Am I getting the best price on my new car?

QUESTION

Hello John,

Let me start by saying, I love your no nonsense outlook on the automotive industry.

I made an enquiry a few months back in regards to the price I was quoted by a particular Ford dealership. Following some extensive homework and visiting about five dealerships - some in my local area, some recommended to me, and ones prominent on social media - I was ultimately offered a drive away price for a 2022 next-gen Ranger Raptor of $90,000. This price was confirmed by your AutoExpert team as being good value.

Your team member stated to me that if this is indeed legitimate deal, that I should accept said offer, which I did. This has been the lowest quoted sales price I was able to get, and based on prices thrown around on those social media groups (which I know should be taken with a grain of salt), seems to be a genuinely good price.

Now, I am not an expert car purchaser, I happen to be a trauma nurse in the operating theatre. But I have purchased many new cars and used cars from dealerships in my life, nine to be exact. I feel I make good, informed decisions and do my due diligence when making such a big purchase like a motor vehicle. And let me say, this new Ranger Raptor will top out my list of most expensive purchases I have ever made. And I do not dare share this with my father, another seasoned car purchaser, as I fear he would want to slap me silly for contemplating such a pricey purchase.

But I was wondering if I would be able to share with you my purchase contract, so that you could see if I am being bent over the coals and being given a good rogering – so to speak. I would expect you know how to see through their tactics and know a good deal when you see one, or at least one that isn’t causing the dealer principle to laugh all the way to the bank.

Thank you John and kind regards,

Paul

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Hello Paul,

Thanks for the work you do in the emergency department. Not many people could cope with that. (As a journo I followed a young kid who suffered a cardiac tamponade in a car crash, into Emergency, then up into the operating theatre and watched some very talented people save his life. #respect.)

With that in mind, I think you’re over-thinking this. Like, if the trauma director and the cardio-thoracic registrar both independently tell you you’ve got a cardiac tamponade, and an ultrasound confirms it, you’ve got one. Conclusively. This is that.

You’ve been to five dealerships. We’ve also investigated and told you this is a great deal. (Lots of people bullshit us on the price they’ve got. Our response in these cases is: 'Take the deal you’ve been offered - it’s too good to beat.’) I’m not saying we thought you were bullshitting us. I’m saying the price you got is good enough to be a bullshit ploy buy an A-grade, time-wasting ’shopper’.

If we did that ultrasound on the contract, it would show us that you’ve got a good deal in front of you. (The only thing that matters is the all-up price. How they arrive at that price is a matter for the seller.)

My advice: Just take it, dude. There’s nothing more to discover here. You appear to have done very well, in a market that’s constrained by demand exceeding supply. Enjoy the car when you get it. Don’t let your dad find out - perhaps that’s the biggest challenge yet to be addressed. Don’t get CTE when he finds out...

Sincerely,

John Cadogan

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