Tips on buying for a first time new car owner.

[Amakrida]

So I have owned several cars in my life. All used. All purchased from private sellers, never a dealership. I bought my 08 Prius about 8 years ago and its got almost 200k on it, time for a new car. Maverick fits the bill perfectly. Barring anything horrible when I test drive it, strong chance I'll be buying. My next question is what exactly comes next?

Im the kind of guy that likes to just buy the item I've settled on. What I mean is, I'm not a haggler. I settle on an item, see the price on the item, and pay the price if I can afford it. I placed my order and the agreement I signed was MSRP + destination + tax + $150 doc fee to dealer. I put down a $250 refundable deposit. All of this seems fair and straight forward to me. Is it foolish of me not to haggle? Obviously I know that the dealer isn't paying MSRP, and there's wiggle room in there. But, I feel like they were fair with me, didn't try some BS like tacking on fees and charges, I shouldn't demand a discount. I'm paying what Ford says the truck costs. Plus $150, which seems fair.

Will they attempt to tack on a bunch of BS when I finally sit down to buy it? The order I placed and signed should be the final price right? If they try to sell me warranties are they worth it? I'd lean towards no. I was in the tire industry for a decade and the dealer warranties for tires and rims didn't cover squat. They always found a way to weasel their way out of it.

Long story short...you guys gonna haggle? Am I stupid if I don't?

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[H0pelessOpus]

@Amakrida Depending on the dealer they'll definitely try to tack on some sort of service plan or extended warranty. You're correct in assuming you should decline those. They're high margin for the dealer with little value to you.

When it comes time to buy I'd definitely see what incentives you might qualify for and if there are comparable models in the area. If a nearby dealer is offering the same truck for a cheaper price you should ask your current dealer to match. Keep in mind that you're doing the dealer a favor by purchasing a car from them. If they're high pressure or if something feels off don't feel bad about taking your money elsewhere.

 

[Scooter66]

Haggling on a new never before truck model with a lot of buzz is pointless. Most will offer MSRP and that’s that. Stay away from dealerships that will add ADM or dealer installed “options” that just pad their profits. Sounds like you got a straight deal. If you are willing to travel, some dealerships are discounting off MSRP. Search around this forum and you will find them. If I were you I would talk to Granger. BTW prices (MSRP and invoice) are published on this forum. There is not a lot of delta between MSRP and invoice.

 

[BARTMAVERICK]

I have saved thousands of dollars on a new car purchase by getting 2 or 3 dealerships competing for my business. However, with the Maverick being so new and rare and in demand, I don't know how much you could save. You won't know 'till you try.

 

[H0pelessOpus]

@Scooter66 +1 for Granger, saving a little over 2k from MSRP.

 

[Packer Bill]

I recommend using the internet. Two years when I bought a new car, I found a dealer 90 miles away who gave me a much better price. And through this forum, I found a dealer 300 miles away who sold a Maverick for 3% below MSRP to me!

 

[Down]

Agreed with others, it sounds like you got a decent deal here as long as they don't try and tack on extras at the last second. If they do? I'd tell em to pound sand and walk away on principle.
As for the warranty, that's a tough question. I NEVER buy warranties on things but I'm honestly seriously considering one this time, but I'll only consider a genuine Ford ESP plan. While warranties typically are a waste of money, the electronics on new cars have me rethinking.

My last two vehicles I've bought are a '13 and a '17 Escape Titanium. By the time I traded in the 13, it was only a few years old and had less than 70k miles on it but all kinds of electronic problems had already reared their ugly head. Buttons stopped working, Sync stopped working, collision detectors either went off all the time for no reason or never worked at all, etc, etc, etc. My 2017 has about 45k miles on it now and I've having the same kinds of issues with it too, but luckily only intermittently so far.

I have zero interest in trying to tackle electrical problems and I quickly found out exactly how expensive these electrical failures get when I looked into getting my 13 fixed out of warranty. Yikes!

So, long story short on the warranty? Really comes down to personal preference but I think there's a decent case to be made for a cheap ESP plan (SHOP AROUND ONLINE!) if you plan to keep the car more than a few years.

 

[DavidS]

Will they attempt to tack on a bunch of BS when I finally sit down to buy it?

Long story short...you guys gonna haggle? Am I stupid if I don't?

Yes, they will attempt to tack on a bunch of BS. After you drive it and decide that you want it, they will bring you back to the "finance manager" to sit down and do the paperwork. The finance manager is the REAL salesman. He's the one who will explain to you all of the benefits of an extended warranty, a paint repair warranty, a maintenance plan, window etchings, and all sorts of other stuff. All of these things are optional and their prices are negotiable. My advice is to go in knowing exactly what you want and what you're willing to pay for it. For example, if you like the idea of an extended warranty, go in there knowing you want a 6 year bumper to bumper and you're not willing to pay more than 1,000 for it. Leave it up to them if they can hit that price or not. They only thing I would strongly recommend is gap insurance. You can buy it through your own insurance company, if you prefer, but you really should have it if you're taking out a loan.

As for haggling on the price of the truck, once you've signed the order and the order is placed you have no room to haggle and no leverage. There are dealerships that are selling Maverick orders for well below MSRP. Some are even doing 4% below INVOICE. If you really want to save some money, order through one of those dealers and cancel your original order. You might have to travel to go get your truck, but you'd still be ahead on price. For me, it's not worth it. Personally, I'd rather build a working relationship with the local dealership. Also, my local dealership offers a lifetime powertrain warranty. To me, that's worth the extra $1,000 that I could save going elsewhere. Not to mention the cost of travel to get a truck.

 

[2022EOW]

Shop around, I have a new Bronco and Maverick coming from Granger, approximately $4,000 and $1,800 below MSRP respectively.

 

[dldsm7]

Like many have said, there are dealers out there that are offering under invoice on this car (it is a bout a $2,000 difference between MSRP & 4% under invoice). I am like you, I have a dollar amount I have set aside to spend and I will find the best car for that money. Currently the Maverick fits that bill, but if I find a car that works better for me before it is delivered, I will change gears.

Also, like @DavidS mentioned, it may not be worth that travel. I have ordered from Chapman as my local dealerships do not offer any of those deals on the truck, so I figure if I give my business to someone who matches my ideology of what a dealership should be, that will only enable them to continue to do what they do. I hope more dealers can get in on the invoice or below invoice model.

 

[JohnDLG]

You could just get setup for an X-plan which will give you a set price and you won't have to worry about all kinds of tacked on fees.

 

[dldsm7]

You could just get setup for an X-plan which will give you a set price and you won't have to worry about all kinds of tacked on fees.

and in case you don’t know how, it’s for the mustang club of America

 

[Snax]

Consumer Reports has some great articles and tips for buying a new car: New & Used Car Buying Guide - Consumer Reports

 

[Amakrida]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Very useful information. I sincerely appreciate it.

 

[oljackfrost]

Yes, they will attempt to tack on a bunch of BS. After you drive it and decide that you want it, they will bring you back to the "finance manager" to sit down and do the paperwork. The finance manager is the REAL salesman. He's the one who will explain to you all of the benefits of an extended warranty, a paint repair warranty, a maintenance plan, window etchings, and all sorts of other stuff. All of these things are optional and their prices are negotiable. My advice is to go in knowing exactly what you want and what you're willing to pay for it. For example, if you like the idea of an extended warranty, go in there knowing you want a 6 year bumper to bumper and you're not willing to pay more than 1,000 for it. Leave it up to them if they can hit that price or not. They only thing I would strongly recommend is gap insurance. You can buy it through your own insurance company, if you prefer, but you really should have it if you're taking out a loan.

As for haggling on the price of the truck, once you've signed the order and the order is placed you have no room to haggle and no leverage. There are dealerships that are selling Maverick orders for well below MSRP. Some are even doing 4% below INVOICE. If you really want to save some money, order through one of those dealers and cancel your original order. You might have to travel to go get your truck, but you'd still be ahead on price. For me, it's not worth it. Personally, I'd rather build a working relationship with the local dealership. Also, my local dealership offers a lifetime powertrain warranty. To me, that's worth the extra $1,000 that I could save going elsewhere. Not to mention the cost of travel to get a truck.

Gap is a good idea. Most policies can be cancelled at any time with a prorated amount back. Annually check what’s left on your loan against Kelley Blue Book and it you’re not upside down, cancel gap.

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