Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Ford Escape Hybrid Prices Paid and Buying Experiences

1…34689…14

Comments

  • sampsrsampsr Member Posts: 2
    Based on my experience with a special order, I would buy one out of inventory next time. I ordered an FEH with all the bells and whistles, as reported earlier in this thread, and never got the car. Actually, it came in to the dealer about a month after I cancelled the order. Up until that time they could not give me a VIN or tell me if it would ever be built, due to their restricted manufacturing schedule.
  • drlarsendrlarsen Member Posts: 21
    Just thought I'd chime in and say an April delivery date for a new factory order is very unlikely. If you read a few posts back you'll find that I placed my order in July and still have not received delivery.

    The current estimate for production of my factory order FEH is March at the earliest. That means I'll have waited a full 8 months before receiving my order.

    If you have 8 months to wait, then by all means place a factory order. Otherwise, I'd recommend one off the lot.
  • cloftuscloftus Member Posts: 19
    For what it's worth, my advice is that I would not special order if I were you. I did it and waited six months. Look at Ford.com and keep changing your zip codes, and you'll probably find some locally. The fact that you've already seen several in your area is good. Keep looking until you find one...I found several after I put my order in, but I did get a better deal by ordering. (Actually, I broke even-because I lost the incentives while I was waiting.
  • fmorrisofmorriso Member Posts: 52
    Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the folks with the long delays after ordering a FEH were all in Canada.

    Perhaps because I'm 1/2 Canadian, and 1/2 USA by ancestry, I'll only have to wait 1/2 as long in metro DC area? :)
  • yvrcodyyvrcody Member Posts: 6
    Delivery times for most vehicles can be found at the following links:

    https://www.wheels.com/fleet/reference/assembly/html/assembly_lines.asp
    or
    http://www.donlen.com/production_trucks_ford.asp

    Delivery time for the FEH shows up to 30 weeks!
  • drlarsendrlarsen Member Posts: 21
    Interesting that the Mariner Hybrid is only 14-16 weeks. I wonder if that's accurate or not. What about the Tribute Hybrid?

    As I understand it, they're all made at the same plant!
  • kevmhawdkevmhawd Member Posts: 3
    I placed my order through Military sales as a deployed troops for a 08 Mercury Mariner Hybrid, loaded, AWD back in June 07. Got a VIN # and a build date of Nov 13, 07 and a delivery date of Jan 23, 08. Still waiting.....no word on anything from anybody?
  • drlarsendrlarsen Member Posts: 21
    Hi keymhawd, sorry to hear that even deployed troops are given no priority on the production of these vehicles. I guess at least you got a build and delivery date. I'm still waiting for that call...
  • canswimcanswim Member Posts: 4
    just wondering what you paid and whether you financed or leased? i was looking today and saw the lease Rate was 11.2%! all other escapes were at 3% what a rip off

    thanks,
    Mike
  • drlarsendrlarsen Member Posts: 21
    I'm paying cash since when I placed my order there were no incentives other than the Family Pricing event. Currently they are offering 4.9% purchase financing over 36 months, in BC anyway.
  • kevmhawdkevmhawd Member Posts: 3
    Well, after a series of emails to track the order; the wife got a phone call from the dealership yesterday.. 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid AWD, Factory Order has arrived, a full 8 months after the order was placed. Must have made the Dec production run.
    Kevin
  • drlarsendrlarsen Member Posts: 21
    That's great news, Kevin. It gives me a faint hope that I might get mine this decade.

    I'm still waiting for a production date, despite the promise from the Ford executive office that I'd have a date by the end of January. It just goes to show you the confusion over this whole situation starts at the top.

    Soon the 2009 models will start appearing. Anyone know what's new in 2009?
  • leseuldanielleseuldaniel Member Posts: 45
    There will be quite a few changes in 2009.

    New 2.5 engine, more powerful and efficient. Re-tuned suspension. Standard stability control, etc... There is quite a few pages on the weba bout this, this has been announnced a few weeks ago.
  • baysailorbaysailor Member Posts: 15
    Thanks to all for the input, I started looking harder at local inventory and found a Mercury Mariner Hybrid in Nothern Virginia that I ended up buying. Competition has really heated up for these critters. Price was at MSRP, no possible incentives offered, but that would be probably silly to ask expect when over 4 dealers I called wanted $1500 - $2500 "market adjustment fees" on top of MSRP. The dealer had 2 that arrived Thursday PM, I bought one Saturday AM, the other sold the next morning. Wish I could have waited for the 2009, or at least until more quantity would have driven some more competition into the pricing, but I'm happy with what I got.

    Cheers,
  • cloftuscloftus Member Posts: 19
    Great! Good to hear you've got your car. Now, let me know how you do on gas mileage--OK?
  • bjcarterbjcarter Member Posts: 28
    I've been wavering on making a purchase for some time now and the Jan 22nd announcement on the 2009 now has me convinced. Anyone know when one can place an order for the new models? When did sales of the 2008s start last year? I'm also curious if the 2008s will see a significant price drop with the big changes in store for the next year's model. That might be incentive enough to make an early purchase...
  • drlarsendrlarsen Member Posts: 21
    Wow, looks like I finally have a build date. Should have our FEH near the end of March.

    bjcarter, one of the posters a page or two back had some links to production wait times. One of the links also showed the startup dates for the 2009 FEHs. If my memory is correct, they started accepting orders in May sometime.
  • fmorrisofmorriso Member Posts: 52
    This link does NOT show 2009 build/lead times, only 2008. Is there one for 2009 models?

    https://www.wheels.com/fleet/reference/assembly/html/assembly_lines.asp
  • drlarsendrlarsen Member Posts: 21
    It was the other link in that same post, which appears now dead. I know for certain it showed 2009 start up dates because I had a discussion with people about what I should do if I didn't receive my 2008 FEH soon.

    The original link (no longer working) was:
    http://www.donlen.com/buildstart_trucks_ford.asp

    Fortunately, Google's cache still has it:
    Google Cache

    In case that link stops working, here's what the page says:

    Ford Escape Hybrid
    2007 Final Order Due: 10/13/06
    2008 Final Order Due: 11/30/07
    2009 Initial Order Acceptance: 04/17/08
    2009 Production Scheduling Begins: 05/15/08
    2009 Production Start Up: 06/23/08

    Mercury Mariner Hybrid
    2007 Final Order Due: 09/25/06
    2008 Final Order Due: 11/30/07
    2009 Initial Order Acceptance: 04/17/08
    2009 Production Scheduling Begins: 05/15/08
    2009 Production Start Up: 06/23/08

    No info on Mazda Tribute.

    There's also a comment at the bottom that says dates are estimates and subject to change.

    Hope that helps.
  • bjcarterbjcarter Member Posts: 28
    I asked my local dealer about order dates and this question got no response. Very frustrating. I can envision a scenario in which there's a push to sell 2008s prior to doing anything with the 2009s. The improvements are too significant to buy the older model over the new model even with a fair bit of savings
  • yvrcodyyvrcody Member Posts: 6
    Looks like they moved the link. Give this one a try:

    http://www.donlen.com/build_out_start_ups.html
  • yvrcodyyvrcody Member Posts: 6
    I am very excited as I picked up my new FEH today. I ordered it at the end of August last year.

    In B.C. there is a $1500 tax credit so I only had to pay $3.12 provincial (state) sales tax. Although I had to pay federal tax, I understand there is a $2000 government rebate for the FEH (as well as other hybrids and fuel efficient cars) which I am going to apply for. The link for anyone (Canadians) who have not applied for this rebate is:

    http://www.tc.gc.ca/programs/environment/ecotransport/ecoautoinformation.htm
  • neuroboy002neuroboy002 Member Posts: 24
    Hello everyone,

    I am hope the 2009 FEH will be the very first car I buy on my own. Over the past couple of months, I have contacted dealers regarding the 2008 models but as my need to make a large down payment has increased, the 2009 models will be out when I am ready to purchase.

    My questions is, if dealerships are currently accepting paper work orders for the hybrid, does this give me less bargaining power because the care isn't actually on the lot? Is their less incentive for the dealer to come down in price because they are essentially special ordering the care based on whatever accessories I want with it?

    I think it's harder to negotiate when the actual car isn't even being produced yet. What leverage does a buyer have? As a first time buyer, any adv ice you can offer will help.
  • drlarsendrlarsen Member Posts: 21
    With the current situation of an 8 month backorder I really doubt you'll have much luck negotiating the price. Many dealers are charging $2000 or more extra if they have one on their lot.

    I'd expect the situation will remain the same going into the 2009 model year unless by some miracle they manage to sort out their production problems.
  • drlarsendrlarsen Member Posts: 21
    The BC tax credit is actually up to $2000, depending on how much tax you paid. If you only paid $1500 in PST then you'll only get a $1500 credit.

    http://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/documents_library/bulletins/sst_085.pdf
  • neuroboy002neuroboy002 Member Posts: 24
    Hello everybody,

    I am hoping the 2009 FEH will be the very first car I buy on my own. Over the past couple of months, I have contacted dealers regarding the 2008 models and have received competitive offers via e-mail. However, my goal is to make a large down payment to offset whatever a short term interest rate is incurred. By the time I have saved enough money, the 2009 models will be in production.

    My questions is, if dealerships are currently accepting paper work orders for the hybrid, does this give me less bargaining power because the car isn't actually on the lot? Is their less incentive for the dealer to come down in price because they are essentially special ordering the vehicle based on whatever accessories I want with it?

    I think it's harder to negotiate when the actual car isn't even being produced yet. What leverage does a buyer have in this situation? As a first time buyer, any advice you can offer will help.
  • fmorrisofmorriso Member Posts: 52
    If my experience in Northern Virginia is any indicator, dealers have no incentive to bargain on the 2008 FEH. In fact, they add a 'premium' of $3000 to the price of any of their FEH's bought off the lot. That $3000 is approximately equal to the tax incentive, effectively 'stealing' it from the customer.

    As for the 2009's, I can't imagine there will be any price bargaining on the hybrids - there's simply no supply/demand reason to do so.

    I'd rather know the details of the 2009 packages and options before ordering, which I thought I read elsewhere would be in May.
  • baysailorbaysailor Member Posts: 15
    Neuroboy,
    My experience with the DC mid-atlantic area is not as bad as Fmorriso's but its one where you have to expect you don't have the advantage a typical auto buyer has. First-off, he's right, the demand for the truck is such that you can't expect to get a great deal below MSRP. A lot of dealers are adding "market premiums" and getting them. MSRP is probably as good as you can realistically expect. I found a number of dealers that were willing to sell at MSRP without the premium, but you have to look for them. Even at that, you may still pay top dollar since nearly all the trucks we looked at had the full-up options package, which probably helps defray the negative margins that FMC eats to be able to sell the truck.

    So you have two options, in my mind:

    1) Place the order for exactly what you want, and plan to wait 3-5 months, or:
    2) Wait until a couple of months after the 09's come out, and get in the game full-scale then. Be prepared to beat the bushes, and take either a FEH or MMH, or the Mazda Tribute Hybrid, which should hit the rest of the country next year.

    We bought our MMH a month ago, and used a buying service (Costco) to lock in the price with a dealer that was a member of the program, on a vehicle that had just been delivered. To give you an idea of the scarcity, it was on the other side of DC from our home. If I had been completely off the street, the dealer might have hit me with the premium, but he would have caught hell from the buying service, so with his markup, the cost was right at MSRP. We bought the car the day after it had been delivered, so you need to be on your toes, have your financing lined up, and all that jazz. Since then, we've come across another 1/2 dozen buy opportunities, none with a significantly better price to make me kick myself.
  • jhorbackjhorback Member Posts: 2
    One thing to remember is everything is negotiable. If they don't sell you a car, they don't make money. I would not commit to the first dealer you go to. I love hearing their 'second' offer when I am walking out the door. If possible I would go between at least two dealers to see who could commit to the lowest price. Also, if by some outside chance, Ford offers an incentive at the time you actually make the purchase, pre-orders will qualify.

    It may be difficult to get a deal much less than the MSRP but I would definately never pay more than sticker.

    One question I have is if the "production start up" is June 23 2008, does anyone have any idea on when pre-orders may arrive and/or when the dealers could be expected to receive their inventory?
  • bjcarterbjcarter Member Posts: 28
    I see where you can purchase a FEH through costco at $500 over the invoice. The salesperson I spoke with at Ford indicated that one can even pre-order a vehicle with this program at $500 over the invoice. Is there a catch? Has anyone else tried this? $500 over invoice for a FEH seems like a pretty good deal at present.
  • drlarsendrlarsen Member Posts: 21
    The catch is you'll be waiting for 8 months to receive your vehicle, in which case I'd be wondering why I didn't just wait a bit more and get the 2009 model.

    The good news is if you sign a trade-in agreement with the dealer you don't have to worry about your car depreciating during the wait. I'm not sure if that applies to the Costco program or not since I'm not familiar with it.
  • teperillouxteperilloux Member Posts: 5
    We went with X plan order over Costco when we bought our FEH last year.

    Costco is actually around $1000-$1300 over invoice depending on option level. X plan is just slightly above invoice ($100-200).

    While it may be easier to go Costco as dealers will probably honor costco on lot vehicles, If you're going to order anyway, call around to see if closer dealers will honor x plan, which they *should* be more willing to do than if you ask them to honor x plan on a vehicle on the lot.

    You can check your employer to see if you qualify for Ford X plan. Generally, if you or someone you know works for a large company they can get an xplan partner code, then go here: https://www.fordpartner.com/partnerweb/login.do and get your pin.

    Bottom line is Costco is average of MSRP and invoice, while X plan is just above invoice.

    You will *probably* have better luck on an order with a larger dealer as their allocation is probably higher and you should push to get an allocation of a regular order FEH as your FEH. FEH are allocated by region and if you get a low allocation on the list, there are horror stories of people waiting 5-7 months for their vehicle.

    I did my homework and the dealer I bought from was on very good terms with his Ford rep and I got my FEH in about 10 weeks! Your mileage will vary, but the more homework you do up front the less headache you will have later.

    If you ordering an FEH, get a x plan pin, find a dealer to honor x plan, get a decent allocation date, then your are getting the absolute best deal for the best SUV available on the market IMHO.

    *edit*
    After reading previous posts the market may have changed since we bought in fall of last year. A standard 8 month wait would limit my choice to lot vehicles and hence the best deal would be costco. If the wait improves x plan would definitely be the way to go in the future. Again, it REALLY depends on the dealer and their allocation levels. I have a feeling these 8 month waits are from dealers without allocation putting orders at the VERY back of the line, although I could be wrong. Best of luck.
  • bjcarterbjcarter Member Posts: 28
    I really appreciate the insight. X-plan sounds like the way to go. The dealer is a "big" dealer so hopefully allocation would be good. I also like the idea of locking in a trade-in value. I just spoke with the costco rep at the local dealer. I was a little off in my assessment of the plan as he saw it. On pre-orders the price is $500 over the invoice (orders for 2009 are expected as of July 2008 and should take 8-10 weeks). On lot cars (those presently on the lot), the costco price is $500 under the MSRP.

    I recognize it might not be this cut and dry but pre-ordering via costco sounds like a pretty decent deal. I checked and neither my wife nor I work for an employer with X-plan.
  • drlarsendrlarsen Member Posts: 21
    Just to throw my comments into the mix, our dealer claims to sell the largest volume in BC. So if volume has anything to do with allocation (you'd think it would) then it didn't help with my 8 month wait.

    I'm not trying to be negative or scare you away, but I just want you to be aware that you MAY be in for a long wait. Be prepared to accept that.

    Also, for the record, I bought during the Ford Family Pricing Event (I think it was called) which is A-plan pricing and reasonably well below MSRP.

    From what I've read, X-plan is 4% above A-plan.

    I'm not sure when the next Family event will be, but if it's annually held then it can't be all that far off at this point!
  • yvrcodyyvrcody Member Posts: 6
    Family plan usually comes out during the summer months. It is usually $1500 off. Where did you buy yours from drlarson? I live in BC too and just got mine two weeks ago after a 5 month wait.
  • drlarsendrlarsen Member Posts: 21
    I ordered it through Orchard Ford in Kelowna. I haven't actually received it yet, but supposedly it started production on Feb 25th! They said once it enters production it's usually 1 month to build and transport, so I can expect it at the end of March.

    Incidentally, recently I've seen 3-4 2008 FEH's around town. I have a feeling they could be the ones who were on the list ahead of me as I hadn't seen a single one around before Feb.
  • baysailorbaysailor Member Posts: 15
    Just as a data point, 30 days is probably the outside number of days. When I was finalizing the sale on my MMH, I asked if anyone knew how old the car really was. This was on the 26th of January. The salesman I was dealing with was also the dealership ordering guy, and had all of the weekly production run schedules for the vehicles they had been promised at his desk. He looked back and determined that the vehicle had started production the week of the 14th, completed the 18th, and had arrived the evening of the 24th. It may take longer for your delivery, since you're in Canada, but I would suspect you may get it earlier.

    The dealerships also can get that information just by downloading it, so don't be afraid to nag your salesman in a week or so.

    Cheers,
    JRG
  • lee70lee70 Member Posts: 1
    In CA, is this a good deal?
  • bjcarterbjcarter Member Posts: 28
    I wouldn't go higher... that's in CA that is. I was quoted 23.7k initially for a mazda tribute hybrid. I suppose it depends on the package
  • scottchscottch Member Posts: 9
    Go to the dealer's website and you will be able to print out the invoice for the specific car you are interested in. It will show both dealer's cost (invoice) and suggested retail price (MSRP, or "list"). Or go thru www.forddirect.com

    it's a decent deal, maybe a great deal depending on options. In CA, you can get them below dealer's invoice price (and way below MSRP) if there are factory incentives. I got mine $1080 below invoice ($2700 below MSRP) in December 07 in SF Bay Area.
  • drlarsendrlarsen Member Posts: 21
    Well I finally received my FEH after a full 8 month wait. After driving it for a couple days I can see why everyone says they love them.

    If only they could fix their production problems, they'd have a few more sales. I had some family in from out of town and they loved it as well. They're in the market for a new vehicle and said they just found what they were looking for -- until I pointed out the 8 month delay ;).
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    A reporter hopes to speak with consumers who want to buy hybrid SUVs that are having a hard time finding them at dealerships and/or are frustrated by dealers marking up the prices on the hybrids. If you are a consumer looking to purchase a hybrid SUV, please respond to ctalati@edmunds.com with your daytime contact information no later than Tuesday, March 25, 2008.
  • cycookcycook Member Posts: 2
    Batteries were finally included...
    and I took delivery March 27th. Five months since I ordered my 2008 Lt. Ice Blue FEH. Haven't driven more than 45 miles yet but each mile has been a pleasure. Thank you all for your enthusiasm that helped me through the wait.
    I'll report again once I experience more of the joy of hybrid driving.
  • fmorrisofmorriso Member Posts: 52
    Congratulations. So your 2008 really is a 2008 when measured by its actual delivery date. The DC auto show reports indicate that 2009’s will be available for ordering in May. If your experience is typical, that means that the 2009 I plan to order might not arrive until almost 2009, which is about what I have been estimating. Maybe after Ford sells off its interest in Jaguar and Land Rover to the nice folks over in India, they’ll be able to “focus” [pun intended] on how to ramp up production of FEH/MMH.
  • jhorbackjhorback Member Posts: 2
    A quote yesterday from a New Vehicle Inventory & Advertising Manager

    "04/17/2008 2009 MY Escape Unscheduled Order Bank Opens
    05/15/2008 2009 MY Scheduling Begins
    06/23/2008 2009 MY Job #1 - Production Starts"

    The Donlen dates are now different but they are a fleet management company.
    If Job 1 is end of June, and we know Ford has boosted overtime for the Escape/Mariner Hybrids, best case would be end of July beginning of September for the arrivals at the dealerships. Of course all is subject to change.
  • bjcarterbjcarter Member Posts: 28
    When ordering a new vehicle, what have people been offering as a typical deposit if any at all. A deposit seems reasonable although with the economy taking a dive perhaps the market will reflect otherwise...
  • drlarsendrlarsen Member Posts: 21
    When I ordered mine, I made a $500 deposit.
  • cloftuscloftus Member Posts: 19
    When I ordered mine I wasn't asked for a deposit.
  • pensivepensive Member Posts: 9
    i also paid an order deposit. ($500.)

    it seems that coastal dealers may be getting
    a larger allotment than central US sites from
    what the local dealer told me.

    i placed my order just after Christmas 2007.
    the dealer said that the factory said they
    would see -1- hybrid in late March 2008.
    this was apparently a very ambitious promise
    as the dealer said mine was their 'only alloted
    vehicle' for the 1st quarter of 2008!

    and as you could well guess, it has been delayed.
    from what the others here say, i may be waiting
    until mid summer for mine. actually if it is a 2009 model
    i wouldn't be too disappointed. the 2009's reportedly
    have a bit more intelligent traction system in the
    build. i will just drive an old family car until mine comes
    in.

    the dealer is one of the largest FordMercury ones in
    this area and they have almost zero news from the
    factory. i think this is a customer relationship mistake.
    heck... at least let us know what's up.
    from what i have read here, there are a lot of customers
    waiting and most of them are loyal Ford owners.
  • pensivepensive Member Posts: 9
    I'd say that the batteries are not keeping up with the demand.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------

    this is still the issue as of April 2008.
    i work in the metals and materials industry here in the USA.
    those industries are going hot and heavy this year.
    prices are also going up.
    there may be other reasons, but i think the short supply
    chain problem is a world wide problem. everyone wants
    'things' and there is only so much available.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles