skromfols

Can anyone tell me how much room there is to negotiate on a certified blutec? I know how to find list and MSRP, etc., on new cars but have no idea how to determine a fair dealer mark up is on a Certified because I have no idea what the dealer paid to get the car back.

Plutoe

There is no fair this or that on a used car. It is very simple economics---how much was paid, how long has the dealer held the car in inventory and what are you willing to pay.

Test the waters offer a number below what you are willing to pay---did you get thrown off the lot or did "Mr.I gotta see my boss" come back with a price and then you walk off the lot-----with Mr. I gotta see my boss running after you saying let me see him again.

If you ever bought a rug----you can buy a car!! Good luck

ImInPA

There are sources on the net like Kelly Blue Book and Black Book that can give you an idea of what used/wholesale values vehicles have. This will at least give you a ballpark. Then you have to adjust what CPO is worth to you , etc.

skromfols

Thanks to you both for your feedback. And yes, Plutoe, I've purchased carpets before and I'm still not sure if I got a good deal or not. Carpets (at least the ones I bought) are hand made, so each one is different. I think I drank enough tea while negotiating on the carpets to float a battle ship.

Hopefully negotiating on the E-350 Blutec won't involve that much tea.

LAS_Bluetec

There is always room. Dealers mark cars up like jewelry in most cases. We just bought a CPO and got $3K off just for showing our Costco card. The dealer was a member of the Costco car buying program.

ImInPA

The real problem with CPO Bluetecs in my area is that they sell very quickly. Rare to see one for more than a week before it is purchased.

skromfols

I hadn't considered the Costco club deal. I'm a Costo Business member. As for the car lasting only a week, I was surprised at how many I could find within a 300 mile radias, so even if they sell fast, I think I have a good chance of finding what I'm looking for and negotiating for a good price.

Thanks to you both for your responses.

JasonMayes

At our dealership it really just depends again on what they took it in for, and how much they had to put in the vehicle to get it Certified.

Because of the demand for used BlueTecs, we see ours come and go on our lot withing 2-3 weeks, and a $3000 discount wouldn't happen. Not because its not warranted, but to stay competitive nationwide, we would never be able to mark our cars up 3-4 thousand.

skromfols

I called the internet sales manager this morning and found out pretty much what Jason Mayes just said. They actually had the car up for sale at a loss, just to clear some inventory. I called back two hours later to tell him I would be in to see the car and he regretfully advised me that they had just sold the vehicle.

My bad. Sometimes you have to act quickly, but when I'm spending that much money I like to examine the purchase from evey angle and make sure that I'm not doing something I'll regret later.

So, it's back to Autotrader to keep my eye out for a good certified E350 with the right options at the right price.

Thanks to all for your respnses.