Ram questions - New Purchase

[Skrap]

Hi all. First post here. I am in the market for a new truck and my decision is weighted, at this time, more towards the Ram 2500 than the Ford. I really like both brands but have driven a Dodge/Ram for a take-home work truck for the past 5-6 years and my father has a '12 mega cab Laramie w/5.7 and is very nice. Due to price comparisons at this time I seem to get more from Ram than the Fords.

Questions; several if you don't mind:

I see Here and online that dealers are coming off the MSRP by $5-$10K on many trucks. How long do you expect these deeper discounts to last? I need to buy a personal truck but am in the middle of refinancing my home and it will not close for 3-4 weeks and don't want to do and major purchases until it closes.

Next, one huge benefit on the Ram is the availability of the Chrystler Lifetime warranty. My truck will not see a lot of miles (5-7K per year) but I do plan on keeping it for 10+ years at least. When I was playing with some lifetime warranty costs on the website it was showing cost of about $2567 for a new truck in the $46K price range. Is there any negotiation avail in these warranties or are they pretty from on the costs?

I do have other questions but will post them later. Thanks for the help in advance.
Btw, here is my wish list in a truck.
2015 Ram 2500
6.4 Hemi
MegaCab
4x4
Laramie
Bunch of other goodies.

 

[HemiRoar]

Don't know much about buying a new truck but I believe Ram's equivalent of the the Lariat trim would be the Laramie.

Just so there's no confusion if and when you order it.

 

[jsteinm1]

When buying a new car, any new car, you should be able to negotiate close to the invoice value of the vehicle (not including incentives). When I bought my truck, the MSRP was $49k and invoice about $45k.

I don't know much for incentives on RAM year round, but there are usually pretty good ones. I would imagine the incentives on 2014s if you are looking for that year will stick around. 2015s may not have as much available. When I got my truck last december, the incentives were $9500. So to get $10k off the sticker on a high MSRP truck like a Laramie is not uncommon.

 

[SouthernBoy]

You should be able to get under invoice plus the $2500 cash off going on right now.

 

[Skrap]

Don't know much about buying a new truck but I believe Ram's equivalent of the the Lariat trim would be the Laramie.

Just so there's no confusion if and when you order it.

Yes. Thank you. Fixed it. I have been looking at so many Rams and fords lately on the net my brain is fried.

I have been looking at the new or very low mile 2014 but many of the new '14s I come across are white. My work truck is white so looking for so's one color.


So, through work, I get what I think is called "x" plan pricing. Is it logical to the I can get my X plan pricing so there is not much negotiation and then "expect" to get all the other dealer/manufactures rebates. Or, is it sticker price less rebates offered?

 

[Jerry1984]

Just going to chime in on the lifetime max care warranty. I paid 2300 for mine through my dealer. They are offered online at about that price. I just told them I will buy online if you don't want to match and they did. I should have went lower as they took 2300 gladly. Before it went through, Chrysler called me and offered it for 3400. I declined.

 

[Jeff CA]

X plan is unique to Ford, and is the supplier discount, which is over invoice. As previously mentioned, you should be able to pay under invoice on a Ram, esp. on a 14.

 

[mtofell]

A good deal is somewhere around 80% of MSRP. Try Costco Auto Program or some of the employee/friend/family deals if you can. Don't fall for any of the "limited time" offers. It's like buying a mattress.... have you ever gone to buy one and they weren't on sale? There is always some deal that is about to expire.

I went through exact same decision as you with the Ford vs. Ram 2500s. To me it came down to price and better fuel economy with the Ram. It has cylinder deactivation and the Ford doesn't. Real world reports of mpg were 1-2 better with the Ram. Overall, I'm super happy with the truck.

And I also got the Lifetime Maxcare with $100 deductible for around $2300. Most importantly, don't pay the $4000 from the finance guy when you buy. fwiw you don't have to buy anything at the time of purchase. You have at least 12K/12months to get the same deal. Realistically, you have up until your factory bumper to bumper warranty expires but I think you have to pay a small penalty when you're past the 12/12.

 

[coolidge]

Last month I purchased a new 2014 Big Horn CC 4x4 6'4" box, MSRP $46,900 I paid $34,900 or 74.5% of MSRP. Combination of end of month end of year end of model year deal. I shopped all dealers in a 250 mile radius.

 

[Sportznut]

Last month I purchased a new 2014 Big Horn CC 4x4 6'4" box, MSRP $46,900 I paid $34,900 or 74.5% of MSRP. Combination of end of month end of year end of model year deal. I shopped all dealers in a 250 mile radius.

Similar here...bought on Dec 31. MSRP $46,600....paid $33,100.

2014 CC 6' 4" Big Horn 4 x 4.

Find a 2014 truck you like and offer at least 30% off. Settle for what you think is reasonable based on your research.

 

[Skrap]

Lots of great advice. Thanks all. I did read up more on the Lifetime warranty and think that solidified that I will get the Ram 2500. It is also nice that I can get the warranty after I purchase.

 

[Sportznut]

If you want to have the warranty financed with the truck you should be prepared to negotiate it at the time of purchase.

Wish I had done that since interest was only 2.5%. Could have kept my $2300 in the bank.

 

[loveracing1988]

X plan is unique to Ford, and is the supplier discount, which is over invoice. As previously mentioned, you should be able to pay under invoice on a Ram, esp. on a 14.

X plan is what I get through work, which is comparable to friends and family with ram which is 1% below invoice.
Go in trucar and build the truck you want and it will give you the invoice price. Take 1% off of that minus all rebates and there is the highest price you should pay. If your good at negotiating you can get lower though. You can always ask for that price minus hold back which is 3% of msrp (I'm pretty sure on that percentage although I could be wrong). The dealer might go for it they might not. It depends on how many vehicles they sold in a month and how many they need to sell. I bought mine on the 31st of August and the September rebates came out $500 more than August, so waiting would have saved me $500. I know though if I would have waited the incentives would have went the other way.