hence the best deal would be costco. If the wait improves x plan would definitely be the way to go in the future. Again, it REALLY depends on the dealer and their allocation levels. I have a feeling these 8 month waits are from dealers without allocation putting orders at the VERY back of the line, although I could be wrong. Best of luck.

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