Albuquerque dealer & remote ordering

[frankmorris]

Hi folks!

New member here. Been test driving just about every car under the sun for 2 months and am ready to go with a JL Sahara Unlimited. I’d also like to throw a nod to this forum - the presence of a community like this was a big selling point for the vehicle for me.

So, many questions, but 3 to start:

Does anyone know of any recommended dealers in Albuquerque? Seems there are two. I’d like to stay local, but if no good prices and service are to be had, I can certainly travel.

Second, I’m moving in a few weeks and will be carless. Has anyone had experience with calling in an order? I’m more of an in-person kind of guy, but I’d ideally not like to be renting a car. Is good pricing to be had this way? Will I be able to preview before accepting delivery?

Third, relatedly, I’m searching for a certain color interior (black cloth) and exterior (yellow) big screen, Alpine sound, and a few other bells and whistles - what’s my likelihood of being able to find what I’m looking for relatively quickly, as opposed to having to order? I’m also assuming a good amount of the optionality can be added to a vehicle on the lot, but unsure of things like keyless entry/remote start.

Long story short, if I could show up and reasonably find what I’m looking for, I’d be happy to wait until I arrive, but if a dealer will need to trade and ship, I might be better off trying to order now?

Thanks I’m advance.

Sponsored

 

[frankmorris]

Anyone out there? Even just a partial answer would be most appreciated!

 

[JeepCares]

Hi folks!

New member here. Been test driving just about every car under the sun for 2 months and am ready to go with a JL Sahara Unlimited. I’d also like to throw a nod to this forum - the presence of a community like this was a big selling point for the vehicle for me.

So, many questions, but 3 to start:

Does anyone know of any recommended dealers in Albuquerque? Seems there are two. I’d like to stay local, but if no good prices and service are to be had, I can certainly travel.

Second, I’m moving in a few weeks and will be carless. Has anyone had experience with calling in an order? I’m more of an in-person kind of guy, but I’d ideally not like to be renting a car. Is good pricing to be had this way? Will I be able to preview before accepting delivery?

Third, relatedly, I’m searching for a certain color interior (black cloth) and exterior (yellow) big screen, Alpine sound, and a few other bells and whistles - what’s my likelihood of being able to find what I’m looking for relatively quickly, as opposed to having to order? I’m also assuming a good amount of the optionality can be added to a vehicle on the lot, but unsure of things like keyless entry/remote start.

Long story short, if I could show up and reasonably find what I’m looking for, I’d be happy to wait until I arrive, but if a dealer will need to trade and ship, I might be better off trying to order now?

Thanks I’m advance.

Hi frankmorris,
Welcome to the JL Wrangler family! I see that you are reaching out to the JL Wrangler community for answers but I thought I would try to help you out while you're waiting for some responses. If you follow this link: https://www.jeep.com/find-dealer.html you can see all of the Jeep dealerships in the Albuquerque area. From there, the dealer you choose can help you find the car you are looking for. If you every have any questions for us, you can always contact us by adding @JeepCares to your posts or you can send us a private message.
Lydia
Jeep Social Care Specialist

 

[frankmorris]

Hi frankmorris,
Welcome to the JL Wrangler family! I see that you are reaching out to the JL Wrangler community for answers but I thought I would try to help you out while you're waiting for some responses. If you follow this link: https://www.jeep.com/find-dealer.html you can see all of the Jeep dealerships in the Albuquerque area. From there, the dealer you choose can help you find the car you are looking for. If you every have any questions for us, you can always contact us by adding @JeepCares to your posts or you can send us a private message.
Lydia
Jeep Social Care Specialist

Thanks Lydia!

 

[old8tora]

Hi folks!

New member here. Been test driving just about every car under the sun for 2 months and am ready to go with a JL Sahara Unlimited. I’d also like to throw a nod to this forum - the presence of a community like this was a big selling point for the vehicle for me.

So, many questions, but 3 to start:

Does anyone know of any recommended dealers in Albuquerque? Seems there are two. I’d like to stay local, but if no good prices and service are to be had, I can certainly travel.

Second, I’m moving in a few weeks and will be carless. Has anyone had experience with calling in an order? I’m more of an in-person kind of guy, but I’d ideally not like to be renting a car. Is good pricing to be had this way? Will I be able to preview before accepting delivery?

Third, relatedly, I’m searching for a certain color interior (black cloth) and exterior (yellow) big screen, Alpine sound, and a few other bells and whistles - what’s my likelihood of being able to find what I’m looking for relatively quickly, as opposed to having to order? I’m also assuming a good amount of the optionality can be added to a vehicle on the lot, but unsure of things like keyless entry/remote start.

Long story short, if I could show up and reasonably find what I’m looking for, I’d be happy to wait until I arrive, but if a dealer will need to trade and ship, I might be better off trying to order now?

Thanks I’m advance.

If you get one transported from a remote dealer , how will you know if it is a lemon which was returned by the first purchaser ? How will you know if it is a lemon as judged by a dealer employee who drove it for a while ?

Always , always , special order . Then you can walk if it does not pass your delivery inspection .

 

[frankmorris]

If you get one transported from a remote dealer , how will you know if it is a lemon which was returned by the first purchaser ? How will you know if it is a lemon as judged by a dealer employee who drove it for a while ?

Always , always , special order . Then you can walk if it does not pass your delivery inspection .

Interesting question - would it be legal to sell a car as new that had been previously purchased then returned?

 

[old8tora]

Interesting question - would it be legal to sell a car as new that had been previously purchased then returned?

Don't know , but you never know who had it before or for what reason . Also , the new JL has many problems : see 'Issues , repairs' forum on this forum .

Would it be legal to sell a vehicle as new if the dealer had swapped an important part , for another Jeep being serviced ? Would it be legal to sell a vehicle as new if the electronics threw a code or two ? Would it be legal to sell a vehicle as new if dealer got it from another dealer and it was driven to you by an employee joy rider ? Don't know . But I wouldn't trust it .

Salesman will tell you : "don't worry about it ; it has a warranty" . However , warranty paper will not start your Jeep .

I'd special order , myself . And not take delivery until I did a good test drive and an inspection of the frame welds .

If you inspect you may avoid an insect .

 

[old8tora]

I’m moving in a few weeks and will be carless.
I’d ideally not like to be renting a car.

If your Jeep has any problems , as they have been known to have , you will again be carless , no ?

If you purchase a Toyota along with your Jeep , you will have at least one working , si ?

Nobody owns solely a Jeep as an only vehicle , no ?

First get the Toyota for reliability , and then get a Jeep for fun , si ?

 

[frankmorris]

If your Jeep has any problems , as they have been known to have , you will again be carless , no ?

If you purchase a Toyota along with your Jeep , you will have at least one working , si ?

Nobody owns solely a Jeep as an only vehicle , no ?

First get the Toyota for reliability , and then get a Jeep for fun , si ?

Great minds think alike. I actually have a Toyota now - old 4Runner - that I plan to keep around for a few years, then get an electric or small daily driver when that dies. From my research and test driving I think I’d be fine with the Jeep as a daily driver though, at least around where I’m moving to.

 

[frankmorris]

Don't know , but you never know who had it before or for what reason . Also , the new JL has many problems : see 'Issues , repairs' forum on this forum .

Would it be legal to sell a vehicle as new if the dealer had swapped an important part , for another Jeep being serviced ? Would it be legal to sell a vehicle as new if the electronics threw a code or two ? Would it be legal to sell a vehicle as new if dealer got it from another dealer and it was driven to you by an employee joy rider ? Don't know . But I wouldn't trust it .

Salesman will tell you : "don't worry about it ; it has a warranty" . However , warranty paper will not start your Jeep .

I'd special order , myself . And not take delivery until I did a good test drive and an inspection of the frame welds .

If you inspect you may avoid an insect .

I’m leaning toward ordering now, although to be honest I’m wondering if that increases the chances of ending up with an issue as I’d be more likely to take delivery and ignore smaller issues. Obviously won’t take a big defect, but if I had waited 2-3 months I’d be a lot less likely to want to wait another 2-3 months.

With the visual inspection and test drive, would those issues be obvious to spot? I’m not a mechanic by nature and am not sure I’d know what to look for.

Especially since ordering for 2019’s will likely open soon I’m tempted toward the order argument, but not sure when that ordering will be available and if new model year wait time might be significantly greater. Then again, the wait time might be less if I put in an order right away as there would be no one I’d be behind in line.

 

[old8tora]

I’m leaning toward ordering now, although to be honest I’m wondering if that increases the chances of ending up with an issue as I’d be more likely to take delivery and ignore smaller issues. Obviously won’t take a big defect, but if I had waited 2-3 months I’d be a lot less likely to want to wait another 2-3 months.

With the visual inspection and test drive, would those issues be obvious to spot? I’m not a mechanic by nature and am not sure I’d know what to look for.

Especially since ordering for 2019’s will likely open soon I’m tempted toward the order argument, but not sure when that ordering will be available and if new model year wait time might be significantly greater. Then again, the wait time might be less if I put in an order right away as there would be no one I’d be behind in line.

I would order only 2019 . Is it open Now ? Make sure it is exactly how you want it .

By the way , 2-doors are my favorite for traditional Jeep agility . Costs less , also .

You have a 4-runner , so you can wait for your order .

When I special ordered , I specified that I want "Military Spec" Perfect assembly . It must have worked , and someone must have been notified , because it was delivered flawless . If you find the correct Fleet Manager to order , he can set it up correctly . Fleet Managers have the factory contacts to talk with . ( Not salesman .)

If I were you , I would go to both Albuquerque dealers and speak to the Fleet Managers in person , and evaluate each . ( Not salesman )

Of course , I did not argue about their price , which was very fair , and I did not insult them by pressuring them for a lower price . I also told them I want it off the truck , and not harmed by some dealer pre-inspection idiots . After I paid and drove to a gas station , I took it to my pre-selected independent experienced Jeep mechanic and announced I will be his customer . You can find the best independent experienced Jeep mechanic by checking Yelp reviews . I found one with unanimous 5 star praiseworthy reviews , and I never take mine to a dealer .

Regards , old8tora

 

[MarkB]

I'm also in Albuquerque and visited both local dealers a few months ago. Both dealers seem to know they have the local market as their own and are determined to maximize their profit rather than negotiate competitively. The starting point on the window sticker is $1,800 to $2,000 above MSRP. They were willing to negotiate down closer to MSRP. They refused to discuss price in terms of invoice price. Just for the fun of it, I called the dealer in Los Lunas (30 miles south) asking for their best price for a Rubicon to make it worth my while buying from them instead of anywhere else regionally, including surrounding states. After playing the dealer trick of putting me on hold while checking with the regional manager, the answer was $200-400 below MSRP.

Having lurked on this forum for a while reading the other posts, a common theme seems to be that there are plenty of dealers, nationally, selling 5 percent below invoice, or 11 percent below MSRP. There seems to be good reviews on here about Denis Dillon in Idaho. So I'm waiting for the 2019 order banks to open before calling Idaho. It's worth it to me to spend $200 for a one way flight and a two-day drive back to Albuquerque to save $5,000.

I think we are in the same boat, so let me know if you find a better solution. Let's not play by the rules set by the two local dealers!

 

[old8tora]

$200-400 below MSRP.
Having lurked on this forum for a while reading the other posts, a common theme seems to be that there are plenty of dealers, nationally, selling 5 percent below invoice, or 11 percent below MSRP. There seems to be good reviews on here about Denis Dillon in Idaho. So I'm waiting for the 2019 order banks to open before calling Idaho. It's worth it to me to spend $200 for a one way flight and a two-day drive back to Albuquerque to save $5,000.

My 2 cents worth :

a. If you can afford a JL , negotiating from fake "invoice" seems demeaning for both buyer and seller . If you can afford a JL , the most important thing is to special order exactly what you want . I don't see how they can charge more than msrp if you special order , because your name will be on the window sticker along with the msrp price . ( I say that as one who cannot afford anything over $25K , which was the price of my JK Sport , and I had to save for a long time to get that together .) Someone who can afford a $50K vehicle isn't fooling a salesman for one second when he says he wants under a Potemkin "invoice" . Salesman will say "sure" , knowing that the fake "invoice" is much higher than the dealer cost .

b. If you order from a Fleet Manager you will get the exact build and customer care you want , without salesmen's commissions disturbing your sleep . Fleet managers' job is to get the customer exactly what he wants .

c. Although Idaho or Nevada may have attractive prices , you may not be covered under New Mexico lemon law if you buy out of state . I'd want my state attorney general to be on my side if any future dispute with dealer or manufacturer . Certainly the dealer will pay attention to his own state's attorney general . If you buy out of state , why would the New Mexico attorney general be on your side ?

d. Some out of state dealers add on extras which they want you to pay for , such as some sort of phony security device , or some sort of vendor ( not manufacturer ) extended warranty which gets bad reviews , or junky tint plastic sheets on windows , or spray paint protectant , all of which is for you to be overcharged .

 

[bbuck7777]

I'm also in Albuquerque and visited both local dealers a few months ago. Both dealers seem to know they have the local market as their own and are determined to maximize their profit rather than negotiate competitively. The starting point on the window sticker is $1,800 to $2,000 above MSRP. They were willing to negotiate down closer to MSRP. They refused to discuss price in terms of invoice price. Just for the fun of it, I called the dealer in Los Lunas (30 mile south) asking for their best price for a Rubicon to make it worth my while buying from them instead of anywhere else regionally, including surrounding states. After playing the dealer trick of putting me on hold while checking with the regional manager, the answer was $200-400 below MSRP.

Having lurked on this forum for a while reading the other posts, a common theme seems to be that there are plenty of dealers, nationally, selling 5 percent below invoice, or 11 percent below MSRP. There seems to be good reviews on here about Denis Dillon in Idaho. So I'm waiting for the 2019 order banks to open before calling Idaho. It's worth it to me to spend $200 for a one way flight and a two-day drive back to Albuquerque to save $5,000.

I think we are in the same boat, so let me know if you find a better solution. Let's not play by the rules set by the two local dealers!

I tired dealing with one of the dealers when the JL first came out, $5000 over MSRP. I laughed in their face and even the sales guys said it was rediculous. I ordered 2.0L 2/8 from Superior in Conway, AR (Kim) and will finally pick it up next week and enjoy the 743 mile drive for 6% UNDER invoice. Most ABQ buyers are into what payment they can afford and don't seem to care about $6k savings. Do your homework and you won't buy in ABQ. Buy local is a joke! Good luck!

 

[old8tora]

I tired dealing with one of the dealers when the JL first came out, $5000 over MSRP. I laughed in their face and even the sales guys said it was rediculous. I ordered 2.0L 2/8 from Superior in Conway, AR (Kim) and will finally pick it up next week and enjoy the 743 mile drive for 6% UNDER invoice. Most ABQ buyers are into what payment they can afford and don't seem to care about $6k savings. Do your homework and you won't buy in ABQ. Buy local is a joke! Good luck!

I'd rather drive through Alaska , than drive through Texas .

Sponsored