Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego Prices Paid and Buying Experience

Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,217
edited March 2014 in Ford
Did you get a good deal? Pass on your negotiating tips here!

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Comments

  • swishswish Member Posts: 1
    Of the many dealers (ford and Mercury) contacted, none, I repeat, none, of the dealers contacted offered in any way to provide a price quote. All wanted me to come in and talk about it.

    I ask you, what good is using Edmunds or any other aide, when treated this way. The request was for a price quote. Not for a visiting session.
  • pnewbypnewby Member Posts: 277
    Of all dealerships, only 1 gave a quote. It was for x-plan. Also gave a price on the extended service plan I had asked for. It was Kain Ford in Versailles Ky. Some negotiating on the trade in value, but a good experience. Did a full search on reabates (none except 2.9 financing for 48 mos.), accepted my letter for a Ford Credit rebate and showed me all paperwork.
  • n144gn144g Member Posts: 7
    I have been driving the Montego Premier AWD with all available options, for about a month now and love it. Has plenty of power and perfect for a family sedan. Purchased it at Hempstead Lincoln-Mercury on Long Island. There was absolutely ZERO sales pressure from the saleswoman I dealt with. Even when we sat down to finally purchase and I waited for all the "dealer extras", none came. they offered a couple of items ( gap insurance, extended warrenty, etc.) but again it was only to let me know it was available, no pressure to purchase.

    As for the purchase price, right from the start I was qouted a price that was below Edmunds TMV price. Other dealers were offering "$500 off your best price" coupons to me, but even with the "coupon" this dealership was below the others "sale" price. All in all a very good buying experience
  • drasmdrasm Member Posts: 1
    I'm negotiating to buy a 500 or Montego and want a little education on the Ford X-plan. The salesman says that with it the price is below dealer cost. I didn't just fall off the tater truck; no dealer stays in business long by losing money on a sale. Where are the sales incentives with the X-plan and is there room to negotiate?
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,217
    Well, first we need to know what the price is, and where you're located as incentives vary from area to area.

     

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  • heyjewelheyjewel Member Posts: 1,046
    drasm;

     

    The dealer is (surprise!) not quite accurate. I know because I have purchased with x-plan. It is actually 4% (might be 3%) above the dealer's real cost, which is NOT the invoice cost here at Edmunds, or anywhere else the invoice is quoted. It turns out that x-plan price is about 1/2 to 1% below the invoice price you find here at Edmunds (Invoice NOT TMV).

    So, the dealer can still say he's right cause it is below invoice. But it is also above his net cost.

    Lastly - I'm sure you're aware - you need someone at Ford to pop for the x-plan number for you. Or I guess if you're a subcontractor you can get one. Whatever.

    Oh, really lastly - sometimes you can get a better price than x-plan if you work at it.

    Good luck.
  • happycc48happycc48 Member Posts: 3
    I agree! I've tried for a year to get a "quote" on line with the same experience! Some SMART salesman should cash in on this market!!
  • c1099c1099 Member Posts: 1
    I'm not sure where the other posters are located, but I had no such problems getting info and prices. Maybe you only tried one dealership, or you went through a buying service?

     

    I got a quote on a Montego with no worries. I went directly to the dealers own websites. The first dealer I tried blew me off as you described, but the second, Sentry Lincoln-Mercury in Medford, MA, responded within about 12 hours, answered all my questions, and had two of my three color choices in stock. (I went with the light tundra greenish color).

     

    They also made it easy because the same internet person got me information on the 500 and the Freestyle from Sentry Ford. I went with the Montego because I liked the look of the front end better than on the 500, and I thought the performance was a little better than on the Freestyle -- I think the extra weight on the crossover with the powertrain makes it strain a little more than on the sedan. And I liked the Montego wheels better (I got the Premier with the 18" rims and AWD).

     

    On the price, I paid 3% over invoice (which was right around the Edmunds TMV when I bought it). I am sure that if I had visited three or four dealerships and spent a weekend comparison shopping I could have saved another couple hundred bucks, but I didn't want to. They gave me a fair price up front, no games or tricks (i.e. no 'the price is only good this weekend' stuff) and the salesman they assigned me when I came in to pick it up spent over an hour going over every detail of the car, which was great. My last car was a Lexus and my salesman couldn't wait to shove me out the door get on to the next customer.

     

    All in all, it was a great experience, and I'm very happy with the car and with the dealership. It's not a Hemi performance machine, but it's terrific in the snow and the interior room is great, much better than in the Lexus. Only gripe is that the drone of the CVT takes some getting used to.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,864
    getting a quote(not just the five hundred), depends on how each dealer wants to do business.

    i bought a focus. requested quotes from 1/2 a dozen dealers. responses varied from 'call us', to what i thought was a really good quote.

    the best quote i got was from the dealer i usually buy my cars from. i did mention that i was a longstanding customer in my email.

    a few years ago, i did the same thing for an expedition. one dealer(who i wanted to buy from) needed me to call before giving a quote. i called. then they need me to come to the dealership before giving me a quote.

    after the sales person wouldn't give me a quote, i said thanks and hung up. a few minutes later the sales manager called, so i asked him for a quote. after yelling at each other for while, he finally gave me a quote over the phone(it was really bad). i told him, i'll get back to you. bought one somewhere else.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • putter5putter5 Member Posts: 12
    Same here,it's almost impossible to get a response with a price. It's always contact me come in for a test drive.I have been researching Mercury, Ford, Chrysler and Nissan and it's always the same. I finally did it the old fashion way, now I need to decide
  • cccompsoncccompson Member Posts: 2,382
    It's sad that so many dealers just don't get it - the internet has changed everything. Those that don't evolve will wither.
  • aleksanderaleksander Member Posts: 2
    My experience is quite different, I think that dealers are getting the sense of the times... I asked for quotes and got reply from all 6 or 7 dealers, few of them quoted the number in e-mail response and all of them were willing to quote the number over the phone. I practically bought the car without walking into a dealership (well, I went to one before that for a test drive). Must say that TMV number helped a lot, at least as a starting point of the negotiations. So I ended with $22,700 for a AWD Ford Five Hundred SE and 1.9% financing.
  • alan7alan7 Member Posts: 17
    I need help in deciding whether to buy or lease the 2005 premier awd mongeto. I think I get a good deal on either option, $27800 (plus tax and fees) after college graduate discount for purchase and $805 inception fee plus $415 monthly for 35 more years (all fees and taxes included) on leasing with 12000 miles annually. If I increase the annual miles to 15000 it would cost me $17 more monthly (for a total of $432) but I would have to purchase extended warranty to cover the additional 9000 miles.

     

    I went on line to Warranty Direct and received extended warranty quotes which are somewhere between $300 to 500 lower than the dealership's quotes for a 6 year extended warranty (3 years beyond the Ford basic warranty of 3 years and 36000 miles).

     

    My problems are:

    1) If I lease and take the 15000 miles option with extended warranty, it would cost me $37 more a month for 36 months for a total of $1332.

    2) If I buy the car with a 6 year extended warranty, it would cost me $1700+ more (with $100 deductible) from the dealership.

    3) If I buy the car but purchase the similar extended from Warranty Direct I could save $400 but unsure if my claims, if any, would be paid because I never heard about this company (said to be in New York for 25 years with no complaints).

     

    Would anyone please share the extended warranty experience with me, whethergoing through the dealership or Warranty Direct, or any other company? Is it necessary to purchase the extended warranty? (The car is no new that anything could happen.) Do I need to purchase the extended warranty now or can wait until close to the end of the 3 year basic warranty offered by Ford?

     

    I need you help before Friday 1/28 because the dealership wants me to take delivery of the car, lease or buy, on Saturday.
  • pnewbypnewby Member Posts: 277
    I purchased a 6/75 Ford ESP Premium $0 deductible with 1st day rental coverage for $1250 from my dealer on an '05 LTD Freestyle. There is a link on either the freestyle or 500/montego to an online Ford ESP site that will definitely give you a better price on one.

     

    Go to http://www.fordwarrantys.com/ for better pricing than most dealers, I was lucky since my dealer gave me a matching price to start with.
  • alan7alan7 Member Posts: 17
    Hi pnewby,

     

    I don't know how to thank you enough for your invaluable advice/info on the extended warranty. I went to the site as you suggested but could not find montego. So, I selected Ford 500 and got all the data, based on which I called the dealership back. The dealership price, 6 years @ $1700 for premiumcare is actually $95 lower than the site quoted at $1795 with $100 deductible.

     

    I am now trying to negotiate a 6 year 75000 miles premiumcare deal with the dealership, who wants $1260 up front (with $50 deductible). I think I will drive 90000 miles in the next 6 years. Do you think this is a reasonable deal? Or, do you think I can just take the risk and not buying the extended warranty? (When the car needs a lot of repair after the 3 year basic warranty just trade it in and get a new car.) Or should I just lease the car for 3 years and not buying the extended warranty to cover the extra 9000 miles ?
  • frizz2112frizz2112 Member Posts: 84
    My father has ordered a Ford 500 SEL AWD CVT, and he has been told that it is on "temporary hold." Neither the dealership nor the regional office can tell him what that means. The car was originally due for delivery last week, but nobody can give him any more information. Does anyone have any insight I could pass on?
  • alan7alan7 Member Posts: 17
    Yesterday (2/1/05) George Wall Lincoln Mercury (NJ) delivered the car to my house and picked up my trade (my son's 1998 Nissan Sentra). This is my first domestic car since I purchased a 1987 Mercury Sable.

     

    After driving it for about 60 miles yesterday and today I am pleased with the overall performance of this car. I do not offer this comment lightly and I have a lot of driving experience to back it up. Currently, I have 3 other cars, a 97 Nissan Pathfinder SE (the Montego is better in hp and pickup), a 2002 Acura 3.5 RL (with 225 hp I did not feel much difference compared to the Montego), and a 2004 MB E320 4Matic (also with 200+ hp I did not feel significant difference compared to the Montego). In terms of interior material, design, features, etc, the RL and E320 are better, but they are $18000 to $30000 more than the Montego. Prior to that I had Audi 5000, Nissan Altima, Nissan Maxima, Acura Legend, Acura RL and Honda Accord. Speaking about the Audi 5000, I got my first and only speeding ticket right after I passed a toll plaza on the Garden State Parkway. After giving me the ticket, the police officer cautioned me, "Watch out! This car is powerful." Guess how powerful the Audi 5000 was? (only 110 hp).

     

    I don't think it is fair to criticize the Montego for using cheap material, outdated design, and "fatally underpowered". I particularly take exception to the "underpowered" issue. When I bought the 1995 Nissan Maxima CLE in 1994, its 190 hp was rated the most a V6 engine could produce. It won the 1995 Motor Trend Car of the Year Award. Many V6 cars on the road ate a lot of dust when I drove my Maxima passing them. If 190 hp was the best in 1994 and 1995, how come 203 hp becomes the worst in 2005? To me, the important point is: Does this car have enough power for uphill and everyday driving needs? People now ask for 250 or 300 hp for a V6 engine. It is OK if you prefer more horse power, but is it necessary? Some cars have 500 to 600 hp and why don't these people go for them? Why settle for 250/300?

     

    I think the "Relative Value" concept is more important. "Do you get what you pay for" should be the yardstick. For $28300 (plus tax, extended warranty, tag, etc) I got the top of the line Montego AWD with all options, and I think it is a good deal. Although I have not driven the car long enough to give a final grade, I am a satisfied customer at this time. I encourage all people to give this car (and the Ford 500 and Ford Freestyle) a test drive and a fair trial. Except for those power-hungry nuts, I think you will be as happy as I am.

     

    I will try to give you an updated report on this car after I have driven it for a few thousand miles.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,217
    Congratulations! Members in our regular Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego discussion would be glad to exchange driving experience stories with you.

     

    kirstie_h

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  • pamvanpamvan Member Posts: 9
    Please let me know what price I could expect to pay for the Ford FIVE HUNDRED SEL AWD CVT. Thank you.
  • reuel3reuel3 Member Posts: 114
    It sounds like you're just getting started. Since prices vary from region to region, you'll want to let members know where you're shopping. You should also start by visiting our New Cars page here:

     

    https://outlook.edmunds.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.edmunds.com/zipcode/new/index.html?tid=edmunds.g.home.header..1

      

    You can build the your vehicle, and at the end of the process you'll get three prices - invoice price, MSRP, and TMV (the average price others in your area are paying for this vehicle). That should help you get an idea where to start negotiating.

     

    Good Luck !

     

    Robert

    Host - Prices Paid & Buying Experiencs
  • pamvanpamvan Member Posts: 9
    You are right, I am just starting. The area we are buying in is Minneapolis/St. Paul. I appreciate the information furnished on the web site. I will look again at the specifics you have mentioned. Thank you.
  • gianetcgianetc Member Posts: 5
    I will soon be buying either a Ford 500 SEL or a Mercury Montego Luxury AWD with CVT. I have test driven both cars and find them to have good acceleration (not underpowered, both 6 speed transmission and CVT), they handle well, are quiet and very roomy and the seating position is higher then almost all sedans. Both the 500 SEL and Montego Luxury are identically equipped except for one thing:

    You have to pay extra for the 8 way power drivers seat, 6 disc in dash CD player/MP3 and power passenger seat in the Montego Luxury while in the 500 SEL, it's included. On top of that, the Montego Luxury lists for $200 more then the SEL. It costs $795 dollars in the Montego (comfort package). So, to get an equally equipped Montego, it lists for $995 dollars more. Because of this, I will probably get the 500; I couldn't drive the Montego thinking about not having that extra stuff in it while paying $200 more. All this must have happened because those LED tail lights and HID headlights must be expensive in the Montego to manufacture.
  • alan7alan7 Member Posts: 17
    You will not be disappointed buying either the Ford 500 SEL AWD or the Mercury Montego AWD. As far as options are concern, they are personal choice, and you have to pay for them. MB E320 charges $1200 for the lighting package and I dropped this option. My wife is happy without this light package. However, the Montego Limited AWD includes this feature and I like it a lot. You can see better and farther at night.

     

    There is another point. The Lincoln Mercury division is the upscale wing of the Ford Company. So, if having a good car is your only concern, go for the 500 SEL AWD. Good luck and happy driving with your new car.
  • putter5putter5 Member Posts: 12
    I had Warranty Direct on my Chrysler 300M. Never had a problem with claims. In fact they paid for replacement of my AC Evaporator coil 2 times. To avoid having to wait around the dealership for them to pay claim I just paid and submitted my claim with my approval # and had a check in hand within 10 days
  • alan7alan7 Member Posts: 17
    Thank you for your info and experience with Warranty Direct. However, your info came a bit too late; I took delivery of my Montego AWD on 2/1/05 with the 6 year extended warranty from Ford. Nevertheless, it is nice to know there is an alternative when shopping for extended warranty.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,217
    If you own a Ford Five Hundred, a newspaper reporter wants to talk with you today, February 28, 2005. Please respond asap to jfallon@edmunds.com.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
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  • mevandemevande Member Posts: 190
    I had a Audi 5000 and it was a lemon! I bought the car for my wife, then two weeks later the CBS report of unintended acceleration came out and "killed" the sales of the car. Looking back... 110HP? The car did ride well on the highway. We are getting "greedy" re: HP. When the first Acura Legends came out in 1986 they had 160HP and that was supposed to be a "breakthrough" for that segment. I think the Five Hundred is fine with 200HP. That being said, I own a 1999 BMW 740i and it had 288HP V8 and the gas prices are hard to take. I drive the car, fast and fun.. and get an average of 14MPG. I will drive this car for awhile, since it's paid for:). Sorry for the "off track" message. I neighbor up the street bought a black Five Hundred and I drove it and was not dissapointed. I like the high seating position. The car needs an option of a DVD nav. system (does it have one, not been able to "see" it on Fords site.
  • mevandemevande Member Posts: 190
    Hello HeyJewel,
    I agree 100% for even if one purchases a car at "dealer invoice" they are still making quite a bit of money. Ford gives the dealer quite a number of incentives (Holdback and more) to make every deal profitable. Where I live (Indianapolis Metro area), all the dealers are beating one another up for business for there is an excess of Five Hundred inventories. The car should be selling better, however some "so-so" reviews in the press has dampened enthusiasm for the car.

    Regards,
    Mike
  • kennethm1kennethm1 Member Posts: 12
    just bought my montego premier with moonroof, safety package and reverse sensing. the only two options i did not get was the AWD (don't need it in south fla) and the ride level suspension which only comes with the AWD model. i'm curious to know how i did with my purchase. i paid $27,613.00 which includes my tax, tag and all other fees. did i get a good deal?? also i know they have only been out six months but am curious to know of any mechanical issues.
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    When you ask this kind of question, no reasonable answer can be forthcoming until you back out "tax, tag, and other fees". These vary from one state and one jurisdiction to another. Tell us what you paid for the car BEFORE those things, and then we have some basis to judge. It would also help to know how this figure compared to MSRP.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Not only that, you should have come to Edmund's first before buying it. Lots of good information here, not only from the Forum but at Edmunds free listings that including MSRP, Invoice and TMV, any incentives, etc. which would give you a good ballpark idea of what you should pay.

    Since you already bought it, it is too late for all that.
  • kennethm1kennethm1 Member Posts: 12
    your right didn't factor that in. so here it goes. i paid 25,500 before tax tag etc etc. do you think i was taken?? also, any mechanical issues surface that i should be aware of and that i hopefully won't experience?? this was my first day on the messaging board so i wasn't thinking about the difference tax rates.
  • kennethm1kennethm1 Member Posts: 12
    the latest is they want to sell me an AWD montego with safety package, moonroof, and reverse sensing for 26,500 before tax, tag and $379.00 dealer fee. anyone is this a steal and should i take it, or is this price nothing special?
  • kennethm1kennethm1 Member Posts: 12
    i just came home with the AWD priemer with moonroof, safety package, and reverse sensing. i hope i got a great deal. i'm anxious for a few replies. i purchased it for $25604.?? before tax, tag and dealer fee (379). MSRP was $30,995. this is the honest to goodness truth i swear on my favorite dog. for anyone interested i got it at holman lincoln mercury in fort lauderdale. please let me know if i was tuff on them or could i have done much better. this is actually nine hundred dollars cheaper than my last posting (FYI) and my last post regarding purchase price. thanks
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    Based on MSRP, I'd say there way nothing wrong with the deal you finally wound up with - pretty good by the standards in my market [Portland OR]. Even accounting for the elevated dealer fees, you got $5k off MSRP - don't know how you could have done much better than that.
  • kennethm1kennethm1 Member Posts: 12
    thank you for your response. have never driven an AWD before and so far loving it. i was also wondering about your gas mileage (or anyone elses) in your vehicle (assuming you have one) and i know they have only been out for six months so maybe it is to soon to determine if there are any major/minor mechanical issues you may have experienced. thinking about taking it on a road trip from fort lauderdale to indianapolis. also just FYI i have only seen one out on the road in a week since i started my dealing until today. don't know if that is a good thing or bad thing. if something major happens i will keep everyone posted.
  • gianetcgianetc Member Posts: 5
    I just ordered an AWD Luxury Montego for invoice price; 24, 044 plus 797 for leather, 530 for the safety package including 344 for an LMDA dealer accessment fee, 157 for NJ surcharge, 675 for destination fee etc. The total came to 26, 557. It will come in in 6-8 weeks; hopefully by then this 2005 model will have "leftover incentives on it.....
  • kennethm1kennethm1 Member Posts: 12
    the only incentive i was aware of is the 1.9 % for three years which is what i took. if things go well i hope to pay it off in two. if you would, please let me/members know if they start giving other incentives besides the 1.9, 2.9, 3.9 or 4.9 financing. out of curiosity i would like to know.
    thanks and i hope you have many happy miles with your new car. mine just turned 1000 miles and i have loved it so far. i am a little anxious at how dependable/glitch free ithe AWD will be. i have never owned an AWD vehicle before.
  • alan7alan7 Member Posts: 17
    I think you got the best deal. I purchased the same car (Montego Premier) with the same options and the same sticker price of $30995 for $28300 plus tax on 2/1/05 in NJ. I also purchased the 6 year/75000 miles extended warranty for an additional $1200. I took the 3 year financing @ 1.9%. I thought it was a great deal until I saw your posting.

    Although I paid $2696 more than you did, I am not unhappy because I saved over $20000 by not buying the 05 Acura RL. Acura would not give me any discount even though I am a repeat customer (I currently have an 02 Acura RL, and previously had a 96 and a 93 Acura as well). The only major item lacking on the Montego Premier is the navigation system, and I have purchased a portable GPS navigation system for $700 to make it complete.

    My car has 2800 miles now. The only thing I am not too happy about it is the gas mileage. It gave me about 15 miles in the beginning when the weather was cold. I think it gets better because it is warm now. Fortunately, the car takes regular unleaded (compared to the RL only taking premium unleaded) and that saves quite a bit of money.

    Good luck on your new purchase. Happy driving.
  • kennethm1kennethm1 Member Posts: 12
    we narrowed it down to three. lexus es 330, acura TL or the montego. lexus (no navigation roughly 35 grand, TL (no navigation 32 grand) and the montego at 31grand (no navigation). i came along in 67 and can remember my dads 71 county squire even though before me he always drove fords. we had a 70 torino, 71 country squire, 72 150 - custom(work truck), 78 150 - lariat, 79 150 (work truck), 80 mustang, 83 lincoln, 84 grand marquis and a 94 taurus. we rolled them them all between 120 to 180 thousand miles. then we leaped into hondas and bought 2 civics and four accords and loved all six. however, about two months ago we woke up to find both 03 accords were stolen. 10 days later the neighbors acura was stolen. i/we do not have a garage and out of worry buying another honda or the TL we decided it would be best to go back to what we had always been familar with and hope the thugs didn't want an american brand. the lexus was pushing the budget and the montego had all of the bells and whistles that the lexus had that i recall and a few more. so we felt a combination of our previous experience with ford/lincoln/mercury and the montego being the least expensive that this was the way to go. so now this montego is in a trial period for us. i hope we can get the 120 - 180 thousand miles like ford/lincoln/mercury's used to.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    I think your next goal should be to move to a better neighborhood!
  • alan7alan7 Member Posts: 17
    The Montego/500 is a solid car that should last 150000/200000 miles. It is built on the Volvo S80 platform with the best V6 engine from Ford mated with reliable CVT (I was told by the general manager at the dealership where I purchased the car). The reason why the bigger V6 engine (3.8) was not used was it was not as good/reliable as the V6 3.2. On top of that it received a 5 star crush test rating.

    For the time being, it is not as likely to be stolen as Honda Accord because there are hardly any used Montego/500 cars and the demand for used parts is not there yet. However, given a few more years time, it could be an entirely different situation because this car will stay in the market for a long time. It would not be a bad idea to move to a better neighborhood.
  • kennethm1kennethm1 Member Posts: 12
    thanks for the info and yes moving is most certainly a consideration, but i do not make that much teaching sixth grade. i have only been teaching for six years and the housing market in south florida has gone through the roof so i can't move up. it is at the point where the counties civil servants i.e teachers, fire, postal and the police can't afford homes down here. people with big bucks keep flocking into the area from south america, mexico and from up north and price does not seem to be an object for them thus the prices keep spiraling up. so that makes it difficult for the average person to just up and move. i wanted a truck as a second hand vehicle so i bought an 05 dodge ram 1500 (i like the body style better than the fords or chevy) but i bought it stripped because i had the decked out honda. well now the secondhand vehicle (truck) is my firsthand. i guess if the dodge and/or the montego get stolen (or both) i'll just resort to buying dinged up/dented up used ones. i hope i don't have to go that route. that would be sad to work hard to try to have something nice only to wake up to find that these two american brand vehicles were stolen. i tell you, having both 03 accords stolen in the same night really took the wind out of my/our sail.
  • mnfmnf Member Posts: 405
    Hi I am helping my sister purchase a Ford 500 or the Mercury Montego and she lives in the Portland/ Beaverton area. I have sent out for price quotes from the dealers but was wondering what is the market in that area . I live in a city a few hours away and have bought my last 3 cars in Portland using the dealers pricing on each other any suggestions for a good one ... Thanks Matt
  • strokeoluck1strokeoluck1 Member Posts: 37
    Hi all, I'm considering buying a 500 in the near future. Can someone please direct me to a link that will provide me with the dealers "true" cost?

    I hear much talk about invoice cost (which seems a bit bogus), holdbacks, etc. But where can I go to find the dealer's true cost so that I can start negotiating from there? Edmunds "TMV" and "Invoice Cost" don't seem to hit the mark in this regard - correct?

    Also, is there a site where I can go to e-mail all the dealers in my metro area and ask them to quote me on a 500? Thanks!

    - Rob
  • strokeoluck1strokeoluck1 Member Posts: 37
    Hi All, I went ahead and purchased a Ford Five Hundred AWD Limited that was being used as a demonstrator vehicle by a local dealership. It was fully loaded and they even installed a remote starter as well. List was ~$30,800. It had 5,000 miles on it. They sold it to me for $27,000 before tax, title, etc. I financed it for 5 years at 1.9%. Hope this helps others...

    - Rob
  • mnfmnf Member Posts: 405
    For a small fee around $ 10.00 go to
    www.consumerreports.org... Good Luck.
  • jrdoajrdoa Member Posts: 11
    Just curious to see if anyone has used this plan to purchase a Ford 500 or Mercury Montego. This plan is for retirees, suppliers, vendors of Ford. I'm interested to see what kinds of prices you received or were offered.
  • jekcartalkjekcartalk Member Posts: 4
    Bought 5/2005, rec'd estimated 4k discount ( traded 98 Expedition EB 4x4, 90k miles) List 31k trade around 10-11k. discount ~4K
    Went in and said want this car for 27.5K out the door, got it for 28k out the door.
    Anytime you trade-in your discount is a guesstimate. = $27,200.
    Hope this helps.
    Really like the car so far after two thousand miles.
    Will post in other forum as far as thoughts about the car...
  • javnerjavner Member Posts: 23
    Help.

    Local Ford Dealer has a Five Hundred in the paper for $13,880 :surprise: !! Obviously it is a SE FWD with no options. There is some fine print BS that not all people will qualify, but what programs are they using to get to this price?

    Okay, TMV is 20,399 - $1,000 (ford rebate) is $19,400. What else is out there for $5600 in additional discounts. Active military (don't qualify) is only $500. Recent grad (don't qualify) is what $400?

    BTW, they have an Expedition in the same ad for around $15k (4x2 XLS).

    Obviously they are trying to get some traffic since GM is doing well with the employee pricing campaign, but this is just over the top. Great deal for that one guy in a million that would actually qualify I guess. Emailed the salesperson we bought our Expedition from last fall about the unit and he didn't even know or worse yet didn't even seem to try to find out for me. Obviously the ad is a source of humour for the sales staff I guess.

    Thanks!
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