[llninja]

For many years, I'm feeling left out wondering how other people get Private Offers. Today, I received mine, just 2 weeks after the wife and I had a budget meeting and decided to invest $2K in our existing cars to keep them going a few more years. The PO is only good for $1K for Bolt and Volt, but $3K for Suburban and Tahoe, $2K for a Silverado. They also showed a Silverado LT AllStar with over $11.6k in incentives. It really is tempting....but I'm determined to not go into debt to get the next car and pay off the mortgages ASAP.

Bye, bye Private Offer. It was nice to not be skipped this time.

Alas, today at the pet store, I saw the first Jaguar F-Pace. It was much bigger than I imagined, and my wife was even drooling. I hope the i-pace has the same effect. Since I asked to be on the mailing list for i-pace announcements, we've been getting all sorts of printed literature in the snail mail.

 

[Upper5Percent]

Remember what Dave Ramsey says...The TOTAL VALUE OF ALL your vehicles—things with a motor in them—should NOT be more than half of your annual income....

He also says...The depreciation on a new vehicle is jaw-dropping.

And he also says...Car payments and big car purchases will make you broke and keep you broke.


That's if you subscribe to his philosophy...

By the way I've never received a private offer from GM...

 

[llninja]

I'm pretty sure I'm way below that half the annual income metric. My newest car is a 2013 volt, which I'm guessing isn't worth more than $13k today. A 2004 CTS and a 1995 Suburban are probably not worth more than $3-4k each. The zero turn mower, and my JD tractor together are less than $10k. If I go by last year's income, I've got room for a lambo. If I go by this year's income I could get an S70D. But if I go with cash on hand, it's keeping the cars running until the mortgage is paid off.

 

[Steverino]

My private offer was for $3k off the Bolt (other amounts for other vehicles). I was planning on waiting for end of December deals, but I doubt they would have come close to the almost $6k I got off My Bolt Premier. Then there is the small risk of something happening to the $7500 tax credit. So I jumped.

But that was the first private offer I ever received.

 

[Jmaj]

Half your yearly income you say? Wonder what this cardiologist who owns these makes?

 

[llninja]

My private offer was for $3k off the Bolt (other amounts for other vehicles). I was planning on waiting for end of December deals, but I doubt they would have come close to the almost $6k I got off My Bolt Premier. Then there is the small risk of something happening to the $7500 tax credit. So I jumped.

But that was the first private offer I ever received.

Oh great, now I feel gypped again. My private offer is only $1k for Bolt, Camero, Colorado, Ovette Equinox Malibu Volt, Cascada, Envision, Regal, Terrain, plus only 2017 models except it also includes the 2018 Equinox and Terrain.

No matter, I wasn't planning on buying a volt or bolt anyway. The potential cars on my list were $3K (Subyukonade, CT6 Plugin) or $2K (silverado) anyway.

Interestingly enough, the SS is not on the list. Plus in the fine print there are a bunch of specific trims of certain models that are excluded. CTS-V is one of them.

 

[llninja]

View attachment 139522

Half your yearly income you say? Wonder what this cardiologist who owns these makes?

Not everyone subscribes to Dave Ramsey's teachings (cult following). The cardiologist might be borrowing up the wazoo and making payments on that fleet of cars. If they paid cash and it's less than half his annual income, more power to them. The half of your annual income thing also breaks down when you've got a multi million dollar nest egg. At that point it becomes the cost of the car as a percentage of your nest egg. Buying a $200K car when you've got $1M might be stupid. buying a $200K car when you've got $10M in the bank is fine as it's a tiny percentage if your world. But lots of people are broke financing $40K trucks and minivans when they should be buying used and well within their means.

 

[llninja]

Remember what Dave Ramsey says...The TOTAL VALUE OF ALL your vehicles—things with a motor in them—should NOT be more than half of your annual income....

He also says...The depreciation on a new vehicle is jaw-dropping.

And he also says...Car payments and big car purchases will make you broke and keep you broke.


That's if you subscribe to his philosophy...

By the way I've never received a private offer from GM...

I have purchased two new vehicles in my lifetime for myself and my wife, but each time I was able to find a deal to get a new car for less than a comparable used car. The CTS was $10K off MSRP and the volt was $23K off MSRP. So if the current deals on silverados are stackable with the private offer AND my GM Card Rebates, I could see $15.9k off. I'm at least poking my head into the dealership to see what's out there. It looks like the PO is good for any leftover 2017 stock and doesn't apply to most 2018s.

 

[bro1999]

I got the same offer in the mail a couple of days ago. Noticed the amount eligible for Bolts and Volts dropped to $1k, but is now applicable to leases. I'm not in the market for a car, so it went into the recycling container.

 

[ClarksonCote]

Oh great, now I feel gypped again. My private offer is only $1k for Bolt, Camero, Colorado, Ovette Equinox Malibu Volt, Cascada, Envision, Regal, Terrain, plus only 2017 models except it also includes the 2018 Equinox and Terrain.

It sounds like the difference between the August and September private offers. I received an August offer too that's the same as Steverino, and some models were up to $5k.

 

[hploeg]

I am also a fan of the upcoming I-Pace. I, however, would like to see a two-seat EV along the lines of the F-Type coupe.

 

[blue2]

If I get a private offer I will go down to the dealer and buy a volt today. Are these transferable and is there a code someone can send me if they dont need theirs?

 

[llninja]

It sounds like the difference between the August and September private offers. I received an August offer too that's the same as Steverino, and some models were up to $5k.

The dealership just got back to me. PO and GM Card rebates are stackable on top of the $11-12K off 2017 Silverados. So I get another $4050 off, but sadly, I didn't get a sweet $5K PO.

 

[ClarksonCote]

The dealership just got back to me. PO and GM Card rebates are stackable on top of the $11-12K off 2017 Silverados. So I get another $4050 off, but sadly, I didn't get a sweet $5K PO.

So wait, you're getting a Silverado?

I would expect you to go for a Gen 2 Volt. I'm also surprised you have a 2013 Volt, I always thought you ended up getting an ELR, am I just remembering wrong?

 

[llninja]

So wait, you're getting a Silverado?

I would expect you to go for a Gen 2 Volt. I'm also surprised you have a 2013 Volt, I always thought you ended up getting an ELR, am I just remembering wrong?

My gen1 volt is fine for it's purpose as a good commuting car. Although getting a gen2 would make most of my miles gas-free, the cost to do so has no ROI. I wanted an ELR, and if I had the foresight to know that in 2015 they'd be selling for nearly half price, I'd be driving one today, but I pulled the trigger too early on the Volt and refuse to trade in or get rid of a perfectly good car.

Now if someone T-boned my volt tomorrow, I'd be chomping at the bit to find a used ELR.

The Silverado would replace the Suburban with something newer with a working AC which would allow me to tow the airstream, tow the utility trailers, and get 4 people with luggage to O'hare airport in more comfort than the cramped volt. I'm used to having a 3rd row of seats in the Suburban (even if we almost never used it) and a covered bed area, but I think I can get used to the pickup configuration.

 

[llninja]

If I get a private offer I will go down to the dealer and buy a volt today. Are these transferable and is there a code someone can send me if they dont need theirs?

Mine said something about it being transferable to family members in the same household.

 

[alfon]

Checking the area within a 200 miles radius the best price on a new 2017 Volt LT base model, no extras, is about $28,000. With a $3,000 private offer this would lower the price to $25,000, and the Fed Tax Credit, if one qualifies for it, will lower the price to $17,500. That would be a price that I would find hard to walk away if one was going to purchase a new Volt.

 

[llninja]

Checking the area within a 200 miles radius the best price on a new 2017 Volt LT base model, no extras, is about $28,000. With a $3,000 private offer this would lower the price to $25,000, and the Fed Tax Credit, if one qualifies for it, will lower the price to $17,500. That would be a price that I would find hard to walk away if one was going to purchase a new Volt.

Except my private offer was only for $1K off the 2017 Volt or Bolt (and there are few to no 2017 Bolts in my area). The $3K PO only applies to Caddys, Subyukonades, etc. It came with a huge table with $1K, 2K, 3K options and a bunch of fine print which disqualifies the lowest of trims on some vehicles.

Keeping my perfectly good 2013 Volt costs me $0, which is much more attractive than the $19.5K Gen2. Even if I could get $10K for my used Volt, $9.5K pays for a *LOT* of fuel so the difference between 38 miles and 50+ miles of EV range is negated. Even if I had a $3K repair on the volt which is beyond it's bumper to bumper and headed past the powertrain warranty fast, I'm still ahead by keeping the Gen1.

 

[llninja]

So back to the Silverado, after the salesman told me that the Private Offer and GM Card rebate were stackable with all of the other incentives, when I asked for pricing with tax, title, and license, he came back apologizing that the Private Offer was not compatible with the $1K GM Loyalty rebate and $1K Dealer Discount that they had advertised. So the Private Offer is worthless. I feel baited and switched.

I'll toy with him and have him price out the Suburban sitting on the lot.

 

[colchiro]

Remember what Dave Ramsey says...The TOTAL VALUE OF ALL your vehicles—things with a motor in them—should NOT be more than half of your annual income....

He also says...The depreciation on a new vehicle is jaw-dropping.

And he also says...Car payments and big car purchases will make you broke and keep you broke.


That's if you subscribe to his philosophy...

By the way I've never received a private offer from GM...

That's not what I want to hear.... My wife has a loaded Encore in the garage with about 500 miles on it and I'd very much like to update my '12 Volt (not that's going to happen any time soon).