First New car purchase. What is a fair price

[XR6TCraig]

Hey guys,

I am a newbie to these forums and am about to purchase my first new Ford ( an XR ute) and have a question or two about negotiating a price on a new vehicle. Previously I have purchased several Fords either privately or through ex-gov auctions. I currently own an early '03 BA Fairmont.

I have started to do a bit of window shopping, organised a couple of test drives and have conversed with one or two salesmen and suprise suprise, they don't want to give too much away when it comes to negotiating right up until the time that I am willing to walk in with a cheque.

So, I am hoping that some of the more experienced wheelers and dealers might have some idea about how much fat there is on the average Ford and maybe a couple of tips about how to get a fair deal. I really don't want to pay full retail plus pay in full for any options that I choose.

What is the best approach to use and how much off recommended retail can I expect to be able to pay? I just want a fair deal, so come on let me in on what you think the difference between retail and sell price of an XR6 Turbo ute ought to be and how to go about negotiating that!

[schmidty]

I found the best way to get an idea of where you should be on price, is to type a letter of exactly what you want, options etc, and that you're ready to deal straight away and fax it to every ford dealer in your state, and even outside.

A mates dad bought 3 landcruiser wagons and 2 utes. Went in to the local dealer and pushed and pushed for a better deal. They told him they were at their rock bottom dollar and had no more room to move.
He wasnt satisfied with the price, so faxed every toyota dealer in VIC, SA and NSW. Ended up getting them from Mount Barker Toyota, and the saving was so massive that they ended up basically getting one of the cruiser utes for nothing. They're about 52k with tray!
The funniest thing was Mt Barker Toyota ended up getting them registered and pre delivered by the toyota dealer where he got his first price to save on freight. Talk about rubbing salt into the wound!

Known of a few people who've bought cars in this way and done well. Vic is going to be the cheapest place to pick one up though i would think.


Negotiations depend heavily on what you're trading in also. If they screw you over on the trade in they can afford to drop a bit off the RRP.

[BionicGT]

It's easier if you're not trading in anything as they can't hide the real cost by fiddling the trade-in value.

The key is knowing the base car cost plus the cost of any options you want before you go and start talking price. If you buy a runout 2006 compliance plate model you'll save over $4k on the 2007 plate car cost. Note also Ford dealers usually add $1695 for Dealer Delivery. This figure is also negotiable.

Sites like http://www.discountnewcars.com.au/Fo...te-BF-MKII.cfm will also give you an idea of RRP prices and discounts available as Ford took pricing off their web site some time back. Other companies like http://www.privatefleet.com.au/index.php claim to be able to give fleet purchasing rates for private buyers. I haven't tried them though.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Buy a runout O6 BF mark I, that will save you somewhere around 5 - 6 grand!

[XR6TCraig]

Thanks for the info fellas, it was the type of thing I was looking for. The local ecconomy here is booming because of the resource boom in my local area. From what I have seen around the traps, most car dealers in town don't discount at all. Sounds like there is quite a bit of fat there though if I really push. Maybe the threat of shopping around or buying in Brissy might shake up my local Ford dealer a bit!

I wasn't at the point of sitting down and working out a price with the salesgirl, but was told that I would be paying almost 50K for an XR6T with ladder racks and leather, yet http://www.discountnewcars.com.au/F...Ute-BF-MKII.cfm is showing one for a tad over 40K with these features.

Some food for thought and some ammo!!

[5tumpy]

From my local Ford dealer on the weekend, I was quoted $49,000 drive away for an 6-speed auto XR8 ute. This was with a new pack Ford are bringing out apparently (Called a "Quicksilver" pack) with is basically the luxury package from what I can gather, Leather, 18" alloys, Premium sound, special steering wheel. He was pretty vague on the details though, as it's a brand new pack.


That figure was the drive-away price, so included stamp duty, rego, green slip, delivery charges and all that jazz...

[mowog]

First hint dont buy in small Towns its a limited market.

Get onto Carsales.com and e-mail a few Brisbane dealers they will deal via e-mail and phone this how I brought my Ute. I saved $5k on an 07 Build factory order.

Also try sending a PM to PIDDIY (I think thats it) He is here in Brisbane. He looked after me and he is a low BullSh*T sales guy.

[XR6TCraig]

Originally Posted by mowog

First hint dont buy in small Towns its a limited market.

Actually it's the opposite here despite the isolation.

So many people on 6 figure salaries because of the mining industry that the dealers can ask for retail and get it. There are more FPVs and XRs walking out the door at the local ford dealer than base spec models!

The local HSV dealership sells the second highest number of units in Australia despite only servicing a population base of around 100k.

[jaydee]

Do a search on the internet and see if you can find what you're looking for at carsales.com.au . My car was in the yard (BA 03 Futura) for 25k and I saw it on the internet for $19,990. printed it off and took it in and did the deal. Of course I couldn't get much for a trade or any extra's so I had to sell my trade privately and got an extra 4 and half grand.
Just do lots of research and comparisons.