How does ordering a new car work

[Jesse_FL]

I've never ordered a brand new car before and I have a bunch of questions. Can I do it all on ford.com or do I have to go to the dealer? Can I negotiate the prices? I have X-plan through my work already but can I ask for more off? Do I have to put down a deposit or sign a contract when I place the order? How long does it take to receive the car after I place the order? I want to take possession around November 2019 when my lease is up and hopefully I want a model year 2020 vehicle, when should I order to make this happen?

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[ugstang17]

x-plan is x-plan. It's non-negotiable. That is the great thing about it. They have to show you the dealer invoice, retail price and your X-plan price. Some vehicles may not qualify for x-plan such as GT500 unless rules have changed since I x-planned in 2012. Can't help you otherwise.

 

[L8APEX]

Any dealer can offer you X-Plan. This means you should be able to negotiate a better price than x-plan.
Process of how to order:
1. Decide on exact options
2. Agree on price
3. give deposit
4. wait 10-12 weeks
5. It arrives

 

[Chumley]

So any incentives or rebates apply at the time of deposit or at the time of delivery?

 

[jacknifetoaswan]

So any incentives or rebates apply at the time of deposit or at the time of delivery?

I don't remember *when* the dealer calculated my rebates, but I ended up with $2500 in rebates, I believe. I spoke with the internet manager from my local dealer (if you're in Orlando, do some research on the local dealers - Greenway seemed kinda shady to me, Peacock seemed like they had ZERO stock - I've heard good things about some dealers out near Tampa) and set up a time to go down to speak with the new car manager. We went up to his office, discussed the options, timelines, and costs, I told him exactly what I wanted, and gave a $500, I think. The internet sales manager was my point of contact during the whole process, and he kept me up-to-date on build scheduling, progress, delivery, etc. When the car was delivered with a few small dents and a bunch of factory issues, he made sure they got fixed on their dime.

Personally, I visited four dealers before I decided which one I was most comfortable with. One dealer sales employee told me that X-Plan doesn't really save you much, and when I showed him the invoice that another dealer gave me, he actually said that he couldn't sell to me at that price, because he needed to make his cut. I walked out immediately. After X-Plan and rebates, I was able to walk out the door a little under 10% off MSRP.

This is a good website for learning the process and how everything is calculated:
https://www.fordpartner.com/partnerweb/jsp/howitworks/fordpartner_rules.htm

JR

 

[Berm]

So any incentives or rebates apply at the time of deposit or at the time of delivery?

Incentives can be applied at time of order or at time of delivery. It is fully possible for the dealer to ensure you get the better of the two incentives (order vs. delivery).

 

[Silver Bullitt]

Incentives can be applied at time of order or at time of delivery. It is fully possible for the dealer to ensure you get the better of the two incentives (order vs. delivery).

Ford's guaranteed pricing is actually the lower of pricing less rebates at time of order vs pricing less rebates at time of delivery. IOW, if rebates go up $1,000 between time of order and time of delivery, but the manufacturer had a $250 price increase between time of order and time of delivery, you'll only net $750. Usually, as rebates tend to go up throughout the model year, pricing at time of delivery will typically be the best as manufacturer price increases are typically no more than a couple hundred dollars whereas rebates tend to go up in $500 or $1,000 increments.

The dealer can make all the difference. I negotiated my price at the time of order knowing that I could receive any additional rebates offered later, but subject to any price increases. I was not required to put anything down.

X-plan is really not that great of a deal. It is a predetermined price of invoice less 0.4% plus $275. Dealer fees are capped at $100. Any rebates reduce this price.

Costco has an auto buying program that is typically around $500 below invoice. While still not the best deal you should be able to negotiate, it should be better than X-plan, and can at least be a fallback if you can't get a dealer to work with you. Like X-plan, any rebates further reduce the Costco price.

$1,000 under invoice is a pretty good deal as long as you can keep dealer fees around $200. Be cautious of dealers offering unbelievable prices. There are gimmicks like pricing without the delivery fee or adding high dealer fees or aftermarket stuff like wheel locks, nitrogen fill, cheap clear wrap, etc. IMO, dealers like this should be avoided.

Timing can depend on a number of factors. Usually, ordering from a larger volume dealer will give you a better chance of the dealer having allocation. Certain commodities like Magneride are considered controlled commodities, and restrictions can delay your build. I would say 10-12 weeks is about as optimistic as you should get. Patience with Ford's ordering process is a must. Make sure you know the order and production schedule for the model year you are looking at. Knowing when order banks open and close is critical to make sure you give yourself adequate time.

 

[Jesse_FL]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I’ve already got a good dealer I have worked with before that does not charge a dealer fee. Florida dealers are some of the worst, the standard here is a $895 dealer fee, just insane. I refuse to do business with any of them that try to charge this.

Picking the right dealer can make a big difference and I’m using my dollars to send the message these outrageous dealer fees are unacceptable.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Ford's guaranteed pricing is actually the lower of pricing less rebates at time of order vs pricing less rebates at time of delivery. IOW, if rebates go up $1,000 between time of order and time of delivery, but the manufacturer had a $250 price increase between time of order and time of delivery, you'll only net $750.

Unless something just changed, that's not right. One of the benefits of a customer order is that the MSRP is locked to time of order. Dealer stock orders are subject to price increases that happen after order.

 

[Silver Bullitt]

Unless something just changed, that's not right. One of the benefits of a customer order is that the MSRP is locked to time of order. Dealer stock orders are subject to price increases that happen after order.

Nothing has changed that I know about. You may want to check. Ford's guaranteed pricing has been pricing/incentives at time of order or pricing/incentives at time of delivery for as long as I can remember. You don't get the best of both worlds. Trust me. I went through this in great detail when I took delivery because Ford started charging for the cloth Recaros that were originally no charge when PP2 first came out. Normally, the difference is minimal and some dealers may just look past it. But, that's technically how the program works.

 

[Järn]

Two days after you place your order (three at the most), your dealer should provide you with what is known as the Dealer Order Receipt Acknowledgement "DORA". This document will
1) be your confirmation that the order was actually placed
2) allow you to review that the options are correct
3) see that that your name is on the order

 

[Zelek]

Wouldn't do X-Plan. You can get $8k to $10k off MSRP if you negotiate properly, especially if they know you're going to buy a custom order. They know the chances are high that you will buy it and if you don't, someone else probably will. I got an outstanding deal on mine through the volume dealer here in Austin and would order another through them again.

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