My dealership told me that they will bring in a car from auction for me but they will charge me a $5,000 premium to bring it in and certify it. Does this sound pretty reasonable to you guys?

 

the certification process is expensive, and it does get a pretty good reconditioning in the process, make sure you get a copy of everything that is done to it, and why it needed to be done. as to the set upcharge, it seems high, but they do need to make a profet too, just make sure the car is in perfect shape... tires above 7/32, brakes all above 6mm, if they put on tires make sure they do an alignment, the basics really. also make sure you get a copy of the maintence history before you buy it. warrenties can be kicked if some lease owner didnt feel like getting the oil changed before you bought the car

 

Thanks for the reply! I kind of felt the same way, a little high but they are doing a lot and it does include the warranty which is a huge plus.

 

I'm not sure if you're going through auction because you're looking for a specific model or color combo, but I recommend choosing one of the CPOs in the dealer network. I just bought a CPO from Land Rover Huntington on Long Island, and since it was a local car the dealer knew everything about ALL of the trucks I was interested and test drove. He knew if the previous owner was single or had a family, how they used their truck, and how it was maintained. Obviously, they all have to be at a certain level if they're certified, but some are better than others. He actually steered me away from several that he felt were not maintained properly, owned by people with messy young kids, and contractors who drove the cars to construction sites. So I think that unless you want a really specific car, you should buy from your local dealer, and depend on a great sales guide to get you exactly what you want. You're in a good position especially since you have a couple months. If your sales guide is knowledgeable, he will know exactly what cars are coming off-lease or being traded on newer models, and if it's coming from a good home. I think that piece of mind is something you can't get at an auction house.

 

Hi thelokolobo and thanks for your perspective! I think that you are probably right here. The more I think about it I think that I am crazy for thinking of auction as a way to save money since a bad car will cost me SO much.

Tomorrow I am going to start working with my dealer more.

 

Hey lokolobo,
Whats wrong with contractors who drive their vehicle to construction sites? Or some one using the vehicle for a family truck? If the parents clean up the spills and pick up the mess the truck should still drive well. I would be more concerned with jerks who just bought a Rover for a status symbol, Or to be a snob, and did not take care of proper maintenance. Having a job or being a family man is not a reason to not own a Rover. And certainly does not mean you do not know how to take care of your vehicle. And most defiantly should not prohibit someone from considering buying it when you are done with it.

 

Well no offense to you if you're in construction but I don't want to lay out my hard earned money on a vehicle that's been subjected to dirt and debris of construction sites and runs to Home Depot its entire life, nor do I want the remnants of juice box spills and boogers on my supple leather upholstery. As I said in the previous post, the sales guide steered me away from those vehicles because he personally knew they were beaten up by the owners, despite the wonders of certification and reconditioning. I think it's safe to assume that most people buy NEW Range Rovers for SOME kind of status, otherwise they wouldn't be driving a prestige make. But to your point, I also didn't want some housewife's Rover who had a brief honeymoon period with it and then treated it like dirt because she knew she would get a new one (the most common situation according to my dealer, on Long Island anyway). So I twiddled my thumbs until a 2004 came in as a trade with just 26,000 miles on the clock. The owner was a very wealthy local enthusiast who didn't have much time to indulge his pursuits as his job allowed, so he just used it as a commuter car to the train station, and traded up to an 09. You can buy whatever car you please, I am just relating my personal preference and my experience that it's nice to buy from a local franchised dealership because it's nice to have someone who knows the history of the car, whatever it may be. And you can make your own call from there.

 

Luxury1,
I saw this post on the RangeRovers.net forums and thought it might be of interest to you. A good way to negotiate prices at your dealer perhaps:

http://rangerovers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=31830

 

Thanks, this person is in the exact same boat as me! The auction number are definitely handy for negotiating and thanks for sharing this with me!

04/15/09 NASHVILL Lease $59,200 7,126 Above JAVABLK 8G A Yes
04/30/09 MANHEIM Lease $53,500 8,358 Avg BUCKBLUE 8G P Yes
04/30/09 MANHEIM Lease $49,250 12,228 Avg CHAW WHT 8G P Yes
04/22/09 OHIO Lease $55,250 12,928 Above BLACK 8G A Yes
05/07/09 DET METR Lease $54,000 15,003 Avg STNWYGRY 8G A Yes
04/15/09 NASHVILL Lease $55,200 17,105 Above SILVER 8G A Yes
04/23/09 RIVRSIDE Lease $53,000 17,621 Avg BLUE 8G A Yes
05/07/09 CHICAGO Regular $52,400 17,622 Avg SILVER 8G A Yes
04/16/09 NEVADA Lease $52,000 18,028 Avg GRAY 8G A Yes
04/30/09 MANHEIM Regular $52,500 18,863 Avg Silver 8G Yes
05/07/09 W PALM Lease $56,200 20,930 Above BLACK 8G A Yes
04/29/09 MANHEIM Lease $56,500 21,057 Above JAVABLK 8G P Yes
04/29/09 ATLANTA Lease $51,700 21,100 Avg ZERMATT 8G A Yes
04/16/09 MANHEIM Regular $48,000 21,663 Avg ZERM SIL 8G P Yes
04/30/09 MANHEIM Lease $51,750 21,785 Avg BLACK 8G P Yes
04/30/09 MANHEIM Lease $52,750 21,951 Avg JAVABLK 8G P Yes
05/07/09 W PALM Lease $53,800 22,101 Avg BLACK 8G A Yes
05/07/09 RIVRSIDE Lease $54,250 23,198 Avg WHIT 8G A Yes
04/23/09 RIVRSIDE Lease $53,250 24,010 Avg BLACK 8G A Yes
05/07/09 RIVRSIDE Lease $52,000 24,358 Avg BLACK 8G A Yes
05/07/09 FRDKBURG Regular $54,400 24,877 Above Black 8G A Yes
05/07/09 RIVRSIDE Lease $52,250 25,120 Avg BLACK 8G A Yes
05/07/09 DET METR Lease $47,200 26,249 Below DKBLUE 8G A Yes
04/30/09 MANHEIM Lease $51,250 26,437 Avg JAVABLK 8G P Yes
04/16/09 MANHEIM Lease $48,250 27,351 Avg JAVABLK 8G P Yes
04/30/09 MANHEIM Lease $55,250 27,570 Above CHAWWHIT 8G P Yes
04/16/09 NEVADA Regular $51,750 27,638 Avg BLK 8G A Yes
04/21/09 ST LOUIS Lease $49,750 28,267 Avg STORNGRY 8G A Yes
04/16/09 MANHEIM Lease $43,500 30,309 Below STRNGREY 8G P No
04/17/09 W PALM Lease $52,000 30,865 Avg BLACK 8G A Yes

 

Im glad to see someone doing exactly what I am doing.... I have it pegged to aver. auct around 44K 45K for one with around 21K miles.... more if you get it cpo'd.

It seems like alot to pull the trigger on for a 07' but I think will be well worth it*