Albuquerque dealer & remote ordering

[frankmorris]

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!

Hey Mark! Thanks for weighing in, and I think I'm coming to the same conclusion. Convenience, not putting miles on the car, building a relationship with a local dealer, etc. would be worth spending a bit more local, but there may not be a choice. I actually out a call a few days ago (before staring this thread) to one of the two local dealerships you mentioned, had a good conversation, then was interrupted by another customer showing up, now no return call. Called again and got a hold of the sales person, who was apparently selling another car at the time, promising to get back to me. Nothing yet. I could understand a local company not being able to match pricing, but providing excellent service is free.

Having read the longer thread about recommended dealers (took about 2 hours to make it through 57 pages), it seems there are one or two dealerships up in CO Springs, as well as one just across the border in AZ and 1-2 more in Phoenix area that may be worth dealing with. I'd do 6 hours. Idaho is a stretch, but the drive is nice!

Looking forward to hearing what you end up doing...

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[frankmorris]

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!

Hey Bill - sounds like it may not be worth continuing my quest to buy local. I can understand needing to make a profit and not being able to match the country's top dealers, but your experience sounds way over the top.

As a follow-up, before you ordered did you research anyone up in CO or over in AZ? Wondering if anyone came in second place with your business in case I can't stomach the drive from AR - about to have to make that trip, and might not want to do it again so soon.

 

[old8tora]

Hey Bill - sounds like it may not be worth continuing my quest to buy local. I can understand needing to make a profit and not being able to match the country's top dealers, but your experience sounds way over the top.

As a follow-up, before you ordered did you research anyone up in CO or over in AZ? Wondering if anyone came in second place with your business in case I can't stomach the drive from AR - about to have to make that trip, and might not want to do it again so soon.

So , what are you deciding ? My 2 cents is I want my state's Lemon Law protection , so I'd order locally . Chiseling the local dealer will not help if you have a future problem . If you are looking at these prices , then you can probably afford it . If you are going to pay up from $35K up , starting with a 2-door , up to over $50K for a 4-door , why try to chisel the local dealer , whom you may need to depend on ?

(Once I walked into a Mercedes dealer just to see the high prices . No one offered to meet or greet me , because they realized I couldn't afford it . They probably saw me park in my $25K JK .)

 

[frankmorris]

So , what are you deciding ? My 2 cents is I want my state's Lemon Law protection , so I'd order locally . Chiseling the local dealer will not help if you have a future problem . If you are looking at these prices , then you can probably afford it . If you are going to pay up from $35K up , starting with a 2-door , up to over $50K for a 4-door , why try to chisel the local dealer , whom you may need to depend on ?

(Once I walked into a Mercedes dealer just to see the high prices . No one offered to meet or greet me , because they realized I couldn't afford it . They probably saw me park in my $25K JK .)

Great question about the lemon law - definitely need to research before deciding. There are certainly several advantages to shopping local which I don't want to pass over.

I work in the nonprofit sector, and haven't bought a car for about 15 years, so while I have the money saved up, I wouldn't say that I'm in the position that I can simply afford whatever the dealer decides to charge. I'd also say that dealers are used to negotiating a price in between MSRP and the final, out-the-door price, so I doubt I'd be damaging relationships by entering negotiations. That said, I agree that finding a fair price to both sides, and being respectful, are good ways of doing business.

 

[old8tora]

Great question about the lemon law - definitely need to research before deciding. There are certainly several advantages to shopping local which I don't want to pass over.

I work in the nonprofit sector, and haven't bought a car for about 15 years, so while I have the money saved up, I wouldn't say that I'm in the position that I can simply afford whatever the dealer decides to charge. I'd also say that dealers are used to negotiating a price in between MSRP and the final, out-the-door price, so I doubt I'd be damaging relationships by entering negotiations. That said, I agree that finding a fair price to both sides, and being respectful, are good ways of doing business.

Excellent points . I agree completely about fair price to both sides , and being respectful .

I am in poorer shape than you . I am a disabled veteran , but an inexpensive-Jeep loyalist . I saved for a while before I had my $25K purchase price . But when I special ordered , the fleet manager explained a fair discount without my needing to ask . He is on salary , so he doesn't need to up-sale me anything . My only request in return was a perfect Jeep . They came through .

My understanding is an out-of-state dealer will make a sale cheaper , but how can you know if anyone had problems with it ? To me , to save a mere few thousand , and adding on travel expenses , is not worth it .

At least with a local buy , you have the protection of your state's lemon law and your attorney general . If a local attorney general writes to a local dealer , the dealer will pay attention .

 

[MarkB]

In my mind it's an easy decision. First do due diligence and only buy a car that has a reputation for reliability. For me this means avoiding the untested 4-cylinder turbo and keep with the 6-cylinder engine that has been around for a long time. Also the lemon law is needed more on used cars than new. The new car comes with a factory warranty and other consumer protections. The local dealer is glad to do the warranty work on the car, whether you bought the car from them or not.

We have an antiquated system of selling cars with very little local completion. The product is the same regardless of which dealer sells the Jeep. They all come from the same factory. Buying out-of-state, that $50k jeep is only 45K. It's a calculated risk. Replacing my 2000 Volvo that I bought in 1999 directly from the Factory Delivery Center Gothenburg Sweden and drove for 19 years.

I have no interest in building a relationship with anyone at the local dealership. Instead it is better to build a relationship with a good independent repair shop. The dealers in the local area have chosen to not compete on price. They might sell a slightly lower volume that they would if there was more competition but the make a huge profit on each unit. The same owners have several dealerships covering different brands. As Frank pointed out most buyers locally only care about the monthly payment, so many are happy to pay over MSRP and the dealers make plenty of profit.

I'm going out-of-state where dealers make much less on each unit they sell but make up for it on the high volume. Also I trust the reviews on this forum from the many that have done the same.

 

[old8tora]

First do due diligence and only buy a car that has a reputation for reliability.
Also the lemon law is needed more on used cars than new.
It's a calculated risk.
Instead it is better to build a relationship with a good independent repair shop.
I'm going out-of-state where dealers make much less on each unit they sell but make up for it on the high volume.

1 and 2 are counterintuitive to Jeep .

3 and 4 are intuitive to Jeep .

5 is counterintuitive to reality .

 

[old8tora]

Replacing my 2000 Volvo that I bought in 1999 directly from the Factory Delivery Center Gothenburg Sweden and drove for 19 years.

Completely opposite from Jeep , for the entire time .

 

[frankmorris]

In my mind it's an easy decision. First do due diligence and only buy a car that has a reputation for reliability. For me this means avoiding the untested 4-cylinder turbo and keep with the 6-cylinder engine that has been around for a long time. Also the lemon law is needed more on used cars than new. The new car comes with a factory warranty and other consumer protections. The local dealer is glad to do the warranty work on the car, whether you bought the car from them or not.

We have an antiquated system of selling cars with very little local completion. The product is the same regardless of which dealer sells the Jeep. They all come from the same factory. Buying out-of-state, that $50k jeep is only 45K. It's a calculated risk. Replacing my 2000 Volvo that I bought in 1999 directly from the Factory Delivery Center Gothenburg Sweden and drove for 19 years.

I have no interest in building a relationship with anyone at the local dealership. Instead it is better to build a relationship with a good independent repair shop. The dealers in the local area have chosen to not compete on price. They might sell a slightly lower volume that they would if there was more competition but the make a huge profit on each unit. The same owners have several dealerships covering different brands. As Frank pointed out most buyers locally only care about the monthly payment, so many are happy to pay over MSRP and the dealers make plenty of profit.

I'm going out-of-state where dealers make much less on each unit they sell but make up for it on the high volume. Also I trust the reviews on this forum from the many that have done the same.

Mark do you have any suggestions for independent Jeep mechanics in the ABQ area? Not sure if that's forum permissible or not - if a PM would be better?

 

[MarkB]

Mark do you have any suggestions for independent Jeep mechanics in the ABQ area? Not sure if that's forum permissible or not - if a PM would be better?

No but I would like recommendations from a members here. I have started looking out as I drive around to see if there is a shop where all the old Jeeps go to be worked on.

This will be my first Jeep. I have been going to Independent Volvo (now Independent Vehicle Services) for 30 years. But they only work on select imports. Fortunately they work on Toyotas so the wife's van can go there. I use the dealer for cheap synthetic oil changes but say "no" every time they try to up sell fuel injector service and alignments.

I did also did have another general mechanic for other vehicles but he sold the business a few years ago. Any recommendations?

 

[old8tora]

Any recommendations?

Check Yelp for reviews , and recommend don't go out of state for maintenance or purchase ; keep your New Mexico legal rights including lemon law protection .

Also , consider whether Jeeps are completely different from Volvos .

 

[MarkB]

[QUOTE="Also , consider whether Jeeps are completely different from Volvos."[/QUOTE]

Yes, That's why I want one. I had a 1962 P-1800 (The Saint Car) and a 1975 164E but my fascination with Volvos is over.

 

[frankmorris]

No but I would like recommendations from a members here. I have started looking out as I drive around to see if there is a shop where all the old Jeeps go to be worked on.

This will be my first Jeep. I have been going to Independent Volvo (now Independent Vehicle Services) for 30 years. But they only work on select imports. Fortunately they work on Toyotas so the wife's van can go there. I use the dealer for cheap synthetic oil changes but say "no" every time they try to up sell fuel injector service and alignments.

I did also did have another general mechanic for other vehicles but he sold the business a few years ago. Any recommendations?

Thanks for the heads up on the mechanic - I've got a Toyota as well so will check them out. Sadly I don't have any Jeep recs, but will look forward to hopefully someone chiming in as well.

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