I cancelled with my local dealer, much better dealer out of state.

[JAM486HP]

Edit: I cancelled with my local dealer who would not budge off MSRP and went with a much better dealer out of state.

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[S650 GT]

First time ordering a new car. I put my build order in at my dealer, the MSRP price on my order sheet is an exact MSRP as the build on the Ford website.
Now, my dealer assured me the price will not go up on my order at time of delivery. So, since it is an MSRP price, can it be negotiated at time of purchase, or do they have me on the hook, since it was a custom order?

You can always negotiate on any time. It's the tactic and luck you must have to feel that you won the negotiation.

In my mind when someting works, you lost anyways. Because the dealer will never take a loss or sell something with zero gain.

But once you sign on a paper, the chance to get it lower is small.

And also, the dealer assured you that the price not go up on your order any time.
That sounds good. Because he never assured you that the price can never go down on any time.
You can even bring it in as a joke, just to start a negotiation.

 

[S650 GT]

I have no problem with them making a profit, obviously, that's business. Just wondered if there is room to work with at TOD, maybe help offset the sales tax.
I have no problem paying the locked in MSRP, especially seeing some prices jump. I already feel like I won since I am grateful to be in the position to buy one.

The only problem with negotiating at your stage is, that there are less vehicles than the demand.
People know that if they order something, they have to wait for it for a long time. So the chance to negotiate and win is small, because the dealer knows that they easily find another one. At this time you are just a number.

 

[adamhixx]

car market has been receding i believe. less people buying new cars right now. could use that to your advantage. but no, personally havent tried. this will be my first experience buying new/ordering from a dealer

 

[erocker]

Depends how many Mustangs they have on their lot and how much interest there is in them. Why give you a deal when they can turn you down and sell it for $5k more?

 

[Skye]

In today's market, in several places of the country, MSRP is at least a fair, if not great deal. Several Members have commented of dealers who will not even discuss a sale unless a mark-up is involved.

If Ford increases the list price increases before arrival, you should be covered. Ask the dealer about Price Protection.

For my '22 purchase, we reached an agreement and shook hands. I didn't expect the dealer to re-negotiate. They didn't expect me to either. Neither of us did. The rest of the process was painless and drama-free.

The dealer has locked in a sale with you now. They're done. Any additional work eats into the profit. Re-negotiating on their part risks that sale taking place. Re-negotiating on yours risks same.

The dealer could attempt to take the order and resell, but that brings its own risks: 1) you posting negative comments, reviews, ire, here and elsewhere, 2) there's no guarantee they will sell that spec car for the same or more profit. Wages, lot space, insurance, time, the market itself are just some of the additional costs they'd incur.

 

[zaimer]

Any negotiations should have been done at order submittal, or even before. It isn't impossible to negotiate now but it is very unlikely. In one way or another, you had agreed to the pricing when you had agreed to place the order. You're backtracking on your word which the dealer is not going to like.

 

[65ffr]

Unfortunately you will get screwed if you did not get an out the door price at time of order. They will list the car at MSRP but will ding you for 'mandatory prep fee' or nitrogen in the tires or really high doc fees etc. If you gave a deposit they will gladly keep it and let you walk if you choose, as they'll easily be able to sell it off the floor ('refundable' deposits are typically no longer refundable after the car is actually built). Any negotiating will be just trying to get it for what they 'promised'. The worst time to negotiate is when the car is at the dealer, you're drooling looking at it and they know you're dying to get it after the long wait.

 

[Marty1000]

I callled several local dealers that had 2023 Mach1 cars on the lot and asked if they would sell at MSRP. The feedback you get you feel like these days MSRP is a dirty word, how dare you not to ask the ADM number. And if you do not ask what the selling price is they never get back to you. In the old days customer was a king these days it is the other way around.

I get this feeling that FOMOCO lowers production on these upper price cars such that both the factory and the dealer make out like bandits. The days of seeing the vehicle in the color you want on the dealer lot is also going a way with JIT style of production and sale.

BTW-Just reading Automotive news you see small dealers being sold to mega dealers (like AutoNation or Lithia Motors)and you start to wonder if monopoly like structure amongst mega dealers in the country is starting to form so that customers will always pay above MSRP regardless of car brand and supply will always be set lower compare to demand.
https://www.wardsauto.com/dealers/wardsauto-2020-megadealer-100-ranking

 

[goodlettjr]

I callled several local dealers that had 2023 Mach1 cars on the lot and asked if they would sell at MSRP. The feedback you get you feel like these days MSRP is a dirty word, how dare you not to ask the ADM number. And if you do not ask what the selling price is they never get back to you. In the old days customer was a king these days it is the other way around.

I get this feeling that FOMOCO lowers production on these upper price cars such that both the factory and the dealer make out like bandits. The days of seeing the vehicle in the color you want on the dealer lot is also going a way with JIT style of production and sale.

BTW-Just reading Automotive news you see small dealers being sold to mega dealers (like AutoNation or Lithia Motors)and you start to wonder if monopoly like structure amongst mega dealers in the country is starting to form so that customers will always pay above MSRP regardless of car brand and supply will always be set lower compare to demand.
https://www.wardsauto.com/dealers/wardsauto-2020-megadealer-100-ranking

Lots of good points made above. Consolidation of markets has been happening at a rapid pace for a couple of decades now. I work in the heavy truck market now and when I left a ford dealer to come here in 2017 we had 13 locations. We have 25 today and are aggressively looking to purchase more.

However Ford has to price (dealers actual net cost) the car with the dealer’s markup in mind that they really can’t control (at this time). The MSRP is basically a line drawn in the sand. Moving that MSRP line around is subjectively how Ford controls the end users purchase price. That doesn’t keep the end user from paying over MSRP, but it does effect the end price. Parts (my lively hood) is no different. You can charge whatever you want. In regards to the lower production, I don't think that helps Ford out at all, but does help the dealer. It limits Ford’s ability to make money. They have a fixed income relative to how many units can be built and sold.

I believe the lower production model came from the bailout period where the big three stopped just building to compete in total units and started looking at profitability. The industry had just leveled out from that a year or two before Covid…..then Covid happened. Now we are in a resetting period. Below MSRP and incentives will make a come back. The auto industry typically runs in cycles of 7 years barring crazy times like bailouts and Covid.

Add on top of our microeconomic views of the mustang environment and The mustang releasing a new car. It gets fuzzy quickly to find the pain point. As a customer the pain point is where is my car (for now) and later it will presumably be quality. Who knows.

Good supporting detail on your comments.

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