Total Out The Door Price?

[outsydthebox]

With most car manufacturers nowadays, options come as packages often with significant cost....

As an "insider" I can share the main reason why accessories are packaged....PURE PROFIT. This is especially true with "dealer added items. You know...the "addendum" sticker that is beside the window sticker? When 3 or 4 items(or more) are "bundled" together, We lose the ability to "break down" the price of each individual item, and actually see that we have been overcharged. On the rare occasion that a customer will "fight it out" and get the "package" price reduced, they lose out on negotiating a lower price on the window sticker. Most dealers would gladly give you a $1K "Paint protection package" (wax & undercoat / actual cost: under $100). Then, because you feel so good about "winning" that fight, you pay full MSRP!
Imagine going to the grocery store and filling you cart without knowing the price for anything! Then you just pay "whatever" the cashier wants to charge?

 

[zelio]

As an "insider" I can share the main reason why accessories are packaged....PURE PROFIT. This is especially true with "dealer added items. You know...the "addendum" sticker that is beside the window sticker? When 3 or 4 items(or more) are "bundled" together, We lose the ability to "break down" the price of each individual item, and actually see that we have been overcharged. On the rare occasion that a customer will "fight it out" and get the "package" price reduced, they lose out on negotiating a lower price on the window sticker. Most dealers would gladly give you a $1K "Paint protection package" (wax & undercoat / actual cost: under $100). Then, because you feel so good about "winning" that fight, you pay full MSRP!
Imagine going to the grocery store and filling you cart without knowing the price for anything! Then you just pay "whatever" the cashier wants to charge?

Wow, thanks for the inside scoop. I knew it was bad but even I didn't realize just how bad. Go Paul Elio and a new way of doing business! :-) Z

 

[Rickb]

I will probably finance most of the $5300.00 the car will cost. Then pay cash for all the extras.
MK

The $1000 reservation fee along with Elio's $500 makes for a nice downpayment on a $6800 Elio. The idea of paying cash for options is sound financial logic..........why pay interest on things you don't really need.

 

[larryboy]

The credit card option does sound interesting, but I started thinking about the math. Everyone's circumstance is different, but if you drive about 10,000 miles a year like I do, at a pessimistic MPG of 49 mpg, that's about 204 gallons of gas. At about $3.50 gal, that's about $715 for gas per year. Using the credit card option then, you would be applying $1430 ($715 x 2) to pay off the Elio every year. With interest -- and I'm sure Elio will be charging interest --, it seems that it would take more than 5 years to pay off a $6800 Elio. With an optimistic MPG of 84 mpg, it would take over 8 years to pay it off. Again, everyone's circumstance is different, but 5-8 years seems like a long time to be paying off a $6800 debt. On the upside, the higher your gas prices, the quicker you pay off the Elio.... Jus' sayin' o_O

I think you could charge other things with your Elio card and as long as you were ok with the added amount that would be charged to your card you could pay off your Elio at whatever rate you wished. Maybe you cannot charge anything but fuel. I have three cars for 2 drivers. If all the fuel for the 3 was charged on the Elio card it would not take 8 years for me to pay off my Elio. Anyway, does not make any difference to me as I will pay cash.

 

[JP]

As an "insider" I can share the main reason why accessories are packaged....PURE PROFIT. This is especially true with "dealer added items. You know...the "addendum" sticker that is beside the window sticker? When 3 or 4 items(or more) are "bundled" together, We lose the ability to "break down" the price of each individual item, and actually see that we have been overcharged. On the rare occasion that a customer will "fight it out" and get the "package" price reduced, they lose out on negotiating a lower price on the window sticker. Most dealers would gladly give you a $1K "Paint protection package" (wax & undercoat / actual cost: under $100). Then, because you feel so good about "winning" that fight, you pay full MSRP!
Imagine going to the grocery store and filling you cart without knowing the price for anything! Then you just pay "whatever" the cashier wants to charge?

I was looking at buying a Focus ST. I wanted the Recaro racing seats but not the other items in the $2500 package. Didn't buy the car but 2500 was way too high when all I wanted was seats.

 

[StuartGrant]

Why not buy the car, get the Recaro seats for $1500 aftermarket then sell the OEM seats for $800?

 

[Rickb]

Why not buy the car, get the Recaro seats for $1500 aftermarket then sell the OEM seats for $800?

Save the big money......buy an Elio!

 

[skygazer6033]

As far as the Elio gas credit card financing is concerned, I seem to recall reading somewhere (I don't recall where) that there would be a minimum monthly payment and the APR would be around 20%. Of course this really means you can buy this way but as a last resort. Just about any other means of financing would be preferable.

 

[tazairforce]

Why not buy the car, get the Recaro seats for $1500 aftermarket then sell the OEM seats for $800?

Stuart, Being realistic, who would want nor need New OEM seats for their New, Original Elio, that they have just purchased?? Put the seats in a plastic bag and put them in the garage, then in about 10 years you might get 100/200$ for them. In about 2/3 years you Could sell them in a yard sale for 20$ each for some one to put on a Go Cart.

You can't Give away New OEM 2014 Harley Take Off seats/pipes, around here, no one needs them.

 

[lkptpete]

Stuart, Being realistic, who would want nor need New OEM seats for their New, Original Elio, that they have just purchased?? Put the seats in a plastic bag and put them in the garage, then in about 10 years you might get 100/200$ for them. In about 2/3 years you Could sell them in a yard sale for 20$ each for some one to put on a Go Cart.

You can't Give away New OEM 2014 Harley Take Off seats/pipes, around here, no one needs them.

The seat post was about a ford focus ST. Wise man once say : read before reply...