Hi everyone,
I have been trying to talk my Mom into dumping her '07 Ford Explorer for the last few years. It has 135k miles on it and it has needed several high-dollar repairs in the last 24 months. The transmission acts up intermittently and it will cost at least $2500 when it goes! The driver's side seatback for the PowerFold 3rd Row seat is stuck in the Down position and won't budge- a gear is supposedly stripped and the entire motor needs to be replaced for around $480 plus labor; so only half of the 3rd row seat is usa ble. It's a POS and, as soon as I find someone to take it off her hands, I'll be a happy camper!
The Mazda CX-9 has been my favorite SUV/crossover of any size from the moment I first saw one! I bought my 2006 Mazda3 s 5-door (5-MT) in 12/2005 and, prior to that, didn't even know anyone who drove a Mazda. But over the last seven years, I have grown into a hardcore Mazda enthusiast and there are several in my family now! Last year, my cousin (who lives in the L.A. area, Woodland Hills, to be exact) was trying to decide whether to buy her 2008 Lexus GX470 or lease a new GX460l. I flew out there for a few days to take her car shopping and show her a few other alternatives, particularly Infiniti and Acura SUVs. But we also went by a Mazda dealer and, about 90 minutes later, she pulled out in her new 2011 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring AWD. Now, the neighbor that lives two doors down from her recently bought a new CX-9 GT because he liked my cousin's so much.
Anyway, I had no idea what my Mom would want if/when she got rid of the Explorer. I took her to test drive an Acura TSX and Infiniti G25, just to prove that there are vehicles capable of breaking that 20mpg barrier....and they even come wrapped in fancy packaging if you're willing to pay for it! She decided that they were both too small and that she would only be happy in another SUV! I'll admit, we looked at the new Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and I pushed hard for it. Even though she loved the new exterior design, the interior was nothing special (even in leather) and she thought the 2.4L base version (190hp) felt too weak accelerating from a stop and it was louder than than expected when you rev it to get more power.
The only vehicle she wanted to check out was a new CX-9 Grand Touring FWD. We took one for a test drive and could tell that she was confused/frustrated because she wasn't absolutely certain that it was the car for her and she needed to spend more time with it. I asked the sales manager if we could take it home overnight and return it the following evening. So she took it home, fell in love and wants one of her very own now!
The color combo that she wants is apparently one of the least common- Dolphin Gray with Sand Leather (most have Black interior). If we can't get a Dolphin Gray, she will take a Crystal White Pearl, which automatically has the Sand interior. If I'm not mistaken, Dolphin Gray, Stormy Blue and Brilliant Black are the exterior colors that offer a choice of Black of Sand interior.
She was planning to spend $20k in cash plus the trade-in value of her Explorer for a new vehicle. But it looks like we're only going to get $7000-$7500 for the Explorer, so she will end up spending around $25-$27k plus the trade-in value on a CX-9. We discussed getting a Grand Touring with NO options (without Bose/Moonroof or Power Liftgate) if we could find any so equipped. I located two GTs with no options and both are Crystal White Pearl with Sand Leather. I have submitted an offer on both of them just to see how low they would go- I offered $28,000 and the MSRP is $34,390 on both, so that's a savings of $6,390 off sticker (including my $500 Loyalty Cash). I also noticed that both of these cars show a base price of $33,395 rather than the current price of $33,735 (which went into effect on 03/01/2012). That means that both cars were built and shipped prior to 03/01/2012, meaning they've been sitting on the lot for a minimum of almost 9-months. That tells me that the GT models without the Bose/Moonroof Package are difficult to sell and I can negotiate hard for one.
So here are the three options we currently have-
1- Bargain hard for one of the Grand Touring models with no option packages. Both are Crystal White Pearl, which is mom's second choice, but she is fine with this if the price is right! She would never use a Moonroof, probably wouldn't notice the difference between the Bose and standard audio system and would forget that the Power Liftgate feature was even there! My biggest concern with one of these 'base' GTs (as one salesman called them) is resale value.
2- Some dealerships are giving deep discounts on their CX-9 models and publishing them online! A certain dealer just outside of Birmingham, AL has discounts of $6100-$6400 off even CX-9 in stock. They happen to have a Grand Touring FWD, Dolphin Gray with Sand Leather with the Bose/Moonroof and Power Liftgate, for a total sticker price of $37,290. It is discounted to $30,900 ($6390 off, plus I can apply my $500 Loyalty bonus) making it $30,400. Mom would need about $26k after trade-in for this one, but she only has $23k immediately accessible. So I told her I would pay the difference of around $3k if we bought this one! It is the color that we both prefer (Dolphin Gray) and it has the Bose stereo, which is the one feature I would miss from the option package! I actually suggested that she finance at least $5k or even $10k of the purchase since she would qualify for the 0.0% financing; you should have seen the look of horror on her face! Somehow, she has made it to the age of 57 without ever having a car payment, meanwhile I'm 37 and had one for 20 years solid. I just paid off my Mazda3 last year and I've never paid off a car before! =)
3- The least expensive option is one that I would have no issue with but I get a feeling that my mom (and step-dad, although his opinion and input are irrelevant if I he isn't agreeing with me) doesn't like this idea. A local Mazda dealer has a Certified Pre-Owned 2010 CX-9 Grand Touring FWD, Dolphin Gray with Sand Leather, Bose/Moonroof and Power Liftgate- exactly like the new in option 2 for $30,400. It has 45k miles on it, literally looks brand new and they are asking $22,500 for it. It would have a 12-month/12k mile full warranty and the powertrain warranty would cover almost five years (until August 2017) or 55k miles (when it hits 100k total miles). While the full car warranty is 2-years and 24k miles less than a new one, the powertrain coverage is almost identical to the 5-year/60k miles on a new Mazda. It could save $8k-$9k with sales tax factored in. I'll at least get her to test drive it and a new one back-to-back and if she doesn't like the used one, we won't discuss CPO again!
One way or another, we should have a new (or almost new) CX-9 Grand Touring in the family within the next week! Even better, the Explorer will be gone and she'll be driving something with a warranty!!!
I have been trying to talk my Mom into dumping her '07 Ford Explorer for the last few years. It has 135k miles on it and it has needed several high-dollar repairs in the last 24 months. The transmission acts up intermittently and it will cost at least $2500 when it goes! The driver's side seatback for the PowerFold 3rd Row seat is stuck in the Down position and won't budge- a gear is supposedly stripped and the entire motor needs to be replaced for around $480 plus labor; so only half of the 3rd row seat is usa ble. It's a POS and, as soon as I find someone to take it off her hands, I'll be a happy camper!
The Mazda CX-9 has been my favorite SUV/crossover of any size from the moment I first saw one! I bought my 2006 Mazda3 s 5-door (5-MT) in 12/2005 and, prior to that, didn't even know anyone who drove a Mazda. But over the last seven years, I have grown into a hardcore Mazda enthusiast and there are several in my family now! Last year, my cousin (who lives in the L.A. area, Woodland Hills, to be exact) was trying to decide whether to buy her 2008 Lexus GX470 or lease a new GX460l. I flew out there for a few days to take her car shopping and show her a few other alternatives, particularly Infiniti and Acura SUVs. But we also went by a Mazda dealer and, about 90 minutes later, she pulled out in her new 2011 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring AWD. Now, the neighbor that lives two doors down from her recently bought a new CX-9 GT because he liked my cousin's so much.
Anyway, I had no idea what my Mom would want if/when she got rid of the Explorer. I took her to test drive an Acura TSX and Infiniti G25, just to prove that there are vehicles capable of breaking that 20mpg barrier....and they even come wrapped in fancy packaging if you're willing to pay for it! She decided that they were both too small and that she would only be happy in another SUV! I'll admit, we looked at the new Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and I pushed hard for it. Even though she loved the new exterior design, the interior was nothing special (even in leather) and she thought the 2.4L base version (190hp) felt too weak accelerating from a stop and it was louder than than expected when you rev it to get more power.
The only vehicle she wanted to check out was a new CX-9 Grand Touring FWD. We took one for a test drive and could tell that she was confused/frustrated because she wasn't absolutely certain that it was the car for her and she needed to spend more time with it. I asked the sales manager if we could take it home overnight and return it the following evening. So she took it home, fell in love and wants one of her very own now!
The color combo that she wants is apparently one of the least common- Dolphin Gray with Sand Leather (most have Black interior). If we can't get a Dolphin Gray, she will take a Crystal White Pearl, which automatically has the Sand interior. If I'm not mistaken, Dolphin Gray, Stormy Blue and Brilliant Black are the exterior colors that offer a choice of Black of Sand interior.
She was planning to spend $20k in cash plus the trade-in value of her Explorer for a new vehicle. But it looks like we're only going to get $7000-$7500 for the Explorer, so she will end up spending around $25-$27k plus the trade-in value on a CX-9. We discussed getting a Grand Touring with NO options (without Bose/Moonroof or Power Liftgate) if we could find any so equipped. I located two GTs with no options and both are Crystal White Pearl with Sand Leather. I have submitted an offer on both of them just to see how low they would go- I offered $28,000 and the MSRP is $34,390 on both, so that's a savings of $6,390 off sticker (including my $500 Loyalty Cash). I also noticed that both of these cars show a base price of $33,395 rather than the current price of $33,735 (which went into effect on 03/01/2012). That means that both cars were built and shipped prior to 03/01/2012, meaning they've been sitting on the lot for a minimum of almost 9-months. That tells me that the GT models without the Bose/Moonroof Package are difficult to sell and I can negotiate hard for one.
So here are the three options we currently have-
1- Bargain hard for one of the Grand Touring models with no option packages. Both are Crystal White Pearl, which is mom's second choice, but she is fine with this if the price is right! She would never use a Moonroof, probably wouldn't notice the difference between the Bose and standard audio system and would forget that the Power Liftgate feature was even there! My biggest concern with one of these 'base' GTs (as one salesman called them) is resale value.
2- Some dealerships are giving deep discounts on their CX-9 models and publishing them online! A certain dealer just outside of Birmingham, AL has discounts of $6100-$6400 off even CX-9 in stock. They happen to have a Grand Touring FWD, Dolphin Gray with Sand Leather with the Bose/Moonroof and Power Liftgate, for a total sticker price of $37,290. It is discounted to $30,900 ($6390 off, plus I can apply my $500 Loyalty bonus) making it $30,400. Mom would need about $26k after trade-in for this one, but she only has $23k immediately accessible. So I told her I would pay the difference of around $3k if we bought this one! It is the color that we both prefer (Dolphin Gray) and it has the Bose stereo, which is the one feature I would miss from the option package! I actually suggested that she finance at least $5k or even $10k of the purchase since she would qualify for the 0.0% financing; you should have seen the look of horror on her face! Somehow, she has made it to the age of 57 without ever having a car payment, meanwhile I'm 37 and had one for 20 years solid. I just paid off my Mazda3 last year and I've never paid off a car before! =)
3- The least expensive option is one that I would have no issue with but I get a feeling that my mom (and step-dad, although his opinion and input are irrelevant if I he isn't agreeing with me) doesn't like this idea. A local Mazda dealer has a Certified Pre-Owned 2010 CX-9 Grand Touring FWD, Dolphin Gray with Sand Leather, Bose/Moonroof and Power Liftgate- exactly like the new in option 2 for $30,400. It has 45k miles on it, literally looks brand new and they are asking $22,500 for it. It would have a 12-month/12k mile full warranty and the powertrain warranty would cover almost five years (until August 2017) or 55k miles (when it hits 100k total miles). While the full car warranty is 2-years and 24k miles less than a new one, the powertrain coverage is almost identical to the 5-year/60k miles on a new Mazda. It could save $8k-$9k with sales tax factored in. I'll at least get her to test drive it and a new one back-to-back and if she doesn't like the used one, we won't discuss CPO again!
One way or another, we should have a new (or almost new) CX-9 Grand Touring in the family within the next week! Even better, the Explorer will be gone and she'll be driving something with a warranty!!!
