Confirmed: 3.5% Tariff on all new Porsche products through the end of 2025.

[robrain]

Deal done, locked in now.

There are not enough emojis in the world.

Sponsored

 

[chaz]

Car arrived yesterday and got the call just now. He’s offering me 1.75% off and I can pick it up Thursday!

 

[chaz]

Well it's Thursday and I'm told it has a fault they can't clear. Said they've seen this fault before. No timeframe on when I'll be able to get it or if they'll have to wait for parts... oh well, better finding the fault now than on the drive home!

 

[Station]

Car arrived yesterday and got the call just now. He’s offering me 1.75% off and I can pick it up Thursday!

Seems light. I know a few people (including myself) getting 4% off. $1,750 off a $100k car is tiny.

Macan EV's are not selling like hotcakes. Especially with PFS published money factor of .0035 (8.5% interest).

 

[chaz]

Seems light. I know a few people (including myself) getting 4% off. $1,750 off a $100k car is tiny.

Macan EV's are not selling like hotcakes. Especially with PFS published money factor of .0035 (8.5% interest).

Yeah when I asked for more he complained that he “built” this car for me and that you only get discounts on models on the lot….

 

[Station]

Yeah when I asked for more he complained that he “built” this car for me and that you only get discounts on models on the lot….

That's silly. I built mine very specifically. It's all the same to the dealer. If he is saying he took time using the configurator for you, that's a 15 minute proposition.

 

[chaz]

That's silly. I built mine very specifically. It's all the same to the dealer. If he is saying he took time using the configurator for you, that's a 15 minute proposition.

Which he didn’t! Even when he said that on the phone I said “actually I built it”. He was the only dealer around that had an allocation, so that’s one point I guess for him. I visited another dealer last week and they gave me 5.5% off without me even asking for one on the lot that was the same MSRP

 

[Station]

Which he didn’t! Even when he said that on the phone I said “actually I built it”. He was the only dealer around that had an allocation, so that’s one point I guess for him. I visited another dealer last week and they gave me 5.5% off without me even asking for one on the lot that was the same MSRP

Oh boy, I'd call his bluff. And I'd bring up the "fault" as well as his meager discount - I'd be very comfortable walking away on this guy. "I built it for you". Wow.

But that's your business. I just got fired up when you mentioned he said he built it.

 

[dbsb3233]

Oh boy, I'd call his bluff. And I'd bring up the "fault" as well as his meager discount - I'd be very comfortable walking away on this guy. "I built it for you". Wow.

But that's your business. I just got fired up when you mentioned he said he built it.

Yep. Ultimately it's just another car on their lot when it comes in. The customer that ordered it just gets first crack at buying it. If they don't, it's just another inventory vehicle for them to sell.

Two complicating factors though. The first is deposit, and whether it's fully refundable. If not, they kinda have you stuck. But if fully refundable (or no deposit), then no biggie.

The other is the fact that most people that order a vehicle to spec are more invested in it and usually want it more badly than some rando walking in off the street. The salespeople know that, and may negotiate accordingly (i.e. assume you want it too badly to walk away, and pretend they won't go any lower).

We negotiated $6000 off our inventory Macan in June. I used Edmunds to spec the exact vehicle and printed off their "fair value" page (which they said was $7000 under MSRP for this specific car). Presented it to them after they first said MSRP. They immediately came down $5000 on the next offer. I countered with $7000 off and they came down to $6000. We agreed to that. They did have a little advantage on us as we found that vehicle in stock in another state we just happened to be driving thru on a road trip, so they knew we were leaving town the next day. They knew we wanted that one and couldn't just come back a week later to see if they'd bend more.

 

[jwatte]

for one on the lot that was the same MSRP

This is the difference!
For some reason, car dealers work like this. "If you want to steal a car, it has to be in stock."
I don't quite get *why* but I've learned that this is how it is, unless you find a "good one" and can work with them.

Also, deposits are 100% refundable in almost all US states AFAICT.

Also also, some dealers sell through enough that they simply won't move below MSRP. I worked with one like that, and I walked out, and got a deal from another dealer.

Try a broker, they tend to know who they can go to, and tend to get you a better deal overall despite their commission.

 

[PrudentOcean]

For some reason, car dealers work like this. "If you want to steal a car, it has to be in stock."

Yeah, this makes no sense to me. The dealer pays finance charges for cars sitting on the lot, they don’t on cars that are ordered for a customer. They have more margin to work with on custom orders.

 

[Station]

This is the difference!
For some reason, car dealers work like this. "If you want to steal a car, it has to be in stock."
I don't quite get *why* but I've learned that this is how it is, unless you find a "good one" and can work with them.

Also, deposits are 100% refundable in almost all US states AFAICT.

Also also, some dealers sell through enough that they simply won't move below MSRP. I worked with one like that, and I walked out, and got a deal from another dealer.

Try a broker, they tend to know who they can go to, and tend to get you a better deal overall despite their commission.

I've never put down a deposit. Just placed order and shook hands. But deposits are certainly refundable because let's say you incurred a price difference - such as tariffs, which were unexpected.

 

[jwatte]

The dealer pays finance charges for cars sitting on the lot, they don’t on cars that are ordered for a customer

Apparently more than half of custom orders, with deposits, never close to the customer, and then the dealer is left with a configuration that's slightly off and less likely to sell than their allegedly hyper-optimized ones.

This is because deposits in most US states (all?) are refundable by law. No purchase has been made until you drive off the lot. So, on the one hand, customers are protected against hold-your-money-hostage scams. On the other hand, this makes dealers very weary of custom orders.

 

[Wivenhoe]

My dealer in the UK has a policy regards deposits (I don’t think there are any laws regards deposits).

1) Amount depends on the model.
2) If the order is for an unusual mix of internal & external colours and / or options then they increase the amount
3) If you cancel before build commences then you are repaid immediately
4) If you cancel after build you receive the deposit when they sell the car.

I thought that was very fair and was more generous than the Porsche UK standard terms on the Order.

 

[dbsb3233]

Yeah, this makes no sense to me. The dealer pays finance charges for cars sitting on the lot, they don’t on cars that are ordered for a customer. They have more margin to work with on custom orders.

But once the car comes in, it should be the same for either vehicle from that point forward. Whether they've accrued charges on the car that's already been sitting there for 2 months shouldn't affect it. That's already sunk cost. Which one they sell from there doesn't gain or lose any more point-forward.

With an ordered car, they know the person that ordered it to spec really *wants* that car. Sellers are just like buyers -- all looking to get the best deal they can from the other side. And like buyers, some are more hardcore at it than others. They all have different breaking points, and they're all putting on a show for the other trying to convince them that's as far as they'll go.

My guess is those that say they won't go as low as they would with an inventory vehicle are really just pretending because they know the orderer *really* wants the car they spec'd.

Sponsored