That sounds like a good deal, but check and make sure you have all finance options. I found some dealers around Detroit "forgetting" some of them I was entitled to. You'll love the power liftgate....Mine came with it and I didn't really want it, now it's hard to imagine life without
Thanks for your comments! I already secured 5.1% for 5 years from an online bank and awaiting the blank check. But this dealer said they could get a better rate. Now after a night's cooling down, I don't think this is such a screaming deal anymore. People here on this board have certainly done better. I'll post an update.
Thanks. Power liftgate and pedals are the only options on this SXT van. We went over there on Sunday to test drive the van. We told the salesperson we'd have to need more time to consider it, and all of a sudden there was no deadline anymore :confuse: Now, my wife and I became mindful of our budget again. We've gone back to considering buying a base model Quest, which I believe we can get for $20K. The only sticking point is, without the split seating 3rd row, we're not sure if we'd have enough space for a double stroller in the back AND all the grocery bags (we'll have a 3rd child soon :shades: ). My wife decided she can live without the 2nd row Stow-n-go, but would really hate to loose the 3rd row split seating. But again having a small budget, we need to reach a compromise somewhere here's a run down of the main features on these two vans:
Base Quest:
likes: standard side curtain airbags, traction control, better engine, more comfortable seats, more head room, great styling inside out, and cheaper ($20K);
dislikes: no 3rd row split seating is just about the only thing we don't like, and it's a big one! We also wish it had the power doors, although we could sacrifice these Luxuies.
DGC:
likes: Stow-n-go 2nd row, fabulously useful 3rd row split seating bench, power doors and lifegate, adjustable pedals;
dislikes: curtain airbags cost extra and are hard to find (only available on fully loaded vans); horrid interior appearance, uncomfortable 2nd and 3rd row seats (although they'd be occupied by car seats), very limited head room (compared to the Quest); the SXT van without the side airbags (the only options being power lift gate and pedals) costs $2K more than the base Quest.
I'd appreciate you all's thoughts on this, particularly on whether you think the lack of 3rd row split seating will be a problem with carrying a double stroller in the back.
Now I think it's somewhat less than $900 below invoice. And yes, that price was after rebates. Since we'll have our own financing, we can only take $750 of the $1K Chrysler financing rebate.
I am really trying to follow.....you state that the dealer offered $22,250, which was ONLY $900 below invoice. Why wouldn't the price be $19,000 which is $22,250 MINUS the full rebate of $3,250. I am sure I am missing something......sorry :confuse:
That doesn't seem like a tremendous deal. I understand that my deal was not typical, but ALL other quotes I received were always invoice MINUS rebates. Basically, they are charging you OVER invoice for the van if it weren't for the rebates(remember, the dealer get compensated from Chrysler for the incentives). When I negotiated the price of the van I started at invoice and went from there. I didn't start at MSRP.
I just priced SXT and the deal you got is pretty good. I guess I was just confused!! The invoice for that SXT is $ 25,861. Minus your rebates is $ 22,611.
I guess it's not such a smoking deal after all being only $600 below invoice. I can get a Nissan for $500 below invoice. Well I called a few dealers yesterday and one of them said he could sell me one with the side airbags (this one doesn't) for pretty much the same amount ($22,250), That certainly sounds better, but I'm still holding out for a much better deal. And now we're really leaning towards the Quest...
I am looking into an '05 t&c touring smart buy (NY lease option) for $299./mo for 39 mo. with $999. down + tax etc. I like this option as it is much cheaper than a purchase and I can move onto a new car after 39 mos. However, I want the butane blue and my local dealers only have that color car with options such as leather or dvd. I would like the leather with heated seats. I think I can live without the DVD as I have a vhs/dvd bag unit already. How should I go about negotiating a deal?
When do the 06 T&Cs come out? I am interested in an 05 Touring with Leather, Luxury, and Rear DVD packages. I am willing to hold out until mid summer for the best deal. When will the 06s become available? Will Chrysler sweeten the incentives and rebates to get rid of the 05s?
I am looking to soften the blow of Chrysler depreciation. Right now, I am trying to get out of my 04 Jeep Grand Cherokee that depreciated by more than half in a year. Argh! It seems like Chrysler waits for me to buy, then comes out with great deals.
Hi all, I just got a quote of $20,500 for a 05 DGC SXT with adjustable pedal as the only option. This is after $3250 rebate. I can only take $750 of the 1K financing rebate because I'll have my own financing. I wish it had the power liftgate though.
I also recently bought the TnC Limited over Honda. We wre going to get an Expedition, but when gas price shot up we reconsidered. Am military living overseas transferring back to U.S. Local dealership (Pomoco Chrysler Jeep in Hampton, VA) was great to work with, and let me take delivery of vehicle while house hunting and then stored it for me for free until we returned to States. Customer service is a winner for me always, and Pomoco is top drawer.
Test drove the TnC, Odyssey, Sienna and liked the ride of the TnC best - very smooth and quiet, along with price and stowngo. I thought the Honda had great features and acceleration, but a little too "torquey"; it pulled to the right when accelerating hard. Also didn't like the steering wheel reach distance with the driver's seat all the way back (I'm tall).
Got the TnC with zero pct financing, tax, title, and additional 7/70 GE bumper to bumper warranty for about $34K. Although the car seems very tight, it was delievered with 2 flaws: no GPS antenna installed for the nav system, and right rear quarter window was out of alignment (about 1/4 inch not flush with the vehicle side). The dealership jumped right on these, but I'm feeling like the additional warranty was a good roll of the dice if we keep the car for 70K miles.
First 2 tanks of gas netted 17-18 mpg in urban driving. No road trips yet, so hope to see better. Overal, love the TnC Limited initially. We'll see how it holds up.
Man, what a journey it has been! My wife and I went back and forth between the Quest and the DGC SXT. This evening we finally made the committment and bought a base S model Quest for $650 under invoice (yes, you read right). After the 2K rebate, the price was $21751, and we paid a hair below $24K out of the door. The van has standard side curtain airbags, traction control, 4 wheel disk ABS, power passenger side door, power liftgate, parking sonar assist, power rear flip out window, and of course the small stuff like floor mats, splash guards, microfilter, cargo cover and cargo organizer.
It came down to the price. To get all those things in an SXT, we would've paid about $23K, 1K more than the Nissan. We tried real hard in the beginning to get the DGC, but sort of gave up on it once we realized it wasn't gonna happen for $22K. The feature we miss the most in the Caravan is the 3rd row plit seating. We love the 2nd row stow-n-go as well, but the Quest's 2nd row almost folds flat although without the two storage wells. On the other hand, we love the Quest's vast head and leg room, big and comfy seats, and its modern querky looks inside and out We also considered the base model Quest which doesn't have the power door and hatch and rear sonar but is $15K cheaper. Finally we decided it'd be worth paying the extra for the added convenience. BTW, the Dodge salesperson was very nice to work with. Happy motoring everybody :shades:
The only option we got was the DVD system. With the Limited, there's not much else to get except tow package and Sirius radio. Invoice was $33895 which was the selling price the dealer gave - so they must've had decent holdback and/or dealer incentives. So with $2500 rebate including 0% + 60 month financing, then add back on tax, added warranty (about $600 which they negotiated price on), title, etc. we were back to about $34K out the door - and with no finance charges that's the total price we'll pay after five years - and no money down either since the rebate counted for that. They made everything really easy - maybe I could've saved a few hundred more by playing harder and working a couple of dealers, but these guys were very accomodating to my somewhat unique situation from essentially making a deal from overseas, delivering what I wanted when I wanted with great service, and then storing the car for free until we got back. I'm a happy camper, and really like the van, to boot!
Looking at a Certified used 2001 T&C Limited FWD, 39,700 mi, good condition. The edmunds trade in was $11,600 and dealer retail was around $16,200. What is a reasonable price for this? I was thinking around $14,000. They're asking 16,900 which is obviously too much. Even at 14,000 that would still give them almost a 20% profit margin assuming they paid close to trade in which I'm sure they did. Thanks.
Since you're shopping used rather than new, you might drop over to our Real-World Trade-In Values discussion and give Terry details. He can help you determine what you should expect to pay.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
My ears just perked up. You say you got the $2500 rebate AND the zero percent 60 month financing? Does anyone know whether this incentive is still available? I thought there was a $1000 trade-in incentive that could be applied along with 0/60 financing, but the $2500 customer cash was an either/or deal.
regarding $2500 rebate and 0% financing for 60 mos., i purchased lx in jan 2005, at that time my selling dealer told me chrysler NEVER offers rebate and 0% combo pkg., but in jan 2005 they did offer for the first and only time $2,000 consumer rebate AND 60 mo. 0% financing and i also received $750 rebate for Popular F pkg., that was on my model, as chrysler was selling more of the deluxe vans for not much more than the LX, so i paid $21,900 + tax for my now retail $27,480 same lx. Every rebate offered by chrysler for their vans since jan. has never offered both cash rebate and 0% financing. it is EITHER ONE OR THE OTHER
Thanks for all of those posting--your advice has been very helpful. This is my first post.
I bought a Chrysler Town & Country Touring on Saturday, June 25, 2005 in the Memphis, TN area. Factory add-ons were Power Adjustable Pedals and Center Console. Color was silver.
THE DEAL: $26,306.50 = Price of Car = Invoice - Doc Fee + $299.50 = Doc Fee - $2,500 = Factory Rebate - $1,000 = Factory Rebate for trade-in - $1,250 = Trade-in for 1993 Buick LeSabre + TTL
I financed with CapitolOne through CostCo (with Executive Membership) for 36 months at an APR of 4.1%. The dealer could not match or beat this deal. It was worth getting the loan through CapitolOne. Also shopped loan prices with Netbank.
I basically bought the car at invoice, got a fair price for my trade, and brought my own loan. The $3,500 in incentives from Chrysler made a big difference. I also got 14 free oil changes because of a weekend deal.
The deal was made near the end of the month. I made a take-it-or-leave-it deal for a price I thought was fair (invoice) as long as I didn't have to shop around or waste too much time. The price of $26,606 was a carsdirect.com target price, but no dealers in the area go through carsdirect.com. I decided invoice was a good enough deal for me if they gave me everything I wanted. So, I pitched the offer to them over the phone: Invoice - rebates - fair price for my trade and match the APR of my bank. They jumped at the deal pretty fast--so I probably could have done a little better if I wanted to shop prices or fight with them. When they insisted they had to add a documentation fee, I made them deduct it from the price of the car. I feel like I could have gotten a lower price if I shopped the price around, but instead just let them accept my offer (without budging) with the understanding that I'd buy today instead of compare with other dealers. I did all the negotiations over the phone and made sure that everything was agreed upon and wouldn't change (including VIN number) when I came in. They didn't give me any hassles when I came in.
I hope this info helps those considering buying a Town & Country.
Looks like you got a pretty good deal. Enjoy your van!!! We are enjoying ours in the almost 2 months we've had it. Sounds like we got a similiar deal....though we had a few more options....
We bought a T&C Touring in the Twin Cities on June 18. The deal was as follows: MSRP 30500 (incl. dest fee) Sale price 26500 Rebates 3500 Trade in allow. 4000 (99 beetle 110K) doc fee 50 +TTL Finance 4.6 % 60 months
Hi I was looking to confirm that I have negotiated a great deal..all of your posts were helpful. I negotiated a price of $2150 under invoice (that is without the $2500 rebate because I wanted the 0% finance). I bought the 2005 T&C Touring with 29K pkg, 6 cd/dvd system, removable center front console, with leather seats & interior. The negotation price is Invoice less hold back less advertising costs plus a $1000 trade in bonus. If I add the profit from trade in..that is $600 after that loan is pd off..puts me at total reduction of $2770 from invoice price. I hope this information is helpful to someone else looking for a price guideline...Good Luck - Krissie
I just bought a preowned 2000 T&C LXI, with 3.8L engine ,78,800 miles. Leather heated power seats, premium sound, am/fm/cass/cd, air, tilt, cruise, no tow package but thats fine for me.. I paid 9230.00 plus 1500 for a 2 yr/30,000 mile warranty that covers power train, engine, trans, electrical, roadside service , so total with tax and fees came to 11,383.00. I think it's a decent deal, what do you guys think?
For all those looking to buy a Town & Country, Chrysler is now offering Employee Pricing + $2000 cash allowance. For the T&C I bought about 10 days ago (posting #181), the Employee Price is now $23,787. I paid $23,106--$681 lower than Employee Pricing + bonus allowance (and that includes the doc fee).
Therefore, I would expect that you can negotiate a lower price than the Employee Price. Good luck!
Good to know - I've been looking at a mini-van with GM and had given up hope I could find one with my price range, but now that Chrysler has this deal, I would much rather have one of their vehicles. Went to look tonight and I just want the basic package. We are looking at list of $23,805, invoice of $21,633, Employee Price Discount of $20,650 - $2000 rebate = $18.650.
Do you think I can still get them lower than that trying to negotiate the price? It is just the SWB model with the entertainment package add-on.
Has anyone tried to negotiate lower, but then say I'll pay that price if you throw in a couple more years of the extended warranty?
Has anbody bought a base model Chrysler town and country since the employee discount has started. That with a 2500 dollar rebate could be a good deal. Was the final price under $17,000? Thanks
I recently puchased an 05 Touring. It had the 29k package and also included side curtain airbags and I have the dealer installing the rear dvd system and 6 disc cd changer. Since I had a friend who works for Chrylser I was able to get the employee choice price( this was a week before employee pricing)- less a fair value for my 10 year old t @ c ($2100). Price after EC price less about $400 addtl discount less $3500 in rebates- less trade plus taxes, tags, title = $23350. I worked 4 different dealerships very hard for over a week, I walked out 2 seperate times from dealerships when I felt I was being either lowballed on my trade or was not getting the best possible price. I recommend dealing with dealerships with emails and phone calls. ( if you have already done your home work and know which vehicle and options you want that is).You are in the comfort of your home or office. You are not on their turf. Even with the EC price I still worked a better deal for myself by showing the dealers I had done my homework and that I was prepared to walk. Also it doesnt hurt to let dealers know that you are speaking with other dealerships and that they are also working hard to earn your business. Keep it friendly and professional. Remember, they have something you want- a shiny new vehicle. You have something they want- Money!. The object is for you to get as much vehicle for the least amount of money. Their goal is to seperate you from as much money as possible. Dont ever worry about the dealership not making money. They will not sell any vehicle unless it is profitable to them. Don't be afraid to offer less than than what they say their bottom line is. If you justify it, they may just accept it or come back with an incentive or another offer. Good luck to all.
I am looking to buy a 05 Chrysler Town & Country Base model. The price I got in June was $16,500 plus $3500 factory rebate. Now, this month (July) I am quoted $17,400 plus $2000 rebate. Same dealership. They must think the buyers are fool who don't know how to do the math. I meant that my out of pocket money is actually 900 higher. So the "employee price" is just a trick. You and I will pay more.
I am looking to buy a 05 Chrysler Town & Country Base model. The price I got in June was $16,500 plus $3500 factory rebate. Now, this month (July) I am quoted $17,400 plus $2000 rebate. Same dealership. They must think the buyers are fool who don't know how to do the math. I meant that my out of pocket money is actually 900 higher. "
I don't see how your numbers add up to a $900 difference
I'm confused as to what your original price would have been...in June it would have been $16,500 plus $3500 factory rebate, making the van cost $13,000?! Or was that $16,500 with the rebate factored in? If I could get a T&C for $13K, I'd buy one right now.
What was your out the door price for the van in June vs. July?
The price in June was $16,500+3,500(rebate) = $20,000.
In July, $17,400+2000(rebate) = 19,400. While the total number is $600 less, but remember you will pay $19400 and get back $2,000 rebate three month or more in time. That means your actual car price is $17,400, no the actual price of $16,500 of the June deal. The July deal is $900 more than the June's. Do you see the difference? That's why I call it is a trick. If they want to compete with GM, give us some real thing.
You sure have a tough time explaining your price quotes. Rebates are not added to the price, they are subtracted from the dealer price. I assume what you are trying to state is that before employee pricing was introduced, You could have bought it in June for $16500, which was a price of $20,000-$3500 rebate.
Now with the employee pricing, the price you pay is quoted at $17400, which was a price of $19,400-$2000 rebate.
Am I interpreting this correctly? Is the rebate also dependent on your financing the car with Chrysler Credit, which is why you have to wait for the rebate?
This could be the case as they may have reduced the rebate and introduced employee pricing to all at the same time. Might mean you could have got a better deal before.
Chrysler has little to worry about from GM's minivans anyways, and I would bet on selected GM models, you would have seen the same thing happen when the employee pricing to all kicked in.
Bottom line: Don't be sucked in by the advertising hype of these sales promotions. The competition in the US automobile market is about as brutal now as it was early in the 20th century, with so many manufacturers trying to grab a piece of the action. A big promotion now may even be followed by a bigger one next week, next month or next year.
Note that the prices you are listing are not all that more, and in some cases are less, than you could have bought a DGC minivan ten years ago, and you are getting more equipment and better quality.
Chrysler's current rebate is not dependent on financing or on a trade-in.
In June, there was a $2500 rebate + $1000 bonus cash if you traded a car in. Before June, there was a $2500 rebate + $1000 bonus cash if you financed.
Currently there is employee pricing and a $2000 rebate (no dependencies).
And obviously rebates aren't mailed in and waited for like a purchase at Best Buy.
I expect it would be hard (yet not impossible) to negotiate a vehicle down to the employee price before July.... obviously if you did, and traded in a car (in June) you would have a price delta of $1500 ($500 w/out the trade).
Another small point to remember is that the lower sales cost (before the rebate) will result in a smaller tax bill since rebates are applied (immediately) after tax to the purchase price.... and most likely one could easily make up the difference from June by selling a trade-in directly.... resulting in a better deal for July.
The way I see it, the June deal is better. I'd rather pay them $20,000 and get back $3500 later. In the end I pay $16500. With the current deal, I will pay $17400 after all things settle down.
As to the competition, if GM makes a station wagon, I will buy the car in a heart beat. Too bad the General Motor doesn't make them any more.
I was very close to buying a 2005 Chevy Malibu MXX. They call it "5-door sedan". It's fine. But when I test drove the car, I felt the gas pedal was too loose. I couldn't get used to it.
I also seriously considered the 2005 Chevy Impala. I even rented one for a weekend. I like the car very much. Good looking, roomy, good ride and good gas milage. Yes, the gas milage is better than any minivan. The only thing is, it is a sedan. I need a station wagon (at least) so I can haul things in the back of the car with the rear seats fold flat.
So I am still shopping arond. I am trying to give GM a chance. It is still an American car company.
I think it is worth mentioning one more time though, you don't "get back $3500 later". The $3500 (or $2000 as it is now) is immediately subtracted from your final price when you "check out" that day. They add tax, title, etc. to come up with your final price and then consider the rebate to be part of your down payment. Trade-ins work the same way in CA.... other states subtract the trade in value from the purchase price before they apply tax.
It would have been $20000+tax,title,etc minus $3500... that you would have paid to take the car home.
You won't get an argument from me regarding the June deal. I ran out the weekend before they started the Employee purchase and bought since I assumed they would cut the rebates down....
And just so you don't think less kindly of Chrysler.... GM did the same thing. Rebates went down when employee pricing came out. Many people paid less before GM started Employee pricing as well. It's mostly a marketing gimmick....
If you are set on a GM car, the Saturn Relay, Chevy Uplander, Pontiac Montana, and Buick Terraza are essentially minivans in disguise... sliding doors and everything.
Well, I completely agree with you about the employee pricing being a "Gimmick". But, it's working.....GM sold TONS (literally) of cars last month. People love good marketing.....
If you want a "station wagon" then you have a couple other choices. Ford Freestyle (not to be confused with Freestar) is about the closest you can come to a traditional station wagon. Not as spacious as a minivan, but more so than a sedan with fold down second and third row seats that form a flat low load surface. Also Chrysler Pacifica is in the same market niche.
The minivans still have more space efficiency than these "crossover" wagons.
I am seriously considering getting that T&C 2005 deal, but at the dealer, they told me the final price would be $20,123 minus EP minus rebate (plus dealer add-ons, taxes, tags, doc fees - another $1700!!)
Anyway, I asked how negotiable that price was and I was told that they are not allowed to charge more than the EP or they will get in trouble with Chrysler. I told them that is great, but I don't want you to charge me more, I want to work on getting that price lower. I was then told that is a bottom line price and it is not negotiable at all.
When you ask the dealer if they will negotiate further, what do you expect them to say? They're not going to say " sure, how low do you want us to go"? Tell them what you are willing to pay and if they except it, GREAT. If not, reconsider your offer or go to another dealer.
Actually, I think I made out a bit better yesterday when I bought the only T&C Touring in white with the trailer tow group left anywhere in central FL.
We had looked in April for a Touring with trailer tow, leather, adjustable pedals, and side curtain airbags. We would have had to order and the balance after trade in would have been almost 11 grand including tax, tags, and dealer fee.
Yesterday we bought a Touring with trailer tow, leather group, and luxury group. The luxury group had some stuff I didn't really need, but at least the car wasn't loaded up with DVD, satellite radio, sunroof, etc. The quoted price before trade and less TT&DF was $27,960. This is $680 BELOW today's Edmunds TMV of $28,640! The side curtain airbags option was the most expendable of our original wants and the backup sensor system included in the luxury group will probably prove to be more useful in the long run.
I really don't know how good a deal I got on my trade in because it was also a 2005 model (Subaru Forester I had for a year to the day) and I can't find any online book values for a 2005. But the price the dealer offered was right in line with my best uneducated estimate for trade in value, so at least I won't wake up in the middle of the night wondering why in h--l I bought on such impulse. my total difference was $11,917 everything included.
Not bad considering I had just been noodling around on the internet in the morning and learned that the best dealer around still had this one car left. I called, we drove the 30 miles to see the car in person early in the afternoon. and were home again before 5 PM with a car my wife and I both agree should see us out, considering our ages and driving habits.
We went out looking for a Touring with just the side air bags. That was the one feature we felt was a requirement. We also didn't want to pay for the premium group just to get the parking sense... but I agree that it is best feature in that group. We'll probably just add the parking sense aftermarket. I believe you can have the mopar one added by the dealer... or there are plenty of others out there.
Ours also had the adjustable pedals and the removable console. We didn't want either.... but are quite pleased with the console out of the van.
MSRP was around $30K for the van. We bought over July 4th weekend to beat the employee discount for all.... but only because we already had the employee discount coming to us. So we ended up paying Employee price - $4000 in rebates ($2500 + $1000 trade cash + $500 end of model year bonus). Our final price (not counting tax and trade in) was somewhere around $22K.
Oh, and for added fluff, this is good if you bought a 2005 before August 1st:
Comments
Now, my wife and I became mindful of our budget again. We've gone back to considering buying a base model Quest, which I believe we can get for $20K. The only sticking point is, without the split seating 3rd row, we're not sure if we'd have enough space for a double stroller in the back AND all the grocery bags (we'll have a 3rd child soon :shades: ). My wife decided she can live without the 2nd row Stow-n-go, but would really hate to loose the 3rd row split seating. But again having a small budget, we need to reach a compromise somewhere
Base Quest:
likes: standard side curtain airbags, traction control, better engine, more comfortable seats, more head room, great styling inside out, and cheaper ($20K);
dislikes: no 3rd row split seating is just about the only thing we don't like, and it's a big one! We also wish it had the power doors, although we could sacrifice these Luxuies.
DGC:
likes: Stow-n-go 2nd row, fabulously useful 3rd row split seating bench, power doors and lifegate, adjustable pedals;
dislikes: curtain airbags cost extra and are hard to find (only available on fully loaded vans); horrid interior appearance, uncomfortable 2nd and 3rd row seats (although they'd be occupied by car seats), very limited head room (compared to the Quest); the SXT van without the side airbags (the only options being power lift gate and pedals) costs $2K more than the base Quest.
I'd appreciate you all's thoughts on this, particularly on whether you think the lack of 3rd row split seating will be a problem with carrying a double stroller in the back.
I never was good at math!!
Thanks.
I am looking to soften the blow of Chrysler depreciation. Right now, I am trying to get out of my 04 Jeep Grand Cherokee that depreciated by more than half in a year. Argh! It seems like Chrysler waits for me to buy, then comes out with great deals.
I also recently bought the TnC Limited over Honda. We wre going to get an Expedition, but when gas price shot up we reconsidered. Am military living overseas transferring back to U.S. Local dealership (Pomoco Chrysler Jeep in Hampton, VA) was great to work with, and let me take delivery of vehicle while house hunting and then stored it for me for free until we returned to States. Customer service is a winner for me always, and Pomoco is top drawer.
Test drove the TnC, Odyssey, Sienna and liked the ride of the TnC best - very smooth and quiet, along with price and stowngo. I thought the Honda had great features and acceleration, but a little too "torquey"; it pulled to the right when accelerating hard. Also didn't like the steering wheel reach distance with the driver's seat all the way back (I'm tall).
Got the TnC with zero pct financing, tax, title, and additional 7/70 GE bumper to bumper warranty for about $34K. Although the car seems very tight, it was delievered with 2 flaws: no GPS antenna installed for the nav system, and right rear quarter window was out of alignment (about 1/4 inch not flush with the vehicle side). The dealership jumped right on these, but I'm feeling like the additional warranty was a good roll of the dice if we keep the car for 70K miles.
First 2 tanks of gas netted 17-18 mpg in urban driving. No road trips yet, so hope to see better. Overal, love the TnC Limited initially. We'll see how it holds up.
What options did you get on your T& C Limited? How much was your extended warranty? Was your price below invoice?
It came down to the price. To get all those things in an SXT, we would've paid about $23K, 1K more than the Nissan. We tried real hard in the beginning to get the DGC, but sort of gave up on it once we realized it wasn't gonna happen for $22K. The feature we miss the most in the Caravan is the 3rd row plit seating. We love the 2nd row stow-n-go as well, but the Quest's 2nd row almost folds flat although without the two storage wells. On the other hand, we love the Quest's vast head and leg room, big and comfy seats, and its modern querky looks inside and out
The only option we got was the DVD system. With the Limited, there's not much else to get except tow package and Sirius radio. Invoice was $33895 which was the selling price the dealer gave - so they must've had decent holdback and/or dealer incentives. So with $2500 rebate including 0% + 60 month financing, then add back on tax, added warranty (about $600 which they negotiated price on), title, etc. we were back to about $34K out the door - and with no finance charges that's the total price we'll pay after five years - and no money down either since the rebate counted for that. They made everything really easy - maybe I could've saved a few hundred more by playing harder and working a couple of dealers, but these guys were very accomodating to my somewhat unique situation from essentially making a deal from overseas, delivering what I wanted when I wanted with great service, and then storing the car for free until we got back. I'm a happy camper, and really like the van, to boot!
Looking at a Certified used 2001 T&C Limited FWD, 39,700 mi, good condition. The edmunds trade in was $11,600 and dealer retail was around $16,200. What is a reasonable price for this? I was thinking around $14,000. They're asking 16,900 which is obviously too much. Even at 14,000 that would still give them almost a 20% profit margin assuming they paid close to trade in which I'm sure they did. Thanks.
kirstie_h
Roving Host
Host, Future Vehicles & Smart Shopper discussions
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
I bought a Chrysler Town & Country Touring on Saturday, June 25, 2005 in the Memphis, TN area. Factory add-ons were Power Adjustable Pedals and Center Console. Color was silver.
MSRP $28,875
Invoice $26,606
Edmunds TMV $27,044 (not including factory rebates)
THE DEAL:
$26,306.50 = Price of Car = Invoice - Doc Fee
+ $299.50 = Doc Fee
- $2,500 = Factory Rebate
- $1,000 = Factory Rebate for trade-in
- $1,250 = Trade-in for 1993 Buick LeSabre
+ TTL
I financed with CapitolOne through CostCo (with Executive Membership) for 36 months at an APR of 4.1%. The dealer could not match or beat this deal. It was worth getting the loan through CapitolOne. Also shopped loan prices with Netbank.
I basically bought the car at invoice, got a fair price for my trade, and brought my own loan. The $3,500 in incentives from Chrysler made a big difference. I also got 14 free oil changes because of a weekend deal.
The deal was made near the end of the month. I made a take-it-or-leave-it deal for a price I thought was fair (invoice) as long as I didn't have to shop around or waste too much time. The price of $26,606 was a carsdirect.com target price, but no dealers in the area go through carsdirect.com. I decided invoice was a good enough deal for me if they gave me everything I wanted. So, I pitched the offer to them over the phone: Invoice - rebates - fair price for my trade and match the APR of my bank. They jumped at the deal pretty fast--so I probably could have done a little better if I wanted to shop prices or fight with them. When they insisted they had to add a documentation fee, I made them deduct it from the price of the car. I feel like I could have gotten a lower price if I shopped the price around, but instead just let them accept my offer (without budging) with the understanding that I'd buy today instead of compare with other dealers. I did all the negotiations over the phone and made sure that everything was agreed upon and wouldn't change (including VIN number) when I came in. They didn't give me any hassles when I came in.
I hope this info helps those considering buying a Town & Country.
MSRP 30500 (incl. dest fee)
Sale price 26500
Rebates 3500
Trade in allow. 4000 (99 beetle 110K)
doc fee 50
+TTL
Finance 4.6 % 60 months
I was looking to confirm that I have negotiated a great deal..all of your posts were helpful. I negotiated a price of $2150 under invoice (that is without the $2500 rebate because I wanted the 0% finance). I bought the 2005 T&C Touring with 29K pkg, 6 cd/dvd system, removable center front console, with leather seats & interior. The negotation price is Invoice less hold back less advertising costs plus a $1000 trade in bonus. If I add the profit from trade in..that is $600 after that loan is pd off..puts me at total reduction of $2770 from invoice price.
I hope this information is helpful to someone else looking for a price guideline...Good Luck - Krissie
Therefore, I would expect that you can negotiate a lower price than the Employee Price. Good luck!
Do you think I can still get them lower than that trying to negotiate the price? It is just the SWB model with the entertainment package add-on.
Has anyone tried to negotiate lower, but then say I'll pay that price if you throw in a couple more years of the extended warranty?
I am in New England area. Thanks for listening.
I don't see how your numbers add up to a $900 difference
What was your out the door price for the van in June vs. July?
In July, $17,400+2000(rebate) = 19,400. While the total number is $600 less, but remember you will pay $19400 and get back $2,000 rebate three month or more in time. That means your actual car price is $17,400, no the actual price of $16,500 of the June deal. The July deal is $900 more than the June's. Do you see the difference? That's why I call it is a trick. If they want to compete with GM, give us some real thing.
Thanks for listening.
Now with the employee pricing, the price you pay is quoted at $17400, which was a price of $19,400-$2000 rebate.
Am I interpreting this correctly? Is the rebate also dependent on your financing the car with Chrysler Credit, which is why you have to wait for the rebate?
This could be the case as they may have reduced the rebate and introduced employee pricing to all at the same time. Might mean you could have got a better deal before.
Chrysler has little to worry about from GM's minivans anyways, and I would bet on selected GM models, you would have seen the same thing happen when the employee pricing to all kicked in.
Bottom line: Don't be sucked in by the advertising hype of these sales promotions. The competition in the US automobile market is about as brutal now as it was early in the 20th century, with so many manufacturers trying to grab a piece of the action. A big promotion now may even be followed by a bigger one next week, next month or next year.
Note that the prices you are listing are not all that more, and in some cases are less, than you could have bought a DGC minivan ten years ago, and you are getting more equipment and better quality.
In June, there was a $2500 rebate + $1000 bonus cash if you traded a car in.
Before June, there was a $2500 rebate + $1000 bonus cash if you financed.
Currently there is employee pricing and a $2000 rebate (no dependencies).
And obviously rebates aren't mailed in and waited for like a purchase at Best Buy.
I expect it would be hard (yet not impossible) to negotiate a vehicle down to the employee price before July.... obviously if you did, and traded in a car (in June) you would have a price delta of $1500 ($500 w/out the trade).
Another small point to remember is that the lower sales cost (before the rebate) will result in a smaller tax bill since rebates are applied (immediately) after tax to the purchase price.... and most likely one could easily make up the difference from June by selling a trade-in directly.... resulting in a better deal for July.
The way I see it, the June deal is better. I'd rather pay them $20,000 and get back $3500 later. In the end I pay $16500. With the current deal, I will pay $17400 after all things settle down.
As to the competition, if GM makes a station wagon, I will buy the car in a heart beat. Too bad the General Motor doesn't make them any more.
I was very close to buying a 2005 Chevy Malibu MXX. They call it "5-door sedan". It's fine. But when I test drove the car, I felt the gas pedal was too loose. I couldn't get used to it.
I also seriously considered the 2005 Chevy Impala. I even rented one for a weekend. I like the car very much. Good looking, roomy, good ride and good gas milage. Yes, the gas milage is better than any minivan. The only thing is, it is a sedan. I need a station wagon (at least) so I can haul things in the back of the car with the rear seats fold flat.
So I am still shopping arond. I am trying to give GM a chance. It is still an American car company.
It would have been $20000+tax,title,etc minus $3500... that you would have paid to take the car home.
You won't get an argument from me regarding the June deal. I ran out the weekend before they started the Employee purchase and bought since I assumed they would cut the rebates down....
And just so you don't think less kindly of Chrysler.... GM did the same thing. Rebates went down when employee pricing came out. Many people paid less before GM started Employee pricing as well. It's mostly a marketing gimmick....
If you are set on a GM car, the Saturn Relay, Chevy Uplander, Pontiac Montana, and Buick Terraza are essentially minivans in disguise... sliding doors and everything.
The minivans still have more space efficiency than these "crossover" wagons.
Anyway, I asked how negotiable that price was and I was told that they are not allowed to charge more than the EP or they will get in trouble with Chrysler. I told them that is great, but I don't want you to charge me more, I want to work on getting that price lower. I was then told that is a bottom line price and it is not negotiable at all.
Is this true?
Good Luck!!
We had looked in April for a Touring with trailer tow, leather, adjustable pedals, and side curtain airbags. We would have had to order and the balance after trade in would have been almost 11 grand including tax, tags, and dealer fee.
Yesterday we bought a Touring with trailer tow, leather group, and luxury group. The luxury group had some stuff I didn't really need, but at least the car wasn't loaded up with DVD, satellite radio, sunroof, etc. The quoted price before trade and less TT&DF was $27,960. This is $680 BELOW today's Edmunds TMV of $28,640! The side curtain airbags option was the most expendable of our original wants and the backup sensor system included in the luxury group will probably prove to be more useful in the long run.
I really don't know how good a deal I got on my trade in because it was also a 2005 model (Subaru Forester I had for a year to the day) and I can't find any online book values for a 2005. But the price the dealer offered was right in line with my best uneducated estimate for trade in value, so at least I won't wake up in the middle of the night wondering why in h--l I bought on such impulse. my total difference was $11,917 everything included.
Not bad considering I had just been noodling around on the internet in the morning and learned that the best dealer around still had this one car left. I called, we drove the 30 miles to see the car in person early in the afternoon. and were home again before 5 PM with a car my wife and I both agree should see us out, considering our ages and driving habits.
Ours also had the adjustable pedals and the removable console. We didn't want either.... but are quite pleased with the console out of the van.
MSRP was around $30K for the van. We bought over July 4th weekend to beat the employee discount for all.... but only because we already had the employee discount coming to us. So we ended up paying Employee price - $4000 in rebates ($2500 + $1000 trade cash + $500 end of model year bonus). Our final price (not counting tax and trade in) was somewhere around $22K.
Oh, and for added fluff, this is good if you bought a 2005 before August 1st:
Chrysler/United 70,000 miles