ClubCJ - The CJ Lancer Club

So, finally I get around to posting something on the "new members" forum. Been lurking around for a while checking things out.

I don't have a VRX just yet, but have been in the market for one and will have one in a matter of weeks.
Was about to pounce and buy an MY09 a couple of weeks ago, but after chatting to a number of dealers and finding out from a couple that the MY10 was not too far away, thought I'd wait and see the new features/revisions and make up my mind then. Hopefully in the next fortnight, MY10 cars will be in the dealerships.

I also figure it would give me leverage to wrangle a better deal for an "old" MY09 if the MY10 was not up to my liking, however judging from all the info I've been able to glean from dealers and ClubCJ it seems I'm leaning towards an MY10. I had been told/hinted by one dealer to expect nil price increase or even a slight reduction in base RRP because the appreciating dollar/yen since the last time MMAL revised the prices over 6 month ago would more than make up for the $$$ increase for all the new revisions. Seems this might be true if redbook is to be believed now that they have the new MY10 details.

So what is my new biatch going to look like new? Plan is;

Lightning Blue VRX sedan (I also like the red, but red is too common)
CVT/Auto
Sunroof
Standard 710W Rockford Fosgate
Floor Illumination (too fiddly and too chicken to pull the dash apart to wire it up on a brand spanking new car! )
Maybe rear-parking assist.
Possibly the "sports grille" as i like the deeper look, but the smaller and less flashier mitsi logo is a disincentive.

Future/self mods;

Front side window tints
Alloy fuel door
CF B-pillar inserts
Stainless Steel scuff guards
Front bumper vinyl
Front mud guards (same as the rear mud guards which come standard - good to avoid chips)
Painted engine and spark cover
Vortex generator
new exhaust/muffler
side vents on front wheel arch
Evo style lower front centre lip
larger wing/spoiler
who knows what else i'll desire along the way

...anyway that's enough verbal diahorrea from me.

Welcome to the club

The blue is the best colour of all... spot on!!

The sports grille is very exy... $400ish RRP so try and get a deal!!

You have a nice list of mods there, just one thing, the mud guards from Mitsu are pretty useless. If you want decent protection, look at Rallyarmor Mud flaps. I have an ES which comes standard with the front guards and I had so many chips down the side of my car it wasnt funny!

lzy_eye wrote:Welcome to the club

Cheers. Yeah, I know $400 is bit rough for a bit of plastic. However might see if I can get it cheap, install it myself and offset the cost by selling the original. Then again, it might not even be worth it.

Thanks for heads up on the bog standard mud guards. Might save myself the $ and buy something decent aftermarket instead.

Welcome to the club mate!!!

Good luck in your pending purchase!

If you buy an aspire, I will buy your chrome grilles.... so buy an aspire!!!

Seriously though, you will love the Lancer. Everyone who has come for a ride with me commented on how awesome it is and I only have an ES!

lzy_eye wrote:If you buy an aspire, I will buy your chrome grilles.... so buy an aspire!!!
Seriously though, you will love the Lancer. Everyone who has come for a ride with me commented on how awesome it is and I only have an ES!

Hahaha. An Asipre?! Nooo waaay. Crappy woodgrain trim, looks so wrong. Not a fan of leather seats, wear and tear shows up so easily.

Can't wait to get my grubby hands on my Lancer.

I have aftermarket leather going in... one of those things I have always wanted but never had

I just want the chrome grilles from the Aspire!!

I have an Olympic Ed.

If you don't like the grills, I could understand.
If you don't like the fake woodgrain trim, I can understand too.

But if you think the leather is crap and think "wear and tear shows up so easily",

I think you're sadly misled.

They're the best part of my ride. My brother's VRX seats are showing ridiculous signs of wear. My leather seats are still mint!

Welcome to ClubCJ Pete - future Owner/member
Nice mods list there mate
You'll love the VRX its a great car all round
Ask away if there is anything you need to know
Hopefully we will meet soon on a cruise

Welcome to ClubCJ pete.

Hey mate, welcome to the club.

I got the Sports Grille and yes it looks great, the emblem isn't that much smaller, it's still just as noticable. But I got it along with all my options for free, I wouldn't have gotten it otherwise.

The sports grille is colour coded to the rest of the car so if you want it matt black you'll need to do it yourself and it's very easy to do.

A good way to bargin with the dealer without being too assertive is to mention you've looked at a few other cars, particulary cheaper ones from other manufacturers that are one class down like the Mazda 2 Genki 5 door and the Suzuki Swift. Of course the Lancer will be more expensive, and one class higher, the dealer needs to give you an incentive for the up sell to the better car. So you say to the dealer when it comes to price time:

"What can you do for me that will make me buy this car over the ones I've seen this week? What could you make as an incentive to pay the extra for the Lancer?"

Let them offer a couple of things, but then say "What about my options for free?" You may need to shave it down to about 3 grand of extras, 4k worth is pushing the dealer but never know might get it.

Hope that helps when it comes to Bartering with the dealer for you mate!

Dont get a 09 model go the 10 remember as soon as you take ownership of the car it devalues. taking an 09 or 08 model in clearance sale will result in an even greater loss of value. Alloy fuel door and sports grill should be able to be thrown in by the dealer with floor mats and a full tank of gas. You could probably even get the dealer to tint the front but its about $100 from tint-a-car

blade888 wrote:Hey mate, welcome to the club.

Ah thanks for the welcome. So how did you black out the sports grille? Vinyl or paint? (I had a look at your pics in the ClubCJ garage). Very noice.

All the options I had listed, I have planned on getting some free or at least very heavily discounted, also plan on getting "run of the mill" options such as carpets, leather pouch for smart key, cargo liner for free. I've had a look at the other thread for OEM parts and I guess I have a fair idea on how flexible the stealerships can be and if they're taking the piss with pricing.

My game plan was to visit most of the dealers in the greater sydney region on weekdays and play them off each other. I do have plenty of time on my hands and doing all this on the weekdays suits and dealers wont have other buyers distracting them. Not sure if trying the Swift/Mazda2 Vs VRX is going to work? It's a big class and very big price jump around 10K difference?! Maybe I could pull off the Mazda3/Mazda3 SP25 Vs VRX argument and might have a bit more cred.

I tend to be to the point with the dealers and tell straight up what I want and what I expect them (to be forthright and honest), I'm open about the fact that I will be out to get the best price (but a good experience/service also can get them over the line) but also tell them I have no problems walking away if they're not going to be upfront and real or if they are takign the piss. At the end of the day they are faced with the stark reality of no sale (no commission or stats) or a sale (with reduced profit margin/commission). They choose. They seems to understand that. Plenty of other dealers that can have my money instead.
Generally once they know I mean business, and also talk to them about the car in great detail, they tend to understand I'm not your "off the street" clueless shopper and tend to be a bit more accomodating and don't try the sales snow job as much.

However I'm all ears on negotiating techniques on wrangling the best price. Never bought a brand new car before.

I had some prior research about a month ago and emailed dealers with a spect for MY09, CVT, blue. RF sound, floor illumination, park assist. The "best" price I got was 33K driveway. I know this a bit on the high side as no face to face bargaining had occured. I asked for a complete breakdown of all components and the insights I gained on the variability of discounts, dealer delivery variations was amazing oh and some dodgy manipulation of the numbers too boot!

Speedie wrote:Taking an 09 or 08 model in clearance sale will result in an even greater loss of value.

I'd only consider an MY09 model, but I'm pretty much sold on a MY10. didn't the value loss would be that great between the two. Granted with all news there is a value loss as soon as you roll it off the lot. Not sure how this would affect resale, as 1 dealer put it, I'd get better resale on an MY10 vs an MY09, but knowing how tight buyers are (or doing trade-ins) they just look at the build year and go "oh but it's a 2009 build" and try talk it down anyway.
As for tints, really depends if it's some horrible "token" tinting the dealerships puts on or if I can get something decent after market.

Thanks for all the feedback thus far guys....

Hey Pete!

Sounds like you've been doing your homework Yeah if you're going to do the up sell thing, might want to compare what you said since you're going a VRX, to a low trim Mazda3. Don't say you're looking at something more expensive because it's letting them know you've got the cash to spend and won't budge as easily, so make it out that the Lancer is the most expensive car you're currently looking at to buy.

As for the Blackout, the Sports Grille I took out, dismantled and used Matte Black Auto Enamel spray paint with 3 light coats. The Middle and bottom sections are laser cut matte black Vinyl, and they match up perfectly.

Don't get the dealership blackout, it seriously doesn't cover the whole lot and has this gap all around every edge. Ozie here in the forums can set you up with some Vinyl work for your car no worries. Infinite can also help out too.

So..... this week it's down to the wire where I make a decision. Last couple of days I've been going to dealerships for pricing and at this stage for a;

MY10 VRX CVT/AUTO
Red or Lightning Blue (metalic/pearlescent paint)
Rear park assist
Fosgate standard

Drive away best price thus far is $32,100, when i was getting just under 38K indicative prices for a MY09 (w/fosgate & Rear park assist) when i started on Friday.

As for the $32,100, this might drop further as i found a bodge in the way the dealer (the 2nd dealer to do it!) has calculated stamp duty and GST, so fired back an email, wait to see if they can explain why this should not be $31490

So what you think thus far, considering the current market, is $32,100 o the money or is it sill too much, I'd be even more chuffed at 31490 but want to get this down into the 30s, i know i might be pushing it...but hey it's money after all!

I think i might be able to get this down furtther, then I'll haggle for the various options but wont be paying more than what I can get them via ClubCJ, at least i'm happy to give the dealership a small bite of the profit than none at all and help them gross up the deal a bit.