[UncleGuy]

Final Pricing on My 2014 Durango Citadel...
in case it helps anyone.

This is the Out-the-Door details, after all papers were signed and all negotiations were finalized.

MSRP: $51,665.00 including Destination Fee of $995
Invoice: $48,776.00
Dealer Discount: -$1,250
Sale Price: $47,526
Documentation Fee (Maryland): $200
Cash Incentive Rebate: -$1,000
Targeted Mail Rebate (Program: 39CE3): -$500
Sub-Total: $46,226.00
Taxes: $2,863.56 (calculated on Sale Price, plus Doc Fee x .06 = 6%)
Transfer of Tags / Title Fee (Maryland): $351
Total Delivered: $49,440.56 - includes everything

Calculated Difference from MSRP: -10.91% if you include Destination Fee ($51,665 : $46,026 -- does not include Documentation Fee)

Purchased at: Ourisman Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Bowie, MD
Sales Rep: Mike Hickerson
Sales Manager: Ron Ward
Financed thru: PenFed Credit Union @ .99% for 48 months

The Dealer bested pricing from...
PenFed's Buying Service (uses TrueCar, I believe)
CarBargains Buying Service (this was a real shock!)
TrueCar Participating Dealers
18 other Dealers I contacted in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, North and South Carolina. I did not check with Costco.

Virginia Dealers really crippled their chances by charging $499 Doc Fee, and wanting to charge a Maryland Buyer 6.5% Sales Tax instead of what our State collects -- which is 6%. And throwing in required oddities like Nitrogen-filled Tires and Service Agreements that I would never be able to use.

Above Vehicle Includes these Options...
HEMI
Technology Group
Skid Plate Group
Trailer Tow Group IV
Second-Row Fold & Tumble Captain Chairs
Second Row Console with Storage

Notes...
a) Targeted Mail Rebate -- I received this as a coupon after requesting a brochure online. You may need a unique Certificate Number from the front of that coupon, but they did not ask me for the actual Coupon. So request that brochure online at Dodge's website NOW! Mine took weeks to arrive.

b) Maryland calculates Sales Tax on Sale Price, plus Doc Fee -- and treats all other Factory Discounts or Factory Rebates as a "Down Payment". They apparently accept a Dealer Discount as a reduction in price.

c) I was so frustrated at one point that I went out looking for a 2013 Honda Pilot since I've owned 3 Hondas and liked them all. Every Honda Dealer quite literally REFUSED to quote by email or compete with other Dealers unless I would visit the showroom. I don't have time for that in this day and age. Why create a website with a "Click for Quote" link if you are never going to actually provide any kind of price?

d) EVERY Dodge Dealer was more than happy to quote -- except about 3 which simply never answered their email or Quote Forms one way or another. Why create a website with a "Click for Quote" link if you are never going to respond?

e) Factory Orders have one unique Advantage -- if you can be patient. You would get credit for any existing Factory Incentives at the Time of Order. Plus any that might increase before your vehicle arrives. The Dealers all said they would NOT deduct or eliminate the existing Incentives even if those disappeared by the time the vehicle arrived. I found that REFRESHINGLY REASSURING. It did not help me, in my case, but it was very reassuring. One thing to remember is that another $500 or $1,000 off does not affect the Payment greatly.

 

[looking4ajeep]

Looking to learn from your recent experience.
I ordered a Citadel on 12/30/13.. I just ordered the brochure on Jan 12th after reading your post. Hoping to get the brochure coupon by delivery date. How long was the wait from order date to dealership?
I am anxious as my trade is packing on mileage.
My total MSRP was 49250 and I was quoted 43,500 (true car was able to get me lower than the original quote of 44,200.
Thoughts?
Thank You for your insight.

 

[UncleGuy]

Based on the idea that the price quote does not include your Down Payment or Trade, you are getting an 11.61% Discount -- which is better than usual, based on TrueCar's current reports. And better than my own.

It's not as good as another few Members here, but certainly very good, overall. And if this includes your Trade then you must add the value back into the price of your Citadel in order to calculate how good a deal it was.

It took about 6 weeks for me to receive mine from Date of Order. The nice thing about ordering is if the Incentives increase in early February you get to take advantage of those.

It did take several, several weeks to receive the Coupon that I reported. But it will not affect your bottom-line a great deal, so I wouldn't be too worried. It hardly affects the Payment, for instance -- but it might mostly pay for one of your Options.

Good job!

I'm really loving mine, so far. There are issues to get used to. But the vehicle rides great, handles well, and the stereo is very nice (once I tweaked the Equalizer settings a bit). Of all the models, I liked the Citadel the most.

 

[diskillians]

Looking to learn from your recent experience.
I ordered a Citadel on 12/30/13.. I just ordered the brochure on Jan 12th after reading your post. Hoping to get the brochure coupon by delivery date. How long was the wait from order date to dealership?
I am anxious as my trade is packing on mileage.
My total MSRP was 49250 and I was quoted 43,500 (true car was able to get me lower than the original quote of 44,200.
Thoughts?
Thank You for your insight.

I think the coupon also depends on where you live, I haven't received one but I also live in the great lakes region which has an extra $1,000 dollar incentive right now, which may explain why (my zip is 43502). I have also heard you can sign up for email updates and receive the coupon that way and its much quicker than waiting for the brochure. Congrats on the new vehicle, our limited should be here this week :thumbsup:

 

[looking4ajeep]

Congrats on your Durango and thank you for your insight. It is very helpful. I'm curious, what issues are you needing to get used to?
I assume that your Citadel has the Hemi, I decided after reading on how the new trans helps the V6, I should go that route for slightly better MPG. I am beginning to second guess myself if in fact some performance chip combined with K and N Air filter will improve MPG. Ohh well, I have young children and plenty of speeding tickets in the past. What MPG are you getting (assuming the Hemi)

The detail you have provided is truly appreciated.
Congrats and enjoy! Wish mine was here.

 

[UncleGuy]

Congrats on your Durango and thank you for your insight. It is very helpful. I'm curious, what issues are you needing to get used to?
I assume that your Citadel has the Hemi, I decided after reading on how the new trans helps the V6, I should go that route for slightly better MPG. I am beginning to second guess myself if in fact some performance chip combined with K and N Air filter will improve MPG. Ohh well, I have young children and plenty of speeding tickets in the past. What MPG are you getting (assuming the Hemi)

The detail you have provided is truly appreciated.
Congrats and enjoy! Wish mine was here.

The issues I need to get used to aren't "problems". More so, things I've never had exposure to. Like Keyless Entry, Remote Start, Voice Commands (I haven't had a chance to try those), Zone Climate Control -- just all the bells and whistles. I wrote about some of this in another thread where I pointed out differences from my 2008 Ridgeline. The door pockets suck, compared to the Ridgeline. Storage areas suck compared to the Ridgeline.

But I really like this vehicle! I have never had more nice comments on any new car. And I appreciate it more so as I drive it every day.

I chose the HEMI for only a few silly reasons -- none of which have anything to do with towing capacity. I do not own a boat or a trailer. a) I just turned 60 this year, and went through a really rough period at work the past two years. This was my "reward" for surviving! b) I've never treated myself to an "upscale" vehicle. My younger mindset was that people who spent big dollars on expensive vehicles were "compensating for something". In reality, I just couldn't afford anything more than an Accord or VW. But as I've grown older I've begun to realize I need to loosen up a bit. I'm not doing it to show off (well, maybe a little). I'm really doing it because I've worked hard and feel I deserve it. It's easy for me to say, since I'm single, I guess. No kids to clothe. But if I waited another 5 years I might be too old to care. c) I drove a V8 when I first started driving back in the early 1970s. In those days, 4 cylinders were for bigger go-karts. And, you know what? V8s feel better to me in day-to-day driving. It's almost like "gliding" instead of "struggling" on the highway. I'm not a Speed Demon. But I can't wait to get it on some mountain byways. And I like that little growl! So I bought the HEMI for one reason: They're FUN!

The K&N will definitely add about 5HP and a nice grunt to most any vehicle. I had one on my Ridgeline. It got peoples attention when I floored it. And it beats the hell out of those tinny-sounding Catback Exhausts so many youngsters put on their Toyotas. They sound like a frustrated mad honey bee. But the K&N sounds like serious muscle, and you don't hear it all the time.

The V6 is certainly a good choice, and very adequate for this vehicle. Consumer Reports says it's the logical choice. The HEMI doesn't even come with a badge declaring its presence. So I'm adding one.

 

[mrmitsou]

Final Pricing on My 2014 Durango Citadel...
in case it helps anyone.


Virginia Dealers really crippled their chances by charging $499 Doc Fee, and wanting to charge a Maryland Buyer 6.5% Sales Tax instead of what our State collects -- which is 6%. And throwing in required oddities like Nitrogen-filled Tires and Service Agreements that I would never be able to use.

Congrats on the purchase. did you try Koons in VA? the sales price you quote appears to be a little below 2.6% under the invoice price. Koons offers 5% under invoice. the doc fee is $499, but even with that, the price was still better than any I found (& I looked plenty). Koons also only charged me the sales tax for my state (NJ). I have to say, the hardest part of buying a Durango, at least for me, was finding a reputable, responsive dealer (actually that was the second hardest; the hardest thing was convincing my wife). This forum really solved that problem for me (the finding-a-dealer part). The MO for almost all dealers in NJ and NY I contacted, I found, is to not give out pricing by email and to get you into their showroom where they can bamboozle you.

 

[looking4ajeep]

I am glad to hear how happy you are with your choice. If I was in your shoes, the V8 would be my 1st choice as well. I have a 3rd child coming so I went from looking at the Grand Cherokee to the Durango with buckets in the middle for a pass thru.
Life is too short to not enjoy yourself.
I am happy that you have found ways to deal with life's curve balls. I started my company at the age of 30 and I have recently taken off like your V8 Durango. Didn't have the money over the past 4 yrs to buy any vehicle, much less a 50K vehicle. Luckily the wife supported my dream and my luck had changed for the better in 2013.
This too is a form of spoiling myself for being selfless and broke for years. Now, I am blessed to say I have money to replace my 100K mile '05 lexus es. I used to have a Vette so I know your deep appreciation of engine power. That car (vette) and my pre children mindset almost killed me on a few occasions.
Now I am looking forward to a big suv for protecting my family from the selfish drivers texting.

Congrats and enjoy. Sounds like you and I share some similarities including the Durango.

Best Regards, Matt

 

[UncleGuy]

Congrats and enjoy. Sounds like you and I share some similarities including the Durango.

Yes, apparently so! I owned a '65 'Vette at one time. It nearly put me in the Poor House. Nothing on that car cost less than $25 back in 1983. I finally had to sell it when I decided to buy a house. But it sure was a fun drive on the weekends!

 

[UncleGuy]

Congrats on the purchase. did you try Koons in VA? I have to say, the hardest part of buying a Durango, at least for me, was finding a reputable, responsive dealer (actually that was the second hardest; the hardest thing was convincing my wife). The MO for almost all dealers in NJ and NY I contacted, I found, is to not give out pricing by email and to get you into their showroom where they can bamboozle you.

I do not recall trying Koons. I tried two others in Virginia and got really discouraged. And the other issue you mention is what I ran into with EVERY Honda Dealer that I spoke with. At one point I was so frustrated with the pricing being commanded on the Durango that I convinced myself I would be just as happy in the Pilot -- which was, in fact, my first choice, early on.

I liked a lot about the Pilot. Roomy. Color selections. Well-designed features. And I've owned three Hondas in my life -- all of which never saw the inside of a Service Bay except for regular maintenance. They really last.

But the problem this time were the Dealers. Specifically, the Sales Managers. The Salesmen (and Women) were just fine. But as soon as the Sales Manager opened his mouth, I usually got pissed-off. I walked out of one Dealership. And refused to respond to two others. They never quoted by email, and I just don't have the time to play those damn games, or tolerate strong-arm tactics. NONE of the Dodge Dealers ever insulted me. They were very patient, if a bit clueless about the features of the 2014 Durango, specifically.

That, and one other big issue -- Honda hasn't changed the Pilot (or Ridgeline) since FOREVER. They really do not listen to their Owners. I think their strength -- watching the market and biding their time -- is also their greatest weakness -- taking too long to add features that many other mfrs already have.