I'm the one who started the "Fed Up with Ford" thread. I was at the dealer last night trying to decide if I wanted an 06 FEH as a replacement vehicle or something completely different (like an Explorer Sport Trac which would replace my husband's truck and give us the towing capacity we need).

They had a whole line of 06 FEH's marked down $4,000 to $6,000 (red tags in window). These were brand new - not demos. One that we looked at had a sticker of $32K.....it was $26K on sale. They're offering these prices on top of the 0% financing and tax breaks.

How the heck is anyone with an 05 or 06 FEH supposed to sell/trade theirs in at a reasonable price when the new ones are marked down so much? I was considering taking the 06 Ford gives me and trading it in for something else - but now I'm guessing I won't be able to get more than $22-23K as a trade in (knowing how dealers operate).

Last I had heard, dealers were getting full sticker for these (some areas were actually going for above sticker). Why the big turnaround?

 

I haven't been in a dealership lately since every time I go to one, I leave with a new car. I have seen some ads in the paper showing good discounts but I figured it was only the stripped down white one they use to get you in the showroom.

I would have to guess that the discounts are due to supply catching up with demand and the FEH not being in short supply any more. I think if gas prices keep going up then this could be temporary. Heard on the radio this morning that gas prices will be $3+ this summer with no reprieve in sight. This should jack up the demand for hybrid vehicles.

I have heard that these cars do have a relatively low trade-in value but that is probably due to the fact that you don't get the tax credit if you buy one used. Even if it only has a few miles on it, once it is used, the credit is gone. You would be better off buying a brand new one, getting the credit and probably be no worse off at the bottom line.

If you like the Hybrid Escape (other than the problems you are having), I would say take the '06 they are offering you. There are so few bad ones out there, I would say odds are in your favor you won't get another lemon. I have two of these and am 100% satisfied with both of them. Of course if I had a bunch of problems with either of them, I might feel differently.

As always, just my opinion here.

Good luck with your decision making.

Ray

 

LOL! This was a whole row of them - with leather and other options. I don't think any were stripped versions but some were missing nav (no premium packages). This is a dealer that has been around a long time and it's not a stunt as far as I can tell. They had regular Escapes with Automatic starting at $13,999. That's just crazy! If I wasn't so mad at Ford, I would have grabbed one up. I guess Ford must be really hurting for sales - because those prices are better than any GM discounts I've seen in a while.

 

What were they selling a fully loaded AWD for? I was toying with the idea of upgrading to an 06 and the dealer called me back yesterday with 1k under invoice. Should I hold out for more?

 

They didn't have any that had the premium package on the lot that I could see (but may have had some locked up in back). All of them were marked down a MINIMUM of $4,500 - some as much as $6,500.

 

That's the American car market for you. I was going to trade in my '05 Limited for a hybrid but since it's loss about 40% of its value in a year (I bought it for $24K and I was getting trade in offers for $15K one year later), I decided not to. I like Ford because as bad as they are, at least it feels like they are trying. However, given all this, my Escape is probably my last car from the Detroit two.

 

what part of the country?