Is it worth arguing with a dealership over LJ Rubicon price?

I did mention I was retired and I confuse myself quite often.

I was just wanting to convey to the OP that frames on TJ, LJ and Rubi this model can be very problematic and to proceed carefully buying one that has been exposed to salt.

I was in the Van plant in St. Louis part of my career and the Electronics plant in Huntsville for the rest of it. Yall can blame the bad PCM's on me.

Rik

Thanks for the heads-up. I'm on my 3rd Tacoma so believe me when I say I look at frames pretty close. (y)
I'm done trying to make a Tacoma into a Jeep, may as well buy a Jeep.
 
This is simply a negotiation.

They are going to start with the price that they would like to get.

Ultimately they're going to sell it for what they CAN get.

THE FIRST DISADVANTAGE THAT THEY HAVE IS THERE AREN'T GOOD FINANCING OPTIONS AVAILABLE ON THOSE VEHICLES FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS. So if you have cash, or your own financing lined up you need to have that ready. Money talks.

walk in and see the salesman and the sales manager and have the Carfax in your hand

Walk around the vehicle ....touch every blemish on it with your hand and don't say a word.

Every time you do this the value of the vehicle goes down in their mind.

they will know what you're doing but it will still work.

Be dead sure you want it and lay out exactly what you're willing to pay right there on the spot... Out the door tax tag and title.

if they are in it cheap enough and want to move it you're going to own it.

if they sit on it for a while they're going to remember you and come after you.

Those things bring good money... And at the same time you need to remember you're not buying a new car...anything that old is going to need some things taken care of it's going to be missing the Jack handle, it's going to have some personality... Also you need to budget for a PCM just in case.

In one sense those are special vehicles but here's the catch...there aren't as many people out there that know what they are as the dealer would like to think.

Having said that there are dealers like Cross, and companies like that and the vehicles they sell don't fit into this scenario.

Don't let them do business on their terms completely... They have one to sell and you have the option to buy everyone available in the country.

Note - I used to sell cars. What I disliked most was people disliked me for what I did .

I got out of it , so people could just dislike me for who I am.
 
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not sure the rules but here is an 06 Rubi in Alabama with 48,000 for that price.

I really doubt it brings that even if it is mint.

I realize this is not practical for you, just tossing it up for comparison.

2006 Rubi
 
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not sure the rules but here is an 06 Rubi in Alabama with 48,000 for that price.

I really doubt it brings that even if it is mint.

I realize this is not practical for you, just tossing it up for comparison.

2006 Rubi
I 'll go look at anything in North Alabama for any forum member .

I know enough to keep you from wasting time , and I'm real when it comes to condition and drive quality.
 
taking a second look at that Rubi I posted.

Am I wrong in thinking all 2004-2006 Rubicons were long (or LJ size)?
there are 05 and 06 Tj Rubicons and both Lj Rubicons and LJ standard models (whether they are called an x or a sport I don't know )

I have an 05 TJ Rubicon Automatic and an 03 TJ Rubicon Manual
 
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A nice LJR , really Nice ,ain't gonna be cheap unless it's a fluke .

My buddy got an immaculate LJ with 80,000 miles for 9000. That was a fluke.
 
Do they still build them in Toledo or did they move? I have family there and I always wondered if I could visit the plant.
Yessir, they still build the Wrangler JL right here in Toledo along with the JLU and JT (Gladiator). Unfortunately, as far as I know, inside tours of the plant aren't a regular thing. They do have them once in a while, like during Jeep Fest etc., so it is best to check in with Jeep to see what is going on. Perhaps they could contact you when they do or give you an idea. The Toledo North Assembly Plant is located at 4400 Chrysler Dr. We somewhat regularly get to see the inside of the plant on our local news here.

A bit more history can be found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo_Complex
 
A nice LJR , really Nice ,ain't gonna be cheap unless it's a fluke .

My buddy got an immaculate LJ with 80,000 miles for 9000. That was a fluke.
I would love to be part of a fluke, just once!
 
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I don't think they are too far off on price if it's a clean factory hardtop. I just went through the whole search and find issue last month. I ended up getting a non-rubicon factory hard top that was super clean for $19k. I'm sure some folks would never pay $19k for a non-rubicon. But this one had over $9k in mods with receipts completed in the past 6 months, and most importantly, it was what I wanted.

Personally, I'd stay away from the electronically controlled automatic transmissions. You may get a good one, you may get a dud. Because all LJs came with electronically controlled transmissions, I went with a manual.

-Cheers, DustoffDax
 
Sold the stock that was my Jeep Fund, signed the paperwork today. Hope to have the cash by the weekend. (y)

Drove by the JLR on the way to the Broker (to show the wife the Jeep in question) and noted a 3"+ diameter area of bubbled/flaking paint above the diamond plate on the Passenger side.
 
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A buddy of recently looked at a truck he was interested in buying at one of the smaller car lots. He checked it out, test drove it and was satisfied the truck was in acceptable condition for him.He didn’t even bother trying to negotiate a price with the salesman and left the lot.

He returned an hour later with a cashiers check made out to the dealer with the amount he was willing to pay and drove the truck home. I thing I’ll try that tactic next time I’m in the market.
 
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The short answer is , yes it's worth talking to them if you want it .

Arguing ...to me it's not worth it to argue over much if anything . It sours the experience.
 
Get under it with a small hammer and a mirror before you sign the paperwork. Rust is an expensive cancer to repair. If the Jeep lived where they salted the roads, it can get between the diamond plate and the body and start rusting from the bottom up. If you see rust there, I’m sure it will also be in the frame rails.

Its tough not to get excited with Jeep Fever, but I’d hate to have anyone get into their “dream Jeep” and then need to sink a few thousand more dollars worth of body work into it. You won’t be happy, and neither will the wife.

There are good ones out there, be patient. I just had one shipped across the country because it had a better body than I could find here in Florida.

-Cheers
 
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Note - I used to sell cars. What I disliked most was people disliked me for what I did .

I got out of it , so people could just dislike me for who I am.
The problem with that is you can't be a car salesman without being what folks dislike about car salesmen. Your goal is to put food on the table by taking as much money out of their pocket and putting it in yours at the highest rate possible. If you don't do that, you don't eat. What's to like?

That said, I don't beat up salesmen. I go directly to the fleet manager, he gets out the price, I know he is making money, I'm not getting wholly bent over, I forgo any optional items in front of the finance person, and I warn them right up front that any dealer installed foofy items that are not removed when I take possession will become mine to do with as I please and I am not paying 1 cent for any of it. I want the PDI done, I want it clean, and I want a full tank of fuel. That's it.

I do not however, understand why the average buyer feels the need to beat the salesman up over 2-500 bucks that will be his commission. You're financing it for minimum 60 months on a new car purchase, is it really going to kill you to give the salesman 8-10 bucks a month out of a 600 dollar payment?
 
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This dealer is "no-haggle/best Price" set by the dealership and all salespeople are non-commission.
 
Brother, in the end it's your cash to burn. As a military aviator, I've spent thousands of dollars on women and booze. The rest of it, I've mostly wasted.

For some of us $19k would be a couple of years worth of savings. Others, it would be a good night at the craps table.

I think you are the only one who can answer the "worth it" question. But I'm sure that all of us would be happy to provide guidance and insight based on our individual experiences. I bought mine from and individual rather than a dealer, so my negotiation tactic was different than yours. I was buying from a guy who had his own blood, sweat, and tears in the Jeep, rather than a sales person with very little if any knowledge on the history and background of the vehicle. To me, that was worth something. I could realistically ask specific questions about the Jeep and expect accurate answers that I could verify with my own eyes, validate with receipts, or with a call to the shop where the work was performed.

We all want you to be happy and post lots of pics with you our enjoying your new purchase, not pics of unexpected rust or repairs that were masked at the time of the sale.

-Cheers.
 
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