$5000 free fuel: dealers getting desperate?

genebaby · 07-10-2008, 08:23 PM

Local Ford dealers in Canberra are now giving a Caltex fuel card worth $5000 for every FG Falcon sold. Sales must be pretty slow. Has this ad appeared in other markets or is it just ACT dealers?

Jack91 · 07-10-2008, 08:31 PM

Dont Ford Aus already give you $2000 or something like that? Do you get that aswell?

ANGEL#3 · 07-10-2008, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 93_eb_fairmont

Dont Ford Aus already give you $2000 or something like that? Do you get that aswell?

Is that across the whole range or just FG's?

tex · 07-10-2008, 08:34 PM

Don't know about desperate, I'd call it being competitive.

Good to hear they're doing this, that's a significant incentive.

phoenix99 · 07-10-2008, 08:36 PM

i am sure there would be a catch like you have to use it within 6 months or something.....

JACK250 · 07-10-2008, 08:39 PM

Holden are giving away $5000 fuel as well, not sure if it's a local thing or not though

fmc351 · 07-10-2008, 08:57 PM

$5,000 is only a tank and a half anyway. Yeah yeah, someone had to say it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JACK250

Holden are giving away $5000 fuel as well, not sure if it's a local thing or not though

Holden offers a capped price at $0.99/l is what Ive seen.

JACK250 · 07-10-2008, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fmc351

$5,000 is only a tank and a half anyway. Yeah yeah, someone had to say it.

Holden offers a capped price at $0.99/l is what Ive seen.

That sounds familiar actually, I probably got confused

**Charliewool** · 08-10-2008, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fmc351

$5,000 is only a tank and a half anyway. Yeah yeah, someone had to say it.

Holden offers a capped price at $0.99/l is what Ive seen.

Roughly working this Holden promotion out...
It is capped at 99c litre for 20,000kms and calculated at the label consumption figure (11.0 litres/100km for V6) and I presume Holden footing the difference between the 99c and the average pump price? (We'll call that $1.50).... So 20,000kms = 2200 litres @ .51c = $1122.00?
And No-where near $5000.00

220XR8 · 08-10-2008, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charliewool

Roughly working this Holden promotion out...
It is capped at 99c litre for 20,000kms and calculated at the label consumption figure (11.0 litres/100km for V6) and I presume Holden footing the difference between the 99c and the average pump price? (We'll call that $1.50).... So 20,000kms = 2200 litres @ .51c = $1122.00?
And No-where near $5000.00

Going by that Ford are 4 1/2 times more desperate to get a sale. The Gas conversion would be the winner especicially if it's a decent system like Eurogas.

**Elks** · 08-10-2008, 09:13 AM

My work runs a dozen or so dealerships of differing makes selling new cars & trucks. ( I work with trucks)

All our dealerships, and we dont have Ford (damn it!) are doing it tough at the moment. It's not terrible but definately hard work out there and if you forward order months in advance as dealers do it's easy to get wrong.

The sales manager could not have forseen the credit crunch and stock market crash etc, or he wouldn't be selling cars he'd be on wall street making millions.

I don't think the FG is ging to badly considering it was launched in meltdown and a media storm of misinforamtion about fuel prices and a love affair with Prius. It is a good product and it will last I think.

fmc351 · 08-10-2008, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charliewool

Roughly working this Holden promotion out...
It is capped at 99c litre for 20,000kms and calculated at the label consumption figure (11.0 litres/100km for V6) and I presume Holden footing the difference between the 99c and the average pump price? (We'll call that $1.50).... So 20,000kms = 2200 litres @ .51c = $1122.00?
And No-where near $5000.00

You realise I wasnt saying what it was worth, I was responding to someone who mentioned an offer by Holden?

**Charliewool** · 08-10-2008, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fmc351

You realise I wasnt saying what it was worth, I was responding to someone who mentioned an offer by Holden?

Sorry, I shouldn't have quoted both parts of your post... I understood where you were coming from, and that you weren't implying that the 99c deal was worth 5k...
What I was comparing the 99c thing with was "Ford dealers in Canberra are now giving a Caltex fuel card worth $5000" as in the original post

genebaby · 07-10-2008, 08:43 PM

I haven't heard of $2000 free fuel offers from Ford.

This is just the FG range from what the ad said.

Smells competitively desperate to me. If the cars were selling, they sure wouldn't be giving 5 grand away.

bonspeed · 07-10-2008, 09:02 PM

We got 2k free fuel with our Territory........haven't seen the card yet and that was 6 weeks ago

Jack91 · 07-10-2008, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonspeed

We got 2k free fuel with our Territory........haven't seen the card yet and that was 6 weeks ago

Yeah that's the thing I was talking about. Either way $5000 is a crapload of fuel.

bonspeed · 07-10-2008, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 93_eb_fairmont

Yeah that's the thing I was talking about. Either way $5000 is a crapload of fuel.

I didnt even know about it, they rang me out of the blue to tell me we were entitled to it. I would prefer the money came off the price of the car. And yes 5k is a lot of fuel. About 50 tanks and approx 22 thousand k's worth?

duaned · 07-10-2008, 10:34 PM

Makes sense really. Free fuel may fuel ( no pun intended!) people to drive more, thus reducing time between services and more money spent on genuine ford parts, service etc.

: I guess this would be a side effect of free fuel really, providing genuine parts are used of course. However, in this time and free/disconted fuel is a bonus.

deesun · 08-10-2008, 02:09 AM

Our local dealer is offering free gas conversion with every FG. That beats everything. Half price fuel for the rest of the life of the car. He even fits it these days. If ya can't beat em................

Nappa · 08-10-2008, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deesun

Our local dealer is offering free gas conversion with every FG. That beats everything. Half price fuel for the rest of the life of the car. He even fits it these days. If ya can't beat em................

the dealer may find themselves in strife with FoMoCo as they dont reccomend that you convert the barra engine to Gas, that is why they developed a dedicated gas engine. A few years ago a dealer converted a bunch of BAII XR8's to dual fuel and i heard FoMoCo were not happy with them.

I guess the dealer incentive depends on the dealer, some dealers are doing it tough at the moment and some are getting desperate and really chopping up the product. $5000 free fuel may seem huge but it doesnt mean the falcon isnt selling it may mean that they arnt selling at that dealer.

deesun · 09-10-2008, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nappa

the dealer may find themselves in strife with FoMoCo as they dont reccomend that you convert the barra engine to Gas, that is why they developed a dedicated gas engine.

You will find this incorrect if you do a little research. LPG and the barra engine are just fine together. May I suggest you take some time and visit the LPG area of these forums. Next time you pass a BA-B anything Taxi have a look at its numberplate and you will find a red LPG sticker on it.

Swordsman88 · 09-10-2008, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deesun

You will find this incorrect if you do a little research. LPG and the barra engine are just fine together. May I suggest you take some time and visit the LPG area of these forums. Next time you pass a BA-B anything Taxi have a look at its numberplate and you will find a red LPG sticker on it.

I think nappa is referring to aftermarket installation of LPG (i.e. duel fuel). Ford developed a dedicated lpg engine some time ago for fleets (2001 or something???) and then with BA started to push it into private sales. The taxis you refer to are generally dedicated LPG cars....purchased like that or converted using ford parts into a 'lpg engine'. This is not the same as aftermarket installs of duel fuel systems, which obviosly use petrol to start.

Whether ford wants to keep LPG sales to themselves (i.e. get the dealer to order the car LPG rather than a petrol and then convert it) or is worried about reliability (there are different parts in the lpg engine/electrics) who knows.

deesun · 09-10-2008, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swordsman88

I think nappa is referring to aftermarket installation of LPG (i.e. duel fuel). Ford developed a dedicated lpg engine some time ago for fleets (2001 or something???) and then with BA started to push it into private sales. The taxis you refer to are generally dedicated LPG cars....purchased like that or converted using ford parts into a 'lpg engine'. This is not the same as aftermarket installs of duel fuel systems, which obviosly use petrol to start.

Whether ford wants to keep LPG sales to themselves (i.e. get the dealer to order the car LPG rather than a petrol and then convert it) or is worried about reliability (there are different parts in the lpg engine/electrics) who knows.

Again this is not entirely correct there are many, many aftermarket LPG duel fuel and dedicated gas installations being done on BA-BF falcons. Our dealer installs the gas system himself for his new and second hand cars. Ford cannot keep up with the demand for LPG cars and many just dont want an out of date antiquated system as is on the current range. There are far better albeit dearer systems on the market. Ford wont put more money into research of the current motor for a newer system because they are bringing a new system and motor from about 2010. If you read some of the threads and posts in the LPG section you will find there are people from all areas inc a number of installers and also taxi fleet owners and none have seen any of the problems Ford encountered during their research. And the only time a problem was found was under extreme conditions which were forced upon the engines being tested. Also the problems were only found with the older antiquated Mixer ring system but not the newer SVI system current at the time. There is now an even better and newer system on the market ( LI Liquid Injection ) which has proven itself overseas for years just now hitting the Australian market.

genebaby · 08-10-2008, 07:07 AM

What sort of Gas setup are they paying for? Mixer ring/SVI?

DBourne · 08-10-2008, 10:07 AM

i think its a great idea.

Ford wins because they get your sale thus their competitors get screwed out of a sale.

petrol company wins as they now have a dedicated customer, petrol company thanks ford, you thank ford, all good!!!

phoonfan · 08-10-2008, 10:25 AM

you will find its a specific dealer offer only, certinaly not a programme offered by FOA nationaly or even regionaly. Might want to check the purchase price of the cars its applicable to! No such thing as a free lunch!

genebaby · 08-10-2008, 10:42 AM

There you go guys, buy your FG in the ACT and get lots of free fuel!!

XT's start at $45G... ;)

XR6_661 · 08-10-2008, 12:14 PM

be good if you could opt for the 5g fuel card, or 5g off the price of the car!

GT0132 · 08-10-2008, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by genebaby

Local Ford dealers in Canberra are now giving a Caltex fuel card worth $5000 for every FG Falcon sold. Sales must be pretty slow. Has this ad appeared in other markets or is it just ACT dealers?

These sort of incentives, free fuel, free plasma TV's, free servicing for 5 years etc etc all sound very good until everyone starts offering them which they will....and further illustrates and confirms what we all know, that Ford marketers couldn't sell a white cane to a blindman....Need more innovative marketing strategies than that....ones which differentiate the brand from its competitors...not providing giveaways that competitors can easily match

mik · 09-10-2008, 01:19 AM

$5000 free fuel on egas would last a while

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