Paladin06

With all the hype over this car if think you can get one at or below MSRP I'm afraid you're dreaming and you better start looking for another means of transportation.

chill21genlee

Thanks for the info.. you are right about the dealers. I have access to some Nissan True Pricing sheets, and a lot of the cars themselves don't have huge base price markups. BUT, when you look at what they are holding on the options and options packages, the typical markup is 150-200%!!

So basically, the more crap they can talk you in to tacking on (whether you really need it or not) the higher exponentially their profit margin rises.

That's another reason I was asking, I want a top of the line Challenger in terms of engine, but not necessarily all of the extra crap that they will force onto that trim line in almost every single one that will be available at a dealership.

Hope you are right about being able to order them!!!

MGDMike

I'll be in Iraq at the time the Challenger comes out so whoever is feeling generous could buy me one as a welcome home present! Naw.. j/k! If they have an ordering process in place I'll do that. But, I'm not feeling like spending more than $33 grand.

chill21genlee

I agree to an extent and definitely in 2008, but there is always a frenzy when a hot new car comes out, and it typically dies down by the next year. I think there will be huge demand on this car (more than Dodge expects) which will cause them to boost the production #'s in 09, thereby reducing the premiums.

From a dollars and cents standpoint, if the car is in high demand, Dodge stands to make much more by taking in MSRP on a higher volume of vehicles than they do by having deep gouges on a smaller amount of volume.

The production unmbers will be lower in 08simply b/c they cannot afford to make too many if the brand isn't as successful as they hope, not to mention manufacturing time restraints.
But by the 09 model, they will hopefully have the ability and desire to produce a much higher volume.

Not that it's an apples to apples comparison, but the same was true with the latest iteration of the Mustang in the first year of that new body style. Mustangs are produced at a MUCH higher volume than you can expect the Challenger to ever be, but I am hoping the basic econimic principals of supply and demand will still hold true

TechmanBD

But I don't think it is Dodge that gouges the customers. It is the dealers. Dodge says this is the MSRP. It is the suggested price. The dealer can sell them for whatever they want. The dealers are the ones that screw the people with the inflated price. And DCX really can't tell them not to.

mopar440

Well, from what I understand Dodge is grouping options together in a standard packages now. Like if you go to Dodge site an pre spec a 2008 Charger you will see what I mean. They have R/T package. R/T preferred package, and the Road and Track package. You can still choose your radios, sunroof, etc. But thats about it.

WhiteHeat

Speaking as someone who has spec'd out and special ordered a Dodge before, yes I'm sure you'll be able to do that with the Challenger - eventually. Granted, mine was a 2001 Dakota, but I logged on to AutoByTel.com and they connected me with their nearest affiliated Dodge dealer who ordered exactly what I wanted for 4% over invoice. I couldn't get anyone near me to match that deal, so I ordered from that dealer even though he was 200 miles away.

Things to consider:
[ul][*] First year frenzy may make ordering impossible until year two. [*] Ordering means waiting, which can be excruciating! Ask anyone on this board! [*] I'm assuming the top-of-the-line Challengers will always be in high demand, so they may not let you order an SRT8 that way, or if they do the price may still be steep. [*] And, as mentioned above, ordering will certainly be in packages, so I doubt you'll ever be able to completely order a la carte.[/ul]
To those here who say the Challenger will always be over MSRP, I disagree. The SRT8s might be, but the base models or the R/Ts will probably be in full supply at least by year two. My budget won't allow me to by 'til then anyway, so I'm hoping they will be plentiful when I'm ready to buy.

Heat

deranged

I will be ready to buy in '08 but am not willing to be gouged by some dealers get rich quick scheming. $35 grand for a well optioned 5.7 R/T is about as high as I will be willing to pay. I think that there will be plenty of them available by the release date, with a production target of 50,000 the first year, but the V/8 powered Challengers will not be as plentiful. Only problem is my dealer is smaller and might have a tough time getting one for me. I will go elsewhere if he can't. I'm not really worried that much about first run problems as most of the major components are already tested through other models currently on the road. If price and availability problems become an issue I can wait a little longer. I'm a patient man.[:@]

lear4406

Patience is a virtue. And its what car salesmen hate the most. Car fever is what they want from their customers. So I'm with you on the waiting. I put money into my savings account like I'm making a car payment. So I hope to be ahead of the game by game time.

chill21genlee

That's completely true, but they are all related. The gouges are created by demand, which is fueled by shortages of supply. So again (and this only reinforces my point): If it does well in 08, DCX will react by beefing up production, thus makeing themselves more money, creating a surge in supply, and removing dealer's ability and means to demand such steep (gouge) prices.

My point with all of that is this: As tough as it will be to do (especially once I start seeing them on the road) it makes more logical sense to wait until 09 for at least these 3 reasons:
-More trim / color / engine choices available
-Lower Price
-Less Defects & recalls
It will be PAINFUL to wait that long, but what's a year really when the benefits are so great?