2014 FFE deal I just made in Los Angeles area:

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studio460

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 9, 2014
Messages
281
Location
Los Angeles, CA
2014 Ford Focus Electric in Oxford white with leather:

MSRP: $36,990
Invoice: $35,052

Dealer offered $500 under invoice price. The is the best deal I've gotten so far among four different Southern California dealers. There doesn't seem to be a lot of inventory, especially Oxford white with leather. I sent them a credit card deposit to hold the car (it's a dealer trade). Will pick it up tomorrow. Sound okay?
 
I just got an internet e-quote from a local San Diego County Ford dealer on the Ford Focus Electric model with Platinum white Tri-Coat and leather seats they have an internet special on.

The first quick emailed quote price right off the bat was:
MSRP= $37,585.00
Discounted Price : $ 35,053.00
(Ford $6000 retail cash offer can be applied on top of that to reduce it to $29,053)

So that also appears to be about $500 under invoice price? Sounds pretty good especially for a first offer.
First 36month lease estimate for 10,500miles/year is $234/mo(includes tax) and $2500 down.

They also have one with Oxford White and leather seats selling for a discounted price of $34,553 (MSRP=$36,990) with the $6000 Ford retail cash offer that can be applied to reduce it to $28,553.

Any ideas on what I can do to get any more discounts (perhaps mention Costco, AAA, credit union, etc?) and a little better leasing deal? Can they do a lease with less than 10,500 miles/year for a lower monthly payment or is that the minimum Ford dealers can do, since I will only drive under 5000miles/year since this will be a secondary vehicle?
 
Thanks for your replies, guys. I just typed a detailed response, hit submit, then it "disappeared."

The dealer was Sunrise Ford in North Hollywood, California (salesperson was Patsy). By far the most accommodating and pleasant to deal with--I would recommend her to anyone looking to buy a car.

I chose to buy rather than lease since the savings came to about $2,600 as I recall, compared with a lease-then-buy, even with the $11,000 customer cash Ford offers on a lease (but Ford keeps the state and federal monies). I can't do a lease-only, since the mileage would kill the deal.

This is my second-round with Patsy, so we have some history. I almost bought an FFE from a her a couple of months ago, then got spooked with the 2015 model announcements, and backed out.

I think I got a "fair" deal, and am just happy to find the color I wanted with leather, from recent stock.
 
NightHawk said:
. . . They also have one with Oxford White and leather seats selling for a discounted price of $34,553 (MSRP=$36,990) . . .
It's interesting to see how close that number is to Sunrise Ford's offer. Thanks for posting that information.
 
I see you mention the Ford $11,000 lease cash deal.
The quote I got today also mentioned that same amount, but on the Ford website it shows $11,750 for the RCL lease cash incentive on the Ford Focus Electric this month.
Did they make a mistake on the quote or do some dealers not give the full $11,750 amount for that incentive?
 
NightHawk said:
I see you mention the Ford $11,000 lease cash deal.
The quote I got today also mentioned that same amount, but on the Ford website it shows $11,750 for the RCL lease cash incentive on the Ford Focus Electric this month.
Did they make a mistake on the quote or do some dealers not give the full $11,750 amount for that incentive?
My numbers are three-months old--they may have changed the offer. All offers were "updated" after Labor Day.
 
studio460 said:
NightHawk said:
. . . They also have one with Oxford White and leather seats selling for a discounted price of $34,553 (MSRP=$36,990) . . .
It's interesting to see how close that number is to Sunrise Ford's offer. Thanks for posting that information.
Yeah I was amazed my local dealer has virtually the same $500 under invoice special price as the one in LA.
Did they offer that discount right off the bat to you or was that after you haggled some?
For me thats the first emailed quote, not sure if they will even go any lower than that first offer since its so low to start with.
Of course I waited until this weekend hoping I could get a better deal at the end of Sept (end of quarter and month) but they have 5 Ford Focus Electrics (all with leather seats, with various colors) all with internet specials right now.
 
studio460 said:
My numbers are three-months old--they may have changed the offer. All offers were "updated" after Labor Day.
Yeah I have seen the Ford Focus Electric RCL lease cash amount discount has varied over the last few months, I noticed on Labor Day week they added an extra $500 lease cash discount to that too.
But this month its been $11,750 at the Ford website (shown as going thru 9/29/2014).
So I don't understand why in the quote I got the $11,000 amount was listed. I'm hoping that was an error using an older amount like you used?
I'm curious if all Ford dealers should match the current amount on the Ford website for this model?
 
NightHawk said:
I'm curious if all Ford dealers should match the current amount on the Ford website for this model?
From my casual observation, all dealers seem to work from the same corporate (i.e., centralized) database. First, they need to search for the incentive code. When they find the program associated with that code, either another code is generated, or a quote is generated directly from that "incentive" database (perhaps this is simply an integrated part of their point-of-sale, invoice-generating "terminals").

From what I've seen, all discounts and incentives need to be generated from that central database, or else they cannot put it into the quote. This is how dealers "know" that 'X' and 'Z' plans aren't applicable to FFEs, for example; the computer won't let them "apply" it. So, in answer to your question, I believe all dealers should be generating numbers from the exact same data set.
 
NightHawk said:
Did they offer that discount right off the bat to you or was that after you haggled some?.
Recall that I went in-person to three dealers back in July of 2014, armed only with TrueCar print outs. All honored the TrueCar price, but no one would budge a penny less. I made my offers, and when they stonewalled (or, laughed), I promptly sought the exit. No one followed me. This tactic helped me assist my dad when he bought his Prius. I made my final offer, then walked out the door. The sales manager literally chased me out into the parking lot, and we concluded the deal. Again, this tactic did not work at three high-volume L.A. Ford dealers (South Bay, Galpin, Sunrise). I think FFE demand is too consistent in L.A. (where all the hipsters live), and supply doesn't seem to be very high.

This time, I went into work this afternoon (I had a very late call time: 5PM), so I thought I'd make a few telephone inquires (I only called two). I just wanted to know if any local dealers had any Oxford white/leather in-stock (so they don't have to make a trade with another dealer). Also, I had visited another dealer in-person by chance yesterday:

Dealer 1 (in-person):

Me: "Hi, could you please check your inventory for a 2014 FFE in Oxford white with leather?"
Salesperson: "We can get one from San Bernadino."
Me: "Okay, I heard that a San Diego dealer sold one for $1,000 under invoice. How close can you come to that price?"
Salesperson: "We can sell it for $1,000 over invoice."
Me: "Okay, thank you [using body language which indicated 'no deal']."
Salesperson: [Now, knowing they had no chance at a sale] "You'll get a better deal if you buy from a dealer that has the color you want in-stock."
Me: "Okay, thank you very much!"

Dealer 2 (over-the-phone):

Me: "Hi, could you please check your inventory for a 2014 FFE in Oxford white with leather?"
Salesperson: "I can get one in 24 hours from the 'warehouse.'"
Me: "Okay, I heard that a San Diego dealer sold one for $1,000 under invoice. How close can you come to that price?"
Salesman: "Let me take your number and I'll call you back." [He never called back]

Dealer 3 (over-the-phone; previously almost bought from her three months ago):

Me: "Hi, could you please check your inventory for a 2014 FFE in Oxford white with leather?"
Salesperson: "We can get one from 35 miles away."
Me: "I heard that a San Diego dealer sold one for $1,000 under invoice. How close can you come to that price?"
Salesperson: "I can do $500 under invoice."
Me: "You just sold a car."

Yeah, I caved at her first offer. I was getting desperate, because there just doesn't seem to be a heck of a lot of inventory in Southern California right now (or, at least that's my perception). Seems to be plenty of Oxford white/cloth, but seemingly very few Oxford white/leather. And no online database seems to indicate whether the FFE "in-stock" is cloth or leather, or even if it's Oxford white or White Titanium--it just says, "white."
 
Hold on! Is a "$500 under-invoice" price better than a TrueCar price? Which is the better deal? Comparing TrueCar pricing with dealer offers is confusing because the TrueCar price is built "backwards." Know that, NO TrueCar FFE price includes leather. I just ran a new TrueCar "build," and one dealer resulted with an "unusually low" (according to TrueCar) "estimate" of $26,998 (the number they print in big, bold letters), which I've circled below in purple. What does this price really mean?

TrueCar estimate, the price printed in BIG BOLD LETTERS:

Does not include leather [$995].
Does not include dealer document preparation charge [$80].
Does not include tax, title, and license.
Does include freight delivery charge [$825].
Does include $6,000 Ford retail bonus customer cash.
Does include $300 American Express discount (through TrueCar) for certain dealers ($100 for others).

truecar1.png


Now, at first glance, this looks like a fantastic deal, right? [It is--see post below] Note that this price is $780 better than the TrueCar result I printed two months ago, I presume, due to end-of-quarter, plus end-of-month timing. My old TrueCar price (without leather) was $27,698 (actually, from the same dealer, Santa Monica Ford). Now, my notes on my two-month-ago negotiations are pretty incoherent, but I believe, Sunrise Ford honored that same $27,698 price for an FFE with leather (but, upon review, I may have gotten confused, and they actually didn't). Below are my calculations to "normalize" the TrueCar price so we can compare it to the "$500 under-invoice" price:

Example 1: TrueCar

TrueCar:

$26,998 ["Estimated TrueCar dealer price" from Santa Monica Ford as of 09/27/2014]
$80 ["dealer document preparation charge"]
$995 [add in leather option which is not included in the TrueCar price]
_________
$28,073
$6,000 [add $6,000 bonus cash back into "TrueCare dealer price" to compare]
_________
$34,073 ["normalized" TrueCar price]

Example 2: $500 under-invoice

Ford Dealer:

$36,990 [MSRP with $995 leather option included; $825 destination and delivery included]
$35,053 [invoice price of above]
_________

$1,937 ["discount" (invoice difference from MSRP)]
$500 ["discount" (negotiated under-invoice amount)]
$6,000 ["discount" (Ford retail bonus customer cash)]
_________
$8,437 [total "discounts"]


$34,073 ["normalized" TrueCar price]
$34,553 ["$500 under-invoice" price]
_________
$480 [amount left on the table at "$500 under invoice price"]

Please check my math/logic. Now, that said, my salesperson at Sunrise is extremely pleasant. She spent extra time with me to find a recent-inventory FFE in my preferred color. Their manager was even willing to sell me Titanium wheels at cost if I wanted them. Now, since few lots actually have what I want, a dealer trade is almost inevitable with any of the dealers local to me.

$500 under-invoice, out-the-door price:

Using the $500 under-invoice price, here's the total cost of the car, if purchased as a Los Angeles County resident:

$36,990.00 MSRP [including leather and destination]
$35,053.00 Invoice [$1,937.00 difference from MSRP]

$35,053.00 Invoice
($500.00) Less $500 under-invoice offer
$34,553.00 Negotiated "$500-under" price
=======

$34,553.00 Negotiated "$500-under" price
($6,000.00) Less Ford customer cash
$28,553.00 Final base price
=======

$28,553.00 Final base price
$3,754.49 California state sales tax (9%) and VLF (1.15%), based on the full MSRP price ($36,990)
$32,307.49 Total out-the-door
=======

$32,307.49 Total out-the-door
($7,500.00) Federal tax credit
($2,500.00) California state rebate
$22,307.49 Final cost
=======
 
Santa Monica Ford just called me. They will sell the car for $900 under invoice (including accommodating a dealer-trade, if necessary). The car is already in transit to Sunrise Ford, so I'm compelled to honor my previous $500 under-invoice deal (a loss of $400 in savings, had I run the TrueCar build before my phone call to Sunrise last night). If you want an FFE with leather for $900 under invoice, call Santa Monica Ford. The guy was extremely straightforward, and I would definitely recommend him. I think his name was Victor.
 
You can enter the exact car options on the TruCar Price Report at the top of the page under the Color and Options links to get an exact listing of invoice prices for the car with the exact set of options you want.

I did that today for the 2014 FFE with Oxford white and leather seats and the San Diego county area pricing I got from TruCar is:
Invoice price total: $35,100 - $6000 Ford Rebate Deal = $29,100
TruCar pricing: (including $6000 Ford Rebate Deal) $28,200 ($900 under invoice price)

For comparison, the other color I've gotten a quote on is the 2014 FFE with Platinum White Tri-Color and leather seats.
From Trucar on that one:
Invoice price total: $35,640 - $6000 Ford Rebate Deal = $29,640
TruCar pricing: (including $6000 Ford Rebate Deal) $28,740 ($900 under invoice price)

So TruCar's target price appears to be exactly $900 under the invoice price is both cases, but they do say that may not be possible with all or any dealers in your area.

The first quote I've gotten so far in San Diego county is $587 below invoice, not sure if I can get closer to the $900 under invoice target - but they might drop some more off as we get down to the big end of quarter (Sep 30) day? Its only about a $300 difference.
The lease estimate for the same car they gave me so far is $2500 down and $234/month (includes tax) for 36months. I'd like to get that down a bit.
 
I've started to get email quotes from a few other local San Diego County Ford dealers today via the TruCar website.
The three with the lowest quotes, one as low as the $900 under invoice price also via Trucar give another $100 off with my USAA insurance membership (TruCar also supports some other cards for an extra $100 discount thru some dealers).
I discovered checking the in stock FFE cars at each of these dealers that one only stocks several colors but all with leather seats; another has a few colors but all with cloth seats; and the farthest away (>25miles) may have the lowest price under invoice but has limited selection - nearly all there were Ice Storm color, one with cloth seats, a few with leather, plus the top one with Platinum White and leather seats.
I prefer a white car, so I'm trying to get more detailed quoting from the dealer with only cloth seats and maybe visit them tomorrow to see if I can live with cloth vs leather since there is nearly a $1000 total price difference. I can then also stop by another close dealer that only has ones with leather seats and both Oxford White and Platinum white ones in stock.

But I'm trying to get the prices fairly narrowed down first via there internet sales reps.
Its been fairly easy to get total prices with discounts and incentives for an outright purchase, but I'm interested also in lease prices and so far only one dealer has estimated that but only for one vehicle, not another there I wanted quoted. They responded quickly at first last night, but no response to my emails back to them all day today however.
 
I just picked up my new Ford Focus Electric in Oxford White, with leather, from Sunrise Ford. I honored our original "$500-under" deal, even though I could've saved an additional $400 by going to another dealer. Both Patsy and Ray of Sunrise were extremely pleasant to deal with, and I recommend both very highly. There were no hidden charges, and no financing costs. The only line item I saw slip by was a $29 "electronic transfer fee" (which clearly states that it's not a government agency fee). But that was the only one. The only other fee is an $80 document prep fee, which is disclosed on the TrueCar page.

• The best advice I have is to run a fresh TrueCar build at the end of every month, and you'll often get the best price.
• End of Q3 (September 31) seems particularly good, and TrueCar offers were as much $780 less than in July.
• Any dealer can make a trade with another dealer to get the color/options you want, and it doesn't seem to affect the deal.
• Once you make your deal, ask for "extras" (e.g., special discount on parts, etc.), and they'll often throw them in.
 
studio460 said:
• The best advice I have is to run a fresh TrueCar build at the end of every month, and you'll often get the best price.
• End of Q3 (September 31) seems particularly good, and TrueCar offers were as much $780 less than in July.
• Any dealer can make a trade with another dealer to get the color/options you want, and it doesn't seem to affect the deal.
• Once you make your deal, ask for "extras" (e.g., special discount on parts, etc.), and they'll often throw them in.

Yes, that agrees with what some car salesman have posted elsewhere in this forum that the end of quarter is the best time to get deals, so end of Mar, June, Sept, Dec.
Also Labor Day weekend seemed to have extra discounts from both Ford and the local dealers.
It also appears the dealers may be getting their last 2014 FFE stock at this time since I notice the stock hasn't been increasing at the local dealers recently.
So in addition to the end of quarter incentive, they may also be interested in selling their remaining 2014 stock as soon as possible too.
In only a day I've found two dealers that appear willing to give discounts equivalent to $900-$1000 off invoice price right off the bat, which is more than I expected even after more serious haggling.
Of course now the clock is ticking quickly, only a couple days left before the special deals may expire...
 
NightHawk said:
So in addition to the end of quarter incentive, they may also be interested in selling their remaining 2014 stock as soon as possible too.
I was counting on most sales staff perhaps not being aware that the 2015 electrics won't even be in until March 2015, thinking they needed to "clear" 2014 electric inventory. Maybe that's working for us now also.

NightHawk said:
In only a day I've found two dealers that appear willing to give discounts equivalent to $900-$1000 off invoice price right off the bat, which is more than I expected even after more serious haggling.
Yes, this is night and day, compared to my end-of-July negotiations. Good time to buy. Go get 'em, NightHawk!
 
studio460 said:
I just picked up my new Ford Focus Electric in Oxford White, with leather, from Sunrise Ford. I honored our original "$500-under" deal, even though I could've saved an additional $400 by going to another dealer. Both Patsy and Ray of Sunrise were extremely pleasant to deal with, and I recommend both very highly. There were no hidden charges, and no financing costs. The only line item I saw slip by was a $29 "electronic transfer fee" (which clearly states that it's not a government agency fee). But that was the only one. The only other fee is an $80 document prep fee, which is disclosed on the TrueCar page.

• The best advice I have is to run a fresh TrueCar build at the end of every month, and you'll often get the best price.
• End of Q3 (September 31) seems particularly good, and TrueCar offers were as much $780 less than in July.
• Any dealer can make a trade with another dealer to get the color/options you want, and it doesn't seem to affect the deal.
• Once you make your deal, ask for "extras" (e.g., special discount on parts, etc.), and they'll often throw them in.
Did you try telling Sunrise Ford that Santa Monica Ford offered you a better deal? I would have done that and asked for them to match the price. If you hadn't signed any papers you were under no obligation to accept the car. When a dealer explained dealer trades to me he said that dealer trades require the two dealers to make what's considered an even trade. For example, if one dealer wants a Fusion S in a particular color they can't offer the other dealer a Fusion Titanium or a Focus, they have to give up a Fusion S.
 
hybridbear said:
Did you try telling Sunrise Ford that Santa Monica Ford offered you a better deal? I would have done that and asked for them to match the price. If you hadn't signed any papers you were under no obligation to accept the car.
I did. They wouldn't have any of it. I know I hadn't signed anything, and I could've just walked. But the vehicle trade Santa Monica needed to make was the exact vehicle Sunrise had arranged to trade, so it was no longer "available" to Santa Monica. Had Sunrise not already put the trade in transit, I could've stopped it and gone with Santa Monica, or played hardball with Sunrise and forced the deal. I guess I'm just too nice. Also, the next closest trade (Oxford White/leather) is super-far away, and has been in-inventory for 88 days. My FFE has been in-inventory for only 11 days.

Also, I made them promise to offer some considerable discounts on future parts buys for my FFE (plus a "free" charging cable bag), I said, "to make up for the $400 I left on the table." I made the same deal when I bought my Freestar and got some really great discounts on parts.
 
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