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SoCal Dealer Experience - need advice

dezeinstein

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Greetings JLers! New user here - have really been enjoying the forums and learning about the JL from the people who drive them and love them.

My wife and I have been trying to track down a unicorn - looking to purchase a 2019 2 door Wrangler Sport S, in Granite Crystal Metallic, with the 4 cylinder and a soft top. We cannot find one in stock anywhere within 500 miles of us. With the factory down for the 2020 changeover, we don't want to custom order and wait until after summer for delivery.

We're both former Jeep owners - she had a CJ-7 in high school in the early 80's, and I had a '94 YJ (don't hate on the rectangular headlights). The dealer experience here in Southern California has been less than stellar in the couple of weeks we've been looking. I won't call out specific dealers, but our salesman for the test drive knew almost nothing about the truck, and kept trying to talk us into a 4 door since "we have a million of them sitting on the lot." At another dealer, our 2-week-on-the-job saleswoman answered one of my questions with "I'm better trained in Chrysler products - I could sell you a Pacifica." I think she was kidding, but not really sure. We left.

As convenient as the internet has made checking a dealer's inventory, it's still a relative pain in the ass. And it only seems to get worse when you get a human at the dealership involved. Cars that show in inventory are actually in transit, and I've been told they'll be in in 1-4 weeks. I can't seem to get a straight answer regarding availability or price via email or the phone, and most of the other salespeople just tell me to come on in and we'll work something out.

Is this just how it is generally with Jeep dealers? Is it a SoCal thing? We're ready to buy a JL tomorrow, if we could just find the car we want and someone who knows how to sell it to us! Also, do you think any dealer will swap a hard top for a premium soft top? One dealer said I could buy the soft top and just leave the hard top with them. Awfully generous of him!
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RubiJR

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Every dealer I have been to I am more informed than they are. I'm in SoCal as well. I think all dealers are like this and just want to sell the vehicles. On a positive note if you know more than they do and print out the Map of Dealers in SoCal with the % discounts from them maybe you can get the inexperienced salesperson to take it back to try to get your price lowered. If you have 30 days make sure you join Tread Lightly and get the 1% off your negotiated price
 

Lateapex

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I cross-shopped multiple dealers in the greater San Diego area, and ultimately ordered my new JL through Poway Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram. The staff at this smallish dealership was friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, and most importantly (to me) not pushy. I dealt mostly with Sean and Phil, and got what I think is a good deal with no drama.

Overall a very positive experience.
 

Lateapex

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Hi David - have you tried a search through CarGurus? Just for fun, I put your Jeep parameters into it, and a 2019 JL Sport S, Granite, 2L Turbo, soft top popped right up in Ontario.
 

piloto

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I haven’t yet purchased as I’m waiting for the 2020. I’ve contacted numerous ones about ordering and trying to get discounts anywhere near what other dealers in other states are giving, and the only one that offered a 3% off invoice right off the bat with no negotiation was Poway Jeep.

I haven’t pushed them further to see if they can match the guys in Idaho, it even get close to them, but they’ve been the easiest to deal with. Every other dealer (and there are around 39 of them in SoCal) act like I’m asking for a discount on a special order Ferrari.

It’s not like this for many other brands. But unfortunately FCA dealerships in SoCal are generally crap.
 

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RubiJR

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ProjectJL

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The SoCal dealers are out of their minds. Order from a dealer out of state. I went to Nevada, Jim Marsh.
 

SleepEatJeepRepeat

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Best I found was 2% off invoice buying from Jim marsh in Vegas at 5% under invoice
 

piloto

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The SoCal dealers are out of their minds. Order from a dealer out of state. I went to Nevada, Jim Marsh.
So Jim Marsh will be about 5% off of invoice if you finance with them. If you don’t finance with them, then they’re roughly 3% off of invoice, at which point it’s the same as Poway Jeep.
 

ProjectJL

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So Jim Marsh will be about 5% off of invoice if you finance with them. If you don’t finance with them, then they’re roughly 3% off of invoice, at which point it’s the same as Poway Jeep.
I think it’s only a 1% change if you don’t finance with them.

I asked dealers in CA to match it within $1,000 and nobody would. Including a dealer I got a fully loaded GC Trailhawk from a month prior who was recommended to me because one of my close friends is friends with the owner.

If I were up for a road trip, or shipping, I would have bought from Criswell.
 

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piloto

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I think it’s only a 1% change if you don’t finance with them.

I asked dealers in CA to match it within $1,000 and nobody would. Including a dealer I got a fully loaded GC Trailhawk from a month prior who was recommended to me because one of my close friends is friends with the owner.

If I were up for a road trip, or shipping, I would have bought from Criswell.
I had them all quote me the same thing. A well loaded JLUR, with my own financing through my CU, 10% down, and no-trade in. The folks in Vegas were at 5% if I financed through them, and if not, it came out to 3%. Part of that was because they seen to tack on a $500 or so doc fee when not financing through them.

The best option seems to be Peterson in Nampa, ID, especially if they can ship it for a low fee. I'd happily drive back as well, so that's an easy option too.
 
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dezeinstein

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Hi David - have you tried a search through CarGurus? Just for fun, I put your Jeep parameters into it, and a 2019 JL Sport S, Granite, 2L Turbo, soft top popped right up in Ontario.
Don't know how I missed that one - will contact them today - thanks!

And thanks to everyone for their advice. I've purchased/leased a lot of new cars over the years, and dealing with these Jeep dealers has definitely been among my worst experiences so far. They have great, unique products, and they're not cheap. They should step up their game.

I have gone out of state to buy in the past, so maybe I will go that route if this Ontario dealer won't give us a decent deal.
 

Durango

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Hi David - have you tried a search through CarGurus? Just for fun, I put your Jeep parameters into it, and a 2019 JL Sport S, Granite, 2L Turbo, soft top popped right up in Ontario.
A word of caution...I've found in the past that the info on CarGurus is not always current - often the vehicle they show as being at a particular store has already been sold...
 

Durango

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I have (once again) ordered a new vehicle (Jeep Unl. Rubicon) through Hunter in Lancaster, because they didn't have what I wanted in stock. Looking at inventories from pretty much the Rockies west - no one had the vehicle exactly as I wanted - so ordering was the best route. Hunter always takes good care of me, both on sales of new vehicles, and purchase of my used or trades - I've now done factory orders with them for four vehicles in the last year-plus, because they didn't have exactly what I wanted in stock. They are more concerned about the customer being happy than selling what's on the lot - although they really dig deep on discounts if you do want something off the lot.
 

RubiJR

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"if this Ontario dealer won't give us a decent deal."

Have you tried Moss in San Bernardino?
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