Thinking of Buying a 2024 Lightning Lariat - Should I Go for It?

Sales guy says this is a great deal, but I’m not in a huge rush since I’ve got a zero percent interest rate on my Explorer. The offer seems pretty good, but they’re not giving me the trade value I was hoping for—about $1,000 short of what KBB estimates. Do you think it’s worth holding out for that extra $1k? Just trying to figure out if I should go for it now or keep looking around.

Have you run the numbers yet? Holding out for $1k is kind of like saving a year’s worth of gas at $3 a gallon if you’re driving 10k miles. Is that worth it for you? Maybe try another Ford dealership for a test drive and see if they offer more for your trade-in. That’s how we got an extra $5k on ours.

@Mai
Comparing it to gas savings might not be the best way to think about it. Just be cautious about taking a deal that’s not great out of fear of missing out. There’s a good chance they can come down a bit more.

@Holland
Yeah, he’s already getting a pretty solid discount, so it’s not like he’s getting a bad deal. But maybe looking at it in another way will help him decide if it’s worth holding out for more.

Mai said:
@Holland
Yeah, he’s already getting a pretty solid discount, so it’s not like he’s getting a bad deal. But maybe looking at it in another way will help him decide if it’s worth holding out for more.

I always set a firm number after I do my research and never go above it. If they can’t meet it, I’m fine going elsewhere.

@Holland
That’s fair. KBB values can be hit-or-miss, though. Check with a few other places, even Carvana. It helps to have options.

@Mai
I’m just trying to see if there’s a better deal out there. I’m in no rush, so mostly just focused on getting the best OTD price. Gas and mileage aren’t big concerns for me.

Zoren said:
@Mai
I’m just trying to see if there’s a better deal out there. I’m in no rush, so mostly just focused on getting the best OTD price. Gas and mileage aren’t big concerns for me.

Makes sense. A $15k discount is a strong start. I saw similar discounts with the A-plan pricing last week.

Quick update: Ended up making the deal. They brought the sale price down to $63,022, though they wouldn’t budge on the trade-in value. The 0% for 60 months made it hard to say no.

So, you’re getting $7,500 off plus the tax refund. That’s not too different from what other dealers are doing in Florida. Without your trade-in factored in, it’s just an average deal. They’re likely adding a lot of fees.

@Vega
Yeah, that was my thought too. They’re offering more than others I talked to, but I wonder if prices will drop more soon.

Zoren said:
@Vega
Yeah, that was my thought too. They’re offering more than others I talked to, but I wonder if prices will drop more soon.

End of year could bring better deals. Waiting might be worth it if inventory pressure builds up!

Try an instant CarMax appraisal on your Explorer. I did this with my last trade and it gave me a good baseline for negotiations.

Consider listing your Explorer on Facebook Marketplace or similar. You might also want to check out Autotrader or Edmunds for other Lariats. Some dealers sell lightly used or hail-damaged cars that are practically new. I got my Lariat for $59,995, paid $63k after taxes, with $19k down from my Tesla sale. Loan terms weren’t great, but it worked for me.

If I were you, I’d compare to X-plan pricing, since it’s available for most people with some effort. Last month I got my Flash at $20k below MSRP, so that’s my benchmark for a decent deal.

$63k for a Lariat sounds like a fair deal. If you’re still getting the 0% for 60 months, I’d probably jump on it.

Are you rolling over any debt from your Explorer?

Teegan said:
Are you rolling over any debt from your Explorer?

Nope, I have about $10k in equity in it.

Is this Lariat used? The mileage says 50,400.

River said:
Is this Lariat used? The mileage says 50,400.

No, that’s the mileage on my Explorer. The Lariat’s brand new with 42 miles.