I just saw the invoice for a FFH that would be at one of my South Florida's dealerships on Monday or Tuesday (March 9th or 10th). Problem is, an employee said that it's not likely the dealership will sell it since they'll want to show it off. He also said that the owner hadn't decided what it would sell for (ie: how much of a dealer greed tax they would add!). I will write my state representatives in Washington and Ford corporate and boycott any dealership that tries overcharge due to demand. Jeez, these guys are struggling to stay alive and they're still playing like it's business as usual!

 

When do the principles of supply & demand cross over into greed?

The dealer is doing his job when he prices the vehicle at when he thinks the market will bear, ie., whan one buyer will pay at some point in the near future. But if he's hoping for a windfall he's going against what this mega-dealer is seeing: Hybrids gather dust at AutoNation dealerships

Your alternative is to take your hard-earned dollars elsewhere if you think the price is too high. AutoNation is in the south, check with them. Craigs List, for where I live, seems to have a steady stream of 2 and 3 year old hybrids for what look like good prices. Get one of these and get a mechanical warranty add-on.

 

I agree with the greed assesment. I visited a Ford dealer today and "tried" to order a Fusion Hybrid with the 502A and was told I could get it for "full sticker plus $1,000.00"... OUCH! I mentioned that I know two people that have ordered theirs at Invoice in two other states and they told me to go buy it there! I have no idea how they got the invoice price and think they may experience the "bait and switch" when the vehicles arrive. They did say they would sell "ANY" other vehicle (except FEH) on their lot for invoice, but not the FFH! The manager said he is only getting 10 between now and November and if gasoline goes back up he can sell all 10 at full sticker plus a thousand. I mentioned that Toyota has multiple TCH's on the local lots and he might be surprised that he does not get a whole lot of takers for an additional $1k. He said, "we'll see". I went upward and spoke to the owner and she said because I purchased a 2005 from them; she would sell it at full sticker to me, plus document fees, etc. So much for the tax credit as it is going to the dealers. I politely said no thank you, I will go look at the Camry and Prius Hybrids. Ford has really blown it on this and it will not be a real successful effort like Toyota has had. According to this dealership, only 25,000 being made over the next 12 to 18 months. Supply and demand? Sure... along with good old-fashioned greed!

 

^ That's too bad. It really just depends on the dealer though. I ordered a FFH with the same package from a small family run dealer, and the salesman just quoted me the list price. Actually, I'm more surprised because your dealer expects to receive 10 FFHs by November -- I think that's more than most are getting. You might try checking with another dealer and maybe you'll have better luck.

 

Todd,

That is a bummer about the dealer pricing. Part of me is upset; part of me understands that the dealer wants to make some money on this car. My guess is that the car will sell very well this year, but that there may be some discounts. However, the FEH is still selling strong, so who knows.

I am lucky living in SoCal so far as hybrids go. There is a huge selection and the car companies really push them to the consumer. I got a good deal on the FFH (with 502A) because I had a special pricing deal. If not, I would have paid more, perhaps MSRP.

I think Ford wants as many confirmed orders as possible by the end of the month, so check around with other dealers. Also, there is no harm in ordering out of state. I have done it before without hassle and saved money. Out here, many enthusiasts wait until the winter and order convertibles (or other sports cars) from dealers in Cleveland. You could imagine the lack of interest in a soft top when there is 10 feet of snow outside.

Keep looking!!!

 

I agree with the it-depends-on-the-dealer statements. I learned as much when shopping around for a MMH. Figure out who the high volume dealers are in your local area, try them, and if that doesn't work, expand that regionally to 'as far as you're willing to drive to pick it up'.

If gas prices keep going up, the dealers will be more inclined to think they can get sticker + premium over that.

 

Thanks everyone for the advice. I made the mistake of running out to buy my 06 HCH and paid full sticker and had to really get aggressive to get that as it was the only one in the greater Salt Lake City area. The only way I got it was by telling them I was going down the street to buy the Prius if they did not drop the "extra" dealer sticker price. My wife wants me to wait. Yeah, she keeps throwing that Dave Ramsey stuff around. We can afford it, but she keeps telling me even the hybrids lose a great deal in the first 60 months. Oddly, if I had waited on my HCH for six months they had so many on the lots they were selling them at a few hundred over invoice.

Also, a different dealer left a message on my voice-mail today saying the manager said he would drop $1k off the factory MSRP if I order a FFH, but that would be the lowest he will go. Do you guys think that is a good deal or can I do better in six months.

Hmmmmmmm, do I ignore wife (and Dave Ramsey) and get what I want or do I listen and wait and hope that six months from now they have some on the lots sitting so I can get a better deal? My wife will get right on board once she drives it, she always does. She was against my HCH until she drove it and then she fell in love with it! We just need a larger vehicle so I sold it. What do you think??

 

It's tough to say. I figure there is probably an initial glut of demand since Ford has been promoting the FFH through the media the last few months. Once the initial demand is satisfied, the question becomes the matter of ongoing supply and demand, much of which will depend on where the economy and the price of fuel goes.

Most people seem to believe that once the economy recovers, demand will cause fuel prices to increase, which should in turn case an increase in demand for fuel efficient vehicles like the FFH/MMH. So if this happens, you still may not see many/any FFHs sitting on dealer's lots.

I ordered a FFH from my dealer at full MSRP. There was no attempt by the dealer to charge anything other than that. I could have probably asked to negotiate pricing, but in all honesty I didn't think I'd have that kind of flexibility with a brand new vehicle that has limited supply. But it sounds like others have had some success negotiating.

Also keep in mind the tax credit. I still have no clear, final answer on whether the IRS will honor the full tax credit based on order date vs. purchase date, but even at $1700 beginning April 1, the tax credit will help make up for the lack of a dealer discount to me.

The biggest downside is the fact that you can't test drive a FFH at this point in time, unless you happen to be an auto journalist. So you're relying completely on the reviews of others in making a pretty big investment. I decided to make the leap based on such evidence due to my needs and my long-term expectations that fuel prices will go up, and right now I'm just hoping the end product turns out as good as the reviews claim.

 

Todd,

If you don't mind coming to Southern California, I can contact my sales person and ask whether he can get you a better price.

 

Get on your online stock trading account and buy 100-200 shares of "F" stock. Go to the Ford investor relations website and download the X-Plan paperwork. Call dealers and ask if they will X-Plan a FFH (or whatever) and if they will, place your order by 3/31 to get the full $3,400 tax incentive.