Kevin has some very good points on this subject but, I feel Ford should atleast try to get the dealers to stop gouging. I don't know how so don't ask me. The way I see it is when these dealers mark up the price, most people only see that big blue oval that says Ford. This in turn gives the impression that Ford is doing it or is okay with it and when the car doesn't sell well it hurts Ford in the long run. I've paid msrp before but will never pay over.

 

I have an open offer at carmax with a 5000 signing bonus right now B) I sold a perfect Excursion at $6500 below KBB recently. Carmax takes off about 500-700 max. I have a buddy that is their top guy averaging over 30 units a month. Im pretty familiar with them. If it werent for fixed pay I would of gone over a long time ago. Last weekend I sold one older unit wich had a bonus on it and made over 1800 on one car, the customer got a killer deal too. Its hard to get away from that

 

cant argue with that, i just use carmax as a summer job and dont have time to deal with how long negotiations can take or the cut throat competition. B)

 

I pitty the fool who pays over MSRP. Get the pricing info, be firm, and walk out of the dealership if they try any funny business.

If all else fails, just get on the phone and let your fingers do the walking.

They are going to build 180,000 Mustangs. There will be 20+ at every single dealership. Don't let your emotions take hold of your wallet. Just remember...........it may be cool........but it's just a Taurus to the dealer. If they think they have a "rare, high demand car, that demands a premium", then just vote with your feet and walk out.

You shouldn't be talking about how much over invoice, or even how much bellow MSRP...........you should be talking about how much over invoice.


Ford will never have fixed pricing. Heck, I don't want them to have fixed pricing. I want a great deal. If there were fixed prices, everyone would get an average deal.

[edit for gramar]

 

Its actually a good company to work for if you like the idea of selling cars with less pressure on yourself. Nothing wrong with Carmax, but they do make tons of bucks.

 

Say what you want about CarMax, they just purchased my 03 supercrew(10,000 miles) for 2000.00 more than any dealer would give me in San Antonio. Dealers think consumers dont know how to play the game, this one does!!!!

 

Speaking of price gouging.....
What in the hades is a program car?
Clicky..

I don't think we have much price gouging on the mustangs here. From what I checked its all $21,515 for the one I will order, which checks out with Fords build a vehicle.

 

If Ford forced the dealers not sell for over MSRP and the demand supported a price higher than MSRP, I would be buying one tomorrow and auctioning it on ebay for the higher price. So would a thousand other entrepreneurs. Ford has no power to control the price; the market controls the price. All Ford can do is lose money by holding the price below demand.

 

I think Ford should definatly discourage gouging..It's better for both Ford and the dealer in the long run...

However, like many have said, the dealer has every right to sell it any price he wants! It would be very unethical if Ford fixed pricing!

 

personally I think ford should stop discounting, they've been giving good vehicles away, especially trucks, for no reason for years.

 

Cough ..
1986 Bronco 302 v8 ...ALL new
cough..

Please fill my Eleanor fund.

With that said,
If some certain car dealers just wouldn't be snakey, I wouldn't care what they did on pricing. Pricing too high annoys me, but dishonesty really lights me up.

 

a 'program' car usually is the 'soft' way of saying the used car was purchased from a rental car auction through the Ford online auction program. As scary as it sounds, there usually is nothing to worry about, and most of the time the cars are maintained much better then average consumer-owned vehicles. The system is pretty amazing though, it will tell you down to the rock chip the condition of the car that dealers buy site unseen and have shipped, I have never seen one purchased that needed to be returned.

For the most part they are one year old Mustang V6 autos, Taurus, Explorers(all types), and Focus SE sedans with autos.

 

Goodbye Oldsmobile!
This dealer has like 3 pages of them.

I get the best of both worlds- goody! And this is where I will eventually buy the 05- their quote is wayy cheaper than everyone else.

Thanks for the explain!

 

So whats the real fear here (other than somebody getting ripped off) Ford designs a freak'n awesome mustang, the market goes nuts, Dealers get greedy (like a certain dealer I know of that tacked on 10k on the 3rd gen RX-7 when it came out). Everybody likes it but thinks 30k plus is to much for a GT. Nobody buys it, Ford goes where did we go wrong and all of a sudden focus loses its name and the Mustang is a sub-compact again (shades of Nova).

 

I understand that the dealers want to make as much money as possible on the first few that they get.
But I really think that Ford should step in and stop this. Nothing against the dealers but look at the bigger picture.
How many customers out there are as crazy about the new stang as we here are, may 50,000 all over the US. What about the rest? Imagine a guy who doesn't really care if he gets a mustang or a GTO walks into a ford dealer and sees the car for 3000 over sticker. He is just going to walk out, do you think he is going to come back after 3 months? wait for the hoopla to die?? NOOOOO
He is just gonna walk across the street and get a GTO, also in the process he will tell hundred people that the stang is marked up.
Ford can not afford to loose on this car. This absolutely has to do very very well, to get Ford out of the stage that they are in.
I am in the automotive industry and I know that the things aren't good for Ford. They have priced this car low for a reason and they need to make sure that it stays that way.
Dealer making 5000$ more on 10 cars is not going to do them any good, they should know better.
Toyota can afford its dealers to do what ever they want, Ford can not. They need to stop this, its only good for the comapny.

 

thats just not a logical conclusion though. I know it bothers some people that it sounds expensive to them. You have to realize that demand drives pricing. It will calm down. I think its cool that Ford products are getting the attention to warrant the hiked pricing and will most likely get it. We arent even marking them over MSRP but could all day long with our customer base in this area, Hybrid either. You obviously never shopped for the first Scion products or even Sienna minvans before. Miata/RX7TT/Prius or any hybrid/PT/350/any MB vert/viper/beetle/mini/300/supra etc all went through the same process.

 

Experience teaches us that during the low supply/high demand period early on, there will be a feeding frenzy. People will pay a premium for the early Mustangs. Just like people have paid premiums for other vehicles, in order to be "first". The dealer only sets the table, people CHOOSE to sit down and eat the premium priced banquet.

Later, when there's plenty of ponies on the lot and the supply situation eases, the VERY SAME cars will be quite negotiable.

All you have to do is decide WHEN you want to sit at the table.

edit addition: Like Kevin said, be GLAD that Ford has produced a Mustang SO wonderful that it generates this kind of response. Looking beyond just the next two-three months, it means good things for everyone, including Ford and Mustang owners.

 

For every moron who pays 1K over MSRP, there are 4 people who get $100 over invoice. You think that if "price gouging" was stopped, the dealers would sell all cars at an awesome price for the good of the world and make less money? Wake up!

I love price gouging!! Let other fools pay for MY good car deal!

Wake up, people! Don't worry about what fools are paying. That's why they're fools! If you can't negotiate worth a crap, then go get ripped off at a no haggle Saturn dealership!

Wake up!!!!!!

PS. Funny how most people here on the board can barely spell or use proper grammar, yet they know what's best for the multi-billion dollar Ford Motor Company. Wake up!!!!!!!!!

 

The final choice is with the consumers. In the long run, price gouging will not earn you a loyal customer base. Why lose a customer forever just to make a few extra bucks when you can achieve the same results through volume sales.

 

I think of it this way :scratch: : The dealer needs X amount of "profit" per month to stay in business.

A fool who pays $1000's over list to be first on the block only helps smart shoppers (like us) who can now pay lower prices, since the fool has helped the dealer get closer to his required profitability.

If Ford said "No gouging" on a hot item, the EVERYBODY will pay MSRP - no bargains, no deals for the smart shoppers. That's the fallacy with Saturn's "one price pricing" - it's MUCH harder for smart shoppers to get a deal.