During my 2008 search for a small SUV, North Star Ford was my 5th dealership visited. After my test drive, I mentioned to the salesman that I was comparing the Ford Escape to 5 other SUVs. He had his Sales Manager speak to me at that point. The Sales Manager offered me a very large discount and a trade-in that was $200 over Kelly Blue Book. He offered to dealer-shop for me, because he didn't have the color I wanted. After thinking about his offer over night, I purchased a different SUV - only because my wife liked it slightly better, and a different dealer also offered a large discount. Had the Ford Escape been my final choice, I definitely would have bought it at North Star Ford. The salesman was very good at explaining his product, and the Sales Manager was very transparent about explaining both the price I'd have paid for the Escape and the price I'd have received for my trade.
Pros: Dealer initiated conversation about discount.
Cons: My exact color and option choice wasn't immediately available.
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