Don't forget to check if your company offers X Plan pricing. I was able to get X Plan price plus the $1000 cash back and they gave me $2k more than what my trade in was worth.

I was at the dealer for 6 hours haggling, but I was able to get my fully loaded FEH at an excellent price.

 

I ended up getting my 07 from Rancho Santa Margarita Ford. Christopher Reeves (superman) was the salesperson. (Internet Sales Manager)
This is a smaller dealership but he moves alot of the FEH, he said he gets his allocation, then orders more from N.Cal dealers.

I eneded up paying $1,500 under MSRP for the vehicle.

I went to fordvehicles.com and kept changing my zip code to find an appropriate vehichle in So Cal.

I work within one mile of Raceway Ford in Riverside. I talked to the fleet dept and they wanted MSRP, and I didnt like the color. He woudlnt budge when I asked if that was the best he could do.

Redlands Ford also had a big selection. They have a decent price on a 2006 but only $500 off a 07.
Ken Gordy Ford in Buena Park was good at around the same price, so it came down to what color and options did I want that they had in stock.

Beware: Any '06 on the lot comes with a $1k cash rebate from Ford. But the '07 is priced $1,300 less MSRP than the base '06 - So the dealer has to cut the '06 another $300 just to stay competitive in price. The '06 offers 0% financing for 36 months, vrs 1.9% for the '07 for 36 months.

When I arrived at 8pm, the car was ready, washed, we drove around the block, 6 miles.....
Wen't inside filled out the paperwork, signed my name 16 times walked out 100% financing incl tax and license. Left at 9pm. ( I was preapproved by FOMC earlier in the day. (It's cheaper to finance, since you can make 4.5% with the $$$ in a money market fund), and pay less % on the vehichle loan.

So far in 3 days I have 200miles on the FEH avg 33.2 on the onboard unit. I seem to get better mileage on the freeway than on my local roads (Although our local roads are 45-55mph roads) My commute is 10miles each way, but I'm using this as an errand car for work.

Good Luck on your purchase!

 

Order vs Inventory:

If you go to order a stripped version, they may offer you a better deal on a more equiped car in stock. Dealers want to move inventory. Most new car sales are about quantity, used car sales are about the price :-)

Best

 

Thanks Gary, good information.

How did you setup your deal? Did you locate the vehicle you wanted yourself and then give the information to Rancho SM Ford? How did you find out about Rancho SM Ford in the first place?

I've contacted my 3 local dealers today with a referral from Carsdirect.com, but all they want to offer is what they have on the lot, and none were close to what I want. One dealer offered to special order for me with a refundable deposit, but the price wouldn't be known until the car came in, because of possible "incentives" that might become available. I passed on that.

What I want is a stripped AWD model (just 110v outlet option), and they just don't seem to exist anywhere in California. I got some near hits in Oregon and one in northern Calif but still with the Safety package which I don't want. Oddly, lots of local stock on stripped FWD FEH.

Looks like my best bet is a cooperative dealer who would special order just what I want at a reasonable price. I'll check with Christopher Reeves tomorrow.

Don

 

Good idea. I think it's becoming time to try a special order.

Don

 

Yes, after I located the vehichle I asked for a quote. Some will special order, but I would want the price nailed down first.

I also tried carsdirect.com - but the dealer that was refered to me through the service never contacted me!
(Of course the ford site stated they didnt have one on the lot) - But they didn't even try to sell.....

Gary

 

Any particular reason you don't want the safety package?

 

The safety package includes the side curtain airbags and if I were buying an FEH there is no way I would want one without those based on a comparision of the IIHS crash test results with and without side impact airbags. At the price of the option, they are cheap insurance. Ford should probably make them standard equipment.

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=322

 

Everyone has their own wants/needs/financial picture, but I have to agree. My previous car had *ZERO* airbags and is 14 years old, and both of those issues were in fact major reasons why I wanted a new vehicle. Of all the options I agonized over "Is it worth it?" -- NAV system, moonroof, etc. -- the safety package was not one of them. Coming from ZERO protection to state-of-the-art (in that make/model/year, anyway; I am aware there are things like stability control and pre-emptive systems in other vehicles) was a no brainer for me and my family.

Granted, it's not a "sexy" option but it's terrific peace of mind, *especially* as you say, in an SUV where the absence of said side-curtain airbags is a major difference in crash test ratings and expected injuries.

I'm not trying to change anyone's mind, but if it came down to getting or not getting a vehicle I otherwise like, an add-on that actually provides real benefits (side-curtain airbags) getting "forced" on me would be preferable to being trapped in a vehicle with a NAV screen I don't want/need (I have one, incidentally, but for argument's sake) or the apperance package which many people don't want/need, etc. then it would be a pretty easy choice. With other add-ons it would be easier to argue with the dealer and perhaps haggle downwards, but with the safety package being the hold-up I imagine wiggle room is low since the dealer knows you're getting a good deal -- far greater safety in a crash -- in the end.

Sure, none of us expect to crash. None of us expect or hope to get sick, either, but we carry health insurance "just in case".

I didn't mean to be so long winded, btw. I *have* seen stripped FEH's here in Texas without the safety pkg. In fact, the absence of the safety pkg. forced me to wait a little while until I found mine.

The power adapter can easily be adapted with an aftermarket option. Perhaps just a fully stripped FEH is something to order, instead. What's that adapter run, stock, anyway -- $100 or so? A good aftermarket plug in (to auto power adapater/cigarette adapter, if they still call them that) converter will run less than that and you can stow it when you don't need it. I haven't used my built-in adapter at all yet, and I hardly ever use the aftermarker converter/inverter (whatever the correct term is) that I bought before a big road trip in my '92 Corolla.

 

I have the side airbags in my '06 but not in my '05 and they are both "stripped down" versions - no moonroof, no NAV, standard seats etc. I never really thought about it when I bought the '05 but definitely feel better when the wife and little ones are in the '06.

The 120 volt adapter comes in handy although I hate that the ignition has to be on for it to work. One of the cigarette lighter plugs is hot all the time and that is where I plug in my inverter when I want 120 with the key out. The built in plug is also limited to 150 watts so it is pretty limited. What I need is a power strip with 4-500 watts so I can plug in all my chargers. A back seat or cargo area plug would have been nice too. Minor, minor inconvenience.....