RSK
Well-Known Member
Well, I've looked at Gladiators for 2-3 years waiting on their arrival. Waiting to trade in my old 2010 Ram Laramie1500 and being patience saying that is what I am going to buy next. Two weeks ago I test drove my first Gladiator and loved it, but felt it was a little small being use to the Ram 1500 driving them for over 20 years. I can get over the size thing. After test driving the exact Gladiator I wanted with all the options, color, etc., I sat down with Banks Crossing CDJ in Commerce, GA and tried to talk fair numbers. First off, they low balled me on my KBB trade by $3k and then tagged an additional "reflective marketing for the area" of $3k on top of the full price MSRP. I offered $55k and $10K for my truck trade-in for the Gladiator and they wouldn't even discuss it, saying the Gladiator will sell to another customer for their price by they end of the day. Obviously this is complete price gouging upping the cost to $64k+ ($3k over MSRP) and leaving a bad taste to a point where got up and left the dealership. I will never return to Banks Crossing CDJ as a customer again. Oh and by the way, that same Gladiator I made an offer on is still sitting on their lot 2 weeks later. It could have been in my garage and they would have made a nice profit off my fair offer.
A few days later, I went to another dealership to try again on another Gladiator that didn't have exactly what I wanted in options, but close. They didn't try to gouge up the price over MSRP, but would not come off the full MSRP price and offered $4K below the KKB trade in price on my truck trade. Then I starting looking at the newly redesigned 2019 Ram 1500 Limited fully loaded with every bell and whistle they come with for MSRP of $71k. Obviously not going to pay $71k for a truck. But after test driving and some back and forth with dealer incentives and trade of my truck, we settled on $51k. I felt like I did pretty well at $20k below MSRP after the trade of my old truck for brand new state of the art technology vehicle. Even though the new Ram Limited is just absolutely beautiful, I still find myself wishing the Gladiator was in my garage versus another Ram. I will still get a Gladiator when all of this new truck-itis is over and the price comes down a little more reasonable without all the hype. Maybe that will be sooner than later as I have been watching what is on the dealer lots with current Gladiator inventory. I don't see these Gladiators just flying off the lots as soon as they arrive and most seem to be sitting. Probably customers like me with the same disappointment of gouging to a point of feeling ripped off. I still want a Gladiator and will get one eventually, but at the same time have to feel like I bought something at a fair price.
Until then? Yeah, I'm the guy that just bought the fully loaded new "full sized truck for (better than) the same price".
Do I feel good about it? Not really, probably should have just gotten the new Gladiator instead and be happier in the end.
Oh well, there is always next time...
A few days later, I went to another dealership to try again on another Gladiator that didn't have exactly what I wanted in options, but close. They didn't try to gouge up the price over MSRP, but would not come off the full MSRP price and offered $4K below the KKB trade in price on my truck trade. Then I starting looking at the newly redesigned 2019 Ram 1500 Limited fully loaded with every bell and whistle they come with for MSRP of $71k. Obviously not going to pay $71k for a truck. But after test driving and some back and forth with dealer incentives and trade of my truck, we settled on $51k. I felt like I did pretty well at $20k below MSRP after the trade of my old truck for brand new state of the art technology vehicle. Even though the new Ram Limited is just absolutely beautiful, I still find myself wishing the Gladiator was in my garage versus another Ram. I will still get a Gladiator when all of this new truck-itis is over and the price comes down a little more reasonable without all the hype. Maybe that will be sooner than later as I have been watching what is on the dealer lots with current Gladiator inventory. I don't see these Gladiators just flying off the lots as soon as they arrive and most seem to be sitting. Probably customers like me with the same disappointment of gouging to a point of feeling ripped off. I still want a Gladiator and will get one eventually, but at the same time have to feel like I bought something at a fair price.
Until then? Yeah, I'm the guy that just bought the fully loaded new "full sized truck for (better than) the same price".
Do I feel good about it? Not really, probably should have just gotten the new Gladiator instead and be happier in the end.
Oh well, there is always next time...
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