Hello from New Jersey.. if only my car dealers cared as much as I do about Hybrids...
 

My wife and I are making the switch from a 2006 Explorer to a SUV Hybrid.. and I came across this page today while doing more research on the whole topic, just to make sure I was getting the proper education. Great resource here!

Too bad the dealers we have talked to in various areas in northern NJ have absolutely no interest in selling us one of their hybrid vehicles. We actually sat across from one person telling us we couldn't take a mariner out for a test drive until monday "maybe"... and when we asked about checking other dealer's inventories to help find what we wanted.. well, let's just say I don't expect a call back..

Anyway, that's neither here nor there.. we won't be dissuaded by a couple of bad starts. The info here has helped, I wanted to say hello, and look forward to getting a little better than 15 MPG in the near future!

Tym

Re: Hello from New Jersey.. if only my car dealers cared as much as I do about Hybrid
 

Welcome, Tym.
Don't be discouraged by the dealerships. They are a (usually) necessary evil step in you getting the new vehicle you want. I wouldn't expect them, though, to help you find a competitor that could possibly make the sale, rather than themselves. After all, the sales people ARE there to make SALES (and $$$).
Just keep plugging away at it. You'll find out all you need to know with a little perseverance.

Re: Hello from New Jersey.. if only my car dealers cared as much as I do about Hybrid
 

Welcome and GOOD HUNTING!
You might go to Ebay.com and print out a couple of listings of hybrids like you want. Then at the right time, bring out the Ebay pages and ask some incidental details. Having those pages in hand will send a silent message you may want the sales manager to hear about.

One other tip is to make a couple of visits but don't get serious until the last week of the month. They have to 'make payroll' and will be more interested in making a sale. Patience and the ability to 'walk away' is the key.

GOOD LUCK!

Bob Wilson

Re: Hello from New Jersey.. if only my car dealers cared as much as I do about Hybrid
 

Welcome vttym.

An excellent person to consult is Pravus Prime.

He is not only a long time owner of a Ford Escape Hybrid - his job is writing articles on hybrids.

Re: Hello from New Jersey.. if only my car dealers cared as much as I do about Hybrid
 

Tym,
Take advantage of the dealer search at mercuryvehicles.com and fordvehicles.com instead of relying on your local salesman. Put in your zipcode and check the inventory of all the dealers within 30min of you. That is what we did. When you find a dealer with a vehicle meeting your needs, go directly to them. You'll typically get a much better response than trying to get your local guy to do a dealer swap. They usually deal more on vehicles on their lots.

Also, if you buy your vehicle elsewhere don't hesitate to write to the owner/president of the local dealer to inform him that he lost a sale due to his salesman's refusal to work with you. Hit them where it hurts.

Re: Hello from New Jersey.. if only my car dealers cared as much as I do about Hybrid
 

Thanks for the greetings, everyone. Glad to be here!

I've continued looking at and test driving Mariner Hybrids, still discouraged about now 3 different salesmen at 2 different locations who either don't care, don't listen, or don't answer my questions straight. Oh well, that's Jersey for you :)

For those that have picked up or looked at both the '07 and '08 Mariners, where there was a redesign between the models, what do you think? I'm struggling with figuring out how to finance the '08, and the '07 is at a nice 0% right now... but with that redesign, the Mariner really looks nice at '08.

If those that own a '07... if you could do it over, would you go for the '08? I'm taking my wife to look over the two as well, and I know ultimately, it's about driving a vehicle that is better for the planet as well as the wallet...

But it is a nice redesign :)

Re: Hello from New Jersey.. if only my car dealers cared as much as I do about Hybrid
 

Good luck with the research. To go back to the dealer issue, you may be able to get some internet quotes if you have the right resources. That's the way I bought my hybrid- I had financing through my credit union, and they had a relationship with the cars.com website, or something similar, which would give me guaranteed quotes at most of my local dealers. Then when I showed up, their 'internet manager' (some designated sales rep) would already know who I was and what I was looking for, and there was no hassle over the price.

The place I finally bought from ended up transferring me to a different sales rep because their internet manager was just so swamped. I think people are learning that the internet is really the way to go- consumers want to be informed about major purchases, and doing a little comparison shopping on the internet in advance before you show up for your test drive and to pick out features is a sign of seriousness of purpose.

Re: Hello from New Jersey.. if only my car dealers cared as much as I do about Hybrid
 

leahbeatle - All good points. I've since been reading up on a few sites as to how to better prepare myself for the inevitable dealership experience, and it references many of the points you made. I will definately be better armed next time I go in.

Re: Hello from New Jersey.. if only my car dealers cared as much as I do about Hybrid
 

Sounds like you're headed in the right direction. Best of luck!

Re: Hello from New Jersey.. if only my car dealers cared as much as I do about Hybrid
 

:embarass: Thanks Chuck!

Anyway, hello, and welcome Tym to GH.

I think I can relate, I went from a 1995 Explorer to a 2006 Escape Hybrid, and the first dealer I visited had no one that wanted to help me. One thing to keep in mind at all times is that the market nowadays favors the buyer. You can use the internet to find dealers, find prices, and find out what's really going on with your vehicle, giving you most of the power before you make your purchase.

My first piece of advice is to go to a dealership you're comfortable with. Forget the employee's for a minute, find a location that you think has a good appearance, seems to have a good service department, and is located somewhere convienant for you, if possible. If the salesman is unhelpful, flat out ask for another salesman who is willing. If there are none, go to the manager and explain the situation. If they're not willing to rectify the situation right there and then, explain that they lost a purchase, that you'll be contacting Mercury to complain, and walk away. The internet is your friend. You've got websites to help you price, websites to help you find dealers and offers, and websites like this one to help you make sure you're informed about your purchase. Even if you don't end up with a hybrid, you've made a lot of great moves coming here and asking questions. While some people end up getting their hybrid from a dealer several states away, hopefully getting you in one won't be nearly that difficult. Also realize that you're undoubtedly going to know more about the hybrid than the salesman. Before I got mine, my salesman admitted as much, and practically every other owner here has had the same story.

Second thing, it can also be helpful to be flat out blunt; Mercury isn't exactly selling like hotcakes. When I got my FEH, I told the salesman flat out that he was the second dealership I was visiting, and if he wouldn't take A plan, I was out the door to the third dealership on my list. The Salesman went to the office, talked for a while, then came back and agreed.

Third thing, take it for a test drive. If you're going for the Nav system, go to the energy flow and the MPG consumption screens when you test drive to see whats going on, and what kind of MPG's you're getting. Don't stare too much at it, or you'll wrap yourself around a tree or something. ;) Try to drive at least 30 miles if you can. Don't let the salesman or anyone else bug you into doing some little 10 minute drive. Remember for most people, a car is the biggest investment they'll make in their lives, don't allow anyone to shortchange or rush you in your process of selecting one that works for you. I was fortunate, my own salesman just let me go, and told me to be back within two hours, and didn't even go along. He stayed behind to draw up some pricing schemes for me. You're not going to go into electric mode right away, so drive around a bit on the roads to get a feel for the handling and the pedals, than play around (You can read the FAQ first that'll probably help a lot if you haven't read it yet [link to it in my signature]) with EV mode and other features. For the 2008, you'll also find some butttons that you'll probably miss on the left side under the vent, which controls the left message center in the dash. When you get back, turn it off, but don't open a door, the power will stay on to the units, so you can safely play with the buttons and settings for the Nav system (if equipped) and other features without worry.

Remember, keep your lead foot off, and enjoy the drive. While most people go in looking for power and looks, also consider if the vehicle will be comfortable to drive and you enjoy it. I went from a speed demon in the Explorer (left lane 80 MPH as much as possible) to taking my time, right lane, meandering along and actually enjoying driving my vehicle. Plus I got about 2 1/2 times the fuel economy! Also remember, nearly everyone sucks at first in a hybrid. It has to break in, and you have to break in to get the best out of it. If you're willing to do so, you can get some incredible MPGs out of it; you can end up having the fuel economy of a compact car and the space and drive of a SUV. Which is pretty darn good. If you're still feeling on the fence, some owners have inquired and managed to rent one from a car rental service for a weekend to test it out. Some dealers have started having similar programs.

Lastly, as a personal note, I rather dislike the 2008 design solely on a personal level. I don't like the boxiness of the control panels, the main instrument panel (Speedometer, tachometer, etc.) the reduced windowspace, the moved buttons for the message center and the loss of the second control "shaft" coming out of the Steering wheel. Nor do I care much for the reduced hybrid badges or the chrome on the front, or the electric buttons for the liftgate. I do like the shift console layout and the DVD nav system. Given a choice, I'd go with the 2007 every time, especially for the MMH. However, that's solely personal aesthetics and creature comforts. While their data says the 2008 gets slightly better MPGs, I doubt it will be that noticable to 99% of the owners. You asked. However, get what you want, what will work for you, and enjoy it. Even if it's not a hybrid. (Is there a reason you're going for MMH over the FEH BTW?) Also, don't let bad press stigma you into not getting one. Especially the point about price. I had very seriously considered getting a standard Escape at the same time, and since I got the FEH, I've been keeping a spreadsheet, tracking my fuel usage since I've gotten it, and comparing against the average I had in my Explorer and would've gotten had I gotten a conventional Escape. From June of '05 to this point, I've saved close to $6,500 in fuel costs over the Explorer, and nearly $3900 over the conventional Escape so far. That's right, I've almost entirely covered the price difference in fuel savings alone over the Escape in under two years, and quite a lot of dough by not having the gas guzzler anymore. Considering how little I sacrified to do this, the FEH has really, really worked for me. Your mileage may vary though.

Remember, always feel free to ask questions, both here and to your dealers! (If you prefer, you can always PM me if you have any questions that you don't want everyone to read about them as well.)