Haggling the price down?
 

Hi all,

I've been looking into a new-to-me car for the past few months with a cap of $30k, including lightly used BMW 3-series coupes, G37, gencoupe, etc. until I stumbled upon the BRZ and fell in love. :drool:

If I do decide to get it, I would like to get Premium/DGM/auto. However, this would be my first time buying a new car. If I were to order it choosing the build, would it be inappropriate to haggle the price down? Or can I only haggle with cars already in stock at the dealership? Hell, will I be able to haggle at all considering the reportedly low build numbers?

Thanks!

Dealer will laugh at you.

Most people are paying msrp. Some early adopters were lucky enough to pay invoice or just above that. At this point in time, you may be lucky to find a spot to reserve and put a deposit down. You most likely won't be able to find anywhere where you will pay less than msrp.

That's what I figured. Alright, I'll just swallow whatever price they throw at us. So frustrating waiting for pricing.

While there will always be some exceptions, on average it probably just depends how long you want to wait. Eventually this car will likely sell near invoice like most other Subarus, but at launch the average will probably be closer to MSRP. The baseless claims from The Truth About Cars (http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4194) basically says they expect only "a few weeks" for typical Subaru supply, while Subaru of America (http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3933) seems to have cautioned dealers about limited supply through November. I would guess sometime during 2013 or 2014 the car will be selling at invoice and Subaru will allow VIP pricing, but I have doubts if average sales shown on http://www.Truecar.com will be near invoice during 2012.

Just DON'T pay above MSRP.

There's no reason to. You're not required to buy from your local dealership. You're not even required to buy from dealerships in your own state. If your dealership insist on marking up over MSRP, find one that won't. Play them against each other. "My local dealership insists on trying to charge me over MSRP, can you guys help me out?" "I know you guys want to charge X over MSRP, but the dealership out in _____ is offering me 1/2 X. I'd really like to spend my money with you can keep things local. Can you try and get me MSRP?" etc.

And if things don't see to be budging, remind them "Well.. The FR-S is mechanically the same car and they HAVE to charge MSRP because of their Pure Price policy. I'd like Nav, but I'm not sure it's worth the extra markup you're charging..."

So, there's no reason to pay over MSRP. Just keep looking. If your local dealerships insist on markups, look further away. The savings alone would be worth the gas (or even shipping!) to get the car elsewhere. This is the age of the internet.

Not initially but after 6-9 months it'll be easy.

you are lucky to pay MSRP. there is a markup scare

You will be able to get a good deal after a few months of the launch. I wouldn't be too rush to get one.

Like everyone is saying, don't rush into it. Wait until the overzealous people clean house and then the hype will die down. Waiting a few months could be the matter of saving thousands of dollars.

Great points. Also gives people the chance to see more colors in person if they can't decide and test drives for those that can't pick between manual and auto as well as premium vs limited.

Another thing to keep in mind is with any new car model launch there are generally some first model year gremlins. These are normally adjusted within the 2nd or 3rd model years. So it could pay off well to hold off until you see what kind of issues there are in the first run of cars. (not saying there will be problems, but its very very likely with any new model)

Patients is the game. Every1 here is correct that there is no reason to rush. By the time the raid is over it will be easier know the best options to take.

Thanks
 

Thanks for all the advice. I'll follow the consensus here and wait a few months, perhaps until winter or later, to get the BRZ. In the meantime, I'll stay updated with others' experiences with the car. :thumbup:

It really depends on how long you're willing to wait (and well, how many cars are actually being offered). I'm not sure about your situation, but my car's essentially towards the last few years that I think I want to reliably drive around in farther distances. I know I definitely have to commute and every two-three weeks I'd have to drive a fair distance and back. So, if the BRZ/FRS comes out at a good price, I don't think I'll wait. But I do have patience, I followed this car for over two years, what's another few months?

Many have mentioned the 2014 might be coming end of this year/beginning of next year which is why limited quantities have been made. I might be waiting...

They just have to show us that refreshed model will have better looking tail light, I will wait for that. :bonk:

Hmm... I think the first "refresh" is probably going to be more of a semi-refresh. And if that refresh is scheduled for the 2014 model, then I'm almost certain there won't be any big cosmetic changes (barring complete public outrage for the looks of the car).

They will probably do some small tweaks here and there, addressing any concerns that arose during the first year of production. I wouldn't expect much more than that.

You can always try to haggle the price down, wether you're taking a car off the lot or ordering one. Generally speaking you might have better luck with a car on the lot, because that's getting rid of something they already have. Often times though, they can find the car you want at another dealer and they'll trade with them, so I'm not sure it really matters in the end.

However, the dealers mission is to make as much money as they possibly can. In the case of a car that just came out in small initial numbers and possibly high demand, they'll figure if you won't pay MSRP, someone else will, so the will probably pass on any lower offer you might make.

Best of luck!
Brett

Actually, most people think it'll come around 15 months later. Around September 2013 to realign with most model year launches (though not sure how Subaru normally does it)

I think you'll be looking at more then a few months. Most of the dealerships near me already have preorders in for their allotment of BRZs for the year. If you want it soon and can make a deal for MSRP your probably donning well. Given limited production I don't think you'll ever see any amazing deals on the BRZ.

That's not how Pure Pricing works. They can set any price they want as long as it is listed in their dealership for everyone to see and applies to all the FR-S's they have.

Pure Price is pure bullshit.

^Dealerships can set their own Pure Price, but it'd be hard for them to convince a horde of consumers who see a different price on scion.com.

That seems more likely to me than a 2014 launching in 2012, but I guess we'll see.

Brett

there is no way that a 2014 model comes before august or September of 2013.

a model year must include January 1st of the year it is claiming thus the first possible date a 2014 model could be released is Jan 2 2014 so we definitely won't be seeing it this year.

Lol, they won't "refresh" this model for at least 3 years, it's a brand new car. They might notice "oh hey, after 10,000 miles, this part rattles or rusts, we're gonna use a different part". This happens with virtually every car, often mid-model year.

Dealers also have a tendancy to talk out of their ass. I don't have a preorder, but I'd bet I can get a BRZ within 2-3 months of launch if I want one... at least here in the midwest. I don't see the MASS appeal to pre-order a mid $20k, 200 hp, small car, that's also being released by a different company at the same time. I just dont see it.

It's a limited market and if you want one, you should be able to find one. Within 6 months you will get discounts.

Well, what about the West Coast? lol. I think its a bit troublesome in CA

Shop out of state, there's no reason why you have to buy it locally. I personally would buy it from any dealer within about 1000 miles if they give me a good enough deal. Its just a quick flight out and a nice break in drive on the highway back. There are plenty of rural dealers that wont have enthusiasts banging down their doors to pre order so take advantage of their infrastructure.

Of the year before the claimed MY..

IIRC the cutoff is either late dec or early jan, but say Jan 2nd 2013 can be a 2014 model year.

Look at the BRZ/FRS even, releasing in May/June as a 2013 in 2012...

The 2012 Civic apparently isn't getting the love Honda expected(I hate it)...and will be refreshed for the 2013 model. Next year refreshes do happen, just not very often and usually not a big refresh.

Yes way. 2013 GS went on the showfloor on Feb 2012.

Another thing is built date. I know some FJ's had a few issues with fender bulges before a certain build date. I certainly don't want to own a car made in the first month or two of a production run. I'd rather have one built when the employees can do their job blindfolded 6 months in.

I'm young and this will be a big purchase for me, I think i'll want until some people have 10-20k miles on theirs with no major defects before I purchase mine. Then again, I highly doubt anything will come up at all with all the research and testing that has been done.

There's always a window of error when it comes to cars, some windows are just bigger than others. I mean most cars are put through some extensive testing before they're released anyway, I think we assume the BRZ will be less prone to issues because of the excessive coverage it's been getting.