Hay, one of the local Ford dealers here adds $3K to V6 Mustangs, and $5K to Mustang GT's, sticker prices. Why, and how they get away with it, I have no idea, One can drive just another couple of miles to one of the many other Ford dealers, and haggle deals to near invoice. But, this Ford dealer still seems to have no problems moving Mustangs out the door.

 

Terry, great information. Myself I was considering either the 4wd MMH or a AWD Milan as a better alternative to a 04ish used Audi a4/a6 for the same $. The trunk space on the Milan is huge, I could fit a few bodies in there

The interior size & mileage of the MMH is what won me over. The dealer I ordered through does/did have a factory demo that I was able to drive with the family. The ride & performance were just great for what will be my daily driver of 24 miles each way. Mileage will be much better then the 14 - 16 I am getting in my F150 or XJS and even better then the PT Cruiser I also have. (trying to sell all 3)

I know what you mean about some dealers. Lakewood Fordland is much closer to me, but I still feel they are a mickey-mouse outfit as the way I was treated yet again when I went in looking (even a sales manager did not seem to know what he was doing, promised a call back next business day with requested info, never did ) & when I had my F150 serviced last week (no loaners as advertised all over the shop & no courtesy transportation & why are you here attitude even with an apointment). Too bad I purchased my F150 there new in 01.


Hopefully my wait won't be 8 - 12 weeks, but who knows.

 

I got the markup treatment in '05 from both Phil Long Ford and Burt Ford down south. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth, even years later, doesn't it? I did not even look at either of these dealers.

Courtesy Ford treated me well, but wouldn't negotiate. Freeway Ford was good but rarely has any. Mike Naughton Ford stocks them, and I made some offers on one in '05. They were easy to deal with but nervous about my '04 Prius as a trade and offered way below wholesale for it. No deal there either, but no hard feelings. I've been in the business, and I would have been nervous about a Prius, too.

I got my '08 at Naughton in March. Easy deal, mostly email and phone. It had been ordered incorrectly as fleet, and dealers usually get fleet units first. So there it was, in early February a few weeks after production began. Due to its fleet status, it was not on inventory on Ford's site. I just happened to see it when I drove by one day and emailed them about it when I got home.

After a few weeks of considering my lowball offer ($500 below X-Plan), they called back. I think I was the only one who had expressed interest. Plus I called the internet guy several times to remind him I was serious and ready to buy. That's a big incentive to a dealer. If it's money-making deal and it's on the table, they can usually only hold out so long before they cave.

For those in the market who have not ordered, it never hurts to check a dealer's own website. The Ford inventory is not always accurate.

 

I work in the IT dept of a local car dealer & I drive by a Ford dealer every day on my way to work. This dealer sells at msrp & NEVER has any FEH's in stock. They do have a TON of regular 08 Escapes however, & a friend of mine who works there told me that a lot of their customers where not real receptive to the appearance changes on the 08's & they have not been selling real well for them.

~John

 

That's a common problem. Sometimes a dealer believes they know what buyers want. So they limit their inventory on a certain item. Since they rarely have any, no one buys any. Since no one buys them, their allocation goes to minimum. If sales take off and the product becomes a high demand item, as is happening now with the FEH, that dealer is left out of the boom times. It's kind of self perpetuating.

There are two dealers in Denver who took this approach. The dealer jwhimes mentions is one of them. If you have a big truck, they are your dealer. But they have little or no interest in the FEH. When I contacted them their message was basically "Oh, no one buys those. You don't want one". It's a chicken and egg thing.

 

Dealer here in College Station told me the V6 escape can get 26 mpg so why would you want a hybrid that only gets 2 mpg better!!!!

 

jmorton10, I agree with some of the complaints on the Ford design changes with some of their models. Myself I do not like the chrome venetian blinds they are using for a grill.

Kind of reminds me of the Pontiac Aztek. When it came out it looked like one of those futuristic cars out of a really bad after the apocalyptic B movie. Total dog in sales.

 

I drove a V6 Escape as a loaner.... I managed 21... on the freeway. In town I was lucky to get 17MPG. I get 30MPG in my FEH.

Hes full of it. I still suspect it all goes back to how much markup the dealer gets on each vehicle I think its called their "holdback". I think Ford gives a lower "holdback" for the hybrids because they are trying to split the loss with the dealer to make their books look better. What that accomplishes is that the dealer has a vested interest in selling the V6 model because they make more money on it.

Thats a suspicion... I have no actual evidence for it.

 

Yea, he is full of you know what.

I work at a dealer & I drove an 06 V6 Escape for 4 months on dealer plates. I averaged around 16-17 mpg, about 1/2 the mpg I get with my FEH.

~John

 

John,

Were you driving it as gently as you drive your hybrid?

Cris