[tennis4789]

I've got an older GM card with almost $3000 in earnings on it. The max is $3500 for mine (newer ones have a lower limit I think). I should have it loaded to $3500 by next year. I'm considering waiting a bit though to get a better price on the Solstice & give GM some time to work out any kinks/reliability issues. Although if I would buy a Solstice right when it came to market, I was thinking about using a buying service. Has anyone used a buying service on hotter new models to get the price below MSRP? Also, another consideration I had was how long GM would hold the MSRP on the Solstice the same? My final price consideration is when & if GM will offer a rebate on the Solstice.

 

[mceb]

...if GM will offer a rebate on the Solstice.

I think it will be a long time before we see rebates, they don't usually happen on a sports car.

Congrats on your GM card amount, that will be great.

 

[brentil]

Just wondering, but does your card have spending limits per car like the new cards have? The new cards have an unlimited ammount you can save on them, but the points are good for 7 years from the date they accumulate. But then you're limited to how much you can spend on a car (which sucks, especially since pretty much all sports cars are limited to $1000).

I've got a GM card and I'm building up points too, but I'm only ever expecting to get to spend $1000 of it unfortunately on a Solstice or Sky (if they add Saturn by then). The Solstice being part of the GM Card rewards is a pretty good bet though since as I posted when I got the card, the image of a Solstice was one of the card choices Plus it shows up on the GM Card site.

 

[Chip]

...Also, another consideration I had was how long GM would hold the MSRP on the Solstice the same? My final price consideration is when & if GM will offer a rebate on the Solstice.

I would not hold your breath for a rebate. There has already been a price increase announced for the C-6 coupe and it only been out for a short time. I think the only way this platform will be rebated is if there is an "issue" that causes people not to want it. Let's hope that is not the case!

 

[Fformula88]

The issue of rebates is all based on supply and demand. I would imagine eventually there is going to be rebates on the Solstice. When that will happen is anyone’s guess. If they overproduce, then you will see rebates sooner as inventory piles up. However, if demand stays strong it could take a long time, possibly a couple years before demand drops to the point where rebates are needed.

 

[tennis4789]

Just wondering, but does your card have spending limits per car like the new cards have? The new cards have an unlimited ammount you can save on them, but the points are good for 7 years from the date they accumulate. But then you're limited to how much you can spend on a car (which sucks, especially since pretty much all sports cars are limited to $1000).

I've got a GM card and I'm building up points too, but I'm only ever expecting to get to spend $1000 of it unfortunately on a Solstice or Sky (if they add Saturn by then). The Solstice being part of the GM Card rewards is a pretty good bet though since as I posted when I got the card, the image of a Solstice was one of the card choices Plus it shows up on the GM Card site.

No the older cards don't have a limit per car. The limits they have is $500 per year for 7 years (essentially $3500).

Yeah looks like GM can pretty much set any rebate limit on newer models with the newer GM cards from looking at this web site:

http://www.gmcard.com/apply/applyfaq.html

I looked @ the vette & it only had a $1000 . But, $1000 is still not too bad.

 

[brentil]

http://www.gmcard.com/apply/applyfaq.html

I looked @ the vette & it only had a $1000 . But, $1000 is still not too bad.

Yeah, but it's not as good as the $3500 you can put towards it. The new system is more conductive of either buying multiple GM cars at a time to use all your points, buy vehicles that aren't selling well that let you spend $3500, buy and SUV, or keep buying a new car every so many years to keep using the points.

Does anyone know if these points work towards leasing too? Never though about that, I think it's only purchase though.

 

[tennis4789]

Lease

Does anyone know if these points work towards leasing too? Never though about that, I think it's only purchase though.

Brentil you can use your GM rebate for a lease.

"GM Card Earnings come from the GM Card, not the GM dealership. Your Earnings will help you save on the purchase or lease of a new GM vehicle—they won't influence the price of your eligible vehicle."

from:
http://www.gmcard.com/GMCard/apply/redeem/index.jsp

 

[brentil]

Brentil you can use your GM rebate for a lease.

"GM Card Earnings come from the GM Card, not the GM dealership. Your Earnings will help you save on the purchase or lease of a new GM vehicle—they won't influence the price of your eligible vehicle."

from:
http://www.gmcard.com/GMCard/apply/redeem/index.jsp

Oh, ok awesome. Didn't remember reading that for some reason. Thanks.

 

[dylan01]

no gm points on GM Visa card allowed!

As far as I know, you cannot use your GM Visa card "points" on this car. Like anyother rare GM automobile they say no to that stuff, and als GM automobiles have limits on how much money in rebates can be used. For example, i know somebody who bought a brand new Sunfire GT and they were only allowed to use $2000 in GM visa points.This car is a low production car, and dealers will be looking for cash deals, no other rebates or deals will be allowed. Dealers will also be charging more then the MSRP. Also, i have heard from a source that dealers are more likely going to charge a big interest amount on this car if you plan on leasing. I kind of think you wont be able to lease because of it's rarity. So basically if you dont have the money in the bank, then dont be looking at this car. Sucks, but good specuations point to the truth. (I need to start saving some more money!)

 

[brentil]

If you weren't going to be able to use GM Points on the Solstice then why did GM let me choose the Solstice as the image that is on my GM Card? Also, why do they list it as a future car in the GM Card section as well? If GM says I can spend $X GM Points on the car, the dealer can't stop me from using my GM Card Points.

It's also way to early to determine what type of dealer mark up, and lease info we're talking about too. I mean really, half the dealers don't even know what it is, and the other half can't even pronounce the name. More then likely it'll be like any other car, and some dealers are going to mark it up, some wont.

Also the leasing goes through GM's financial company, I don't believe individual dealers have their own lenders. And I'm not betting GM is going to charge any more for this then they do for a Corvette.

 

[cmac8]

Saturn Sky

The nice thing about Saturn Sky is that I know what I will pay when I walk in, and what price I will walk out of the Ponitac Dealers. So if you walk into a Ponitac Dealer with a pillow taped to your butt and tell him you are look for a deal and they won't, well the door won't hurt. I have been waiting to long for this car. I don't have much love for dealers. But if anyone finds a dealer that gives him the best price on a solstice ,well post it and we feed his family this week (No Problem). I do have a 94 Saturn SC2 in my yard now and the thing I love about Saturn is everyone pays the same price. So what ever you do make it YOUR CHOICE.

 

[mceb]

The nice thing about Saturn Sky is that I know what I will pay when I walk in...

Will be interesting to see if Saturn holds to that policy when they have a hot sports car sitting on their lots. If Saturn is under-going a makeover & moving "upscale" then the old standard of paying 1 price could go out the door too...you never know what they have planned for us.

 

[Fformula88]

I have seen Saturn dealers put a “market adjustment” on their vehicles. Of course, that is a market adjustment DOWN in price. However, that doesn’t mean they cannot go up either.

Saturn has a no-haggle price as set by the dealer. MSRP is still suggested retail price, but there is no reason that a particular Saturn dealer couldn’t set their no haggle price above it.

As for the Solstice, there is likely to be gouging on it initially, and few rebates/incentives. However, its not going to last forever. GM is planning what appears to be more than sufficient volume (based on historic sales levels in this market segment) to meet demand, and then some. Once there is a stock of these on dealer lots gouging won’t be so bad. Also, if the launch is later than sooner, it could curtail initial demand too, since roadsters are not hot sellers in the second half of the year

 

[tcl]

...
Saturn has a no-haggle price as set by the dealer. MSRP is still suggested retail price, but there is no reason that a particular Saturn dealer couldn’t set their no haggle price above it. ...

Is holding the ceiling to MSRP part of the agreement between Saturn dealers and Saturn corporate? Wasn't that part of the branding when they launched the company (being very customer friendly)? Does anyone here know the official policy?

As far as Pontiac, if there is gouging to begin with, it should taper off with the introduction of the Sky and the new Miata.

Once they start taking orders, I recommend that we start posting a list of dealers on this site who hold the Solstice to MSRP and those that mark them way up. That might be good PR for those who don't take advantage of the situation and bad PR for those who do.

 

[DreamerDave]

Once they start taking orders, I recommend that we start posting a list of dealers on this site who hold the Solstice to MSRP and those that mark them way up.

GREAT IDEA!! But don't leave out those that sell under MSRP. Remember, GTOJ in Dallas said he'd sell at MSRP and throw in free window tinting.

I've been waiting so long for this car, I'm willing to travel 500 miles to pick one up....OK, a thousand if the price is right and there's some fun roads between there and here.

 

[brentil]

I still think your best bet is to get a pre-order contract from a dealer for one.

 

[RODEO]

I recommend that we start posting a list of dealers on this site who hold the Solstice to MSRP and those that mark them way up. That might be good PR for those who don't take advantage of the situation and bad PR for those who do.

:agree

I think that is a great idea. i wonder if that will translate to the west coast as most on this forum are on the other side of the country, it should definatley give us here something to use asa benchmark.

 

[Fformula88]

I don’t know the specifics of the Saturn contract with the dealers, but they have been fiddling with their pricing strategy of late. They are now trying to get back to the original no-haggle concept, and offer things like maintenance packages and extended warrantees in lieu of rebates.

I know Toyota made its Scion dealers agree to set a no-haggle price and stick to it. However, that agreement does not mention that the no-haggle price be at or below MSRP. They just had to “set it” and not haggle. The wording of that agreement sounds like they can overcharge, as long as they set the price as no haggle. I know, that it doesn’t seem to make much sense, but the wording didn’t exclude gouging. Saturn dealers contracts could be similarly vague in their language.

I still think your best bet is to get a pre-order contract from a dealer for one.

I wonder if GM will offer an option package discount on pre-orders as they did for the Cobalts? If you pre-ordered a Cobalt, they would throw in a specific extra cost option for free. I don’t remember what it was, maybe a sunroof or something? It was a pretty good deal. Maybe if you order a Solstice, you get a free wheel upgrade to chrome, or upgraded stereo, something along those lines that would be an extra cost option down the road.

It certainly may be easier to get one without worrying about gouging on pre-order. A dealer who has a guaranteed sale immediately is more likely to be flexible on pricing, since they won’t owe insurance/interest to GM for a car sitting on its lot an extended period of time. It will arrive and be gone right away!

 

[Pammysoltice]

Hey Rodeo

Hey Rodeo you know we are going to pay way more than anyone else :banghead California is so much more expensive than other states, well except for New York.