How to Get the Best Price on Your New Ram

[greenlawnracing]

I’m having trouble getting the $1500 pop up. Is it still valid?

 

[Silent Bob]

First post here and now my first Ram truck. Just wanted to thank @Silent Bob for a lot of the info here since it helped me land a pretty good deal for the EOY. Using his pointers and a combination of other forum info from Edmunds and such I was able to get this done on a '21 Laramie Crew 4WD in the Kansas City area. I ended up leasing but I'm sure that's a different topic, anyway details below.

MSRP $59,780
Selling Price: $51,717.000
Reabtes: $4750 + $1500 Ramtrucks.com Rebate = $6250 total Rebate
Out the Door Price: $46,366 fees included

All said that's 13.5% off MSRP before or 24% off MSRP after rebates but without fees. Now that I'm a 5th gen owner, look forward to being on this forum a bit more.

Congratulations on your new Ram. 24% total off MSRP is a great deal.

 

[Silent Bob]

Thanks so much for this information! I purchased my truck on 2020 Labor Day and was told that I could get either 0% financing or take the rebates/ incentives and finance through the dealership not both. If I financed through the dealership the interest rate was 5.99% and I was told by the finance officer that I could not refinance for 6 months. Well that was not in writing and my Ace in the hole was that I had already qualified through Navy Federal for a 1.79% New car loan. I got the rebates which dropped the OTD price several thousands, financed through the dealership and refinanced through NFCU about two weeks later and saved hundreds in interest paid. The only thing I regret is that I did not negotiate an add on like performance exhaust in the deal which I could have done but was too excited about the deal to mention it. If I would have thought to do that it would have been a deal breaker and would have walked out of the dealership but they would not let that happen as it would have been only a few hundred at their cost. Anyway, if you are purchasing you are in the drivers seat (pun intended) and have fun!

That is a good point about the financing. Often you will will need to finance through the dealership for a discount. Most of the time you can just refinance with a better rate somewhere else afterwards. If you want to refinance confirm that there are no penalties before signing the paperwork. Some dealerships will ask for a gentlemen's agreement that you not refinance for three months so that they get their bonus.

 

[Silent Bob]

I’m having trouble getting the $1500 pop up. Is it still valid?

It looks like the $1500 pop up ended on the 1st. Hopefully they will do it again soon.

 

[Akash3230]

hey guys just picked up my first ram from Aaron at mark dodge. Aaron and the guys there have been great found me a truck that a wanted, setup shipping and all. gave me a great price got close to 19k off of msrp.

 

[Silent Bob]

hey guys just picked up my first ram from Aaron at mark dodge. Aaron and the guys there have been great found me a truck that a wanted, setup shipping and all. gave me a great price got close to 19k off of msrp.

Congratulations on your new Ram. I have been hearing a lot of good things about Aaron and Mark Dodge.

 

[Silent Bob]

Illegitimate Dealer Fees

Documentation Fees or "Doc Fees"

This fee can be upwards of a $1000 and is the most common of the fake fees made up by the dealerships. It is not a required government tax or fee, even though it is often lumped in with Tax, Title, and Licensing. No states require this fee. A few states do require that if you charge one customer the fee, then you must charge all customers. There have been so many problems with these fees that many states have put a cap on them.

Many dealerships will not remove this fee but the equivalent cost can be deducted from the final price. Always ask if there is a Doc Fee, and if so make sure it is included in the total price quoted. If it was not included in the total price quoted get them to drop the price by the amount of the fee.

"Doc fees straddle the line of legitimate and illegitimate. Know that you can and should negotiate the doc fee with a car dealer. Also know that the dealer will never actually remove the fee from your buyer’s order, instead they will reduce the selling price of the vehicle by the same amount as the doc fee."

"Doc fees are simply a profit center for the dealership. It’s a fee that is meant to offset the cost of non revenue producing employees at the dealership. It’s … bogus. But, dealers will tell you they legally can’t remove the fee from your purchase order, and sometimes this is true."

"A dealer may charge an optional documentary service fee in an amount not to exceed $150. This fee compensates a dealer for the cost of titling and licensing a vehicle. It is an optional fee and a dealer may not represent that the fee is required by law. A consumer is free to negotiate a waiver of the fee. Dealers must disclose this $150 optional fee in their advertisements when stating sales prices of cars." https://www.atg.wa.gov/buying-precautions

Other Illegitimate Fees

A second Destination Charge or a Delivery Fee
Dealer Prep fees
Nitrogen fees
Rust, Paint and Fabric Protection fees
VIN# Window Etching fee
GPS Locators - LoJack and LoJack knockoffs
Brake Light Strobes

Any dealer installed accessories you did not ask for. If your dealer adds non-factory accessories to every vehicle and charges for them, it is a scam. I would be wary of doing business with any dealership that does this.

If there are any fees NOT listed in the official manufacturer invoice and are not government mandated, this is more than likely a made-up fee that you should refuse to pay.

 

[mophead]

First I’d like to thank Silent Bob for this very helpful post and everyone else for the helpful comments

I am hoping to purchase a 2021 1500 Bighorn 4X4 Quad in the coming months. I haven’t seen anything in stock that I’m happy with and unless I see one REAL close I am almost certainly going to order it. DO NOT want to pay for things I don’t want and this may be my last vehicle and I’d finally like to get exactly what I want.

I’ve read through this and several other threads and have some questions

Based on MSRP at what point do you determine where to take off the percentage?

I’m assuming Base Price + Options + Destination= MSRP

For me

4X4 Quad Base $40,390

Options $11,645

Dest. $ 1,695

Total $53,730.00

-15% $ 8059.50

Buy price $45,670.50

Tax $ 2,740.23

Total Price $48,410.73

Less Rebates $ 4,500.00

Sub $43,910.73

Less Trade $ 7,000.00

Finance $36,910.73

Is everything in the correct order? Am I missing anything?

I don’t have the tax break for the trade or the tags and title either. Where do they go? Am I on the right track?

I understand that I will only receive the incentives available when my ordered truck comes in. What else to I need to know to order a truck? Can I make a really low deposit ( like less than $500) and still get a dealer to place an order? Can I make stipulations to back out and get my deposit back?


Thanks in advance

 

[arod412]

First I’d like to thank Silent Bob for this very helpful post and everyone else for the helpful comments

I am hoping to purchase a 2021 1500 Bighorn 4X4 Quad in the coming months. I haven’t seen anything in stock that I’m happy with and unless I see one REAL close I am almost certainly going to order it. DO NOT want to pay for things I don’t want and this may be my last vehicle and I’d finally like to get exactly what I want.

I’ve read through this and several other threads and have some questions

Based on MSRP at what point do you determine where to take off the percentage?

I’m assuming Base Price + Options + Destination= MSRP

For me

4X4 Quad Base $40,390

Options $11,645

Dest. $ 1,695

Total $53,730.00

-15% $ 8059.50

Buy price $45,670.50

Tax $ 2,740.23

Total Price $48,410.73

Less Rebates $ 4,500.00

Sub $43,910.73

Less Trade $ 7,000.00

Finance $36,910.73

Is everything in the correct order? Am I missing anything?

I don’t have the tax break for the trade or the tags and title either. Where do they go? Am I on the right track?

I understand that I will only receive the incentives available when my ordered truck comes in. What else to I need to know to order a truck? Can I make a really low deposit ( like less than $500) and still get a dealer to place an order? Can I make stipulations to back out and get my deposit back?


Thanks in advance

Those numbers look solid. Only thing that might be different are the rebates, because they change from month to month.

Definitely not trying to steer you in the wrong direction in any way, and its just my suggestion. Find out what your needs/wants for your options, because there just might be a truck on the lot that is close to what you want,, but it has been already sitting there for a while (3-6 months or longer) because you might be able to get a better deal.

If your dead set on options you want, and your willing to pay for it, get get the truck exactly what you want.

Lastly, some dealers just might not even want a complete breakdown like you have (it cuts down their profits), then only negotiate the "out the door price" without your trade ...that includes all rebates, tax, fees. Let them work for it.

At the end of the day, just walk out no matter what. If they want to sell you a truck, they will call you back and work something out.


Owner of a 2020 Ram Laramie (leveled with 2" rc struts and 1" rear spacer on 33.5" toyo open country) , 16 Dodge Charger scat pack and my wife 21 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara (2.5" rc lift with 35" duratracs)

 

[fsjosh]

First I’d like to thank Silent Bob for this very helpful post and everyone else for the helpful comments

I am hoping to purchase a 2021 1500 Bighorn 4X4 Quad in the coming months. I haven’t seen anything in stock that I’m happy with and unless I see one REAL close I am almost certainly going to order it. DO NOT want to pay for things I don’t want and this may be my last vehicle and I’d finally like to get exactly what I want.

I’ve read through this and several other threads and have some questions

Based on MSRP at what point do you determine where to take off the percentage?

I’m assuming Base Price + Options + Destination= MSRP

For me

4X4 Quad Base $40,390

Options $11,645

Dest. $ 1,695

Total $53,730.00

-15% $ 8059.50

Buy price $45,670.50

Tax $ 2,740.23

Total Price $48,410.73

Less Rebates $ 4,500.00

Sub $43,910.73

Less Trade $ 7,000.00

Finance $36,910.73

Is everything in the correct order? Am I missing anything?

I don’t have the tax break for the trade or the tags and title either. Where do they go? Am I on the right track?

I understand that I will only receive the incentives available when my ordered truck comes in. What else to I need to know to order a truck? Can I make a really low deposit ( like less than $500) and still get a dealer to place an order? Can I make stipulations to back out and get my deposit back?


Thanks in advance

I wouldn't go in saying I want XX% off MSRP. Go in with a price you are willing to pay. Build it online with the options you want and use that to figure your price. Saying you want a percent off leaves room for interpretation. And don't get hung up on percentages anyway or using someone else's experience on deciding whether you got a good deal. Yeah that guy posted online that he got 37% off on a new truck, but he didn't tell you that it had been on the lot for a year and a half after it had got wrecked by a salesman. If you want the best deal possible, shop the build you want to every dealer in the area and make sure they know you are shopping it. That will tell you what the market for the truck you want is.

Something else you need to find out that you don't have figured in are fees. Some are likely negotiable, but some not so much. Title fees are one that are going to be hard to avoid. Some dealers will try to sneak other fees in on you. Or forced packages like tire repair and key fob replacement. Most of that you can negotiate out, but you need to do it before you order, and not at the finance desk with your truck sitting on the lot and them holding a deposit. Getting a refund on a deposit will be hard unless they break something you negotiated in advance. Just straight up ask for everything you will have to pay at closing including fees and packages in writing. If they try to add it later and you don't want it, you have paperwork.

 

[brian42]

There are a lot of internal goals that you as the consumer never know about or their status at the dealership.

Selling you a truck may put them at a goal that get's them an extra $XXX from FCA per vehicle backdated to when the time frame started. "Taking a bath" on that truck and selling it to you for $20K off may end up getting them $75K overall. Those are the unicorns you read about and are completely by chance, just like the lottery.

I went in knowing what I wanted to pay (on the fringe of realistic and maybe catch the unicorn) and what I was willing to pay. I ended up somewhere in-between. I got more off than some but not as much off as a lot of others.

Sure I would have loved to get my truck for a little less but I got the truck I wanted at a price I wanted so it was a win in my book, regardless of what others have done.

 

[Silent Bob]

First I’d like to thank Silent Bob for this very helpful post and everyone else for the helpful comments

I am hoping to purchase a 2021 1500 Bighorn 4X4 Quad in the coming months. I haven’t seen anything in stock that I’m happy with and unless I see one REAL close I am almost certainly going to order it. DO NOT want to pay for things I don’t want and this may be my last vehicle and I’d finally like to get exactly what I want.

I’ve read through this and several other threads and have some questions

Based on MSRP at what point do you determine where to take off the percentage?

I’m assuming Base Price + Options + Destination= MSRP

For me

4X4 Quad Base $40,390

Options $11,645

Dest. $ 1,695

Total $53,730.00

-15% $ 8059.50

Buy price $45,670.50

Tax $ 2,740.23

Total Price $48,410.73

Less Rebates $ 4,500.00

Sub $43,910.73

Less Trade $ 7,000.00

Finance $36,910.73

Is everything in the correct order? Am I missing anything?

I don’t have the tax break for the trade or the tags and title either. Where do they go? Am I on the right track?

I understand that I will only receive the incentives available when my ordered truck comes in. What else to I need to know to order a truck? Can I make a really low deposit ( like less than $500) and still get a dealer to place an order? Can I make stipulations to back out and get my deposit back?


Thanks in advance

Percentage off MSRP

In my opinion you should be getting at least 16% off the MSRP. The total number you should be using to determine your percentage off should include the total (with rebates and incentives) before trade in, taxes, and any required government fees. Your number should include dealer add-ons you did not request and any dealer fees not listed on the factory invoice, document fees, prep fees, etc. You can use one of these two links to find the factory MSRP and invoice price of the truck and all options. LINK LINK
Good Discount 16% to 18%
Great Discount 19% to 23%
Amazing Rare Discount 24% or more

 

[mophead]

Percentage off MSRP

In my opinion you should be getting at least 16% off the MSRP. The total number you should be using to determine your percentage off should include the total (with rebates and incentives) before trade in, taxes, and any required government fees. Your number should include dealer add-ons you did not request and any dealer fees not listed on the factory invoice, document fees, prep fees, etc. You can use one of these two links to find the factory MSRP and invoice price of the truck and all options. LINK LINK
Good Discount 16% to 19%
Great Discount 20% to 24%
Amazing Discount 25% or more

That's exactly what I wanted to know. GREAT BIG THANKS!!!

Any other insight on ordering? When first approaching dealers should I hold off saying I want to place an order and just tell them exactly what I want and let them look first, or just be upfront with them? Managing the deposit, timing, communicating with dealer and FCA, etc.

 

[c3k]

Seeing some cashback and finance offers (0%) for the rest of this month.

Since I'm not in a position to buy a truck in the next day (I leave the country after tomorrow), I'm SOL for January's cashback offers.

I guess I'll find out how February's deals stack up.

 

[brian42]

I'm not sure of the process but I have read of being able to lock in the deals at the time of ordering and then being able to compare them at time of delivery and take the better of the two.

 

[Silent Bob]

Any other insight on ordering? When first approaching dealers should I hold off saying I want to place an order and just tell them exactly what I want and let them look first, or just be upfront with them? Managing the deposit, timing, communicating with dealer and FCA, etc.

Even when you tell them you want a factory order most will still try and find one in stock that is close. After you have found your best price get it in writing (email) that their discount will not interfere with any rebates/incentives available when the truck arrives. Use a credit card for the deposit. A few days into the month of which the truck arrives start checking into current rebates/incentives. Don't forget to get preapproved financing rates to use unless the dealer finance department can beat them. If your might get an extended warranty do the same.

 

[PhillyPhan]

hey guys just picked up my first ram from Aaron at mark dodge. Aaron and the guys there have been great found me a truck that a wanted, setup shipping and all. gave me a great price got close to 19k off of msrp.

I just reached out to him for a build. Beat my local dealer by $2k immediately on my build.

 

[PhillyPhan]

Do rebates on the Laramies ever get to be anywhere close to those of the Big Horn? I'm hoping for a big jump for the Laramies in February.

 

[brian42]

From what I've seen you can find a good deal on a Laramie but as far as FCA incentives/discounts the Big Horn has always had a bigger discount that its leather-clad brethren.

 

[PhillyPhan]

First post here and now my first Ram truck. Just wanted to thank @Silent Bob for a lot of the info here since it helped me land a pretty good deal for the EOY. Using his pointers and a combination of other forum info from Edmunds and such I was able to get this done on a '21 Laramie Crew 4WD in the Kansas City area. I ended up leasing but I'm sure that's a different topic, anyway details below.

MSRP $59,780
Selling Price: $51,717.000
Reabtes: $4750 + $1500 Ramtrucks.com Rebate = $6250 total Rebate
Out the Door Price: $46,366 fees included

All said that's 13.5% off MSRP before or 24% off MSRP after rebates but without fees. Now that I'm a 5th gen owner, look forward to being on this forum a bit more.

Was that $4750 in rebates because you leased?