I have never ordered an Explorer the way I want. does it cost more to order and bring it to the dealer? I know the extra features cost more but would it cost me more to order?
As PeterK9 taught me, shop around. Build it on the website Go to Edmunds and get the actual invoice cost (it's not what the car costs the dealer but it's a number to work from). From there, realize that the dealer is getting 3% as a holdback and an advertising fee of $698. In retrospect, I left about 1k on the table by going with the dealer I went with.
Here is some info on Ford Pricing Plans:
A-Plan
Ford's A-Plan is intended for Ford employees. This is often considered to be the best possible deal out of Ford's discounted Plan offers.
How it's calculated: Invoice - Holdback - Advertising Fee + $275 program fee
Z-Plan
The Z-Plan is identical to the A-Plan but applies to Ford retirees. Since the programs are so similar, they are frequently referenced together as A/Z Plan.
How it's calculated: Same as A-Plan
Advertising fee is $698
X-Plan
The X-Plan is actually two programs that equate to a discount for friends, family, and groups with special affiliations with Ford.
The Ford Partner Recognition X-Plan is essentially a supplier discount that members of certain companies that do business with Ford may qualify for.
The Friends & Neighbors X-Plan is a much broader set that can be used by employees and retirees to sponsor purchases by family and individuals outside their family.
How it's calculated: Invoice - 0.4% + $275 program fee
D-Plan
Ford's D-Plan applies to dealer employees and family members.
How it's calculated: A-Plan + $100
A buyer here mentioned the following:
BJs Wholesale Club offers its members Ford X-Plan pricing.
Someone got in addition to the X-Plan price a total of $2,500 of year-end incentives:
- $1,000 BJ's incentive ($500 instant cash back + $500 BJs shopping credit)
- $750 Ford retail bonus cash
- $250 Ford retail customer cash
- $500 Ford credit cash back
HTH