Best time of year to buy a new truck (F-150) ?

[JDgreen227]

GM? Are they still in business????:laughing::confused2:

I was a GM man at one time also. Two really bad trucks did me in and 2 so so cars were the final straw plus what has gone on in the last 4 years over there.

Just having some fun.

Go take a drive. I think you will be impressed. To me there is no comparison in fit and finish of the two brands but thats me. If anyone should know a V6 turbo can do amazing things it should be a GM man. Remember the Grand National. That was a bad ride.

Chris

MY current ride is quick enough with only the standard 3800 V6, would be fun to swap in a Turbo version but it would still be an old man's car...:laughing: BTW we also have a Y2K Yukon XL 2500, an '04 Saturn L-300, and a '93 Cutlass Supreme ragtop. Very happy with all our GM vehicles.

 

[Bama67]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

It's looking like I will make my move at the end of December, if it works out. The general consenus seems to give that as a great time to buy.

Now, if I can just hold out til then.

 

[dlauffenburger]

I am a F150 guy as well and am very happy with the 5.4L. Things to consider are:

Tire size vs gear ratio: a lot of the newer trucks are coming with taller tires which require taller gears as well, if you are going to be towing much make sure are getting the combo set up for towing not mileage only.

Trailer brake controller: mine has the ford version in the dash which is a very clean setup, some of the aftermarkets need to be drilled and attached to the dash.

HD tow package: The HD tow package adds some nice features to the truck, extra leaf in rear, HD front end bushings, etc. The extra leaf did not change the ride of my truck because it does not come into contact with the stack until weight is applied.

I agree with trying to get the best end of year deal you can, just be cautious because you seem to have some pretty specific requirements and the longer you wait the more difficult it will be to find what you want vice what is left. You may want to visit your dealer of choice and let them know what you are looking for, you will probably end up getting a couple of sales pressure calls but at least you will know when they have what you want.

 

[RollingsFarms]

when is the best time to buy a new truck? I don't know. I've tested the theories of walking in on the last day of the month, a few hours before they close. didn't work. I've walked in on December 31 the morning they opened thinking "heck, with this being the last day of the year I KNOW I'm going to get a great price!". wrong. I think 90% of it depends on the salesman you encounter. some are just so **** bent on squeezing every cent out of you that they don't care about making a quota. alot of times these are the "newbies" who haven't been selling cars/trucks but a very short time. usually they are the first ones out the door as soon as you pull onto the lot with that slick smile on their face. HATE dealing with those types.

I don't really think there's a trick to the time to buy. I have a salesman that will give me his BEST price on the 1st day on January on a 2012 model that just rolled off the truck 5 seconds ago. He'll give me that SAME great price any other month or day of the year. that's just how he is. he doesn't need to make a killing on one truck to earn income because he will sell 5 in a week, and in the end he earns more money as well as repeat business. the guy just "gets it" if you know what I mean. if more car salesman would take a page out of his book, it would revolutionize the car selling business overnight and people would buy new cars more often. he's just that good at what he does. he doesn't pressure you, he let's you test drive anything on the lot by yourself for as long as you want, he doesn't do add-ons when crossing the "t's" and dotting the "i's", he's the same person to you when you see him 6 months after you bought a truck from him as the day you were sitting in his office. the guy should honestly give the finger to his boss and go start his own dealership. 1/2 the ones around here would be out of business in a week because of the business he would earn by doing it "the right way".

as for which engine, I'm willing to bet you'll get a better deal on a 5.0, and there will more then likely be more of them to choose from then there will be eco-boost F-150's. the local Ford lot has about 25 with the 5.0 and one with the eco-boost sitting on the lot today. that eco-boost won't be there by December, you can bet on it. they are the hot ticket right now.

 

[jejeosborne]

The avenue I took worked out well. I ordered a new f150 screw w/ecoboost the end of august. It was the last week someone could order a 2011. Ford will honor the rebates at the time of the order. Plus if new rebates come out before delivery, you get those too. I ordered for a couple reasons. First you get exactly what you want and not things you dont. Second, i know how i testdrove the truck and wanted my truck to be a virgin. It took 5 weeks to delivery and i also got an additional $750 rebate totaling $6750 in rebates and $500 under invoice. You may do better later in year but i doubt you will find any 2011's left. 2012 rebates won't be very good.

Ps. The ecoboost is awesome. Scary power. Thank god for traction control!

 

[buck12]

The last two vehicles I bought were on the last day of the month within an hour of closing. I think it helps a little because the dealer wants that unit on the current month.

 

[HHR]

I test drove the EcoBoost last week and really liked it. Felt like it had the torque of a diesel. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that it sounded like a Hoover vacuum cleaner when you got on the gas.

I have always had the best luck getting deals on new vehicles on Halloween and right before Christmas.

 

[Bama67]

Thanks for all the responses. I spent ALL day researching trucks and looking at the different models. Now I am even more confused than when I started. :laughing:

I dread having to deal with the dealers already, I have never had good luck with car dealers, IDK why. I am always able to get smoking deals on ATVs, motorcycles and the like, there just doesn't seem to be any dealers around here wanting to make a sale. I'm sorry, but 3 grand off a truck that MSRPs 40,000 aint gonna cut. Last year I bought my wife a new minivan (don't judge me):laughing:. After we decided we wanted a 2011 Toyota Sienna, I thought I was going to have to drive to Texas to get one, the dealers here suck. I don't mind driving to get a deal but it seems if you ever have trouble and take it to a local dealer they don't give a crap about you because you didn't buy from them.

As far as the truck goes, I can definately tell already that the EcoBoost is in demand, although it is only $750 more than the 5.0, the prices out there don't reflect that. But after reading yesterday about the Eco, I have to admit I am absolutely terrified by the complexity of that engine. I would basically be able to do nothing to it, should I have a problem down the road.

The things I know I want or SuperCrew, 4x4, prefer 6.5' bed but this is hard to find,3.73 gears with locking diff, and leather because the kids will ruin cloth and undecided on the Eco vs 5.0, don't need moonroof or nav or the like. So far it looks like the FX4 trim is my best bet. But I never in my wildest dreams these trucks had so many different configurations.

Oh, and I know I am not in high school any more, but I heard a sound clip of the new 360 hp 5.0 with a cat-back exhaust and it was beautiful.

Althought the power is impressive, I don't like the Hooverish sound of the 3.5 Eco either.

And upon doing tons of reading, it appears in real life MPG the Eco to 5.0 is pretty much a wash. The 5.0 guys are consistenly getting 20mpg or better in a truck configured like I want. Pretty impressive to me in a truck so big and heavy.

 

[JDgreen227]

I had a regular cab, long box '79 F150 Ranger I purchased new...$6550 out the door !! 302 V8, automatic, ps. pb, radio, rear step, rear slider. It struggled to average 14 mpg with a 2.75 rear gear and was a LOT lighter than the newer models. Shows you how far engine development has come, as well as how much prices have risen...:laughing:

 

[D33r3 6r33N]

My wife dealt with the dealers when her boss purchased his latest vehicle. She was dealing with two dealerships, one in Lima and the other in Columbus. After playing "Beat this Price" phone tag with the two of them; she figured out what the cheapest price was she was going to get it for, then she threw out a lowball price to the one in Columbus. He took it. Must have been a little confusion (and a little too low for their liking) on their end because the sales manager called and was asking her about how it all went down. He went and picked it up no problem. When she told Lima about the price they were shocked and said there was no way they could have done that deal.