2016 / 2017 Model S option values

[CSHOW]

Been on the hunt for a 2016 / 2017 Model S for quite some time - (at least 7 months or so) and while I haven't found the car I'm looking ( mostly due to my inflexibility on roof type and color.) I have learned that if a specific car doesn't have what I'm looking for- there are set numbers that I can successfully subtract from the asking price. This is my assessment of the following :

**I should preface this by saying that in my opinion the market on 16' / 17' Model S is saturated but the asking price from dealers is unreasonably high. Ive been able to negotiate a favorable deal six times, but it ended up getting abandoned at the finance portion when they learned I was paying cash and they couldn't make up the loss on the back end. I am also in Southern California and there a lot more used cars here than across the nation. Lastly, I have entertained purchases from private parties in the Midwest and Northeast, but they have all sold before I had a chance to set up escrow.**

Autopilot version 1 ( not ver 2) - $2,500.
Standard Suspension -$5,500
Standard Sound / Media Pckg -$800 each
Standard Wheel Kit -$2250

Anyone else had more success negotiating with deals about these or other options?

 

[PR0FESSOR]

It is highly unlikely that anyone will have any success with using your option list negotiation numbers. First, the value of any option is highly subjective to BOTH the seller and the buyer. Expecting any particular number to be of value in any negotiation is doomed to fail.

If I were trying to sell a vehicle to someone who led with your approach of subtracting the value of options that the vehicle did not have, I would tell you to hit the road. My recommendation would be for you to rethink your approach to purchasing a used vehicle.

Joe

 

[cmarshack]

Been on the hunt for a 2016 / 2017 Model S for quite some time - (at least 7 months or so)... if a specific car doesn't have what I'm looking for- there are set numbers that I can successfully subtract from the asking price.

I'd say if you have not been able to buy a car in 7 months of searching, you have not been able to "successfully subtract from the asking price".

The inventory of 16/17 Model S's in Southern California is about as large as you will find anywhere in the world. So if you have not been able to find what you want here, your strategy is flawed. You will never get anyone to drop their asking price $10K because the car they happen to be selling does not have the options YOU want to buy. If I were them I would say "why did you contact me if my car did not have the options you are looking for?"

 

[ucmndd]

The entire premise of this post is wackadoo.

 

[CSHOW]

It is highly unlikely that anyone will have any success with using your option list negotiation numbers. First, the value of any option is highly subjective to BOTH the seller and the buyer. Expecting any particular number to be of value in any negotiation is doomed to fail.

If I were trying to sell a vehicle to someone who led with your approach of subtracting the value of options that the vehicle did not have, I would tell you to hit the road. My recommendation would be for you to rethink your approach to purchasing a used vehicle.

Joe

I think I should clarify, my approach has only been used with dealerships and not with private parties because I have much more respect for someone selling a personal car than I do someone at a lot trying to get a high markup.

I realize how I didn’t clarify that my typical experience with car lots has been something like this :

I see a car online with a vague listing , options page or all angle photos are missing .

I call and ask about the car

They hem and haw around without giving me any real info.

They tell me to stop by the lot to see in person.

Test drive, and talk numbers and then I subtract the amounts above during the negotiation.

Not every negotiation has had a subtraction for all the items above - but some have had multiple.

 

[CSHOW]

I'd say if you have not been able to buy a car in 7 months of searching, you have not been able to "successfully subtract from the asking price".

The inventory of 16/17 Model S's in Southern California is about as large as you will find anywhere in the world. So if you have not been able to find what you want here, your strategy is flawed. You will never get anyone to drop their asking price $10K because the car they happen to be selling does not have the options YOU want to buy. If I were them I would say "why did you contact me if my car did not have the options you are looking for?"

As I said I my other post to the professor, I am not asking for 10k in one go, these are just the values I’ve been able to talk down during my negotiations.

Many of the dealers I’ve encountered do not give all the details before setting up an appointment and I’ve been able to negotiate a deal until we get to the financing portion- and that’s when it goes sour- because I plan to pay with cash and they can’t make up the losses on the back end.

 

[CSHOW]

The entire premise of this post is wackadoo.

Could you kindly elaborate?

 

[ucmndd]

Could you kindly elaborate?

It presumes every car is listed at some sort of consistently inflated value that justifies some standard amount of negotiation.

You’ve arbitrarily decided an option that was $1500 when new (air suspension) warrants a $5500 deduction off of an arbitrary and undefined listing price. (Off-topic but I’d argue for standard coil suspension actually being a check in the “pro” column for cars this age as there’s so much less to go wrong)

The entire approach just doesn’t make any sense to me. Trying to come up with fixed discount amounts you feel entitled to without taking into account the initial asking price and condition of the car at all is illogical.

I can’t imagine spending this much time trying to wear down dealers in pursuit of some mega-deal (7 months! What do you value your time at?). I agree with the other posters - if what you apparently think is reasonable actually was, you would have closed a deal by now.

Final thought - if a dealer is insistent on financing to meet your terms, then do it and pay off the loan immediately with your cash. Easy peasy. It’s been decades since I’ve seen a car loan with a prepayment penalty clause. Play dumb and let them finance it at 18%. Who cares.

 

[dmurphy]

It presumes every car is listed at some sort of consistently inflated value that justifies some standard amount of negotiation.

There are exactly two options that matter when pricing a used car …

Option #1 - take it
Option #2 - leave it

Seriously, no car dealer is going to play the negotiation game OP is trying for. They don’t price option by factory option, that’s for sure.

 

[CSHOW]

It presumes every car is listed at some sort of consistently inflated value that justifies some standard amount of negotiation.

You’ve arbitrarily decided an option that was $1500 when new (air suspension) warrants a $5500 deduction off of an arbitrary and undefined listing price. (Off-topic but I’d argue for standard coil suspension actually being a check in the “pro” column for cars this age as there’s so much less to go wrong)

The entire approach just doesn’t make any sense to me. Trying to come up with fixed discount amounts you feel entitled to without taking into account the initial asking price and condition of the car at all is illogical.

I can’t imagine spending this much time trying to wear down dealers in pursuit of some mega-deal (7 months! What do you value your time at?). I agree with the other posters - if what you apparently think is reasonable actually was, you would have closed a deal by now.

Final thought - if a dealer is insistent on financing to meet your terms, then do it and pay off the loan immediately with your cash. Easy peasy. It’s been decades since I’ve seen a car loan with a prepayment penalty clause. Play dumb and let them finance it at 18%. Who cares.

Ah, I see. Something must have gotten lost in translation. I’m not starting with these numbers, this is just what I’ve been able to negotiate off. And, I don’t disagree with you about the premium suspension or any other hardware issue I negotiate down, i.e. less options = less to go wrong. It’s just use the absence of a feature as leverage I can parlay into a lower final price.

Im also retired so this is quite enjoyable to me, I’m not rude in anyway when discussing these deals, and my quest for 7 months is due to my inflexibility to pay over a specific price for a car that isn’t exactly what I’m looking for: blue, solid class roof or at a minimum, no moon roof , white interior less than 50k miles. And no less than a 90D. Since I haven’t found that- I entertain other less desirable options but I’m not willing to pay a penny more than for than 29k for it. And I have been successful in negotiating those deals. As far as financing goes, I don’t trust these dealerships with my stellar credit in any way, and if I did - I know that whatever financing they get would have a prepayment penalty.

 

[cmarshack]

"less than 50k miles. And no less than a 90D...not willing to pay a penny more than for than 29k"

Even if you were not picky with your options list, there very little chance you will find this unless you are ok with salvaged title.

My opinion is that you are about $10k off the mark of what you should be expecting to pay (give or take). Best of luck and let us know if you ever get the deal you are looking for.

 

[ucmndd]

My opinion is that you are about $10k off the mark

More than just an opinion it seems

 

[CSHOW]

"less than 50k miles. And no less than a 90D...not willing to pay a penny more than for than 29k"

Even if you were not picky with your options list, there very little chance you will find this unless you are ok with salvaged title.

My opinion is that you are about $10k off the mark of what you should be expecting to pay (give or take). Best of luck and let us know if you ever get the deal you are looking for.

I don’t have any issue with salvage or previous accidents and I know a lot of other buyers are - this gives me a very unique upper hand. I also don’t mind going out of state and that will also work to my benefit because there is much less of a market in the Midwest (where I have had most of my success.) I can see how other potential buyer would see this as a tall order but while I’m not willing to negotiate in some areas, I am in others.

 

[CSHOW]

View attachment 963264

More than just an opinion it seems

If I was looking for a one owner car, zero accidents, clean title and not previous fleet use - I’d say yes, but the cars I’m going for are the cars that other buys are passing over for those reasons.

 

[ucmndd]

If I was looking for a one owner car, zero accidents, clean title and not previous fleet use - I’d say yes, but the cars I’m going for are the cars that other buys are passing over for those reasons.

Best of luck on your search.

 

[gillmj24]

... there is much less of a market in the Midwest (where I have had most of my success.) ...

What success? You've already flipped a few Teslas? Good for you...

 

[OldCreek]

Been on the hunt for a 2016 / 2017 Model S for quite some time - (at least 7 months or so) and while I haven't found the car I'm looking ( mostly due to my inflexibility on roof type and color.) I have learned that if a specific car doesn't have what I'm looking for- there are set numbers that I can successfully subtract from the asking price. This is my assessment of the following :

**I should preface this by saying that in my opinion the market on 16' / 17' Model S is saturated but the asking price from dealers is unreasonably high. Ive been able to negotiate a favorable deal six times, but it ended up getting abandoned at the finance portion when they learned I was paying cash and they couldn't make up the loss on the back end. I am also in Southern California and there a lot more used cars here than across the nation. Lastly, I have entertained purchases from private parties in the Midwest and Northeast, but they have all sold before I had a chance to set up escrow.**

Autopilot version 1 ( not ver 2) - $2,500.
Standard Suspension -$5,500
Standard Sound / Media Pckg -$800 each
Standard Wheel Kit -$2250

Anyone else had more success negotiating with deals about these or other options?

Can you share some tips on how to successfully negotiate price? I'm very nervous about going to a dealership because I've heard that many used cars are marked up beyond the blue book price right now. I am almost considering waiting for the new year in the hopes that there will be more in the market and prices will be lower.

 

[PR0FESSOR]

1). Determine what the vehicle in question is worth to you.
2). Insure that the value in step 1. Would be considered fair to a “reasonable person” so as not to be insulting.
3). Communicate your price to the seller.
4). Wait for the seller to counter your offer, assuming they do not accept your offer.
5). Counter their offer if you do not accept their offer.
6). Repeat steps 4 and 5 until:
A) You reach an agreement.
B). You reach an impasse.

Do not justify your counter offers verbally to the seller by “subtracting” from the price based on options and/or damage / condition of the vehicle. It is fine to subtract items in your head and then share the final price you will pay based on your internal calculations. Walk away if, in your belief, a reasonable person would be insulted. If you nit-pick the seller’s vehicle, you will simply irritate them and will be doomed to fail.

Joe

Can you share some tips on how to successfully negotiate price? I'm very nervous about going to a dealership because I've heard that many used cars are marked up beyond the blue book price right now. I am almost considering waiting for the new year in the hopes that there will be more in the market and prices will be lower.

 

[OldCreek]

Thank you, these are great tips! Generally speaking, I feel like the asking price for the car is fair, but some of the "dealer fees" are unreasonable. $1,200 for "reconditioning fees?" $550 for " document fees?" I'm hoping I can get an sales advisor that will work with me on those, because these seem to be somewhat inflated.

 

[ucmndd]

$1,200 for "reconditioning fees?"

This one is complete BS, just a way for them to artificially lower the headline price.

$550 for " document fees?"

This is somewhat state-dependent. I'd ask for a breakdown of exactly what you get for that fee.

In California a generally acceptable doc prep / DMV fee is like $100.