Ordering vs Buying from Dealer

[ExtantPuzzle]

6'6" 200 pounds, I'm tall and in relatively good shape. I'd never buy a car with Recaros. I've sat in them a few times and they're super uncomfortable. On the other hand, the leather seats in my GT350 are fantastic.

RE Deal: I got $3k off MSRP for my 2019. I've seen a few cheaper, and might have been able to save an additional $1k if I was willing to fly/drive/etc., but it was a fairly good deal.

Sponsored

 

[Lorne34]

Excellent, thanks for the advice. When you say "deal", did you end up getting them to knock off money from the sticker price, or just get it closer to the MSRP? I don't have a good sense of how much people are taking this off the lot for.

I was looking at new and slightly used. The best deal I could get on new was around 57.5.. that was with the nicer electronics pkg. You have to look at the spec closely. There are some key options such as the handling pkg, stripes, carbon fiber dash, etc that will affect the dealers bottom line on cost. If you are looking apples for apples it's easier to negotiate one dealer against another. You should really be able to purchase (or start negotiations) at 3-4k under msrp right now. I had some dealership that got on their high horse and were only 1-2k below msrp and wouldn't budge... I just moved on. In the end I found a really good deal on a lightly used model (1k miles) with everything I wanted.

 

[paul32]

Very helpful everyone! Thanks for all the advice. You guys should be getting commission from Ford.

 

[oregongt350]

How much of an impact on demand does the warmer weather have? There are 3 options at dealers in my immediate area that I really like, but if I pull the trigger now, the car will pretty much be sitting around for the next 2-3 months barring nice days here and there.

Obviously come March/April, I don't want to be stuck finding inventory that I like.

Buy the car you won’t regret it, they are absolutely a gas to drive and own. I drive mine in all conditions except snow etc....

 

[BeastAR]

Depending on the dealership, you may be able to swing under msrp. Just got to do your research and get ready to walk away from a deal if its not right for you. Take a look at all the options and get whats right for you.


Example: I purchased '19 R in august. November I was cleaning up the car and noticed that the camber plates that come standard with my car were not installed. Looked in the trunk, no luck. Long story short, they ended up being at the dealership in the back of the parts department because they were shipped a little while after the car shipped, and they never made it to the vehicle. There was a lot of calling and figuring out where they were... Just a helpful hint.

 

[BeastAR]

Very helpful everyone! Thanks for all the advice. You guys should be getting commission from Ford.

Its funny you say that... Lots of times a knowledgable person can get a better deal because they knew everything about the car. Some car salesmen just read off the sticker, and a lot of times don't know much about certain cars.

 

[thill444]

Its funny you say that... Lots of times a knowledgable person can get a better deal because they knew everything about the car. Some car salesmen just read off the sticker, and a lot of times don't know much about certain cars.

Turnover rate for car salesman is about 60-70% on average per year. Especially at dealerships like Ford and Chevy where they chew them up and spit them out. Throw in the fact that GT350's are relatively rare, for every one they sell on a dealer lot they will sell hundreds or even thousands of trucks, SUV's and other passenger cars. Salesman will likely be more up to speed on those types of vehicles than a GT350 where it may be the first time they have even seen it in person.

I always go into these types of transactions expecting to know more than my salesman. My GT350 salesman was very knowledgeable and owns multiple Corvettes and was a car enthusiast. That is pretty rare.

 

[Lorne34]

Turnover rate for car salesman is about 60-70% on average per year. Especially at dealerships like Ford and Chevy where they chew them up and spit them out. Throw in the fact that GT350's are relatively rare, for every one they sell on a dealer lot they will sell hundreds or even thousands of trucks, SUV's and other passenger cars. Salesman will likely be more up to speed on those types of vehicles than a GT350 where it may be the first time they have even seen it in person.

I always go into these types of transactions expecting to know more than my salesman. My GT350 salesman was very knowledgeable and owns multiple Corvettes and was a car enthusiast. That is pretty rare.

Agreed... it's a diamond in the rough if you can find one that truly knows the car.

 

[gregsdart]

I found what I wanted at a dealer and was able to skip the whole ordering process. Ordering takes to long, why wait when you can buy outright from a dealer that has stock. I flew to Las Vegas picked up my 350 and drove it back to Oregon all in less than a week. I’m 6’ 3” 220 lbs Recaros are nice but if you don’t fit between the “wing sides” of the seats they could be super uncomfortable.

I was just about to post doing what you did. I flew to Vegas years ago to get a GT and drove it back to minnesota 1500 miles. Fun!

 

[PP0001]

I'm looking to buy a new GT350 this spring, and since this would be my first time purchasing a new car I have some questions!

I've found a couple cars that fit my specs that are already at dealers in my area, but I've read that I should have the car thoroughly inspect if it's been sitting on the lot for a while. How would I go about this? Would the dealer actually let me take the car to some third party inspector, or would I have to bring them along?

It seems that most dealers are ordering cars with the Leather Seats instead of Recaros. Is that a common trend? Would I have to custom order to get around this?

Lastly, should I wait around for the spring (which I assume is the busiest season), or am I better off just buying now? I don't have a good sense of supply/demand on these cars.

Lots of good questions from a first time buyer and suggest the following.

Once you have established your monetary budget this will allow you to either buy new or used that may be sitting on a lot already or if you feel more comfortable then order a brand new 2020 GT350/R.

Obviously purchasing a used 2019 or earlier model will be much cheaper than a brand new 2020 model therefore that is something that you will have to decide.

If you already have found a couple of cars in your area that look like what you want then go take a close look at these cars and hopefully these cars come with either Recaro seats or Leather seats after which time you can decide which seat fits you best.

Not knowing your budget but that aside and if it was me I would try to order a brand new 2020 GT350/R in the exact colors, trim, stripes and interior that you want from a local dealership but if you have access to one already sitting on the ground that meets your criteria then pull the trigger and go for it.

As far as inspecting a potential vehicle I suggest that read up and do all of your homework on the model that you want to purchase.

Additionally I suggest that there is probably a local Mustang Club in your area or some members from the MCA that live locally therefore make contact with some of them after which time I suggest that they would be very helpful on many levels such as price, options and dealership recommendations.

Bottom line is you might be surprised as to how much local Mustang/GT350R knowledge and experience you have in your local area therefore take advantage of their expertise and suggest that between all parties your efforts will end up in a positive manner.

Good Luck!!

 

[Voodoo Velocity]

If you decide not to buy a new or used model already on a dealer lot, there is another option to ordering. Use the configuration tool on the Ford website (Build One). Once you make your configuration you can use the tool to find one. This will not only show already delivered models, but those in the pipeline. Often these are intended for dealer allocation. You can negotiate one of those with the dealer it is intended to be delivered which can save time from ordering from scratch, but still acquire one fresh from delivery. In some cases your local dealer can arrange a swap of one in the pipeline to have it delivered to your local dealer.

Of course your best negotiating tool are with models already on the lot.

 

[Amacron]

Just purchased a new 2019 for $8,250 under MSRP of $66,250. Deals are out there.

 

[hperea]

Just purchased a new 2019 for $8,250 under MSRP of $66,250. Deals are out there.

That is an awesome deal!! Congratulations
What state/city?

 

[Amacron]

Bloomington, Indiana

 

[paul32]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I took the idea of shopping around for 18s that are still being sold as new on dealers lots. I found one that has the exact color combo and options I was looking for, and it was listed for a few grand below the original sticker price. When I got there to check out the car, they made me an offer for a little over 10k under original MSRP. The only thing out of the ordinary is that it has a few hundred miles on it, driven a few times by the owner of the dealership.

Definitely seems like a much better deal than the equivalent used model (I get to start fresh on the warranty and everything, and I get to know who the previous owner was), but should this be red flag? How nervous should I be about not being in the driver's seat for the initial break-in period?

Sponsored