Good morning all,
Is there such a thing as a Ford Direct web site? and if so does anybody know of the address please. Also when Ford Direct cars are on dealer forecourts who sets the prices. Does the dealer do what he likes 'cause I have seen several cars here in north Devon that appear to be way over book!
Best Regards to all. M.
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Good morning all, Is there such a thing as a Ford Direct web site? and if so does anybody know of the address please. Also when Ford Direct cars are on dealer forecourts who sets the prices. Does the dealer do what he likes 'cause I have seen several cars here in north Devon that appear to be way over book! Best Regards to all. M.
www.ford.co.uk ~ click on Vehicles then Used Vehicles.
I think prices are high because Ford Direct cars are reworked specially-prepared vehicles.
--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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Martin,
Use the website to identify suitable vehicles from a couple of different dealers. I had two ringing me back with counter offers for an afternoon, keen not to lose my business once it became clear I was a serious buyer.
I agree that they are way over 'book' but you are paying for an extra slice of piece of mind. My Mondeo is coming up for a year since purchase (2 years old) and has not missed a beat - no need to top any fluids in that time.
One more thing - dealers can see a different database of 'stock' of Ford Direct vehicles that they can release from the central repository, which you and I cannot. So as well as the ones on the web, dealers may quote you for vehicles that they could get for you. I was told that I had to commit to purchase prior to them pulling a vehicle out - not sure if this is true, but it may be that lurking in that stock is a suitable vehicle.
Hope that helps - good luck
Jono
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jono 99
Many thanks for the info,
Regards, Martin.
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When I was looking for a Focus a local dealer carried out the central stock check, but if I wanted to see it I had to buy it first. Needless to say I looked round a bit more and found what I was looking for within a week or so - still Ford Direct covered and a former hire car - from speaking to the dealer this is where most of the Ford Direct cars come from. As for being over book price I'm not sure - I paid £9,500 for a six month old 1.8LX with a list then of almost £15k.
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I was also under the impression that a lot of Ford Direct cars were former hire cars.
The cars are prepared by RAC and come with 2 years warranty and 3 years RAC cover.
I also think that the dealer only has a limited period of time (5/6 weeks?) to sell a Ford Direct car before the stock is changed. I managed to get £1000 off a 12 month old Focus as it had been in stock for over 30 days.
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Typo:
should be 2 years warranty and 2 years RAC Cover.
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There did appear to be some aspect of stock clearance when I was looking around - not sure how the deal between the dealers and 'Ford Direct Central'.
I got to two thirds of list price on my car (just over a year old) which was what I was targeting. Probably could have been cheaper in small ads (and would have had balance of warranty) and would have been cheaper at auction, but I needed the car promptly, and wanted to have someone to return to, should there be problems.
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Oops, meant to add, the dealer can tell you the 'type' of previous owner from their Ford Direct Database - i.e. hire company, management vehicle, private own.....
Not sure whether that helps (is an ex-management owned car a good thing?!, similarly ex-hire car), but if it is important to you, it is possible to find out.
Jono
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When I bought my Mondeo (Ford Direct) the salesman explained that the cars appeared daily on a centrally linked computer. Individual dealers could bid for them on an auction basis. He told me he came in early every morning to get the pick of the vehicles available.
Even though they have stringent standards I thought the quality of vehicles varied. I bought a mint 6 month old 1.8 LX for 11k. A 1.8 Zetec (of same age) with damaged interior trim and a scruffy boot area was 12k. Both cars were "Ford Direct".
There's plenty about so be choosy
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Having been firmly put off an ex plod T5 by you lot recently. (All the comments were well received thank you), I was considering a late (ish) Mondeo. 2.5 aoto with air etc, which I suppose they all have by now. There doesn't actually seem to be too many to be choosy from! I gather the estates fetch quite a bit more money than 4 doors. Is this correct?
Any thoughts, Regards.
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Most nearly new Ford Direct cars are either ex-hire cars from the big hire companies, or used by the FMC for 6 months.
They are rounded up and sent to a preparation centre in Kent with a huge workshop where they are tarted up, valeted etc. They should therefore all be nice and tidy when they hit the dealers.
The dealers can access the entire stock database, and can get cars transferred in from another dealer, or order them up from the prep centre. As has been said, you have to buy them first.
However, my brother got a Y plate 2.0 Focus estate a couple of years ago from Quicks in Manchester, they said if it wasn't mint they'd sort it out or find him one that was.
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Having been firmly put off an ex plod T5 by you lot recently. (All the comments were well received thank you), I was considering a late (ish) Mondeo. 2.5 aoto with air etc, which I suppose they all have by now. There doesn't actually seem to be too many to be choosy from! I gather the estates fetch quite a bit more money than 4 doors. Is this correct? Any thoughts, Regards.
I'd be wary about taking on a Ford auto.
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>> Having been firmly put off an ex plod T5 by you >> lot recently. (All the comments were well received thank you), >> I was considering a late (ish) Mondeo. 2.5 aoto with >> air etc, which I suppose they all have by now. There >> doesn't actually seem to be too many to be choosy from! >> I gather the estates fetch quite a bit more money >> than 4 doors. Is this correct? >> >> Any thoughts, Regards. >> I'd be wary about taking on a Ford auto.
Explanation please! My lovely old 2.9 granada, (I still miss it...sob!..)was ok. I understand that the 'old' 'box on the 2.0l mondy was carp, but I am interested in the latest incarnations. Please advise or send me an ex P.O. moggy van instead. That was fun. Aviemore in winter in that van was not! Brilliant heater !!!!!!
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Granada 'box was the A4LD which was a crude but fairly reliable afair and relatively cheap to repair.
The Mondeo uses the CD4E which has, to say the least, a very chequered reputation. Ford have now given up on autos and sold their entire interest in auto transmission manufacture (includting the Batavia factory) to ZF. ZF are continuing to manufacture the old Ford designs and sell them as 'Ford' 'boxes whilst their engineers work on new designs.
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Granada 'box was the A4LD which was a crude but fairly reliable afair and relatively cheap to repair. The Mondeo uses the CD4E which has, to say the least, a very chequered reputation. Ford have now given up on autos and sold their entire interest in auto transmission manufacture (includting the Batavia factory) to ZF. ZF are continuing to manufacture the old Ford designs and sell them as 'Ford' 'boxes whilst their engineers work on new designs.
Hi Aprilia,
When did the auto box improve? Am I right in thinking it is now a 5 speed. Also what is a durashift auto. Is it the same thing?
VBR.......M.
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Hi Martin, I too am in N.Devon and a year ago bought my second Focus via Ford Direct. I used the net to look around and bought from Archers of Ashby in the Midlands as the local main dealer had little or nothing on Ford Direct at that time. I sold privately to a colleague and hired a car to pick up the new one, going up with my wife. The cars there were immaculately presented and , I thought excellent value for money. My 2 litre Zetec was unmarked, even the wheels were as new. I found the whole process first class with this particular outfit. However, Archers still appear to be Ford Direct dealers, but whereas they had a huge stock of cars, all with photo's last year, they now seem to be a much smaller operation. Has Ford pulled the plug? Shame if they have as they were a good dealer imho. My car was Ford management owned for 6 months, then put on FD. I believe this is how Ford(and others) shift a lot of stock without actually having to bring the list price down, as a lot of people will pay full-whack at a main dealers without haggling, but putting a few miles on them and then selling them slightly used gets more units shifted. My car has been first class for the year I have had it. Good luck with it all, MD.
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My car was Ford management owned for 6 months, then put on FD.
How do you know this?
PP
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PP On the V5 it gives the previous owners name,c/o Ford Motor Company Ltd. Eagle Way, Warley, Brentwood. The salesman said it was likely to be a Ford manager. Part of the perks, a new car every 6 months?! Cheers MD.
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MD: Salesmen tell you what you want to hear. VW also put that spin on cars they're trying to flog. Turns out my T reg Passat was a hire car for part of its life: management had nothing to do with it. My own fault - even though I'd bought from the dealer several times - I found the hire sticker in the glove box later. So thats why the pads had worn down so soon!
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Cars registered to the manufacturer as first keeper are more often than not corporate demonstrators or similar, so I would take any salesmans 'ex-management car' claim with a large pinch of salt.
Ford supply AA Driving School with Ford Focuses (Foci?!) in Zetec and Ghia spec, these are shown as a leasing company on the V5 and not AA Driving School, I think thats a bit sneaky. There's no way I'd buy an ex-driving school car that's likely to have been kerbed daily, been kangarooed half to death, and generally suffered at the hands of an L driver.
You could say that it's as likely to be abused as say an ex-rental car, but at least they've usually had a multitude of drivers, most of which will have driven them normally.
A colleague of mine bought a second hand Poxhall Corsa a few years ago, it was only just 12 months old and was registered to a lease company.
I noticed that the registration number looked familiar and after looking at a couple of BSM Corsas in Chester we realised it was in a similar reg sequence. A bit of digging later he had confirmed that this was what the car had been used for and in some lights you could just make out where the BSM lettering had been on the boot, he was not amused!
PP
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Hi M.D.
Thanks for the info. I have found the Major Ford dealer here in North Devon to be quite unhelpful and to be perfectly blunt, blooming expensive. A guy who works for me just paid nearly 8k for an X reg 2.0l mondeo which I think is an LX although it has air con. Too much imho.
Best Regards, Martin.
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I looked at buying a Ford Direct car a couple of years ago, Motors Coalville also specialise in FD cars. They have a big stock and I have heard a lot of good things about them - they had a good website too.
But you pay a premium for an FD car and I chose to buy from a Motorpoint/Trade Sales of Slough type of group as it seemed like their prices were the same for an equivalent new car compared to a used FD one. But if you are trading in, that may not be best for you.
Good luck
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Funny that the two FD dealers mentioned so far in this discussion (Motors Coalville and Archers of Ashby) are both in North West Leicestershire, about 4 miles apart. I've been in both and found Archers to be a small friendly operation, and Motors Coalville to be big and a bit impersonal. But I haven't bought from either and can't comment of how good a deal they offer.
Archers of Ashby www.archersofashby.co.uk
Motors Coalville www.motorscoalville.co.uk
Ian
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Hi Ian,
My partner and I have both had dealings with these two dealers. All I can say is I would deal with both of them again. :-)
Its still good to look around but I found out recently that not many dealerships are interested when you have cash to offer, seems they get more out of the finance deals they all offer! But thats another story!
Good Luck MD,
GC
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He he :D
He could have came up north and bought an X plate Modeno LX with aircon from the main dealers and with 2 year warranty for about £5K. Even if he came up here in a taxi to pick it up he wouldda still saved a packet :-)
I love where I live :-)
Blue
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Blue Oval, "Up North" is all relative, I live in the Central Belt in Scotland so you are down South to me! :)
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