Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego Prices Paid and Buying Experience
Did you get a good deal? Pass on your negotiating tips here!
kirstie_h
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kirstie_h
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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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.
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
kirstie_h
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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)
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ?
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_h
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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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
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.
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.
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 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
Since you already bought it, it is too late for all that.
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.
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.
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.
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
- Rob
www.consumerreports.org... Good Luck.
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...
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!