What kind of deal can I realistically expect?

[Darel]

Hi guys,

Back in 1998 I placed an order for a brand new Jeep TJ and had it built to my spec. At the time, getting a new car for $200 over invoice was a pretty good deal.

Fast forward 22 years (holy crap, my old TJ is 22 years old - although I sold it when my son was born.....) and I've never bought another new car. I've bought LOTS of old projects, and my daily drivers tend to be off-lease CPO that are still nice with a warranty but still took that hit on depreciation.

But as I'm educating myself here, I'm seeing guys getting 5%, 7%, sometimes even more than 10% off invoice. So I'm thinking I maybe need to re-blue myself to the whole new-car buying experience. I pose to you these questions three:

1. I always thought invoice price was what the dealer was paying. Something tells me they're not going to lose money on every Jeep they sell. So what's the gap in my knowledge? What is the invoice?

2. What can I realistically expect to pay, without walking into a dealership looking like I'm asking for the moon?

3. I am more than willing to order remotely, fly in and drive home. Who's got the better deals out there?

And, because I was a liberal arts major and can't count:

4. I REALLY want to order but might consider buying off the lot if I happened to find one that was almost exactly what I want (I know I won't find exactly what I want). Which method gives a better chance for a deal? When I ordered my TJ, conventional wisdom said the dealer has to sit down with you for half an hour and fill out some paperwork. Buying off the lot he's wasting a bunch of time and effort and gas on a vehicle he's got to insure and keep clean, yadda, yadda. So you could get a better deal ordering if you don't mind waiting a few months (which I don't).

Thanks guys!
Darel

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[rockcityphoto]

You're only going to get these deeper discounts below invoice when the manufacturer does rebates. The dealer is buying these at invoice and any rebate on it gets paid back to them by the manufacturer after a car is sold. So if they sell it for $2k below invoice and there is a rebate for $2k, they're not selling it for a loss. I believe dealers get bigger price breaks depending on how many they're selling and how many they're ordering as well so if they're a higher volume dealer, I think they can sell for slightly below invoice before they're actually losing money. Most dealers also have a fee or two here or there that are mostly profit that get added on after the actual sales price. Some of these can be negotiated, some not so much. They'll also make money off financing if you are financing it with them so a lot of things factor into how they can still make money even if they sales price is below invoice.

 

[MrFahrenheit]

For orders I found that motor inn of spirit lake (sticky discussion above - 5% off invoice with affiliate/tread lightly) was the best price I could get on order close to me That was within about a 3-5 hour drive (Minneapolis area). None of the local dealers could/would match his pricing.

Koons out in VA I think was about $1000 cheaper if they are truly offering 8% off invoice, even with the crazy $800 doc fee, but the time and money needed to get to the east coast from the Midwest wasn’t worth it to me.

On the “west coast” I saw good things said about Dennis Dillon our in Utah. Sounds like there were a few other options in the west coast too but I can’t remember them.

I will say, I was ready to order, but I found a great deal on one on a lot that had nearly all the things I really needed and bought it. I think the big thing when comparing ordering to buying on the lot is making sure you find one that has all the stuff you want that would be very hard to add later. If something on the lot has everything but is missing the simple stuff like bedliner, tonneau cover, headliner, etc and the deal looks good to you then go for it. You can add a number of things easily later.

 

[CCCVagabond]

One thing I noticed is that a new gladiator ordered today will be a more expensive sticker price than ones that have been sitting on the lot for a while. We saw one today, and when I priced it out using the spreadsheets available on this site, it was $500 cheaper to buy the one on the lot. While some prices stay the same, we noticed the premium audio, steel bumper and a few others are more expensive now.

 

[mshamel]

on 4/14 I bought a Gladiator Sport model with Automatic Trans and a 24B package.
It was on the lot and not a special order.
MSRP was 38235 + 1200 in dealer adds for a total asking price of 39435.
I paid 32133 + TTL, that's doc fees and everything for a total of 18.5% off.
It took my awhile to get them to that point, but my impression is that dealers
are willing to bend more with the current economic situation.

 

[Diaster]

I just joined the forum because I just bought mine today, overland model, loaded. $5000 off sticker. They were only offering 2k off the Rubicon and I don’t serious trail run with my wife anyhow. If you are near Woodland, Hoblit Dodge/Jeep and talk to a Andrew Coleman. These are good ok boys zero and Inmean zero pressure! Best buying experience you will ever have! It’s worth a two hour drive, for me anyhow!

 

[Gatorized]

You can check how good the deal is by verifying price against the latest order guide here
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...adiator-jt-order-guide-updated-monthly.15368/

 

[Glad-iator]

I searched for almost a year online before purchasing my Gladiator. I found that the more Jeeps that are on the lot, the better deal you are likely to get. (Factory incentives) If you do find one for a good deal online, buy it before you go to pick it up. I had several dealerships that made excuses after I drove out to buy the Jeep. (Already sold, price didn’t include dealer fees, etc.) so be careful about flying somewhere without having made the purchase. I paid 32,595 before TT&L for my Gladiator Sport Max Tow with floor liners and tinted windows. (Grapevine CJD Grapevine, TX)
Good luck and hope this helps.

 

[rockcityphoto]

I just joined the forum because I just bought mine today, overland model, loaded. $5000 off sticker. They were only offering 2k off the Rubicon and I don’t serious trail run with my wife anyhow. If you are near Woodland, Hoblit Dodge/Jeep and talk to a Andrew Coleman. These are good ok boys zero and Inmean zero pressure! Best buying experience you will ever have! It’s worth a two hour drive, for me anyhow!

I really like the white with black roof combo. There's a similar Overland at a dealer near me that I've been eyeing. Those wheels look great on it too. Did the dealer put those on?

 

[moosebean]

I searched for almost a year online before purchasing my Gladiator. I found that the more Jeeps that are on the lot, the better deal you are likely to get. (Factory incentives) If you do find one for a good deal online, buy it before you go to pick it up. I had several dealerships that made excuses after I drove out to buy the Jeep. (Already sold, price didn’t include dealer fees, etc.) so be careful about flying somewhere without having made the purchase. I paid 32,595 before TT&L for my Gladiator Sport Max Tow with floor liners and tinted windows. (Grapevine CJD Grapevine, TX)
Good luck and hope this helps.

I'm in Dallas and have had my eye on Gladiators for a while. Was planning on making a drive just to get one at a decent price. Mind telling me who you worked with at Grapevine CJD? Also, what was the MSRP of the Sport Max Tow you got? It'd be really nice not to have to drive to get one.

 

[Glad-iator]

I'm in Dallas and have had my eye on Gladiators for a while. Was planning on making a drive just to get one at a decent price. Mind telling me who you worked with at Grapevine CJD? Also, what was the MSRP of the Sport Max Tow you got? It'd be really nice not to have to drive to get one.

I don’t remember his name, but he was in charge of online sales and the msrp was a little over $3900. Like I said, make sure they 100% agree on the price before you show up. (Preferably an e-mail chain so you will have proof.) Before you buy one though, check out my other thread about the t-case issue. I am not sure if I just got unlucky, or if I use my Gladiator more than others have had a chance to. (I guide hunts in some very rugged country and spend most of the trip in 4L.) I’m not saying they will all fail, but I do know that mine did. Good luck and I hope you get a great deal.

 

[Glad-iator]

I'm in Dallas and have had my eye on Gladiators for a while. Was planning on making a drive just to get one at a decent price. Mind telling me who you worked with at Grapevine CJD? Also, what was the MSRP of the Sport Max Tow you got? It'd be really nice not to have to drive to get one.

One more thing. I did not go in and haggle. That was the price posted online. Not seeing any good deals at the moment though.

 

[Darel]

Thanks guys!

 

[SwampNut]

I saw a post from someone else in the NE area saying there weren't great deals there. Here, they are trying to move the huge inventory on the lot, and I paid a lot less than invoice. My friend in NJ is paying barely under MSRP, but then, he did a factory order (because he's crazy, and insists that he doesn't want one that someone maybe test drove).

 

[Darel]

Oh I'm not like that. I just know I'm not going to find one speced the way I want it WITHOUT the options I don't want to pay for (like leather....screw leather).

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