I have been following the threads on the forum for a while and was just wondering if anyone has purchased a diesel TV lately. It seems only about 2-5% of eBay trucks are SELLING right now (3500's I'm looking at.)
I guess my question is this: in this market, with everyone scared to jump first, are there any successful negotiating tactics that will help get a better deal? The only reason I'm in the diesel truck market at all is because it has been depressed to my budget levels.
So any recent buying experiences would be welcomed.
We bought my wife's truck about a year, and a half ago.
It is the 2001 2500HD in my sig. Granted it is not a diesel, but it is an HD, and that puts it in this overall category of HD trucks.
Since we bought hers, well specifically this summer, I have noticed trucks exactly identical to hers, i.e. mileage, year, 4x4, cab/bed, etc. etc. selling for $2,000~4,000 less than what we bought hers for back in Jan. 2007.
I re-read my post and realized it seemed a bit vague. So I'll ask a specific question: to recent buyers - is the KBB private party value anywhere close to what you are paying? My gut says it may be high in these $4.50/gallon times.
I picked up my '04 Expedition about six weeks ago. At that time, the $13,000 I paid was about $5,000 under what it was rated (in excellent condition) for private party sale. Now, it's about $1,500 "overpriced" compared to the websites.
Mike Butts
DW+DD+DS
’07 Kodiak 23TT, 2004 Ford Expedition 5.4L with H.D. Tow Package
Try not to drive yourself nuts doing this! Find the truck you want, buy at a price you are comfortable with, and enjoy it!
I think one of the best "negotiating" tactics is to be able to walk into a dealership with a great credit rating, NOT having a truck to trade in (dealers don't want used trucks right now!! lol), and being able to put down a decent downpayment. When the dealer sees that you have the money or credit to buy, can put in a downpayment, they will deal with you.
I just bought my 2008 F250 crewcab, and I was satisfied with the deal. I have very good credit, but I had to trade in my older truck.
One dealership didn't seem to want to work with me at all... which really confused me. I was looking at two used trucks from this dealership, but they barely talked to me. I ended up buying a brand new truck, twice the price of the used trucks, from another dealership that worked to get me what I wanted at a good price. So definitely talk to more than one dealer!!
Now that I've bought the truck, I refuse to look at prices, lol. There are good deals available... according to the paperwork, I got my truck at basically 25% off the "list" price, and below the "dealer's invoice" price, with a bed liner included.
When you are ready to walk in and buy, check the manufacturer's website carefully for any additional deals, financing options, etc. I got a couple "extras" by checking the Ford website, that the dealer supposedly didn't know about (at least, they weren't going to tell me about them!).
Unless you really like the negotiating aspect of it, buying a new vehicle really kinda stinks.
_________________________________________________________
2008 F-250 CrewCab 5.4L,
2004 21' Forest River Surveyor
Just a little over a week ago I bought a Ford F450. I had to fight for the price. MSRP was $54,365, Ford rebates $6,500, dealer discount about $5,000 and they gave me $7,000 for my 2001 Silverado. I sold the truck to the dealer because I was concerned about selling it on my own, obviously personal choice.
I checked the price of my truck at KBB and got detailed pricing on the F450 from Edmunds.
Like said above shop for what you want and try to get a price that makes you comfortable. Don't be afraid to walk out and go to another dealer.
TigerRV wrote: I re-read my post and realized it seemed a bit vague. So I'll ask a specific question: to recent buyers - is the KBB private party value anywhere close to what you are paying? My gut says it may be high in these $4.50/gallon times.
Not a diesel, but I just bought a 2006 Suburban with the 8.1 big block and 4.10 axle. KBB "private party value" on it was $22,500 and the dealer was advertising it at $21,995. I paid $20,300.
Going in the other direction, the Suburban replaced my wife's 2007 Saturn Outlook (a crossover/SUV with seven passenger seating and AWD). KBB listed a private party value of about $25,000, yet we were able to sell it on ebay for $27,500.
I think that Kelley and NADA both have a bit of "lag" to them, because they base their values by surveying sales. If prices are falling, then the Kelley and NADA values will be high. If prices are increasing, then the Kelley and NADA values will be low.
And fwiw, I was watching ebay for quite a while before buying my new 'burb. I saw a LOT of Suburban and Yukon XL 3/4 tons that didn't hit the reserve price.
I purchased a 2008 2500 Dodge QuadCab 6.7L Diesel in April of 2008. I agree with what TVOV above said about having excellent credit & no trade-in. When you have a high credit score the dealers want to work with you.
The one bit of advice I can give to you is check the manufacture incentives for the purchaser (you), and most importantly, the dealer incentive from the manufacture.
I was working with four dealerships and the only difference in price out the door was one dealer agreed to pass-on the $2,500 incentive that they received from the Dodge. The other three dealers denied there was any such dealer incentive.
I ordered the truck & when I went to pick it up in June, the dealer received an additional $500 from Dodge that he also passed on to me. Needless to say, I will be back at that dealership the next time I'm in the market for a car or truck.
I just bought my new TV last week. A 2008 Dodge 2500 Cummins Quad Cab 4x4 auto SLT, Big Horn with the exhaust brake, steps chrome grille and a few other extras for $31,995. The DW and I have Excellent credit, and we did trade a 06 F-150 we were upside down on, and we still only suffered about a hundred bucks a month. The key is don't fall in love with one truck. We were looking at about a dozen dealerships at Dodge, Ford, and GMC. Ford was the proudest of their trucks and would only come down about $8k. GMC came in second, but nobody could touch the one Dodge dealership. Other local Dodge dealerships were still $3500 higher. Just take your time and shop around. If a new doesn't work, try for a newer used model. Around here many dealerships actually seemed kinda desperate while others acted like diesel is $0.99 per gallon, so shop around and get a feel for who's wanting to move them. You'll get an idea real fast after looking at different dealerships. Don't be afraid to turn around their mind games around on them. Most dealerships can't be straight forward so why should you. It's everyone for themselves out there!
New Mexico
2008 Forest River Puma 26RLSS
2008 Dodge 2500 SLT Big Horn QC Cummins 4x4 6Spd Auto, Exhaust Brake.
Easy-Lift 1000 WD hitch.
2400IS Yamaha Generator
I just found a RAM 3500 2005 with only 19k miles and Laramie package (nice leather, etc.) at CarMax for $24k. It was $6k below retail and right at Private Party. CarMax rarely has good TV's but I got lucky and caught it rolling out of the back. I plan to make a post about it soon. Be patient, you'll find something.
Drew & Delia
2008 BABY Just Born Sep 8, 2008!
2008 Jayco Eagle 328 RLS
2005 RAM 3500 4x4 DRW CTD <-- New Truck!
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