P5

[RogWild]

...If I only had one change, a passenger door on the curb side so my grandkids can get out safely and not in traffic..i would gladly give up a star for that.

..... and maybe ONE or TWO grandkids..... if they were ever in a crash! Some 'Grandpa'. With a 'single door'; the Driver can 'supervise' WHEN and WHERE the children go.... when they exit.

 

[Rickb]

Hey rick, Mr. Elio is a car salesman*, Jerome is a car salesman, and finance manager, and probably the sales trainer for the entire company. Jerome will make the sales videos available to every showroom..2-3 people on the board are car salesmen.
With a car salesman you can negotiate a price, with the elio method, you PAY what the salesman writes up off the options list. The auto will be over $800, the destination charge is $750, the cruise will be around $250 and there will be a dealer prep charge to get your elio ready for delivery..
The salesman says, Rick, here is the deal...your brand new elio will be $9000 plus your tax, license and document fees....how do you want to pay for it????? Oh, you want to finance it, let's fill out the credit app. ok?....if you say no, the salesman says NEXT!

* Mr. Elio just doesn't wear his plaid jacket , the white tie, and the gold chains, they are in his closet at home.

Frankly, if the Elio's Base MSRP goes above $6800 they have lost their credibility, but that's me. I would simply say I would have preferred to pay cash but go ahead and assist that next customer........no deal. It's a simple take it or leave it approach for both Elio and me. I like the business model very much from a consumer perspective.

 

[Snick]

SQRT(-625)

 

[karl]

Yep, spending a bunch of cash to tune an exhaust that will never get used in the production vehicle makes lots of sense.

 

[ecdriver711]

Hold up your hand if you ever bought a car at base price level. Yea, not many. Yet all cars and bikes are advertised at base price.

 

[Dustoff]

Lol, that's a good one.
I only got one at that level and when a friend went to get the same deal it disappeared.

 

[pj rogers]

Well, if they hold the $6800 figure, and it is called a MRP, suggested is a negotiating term..then the profit margins will be made up by increasing the options price. For example: Some folks were saying the elio automatic cost was $400-$500, they may have been 100% right, but you do not pay the cost of the automatic, you pay the retail price. That from what Jerome says "we are trying to keep it under $1000" when he was in OKC. EM is in the business to make money, not be your friend.
Most dealers make as much money from the financing then the sale any way. I must have bumped the monthly payment up $20-$30 at least 800-900 times. $20 a month on a 48 month contract was $960 a month pure profit, and the bank would toss in a $200 kick back for the deal. $30 a month was even nicer..The buyers didn't do any home work concerning rates or even the price of the vehicle which can be found at the local news stand any day of the week..both wholesale and retail...shuuuush, I shouldn't have told you folks that!

 

[tazairforce]

Hold up your hand if you ever bought a car at base price level. Yea, not many. Yet all cars and bikes are advertised at base price.

My hand is down.
Most Rational/Adult car/bike purchasers realize that the Base Price is only a starting point, then you add $'S for the add on's, then the sellers fees?, sales tax/title/doc/etc.That's just the way it is.
I'll give you 499$ for your low production/in line number, if the company approves, limit of two at this price, and you can walk away with out losing all your money.
The projected 6800$'s is just that, a projection of the Final base price. If that tricks you out, your in over you head already.
I expect my Elio to cost between 8-10K, with the few factory ops I want, when it comes off the aline.

 

[Dustoff]

pj, I'm sure many will benefit from your candid advice.

 

[Jeff Miller]

Hold up your hand if you ever bought a car at base price level. Yea, not many. Yet all cars and bikes are advertised at base price.

I have purchased well appointed vehicles for actually less than the "base price". It was less because of auto manufacture rebate programs and other incentives.

The problem seems to me to be that the auto game is about all sides fibbing to the other to try to get the best deal. In reality, most of the consumers end up like zelio and get the short end of the deal leaving the dealer to take the most $'s. Factor in that the factories are also having to incentivise these same dealers and the only people that come out ahead seem to be the dealers.

When I have purchased a "base" vehicle is was because the vehicle was already well appointed. The elio comes incredibly well appointed for $6800 and with the no haggle, no dealer overhead, I expect quite a few more elio buyers will purchase at base price than if they were buying a car from a dealer.