I see 56 at these 5 dealers when you type in 90210 zip code...
I wonder if Ford has an explanation for this...
No hybrids in the midwest for months yet here is where they are all shipped..


http://www59.forddirect.fordvehicles...LS&statetoken=

Edit: Guess that link didn't work so click on search dealer inventory for escape hybrid and 90210 zip

 

This has been the case since the 08 FEH started shipping as best I can tell (stupid Ford web site doesn't do a wide enough search t really get a good picture).

As of today there are 0 available in my entire state but there are multiple dealers in CA that have 20+.

Just sad...

 

Wow, this ticks me off. My dealer couldn't find a hybrid, FEH or MMH on the entire east coast. It has been 8 weeks and I still don't have a VIN# for the MMH I ordered.

 

I had been searching inventory around me (eastern PA) for a month or two with nothing around, then last week 4-5 dealers around me all got one at about the same time, must have sent a truck around the area and everyone with one ordered it one.

 

Who in the 90210 zip code would be buying a Hybrid? What sells there are the Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Rover, and of course the Hummers. The Fords that sell would be classic muscle cars like a vintage Mustang.

Surplus of FEH in Beverly Hills? Doesn't surprise me.

 

Of course what I say is... if you can afford a FEH and it is really important to you, go to California and pick one up! That's what I did, and I live near Denver! It was totally worth an 18 hour drive ( one way ) to get the car of my dreams ( with dozens to choose from ) right off the lot with no waiting. And out there, there are discounts on them, and you don't pay any CA sales tax if you tell them you are taking it out of state. ( you must take it out of state the same day you buy it, and get it to where it will be registered within 7 days... CA dealer will give you temporary tags good in all 48 states that expire in 7 days ) Make it part of a family trip! See Disneyland while you are at it!

-John

 

I started looking at 90210 on a lark maybe even last summer. They got a huge influx of vehicles right before we bought ours in late Oct. Most at the newer sticker price.

We were looking as far away as Tampa for ours, but ended up finding it at a small-town dealership in AL. At the time, I had a list built using fordvehicles.com that covered all over the SE. It was definitely work to look up zipcodes and then search using their search engine.

 

Regarding buying from CA and driving it to your state, I'm not sure how recently GPSman1 purchased his (2005?), but the rules I believe have changed. I live in AZ and was contemplating this idea in the fall. When talking to CA dealership and the State of CA motor vehicle dept, both confirmed that you do pay sales tax AND register it in the state of CA. To avoid the CA registration fee, they would drive the car for me (for a fee) to the border of AZ where I would meet them and together we meet at an AZ motor vehicle location to register it in my name. I too thought it was not "fair" that CA had a load of hybrids and other states do not. Some story about CA having to meet driving standards??? Anyway, keep in mind, that southern CA had all of those fires in the fall, too. I have family in southern CA and the smoke/smell just permeated their furniture, curtains, etc. Not sure I want to work at getting the smell out of a $hybrid$. The dealers (three different dealers) never returned calls. Attitude was basically "I'm doing you a favor by selling you this car for $1000 over invoice". Of course this was all before the fires hit. California can keep them!

 

Okay... I forgot the meeting you at the border part. I belive the CA rules say, you must take delivery of the vehicle outside the CA border to avoid paying sales tax and fees.

Sometimes, you will find a dealer to do that, and sometimes you can get an "agent" to do the driving ( or a trailer company ) to take the car to the border, and the "agent" signs the paperwork.

In my case, I was able to buy the car ( in 2005 ) and drive it to the border of Nevada ( on the way to Vegas, which I was going to have to go that way anyhow to get back to Colorado ) with an agent of the dealer in the car ( no additional cost to me, btw ). At the Nevada border, we signed the papers that the delivery was in Nevada, and the paper was notarized. I had to get a ride for the agent back to CA ( which was at my cost ) but luckily, that's where my parents live, right next to the dealer in CA I bought the car from. So they gave him a lift back.

So I guess, the additional cost to me was the gas my parents burned taking the agent back to the dealer... but since they were my parents, they didn't ask for reimbursement.

I guess you need to look for a dealer that will work with you, and finding one close to the border would be helpful! I think you should be able to, if the Hybrids really are pileing up out there. In 2005, they were so new, no-one knew about them, so they weren't selling very quick... and the dealer I went to had 10, because he got his 5, plus got 5 more from an affiliated dealer near by via dealer trade I guess.

Sorry. I didn't give all the gory details, but for me, it really wasn't that gory!

P.S. If you drive a car out there that is not part of the trade in, you could use that car to take the agent back. Else, if the car you take out there IS part of the trade in, perhaps the agent ( dealer ) would use that car to take back without you in it?

In brief... if you want one badly enough, you can work this out.

 

As a follow up to purchasing in CA and going elsewhere, our dealer in AZ contacted a CA dealer to avoid duplicate registration. The CA dealer would not part with any of their 13 cars to our dealer. Supposedly dealers will only trade hybrid for hybrid.

I have a family member who lives about 1-mile from one of the CA dealers I contacted and had the thought, well I'll buy it long-distance and have my family member drive it over while he comes to AZ for business. CA rules would not let us do that either. The original purchaser must be present otherwise, we would have to meet at the border. I thought, well I'ld fly over, buy the car, then drive it back. No problem if I wanted to pay their sales tax (higher than AZ) AND pay CA registration fee in addition to me then re-registering it in AZ.

Anyway ... whatever works for someone, just be sure to contact the State of CA motor vehicle department for all the specifics and fees so you don't end up in hating the car before you get it across the border.