New truck buying

[givetoget]

Hello all, looking at buying a new truck, trying to do my homework. Via internet and searches here. But my ? is how does a person find the dealer invoice for a particular vehicle. (Looking at a ford F150 if that helps)

Any and all tips with new truck buying is much appreciated. (never done it before)

Thank You,

PS, Why would trucks on the lot have P rated tires on them. Is there a big difference from the LT rated

[TR21HP]

My personal experience of buying 11 F 150's over the years has been with one dealer. The salesman is in internet sales and sells the trucks for dealer invoice. No tips needed, no going back and forth or haggling. He prints the sticker puts it aside the dealer invoice and you see what you save. Great experience always.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

There are sites out there where you can track invoice pricing down.

The best thing I ever did for vehicle buying (new or used) is start working with an auto broker. I call him up, we go over every single option I want, he gives me the invoice price and a range he thinks he can get it for, and then calls me about 3 days later to come pick it up. With my 2011 F150 I saved $1500-1800 over the two "one price/no negotiating" dealerships I compared with. Price savings isn't even the best part. By far the best part is that I don't have to listen to any "let me run this by my manager" or "here is our extended warranty representative" or "would you like our muffler bearing protection package" rhetoric.

[fishing tech]

As a dealership employee we get the D plan pricing. I can tell you that our cost with all the extras added on and tax usually ends up at or below the sticker price on the vehicle. By extras I mean the rustproofing, floor mats, extended warrantee, paint sealant, and scotch guarding the interior. Good luck, they are awesome trucks.

[JOHNBIGDOG]

Think about this; an f150 is, for the most part, a car. They are not usually meant for extended heavy work. People want them to ride well and be quiet, get them from A-B easily and occasionally haul stuffs. The suspension is set up for this. For the every day person this will work. The F150 can tow about 5.5-11.1K LBS depending on configuration. Apparently Ford's engineers believe that a 'P' series tire will handle the load. I am

Now a Super Duty is intended as a work truck, its meant to haul heavy loads and take a beating. It doesn't have a smooth car like ride. (Even though some people think they should ride like a Lincoln) The Super Duty can tow between 12.5 and 33K Lbs depending on configuration. This is substantially more, and the suspension is built up to handle this. (tires are a part of the suspension)

I don't know if you will be able to find a dealer invoice for a specific vehicle, their will be some mark up no mater what, a dealer has to make money, but at the same time they usually want you to come back for service, as service usually makes more profit over sales.

Make sure you know what you want your truck to do, and then go to Fords HSOforum and use their build and price option. then look at the specifications of that vehicle to make sure it can do what you intend to do with this vehicle. NOTE newer F150s have EPAS, Electronic Power assist steering, which is NOT meant to have extra weight added to the front, like a snow plow, their is a normal Hydrolic system available for this purpose. Even super duty's have a "snow plow" prep package. Its a H.D. suspension and a different cooling fan. The sales person SHOULD know enough to help you with this stuffs and get a truck that will work for you.

well that was long winded enough.

[Ufatz]

WARNING!

Do NOT depend on your salesman to do anything much more than sell you the truck you SEEM to like best.

Odds are he or she will know LITTLE about the tecnical aspecs of the truck and its capabilities.....or lack of.

Was just there.

But I KNEW what I was doing and how to get the straight information.

Remember the old rule: if a salesmans lips are moving they are lying. Just like the folks from Big Oil. LOL

[fishing tech]

Ufatz, Not all salesmen are that way. We have 1, yes only 1 at our dealership that I would trust. The rest are a bunch of.....

[JONOV]

WARNING!

Remember the old rule: if a salesmans lips are moving they are lying. Just like the folks from Big Oil. LOL

The Salesman lies ALMOST as much as the customers do. But seriously, figure out exactly what you're looking for, as far as what the truck has, and make your inquiries over the internet to dealers that have them. That will be the easiest way to the best deal. Some stores have a one price model, and that means that the internet prices are the same as the windshield, and everyone pays the same price. UFatz is right as far as the salesperson letting the customer think he's right, especially as it often leads to the customer leaving saying "I wanted x and he tried to sell me y." The customer is always right, even when he's wrong. There is always at least one, and oftentimes several salespeople at any given store that will know the technical aspects of the truck. As always, the simple laws of supply and demand are in play (he won't sell anything at invoice if there is a line of people looking to buy one and precious few on dealer lots.)

[delcecchi]

Don't forget there are holdbacks and incentives on top of the invoice price that the dealer gets. Trying to figure out what the dealer actually makes on a vehicle is very difficult. Even the dealer probably doesn't know until the end of the year what they made.

[bak2MN]

Check with consumer reports you can get dealer invoice from them as well.

[leechlake]

you can go to Edmunds and put in the model and all of the extras and it will show you the MSRP, dealer cost, and then an "average" paid in your area. Bring that with you as back up and the dealer will most likely sell you the truck for dealer cost.

Most of the time that's what you pay, I've paid less when I really pushed and the stars aligned because the specific vehicle had been on the lot or some other factor that determines what the factory pays the dealership in holdbacks or other incentives or programs they have in place. That's moderately rare, at least in my experience.

Regarding salespeople. I've bought many vehicles and I'd bet half the time the salesperson wasn't even working at the dealership a year later. I also by all my wife's cars from the same salesperson every time, but that also is rare.

[givetoget]

Thanks for all the tips and advice everyone. I tried to get an online price quote and my phone doesn't quit ringing from different dealers. (ones I never sent to or called) Worst part was I never got a price they all want you to come in and test drive.

[bak2MN]

Yep did that once never again.

[Huskie]

Hey Lip Ripper Guy, where do you find an auto broker or do you just go to someone who has a dealer license?

[CaptainMusky]

You can tell when a salesman is lying if his lips are moving.