Advice with how much I should negotiate for a Ford Mustang

Edit: We ordered it. 69,500 and free first service. I think everyone was happy with that.

Hey guys, another one of these threads, sorry!

I'm going to buy a Ford Mustang. We went into a dealership yesterday and specced up what we want and the price is around $76k. The salesman offered us a price of $73k. The car needs to be made to order and will probably take around 5 months to be delivered. I'm going to call up all the dealerships in Sydney and see what the best price I can get is over the next week. Here are my questions…

  1. Any idea what price I should be paying?

  2. Should I call up dealers outside of Sydney?

I'm new to Australia, and this is the first car I'll be buying here. It's also the first new car I've ever bought. I'm not flexible on the spec, so buying used, demo's, cars off the forecourt is not an option.

Thanks!

Comments

  • +6

    Side note, looks like the new model is in 2022. These have bad enough resale as it is, but getting a 2021 model sounds like the value will drop considerably in 12 months.

    But hey, you do you!

    • Too bad they're set on a Stang otherwise dream customer eh?

  • +3

    I rather get Subaru WRX STI or Kia Stinger, better value and much more reliable.
    Just don’t trust American car !

    • +5

      Aw c'mon. Don't knock the car. It's not your pick but it's still a lifestyle decision.

      Yeah, I have cars faster than the Stang and I'll never own one myself but they are nice to look at and the V8 sounds awesome.

    • Even though I don't like American cars in general, I can say the same to you.

      Don't get Kia Stinger! That thing doesn't even have a manual option! What's the point of driving a sports car if it's not manual?

      Don't get WRX STI either! It's so heavy and doesn't have as good of a cornering speed as say the BRZ.

      It's all preferences mate.

  • +2

    Call other dealers to inquire about their bottom prices. Then you can solve it.
    Remember one thing, when they make a suggestion, never pay for anything extra (such as paint protection, tinted windows…)
    Good luck.

  • If you are ready to buy, have your credit card in your hand and tell them that. And offer 65k off the bat and you might get to $70 (experience- just bargained on a new car mysef)

  • +4

    What's wrong with your camel? Too slow?

  • +2

    I have found that small country dealerships are more willing to drop prices , mainly they need your money and their costs are lower, ie rent 9f dealership in country town would be a fraction of rent in Sydney.
    Just my thoughts

  • If you work with a company that allow novated leases, use them to find a starting point. Otherwise, join a mustang forum. Ask them how much they paid.

  • +1

    The last time I bought a new car I used the below steps after few test drives

    Step 1 - Confirm spec of the car down to tow bar, tint, etc…
    Step 2 - Call the local dealer and ask for a deal. They normally say RRP over the phone first time but follow up with another call asking for a deal. Everntually you will get a number.
    Step 3 - Call the next dealer and tell then you have a offer ( be honest ) and ask them if they can beat it
    Step 4 - Repeat step 3 with all the dealers. Eventually, you will find they all settle down on a price -5% to 10% of RRP and then you choose.

    EOFY and EOY are good times as delaership try to close the deals to make the sales target.

    The final pricie was 7K less than RRP on a intially quoted 47K car to a delaership furthest from home.

    • +2

      Or do the opposite and work your way in, giving the local dealer last crack

      • In my case, it was the dealership in the country who had the exact vehicle in the shed. The local dealership wanted 1k more, so we turned the pick up to a long weekend :-)

        • -1

          And spent $800 on food accomodation and fuel?

          • +1

            @Euphemistic: They got a weekend away and a good run in their new car for what they saved. Worth it imo

            • -1

              @El cheepo: Most people would use that logic, some would be solely focused on ‘$1k off’ and then go and splurge somewhere else forgetting they’d already spent it.

          • @Euphemistic: Yup, spent that money in that region which was just after bush fire as well. More importantly got a long weekend away !!

  • +2

    Aim for 10-15% off the list price. If you can get Into this range then your doing ok but the specing up is complicating things for you.

  • I got a price on a new Xtrail and went to another dealer thinking they were the same company lol. Told them the bottom line after trade in and got a great deal. They actually sold our trade in, which still had a few months new car warranty on it, for less than the trade in price. New car was current year model with factory reduced pricing. So, go elsewhere and see what you can do and today or last weekend of a month often best time as the dealership and fsctory are after sales numbers.

  • +2

    Sounds like you know the car and specs you want and you are not budging, so the next step is to ring around - tell them this is the car and specs that I want and this is the price I am willing to pay for it. I am calling 5 other dealers today and the closest to my price, I will send over a credit card authorisation for $2k immediately.

    • This! Its not hard!
      TBH, normally i think phone calls isnt the way to go, but we are in covid times! Just tell them i dont want to risk my health so am doing it all over the phone but i am a serious buyer and will be placing an order today.

  • +18

    Rent one for 3 months and see if the dopamine induced 'want' factor is still there.

    • +4

      Yep, this exactly.

      Lease one mate, see if you really like it after several months.

      Carbar or similar are good starting points.

      I used to be a Ford man myself, but not anymore. I won't elaborate on that because there's just too many reasons why I wouldn't touch their stuff for the foreseeable future.

    • +1

      I know two people who both have had one and both kept them less than 18 months. One was an initial order when they came out, the other got rid of theirs last year.
      There seemed to be a growing dissatisfaction with them, we're also talking the V8's not the little 4-pot.

    • +1

      Great advice! I wanted one until I hired one. It was lots of fun for a day, but the awful interior quality and jarring ride got old quickly. If you can take it to a track often it would be cool, around a city it’s not great.

  • +1

    I think people over think this…..just get as many quotes as you want, then get the best price from those and go back to the place that gave you the best service and ask if they will beat it. Done. Really, when you are spending 70k and it will be worth 40k in 4-5 years (tops) whats the difference between 69k or 71k now?

  • +2

    If you are so worried about a few dollars, why are you buying new?

    These machines are being "dumped" by owners asking prices for '18/'19 $45k.

    A huge "saving" for the "same" vehicle with only at times, 25k milage

    • +1

      Cheapest updated 2018 model (FN) advertised on Carsales is $50k. But at $50k it's not bad value.

      Mustang isn't really my cup of tea, but I think I should test drive one to see if I like it. In a manual.

      The way things are going, it's unlikely I'd ever get to buy an affordable (near) new manual RWD V8 in the future.

      • Which is way way more than they were 6 months ago.

        • How much were they 6 months ago?

          • @JimB: I was looking at demos/near new V8 MY19 with below 10000km between $43-47k. I didn’t need another car but when I saw a near new V8 Mustang (current 10 speed) for $43k I was awfully tempted. This was just before CV19.

            • @[Deactivated]: Jesus that's cheap.

              Did you end up buying anything?

              I was about to buy a ND MX5 2L (used) but held off due to Covid. Probably the right move as being in Melbourne haven't driven much in the past 6 months.

              • +1

                @JimB: No I didn’t need a car, but when I came across a plethora of Mustangs at that price i was awfully tempted. Melbourne car prices have gone through the roof since pre Covid.

  • +6

    You might want to rethink getting a Mustang if you care about safety (which you should since you and the missus likely enjoy some sprightly driving). It only has a 3 star ANCAP safety rating, which is the same rating given to LDV work vans. Mustangs in general are not very safe; previous Mustangs (2015-2017) were only 2 star.

    https://www.ancap.com.au/media-and-gallery/releases/updated-…

    https://www.ancap.com.au/safety-ratings/ford/mustang/be8eed

    Keep in mind that ANCAP ratings are based on crash tests carried out at 50-60kph. So you can imagine how bad it will be at higher speeds.

    https://www.ancap.com.au/safety-testing-explained

    I researched these stuff for my new car after personally experiencing a major crash within a 60kph zone which totaled my previous new car.

    • +3

      It's more about the safety of those just walking down the street that are at risk from mustangs and their drivers! Those cars are known to lash out at crowds!

  • Try getting a quote from a broker along with few dealers. Check WP and see if existing threads regarding prices buyers were able to get recently. Offer other dealer 10% of what they quoted and see if it works.
    Good luck.

  • +2

    Willing to pay for custom specs when the car will be worth 20% less the moment you drive it out of the dealership, what type of advice are you expecting from a bargain website?

  • +2

    Unfortunately there is little financial incentives for the dealers to offer discount on specifically optioned vehicles that needs to be made to order. There is much more incentive for dealers to get rid off used/demo/new cars in stock to reduce their holding cost etc. Having said that, there maybe certain times of the year (e.g. EOFY) where dealers are looking to hit their volume targets so are willing to sell at a reduced margin (or even negative margin in certain instances) in order to receive the manufacturer volume rebates or bonuses. So doesnt hurt to ask and push as hard as you can, but just dont compare it to others on the forum who might have bought one thats already in stock.

  • I feel that given the plummeting new car numbers dealers would be fighting to get your business. However given you are ordering a custom spec they may have less margin to move with. I know that when we were selling high end bikes, as soon as a customer wanted a custom spec/paintjob and were prepared to wait, all margins went out the window as the factory would charge the retailer more as it wasn't an 'off the shelf' build.

    Overall i'd recommend getting your options/spec list and emailing it around to all the dealerships to see what they can do, i feel you've done well if you get $5k off.

  • +3

    New to Australia, Buying a Brand new Sports car….wait did prince harry move to Australia ?

    • Good one

  • As mentioned, a factory ordered/made to order vehicle will not be discounted much at all, already the 3k off seems decent. Obviously do your due diligence and ring around, but I think you'll find they will all be working off the same system, and when they punch in the specs you want it'll give them a similar, if not exact same price.

    • +1

      So far I've got another grand off… but also an offer to try one for 24 hours, which is nice.

      • Good work :)
        They're nice cars, enjoy!

      • Definitely take up the offer of a 24hr test drive, but be aware the salesperson will want to make a deal with you. Also don't take that drive opportunity as one to run it up a ditch as you will no doubt need to sign some insurance excess if car damaged, and pay any speeding fine.

        Definitely a good way to see if the car is for you. Be interested to find out your comments after test drive . I have a feeling its a nice looking and sounding car, but maybe a bit hyped and not so good inreality. Get ready also at the bowser filling it up on a weekly basis.

  • As already mentioned, you have less bargaining power given your specific requirements. I don't think ringing around or emailing looks serious enough and most won't give their best price over the phone.

    I think walk in with your exact specific requirements. You've already got it to 73k, pick a figure, say 71 and then try your luck at two more dealerships? Can't do the price? say no dramas, just walk away. If they try and hold onto you, you know you've got a good position. Whilst the "cost" to the dealeship won't change, how much they need to hit a quota, or how much they compromise on their delivery charges will so trying several different owned dealerships should be helpful.

    Then find the dealer you like best, closest to home or whatever and say I've got x - You guys are closer, will get the servicing or I liked you better - Can you match it (or even better it by a few hundred more)?

    YOu need to consider the cost-benefit of running around more to potentially save a few more dollars

    Good luck! Buying a new car is fun!

  • $65k would be an excellent good job. $69K would be acceptable to the smart buyer.

    Let them know what you're willing to pay, thank them for their time and walk away. Let them chase you.

    New car sales are in the toilet, it's very much a buyers market.

  • If there is a 5 month wait on a custom order, not sure how much leeway you will have.

    If you were picking a car already in the lot though…

  • 73k made to order sounds fair enough for what you are after - i would ask for some free servicing for a few years at least…

  • Whats the attraction of a mustang aside from the look at me factor?

    • isn't that enough at this price point

      • Well i guess money is no object if it makes you happy.

        • That's the whole point about making money to me. And personally, the only non-super cars that I really like are the Mustang and Merc AMG, so I would spend that much if I could

    • -4

      The "look at me - I have a tiny penis" factor

      • Ok but what about staying on topic please…

    • +1

      Naturally aspirated V8 with a manual 6 speed. Rear wheel drive.
      I like that its a car with a clear philosophy. I don't subscribe to Americanism on the whole, but they got muscle cars right. Its a bit like buying a ducati because I respect that they made it pretty and red first and worried about rideabilty or ease to live with second.

      • I'll contest the term "Muscle car" these days for a stang.

        Muscle cars back in the day were V8s who were faster than pretty much anyone on the road on the straight line.

        These days the stang is only average. Heck, the Cayenne turbo as a SUV is faster overall on the straights and corners; albeit at 3x the price.

        The stang is def a looker and is a fantastic car for the price point. Congrats in advance!

    • V8, RWD. Fun to drive (or so I've heard) and nothing sounds quite as good as a V8.

      Shame it replaced the Falcon. I'd like a V8 and RWD car, but I'm not buying something that I couldn't reasonably fit someone in the back seat (especially with a boot that shoddy. Definitely no Ute…). Here's hoping we see the charger here someday, until then I guess I've just got to keep flipping back and forth between a used Falcon/Commodore and a new Stinger.

  • +2

    Any idea what price I should be paying?

    How could anyone even guess what the ideal price should be without knowing what specs you are after ?

  • +2

    Crazy thing is pre covid, I was seeing a lot of 2019 demo/near new V8 Auto mustangs advertised in the low 40k mark. The production stoppages have really turned supply/demand dynamic on it's head. I never would have thought that 8 months into the CV19 world, cars would be more expensive than they were pre. Especially given the dire state of the economy.

    • Yeah it's a strange time. Found this when I bought a tv. The demand was outstripping the supply and everyone wanted a new TV to sit and watch during lockdown.
      The thing is we moved here in February and we do need a car if we wanna get around and see the country. We decided we'd rather wait and get something we like rather than something cheaper earlier.

  • Have you considered about the petrol? Its a gas guzzler. People sold them lol.

    • Yeah petrol here is half the price of the uk, and work is only a 20 min drive away. Probably will only fill up once a month unless we do a trip. I was spending $120 a week on diesel in England.

  • Out of curiosity, what 'spec' is so good it warrants all of this in the first place?

    • +1

      Red manual standard GT with stripes LOL

  • +1

    If you want to learn to negotiate, this book is what you want: https://www.amazon.com.au/Never-Split-Difference-Negotiating…

    • Great recommendation. I read that. Think op needs to figure out exactly what they want

  • Take this with a grain of salt but there is a spike in new car purchases right with seemingly a lot of people in your position - not going on holidays and have a bit of cash to burn on a new car and that's driving a bit demand over supply and therefor price right now.

    Suggestions have been to wait until the end of the year when there's likely to be a bit of an oversupply from the demand they are trying to meet right now.

    Given you are looking to wait 5 months anyway that probably works out well as long as you're not locked into a price right now.

  • Not sure what you want here. You need the car so it looks like whether you get the car for 10% less or not should not matter. So price is not a negotiation point.

    If you want the car to travel around then any cheap car will do as long as it's reliable. Then that could be what you are negotiating for.

    However it seems you want to know what's a fair price for a mustang most of all. And a brand new one. The only price you'll be playing with will be 10%. Play with that

  • +1

    You've come to the wrong country if you enjoy spirited driving or even 'making progress'…. Such low speed limits, heavily policed, cameras everywhere, poor lane discipline (people will purposely move into the outside lane and block you when they see you coming in a fast car), people will drive slow on single lane roads then nail it when you try to overtake (you may get past but by then you are doing twice the speed limit =loss of licence), every bogan in a commodore will want to race you and horrendous traffic.
    But the mustang is an awesome car and sounds amazing

  • Hopefully not the 2.3, as they nerfed the Focus ST to not be better then it, which is also why the New ST is reviewing so bad.

    • You know that by confusing then and than, you completely change the meaning of your post, right? And no, it wasn't a typo.

  • Offer a neatly rounded down 70k. Be prepared and tell them for that price you will pay deposit on the spot.
    They are much more likely to do it if they know it's a sale 'now' and not someone shopping around.

  • +2

    I don't think people get that OP is buying this because of how it makes him feel, rather than getting a 'bargain'.

    We drive mercs beamers and toyotas here but I liked driving a Ford Explorer way better while I was in Hawaii.

    People buy a Mustang because of how they want to feel rather than 'owning' the actual asset.

    The OP is just not wanting to get completely dogged on price, which, regardless, he is going to get dogged on price due to his specifications and the shortage of stock due to coronavirus. However, the exchange rate is getting better butdoubt you'll get any discount in that affair.

    • Hahah. Now it makes sense. Good point

  • -2

    PMSL $75K

    Seen these $40K ex demo at auctions, that the 5.0 with limp wrist auto. That was last year before kung flu, 6MT 5.0 or nothing, rather a Kia Stinger

    Still very low kay on carsales $50K mark
    https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/?q=(And.(C.Make.Ford..Model.Mustang.).Odometer.range(..10000)._.Year.range(2017..).)&sort=~Price

    • +3

      Yep, $70k is wayyy too much to pay for a Mustang, even in this climate.

  • If I wanted a new car, and I could afford 70k, I'm not going to buy a used car "dealer demo" of something that has been driven hard for its short life.

    I don't know why you keep getting recommend to buy a used model thats 1-2 years old.

    If you want a used car, wait until the model is 5 years old and pay 30k for a car that was owned by someone who maintained it well and is looking to upgrade

    • Yeah and its a different experience. The last car I bought was a 2 year old used car from a dealer and it was fine. But I didnt get the spec or colour I wanted.

    • -1

      I don't know why you keep getting recommend to buy a used model thats 1-2 years old

      This is ozbargain. OP is chasing a reduced price. Buying a very similar model 1-2 years old will save a fair bit of money - bargain. This isn’t newcarbuyers.com

      • I get the reasoning, but it isn't the same product.

        OP wants to know how to find the cheapest possible new car with the manual and 5L engine. A used car is a subsitute, that's fine, but noone is answering the question.

        • -2

          Plenty have answered the question. Go to several dealers and see what the best price is. End of the day, they’ll be much the same for a new, specific to order, popular vehicle. Unlikely to get a ‘lowest price’ number because no one else has done it.

  • I just want to know the full customisation or if curiosity. Mind sharing op?

    • +1

      Oh its not much. I want the V8 fastback manual. Red with white stripes. Magneride suspension. That's it.

  • You seem kinda inflexible so try to save money on the insurance instead.

  • as you know your spec and certain to buy, in this climate when sales have vanished you are in the box seat. Go and use 3 car brokers to get the best price. You would be surprised at how much better deal they can do compared to your efforts.

  • Hey camelfarmer, have you tried posting over at Whirlpool? Might be more helpful.

  • +1

    Get a "blue" one from the UAE. They are rated in camelpower and it saves you heaps on rego….

  • Own a 2018 mustang gt orange fury fastback and I love it. Enjoy it mate :)

  • Compile your exact specification on an easy to read single pager.

    Email or call every dealer in the country. Get the lowest price.

    Take that lowest price offer to your local Ford dealer and tell them that you have an offer from x dealer in x place. It's a great offer, but you'd prefer to deal locally. If they match the offer, you will sign the paperwork today.

    This way you are getting the best deal in the country from the Ford shop around the corner. It's what I did to get nearly 10k off a car a few years back.

    • +1

      Yeah I think I'm just gonna have to call everyone and see what they can offer and go to the closest 3 dealers and see what they can offer. I'd be happy to pay what they've offered if that is a fair deal tbh. I just don't want to be accepting a poor deal when everyone else has got the same car for 5k less sort of thing.

      • As a few others have said, the really good deals come when you can clear a car that's sitting in their shop. The closer it is to 'end of year' the closer they are to having to mark the car down as an end of year bargain, they don't want to do that if they can move it now.

        The dealer see's you as an obstruction to making a sale right now. You want them to order a new car to spec that they can only make book numbers on.

        The best way is to be specific, sharp and fast. Tell them you know exactly what you want and will pay deposit immediately. Making it easy makes it like a bonus deal as opposed to losing a shop sale. Start the conversation by being VERY clear that you do not want an in stock shop model so they know that opportunity does not exist. They may offer you bugger all discount on a custom order in the hope you buy an in stock model otherwise.

      • You'll get the best deal by having basically everything done for them. Go check out their lots, find one you like thats been sitting a while. Know what they are worth, what the options are worth, and exactly what you want and dont want on your car.

        Call the lot, tell them you want X car for Y price, as it is, and if they say yes you'll be there to sign the deal with cash within the hour. The less work the salesman has to do, the more likely they are to say yes.

  • 10% off RRP is generally considered the minimum discount you should aim for when negotiating for a car. Use that as a baseline and try to get to 15/20% if you can.

  • Haven't seen it yet so forgive me if I've missed it but what specs are you after? And why the 2020 Mustang? Just curious, love cars too I can understand people want to spend money on what they want even if the ozbargain crowd only likes toyota camrys

    • GT fastback manual transmission. With magneride, in red with white stripes.

      The explanation on how we came to decide on the mustang is a little long winded…
      We moved to Australia 6 months ago and our last car was a somewhat sensible alfa giulietta diesel. I was doing a lot of miles in the uk, and the car was a compromise between what I wanted and what I could afford and made sense. In Sydney, we've relied on bikes and public transport and we don't mind it. 70k is about our sensible budget. And for that the only cars that excited us were the mustang, renault megane rs, and kia stinger. Ultimately its just me and wife and we don't really need the extra space those other 2 cars give us. We tend to buy what we like and keep it for a long time, so thats how we decided.

      • -1

        Have you checked out the Peugeot 508 GT fastback?? Quite a stunning car, may not have the same performance as a Mustang but it looks great, is much safer, economical and you can get a demo for under 50k it looks like. New about 60k.

        • Just doesn't do it for me. I liked the 308gti, but still not that attractive to me.

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