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I also researched for 2 months and the Rogue was in the running. However we liked the adjustable rear seat and the larger luggage area of the Equinox. I ordered mine Jan. 1st and it came in the middle of March. I got the LTZ with moonroof and 6cylinder. My wife and I just took a 400 mile trip and got back today. I got 24 MPG and I have a heavy foot. In 5 months we have not had a single problem. The fit and finish and the overall performance is more than I expected. I own a Cadillac DTS with 13,000 miles on it and I like driving my wife's Equinox better. We test drove the 4 cyl. and it was very noisy on heavy acceleration. The 6 cyl. was unbelievable for merging onto the busy expressways. We got the Cardinal Red with black and titanium interior and we get a lot of comments on how great it looks. Hope this helps.
Pete (NY)
Steve
No offense, but your post should really spell out how you got "out the door" with a 1LT with an MSRP of $26,300 for $23,400. You're talking $3000 off MSRP on a vehicle with virtually no discounts being offered (currently).
Are you USAA? Did you buy early and waive the 60-day return policy ($500)? Do you have GM points/dollars (or are you a GM employee)? Did you have a credit union discount (worth about $1200 but which could not be combined with GM points/dollars)? Was there a trade-in? (probably not in this case since it would've had to have been an almost worthless vehicle).
For GM and this time of the year, that's a pathetic supply ... and it's why there are currently NO discounts being offered on these vehicles. Dealers want you to pay full sticker price - which is something I will not do for a GM product ("new" GM or old).
I had the supplier discount for being a college student (same discount as for being a credit union member). $1000 conquest cash, honored at the dealer level (my trade was over 10 years old). Then an additional $800 or so the dealer knocked off.
For my trade I did Cash for Clunkers, so $4500 for that came off of the $23,400 or so sales price (minus TTL and a couple dealer fees). It really is a great dealer to buy a new vehicle from, they care more about volume for new vehicles than making a huge profit (they make that on used), because selling more vehicles means they get better treatment from GM. For example, when Camaros were nearly impossible to find when they first came out, this dealer could seemingly get them at will and had 10 on the lot.
Thanks for that clarification. So you bought early, cashed in on some of the "checklist" discounts that you qualified for, and also got an $800 dealer discount - which is the one I was most interested in hearing about. Well, $800 is better than nothing - which is what I'm hearing from dealers right now. Just can't do that. The only reason my last two new car purchases were American cars (Ford and then Chevy) was due to the considerable up-front purchase price savings. If price is equal (or virtually equal), I''m not going to buy American and HOPE it turns out to be as good as the import equivalent. I'm just going to buy the import.
When we bought our vehicle last year we sought to buy the best vehicle for the money (in our price range), period. At the time, nothing came close to the Nox. The Rogue was nice, but was small, has big blind spots, isn't a great value even after the considerable markdown off MSRP, and the gas mileage isn't that good. All the others are horrible (Rav4, old Tuscon/Sorento, Escape, CRV, etc.). We drove them all and then some. The new Hyundai Tuscon and Kia Sorento are the only one's I'd look at besides the Nox. I don't know about the Tuscon, but the consumer reviews for the Sorento are not good for build quality.
I wouldn't just assume imports are currently better for quality. Ten years ago, no question. Today, not so much. IMO many imports have gone backwards (Toyota especially) or stayed the same in quality (Honda), while domestics are much better than they've been. For the most part, any new vehicle now days that isn't a lemon will last 200k miles at a minimum if maintained properly.
Even if you have to drive a couple hundred miles for a dealer that will at minimum honor the supplier discount (if you don't currently qualify just join a credit union and you're good), it is worth it to get a vehicle you want vs. paying the same for an inferior vehicle (such as the Rav4 or CRV). If you deal with the internet departments via email you're also usually better off than just talking with whatever salesman approaches you on the lot. The internet guys often don't work on commission.
Wasn't Kia offering big rebates on the Sorrento recently? I thought I saw something ridiculous like $7,000! Maybe it was a tiered rebate where the $7k only applied to the fully loaded model?
I haven't looked at the Tucson, but a co-worker recently bought the new Genesis and he loves it! He had two Avalons before that and liked them a lot, too - but the timing of the new Avalon was late for him so he went with the Genesis. When I was dating my wife back in '92 she was driving an '89 Sonata bought brand new for $10,000. Even back then, that car drove well enough, had plenty of room inside, but it DID lack refinement. I remember popping the hood one time to change the oil and having the hood release come right off the dash (it was anchored to plastic only, no metal, IIRC).
I just don't think I can bring myself to pay full MSRP for ANY GM product! One thing I was thinking of doing was shopping the Traverse at the same time. They WERE offering $2000 rebates on the Traverse, plus the dealers are willing to add in their own discounts on top of that. If the Traverse were to get within, say, $2000 - $3000 of the Equinox, I would go with the Traverse (which is a much more roomier vehicle with the same "direct injection" engine technology). Granted, the gas would probably cost about 25% more, but you're getting a V6 versus the 4-cylinder. And if it turns out the 4-cylinder Equinox needs the more expensive gas or really doesn't live up to its MPG hype, then it might almost be a wash.
Rocketent:
$920 price increase? I hadn't noticed that. I think I DID notice a 2010 price increase of around $200 (maybe less) on the MSRP during the model year, but not $920. Maybe you're talking about the new 2011's that are now starting to show up on dealer lots?
I'm in Lexington, KY and the dealer is Rod Hatfield if you're within even a ten hour drive. They really are great on price on new vehicles, and it sounds like you aren't getting any movement from dealers along the east coast (not sure where on the east coast you are).
I think it was the Borrego that Kia was giving huge discounts on recently. I know they had $4000 cash back on the old model 2009 Sorentos last summer, trying to make way for the new 2011 model (they skipped 2010).
I haven't looked at the pricing on the 2011's at all, but I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to just jack the prices through the roof instead of offering discounts on the leftover 2010's. They've got to do one or the other, otherwise nobody will buy the leftover 2010. But like I said - 100+ dealers searched and only about 80 LT1's on dealer lots right now. That's LOW supply, so there probably won't be many (if any) leftover 2010's come next year.
Wallyuwl:
I'm in the Carolinas, but I've got immediate and extended family from New England to Florida so I could justify a road trip almost anywhere to pick up a vehicle. I've never been to Kentucky and that state is not in my search "window", but I could add it in to see if the Hatfields could make a deal with the McCoys (LOL)!
I'm probably not buying until year's end or even into the first quarter of next year. But I'm going to have to keep an eye on the inventories because with such low supply, I might have to pull the trigger sooner than I normally do...
I drove the Equinox and Santa Fe with in an hour of each other. From fit, finish, seat comfort, noise,......the Equinox wins hands down. The Santa Fe did have a slight edge in acceleration, but we aren't buying this to tow, we are buying it for family driving comfort.
Goinfg to try the dealer one town down, let him know I have a decent offer in hand, then see how sharp his pencil gets. It should be interesting.
I am pleased with the trade-in amount I got from dealer #1. The Hyundai dealer offered $1,000 less.
I post later today on my results.
Like I said, your difference in pricing between dealers with supplier price will be with how they value your trade in, dealer fees, and any dealer add-ons.
I went to the dealer in the next town this afternoon, and didn't mention the supplier price. They offered $25050, on and MSRP of $25,550, and $500 less in trade. Told them I appreciated their time, but they missed the other offer by ~$800. As I'm walking out they do the "Let me go back to my manager" dance. I said no thanks. When I said you had one shot, I meant it.
I do hear the infamous "ping" when I am at speed, but I only hear it when nothing ios on. This is a very quiet car, and I think because of that, you hear every little thing. With the radio on, you can't hear it.
2011's:
sticker $31,505 to $30,499 ($1,006 off)
sticker $32,655 to $30,995 ($1660 off)
Did that IPO ever happen? Better get that influx of cash before the bottom drops out...
I've created my own system for purchasing vehicles whereby I never set foot in the dealership unless I'm there to pick-up (buy) the vehicle. I almost always buy leftovers at scheduled intervals for cash (at very healthy discounts), and I've never paid a "dealer fee" that I didn't already know about ahead of time. There's no end to dealer scams like "doc fees", "etching" etc. that dealers dream up simply so they can quote you one (lower) price to get you into the dealership, then change it to a higher number at the last minute. "Doc fees" don't scare me. Dealers can make them thousand of dollars if they want to. It's the overall price that matters. And if you forget to ask for these "fees" numbers up-front (a sign of an inexperienced buyer because these "fees" have been around now for AT LEAST 15 years), they gotcha. All you can do at that point is walk out (and you SHOULD), but I suspect most people don't because most people buy based on a monthly payment and the dealers know how big a "fee" they can tack on divided by X months before it'll become an issue with the buyer.
It's capitalism: One person capitalizing on another for financial gain. Your job is to be prepared for all the scams they will try to throw at you so that they don't steal your money. There's a deal that can be struck between both parties which is fair to both. But once greed enters the equation, it's every man for himself.
Yup, I am an inexpreienced buyer. This was my first new vehicle. But as a buyer if you are happy with the "out the door" (minuts TTL) price, that is all you can ask for. And I was. I ended up over $1200 better than any of the other three dealers I "dealed" with (all online), even considering the high doc fee and vin etching. And this doesn't include adding in transport costs that probably would have been associated with the other dealers, since they were working off of doing dealer trades, while this one had the car on their lot (and the dealer was two miles away, the others were 60 or more). I never bargin with monthly payment, too easy to get taken that way. But this dealer doesn't play those games anyway, unlike some other dealers around here. They have a good rep.
Who knows? Maybe I'll end up with a 2011 Equinox. I'm going to hold out until year's end or first quarter next year and hope I can pick up a discounted 2010. If not, it'll be a leftover 2010 Traversty (sure to be leftovers there) VS. 2011 Equinox. And this scenario will probably favor the Traversty with the combination of bigger Traversty discounts and higher Equinox pricing.
It's gonna be fun. I'll keep you posted. Maybe I'll be buying somewhere in your area (LOL)...
Thanks for the input.
MSRP: $25500 (destination included)
Selling price: $24575
trade credit: $7700 (Edmunds trade value was $6890 for 06 Grand Caravan)
trade balance still owed: $4972 ($2728 trade equity)
Tax: $922 (6% PA sales tax)
Tag transfer: $47
Doc fee: $123
GM Card Points: $1500
Total Selling Price: $21445
This was a much better deal than I expected go into the dealership. He was 70 miles from me and had it on his lot. I got this price with NO haggling. His trade credit was $700 more than what I was expecting. I was extremely pleased with both the sales person and sales manager. They held no punches or tried any B.S. Before they came back with pricing I did make them aware that I had intentions of visiting 4 dealers today to find the best deal I could (this was truthful). After their offer came to me I still wanted to visit another dealership to see what they would offer.
The second dealership had an LT-1 FWD in Mocha Steel just come off the truck this AM. It did not have the drivers convenience package like at the first dealership so was stickered at $24670. This dealer refused to drop anything off of sticker price and was $2000 less on my trade. When I told him of the offer I had just got, he gave me the typical "Don't know how he's doing that!" line. But said he was not even going to try to match it and that the 1st dealer was probably just "dangling a carrot in front of me" and that he wouldn't hold to those numbers. I got out of there as quick as I could, called the first dealer back and confirmed all the numbers. Told him I'd be back in a half hour for it.
The F&I went smooth as can be also. Before filling out any paperwork I stated up front that I didn't have any interest in extended warranty's, fabric protection, waxing, etc. They said no problem and skipped by all that with ease.
I couldn't be happier as of now. The drive home and to the gas station was 72.3 miles total. 25 was city/ 2lane streets and 47 was highway. Set the cruise at 68 for the highway drive. The tank took just 2.159 gallons to fill back up for a 33.48 fuel mileage average.
There are deals to be made out there, just takes a lot of searching.
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I got FWD 1LT (cyber grey) with the driver convenience and cargo management packages. My breakdown went like this:
1LT was an even $25,000
Destination was $745 on top of that.
Dealer fee I couldn't get out of was $599
My trade (-$2000)
GM Card points (-$1k was my max allowed)
"Loyalty/internet bonus" (-$1577 - I got them to up it from 1200 when i griped about the dealer fee)
tax was $1372 +$50 for the county
tag/title $225
$23,522 was my out the door price and they included two years of scheduled maintenance (-$225)
If anyone is considering a car purchase, I did the lendingtree thing and Capital One came back with the best offer ($22k @ 2.68 for 60mo.). It's SO MUCH EASIER at the dealership when you negotiate the price without worrying about financing.
Hope this helps others. I'm happy with my new car so far!
I think I did decent in my negotiating which took about 3 weeks, mostly over email. I wasn't able to get any of the free maintenance plans but I did negotiate in free window tint on the front windows which is minor in the grand scheme of things.
My Nox is a stock, Twilight Blue LT2. Didn't add any additional features though I probably should have pushed for the Cargo Management package cuz now I realize I want that and will have to buy aftermarket.
MSRP = 26715 (included destination fee)
Negotiated down to = 25577
Vehicle Inventory tax = 54.16
Documentary Fee (couldn't get out of) = 150
Title/Registration + misc road & inspection fees = 137.55
Sales tax (@6.25%) = 1613.31
I did get talked into buying the Execu-Care extended warranty plan and this Zaktek package that is clear coat protection. The reason is, 1) never owned GM car and heard they have history of problems 2) plan on keeping this car for 5+ years.
I read on some forums that both of these were stupid decisions on my part BUT I was able to get the finance guy to drop the interest rate from 4.49 to 3.99 to help cover the costs.
Warranty (72 mos or 60,000 m) = 1175.00
Zaktek = 236.00
Total before down payment = 28943.01
Down Payment = 3500.00
Financed amount = 25443.02
Monthly payments = $469
Problems encountered so far are few; coming out of a crew cab pick up it was hard to get used to the smaller vehicle but it is very big internally and accomodates me well, also the 4 cylinder comes with electric steering and that has taken some getting used to as opposed to hydraulic assisted steering. Power is good and you do have to give it gas to merge but it is not what you might think. The engine is very responsive and I am looking forward to taking a long trip to really check out the fuel claims and eco mode.
Hope this helps you out.
Have you been into the dealer to see the current offers on the 2011 Equinox? If you would like I can assist you with pre-purchase questions and GM incentives; however, for what the dealer is specifically offering you will need to speak with the dealer.
Christina
GM Customer Service
activity on the Terrain forum, I thought I would post here.
I ordered a 6 cylinder Terrain SLT-2. Mocha Steel and
Titanium interior in November. Remember in Canada
it is nearly impossible to get Invoice Prices without
paying $35 to a private company. Fortunately, I secured
a copy from a dealer who lost his GM franchise.
My trade in was a 2003 Saturn Vue with 90,000 klicks
(54,000miles). Black Book value, $4-6,000. Dealer
didn't want the car and offered $2500. I whined and got it
up to $3000. GM (bless their hearts) had given me a
Saturn loyalty coupon for $1500 if I traded the Vue in for a
new GM product so I guess I got the low end of Black Book.
The MSRP was 38,000$ Canadian (comparable US price
in New York State, about $31,900 US) This is why Canadians don't talk about how much they pay for cars.
Invoice was $34,824 vs $30,856 in US. Huge markup difference.
As I negotiated, I show the saleswomen the invoice price
she brought in the sales manager, he asked what I thought a fair profit on a $40k car, I said $1000 was plenty and he said sold. I asked about the holdback and
he said since GM reorganized, Canadian dealers no
longer get holdbacks. I couldn't refute this but I did
calculate that Canadian dealers got 9.1% markup over
invoice while US dealers even with a 3% holdback, only
got a 6.2% markup. So could be true.
So the deal was as follows:
MSRP $38000
Admin $499
Security registration $296
Tire Recycle Tax $29
Plate registration $20
Fed and Provincial Sales tax (13% Ouch!) $4244
Total Price $43,088
Less:
Dealer discount $2176
GM Holiday Bonus $1000
Saturn Loyalty Coupon $1500
Trade In $3000
GM Visa Points $1500
Total Deductions $9176
Payable to Dealer $33912
I couldn't shake the admin and security fees and got less
than I figured on the trade in . Since I never hear from other Canadians , I don't know how other deals stack up.
I'm sure you guys just shake your heads at our prices and taxes, but we do have universal health.
If you live in a state with at three day return policy, I'd tell the dealer you will be doing that if they don't renegotiate your deal. You could also contact GM about the dealer and see if they'll make things right.
I bought a new 2010 Impala LTZ a few months ago. I have 6,000 miles on it now. I have been having this bad sulfur/rotten egg smell from the exhaust since about a week after I had it. I finally brought it into the shop and they said they found no issues, and it is probably bad fuel. I questioned the fact that I can run the same fuel in my 2011 Kia Sorento, and my 2009 Civic without the smell, so I don’t think it is the fuel. They told me there isnt anything they can do and again advised that I run a tank of quality fuel through it and see if that helps. So, I did what they said. I actually ran three tanks of Exxon through it, and one tank of shell, and the smell never went away. I called GM customer service and they asked if I was getting fuel at the same stations, or if the stations were close to each other. I told them yes, except the shell, which was across town. The gm customer service lady said " well, maybe the stations are getting the same fuel, and you might need to try other stations". I could not believe it! My car smells like rotten eggs...my two other cars run fine on the same gas, I tried higher grade gas like shell and Exxon and still no change, now they want me to drive all over town trying different fuels!!! I tried to get them to understand that I have NEVER had to worry about what fuels I use in any car that I have owned, and I have owned many GM cars in the past, and that they need to look at this Impala. So the customer service lady said to bring it back in and she would tell the dealer to look at it again. I take time out of my day, bring it in, I asked for a loaner and they didn’t provide one, which just added to the fun of it. They looked it over and called me and told me they still didn’t find anything wrong, and didn’t smell it this time at all. Wow! I can’t believe they didn’t smell it! ( or maybe it just looked better on the paperwork for them not to smell anything). I picked the car up and they gave me a TSB Bulletin that basically said that the smell is caused by high sulfur fuels and instructs the service dept not to replace parts because it is a fuel issue. I tried to get them to explain why my car smells, but other new GM cars do not, but they still said it was a fuel issue.
So, my warning is that if you get a Gm car or truck that smells like sulfur/rotten eggs, GM will not fix this and you will have to endure the smell. I really didn’t expect to pay 25k for a car that smells horrible. I put my trust and money into GM/Chevy, and that was a mistake. Now I get to smell sulfur when I pull up to the drive-thu’s ( banks/Fast food), and have family/friends who follow me to places tell me my car stinks, and clients who I have in the car tell me " have that fixed, it is the catalytic converter"...etc.
I would highly recommend that you go with a Kia, or Honda, or some other brand that actually can burn any fuel out there without it smelling. Gm seems to not want to disclose that their cars can not burn today’s fuel cleanly, because if they did, there would be many folks that would not buy...including me! I hope this helps someone who feels this service issue would be important to them if they purchased GM.