[Ground Loop]

I'm very curious to know how many owners got their car for MSRP, or paid a market premium. I'm debating 'backing out' of a premium deposit and wonder how the market has been so far.

 

[Randy Chase]

I paid MSRP and felt stongly that as a matter of principal, I would not pay over MSRP.


Since then, I have changed my mind and if given a choice of waiting a year or so, and paying a few thousand for the Elise, I would (with hindsight) have gladly payed a small premium. I think it would have been worth it.

In your particular case GL, I would be strongly considering looking for a low premium deal you can get in the immediate future. As long as you can find one that suits you option and color requirements. My 2 cents at no premium.

 

[OneFastLotus]

I paid MSRP...twice.

One MSRP was higher than the other MSRP.

 

[babak]

MSRP, been waiting this long anyway and I'm with Randy, it's a principal thing.

 

[Ground Loop]

I paid MSRP and felt stongly that as a matter of principal, I would not pay over MSRP.

The Elise purchasing experience has been quite an exercise in bent principals.

Since then, I have changed my mind and if given a choice of waiting a year or so, and paying a few thousand for the Elise, I would (with hindsight) have gladly payed a small premium. I think it would have been worth it.

I'm relieved to hear that. There's really nothing else like it out there.

The problem is that we (buyers) are in such a weak negotiating position right now, that all deals are pretty much take-it-or-leave-it. Low premiums are hard to find, especially with the west-coast deliveries backed up as they are. Much to consider...

 

[Palting]

The problem is that we (buyers) are in such a weak negotiating position right now, that all deals are pretty much take-it-or-leave-it. Low premiums are hard to find, especially with the west-coast deliveries backed up as they are. Much to consider...

It's not the weak position that is driving the premiums, IMHO. It's the impatience of the buyers. There are lots of deals to be made out there, for MSRP, with waiting lists of about 6 months. As can be seen from OneFastLotus's post, he even bought two at MSRP.

Paying premium is admitting that you are willing to be made advantage of. Same reason I would not pay for scalped tickets.

True, there is nothing like an Elise. An Elise is an Elise, and there is no other car called Elise . There are, however, other cars. Some cars that are better in certain aspects, some worse in others. Bottom line, if I had to pay over MSRP to get an Elise, I can definitely get a better car.

 

[pianomaniac]

I paid over MSRP to have the car now. My reasoning is I could be dead next year and never have the priceless enjoyment this car brings me.

Question: If you had the chance to rent an Elise for the time being to hold you over until yours came in.....would you do it?

I would! I am paying much less to have the car sooner than I ever could have rented it .......if a rented Elise were available........which it isn't.

 

[grudkin]

I was prepared to pay a small premium to have the car at a time convenient for me, but it didn't work out. So, I bought an old Porsche to tide me over, and I'm waiting for an MSRP car on the list.

Looks like I may receive my Elise earlier than I thought now -- February, based on dealer estimates. Then, the pooch goes full-race and the Elise becomes my daily. A bit different than I had planned initially, but I think this will work out better.

 

[smoseley]

I paid MSRP...twice. One MSRP was higher than the other MSRP.

Did you dollar-cost-average them yet?

 

[LNZ_YELO]

It's not the weak position that is driving the premiums, IMHO. It's the impatience of the buyers. There are lots of deals to be made out there, for MSRP, with waiting lists of about 6 months. As can be seen from OneFastLotus's post, he even bought two at MSRP.

Paying premium is admitting that you are willing to be made advantage of. Same reason I would not pay for scalped tickets.

True, there is nothing like an Elise. An Elise is an Elise, and there is no other car called Elise . There are, however, other cars. Some cars that are better in certain aspects, some worse in others. Bottom line, if I had to pay over MSRP to get an Elise, I can definitely get a better car.

I'm skeptical of any dealer who would tell you that you could have a car in 6 months getting on the list today. I'm paying MSRP for 2 cars, but have been on lists for almost 3 years. Given that so many of us have been on lists for so long, I seriously doubt the true wait list right now is a mere 6 months.

 

[LNZ_YELO]

Bottom line, if I had to pay over MSRP to get an Elise, I can definitely get a better car.

Oh, one other thing: Define "better."

 

[Ground Loop]

Question: If you had the chance to rent an Elise for the time being to hold you over until yours came in.....would you do it?

Ah, but there's the rub -- how long until my car comes in? It would be a rental with an unknown duration and fixed $2500 price.

The deal made a lot more sense back in January when I hopped onto the premium list. Now it's a year later, deliveries are looking up, and the rental period is a lot shorter.

$2500 for an extra year of Elise driving? Mmkay.

$2500 for an extra six months starting with Winter? Hmm...

$2500 for a totally unknown amount of time, unknown dealer allocations (how good are my other list spots?) and possible new MSRP increases? I do hate the unknown...

 

[smoseley]

Define "better."

Define "good" for that matter. Anything that's a matter of perception or subjective interpretation thereof is beyond debate

 

[Ground Loop]

A totally different approach is to consider No Car instead of Better Car.

Keep the cash, sit this out for a few years and reevaluate.

If I get to take a thousand corners with a grin, each grin is still $50, after all.

 

[wallabyguy]

MSRP (waited long enough, they'd better sell it to me MSRP, frick'n 3 years......grrrrrr). Anyway, they did hit me up for a $300 dealer prep charge which I figured I'd let go. WHat did they do for $300? As far as I can tell, pulled the plastic off and put Snuffy in their showroom for a week before I could pick her up.

 

[Lumn8r]

MSRP + a $93.79 Dealer's Inventory Tax. Since I didn't register the car in Texas, I didn't have to pay sales tax there and since Alaska doesn't have a sales tax, I didn't pay it here either. So add $15 for the title and $100 for two years registration and I still got the car with metallic paint, touring and star shield for a grand total less than $45K. :clap: :clap:

 

[spindoc]

I'm about to go crazy with the waiting. Damn you, EliseTalk! I thought I could put up with the wait, but tomorrow I'm planning on ordering an early car that I can get in the next couple of weeks for a premium. Fortunately I live in an area with mild winters.

 

[Graydon]

As can be seen from OneFastLotus's post, he even bought two at MSRP.

When did OFL have a sex change? I musta missed that post...

I wouldn't pay a penny over MSRP. I just don't believe in throwing extra cash out the window just to get something sooner. I would, however, drive across the country to get it sooner (which I guess equates to more $$, but since I'd be driving it would be well worth it).

 

[Ground Loop]

Thanks for the active voting, y'all!

Already I see an interesting pattern.. only three out of 41 of us plan to pay a markup in the future. I'm surprised.

I take this to mean most of the premium-paying folks already have their car and deliveries going forward are expected (hoped) to be at MSRP.

It's possible that the three of us suckers are all at the same dealership, in fact.

 

[wallabyguy]

What I've noticed is those on elisetalk refuse to pay the premium because we know where to get the cars at MSRP. There are some who are willing but thats based on time consideration. I have, literally, run down some elise drivers and those that don't know about this list all paid premmiums to get their cars.