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Ford Escape Hybrid Prices Paid and Buying Experiences

SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
Share your price and buying experiences here! Help others!
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  • dw438dw438 Member Posts: 41
    Purchased a 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid at invoice

    Options: Side curtain air bags, 110v power point, rear cargo cover, rear floor mats.

    Invoice: 27434

    Tax: 1481 (on price after trade-in allowance)

    Fees: 114

    Trade in allowance at high point of KBB/Edmunds/etc. market value

    And 3.8%/48 mo. financing arranged by local bank!

    Purchased at a Ford dealer in Victor, NY south of Rochester.

    Best yet: sale in early November 2004 qualifies for $2k federal tax credit, $2k NY State tax credit, and refund of sales tax paid!
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "Best yet: sale in early November 2004 qualifies for $2k federal tax credit, $2k NY State tax credit, and refund of sales tax paid!"

    Better not put that federal "credit" on your income taxes. It is a deduction, not a credit.
  • talariatalaria Member Posts: 16
    Anyone order a 2006 Escape Hybrid yet? What are you paying? When do you expect delivery?
  • ouhybridouhybrid Member Posts: 3
    We ordered a 2005 Escape Hybrid in January. After waiting 4 months, we were told that the 2006 Escape Hybrids were orderable. Since our order had not yet been placed at the factory (we were on a waiting list), we were able to change our order to a 2006 with the premium package and a moon roof. We received a VIN in late April and our Escape Hybrid was built the week of May 2. We received our 2006 Escape Hybrid yesterday (May 13)! Took a nice little drive in it last night and a few quick trips this morning. So far we are really impressed the hybrid technology and the premium package and moon roof options are worth the extra $. We paid sticker price -- $33,815 (this included the premium package, moon roof, and safety package + tax + 250.00 delivery fee.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Welcome to the forum. I'm curious. Did you consider the Escape Limited with AWD? I see where they are selling in So CA with every option including the Moonroof for $26k. That is about $2,000 less than invoice. The Hybrid is about an $8k premium.
  • dw438dw438 Member Posts: 41
    That's right, it was a Federal deduction. NY State was a credit. And sales tax refund was partial.
  • talariatalaria Member Posts: 16
    ouhybird, thanks for the info. Is your Escape Hybrid 2 or 4 WD? MSRP suggests 4WD to me. Did you order yours in a color other than silver? I am curious if the premium package will, in fact, provide the monochromatic look with something other than silver. We have had so many silver and dark grey cars my wife and I would like a change but want a monochromatic look. For 2005 that means silver. And if it is not too much trouble are the backup sensors black or has Ford finally got it right and matched the paint?
    Thanks again. Enjoy.
  • talariatalaria Member Posts: 16
    Thanks for all the help and information. After all the aggravation we decided not to wait for the 2006 after we saw a 2005 FWD Escape Hybrid, silver with appearance package, leather package, safety package, 110 volt, rear cover and floor mats yesterday on FORD's website located in Sacramento. The Hybrid came to the local dealer in a car swap with another dealer south of us.

    My wife decided to check it out and bought it today. She decided she just didn't like the other colors afterall and did not want to spend the extra money for the nav. system. We didn't need a better stereo as we only listen to audible books on our Treo 600's which we will supliment with an XM sat. radio ( buying that tonight, indy time trials this month ) so we can move it from car to car as we do with our Garmin Quest GPS.

    She bought the car for $400.00 under MSRP plus tax, trans. and the usual fees and did not buy any extras.

    I am so glad it is finally over. :D

    I'll check the forums for a better deal on extended warranties. If anyone has any suggestions about them I would appreciate it.
  • ouhybridouhybrid Member Posts: 3
    You're welcome. Our 2006 Escape Hybrid is AWD and silver. We were told that the monocromatic appearance is available in a total of 5 colors (including silver). Unfortunately, the backup sensors are still black. After having the car for a few days now, we have no regrets. In electric mode only, we have gone up to 34 MPH and ascend 6 levels in the work parking garage daily. Pretty impressive. We are averaging 29.1 MPG with a mix of highway and city driving. We are really enjoy this hybrid as it certainly is a unique driving experience (and the moon roof is great)!
  • talariatalaria Member Posts: 16
    ouhybird, as you can see in the post just above your last we didn't wait. But I do appreciate the additional details. We have had moon roofs on several cars and rarely used them so the more we thought about it the more the 2005 without the nav and upgraded stereo seemed right for us. It was hard to believe it showed up on Ford's website at a dealer right here in Sacramento just when we were about to order the 2006 based on your helpful information. We saved some money and got what we wanted without having to take anything we really didn't want. I am however, glad that Ford is adding more options the customers want. Hopefully more colors will be next. My wife really loves that Norsea blue.

    I went to the store tonight and bought an XM satellite radio, a cheap one, the Roady2 (buy one, get one free mail in program until July), the home kit with remote and a Belkin cup holder mount. Having the antenna only installed in the Escape Hybrid for me by a pro so we don't get tangled up in it.

    Those drives to Berkeley to see our daughter will now be even better - Audio books using the Escape Hybrid's 6 cd player; Audible books, MP3's or streaming with Shoutcast using our Treo 600's using handy 12 volt console plug and Seidio FM modulator; the Roady2 XM satellite radio with built in FM modulator using handy 12 volt console plug and cupholder mount for Roady2 or just playing with the Garmin Quest GPS (while my wife drives, safety first) using handy 12 volt plug near the stereo. Can't do all that with the $1800 nav. sys.

    ouhybrid, this first day the best we could do was 25 MPH on electric only most of the time. Only a couple of times did we see the speedo get just a tick above 25 before the tach needle jumped off the green. Hope I can do better with time. Glad your happy with yours. My wife and I are also impressed with the car and we are happy with ours.

    A few more question for you or anyone out there. What is that strange opening with the lip next to the instrument panel dimmer switch just below the fog light switch? I have looked through the manual and can not find any reference. There is a pocket like opening underneath the console lid; anyone know what that is for? When you open the fuel door there appears to be a toggle switch (black on ours). Is it a switch or just the means to keep the fuel door closed tight?

    Going back to the dealer on Thursday to have the keyless entry pad programed and installed (stuck on) and a locking gas cap added. I love the keypad and I wish that was still built in as it was on our turbo and supercharged T-Birds and Lincolns. All those cars still had the remote keychain fobs but those keypads have always been handy.

    It's late. Got to still get my workout in. Thanks again to all those that helped with our decision to buy the Escape Hybrid. I'll still keep checking in.
  • annettewannettew Member Posts: 1
    After reading thru these forums I was concerned that I would have to wait to get a hybrid, especially out here in the sticks (Oregon). I was pleasantly suprised that I was able to choose from three on the lot. The technology is really mind blowing. I'm glad I made the leap, thanks for all the advice.
  • earlofstompearlofstomp Member Posts: 1
    Amazing that I actually got one. My Dealer is only getting about 5 for 2006. I put my order in 2 weeks ago and should have it in November in time for all the good tax credits. I ended up getting a final sticker of 31860 with the options I chose (safety package, cargo cover, 110 pwr outlet, rear mats). I chose the Blue with the Dark Grey ground effects.

    After lots of research, I chose this one over the Honda Accord for the SUV vs Car, the great ratings they are getting with several reviewers, and my luck with Ford products in the past.

    I'm rather anxious about getting to drive it. :)
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "In electric mode only, we have gone up to 34 MPH and ascend 6 levels in the work parking garage daily."

    Must be cumulative MPG, since the car should be using no fuel in electric only mode?
  • bigsweepsbigsweeps Member Posts: 11
    Just picked up a silver 4WD fully loaded (with nav, appearance pkg, safety pkg, etc.) - and the dealer gave me X-plan pricing (about $2500 under sticker). I was hunting and hunting but most dealers wouldn't honor the Ford X-Plan pricing on the Escape Hybrid (I'm in CT) since they were easily finding customers to pay sticker. It's great to get one FULLY loaded under $30K.
  • carole23carole23 Member Posts: 3
    Hi ! I have had my 2006 Escape hybrid for a week now. I love it so far ! 32 mph is what I can do in electric only.....it's a challenge to see how long I can keep it in electric right now. I committed to buying it mid-February so I did not think I had to wait to long.
  • greenski1greenski1 Member Posts: 1
    What part of CT do you live in? I am in CT and looking for a similar deal...and were there any tax credits/breaks for buying a hybrid?
  • earear Member Posts: 6
    Purchased from dealer inventory in April for $1k under msrp, '05 4wd with navigation and 6cd changer, safety option, leather, monochromatic molding, 110v, rear cargo cover, and mats. Also bought the 5yr/75k mi extended warranty.
  • hshort1hshort1 Member Posts: 1
    Why don't Ford Hybrids qualify for incentives? I purchased mine the 27th of February in Santa Cruz. At the time, the dealership was giving a free Garmin GPS to all new Ford vehicles purchased INCLUDING Escapes, during the month of February. But apparently, not the Escape Hybrid. However, this was not noted in the ad - it did say, Ford Escapes, F150s, Taurus, etc. So, when I asked the sales gal, she said, no, it doesn't say Ford Escape Hybrids, I told her, well, it doesn't say Ford Escape XLT's either, but you're giving it to them. She said, you're right. That's a Typo. So, I took it to Ford Corporate, and then back to Santa Cruz. Why is it they refuse to build but a few of these environmentally correct cars ,and then don't want you to have any incentive to buy them - they don't offer 0% financing, either. Wouldn;'t you think Ford would be bending over backwards to get us to buy their FIRST YEAR HYBRID BABY??? Other than that, I am thrilled w/ my Hybrid.
  • gheimurgheimur Member Posts: 88
    I have looked into the payback for the Hybrid compared to the XLT 6 cyl.My computations according to the EPA guidelines compute $1704 in fuel cost for the V6 vs. $1047 for the Hybrid. This is based on 15k miles per year 45% Highway
    55% City. A savings of $657 per year. If the difference in cost for similarly equipped vehicles is 5k because of no discounts it will take over 7.7 years to break even. Even if gas goes to 3.00 a gal it will take about 5.5 years with a savings of about $916 a year. You can drive more miles per year and break even sooner however the Hybrid will reach its end of Life sooner. .
  • yurtyurt Member Posts: 3
    In this battle of hybrid little SUVs, what are people's opinions of one versus the other? It seems that the Toyota Limited is $5-10K higher in cost.
  • jbaronijbaroni Member Posts: 1
    Thanks for the math work. I have just started looking into purchasing a hybrid but am always baffled by the payback time period claims. You seem to have included some of the variables that seem lacking on other sites including MSN online financial column. Even on Edmunds, they confuse the issue by claiming you get more stuff with a hybrid model but don't adjust for that in the figure. If the engine doesn't work as hard (oil change interval and longevity) and you are turning braking force into energy instead of using brake pads is there not savings there as well. It also seems that everyone assumes at resale time that some how the hybrid will be selling for the same as the regular model therefore not recouping any of the difference. It is hard to figure the tax credit?deduction? but obviously that has to have some effect. What about insurance? Is it higher? Then of course what is the value of truly holding the moral high ground. Of truly providing more than lip service towards being patriotic.To truly caring about the enviroment and our future generations wellbeing, not just medically but by providing a clean and peaceful world to live in. The technology is proven and should be mandated by law for the benefit of all peoples everywhere. More oil for fertilizer, medicines, cheap housing, etc. etc.
  • SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
    A reporter is interested in speaking with owners of the Ford Escape hybrid. If you own or lease one and would be interested in speaking with the reporter, please send your name and e-mail address to Pam Krebs, Edmunds.com PR, at [email protected].
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "Then of course what is the value of truly holding the moral high ground. Of truly providing more than lip service towards being patriotic.To truly caring about the enviroment and our future generations wellbeing, not just medically but by providing a clean and peaceful world to live in. The technology is proven and should be mandated by law for the benefit of all peoples everywhere. More oil for fertilizer, medicines, cheap housing, etc. etc."

    If you buy a 4 cyl Escape, and keep it for a long time, it might actually be better for the environment. A hybrid will eventually have to have the batteries replaced, and batteries are not only expen$ive, but are "environmentally costly" to produce and recycle. Did you know that a hybrid causes more pollution to build? They do, it is a fact acknowledged by Toyota. If the hybrid gets far superior MPG to the car it will replace, there is the potential for the lifetime pollution to be less from the Hybrid, but that rule simply doesn't apply to the SUV world; the difference in MPG is not enough.

    The argument for environmentally friendly hybrids fall apart when the hybrid is a heavy, high profile SUV. At this point in time, only the smaller and lighter vehicles have a chance of being truly more environmentally sound, because they can be pushed to higher MPG.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    there is the potential for the lifetime pollution to be less from the Hybrid, but that rule simply doesn't apply to the SUV world; the difference in MPG is not enough.

    That is a very good point. With the bigger batteries and electric motors in the larger vehicles it multiplies the PM (particulate matter) especially. That is the stuff that causes smog. Also one of the major reasons for not allowing diesel cars in CA. As can be seen in the graph, PM is higher over the life of a hybrid than a conventional non-hybrid. Actually the only significant advantage to the Prius is CO2 is about 1/3 less over the 150k mile life of the car. I wonder if Toyota has done a "Life Cycle Analysis" on the RX400h & HH? Maybe Ford should give us an analysis on the Escape Hybrid. With the real world gains of less than 25% on the hybrid SUVs it may be we are fooling ourselves on the hybrid environmental advantages.

    image
  • stevewastevewa Member Posts: 203
    But there's more to it than that. The big question we have to ask ourselves is, are we consuming less and polluting less with the hybrid than we did with the vehicle it replaced?

    In most cases I think the answer would be "yes". Other times, it may be a wash but due to lifestyle issues (having kids, etc) the owner would have been moving to a larger vehicle (thus higher consumption/pollution) in any event.

    Clearly hybrid technology is not the only answer to the problem, because it ultimately does not eliminate the need for petroleum. However, it is a useful way to buy ourselves the time to come up with alternatives that do. To merely dismiss the tech as saying "it's not good enough, therefore I'm keeping my gas guzzler" is as foolish as it is to say hybrids will solve all the world's problems.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    To merely dismiss the tech as saying "it's not good enough

    I would never do that. I want to see some dialog that does not start from the premise that Hybrids are the only way we can save the planet. The Prius came on the scene as THE answer because a few no nothing Hollywood types endorsed it. I think that the reason that Toyota was so caught off guard by the popularity was they know it is far from what is needed. It may be a baby step forward or maybe backward.

    Hear me out. First off most here would admit that the average American uses too much fossil fuel. How do we cut back? I think that driving less is a start. Not just making cars that allow us to go more miles in a year for the same fuel used. Now back to the chart. As you can see if, the average person only drove their car 75k miles over the 10 year projected life of the Prius, they would have not only contributed more PM to the planet, they would have contributed at least as much NOx & SOx as the non-hybrid car.

    If you must drive a lot of miles per year the small hybrid can have a positive impact. I would like to see some studies on the larger hybrids showing a positive gain over their non-hybrid counterpart. I'm sure Toyota has such a study if it can be found.

    the owner would have been moving to a larger vehicle (thus higher consumption/pollution) in any event.

    That is only looking at it from a consumption & emissions at home aspect, not a global impact perspective. Manufacturing is still the major portion of the pollution. The people that buy a new car every 3 years are the big contributors to global pollution. The guy that buys a Corolla and keeps it for 20 years with 250k miles racked up has done a heck of a lot more for the planet, than the fellow that buys an RX400h and keeps it 3 years and gets a new one.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,142
    Please move this conversation OUT of the pricing/buying experiences discussion. Thanks.

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  • sxdesantsxdesant Member Posts: 10
    Your graph is interesting but misses a major point. The greenish blue driving portion is the main component to be concerned with if looking at pollution and population exposure. The material production and vehicle production, hopefully done in our country, is from well controlled facilities and located in lesser populated areas. Overall, population exposure is limited. The driving occurs in urban areas when many people people are exposed. HC, NOx and sunlight cause smog, particles have their own health problems with respect to heart disease.

    Global warming and CO2 are a different pollutant and different story and not regulated yet by the federal and State governments. A "real energy" would go along way to solving many of the issues Americans are confronted with on a regular basis.
  • geobfgeobf Member Posts: 1
    Since this is supposed to be the buying experience forum, I thought I'd actually post mine instead of some of the random reports here recently.

    We did find several Escape Hybrids scattered about Houston dealerships. We were originally looking at a Charcoal Grey model with the two options we wanted, the upgraded sound system and the AC outlet. The dealership was 25 miles away and offered $700 off sticker to make it worth the drive.

    We decided the color was too dark for hot Houston summers and found the Titanium Green to our liking. A much closer dealership had one with an additional feature we did like - the side curtain air bags - and two we weren't interested in paying for - leather seats and the "appearance" package. It turns out the flyers for the 06 model have the same model on the cover. The dealership immediately offered $500 off sticker, it was the first hybrid the salesman had the chance to sell. They came in $600 above Edmunds.com's trade in value for my 96 Explorer - but we started to leave as we didn't really want to pay for the two extra features. The dealership really wanted the sale - they offered another $500 for my trade in - up to the private party sale value - so we bought it.

    Very happy with it so far - will be posting a review but my first tank was 29 MPG and the next three have hit 30 - very nice when gas went over $2.40/gallon here today.
  • ryandenverryandenver Member Posts: 4
    Howdy:

    I live in Denver, CO and just placed an order for an 06 AWD Hybrid Escape in Red Fire Metallic. I found a dealership here who not only was willing to sell me one at xplan, but to also place it on the build schedule so that it won't arrive until on/after Jan 1, 2006 so that I can take advantage of the estimated 1950.00 federal tax credit and the 2797.00 state tax credit. I had no hassles in placing the order, simply a 500.00 deposit. Now the hard part, waiting 14wks to take delivery.

    On another note, the dealer said they just recieved word that Ford has acquired an increased inventory of hybrid parts for assembly and is converting an existing standard escape manufacturing line to a hybrid line to handle the increased demand, so lead times should be going down and inventories up come the new year.

    Ryan
  • smocomsmocom Member Posts: 2
    We were at the right place at the right time.

    Several months ago my wife and I decided that we were going to buy the Escape Hybrid. We were waiting though until she returns from her deployment some time in January. About a month ago I started the process fully aware that I would be ordering the car and probably would not take delivery until January to take advantage of the federal tax break. As I was calling around to find the best price, I eventually called the dealership in Santa Fe, NM.

    The dealer there had recently received a USED 2006 Escape Hybrid on the lot. The guy who originally bought it apparently had a lot of money because he decided after only two months that he did not like the seat. So he brought the car back, took the loss on the trade in and walked back out with an Explorer. The net result for me is that I picked up his Hybrid at 3000 under MSRP with all of the extras that we wanted save one, which was the safety package. But it also had the navigation system and 6 disk changer that we did not plan on ordering due to the expense. I also sacrificed 5000 miles, but rationalized it by concluding they must have been mostly highway to have been put on in just two months.

    The savings realized from buying used was excellent, but I have forgone any tax incentives for both this year and next since I am not the original owner. Still, when I consider that I walked away with essentially a brand new 2006 vehicle for 3000 under MSRP for that package, it far outweighs any tax break that I could have achieved for next year or this year. I still have the rest of the warranty too and the car was spotless inside and out. Needless to say our buying experience was quite nice, but highly unusual given the demand for Hybrids these days.
  • nimhbugnimhbug Member Posts: 3
    i ordered my 2006 escape the last week in june, and it showed up early (even surprised the salesman) at the end of august. i wasn't expecting it until early-mid october. i was of course ecstatic to have it. the only downside of my purchase is that no matter how hard i pressed, i couldn't get the x-plan or any other ford discounts off the msrp. i was told that order was direct from ford and the owner of the dealership couldn't do anything to assist. that x-plan would have saved me nearly $2200, and being in metro-detroit i know *plenty* of people who work for ford (my husband is even contract with ford!). my other surprise, was being offered a much lower then expected price on my trade in, 2001 4WD escape. this caused a last minute scramble borrowing over $3000 from family members to close the deal. i really didn't want to walk away from the car, knowing it could be months to place another order...but i think i got screwed at the closing table.

    the car has been great so far, but the buying experience was a bit bumpy.
  • tcasboytcasboy Member Posts: 214
    Went to test drive an Escape Hybrid today. 2005, FWD, red 2 tone with leather seats and NAV option. Lists at about 31255, or so, it was in the paper for 26,825. It has about 400 miles on it from test drives, never titled and not really a demo. Dealer let me bring it home tonight to show the family, need to go out for dinner and drive it around some more. So far I like the way it drives.

    We're still not right with the value of my trade, so its unlikely I will buy it, but it is nice to be able to give it a good, long test drive without the pressure of the sales person sitting there. Just wondering if anybody has bought one lately for that much under the sticker, or if I can hold out a bit more since its been sitting on their lot for almost a year now.

    Guess we'll see in the morning.
  • stevewastevewa Member Posts: 203
    That's a very good price.
  • dw438dw438 Member Posts: 41
    Since it's an '05, it's been hanging around the dealer for a while.
    Try and hondle him down to 26K. If you can't, the price you were given is below invoice anyhow!
    Go for it. :)
  • tcasboytcasboy Member Posts: 214
    Yes, the vehicle was manufactured in Jan 05 according to the plate on the door jam. It was filthy and sitting out in front of the dealer (fairly rural area) with green HYBRID stickers all over it. The sales lady and I got in, started it up and drove around to the front of the dealership to pick up a dealer tag for the test drive, and as we stopped a black cat ran out of nowhere like its tail was on fire. It ran around in circles for a few seconds and then disappeared.

    Another salesman told us that the cat came out from under the vehicle when we pulled up. We lifted the hood and you could see where the cat had made its home on top of the engine. I imagine it used up one of its lives getting out of there without getting chopped up. So the car had been sitting for awhile and looked it. I actually washed and vacumed it when I got home before showing it to the family because it was so dirty.

    Anyway, the price is very good, and I enjoyed the test ride, but I don't think the vehicle meets my needs right now and we couldn't agree on the trade value. If its still sitting around after I sell my car on my own I might give it another look.

    The price was in the Memphis Commercial Appeal at least two different days, and the dealer is in Millington, TN (Price Ford) if anyone is looking for one and wants to go get it. It is red with the silver two tone, and has the leather and nav options, as well as the safety and audiophile packages. Sticker is 31,255 and they are asking 26,825. A good deal if you are sure you want a Hybrid.
  • prophotogaprophotoga Member Posts: 2
    We took ownership of our 06 FEH on the 10th of October from
    Fairway Ford in Evans, GA. We originally had went to another local
    Ford dealer who had advertised one on the lot with everything we wanted.
    When we arrived for our scheduled test drive it had been sold. But to
    make matters worse they acted like they didn't really want to sell us a
    car. That dealer was Bobby Jones Ford. So we left BJ Ford and went to
    Fairway.. they had a white 06 on the lot.. we were able to look around
    and play inside before a salesperson came and spoke with us.. We took it
    for a test drive and both loved it. Since we have an 05 Prius we pretty
    much knew what to expect.. but the FEH went beyond that. Our salesman
    was fairly knowledgable and willing to work with us. BUT,
    we did not buy the white FEH... we just do not like white vehicles due
    to the red GA clay dust. He then asked what it would take to get us
    into a FEH.. we told him one in the color we wanted with the options we
    wanted. Our salesman came back with he could have one for us in 2 days..would
    that be soon enough? True to his word he found a Silver 06 with all the
    option xcept the safety pkg and we purchased it.. Took delivery 2 days
    later... best part is they gave me $500 above book on my 03 GT Cruiser
    and it was $500 under MSRP. I can not say enough good things about
    Fairway Ford and their staff. Sticker was $31,620 and we paid $30,500.

    Oh. this is my first Ford since owning a 69 Mustang Mach1 with the
    Shebly Cobra package.(429, shaker scoop, BW T10, 411 positrack) now that
    was a muscle car.
  • jeff_hjeff_h Member Posts: 20
    I just bought a 2006 FEH and paid $300 over invoice. Here's how I did it, which is the same way I've bought the last 3 cars thanks to internet research (this took a few hours of research but I think it saved me a lot of money):

    1) Went and took a test drive at my local dealer's and loved the car, asked the dealer how firm they were on the MSRP and he said they don't come down at all because hybrids are so in-demand. I said thanks, but you don't have exactly the options I want, I'll keep looking.

    2) Now that I knew I wanted the car and knew exactly which colors/options were suitable for me based on seeing and driving, I went online to fordvehicles.com and checked the online inventory of every dealer I could think of within 200-250 miles... I live in VA and wanted to check anything within reasonable driving distance so I input the zip codes for Norfolk VA, Roanoke VA, Richmond VA, Alexandria VA, Winchester VA... you get the picture. Then I also did the same for every city in Maryland and Delaware to cover those states (I must compliment that Ford website, they have a great search tool which helps you find the specific colors and 2WD/4WD, made it much easier). So after 3-4 hours of surfing probably 100-200 dealerships I came up with 7 vehicles that exactly fit what I was looking for.

    3) I took each of those 7 hits and did the "price quote request" on the Ford website which went straight to that dealer, put in the remarks that "I have done much searching and you have 1 of 7 cars that I like, and that I WILL buy one of those in the next week, so please give me your best price quote." Now the tables are turned and it's not one dealer saying "hey if you don't pay my price some other customer will" it's one customer saying "hey if you don't give me your absolute best price, some other dealer will"... turns our they really wanted my business as the phone calls and emails started coming in immediately.

    4) I had 2 of the 7 dealers that came back with the standard "come on down we have a great selection and we'll see what we can do". I didn't ask for a sales pitch, I asked for a price quote, so those guys were history. I had 1 dealer that had 2 of the 7 vehicles on his lot, he said he'd give a flat $1,000 off MSRP on either of them. I was OK with that response but I got a better price elsewhere. I had a couple that simply did not respond, but that's OK as the ones that did knew they were competing with others. The one dealer I went with was the first to respond (in about 30 minutes), and gave me a real number price quote that was $300 over invoice... so I wrote back and asked about "processing charges" or other fees that dealers throw in at the last minute to jack up the price, and there was nothing out of the ordinary there so I was happy and worked the deal with him. I have since written to the other dealers either saying that they a) were beat out because their price quote was beat or b) that they failed to even give a quote and were automatically disqualified.

    5) This might seem like an unorthodox way to buy a car, but I saved $1,685 off of MSRP on my 2006 4WD FEH. On my last car I did the same online search thing, and found my car and best deal a few states away, spent $200 for a one-way airline ticket on hotwire and the dealer met me at the airport, only too happy to pick me up to make the deal and I was too happy to save an extra $800! So if you find that you can't get a good deal where you are, I suggest putting the net to work for you and see exactly what's out there and make it work for you. To me it's worth it to save more money, and if it's a long distance sure you have to pay the gas to drive home but you're doing it in a brand new car that was exactly what you were looking for.

    6) Yes you can also get a good deal and have your dream car "DX'd" to you from another dealer, but only if your local dealer is a good one and willing to sell you the car for $300 once he gets it. My local dealer was not interested in coming down on the price since it was a hybrid, so I just did the "self-serve DX" and saved a lot of money by doing it myself.

    Good luck!
    Jeff
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Excellent post. If more people will follow your plan of attack, the gouging dealers will be out in the cold.

    Welcome to the forum, keep us posted on your new hybrid.
  • lparrishlparrish Member Posts: 10
    Jeff,
    I live in the same general area as you--which dealership did you ultimately purchase from?
    Thanks
    Leslie
  • jeff_hjeff_h Member Posts: 20
    Leslie,

    I took the test drive at the dealer in Fredericksburg VA and that's where I was told that the sticker price is THE price, and when I asked him where our chosen vehicle was located (we told him what we wanted and he went and did a search and printed out one that fit) and he said "oh I don't know I didn't look that far", so I went home and DID look that far (turns out that vehicle was one of two matches just 20 miles up the road in Woodbridge VA and that dealer actually had 25 FEHs on the lot and likely still has quite a large selection), and looked much farther as well. For my particular search, there were specific colors/options that my wife definitely DID and DID NOT want, so I did the search and (for my criteria)there were matches at:

    - Cowles Ford, Woodbridge VA: Told me $1,000 off MSRP, I then wrote back that I was already in the process of going with someone else, he then came back and said make me an offer, but it was too late... guy seemed OK and I was satisfied that he actually came back with a number (or amount off of sticker, in this case) I could work with; I would have gone with him if it weren't for the dealer to which I'd already given the OK. And it's pretty central to anyone in Northern VA so if you just want something close maybe this will work for you.

    - Koons Ford, Falls Church VA: Had 2 different guys from this same dealership respond on both my email and cell phone, and neither gave a "price" for a price quote, just rang my cell phone off the hook with the "come on down let's make a great deal". I was frustrated that I when I asked for a PRICE QUOTE that all I got was a SALES PITCH and I wrote back to the more persistent one and told him so... so then he comes back with a price quote of $18,995 on an FEH with an MSRP of $31,205.. so unless he was trying to be "worst profit margin salesman ever" I believe this would have turned out to be a bait and switch deal just to get me in the door and then tell me that oh sorry that price was for a stripped Non-hybrid Escape but they wanted to give me the absolute lowest price on the planet etc etc, neither of which I was interested in. So based on this experience I don't think I would deal with these guys, but that's just me personally and there are probably others who think they're great but I definitely didn't have the warm and fuzzy about them.

    - Sheehy Ford, Gaithersburg MD: No written reply, but several phone calls from that area code so it must have been them, but I wasn't answering the phone because I requested E-MAILS... and BTW through my searching and requesting of price quotes I didn't talk to ANYONE on the phone until after I agreed upon the deal and then worked with the dealer I went with a couple times on the phone, but it was still mostly all email back and forth. The reason for this was that I noted on my PRICE QUOTE request that my preference was E-MAIL REPLY and that's what I meant, so for those that couldn't understand the concept of the customer's preference of an E-MAIL REPLY over several phone calls, well I didn't care to deal with them because they either didn't understand that I preferred email or didn't care.

    - Apple Ford, Columbia MD: They responded within 30 minutes with a WRITTEN PRICE QUOTE on my specific VIN, and the price quote was $300 over invoice (which equated to $1,700 under MSRP) and I certainly have no qualms about the salesman making a few bucks and the dealer making the holdback of a few more bucks, so this was fine with me... we did the deal with no hassle and picked up the car and everything was great. I HIGHLY recommend them and you can send an email or price quote request to them through the fordvehicles.com website or directly to them at www.appleford.com. They were very professional and didn't try to rip me off or add unnecessary aftermarket stuff at all, just the standard offering of the extended warranty once you hit the finance guy and I've always been offered that no matter where I've bought my cars. I was just happy that as soon as I was sold on how GREAT the paint job and rustproofing and interior was on the vehicle, that they didn't then switch modes and tell me how NOT SO GREAT that all these were and hey now you gotta buy the undercoating and paint sealant and scotchgard and anything else... I've been through that extra 30 minute sales pitch before when buying other cars, thankfully didn't get it here.

    - Lastly, some other Ford dealer in Tysons or Fairfax, I forget which one, but this pitch was "we will NOT be undersold by ANYONE, yada yada yada", which to me means "go do your best search out there and then see us and we'll screw the other dealer by undercutting him by 50 bucks"... to this I replied that sorry I went with another dealer that gave me what I wanted, which was an actual number for a price quote, and didn't hear back from them.

    I know there are those that aren't sure what vehicle and options they want, and are OK with taking whatever is on the dealer's lot because they want something NOW, and for them there's plenty of cars on lots and that's fine, happy trails to them. However I (and my wife) on the other hand want just the right vehicle because to us this is what we will be getting into and driving every day for the next several years, so to us it's worth the effort to search around. I've had my current car (not the Hybrid, that's my wife's car, but she logs plenty of miles too) for 14 months and this week the odometer will turn 38,000 miles so I want to get just the right combo as I have to live with it (some might say live IN it) every single day for plenty of miles, so getting just the right stuff is important to us.

    So again I suggest using the fordvehicles.com website to see what's out there, it's handy and a GREAT search tool. And then use the price quote request tool to keep the ball in your court, as once you walk in the door of a dealer, they are definitely the home team. However if you have the price already worked out before you walk in the door or even talk on the phone, it takes away the hassle and uncertainty.

    Good luck with your purchase, let us all know how it goes!

    Jeff
  • norcal1norcal1 Member Posts: 1
    jeff h - thanks for useful tips. i'd been looking at the escape hybrid for a while and finally made the decision to buy. as luck would have it, just as i was contacting dealers this week, ford matched the gm price cuts by announcing the "simple plan" pricing (which is x-plan+$100). importantly, ford included the feh in the simple plan program. i bought the awd version fully loaded. i contacted about fifteen dealerships in the bay area and central valley by email and got a number of quotes. once the simple plan hit, the quotes were very uniform. but one dealer undercut them by almost $1000. i went to the dealer who had the exact car i wanted and that dealer matched the lower offer (which was under the supposedly non-negotiable simple plan price). so i'm pleased to get the car i wanted and at a price well below the msrp from a few weeks ago and even under the simple plan price. it seems that this is the time of year the dealerships have a sales trough so they seemed willing to deal a little more to move the merchandise. again, thanks for the tips.
  • mcdgimcdgi Member Posts: 1
    First dealer I went to had a 2006 with 4WD, sunroof and Nav system, price was $36K firm. No come down off of MSRP. Then went to Autoway, they had a left over new 2005 on the website with nav system and 2WD for $28K, according to website. Went to go buy it, but on arrival at dealer was told interent price was wrong, car was really $30K. Started to leave, sales manager said they could get me a 2006 similarly equipped for $29K. I said fine, they ran a listing, I picked out the one I wanted, they said they could have it day after, and did a finance app. Days go by, no news from dealer, so I called dealer. Dealer says , uh, well, uh, we can't actually get any of these cars but still has that swell deal on the 2005 for $30K.

    Gave up, went to Autobytel and Cars Direct.com, within a day had a few quotes on a 2006 from $29 to $32K.

    But then, just for the heck of it, went to CarMax. They had listed a 2006 with Nav system for $28100. The car had been titled, had just 1800 miles on it. It was out of state though,atleast 1o hour drive to get to it, but I agreed to pay CarMax $200 to have them bring it here. Week later test drove it, everything was as advertised, fell in love with it. Bought it.

    On other options, I elected not to buy either the Ford or CarMax extended warranty, found on WarrantyDirect.com a 5 year, 125,000 mile warranty (not a misprint, that is 125,000 files) , $100 deductible for $1600. Checked with local Ford dealer, they accept this warranty if warranty provider pays with credit card, which they do, and provider has a good record at BBB.

    Am also a lover of Satellite radio, checked with local dealer and their radio man and they can either put in Sirius (the 2006 FEH with Nav system is Sirius ready) or XM radio, which just came out with an adaptor for this radio and which will work through the dash radio and is about $100 cheaper to install.

    Summary: just about new 2006 with 1800 miles on it for $28,100 (plus tax). I think the only way to shop for these is let your fingers do the shopping on the internet and be very careful with traditional dealers
  • wmacwmac Member Posts: 3
    I looking at 389 for a doc fee..are these negotiable??
  • cosanostracosanostra Member Posts: 91
    Has anyone looked into leasing an FEH? If so did you lease and why or why not? The FEH has made my list and so I'm just poking around for information as thoughts pop up in my head. THanks in advance!

    -cosanostra1
  • jdw334jdw334 Member Posts: 5
    I have to say I had a wonderful experience purchasing my Escape hybrid. I did the internet search and emailed two Dealerships. One in Northern Mass the other in Southern NH. The northern mass one was not polite and was a bit pushing to get into the dealership. Best Ford in Nashua NH was very good. The salesman was very polite, and wasn't pushy. Even when the deal didn't work the first time he wasn't pushy. I finally got the deal that I wanted and we went with it. I would recommend this dealership to anyone in the area.
  • warlok2warlok2 Member Posts: 9
    Technically you are not allowed to take the tax credit if you lease it. It must be purchased.
  • subdudesubdude Member Posts: 9
    I am looking at a 4wd FEH w/ premium package. It's been on the dealer's lot for at least 6 weeks. These cars don't seem to be flying off the lots, even after the very expensive Super Bowl advertising. Is it realistic to offer invoice price? Am I just engaged in wishful thinking?

    I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "These cars don't seem to be flying off the lots, even after the very expensive Super Bowl advertising. Is it realistic to offer invoice price? Am I just engaged in wishful thinking?"

    Wouldn't hurt to try. I was shopping last week and the local dealer supposedly had 31 of them, though I only saw about a dozen when I went to the lot. I started to buy one, but went with a Freestyle instead.
  • subdudesubdude Member Posts: 9
    I decided straight invoice was a bit extreme, so I offered invoice plus $200. Dealer made a mild attempt to get more. I remained firm on my price, and they accepted. Paid substantially less than the Edmunds TMV price.
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