Buying 2016 Escape help, NJ

skeylargo

I really liked the 2016 Escape and would like to buy SE, 4WD with 2.0t engine without any additional options. I tried to get some prices and real quotes but most dealers do not want to send real quotes and since I do not have a car right now I can't drive to all of them. I tried to talk to them on the phone as well and although one dealer sounded like they would give me a good deal than they started saying about adding etching fee and I got suspicious what other fees they might add.

What is a reasonable price including destination fee that I should be paying for this vehicle? The closest I got to a "real" quote was from costco but it was for 2015 escape. The MSRP on it was 29,490 and my costco price came to 23,911 which sound OK to me. The 2016 MSRP is 29,445 so I would think I should get about the same?

Please advise. I did not buy a car in 11 years so I'm out of practice.

Thank you

stever

I get $29,000 even for the MSRP when I price a '16 SE AWD 2.0l here. There's a $1,000 incentive right now and we show the "average" TMV price being paid in a random NJ zip code (08807) of $26,461.

So yeah, the Costco price seems good but who knows how the '16 price will come in - I assume they aren't offering that yet? You may was well try our Price Promise and see what number shows up on that.

At first glance, not having a car appears to put you at a buying disadvantage, but maybe you can use that to your advantage. You can tell the dealers that you have to negotiate by email because you can't easily visit them and you need to get a car quickly. And you can mention that if they can't work with you that way, you are also shopping CR-Vs (or Mazda CX-5s or whatever) and you'll go with the dealer that gives you the best price with the least hassle.

To avoid the junk fees like etching, ask for an out the door price. You don't really care how they break down the money so long as your bottom line is at least TMV plus taxes. Since TMV is an average though, your goal is to try to beat it.

The fact that Ford already has incentives on the 2016 Escapes would indicate that it's a buyer's market, but lots of dealers don't read those memos.

skeylargo

My zip code is 08873 and when I tried to get prices I just got emails without any prices just "come in and we'll take care of you." I'm sure being female with an accent does not help

This is the MSRP I was going by http://www.fullerton.com/new/index.cfm/action/view_2016_ford_escape/vehicle/1FMCU9G93GUA01913/

stever

And the dealers wonder why people wait 11 years between buying cars.

Lots of dealers are loathe to give out quotes because they think people will shop the quote around. Of course we will. The smart dealers will be upfront right away knowing they'll get a lot of business from people who will go back because of their treatment instead of buying at the dealer who will save them $100 off the quote after playing hide the ball and telling you to "come on down" (the same kind of dealer who will put an etching fee on your talley at the last minute when you go to pay).

Sigh, don't really know what to tell you except to try to shop a wider area and maybe fall in love with a different make car.

skeylargo

Yup, I think I will have to "fall in love" with a cheaper car. I stopped by a dealer just now and he gave me a price of 26,488 for Escape that had weather package. I just do not want to pay that much for any car.

Unfortunately I did not fall in love with any cars I looked at. I am replacing a minivan which I really liked but have no need for a minivan anymore. SUV seemed like a good replacement and I liked a little more comfortable ride in Escape. I am still considering CRV but I have some issues with it also (rougher ride, whiny engine, kind of blah interior that looks almost the same as my 10 year accord and have to find one that does not have engine vibration). I might just move down to a sedan (Accord/Sonata)

Only one dealer gave me a full break down on price (I think it was on an accord). Might have to go back to look at it.

stever

We're trying to downsize from a minivan right now. Waiting to see the CX-3, although today the Elantra GT hatch caught my eye. We're all over the map - Soul, Prius V, Encore. The Escapes are nice, but we felt that the one we tested last year was a bit big for our current needs. My wife feels the same way about the CR-V as you do. Maybe look at a CX-5 if you get a chance.

skeylargo

My husband for some reason does not like Mazda and GM

I wanted to buy a car tomorrow but now I am also all over the place and don't know what I want. Maybe I will at least stop by and look at CX-5. I stil think I would prefer an SUV but just not loving the reasonably priced ones and just don;t want to spend a lot of money on the car regardless if technically I could afford it or not. There are too many other things in life I'd rather spend my money on.

I actually kind of liked Soul but we usually keep the cars for a long time and could not see myself liking it in 10 years. I feel like it would look possibly dated?

stever

Could be - we drive 'em forever, but when you drive a minivan, you either look dated or a bit foolish (I'm thinking of the Dodge eggplants from a while back or the slab sided Quest or the Odyssey kink). We don't much mind so long as it stays out of the shop!

scape2

For anyone considering the Ford Escape... Go with the 2.0 turbo as first choice, 1.6 turbo next choice then the 2.5. We have the 2.0 and it is a great engine/drive train in this vehicle. My wife is averaging 22.3MPG in the city and we only have about 2,500 miles on this vehicle.