greypilgrim76
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Chris
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2021
- Threads
- 7
- Messages
- 57
- Reaction score
- 165
- Location
- Terre Haute, IN
- Vehicle(s)
- 2011 Kia Soul +, 2011 Subaru Outback
- Occupation
- English Professor
- Thread starter
- #1
Hi All,
So I’ve just joined the Ranger5G forum, but I’ve been reading the posts here pretty in-depth for a few weeks now. After six years of driving my 2011 Kia Soul (which is actually a pretty dang reliable little car), I’ve decided it’s time to get my first truck. We used to borrow my in-laws’ F-450 whenever we needed a truck, but they’ve recently retired and moved to Oregon, and we only have the Kia and a Subaru Outback (which will actually hold an astonishing amount of cargo, but doesn’t work well for bags of mulch, large appliances, etc.). Back in the ‘90s, half the kids I was in high school with seemed to have a Ranger, and I always liked them, so that’s where my mind went when I started thinking “truck,” and honestly, after doing a lot of research online and checking out various brands at local dealerships, I’m convinced that the Ranger’s probably the best choice for my needs, which are mostly commuting, hauling my family around (crew cab for sure), possibly some mild winter driving (though we’ve also got the Subaru for that), and the odd trip onto backroads for fishing or mushroom hunting.
Based on these needs and some convenience preferences, here’s the Ranger I want:
2021 XLT SuperCrew 4x2
Trailer Tow Package
Reverse Sensing System
Electronic-Locking Rear Differential
110V AC Power Outlet
The base XLT package gets me everything else I care about, except for rearview mirror upgrade, but I don’t think that’s worth the cost of the package upgrade it’s part of. I also plan to get a spray-on bedliner, running boards, and a box extender, but it looks to me like all of those can be had cheaper as aftermarket upgrades. I’ve looked at the used market, of course, but in my corner of the Midwest, used trucks demand such a premium that I’d only be saving a grand or two on a truck that’s already got 15–20k miles on it, so new just makes a lot more sense to me, especially with the warranty that comes along for the ride, to buy new.
I’ve been in conversation with a salesperson at our local Ford dealership who’s been quite helpful, and she and I have mostly reached the conclusion that ordering a Ranger is the best way to get what I’m looking for and not pay for things I’m not. I’m not in any huge hurry, so the 3-month (or more, depending on chip availability) wait estimate’s not a problem, and she says that I can lock in the current incentive ($1750 rebate) and add any incentives that pop up before it arrives. Overall, I’m currently at the beginning of what I’d call the “final negotiation” stage of things.
Having bought exactly one new car in my life (in an unusual deal on an early lease return issue) and having never bought a truck, though, I thought I’d finally jump in here and ask a few questions, since y’all seem to know waaaay more about this stuff than I do.
First, a few questions about the build:
-The standalone locking rear differential is about $175 cheaper than the full FX2 package, and it’s the only feature in that package that I know I want. (I’m not an offroader, so a 4x4 would be overkill for a primarily commuter truck, but a little extra ability to get unstuck would come in handy.) Most of the other stuff in the FX2 package doesn’t seem particularly important to me (decal, a/t tires, tow hooks, off-road screen cluster, plastic quasi-skid plate), but I’m not sure about the “offroad-tuned suspension,” since none of Ford’s literature that I can find really explains what that means. As somebody who’s been driving a Kia Soul around for more than half a decade, I suspect any new Ranger is going to be a solid improvement in the “smooth ride” category, but I’m not sure whether the offroad suspension would give me a smoother ride than the standard. I mostly just want to avoid feeling every pothole and railroad track in my spine.
-Also, am I undervaluing any of the other FX2 features? Is it worth the extra $175 based on my preferences?
-Does anyone know if Ford will add the rearview mirror upgrade without the 301 package?
-Finally, am I completely missing any upgrades that you think are important? (Other than the aftermarket ones I mentioned?)
My other questions are about negotiating the final price of the truck. After some back-and-forth with the salesperson, she’s offering to order the Ranger XLT I’ve described above (which has an MSRP w/ D&D of $33,385) for a sale price of $30,365, which includes the current $1750 Ford rebate plus the “dealer discount.” With tax, title, and license, it’d have a final OTD price of $32,835.63. In looking over pricing info online, KBB puts the “fair purchase price” in the range of $31,097–$33,094, with their average price at $32,096. Edmunds’ suggested price is $30,488. The invoice docs I found elsewhere in the forum show the total invoice price for this truck w/buyback, before the Ford rebate, to be $32,073 (including D&D), so this leads me to believe that the truck costs the local dealership $30,323 after the rebate. But that means they’d be making a profit of $42 off the sale, which doesn’t seem right to me, especially considering that the salesperson put her price out there without much prodding from me.
So, here are my questions:
-Does $32,835.63 OTD in a state with 7% sales tax (Indiana) seem to be in the ballpark of a good deal?
-Am I missing something in these numbers? (I buy cars so infrequently that I’m just not super savvy about this part of things.)
-If you think there is room for negotiation, do you think it’d be better to ask for further discount or some sort of additional equipment at this price? (Remote start, for example.)
Okay, I think that’s it for now. I know this was a super-long post, especially for a new guy, but I’ve found the posts here to be extremely helpful so far, so I figured I’d see what y’all thought about these specifics.
Of course, thanks for any help you can offer!
-Chris
So I’ve just joined the Ranger5G forum, but I’ve been reading the posts here pretty in-depth for a few weeks now. After six years of driving my 2011 Kia Soul (which is actually a pretty dang reliable little car), I’ve decided it’s time to get my first truck. We used to borrow my in-laws’ F-450 whenever we needed a truck, but they’ve recently retired and moved to Oregon, and we only have the Kia and a Subaru Outback (which will actually hold an astonishing amount of cargo, but doesn’t work well for bags of mulch, large appliances, etc.). Back in the ‘90s, half the kids I was in high school with seemed to have a Ranger, and I always liked them, so that’s where my mind went when I started thinking “truck,” and honestly, after doing a lot of research online and checking out various brands at local dealerships, I’m convinced that the Ranger’s probably the best choice for my needs, which are mostly commuting, hauling my family around (crew cab for sure), possibly some mild winter driving (though we’ve also got the Subaru for that), and the odd trip onto backroads for fishing or mushroom hunting.
Based on these needs and some convenience preferences, here’s the Ranger I want:
2021 XLT SuperCrew 4x2
Trailer Tow Package
Reverse Sensing System
Electronic-Locking Rear Differential
110V AC Power Outlet
The base XLT package gets me everything else I care about, except for rearview mirror upgrade, but I don’t think that’s worth the cost of the package upgrade it’s part of. I also plan to get a spray-on bedliner, running boards, and a box extender, but it looks to me like all of those can be had cheaper as aftermarket upgrades. I’ve looked at the used market, of course, but in my corner of the Midwest, used trucks demand such a premium that I’d only be saving a grand or two on a truck that’s already got 15–20k miles on it, so new just makes a lot more sense to me, especially with the warranty that comes along for the ride, to buy new.
I’ve been in conversation with a salesperson at our local Ford dealership who’s been quite helpful, and she and I have mostly reached the conclusion that ordering a Ranger is the best way to get what I’m looking for and not pay for things I’m not. I’m not in any huge hurry, so the 3-month (or more, depending on chip availability) wait estimate’s not a problem, and she says that I can lock in the current incentive ($1750 rebate) and add any incentives that pop up before it arrives. Overall, I’m currently at the beginning of what I’d call the “final negotiation” stage of things.
Having bought exactly one new car in my life (in an unusual deal on an early lease return issue) and having never bought a truck, though, I thought I’d finally jump in here and ask a few questions, since y’all seem to know waaaay more about this stuff than I do.
First, a few questions about the build:
-The standalone locking rear differential is about $175 cheaper than the full FX2 package, and it’s the only feature in that package that I know I want. (I’m not an offroader, so a 4x4 would be overkill for a primarily commuter truck, but a little extra ability to get unstuck would come in handy.) Most of the other stuff in the FX2 package doesn’t seem particularly important to me (decal, a/t tires, tow hooks, off-road screen cluster, plastic quasi-skid plate), but I’m not sure about the “offroad-tuned suspension,” since none of Ford’s literature that I can find really explains what that means. As somebody who’s been driving a Kia Soul around for more than half a decade, I suspect any new Ranger is going to be a solid improvement in the “smooth ride” category, but I’m not sure whether the offroad suspension would give me a smoother ride than the standard. I mostly just want to avoid feeling every pothole and railroad track in my spine.
-Also, am I undervaluing any of the other FX2 features? Is it worth the extra $175 based on my preferences?
-Does anyone know if Ford will add the rearview mirror upgrade without the 301 package?
-Finally, am I completely missing any upgrades that you think are important? (Other than the aftermarket ones I mentioned?)
My other questions are about negotiating the final price of the truck. After some back-and-forth with the salesperson, she’s offering to order the Ranger XLT I’ve described above (which has an MSRP w/ D&D of $33,385) for a sale price of $30,365, which includes the current $1750 Ford rebate plus the “dealer discount.” With tax, title, and license, it’d have a final OTD price of $32,835.63. In looking over pricing info online, KBB puts the “fair purchase price” in the range of $31,097–$33,094, with their average price at $32,096. Edmunds’ suggested price is $30,488. The invoice docs I found elsewhere in the forum show the total invoice price for this truck w/buyback, before the Ford rebate, to be $32,073 (including D&D), so this leads me to believe that the truck costs the local dealership $30,323 after the rebate. But that means they’d be making a profit of $42 off the sale, which doesn’t seem right to me, especially considering that the salesperson put her price out there without much prodding from me.
So, here are my questions:
-Does $32,835.63 OTD in a state with 7% sales tax (Indiana) seem to be in the ballpark of a good deal?
-Am I missing something in these numbers? (I buy cars so infrequently that I’m just not super savvy about this part of things.)
-If you think there is room for negotiation, do you think it’d be better to ask for further discount or some sort of additional equipment at this price? (Remote start, for example.)
Okay, I think that’s it for now. I know this was a super-long post, especially for a new guy, but I’ve found the posts here to be extremely helpful so far, so I figured I’d see what y’all thought about these specifics.
Of course, thanks for any help you can offer!
-Chris
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