I got a call from my salesman this afternoon. He said my car is on the way to his dealership. Unfortunately, he ordered the manual instead of the automatic. He has offered to find the exact car at another dealer, but I told him I need to think about it.

Ford has really ticked me off with the $750 rebate and the lack of a spare tire. I couldn't find the car we wanted before my coupon expired, so I had to order one. I have requested about 2 dozen brochures, but only received 4, none with the coupon. I have called Ford CS 3 times and haven't had any luck getting it extended.

Finding a used spare is almost impossible. They are being picked out of junkyards as soon as they arrive. To order a new one from Ford is about $400.

I don't know what we will decide to do. The car was to my wife's daily driver. We will have to discuss it tonight.

 

You should keep it. The manual is really easy to drive. This is my first manual car and I was driving it perfectly in a few days. Plus, its so much fun to drive. Maybe you can use this as a bargaining tool to get your 750 off.

Don't worry about the spare so much either. A spare is just temporary so you can use a simple tire/rim as a backup. Most cars have crappy spares anyway.

 

The bottom line is, get what you want. Don't settle for the manual if that's not what you want. If your wife is unhappy with it, it won't be cheap to trade out of it. If they can find the exact car you want at another dealer, that's probably your best bet, with the caveat that you will inspect it when it arrives, and if you're not satisfied with it, you're not obligated to take it. I would also insist that they bring it in on a flatbed trailer or flatbed wrecker, not drive it or dolly it.

 

x2

When spending this much for a car, I would not settle for anything but what you ordered. Unless it came at a significant discount that makes the deal very tempting.

Luckily when I was looking for a car, they found one that had everything I wanted plus a few extras. So it was either pay a few bucks more for those extra options or wait 8-12 weeks on a special order. I took the one with extra options.

 

what's the difference in price between the manual and auto, 1k$ ?? There's your rebate and then some.

 

John,

Sorry to hear that; what a bummer! Good luck with whatever decision you make.

-Ryan

 

Back when the 05's first came out I was looking to get a GT with an auto. I'd never driven a stick before so I ordered one with an auto. The dealer was having a hard time ordering one and they (of course) tried to sell me one they had on the lot, but it was the wrong color and not many options. I called another dealer and they had what I wanted but it was a stick.

I went there and the GM took me for a drive in it and said it's a crime to get an auto in these. The car was much more alive than the GT with the auto. The GM was great, he taught me to drive a stick and I was still unsure and we went out for 2 more test drives over the next 2 days. I bought the car and NEVER regretted getting a stick. Later I got an 08 Bullitt (stick) and then an 08 GT500 (stick)- it's the only way to fully enjoy these cars.

Get the stick and take your wife to an empty parking lot and let her learn to drive it. The hardest part is really just starting from a dead stop, once you're moving shifting is very easy. Find a quiet area with a hill so she can practice starting on a hill as well and practice holding it on a hill with just the clutch (this isn't how you should DD a car but doing this little drill will help her understand how the clutch works).

Big key in learning to drive a stick is just have her slowly release the clutch to the point that the engine will get the car creeping forward without her stepping on the gas. This will really help her get the feeling for how the clutch engages. From there is just a matter of giving it a little gas and fully letting the clutch out.

 

Thanks, but I can drive a stick fine. The car is my wife's car and she doesn't want a stick.

If we are buying a new one we are going to get exactly what we want.

 

Your salesman screwed up big time.

 

^ Yea, that's pretty integral in ordering a car. It's not one that can usually get caught up, like- 'oh we forgot to order the cargo net... darn."

Keep us posted...

 

First, sorry to hear your salesman screwed up, with that said, I would not settle for the stick (yes, I have one), but your wife may not be happy trying to move in heavy traffic/traffic jams. I would never have bought this car if I was still in Dallas/Ft Worth...never! Sticks are great for toys on the weekend, and rural living, but the big cities are parking lots, at the best of times.

Having just returned from DC, it simply reinforces my suggestion to get the automatic. If the dealer can find you a match, and it is acceptable to you and your wife (especially her, if she is the prime driver) there should be no problem. Just watch the odometer and if it has more then 12-15 miles, I would turn it down, as someone else has driven it. My current 2011 GT/CS was on the dealer lot with 13 miles on it.

Good luck, and after 45 years of marriage, and many cars, I can honestly say, if she is happy, you will be happy!

 

Let them find you an auto at another dealer and then get them to make you a better deal for their screw-up.

The spare really isn't that big of a deal, buy a cheap aftermarket wheel and a basic tire and use that for the spare. www.buyfordracing.com has 18" bullitt style wheels for $89 and you can get a decent new 18" tire for about $125.

 

I kNOW it's for your wife. And if she doesn't want a stick then why are you posting you don't know what to do???

 

A) Let them order another one.
B) Let them find one.
C) Walk away.

 

Correction:

A) Keep Mama happy!
B) See A

 

did you see what ltngdrvr posted about the spare? good stuff...

 

If it is possible maybe you can order the new one while they are looking for an exact replica of your car :idk:

They fcuked up big time and owe you big time ... Thats my .02 cents. Im sorry to hear John thats gotta suck. I know I had to special order my car and had to wait 3 months to get it so I kinda know how you feel man

 

Get to your nearest GM dealership and get her an auto Maro, she won't even notice the difference. Just sayin'.

 

My wife said she wants to order another one and that's what we are going to do. I'm going to call my salesman in the morning. Hopefully, he won't mess it up this time.

While we wait we'll just have to enjoy my new toy that I bought 3 weeks ago.

 

The car can be prioritized with a special code by the regional rep allowing it to take priority over other builds. I'd discuss this with the sales manager and I'm sure he'll take care of it. I'm suprised they didn't give you a copy of the order sheet. They should at least offer you the dicsount and an extended warranty for your troubles.