Advice for First-Time Car Buyer?

Bcshrader

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Well, the day is almost here... my Mach E should be delivered to the dealer on Friday! 🤞🏼

This is my first time purchasing a new car and I'm not sure what to expect. Does anyone have advice (general or specific to Mach E) for how to approach going to the dealership to officially buy the car? I know dealers can try to take advantage of people and want to be prepared so I can have a pleasant experience.

I've read a ton of forum posts but wanted to specifically ask for purchase day tips. As excited as I am to finally meet my Mach E, I'm a little anxious about the buying process. Thanks for the help!
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MacherAWD

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Do you have your financing square? Dealer loan vs bank rates? Also they will really try to pressure you on extended service, but read the scheduled maintenance, tire roations only until 150k miles, I always resist all of it. Also are you trading in? Get a CarMax cash offer for comparison and stick to your guns. I traded a wrangler in once they started offering 5.5k, I got them up to 12k by showing similar vehicles on dealer lots and what they go for.

Also you tube the Seinfeld clip on George dealing with a dealership, it is thunder dome!
 

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Oh gosh...where to start? Number one thing I would say is don’t be afraid to say no especially if your gut tells you something doesn’t feel right or something the salesperson said makes you say “ wait a minute...”. Push back! Yes the MME is a sweet ride but ask yourself is it so sweet that you’re willing to be taken advantage of...probably not!!!
 

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You have it kind of easy, since your price is already set. This is what really sends most dealership experiences off the rails. (Assuming you already agreed with them on MSRP, no mark up or market adjustment. If you didn't then, I dunno, sorry, already too late for you.) But this also puts you in a weird spot for a car deal... you want the car more than the dealer wants the sale (probably). In most parts of the country the dealer could sell your order for more to someone else if you abandon it. So, conventional wisdom maybe doesn't apply in 2022....

Hopefully you signed something (any piece of paper really) with the dealer with the agreed upon price on it. If you did, make sure to bring it with you. You might not need it, but if they try to do any addons or make a play for a market adjustment, having paper will help you.

Dealers play a *lot* of games to try to sneak in charges. The most important thing is that you get a breakdown of what you're paying and that you understand what each every line is and that they all match up with what you are expecting. Know the MSRP and the shipping and your rates and the taxes and your trade in and everything. All your numbers. You can write them all down and bring it with you. Make sure they don't try to double charge you shipping, or slip in some dumb addon you don't want. At least half the cars I've bought have had some shenanigans with addons/price/switcheroos/etc. So much that I just expect it now.

If you ordered prior to 12/8/2021 then read the threads here on price protection and be prepared to explain it to your dealer.
 

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Make sure the dealer tells you exactly how much the bottom line is on the car, not just your monthly payment. Do not let them put any add-ons into the contract unless you specifically want those things. 🤔🐩
 


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I'm in the same boat! Mine (hopefully) will be delivered in a day or two. And this is the first car in my life.

One thing that only applies to the first car owner is probably insurance. As far as I know, I should buy insurance before buying a car, and it seems easier if you already have a car and add a new one. I got a few quotes online and the best-rate company asks me to give the bill of sale, pictures of the car, proof of residence, etc which are not possible to get until the car arrived. Hope it does not delay the acquisition further.
 

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Anything they offer you as an add on sales can be had later on if you want, so feel free to say no to it all.

  1. Ask for no dealer decals, stickers, emblems, etc. to be applied to the car, and if they are have them removed before taking delivery. A pet peeve of mine maybe, but even if I like the dealer I don't want to be driving around a small billboard for them. A license plate bracket you can easily remove, but one of those stuck on things have them remove.
  2. Speaking of license plates, don't look when your sales guy drills holes to put them on. ;) And if you are not required in your state to have front licence plates I'd skip it. If you are...check out the stow and show or similar bracket that doesn't require drilling holes up front and is removable.
  3. Be prepared for your pick up to take awhile...for whatever reason it takes a couple hours it seems. Your sales buy will likely help you set up your key / fordpass, try to sell you stuff, then you'll meet with the finance guy even if you are paying cash, sign a bunch of stuff. Takes awhile.
  4. Even the extended warranty / service contract can be purchased just shortly before your bumper to bumper wears out, and it is often cheaper to buy online from one of a handful of dealers that do that, and it is the same thing.
  5. Ceramic Coating of your paint / interior may be a good idea, may not be, but is likely something they'll offer. Plenty of places do this after market. By most accounts I've read it is good stuff, but boils down to who is cheaper / does a better job...your dealer, some 3rd party applicator, or yourself.
  6. Underbody spray sealant/etc. not sure if dealers try to sell these still but I've read many times this is not worth the money.
  7. Service contracts like tires changes etc. (used to be oil changes but of course the MME doesn't need those) may or may not be good for an ICE vehicle, depending on price. For the MME so little service needed I'd skip any.
  8. Depending on your state you may have 30 days, 6 months, who knows to get the car registered. These days a lot of places allow you to schedule ahead of time which may cut your time down there from hours to 20 minutes.
  9. Edit: If you have a ways to drive ask for the MME to be fully charged. we had a 240 mile drive and I asked for this and they did it...maybe they always do but doesn't hurt to ask if you need to drive it a lot right away.
Most importantly, have fun, take photos, and share here!
 

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I'm in the same boat! Mine (hopefully) will be delivered in a day or two. And this is the first car in my life.

One thing that only applies to the first car owner is probably insurance. As far as I know, I should buy insurance before buying a car, and it seems easier if you already have a car and add a new one. I got a few quotes online and the best-rate company asks me to give the bill of sale, pictures of the car, proof of residence, etc which are not possible to get until the car arrived. Hope it does not delay the acquisition further.
If you have your VIN you should be able to shop around and get quotes that way. A lot of companies will save the quote for 30 days so when you do purchase and have all the paperwork, you can save some time and say you have a saved quote. I use insurance through Costco and have always found it to be immensely cheaper than anywhere else, but we do have multiple cars so probably a factor too. Shop around and see what you find. Some of the big names aren't always worth it. See if you can get deals through work, Costco, Sams Club, AAA, etc.
 

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It’s a jungle out there!

1) say no to add-ons
2) vehicles are window etched at the factory. Don’t pay for it.
3) tell them no stickers. Make them remove them.
4) have sell quotes from Carmax, Carvana, etc. with you. Dealer must be within $1k to give it to them.
5) finance using Options if available in your state.
6) the Interior Protection Mats don’t cover high enough under the pedals. Mats by 3d are better.
 
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minjaep

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If you have your VIN you should be able to shop around and get quotes that way. A lot of companies will save the quote for 30 days so when you do purchase and have all the paperwork, you can save some time and say you have a saved quote. I use insurance through Costco and have always found it to be immensely cheaper than anywhere else, but we do have multiple cars so probably a factor too. Shop around and see what you find. Some of the big names aren't always worth it. See if you can get deals through work, Costco, Sams Club, AAA, etc.
My impression is that they need further verification if you had no insurance in the past. In my case, progressive was noticeably cheaper because my wife had an incident 4 years ago and progressive was less picky about accidents over 3 years ago compared to for example AAA or Geico or few other options I tried. But they required me to do some verification process before giving a final quote.
 

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Lots of good advice here, but I'll add a new one:
Bring someone you trust with you.

Review with that person everything before hand. How you expect the costs to be, how you're going to pay for it, and all the other details. When you go in, they'll be the one to keep you on point and catch things that may otherwise pass you by. I don't say this to assume the dealer is going to pull shenanigans, but it helps to have someone else there to make sure everything is as you expected.

In addition to a lot going on, you're may just be caught up that you're finally make this happen. I know I did, and Ford's been apart of my entire life and I still had my moments. My brother-in-law came with me the day I picked my Mach-E up and caught things I almost missed.
 
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Have them show you how to set up the Blue Oval Charging Network on your FordPass App (assuming you haven’t already). This will be very important if you will be fast charging on your way home at an EA station. Also make sure you have th FordPass app downloaded on your phone before you go to the dealer.
 

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I'm in the same boat! Mine (hopefully) will be delivered in a day or two. And this is the first car in my life.

One thing that only applies to the first car owner is probably insurance. As far as I know, I should buy insurance before buying a car, and it seems easier if you already have a car and add a new one. I got a few quotes online and the best-rate company asks me to give the bill of sale, pictures of the car, proof of residence, etc which are not possible to get until the car arrived. Hope it does not delay the acquisition further.
I believe if you have the VIN it should be good enough. My car is yet to be delivered and I got a proper quote from GEICO.
 

SDMMEGT

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Lots of good advice here, but I'll add a new one:
Bring someone you trust with you.

Review with that person everything before hand. How you expect the costs to be, how you're going to pay for it, and all the other details. When you go in, they'll be the one to keep you on point and catch things that may otherwise pass you by. I don't say this to assume the dealer is going to pull shenanigans, but it helps to have someone else there to make sure everything is as you expected.

In addition to a lot going on, you're may just be caught up that you're finally make this happen. I know I did, and Ford's been apart of my entire life and I still had my moments. My brother-in-law came with me the day I picked my Mach-E up and caught things I almost missed.
Honestly this is the best advice! I couldn’t agree more. Mom is coming with me when I take delivery this week. I don’t care how old I am, she’s still the person I trust the most.
 

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Lots of good advice here, but I'll add a new one:
Bring someone you trust with you.

Review with that person everything before hand. How you expect the costs to be, how you're going to pay for it, and all the other details. When you go in, they'll be the one to keep you on point and catch things that may otherwise pass you by. I don't say this to assume the dealer is going to pull shenanigans, but it helps to have someone else there to make sure everything is as you expected.

In addition to a lot going on, you're may just be caught up that you're finally make this happen. I know I did, and Ford's been apart of my entire life and I still had my moments. My brother-in-law came with me the day I picked my Mach-E up and caught things I almost missed.
YES!
100% agree - that second person who is not emotionally attached to the purchase can see things that you won't.

The second person should have a checklist of what should occur:
PDI checklist
Pricing at agreed upon $
Add ons which should be zero
FInance manager trying to push extras
Fully charged for drive off.
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