Would you buy from a dealer that is far from your home?

[white owl]

Hi all. Nice forum! I'm pricing 2017 Explorer Sports and it turns out that I'm getting a lot better quotes from Oregon dealers than the local dealers here in California. I'm considering flying to Portland to make my purchase.

I'm not trying to evade sales tax. Will drive the car back to CA and register it here and pay the sales tax anyway. Just maybe saving a bit of money on the purchase price.

I'm just wondering, is this a dumb idea? Should I buy from a local dealer so that they won't look at me funny when I bring the car in for service? Or will the factory warranty (and maybe an ESP before a year elapses) let me pretty much get decent service anywhere I want?

The difference in price quotes is maybe a couple thousand dollars. Thanks in advance for any ideas or perspectives!

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum white owl.
Have given the local dealers a chance to match the prices or at least come close? Although some dealers may provide a little better service in the way of the little things that may come up, my understanding is that the dealers make most of their profit on servicing vehicles as opposed to selling them. The Ford warranty is honoured at all Ford/Lincoln dealerships. According to several posts here, it appears that 'service' seems to vary from dealer to dealer. As for the ESP, I strongly recommend reading the thread on that if you intend to purchase one.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?threads/ford-extended-service-plans.323161/

Peter

 

[thefranchise713]

Oh, I probably would, too. It's never been more competitive for me to do so, but I understand your general concept.

 

[shucker1]

I had to go out of state for my 98 XLT. Dealers here in New Orleans wanted to sell me stuff off of the lot and kept pushing for that.

Found one in Jackson, MS that would do the special order I wanted.

The "Boss Lady" got the 2013 Fusion here in NOLA because the option package she wanted was "On the Lot" and she loves to argue with new car sales people about pricing.

We bring it to Baton Rouge for Warranty Service because of the better customer care.

ESP has paid for itself on both of the Fusions I own (2011 & 3013)

 

[96firephoenix]

I don't know about on a new car, but I saved about $3K on a used Honda by getting it out of state. (nobody wants a stick in Chicago? can't imaging why not, lol)

Pain points of buying a car in a state that isn't your resident state:

• Took me 3 weeks of phone transfers and finally threatening the GM to call a lawyer before they filed my licence plate paperwork.
• A lot of dealers offer perks to buyers that you can only get there... I'm missing out on my first oil change free, and lifetime free carwashes by not living near the dealership where I bought my car. Not a huge loss, but still... leaving stuff on the table.
  
• Not all states reciprocate sales tax, so you may pay sales tax in both states. Fortunately Chicago is close enough to IN that most dealers there have paperwork filed in IL-IN-WI for exactly this sort of thing. All my paperwork was taken care of (eventually) except for a VIN check sheet that I had to take to a police officer.
  
• There are some fees you can't get out of that may not apply in your state. I had to pay I think a $15 fee to the City of Chicago...

Are 49 state emissions systems still a thing? I'd worry about an Oregon car not being CARB certified... might not be a problem, but worth looking into.

 

[white owl]

Hey guys. Thanks for replies.

The new car you buy in Oregon is equipped with CA emission controls, it's listed on the window sticker. There's no sales tax and extra fees are minimal. The dealer can handle CA licensing and registration. It is a huge temptation to give them an Oregon address and get Oregon plates, skipping CA's sales tax entirely. But to make it stick, you end up getting an Oregon drivers license, buying a little house in Salem, and marrying an Oregon girl. Not sure I'm ready for the committment and besides, it rains all the time up there.

I'm not a big fan of extended warranties in general, but I read up on the ESP thread and it sounds like it might be worthwhile if you're planning to keep the car for awhile, as I tend to do with cars I like.

These are such awesome cars with the twin turbo V-6, AWD, and fully independent 4 wheel suspension. I happened to rent an Expedition and was blown away by how good it was. I'm assuming the throttle body problems are solved, and that I won't die of exhaust fumes, and that the doors won't spring open. I know, it's a lot to ask. But I'm feeling lucky

 

[kmarnes]

I'd say try to get a local dealer to match. With the Ford Employee pricing coming to an end soon, not sure how good of a deal you can get by shopping around. Also when I got my ESP, the deductible is lower if I take it to the dealer I bought it from. $50 to the dealer, $100 to other dealer. But that's after the standard warranty runs out.

Road trips are fun and all, but you kind of want to do mostly city driving while breaking in a new Explorer. Vary speed a lot.

 

[toypaseo]

I would get together your best price, hit local dealers, and tell them:

• here is what I am going to spend
• if you want to play games, I am leaving to one of the numerous area dealers that sell Ford
• if you have something I want, I pry could find one just like it at one of the numerous area dealers that sell Ford, or just have them come get this one
• if you don't want to make a sale now, I am leaving to one of the numerous area dealers that sell Ford
• no, you don't need my name or number so you can call me tomorrow with an offer

 

[peterk9]

I'd say try to get a local dealer to match. With the Ford Employee pricing coming to an end soon, not sure how good of a deal you can get by shopping around. Also when I got my ESP, the deductible is lower if I take it to the dealer I bought it from. $50 to the dealer, $100 to other dealer. But that's after the standard warranty runs out.

Road trips are fun and all, but you kind of want to do mostly city driving while breaking in a new Explorer. Vary speed a lot.

Ford Employee Pricing is only being offered in Canada at this time. Not in the U.S.

Peter

 

[kmarnes]

Why is Ford mean to their own country? Canada ends up getting the lowest prices after exchange factored in. My loaded Sport was $53,000 before taxes. Which boils down to $40,300 USD. Even with our higher taxes, we still destroy Americans buying American cars in Canada -- although that's the case for every other car too, except for Jaguar which is closer to equal.

 

[peterk9]

Why is Ford mean to their own country? Canada ends up getting the lowest prices after exchange factored in. My loaded Sport was $53,000 before taxes. Which boils down to $40,300 USD. Even with our higher taxes, we still destroy Americans buying American cars in Canada -- although that's the case for every other car too, except for Jaguar which is closer to equal.

Incentives and programs are not always the same nor do they necessarily run at the same time in both countries. I believe the Ford Employee Pricing is available in the U.S. Just not now.

 

[kmarnes]

I know, it was like barely a week ago and for the past month+ as well. Guess it just expired. Just saying we have it good. Also don't see American's ever getting a new loaded Sport for $40k USD before taxes and fees.

 

[white owl]

I'm very near $45k for a 2017 Sport with Ecoboost V6, 401a, and moonroof, in Oregon. Phoned local CA dealer's "internet price" line and the clown quoted ABOVE MSRP. I guess we internet people are really stoopid! I'll try another dealer today where I've already met the salesman, but I'm pessimistic that they'll even come close to being competitive. That's just the way it is in northern CA. I bought my last Ford in Oregon, too, for the same reason.

I do have a question on what checkout procedures I should follow. The last Oregon transaction went off without a hitch, but maybe I was just lucky. Any suggestions on how I should proceed with this dealer? I have only bought one new car in my life.

 

[kmarnes]

I used to live in Southern California and bought a Lexus in Tustin, CA -- near LA. Tustin seems to be a very aggressive hub of car dealers that sell at really competitive rates. Don't know about Ford, but imagine they will have a dealer there. I think every dealer is there. Try to get a low ball quote there from a fleet manager.

Also you should seriously consider the collision warning with adaptive cruise. It is an amazing option. It makes driving a real treat. collision warning will flash your windshield with a line of red dots, beep loudly while muting the stereo, and depending on math, will pre-charge the brakes. But you have to actually press the brakes to activate it. Which eliminates problems with false positives.

Adaptive cruise control is incredibly nice for freeway driving because you set the target speed and it'll speed up and slow down for you, plus you can control your follow distance depending on how relaxed you want to be. It will slow down hard when needed. Feels very safe.