Littlejoe81
Active Member
How to get the best pricing on a new Ram. In this article I will explain how I was able to get the best deal possible on a new 2022 Ram 1500 with all the dealers over pricing these past few years. I was looking for a vehicle to replace my 2002 Saturn Sc2 with automatic transmission that I had for 19 years which finally gave out, although I did purchase a replacement, a 1997 Saturn Sc2 with manual transmission, doing a 5th gear swap that yields over 40 mpg highway for $1400 3 yrs. before the pandemic. It was sitting in a garage for 10 years because the husband passed away; this car was in great condition with leather which I hate, but doing the preventive maintenance with the car only having 73,000 miles, its awesome. I love Saturn cars as a daily driver, and Saturn is my favorite car of all time. I also have a 1997, a 1998 eclipse as well with 3 motorcycles which I rarely ride with all the drunk drivers and texting, I like the cars from the 90's.
I wanted a replacement for my 2002 Saturn I junked in case something happens to my 97 Saturn in which insurance won't give anything even though it is in great like new condition. I like finding cars for good deals and I keep them till they die. As an automotive, diesel, and aircraft technician, I do all my own maintenance and when I was younger I use to catch the bus in Detroit to work and school so I worked hard and focused on school first so I would be able to get my dream cars in the future. I don't really like new cars but used to work on Rams years ago while in automotive, I really liked Dodge vehicles, but hated the rust factor. I just never believed in that much money going towards a vehicle, because I like having fun, swimming, basketball, boxing, ect... now in my early 40's mid-life crisis, I decided treat myself to my first and last new vehicle purchase.
For about a year and a half, I did a lot of research, watched a lot of videos about how car salesman sell and scam the customer, I visited over 15 dealerships and some twice within the Chicago land area. With the shortage and over msrp, I was determined to beat the system, I know that everything is made cheap nowadays like appliances (washers, drier's fridges... ect.) that are garbage. I like older stuff. I wanted 2018 pricing, vehicles never use to cost this much, I'm a car person and have been since a kid so I know the pricing and today's pricing is a scam for people not knowing and doing research.
I wanted a truck, so Ram was my option having worked and driven all the other manufactures in the field, gas was a concern for me and V6 was what I wanted because I don't want to deal with the Hemi tick, exhaust studs breaking off, and using 89 or 93 octane. Secondly, I wasn't paying msrp or over msrp, third I wanted rebates, dealer or manufacture, I wanted invoice pricing with little or no interest with financing. I wanted my truck factory built as I noticed most vehicles at most dealers had scratches on them. Factory ordering yields the best pricing by allowing you to build the truck the way you want it without the dealer adding the options to yield the best profit for them.
The truck I wanted was a Ram 1500 Bighorn, I hate leather, and I don't understand all the unnecessary technology, fender flares, chrome, ect for $10-15,000 over, just doesn't add up, I just like to drive and listen to the engine when I drive and enjoy the driving experience like Jay Leno, keep all that extra stuff!!
First I calculated and built my own vehicle on NADA website for invoice pricing and then called every dealer asking if they offered invoice pricing to earn my business which most did not, I wrote down their names, called on different days, achieved emails with pricing as a bargaining tool. I would go to dealers and play stupid, let them talk, play excited, have them bring out their manager and wait 45 min only to have them bring out a price for a factory order, I was not in a rush because I still had my two Saturn's, I had time for this experiment, and learned how salesmen operate, very few are honest and can't be trusted. I received most otd pricing around $62,000- $68,000 not including tax, no way!! I almost started looking for another Saturn! I wanted the night edition which one dealer could offer at invoice pricing but fell through on the Saturday morning as the manufacture allocation was put on hold for the night edition with no time frame available.
Plan B, it took time to decide whether I wanted a 5 or a 6 seat-er, I'm used to old school trucks with the bench seat but I decided to go with 5 seats. Because the night edition was put on hold I changed my mind to the Sport edition not really advertised which was offered in 2021, this was avialable and one dealer went beyond to earn my business at invoice pricing.
Here is the truck build…
Big Horn V6 e-torque
Crystal metallic
Sport appearance package
Protection Group
Bed utility group
Big horn level 2 equipment group
Wheel to wheel side steps
33 gallon fuel tank
Chrome clad wheels added
My otd price came to $59,000, including tax, because my vehicle arrived on Memorial day weekend, I qualified for $4750 in rebates and Chrysler approved me for 0% for 5 years, but I had my credit union ready, just in case. With $25,000 down, my monthly payment is $492 for 5 years. It's ridiculous how car payments can cost $1200 over 7 yrs. And interest over time it's worse. With prices, fuel, groceries rising, you have to think differently from the average person and budget wisely. Here is my truck that I ordered on 4/14/22 delivered the May, memorial day weekend. By the way I declined all warranties and offers from the finance guy because I do my own work and I am ASE certified, he was not happy, he even tried to scam me by adding $2500 into my price, I had my book and math figures ready and told him his numbers are incorrect, he had no choice but to fix them. It was not easy getting to this point but the $10-$15,000 I could have paid, it was definitely worth it.
I wanted a replacement for my 2002 Saturn I junked in case something happens to my 97 Saturn in which insurance won't give anything even though it is in great like new condition. I like finding cars for good deals and I keep them till they die. As an automotive, diesel, and aircraft technician, I do all my own maintenance and when I was younger I use to catch the bus in Detroit to work and school so I worked hard and focused on school first so I would be able to get my dream cars in the future. I don't really like new cars but used to work on Rams years ago while in automotive, I really liked Dodge vehicles, but hated the rust factor. I just never believed in that much money going towards a vehicle, because I like having fun, swimming, basketball, boxing, ect... now in my early 40's mid-life crisis, I decided treat myself to my first and last new vehicle purchase.
For about a year and a half, I did a lot of research, watched a lot of videos about how car salesman sell and scam the customer, I visited over 15 dealerships and some twice within the Chicago land area. With the shortage and over msrp, I was determined to beat the system, I know that everything is made cheap nowadays like appliances (washers, drier's fridges... ect.) that are garbage. I like older stuff. I wanted 2018 pricing, vehicles never use to cost this much, I'm a car person and have been since a kid so I know the pricing and today's pricing is a scam for people not knowing and doing research.
I wanted a truck, so Ram was my option having worked and driven all the other manufactures in the field, gas was a concern for me and V6 was what I wanted because I don't want to deal with the Hemi tick, exhaust studs breaking off, and using 89 or 93 octane. Secondly, I wasn't paying msrp or over msrp, third I wanted rebates, dealer or manufacture, I wanted invoice pricing with little or no interest with financing. I wanted my truck factory built as I noticed most vehicles at most dealers had scratches on them. Factory ordering yields the best pricing by allowing you to build the truck the way you want it without the dealer adding the options to yield the best profit for them.
The truck I wanted was a Ram 1500 Bighorn, I hate leather, and I don't understand all the unnecessary technology, fender flares, chrome, ect for $10-15,000 over, just doesn't add up, I just like to drive and listen to the engine when I drive and enjoy the driving experience like Jay Leno, keep all that extra stuff!!
First I calculated and built my own vehicle on NADA website for invoice pricing and then called every dealer asking if they offered invoice pricing to earn my business which most did not, I wrote down their names, called on different days, achieved emails with pricing as a bargaining tool. I would go to dealers and play stupid, let them talk, play excited, have them bring out their manager and wait 45 min only to have them bring out a price for a factory order, I was not in a rush because I still had my two Saturn's, I had time for this experiment, and learned how salesmen operate, very few are honest and can't be trusted. I received most otd pricing around $62,000- $68,000 not including tax, no way!! I almost started looking for another Saturn! I wanted the night edition which one dealer could offer at invoice pricing but fell through on the Saturday morning as the manufacture allocation was put on hold for the night edition with no time frame available.
Plan B, it took time to decide whether I wanted a 5 or a 6 seat-er, I'm used to old school trucks with the bench seat but I decided to go with 5 seats. Because the night edition was put on hold I changed my mind to the Sport edition not really advertised which was offered in 2021, this was avialable and one dealer went beyond to earn my business at invoice pricing.
Here is the truck build…
Big Horn V6 e-torque
Crystal metallic
Sport appearance package
Protection Group
Bed utility group
Big horn level 2 equipment group
Wheel to wheel side steps
33 gallon fuel tank
Chrome clad wheels added
My otd price came to $59,000, including tax, because my vehicle arrived on Memorial day weekend, I qualified for $4750 in rebates and Chrysler approved me for 0% for 5 years, but I had my credit union ready, just in case. With $25,000 down, my monthly payment is $492 for 5 years. It's ridiculous how car payments can cost $1200 over 7 yrs. And interest over time it's worse. With prices, fuel, groceries rising, you have to think differently from the average person and budget wisely. Here is my truck that I ordered on 4/14/22 delivered the May, memorial day weekend. By the way I declined all warranties and offers from the finance guy because I do my own work and I am ASE certified, he was not happy, he even tried to scam me by adding $2500 into my price, I had my book and math figures ready and told him his numbers are incorrect, he had no choice but to fix them. It was not easy getting to this point but the $10-$15,000 I could have paid, it was definitely worth it.
congrats again
. Sticker price was $57090. On the deal sheet you can see the vehicle price has already been discounted before the $4750 in rebates were applied.
