Clueless potential 1st-time Jeep buyer, desperate for advice

[B345T]

All of the above being said a good deal is what is good for you...

As for leases being bad...I like them because I usually want a new vehicle with warranty, drive less than 12k per year, do not want to eat the depreciation if the market falls out on a vehicle (I had an Audi 5000 lease - car was perfect but the value sank with bad press) so if the vehicle holds value like my JK did then I sell it off myself or back to the dealership and pocket a little coin in the process (does not happen often)

With a lease you are only paying depreciation and interest on the vehicle...to me that is all a vehicle is depreciation and interest..

My mind is slowly changing as I creep up on retirement and ownership will kick in and probably have a Limited Ford F-150 at that time...

Just some thoughts

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[Ichthus]

Wait 2 years, let the vehicles depreciate...find a garage queen with 10k miles on it and buy it. In the mean time, save $600 a month to put towards the purchase. I've found that if I really want something that bad it is worth waiting for.

This concept just does NOT work with Jeeps. At least not in the way you’re pitching it. Resale value is often so high that it only looks like a good deal if you’re comparing the used Jeep with the MSRP of a new one. Compare to the 5-7% below invoice that could have been paid new, and you find that the original buyer will have spent more on insurance than they lost to depreciation.

 

[ntl158]

Appreciate the feedback thus far. I am waiting for specific numbers on selling price/buyout amount/money factor from the dealership. I was at the dealership in person once, the rest of the back-and-forth has been through text message with the salesperson. Because I want it in gator, nothing has been ordered and no money has been handed over. I'm hoping to educate myself and counter for a better offer because I'm sure I'm about to get raped. Standby ...

Welcome to the Jeep family! They are like nothing else out there. You should do it, whether lease or purchase. I’ll share my 2 cents below though for what’s its worth. Maybe it will help a bit.

It seems like most dealers are willing to order Gladiators at or below invoice price right now. One of the easiest things you can do to lower payments is just negotiate a lower price. Lots of guys on the forum have ordered with dealers like Travis at TriCity and have been getting 5-6% below invoice price (not MSRP...Dealer Invoice!). I’d also agree that using a longer financing term like 74 or 84 months might be a good idea for you if you’re trying to keep the payments lower. Credit unions around here are doing 2.74% for 66 months and around 3.49 for 74 months. It depends on your credit score, but those little tricks should help to get the payment lower and more manageable. If you can buy instead of lease, that would be my recommendation.

Good luck man! I’m personally a lifer who has owned many Jeeps over the years and I’ll always have at least one in the driveway. Let’s see.. I’ve had a Red Cherokee Classic, White Wrangler TJ, Blue Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited (2 door...the original unlimited), Black Grand Cherokee, Blue Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (JK), Granite Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (also JK) and soon to be the proud new owner of a Hydro Blue Gladiator Rubicon! Jeeps are amazing! Do it!!!

 

[OL1970]

This concept just does NOT work with Jeeps. At least not in the way you’re pitching it. Resale value is often so high that it only looks like a good deal if you’re comparing the used Jeep with the MSRP of a new one. Compare to the 5-7% below invoice that could have been paid new, and you find that the original buyer will have spent more on insurance than they lost to depreciation.

Yep, Jeep’s are amazing in their ability to retain value. I just don’t like seeing people live beyond their means when they admittedly aren’t good with money. I mentor a couple of younger guys who want to learn how to become financially independent and this is one of the first things I tell them. I totally understand to allure of an awesome new rig, but delayed gratification is never a bad idea. Hell the new baby bronco might come out in a year and blow the doors off the gladiator performance and looks wise and then it’s the next shiny object to chase. I’m admittedly guilty myself, just like to see people make responsible financial decisions.

 

[markleone22]

Yep, Jeep’s are amazing in their ability to retain value. I just don’t like seeing people live beyond their means when they admittedly aren’t good with money. I mentor a couple of younger guys who want to learn how to become financially independent and this is one of the first things I tell them. I totally understand to allure of an awesome new rig, but delayed gratification is never a bad idea. Hell the new baby bronco might come out in a year and blow the doors off the gladiator performance and looks wise and then it’s the next shiny object to chase. I’m admittedly guilty myself, just like to see people make responsible financial decisions.

Yep, Jeep’s are amazing in their ability to retain value. I just don’t like seeing people live beyond their means when they admittedly aren’t good with money. I mentor a couple of younger guys who want to learn how to become financially independent and this is one of the first things I tell them. I totally understand to allure of an awesome new rig, but delayed gratification is never a bad idea. Hell the new baby bronco might come out in a year and blow the doors off the gladiator performance and looks wise and then it’s the next shiny object to chase. I’m admittedly guilty myself, just like to see people make responsible financial decisions.

Thanks, Ichthus. Nah, I hear you, man. I've never been good with money and always struggled with delay of gratification. Never really learned that lesson as a young man in a broken home. I'm fortunate now in that I make a good living and my wife makes an even better one, and we definitely have the means to purchase this vehicle. It's just a matter of trying not to turn over a whole bunch of money if I don't need to and figuring out how not to do that. I'm just trying to get the best deal possible and again I never really was taught how to broker such a deal. And I'm a 46 year-old guy, pretty sad. I was raised by wolves, dude.

Anyway, definitely going to look into the finance option again, and I'm pretty certain that at this point the leasing option is scrapped in my mind.

 

[markleone22]

Latest update:

Okay, so now it's on like Donkey Kong. Trying to negotiate buying the car outright at the dealership (financing it through my bank). Now that I've expressed buying the car outright, dealership wants to know what I want for the vehicle. Here's what I'm asking:

Sport S in gator, with added sprayed bed, sidestep, hardtop, 18-inch wheels, all-terrain tires, 2-inch lift, labor, tax titles and fees, $42,000 OTD.

Is that unreasonable?

 

[Ichthus]

Latest update:

Okay, so now it's on like Donkey Kong. Trying to negotiate buying the car outright at the dealership (financing it through my bank). Now that I've expressed buying the car outright, dealership wants to know what I want for the vehicle. Here's what I'm asking:

Sport S in gator, with added sprayed bed, sidestep, hardtop, 18-inch wheels, all-terrain tires, 2-inch lift, labor, tax titles and fees, $42,000 OTD.

Is that unreasonable?

There are 2 things that stand out to me here...and I’m NOT saying that you’re getting a bad deal, just 2 things that don’t jive with MY logic when looking at that build: 18” wheels make tires a lot more expensive. Maybe you just really like the look, but me, personally, I’d stick with 17’s and enjoy the extra sidewall of the tires while off-road. Second, just how close is that to a base model Rubicon? The higher flares on the Rubi, with the wide axles, allow 35” tires...which accomplishes about as much as a 2” lift.

Again, I’m just working my own logic, not trying to pile on your debt

 

[Novaice]

That's helpful, thank you. Again, I haven't committed to anything as I sit here, and I can't do anything if I wanted to until Gator is released, so I have time to rethink this.

Well if you end up attempting to buy one . I would suggest you look up the Tread Lightly FCA affiliations program. It gives you special pricing (%1 under invoice) after 30 days of joining.

 

[markleone22]

Well if you end up attempting to buy one . I would suggest you look up the Tread Lightly FCA affiliations program. It gives you special pricing (%1 under invoice) after 30 days of joining.

Awesome. No idea what that is.

 

[Racer_X]

Another thought here is "is this a good car to lease?" I usually buy my cars for cash, then hold onto them forever. I was planning on getting a 540 until I really dove into the Gladiator. BMWs are lease, not buy cars unless you are a BMW mechanic. Too much can go wrong that are costly repairs.

OTOH, Jeeps appear to be buy, not lease. They seem easier to fix and hold their value over time. One of my friends still drives his '93. However, it is rusting out, so it's a BIT past it's sell-by date.

 

[markleone22]

Welcome to the Jeep family! They are like nothing else out there. You should do it, whether lease or purchase. I’ll share my 2 cents below though for what’s its worth. Maybe it will help a bit.

It seems like most dealers are willing to order Gladiators at or below invoice price right now. One of the easiest things you can do to lower payments is just negotiate a lower price. Lots of guys on the forum have ordered with dealers like Travis at TriCity and have been getting 5-6% below invoice price (not MSRP...Dealer Invoice!). I’d also agree that using a longer financing term like 74 or 84 months might be a good idea for you if you’re trying to keep the payments lower. Credit unions around here are doing 2.74% for 66 months and around 3.49 for 74 months. It depends on your credit score, but those little tricks should help to get the payment lower and more manageable. If you can buy instead of lease, that would be my recommendation.

Good luck man! I’m personally a lifer who has owned many Jeeps over the years and I’ll always have at least one in the driveway. Let’s see.. I’ve had a Red Cherokee Classic, White Wrangler TJ, Blue Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited (2 door...the original unlimited), Black Grand Cherokee, Blue Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (JK), Granite Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (also JK) and soon to be the proud new owner of a Hydro Blue Gladiator Rubicon! Jeeps are amazing! Do it!!!

UPDATE:

I ended up ordering automatic Sport S in Gator. No Convenience Group, no Cold Weather Group, no Cargo Management Group, 5 inch touch screen instead of 7. Added: hard top, auxiliary panel, sprayed bed liner, tow package, side steps, two-inch lift kit, 35" Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ P3 tires. Installation for the lift and tires, tax/title/license, OTD: 46,705. Financing 30K of it through my bank at 4.89% for 83 months.

 

[TheSolarWizard]

I would never, ever lease a vehicle that I intend to keep afterward. I recommend u save as much as you can for 6 months then buy one

 

[markleone22]

I would never, ever lease a vehicle that I intend to keep afterward. I recommend u save as much as you can for 6 months then buy one

I don't think you read my update. I am not leasing. I just bought the above. Paid the $500 deposit to order, put 12K + a 3K trade-in down, financing the rest through my bank.

 

[Skdmarc]

Quick background: 46 year-old male, not a car guy, not a Jeep guy, terrible at buying cars and figuring out how not to get ripped off, terrible with money ... always deeply in love with Jeeps from afar, especially in love with the Gladiator, now have the means to lease-to-own one.

Spent a day at a dealership over the weekend. Now positioned to get a Sport S in Gator, with 18-inch wheels, all-terrain tires, sprayed bed, step rail, 2-in lift added. Looking at a 39-month lease, $800 total down, $429/month. Want to eventually purchase it after the lease is up (can't afford a $600-700 payment a month at this time).

Now that I've just gotten naked in front of you all, and at the risk of looking completely ignorant, would someone kindly tell me A) am I getting fleeced? 2) will I get fleeced when I am ready to purchase at the end of 39 month?, 3) how not to get fleeced 4) what will I be looking to pay for the vehicle after 39 mnths? Sorry people, car buying is clearly not my wheelhouse. (But damn that Gladiator is sweet and I really want on!)

Thanks.

Previous two vehicles were leased first thing you will never make money on buying back your lease have had the dealer tell me a much second is a Jeep of you plan on putting anything on it you will get dinged at return time lastly and most important how many miles do you get with the lease and how many do you realistically drive you will get charged .25/ mile over this adds up forcing on your driving habits IMHO any other vehicle than something you are planning on modifying go for a lease if the terms work, payments, mileage, etc.... but something like this I would stay away from

 

[sunrise089]

Lol two year old thread bro

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