ironhorse

I use Manhiem Market Report for my base appraisal. Current wholesale auction prices updated weekly. Reconditioning, and other factors determine the wholesale value for me.

What a commercial if none of them were bent or dented! :happy feet:

We have a few A/Z plan sales...however I find that they seem to be an easier transaction. Ford employees and retirees and their immediate families understand the process,so we spend more time helping with the vehicle and options rather than on price/terms. Occasionally we get stuck on trade/payment but all in all, they seem to be smoother transactions.

If you don't list all "available" incentives on your website,you are passed over in the buying process by the customers. Many incentives are available only to finance customers,or customers with competitive makes,or loyalty incentives...rarely a customer will qualify for all incentives. But what do you do? Do you only advertise the price using only the minimal incentives and risk being passed over because your internet/true car price is 4000 more than your competition? Now if you list all available incentives,and the customer inquires via email/phone or text...now you have to get down to the business of determining their "real" incentives....that unfortunately creates mistrust and credibility issues,because the customer expects that they should qualify for all the incentives..since it was on our website.

Deanh, that is all caused by mistrust,perpetuated over years. The public, dealers AND the factory is culpable. everybody wanting an edge,and our cost of our product out there for everyone to shoot at. Pricing pressure is a DIRECT result in our cost(s) known and manipulated. As I said before trade values are usually at the root of most dealer/customer negotiations. Payments,rebates and payoffs figure into it. Buying a car is not like buying furniture,real estate, or most other high ticket items. You don't usually trade your bedroom suit that you are still making payments on to another bedroom suit or a dining room set. I rarely see people "trade" their house to Century 21 for another one.

I have a question...what is a fair profit on a Focus? What is a fair profit on an Explorer? What is a fair profit on a F150? Fair is between two parties that has some similance of trust. If we agreed on a $600 profit on a Focus,would you balk if another dealer called you and offered you the car for $500 less?

Fees are a funny thing...the government requires dealers to protect customer information,put systems in place to identify potential ID theft or fraud, guarantee title,and handle bank payoffs...and many other things. Banks and real estate transactions have many fees...they charge fees to check your credit in ADDITION to other doc fees. What is a reasonable fee? Normally most other sales absorb it in their profit,but if the margins are slim,and known...they can't be absorbed. Selling below invoice without any help from other things is very risky...your overhead has to be low,low,low to even attempt below invoice pricing with no other ways to produce profit.

Amazing...not really....you know the cost of a $30,000 vehicle,you don't know the cost of a $3,000 TV. That drives the profit DOWN... Doc.fees,warranties,life insurance,trades is why dealers can be profitable on the new car side

The retail vs wholesale issue is always a problem,and that is where the public struggles when purchasing a vehicle...that is when they lose confidence and become jaded with the process. I have lost car deals because the dealer down the street was "giving me more trade in"...even though my bottom line price was less. All they judged the deal on was what they are getting for their vehicle...that happens more times than you think.

Many step over dollars to pick up pennies. A straight out vehicle purchases without trade in,payoffs,or bad credit are pretty cut and dry. When you involve variables like I mentioned above, it makes the water a little more murky. 9 times out of 10, when a car deal goes off the rails it's usually involves their trade,not the price of the new one.

I have found when someone says " they don't want to haggle"...rest assured they want to haggle. When people say..."I want you to make a fair profit"...in reality... they don't. When they say " I don't want to play games"...but they want to be a game master.

Looking "prettier"...interesting. That says to me that most think the Expy is rather ugly compared to the Tahoe. I love the Expedition! My wife loves hers.

That is a big market in my part of the country...GM just dominates it. Most of the people I talk to has had multiple Tahoe's so you're right, they are very loyal. The Expy is very capable, and has great features, but customers seem to like the look of the Tahoe better. The '15 Expy will benefit from the ecoboost,but the vehicle needs a new skin and interior.

I know that Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban own 75% of the large SUV market...What can Ford do to improve that?

I understand your point,however if it is so small and insignificant, why participate? Blow it up. It just takes one big manufacturer to pull out...why induldge them and give them such an over-rated platform? 2 of among the most important vehicles in Ford's portfolio were basicly blown off by a bunch of shakedown artists in a dying media...Blow them up.

The most important vehicle of Ford Motor Company losing to GM on a remake of Colorado...helps Ford's bottom line how exactly?

No they won't if I was betting,but they should not participate...'IF"... it is awarded on criteria that included ad revenue...but that is just my opinion.

More reason for Ford to expose it and refuse to participate...if you condone it,you agree with it.

Get the 9/10 speed automatic in the Fseries ASAP...before any more engines. Pricing and cannibalizing Super Duty sales will be the reasons you probably not see the diesel.

Why would anyone participate in a "shakedown"? It doesn't make sense. I always heard that the MT award was bought, but perhaps if makers continue to participate...it might not be as bogus as described here.

If Motor Trend COY or TOY is meaningless, inconsequential and has no bearing on sales, it shouldn't matter if Ford participates or not...you can't have it both ways. It would blow the whole thing up if Ford told Motor Trend to go pound sand...that would be great...only a big player like Ford, GM or Toyota could pull it off ,imo.

So going into a "fixed" competition, and losing to inferior vehicles based on shakedowns from Motor Trend ad staff is worse than just refusing to participate?

If advertising expenditure was the only reason the award is given, then why does Ford agree to participate? Why wouldn't Ford refuse to give them vehicles for evaluation, and completely exclude them from corporate media events?

Look the problem is there was a lot of MPG hype...warranted or not,The media was expecting something different. Completely changing the truck from a manufacturing standpoint, and the risk Ford is taking,and the balls it takes to do what they are doing should win the award hands down...HOWEVER it's the hype that didn't occur that Ford is being unfairly punished for. The media and the talking heads are, and will continue to be, very critical of this product.

Nothing to see here...It doesn't matter,only internet racers care about awards like that.