P4H

I’m new to this forum and will be buying my first Porsche soon. Facing a choice and looking for some advice to help me decide.

2018 C4S custom order ($137k MSRP) with 5% discount
vs
2017 C4S ($140k MSRP) that’s been on the dealer’s lot for 6+ months. It has about $2.5k of extra options that I don’t care for. I can likely get a 10% discount ( dealer offered 6.5% over the phone).

If I discount the extra options which are ~2%, then
the question is that whether 3% is a enough discount to account for the difference in resale between MY17 and MY18 down the line or should I aim for a higher discount?

Thanks in advance for your help!

PorscheFrank

You should be able to get a bigger discount than 10% on a 2017 in their lot. I had heard of some dealers doing closer to 15% for MY 2017s even a month or two ago. If the money makes a difference for you, go with the 2017, however, I will tell you there is no replacement for getting a car exactly to your spec.Especially colors.

911seeker

For me to take the lot car, provided you are not in a hurry, I would need to get at least 10k off fhe final price of the custom 2018. That is going to compensate most of the difference in model year if and when you sell in 3/4 years, and you get your car sooner and some extras that you may not care for, but would be free to you.

BlackBeauty

The car has been sitting on the lot, through rainstorms followed by the sun beating down on it - that’s a lot of hard water spots to wet sand out. Plus all the other goodies exposed to the elements.

Order exactly what you want. Don’t focus on plus or minus 5k on a new car as you’re going to
lose close to 30%when you drive it off the lot. If you want to limit the hit, look for a pre-owned gem.

911boy

In the past My cars never see covered parking and I've never experienced this problem. We are lucky to get 2-3% discount on new order up here....crazy.
OP, I wouldnt worry about MY if youre going to keep it for a few years as I don't think there are any real changes from 2017-2018.

Needsdecaf

Deals depend a lot on where you are and the dealer.

Needsdecaf

It seems as if right now, the cars are even unless you negotiate further. So only you can answer: how does it stack up as compared to what you want? Can you even drive the car now (weather)? Ordering a car is not a mythical experience. It's not THAT much better to picking up something off the lot....if you can find what you want on the lot. And with Porsche, that's rare. So odds are if you are picky and want exactly what you want, order. Because right now, it's no great savings not to, at least according to the math you gave us...

Gordon Shumway

While you should be able to work a good deal on a 2017, it's not like they have to move them "to make room for 2018's". Most 911's can and do sit on lots for months, so it is not all that unusual to have last year's model still on the lot at this time of the year. I'm sure they would prefer not to have them still there, but it is just a fact of life. Champion Porsche in Pompano Beach is the largest Porsche dealer in the country, and they still have seven 2017's on their lot as of a few minutes ago. And West Broward, another big dealer, has 11.

P4H

Thanks everyone for the helpful feedback. I agree that the dealer doesn't "have" to move the car by end of 2017, but I'm sure they know that the car will lose value every day it remains unsold after the end of 2017.
Based on your input, I will visit the dealer this weekend and give them a serious offer around $122k. If they don't take the deal, then I will go with a custom order.

neuneleven

That sounds reasonable. As previously mentioned on this thread, your geography plays a role - do you have other dealers in your area? Is their pricing aggressive/competitive? 10% is not unusual for a model year old car but depends on your market. I got that off on mine end of August/early September for an early September possession. If you will not be driving for the next few months because of weather, order your car at a 5% discount and fit it as you chose. If the one on the lot is not close to what you want and you will have pangs of regret once you drive off the lot, then order what you wish exactly. If on the other hand you wish to get driving promptly and will be using the car in the next few months it takes for a new ride to come in, then try to get at least 10% off or preferably more - you might otherwise just order what you want. I picked up a car on the lot which had every thing I wanted including color and specs except for the interior. The interior however on the lot car was my predetermined second choice. I have been driving for three months and having a blast. If I rewound the clock to that same situation and those same options with what I know and have enjoyed now, I would make exactly the same choice.

spiderv6

Market matters, spec matters. 15% off would be my target on an "old year model". I was in exactly this position when I got my '16 C4S. Mine is also a manual and so those also are harder for the dealer to sell and therefore increases their motivation - in my case I made a cheeky offer and they said yes.

Beware that the car may already have the warranty punched and might be 6+ months into that. Adding CPO negates that problem.

Some dealers however just don't care about sitting on inventory and will just wait on someone who will pay their number. My nearest dealer has a gorgeous '17 yellow manual C4S that is 20 months old and has burned 15 months of warranty. No doubt they will sell it to some unsuspecting soul as a "new" car for close to MSRP.

P4H

I'm in CA so weather is not a concern, but I'm willing to wait for a custom order. There's a good number of dealers around, but not many cars in dealer inventory that fit my criteria. Here's my preferred build as of today:

http://www.porsche-code.com/PJ5USJ27

My second color choice is Sapphire blue/black leather with the other options identical. Comments welcome.

P4H

This dealer is advertising 6% discount which I take as an indication that they want to move the car, but will find out when I go there this weekend...

Thanks spider for the input regarding the warranty, I'll be sure to check it. This raises another question: Why does the warranty get "punched"? Is the dealer forced to start the clock on the warranty after holding the inventory for some time?

Archimedes

Beat me to it. If you buy a leftover car, particularly in a sunbelt state, take a really good look at the paint and, even then, assume that a trained eye is going to find a need for serious paint correction. I got a great deal on my left over C2S a few years back and then had to spend over $2k on paint correction alone.

spiderv6

they basically report the car as "sold" to PCNA to hit targets and that punches the warranty. It is still unregistered, so new, but if you don't know you would just assume the warranty is full. Basically dealer sales shenanigans.

Just be sure to add CPO (2 years additional) in the negotiation and you end up coming out ahead!

Post the vin or pm me if you prefer and i can tell you if/when it was punched.