About to buy an 04

[Sanchez_315er]

I just put a deposit on an 04 XLT with 17K miles, Leather and a 5.4. The price is 24,000 USD. I think it's a smoking deal... anyone see better deals?

It was a rental vehicle, but I don't care much, as it has 2 years and 19K miles left on the bumper-to-bumper and the Ford Certified 6/75,000 powertrain.

I'm sure I'll be spending a lot of time here now!!!

 

[Godfrey]

Central Plains Edition "Black Book" (published for May 2005) says:

'04 XLT, 4-door, 4wd. (Veh condition) Excellent, clean, average, rough... Vin series U16

X-CL $25,350 --- CLN $24,475 --- AVG $22,600 --- RGH $20,575
ADD $$$ for options:

500 PWR DR-EXC XLS
900 LEATHER-XLT
400 2ND ROW BKTS-EXC XLS
250 CLIM CTRLD SEATS-EB
275 PWR 3RD SEAT-EXC XLS
300 ENT SYSTEM-EXC XLS
500 NAVIGATION SYSTEM-EB
450 NBX PAGKAGE-XLT 4WD
275 PREMIER GROUP-EB
575 XLT SPORT PKG-XLT

Detuct $$$
550 W/O DUAL F/AIR-XLT
225 W/O AL WHL-XLT
750 W/O 3RD SEAT-XLT
275 W/O RUN BOARD-XLT
950 4.6L V8-EXC XLS

Keep in mind that there are several books in print that cover different areas of the country. This book covers, North/South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois. When I searched vehix for one, the price seemed to get a little higher the further east I went. Kentucky was about $1,500 over retail here. I don't know about New York.

Overall...The deal sounds great, here in STL a dealer called me last weekend and opened the offer on the same year/model/trim @ $28,500. Never pay what they want... It helps if you can get your sales guy to pull out the black book. Make sure it's current, it's located on the spline of the book. This is the book they use for just about everything.

Also, you might want to talk directly to the used car sales manager, that way you don't have the sales guy running back and forth when he already knows the lowest price the first time. I'm looking at an '03 w/ 20k miles, Eddie Bauer, fully loaded (everything) for $28,800...

Good luck,

Phil Godfrey
St. Louis

 

[Godfrey]

Rentals...Pick Enterprise, WE WON'T HAGGLE, THE PRICE IS FIXED AND TOO HIGH...

Rentals... 50% will say 'run far away' while the other 50% don't care. It's up to you. Not everyone gets in a rental and abuses it. Except that one time on Jacka$$, with Johnny whatever-his-last-name-is. But they've been cleaned and serviced all the time. Check all the VIN #'s before you go to the dealer. Carfax is a good service for that. $24.00 buys you 30 days so you can look up ANY number of VIN's you'd like....So you can ask the dealer about the history and see if they lie about it....


Anyways...

Happy purchasing!

 

[Sanchez_315er]

Thanks!!!

I figured it's a good deal, as the Sales Manager is a friend of mine... but hey... he's still a car salesman!!!

I was apprehensive about the rental part, until I found that it has a 6/75K powertrain. The powertrain is the only part that renters could beat on without me seeing any evidence of. I'm pretty sure that if someone abused the tranny, it would definitely show up within 75K.

I just saw MorningWood's Daystar Urethane Spacer lift kit..... Hmmmmm I can easily for 33s for $300? OK! Now just to afford rims and tires...