bramfrank Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 (edited) I own a mint, relatively low mileage (54,000 km) 38 month old 2011 SE Plus that I wouldn't mind updating to a 2014/5 Limited or Crossroad. I went and did my research, looking at KBB trade in values (they don't list the SE Plus, but rate the base model at between $9800 and $12,200) and factoring in the $2,000 7year/115kkm extended warranty and mounted snow tires and cross rail racks that were added to the vehicle and will go with the trade. I went to the dealer that sold me the vehicle, told him my expectations - they evaluated the vehicle, commenting on the amazing condition it is in . . . . so, what do they do? They keep telling me I own a CVP (there was no CVP in 2011) and offered me $8K in trade against MSRP for the new vehicle . . . then they told me that they wanted my car and $18K to give me another SE Plus!!! That ain't gonna happen. Oh, and according to them, there's no price difference between my cost for a 2014 or a 2015 model from the floor - these guys need their heads examined Then they tried to tell me the Crossroad doesn't come in FWD. Enough already . . . . I have no issues with hanging on to my 2011, especially if they will only give me $8K for it - for the 4 years of the remaining term for the bumper-to-bumper warranty, the vehicle will cost me all of $2000 per year to keep, assuming the vehicle has zero value and is scrapped at the end of that time (it gets rustproofed, so that isn't likely). I hung on to my Y2K LHS for 13 years for the kids and it never rusted and everything was working until I finally sold it off in exchange for a $4K tax receipt. Do dealers really not know their own vehicles? Do they really think we're stupid enough to pay them full tilt retail against a low-ball on a trade? As I told the salesman, I can buy a 2014 SE Plus in Canada for about $20K, meaning that they were offering $2K for mine? Puhlese!!!!! I can add in the $2K and have TWO Journeys for what these yokels were asking. Unless someone on Kijiji buys the SE Plus I'll hang on to it, thanks. Edited December 17, 2014 by bramfrank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtomatoman Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 I think most people ARE stupid enough to pay full price with a low ball trade. People want what they want and they want it now. Math is hard, so most people skip it. These salespeople feed off of stupid. I can't believe the money that the average person wastes on new vehicles. Boggles my mind. Keep your SE. Treat it right, and it will likely run for 20 years. My Dakota is 24 yo in February, still going. . . Peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramfrank Posted October 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 Yeah, but you aren't in the land of wet salted roads . . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtomatoman Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 Yeah, but you aren't in the land of wet salted roads . . . . . Ok, I guess you got me on that one. My perspective is from high desert weather. Warm dry summers, light snow in winter, not much salt on our roads. I guess you'll have to get ready to pay full tilt with a low ball trade. I hear Florida is nice. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnson Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 You sound like you've done your research and know what you're talking about. I'm a Christian and did a lot of prayer about getting a new vehicle. I felt like God was telling me to have a particular fixed price for my trade-in and 2 hours of song and dance with the dealer yielded that trade-in value. It was pretty cool. Was definitely more than I would have gotten on my own. Don't you love how the salesmen try to throw all these imaginary numbers out and make it sound like you really are a bad person if you don't agree with their price?? Have you tried looking up internet specials at multiple dealers? Seems like they have their best deals that way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 Sell it yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman425 Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 Do dealers really not know their own vehicles? Many salespeople do not know their respective lineups very well, sometimes not at all. The turnover rate for auto salespeople is very high. It's often hard to find the same person that sold you the car when it's time to trade for a new one. Small-town stores generally fare better in this respect but somtimes cannot offer the exact same number on the exact same car from a bigger store. Does the dealership you visited have a Journey in stock that you are interested in? Either way, consider re-visiting them near the end of the month with an offer of what you are willing to pay for the model of your choice based on your research. If they need another sale or two to hit their sales goal for the month, they will find a way to make you a deal. Once that sales number is reached (it is determined by Chrysler), there is factory-to-dealer cash retrocative to all the cars sold for that given month. Your sale could be the one that allows them to reach that goal. The pencils get surprisingly sharp in those scenarios. rolly 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramfrank Posted December 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2014 (edited) Update time. After telling the stealership to never call me again my phone rang this evening and the 'salesman' (I use the term very loosely) called to tell me that the sales manager (the very comely Jennifer) had directed him to call me to say that if I would come in with my SE Plus and $18,000 all inclusive they would let me drive out with a Crossroad with heated seats. The have a silver 2014 5 passenger FWD unit on the floor and they are hot to get rid of it. BUT, says I, do I REALLY need to drop 18 large to get a new vehicle for which my first expense will be a set of winter wheels and tires? And the 7/115 bumper to bumper warranty on the SE Plus has 3 months shy of 4 years left to run so my only expenses will be oil changes, tires and brakes (at 57,500 km I am still on my original pads, though the disks are a bit warped).My daughter, studying for her degree in psychology tells me I will regret the purchase over time - yes, the leather seats, big display, Bluetooth, alarm, satellite radio, power seats, 110 volt outlet and, most importantly the grab handles would be a boon, but $18K?So now, I think I may call them tomorrow and tell them that I will pass unless they toss in a set of snow tires and rims (17" tires and steel rims cost about the same as 19" snows - and I can change them out myself, as I did last night on the current DJ).Consensus? Edited December 17, 2014 by bramfrank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2late4u Posted December 11, 2014 Report Share Posted December 11, 2014 well 6 months ago i traded my 2011 mainstreet with 70k on it and 10k in $$ for a 2014 crossroad with the split leather seats and 19 wheels. have been real pleased with it and already have 11k on it. damm i need to stay home and not put the miles on it, LOL and just about 1 month ago the same dealership sent me a personal letter saying the really wanted my 2011 and would give me 125 percent more than the bluebook price . oh well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted December 11, 2014 Report Share Posted December 11, 2014 I have come to determine that Salesman do not know what they are selling. He could not show me how the flip and slide rear seat worked - to be able to get in the third row. I had to purchase a front license plate holder because he told me that none is made for the 2013 DJ. The plate just screws to the bumper! BTW, I can attest that the Crossroads do, infact, come with FWD. I have one! I doubt if was the only one made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramfrank Posted December 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2014 I know the Crossroad comes both ways (Canada is different, models/option-wise than the US and until 2014 only the R/T came with AWDF here). This is indeed the FWD version. Well, I am pushing them . . . told 'em that I'd do the deal if they included 17" snow tires on rims - they came back with a $50 parts department credit and I responded with 'no deal'. I have no overriding reason to change my vehicle - it has 45 months of bumper-to-bumper warranty left to run and is in almost showroom condition . . . . . so if they come back, we'll make the deal. Journeyman425 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B4ZINGA Posted December 12, 2014 Report Share Posted December 12, 2014 It can be hit or miss. When I traded in my 2007 Charger, the salesman was knowledgeable about the Grand Cherokee's and Journey's I looked at. But, when his appraiser test drove my Charger, they insisted it was worth less money than I wanted for it because of some hesitation and they thought there was a problem. I politely informed them that all LX vehicles of that vintage are like that by design, and they would not be permitted to low-ball me because of their franchiser's designs. People in the LX community corrected that by way of retuning the PCM for better response. I told them unless they pumped up that number by $1,000, there would be no deal. Thankfully they didn't notice that one foglight was out, the passenger headlight was hit or miss due to HID on a CAN-BUS car, and the crack in the rear fascia due to a negligent uninsured stripper rear-ending it last year... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramfrank Posted December 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2014 (edited) They got back to me and we have struck a deal . . . . . for the original amount, with the winter wheels and tires installed They are providing 17 inch "quality snow tires" mounted on steel rims without TPS sensors, balanced and installed on the vehicle with the OEM tires and wheels in bags to take home (I do my own wheel swaps). And, for an extra $1740 plus tax (I know that their true cost is $1,610) I'm getting the 7/115 plan 419 zero deductible bumper to bumper warranty. The effective trade-in on the SE Plus (which cost me 19,200 40 months ago) was $15,700 after allowing for the manufacturer's incentives . . . . Note that in Canada the Crossroad is positioned considerably above the SXT ($4,200 difference) and the Blacktop and is priced the same as the Limited - it is only available with the Pentastar (in the US I see that it comes with the 4 banger as standard) and with the leather interior, engine block heater and a bunch of other stuff. You do trade off the stupid black wheels, leather interior, floor mats (go figure) and blacked out lighting for the car starter, cross rails and heated cloth seats . . . . but my unit has the heated leather seats and steering wheel as an extra cost option . . .So I'm keeping the cross rails and floor mats from the SE Plus and I won't have a car starter (I park indoors anyway). The GPS will be transplanted because mine isn't coming with one - I keep it mounted above the mirror - it is very convenient there and I run the wiring above the roof liner and down the right support pillar.Pickup on Monday. Edited December 18, 2014 by bramfrank Journeyman425 and rolly 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman425 Posted December 13, 2014 Report Share Posted December 13, 2014 Way to go! As long as you're not being unreasonable in your negotiations (and you are not) a dealer will come back to you on your terms to get another car down the road. Congratulations and post some pictures when you take delivery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramfrank Posted December 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2014 (edited) Vehicle was delivered yesterday. I'm not certain whether the cargo net was supposed to come with it, but I removed the one I had purchased for the SE Plus, along with the roof cross rails that I'd also bought and kept the floor mats that for some reason came on the SE Plus but don't on the much more expensive Crossroad. Fit and finish are excellent, though I'd have preferred the early release leather seats that did not have the mesh inserts in them. I was surprised that the seat back tilt adjustment is the same manual lever that the non-power seats use. Then again, so was the salesman, but what does he know? The larger screen is nice, but I will miss that cubby on the dash below the push buttons - I suppose I'll store my stuff under the seat cushion on the passenger side. In retrospect (and upon doing more research on Crossroads in the local area) I might have even been able to get the premium sound, convenience group and a sunroof for as little as $1,000 extra . . . . but I won't obsess over that. It was still a great deal. Now I'm off to edit my profile to reflect the new vehicle. Edited December 17, 2014 by bramfrank Journeyman425 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted December 17, 2014 Report Share Posted December 17, 2014 Congrats on the purchase! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolly Posted December 17, 2014 Report Share Posted December 17, 2014 Congratulations and enjoy your new Journey!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted December 17, 2014 Report Share Posted December 17, 2014 I am thoroughly enjoying my Crossroad. I do have the mesh in my seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.