09 Challenger - $16,900

I dunno. Seems like a deal to me even if it's a base model. Probably a loss leader if it even ever existed as a real car for sale on the lot.

http://towbindodge.com/specials/newspecials.html

Seems like the Ram is a smokin deal too.

In reply to Crash:

Bah. I need to read the fine print. Expired deal. "Expires close of business 09/30/08"

Still, I'm curious if any of you think it would be a good deal if it was available.

Seems like a good deal to me, BUT those "deals" are full of E36 M3. $16,999 (after you trade in your car worth $10,000). I remember trying to help someone buy a new car a couple years back.... they can put whatever the berkeley they want in those ads

MSRP - Their price - MFG rebate - Lease Loyalty = $16,999

Makes me think you are not buying but leasing the car (Lease loyalty?)

A guy at work makes it a point walk into dealerships that place these ads and give them cash offers in the ad cars amount. It usually starts with a salesman approaching him after entry into the dealership. He expresses interest in the ad car. The salesman will say they just sold it. Then he will say when do you expect to get the next car. The salesman will then usually go into a diatribe on why my coworker would not like this vehicle. The coworker will say he wants this vehicle. He usually produces a business card, puts his offer on the back of it and tells the salesman to call him when he wants a sale. Usually, it takes until the end of the month, but the sale is almost always completed. He got his last work truck that way. It was a 1500 chevy 4x2 shortbed v6 with the only options being an automatic, air con and a radio(no tape or cd player) just radio. I believe he got it for $13,000 in 2006 brand new.

back in the '80's there was a Chrysler dealer in Columbia SC who used to do the loss leader thing all the time. His sales manager put a stupid low price on a K car in a newspaper ad and a guy came in to buy that exact car, refused to be steered off of it. A long drawn out negotiation ensued (of course the car had 'just been sold') and it ended up with the customer, the sales manager and the owner in each others' face the owners' office. The owner and sales manager wound up hustling the guy down the back steps and they literally threw him down the last 2 or 3 steps. The dealership changed hands shortly thereafter.

So my sister and her husband thought they needed a new car (turned out they just needed 2 new tires and an alignment after I poked around) but we spent an afternoon talking to dealerships/going to them to look at vehicles they had advertised. I call up a couple different dealerships that had good deals only to find out the price was 'AFTER' $3000 or $5000 cash or trade. Then I got dealerships that had 1 year old used cars w/low miles in good shape w/clean carfax, get out there and its been sideswiped, they didn't want to tell us where it was on the lot and wanted us to sit down and talk to us for an hour, looks like they were going to try and slap new cladding on them, buff out the paint and sell as good. My personal favorite though was the dealer who I asked about 2 vehicles and to make sure they were on the lot as I didn't want to waste an hour driving to and fro. I get out there 30 minutes later and 'both cars have been sold' but we'll sell you this one that's been in an accident for the same price as the other ones you were looking at, guess which of the big 3 that dealer was, yeah you guessed it, GM...

Definitely NSFW:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3EVajeiGCs

Is that the old ad from the dealership in Cali? If so.. It's brilliant...

how's that possible? the challenger hadn't even been out yet on 9/30/08 had it? if that was actually a current ad i'd beleive it from towbin dodge, they're like the #1 volume dealer in the country

I (briefly) sold cars at a Ford dealership, and, yes, I did sell one of those ad vehicles. Regular cab, F150, V6, stick, AC, AM/FM, rubber mats: $14,888. The ad came out and there the customers were. The only negotiation was of course how much to give for his trade in - a ragged '84 F150 - but even that didn't take long. I know the answer to WWJD ("What would Jesus drive?") because I sold Jesus an F150. Jesus Rodriguez, IIRC.

My dad saw an ad for a GMC full size truck, dirt cheap, on the other side of L.A. He called up, yeah, it's here, come on down. He gets there and "it just sold." He leaves. Next week the same truck is in the same paper, by VIN or whatever. He sends the ad to the State of California, attorney general or something with a letter explaining. He gets a phone call: "We have that truck. If you want it, come on down." He goes and buys the truck for the advertised price. The salesman said even he couldn't buy the truck for that.

Oh, being a GM, the auto transmission grenaded. He had the extended warranty, but it still isn't right. If you coast down hill, then hit the gas, it will act like it's in neutral, then "catch." Not every time, and never when he brings it in, of course.

My father in law got the same run around, it just sold, but he went around and checked the vins until he found the one for sale in the ad, put cash on table along with the number for the BBB and the local news station. Car was sold at exactly the listed price.

Strizzo wrote: how's that possible? the challenger hadn't even been out yet on 9/30/08 had it? if that was actually a current ad i'd beleive it from towbin dodge, they're like the #1 volume dealer in the country

It should have been. I was driving across the US to go to the Targa in early September, and almost every transporter I saw was loaded with Challengers.

yep they were out.

for 16,995 i'd buy it and do an LSx swap immediately. cheaper and better than a hemi.

I had the similar story back in '90. There was a dealership who advertised a new Honda CRX Si for $9,995. I did a doubletake when I saw the ad, but called them up & asked. The sticker on that car then was $11,500 IIRC. They said "Come on down!"...it was "sold."

I walked.

On the way home, another Honda dealership by my house had a Barbados Yellow Si sitting on the side of the building. I swung in with the ad, they hemmed & hawed.

I walked.

A week later, the second dealer called & said they'd do it. I bought it!

If I'd had half a brain, I never would have sold it.