Our Ford Transit Purchase Price Breakdown

In this post, we want to cut through the haze and lay out our Ford Transit purchase price.

We will review the vehicle’s MSRP, the options, the additional fees, and the discounts. All these factors added together went into the final purchase cost of our brand new 2018 Ford Transit.

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Our 2018 Ford Transit Purchase Price Breakdown

This article aims to give you a clearer idea of how much we paid for our Ford Transit and how much you could expect to negotiate and pay if you want to purchase a new Ford Transit van.

Our Ford Transit Specifications

Before we get to the Ford Transit price we paid, we want to lay out the exact specifications of our van. Different heights, lengths, and engines affect the final price.

We want to make sure you’re comparing apples to apples.

High Roof

Other options are the low and medium roof models.

148″ Wheelbase

Another option is the 133″ wheelbase

3.5L Eco-Boost (Turbo) Engine

The other option is the standard 3.7L engine

Read: How To Choose The Right Vehicle For ‘Van Life’

Our Final Ford Transit Price

After the obligatory test ride, the negotiations with the salespeople, and the back and forth with the back office finance guy, our Ford Transit purchase price came to:

$36,729,92​

This was the largest purchase of our lives, and we felt a little overwhelmed as we walked to the bank to get the cashier’s check. But we felt awesome knowing we got a decent deal on our future camper van.

Keep reading below if you’re interested to know how all that money was allocated.

Read: How To Negotiate Your Van’s Purchase With A Dealership

2018 Ford Transit Cost Breakdown

Total MSRP: $42,335

Base Price: $37,650
Total Options: $3,290
– 3.5L Ecoboost: $1,865
– 3.31 Limited Slip Axel: $325
– Pewter Cloth Seats: $60 – Trailer Tow Package: $485
– Heavy Duty Alternator: $260
– Dual Batteries: $295
– Destination & Delivery Fee: $1,395

Additional Fees: $746.92

0.5% Oregon “Sales” Tax: $179.92
License and Registration Fee: $452
Document Fee: $115

Total Discounts: -$6,352

Vehicle Discount: -$2,852
Manufacturer’s Discount: -$3,500

Final Cost: $36,729.92

MSRP ($42,335) + Additional Fees ($746.92) – Total Discounts ($6,352) = $36,729.92

Thoughts on Our Ford Transit Purchase Price

We think we got a pretty fair deal on purchasing our Ford Transit. Although we did some good things to help us lower the price of our new vehicle, we still think we could have done better to reduce the overall purchase price.

Below, we list what we did well to help lower our purchase cost and what we missed that we could have taken advantage of.

Thank you, Oregon

Fortunately, I had a relative who lived in Oregon, which allowed me to purchase the van with only a 0.5% sales tax.

I emailed the Ford dealers in Oregon in advance, and when I was satisfied, I flew out to Oregon and purchased our Ford Transit the next day.

My other option was to purchase the van in California, which would have added almost $4,000 to the vehicle price.

Areas Where We Negotiated Smartly

Throughout our van-buying research process, I learned that the “Optional Equipment” on the left-hand side of the window sticker is not optional for the buyer.

These are options that the dealer filled out when they ordered the vehicle from the manufacturer.

After we got through the first round of negotiations and were offered a second price, I sat with the salesman and went through, line by line, all the “options” that weren’t important to me.

The tow package, the heavy-duty alternator, the additional battery, and the limited-slip differential; I told the sales associate that although I understood they could not be removed from the van, I wasn’t interested in paying full price for all those options.

And what could he do for me regarding these extra costs that I didn’t want to pay for?

When the salesman returned after meeting with the finance office, he offered me a new, even lower price for the van. He even showed me paperwork on how the new price was below their dealer invoice.

Of course, the dealer still makes their money, even if the cost is technically below their invoice, but I was satisfied with the price reductions.

Read: How To Negotiate Intelligently With A Dealership

How We Could Have Negotiated Better

When I first spoke with the Ford Dealership sales associate, they asked me if I had been looking at other van models.

Because I had done my prior research and knew that we wanted the Ford Transit (as opposed to the Mercedes Sprinter or Dodge Promaster), I told the salesperson that I wasn’t interested in the other vehicle brands.

Big mistake.

Whether interested in the other models or not, I should not have let the sales associate know that their Ford Transit was my top choice.

Always make the dealership think you have options, which can help you squeeze a better price for your vehicle.

$1,000 Left on the Table

The manufacturer (not the dealer) offered an additional $1,000 discount if we could show that we owned any other non-ford vehicle.

This discount was called “Competitor Cash”.

Unfortunately, neither I nor my relative had a title of another vehicle in our names.

Car Salespeople Are Human, Too!

Before entering the Oregon dealership, I thought salespeople were hungry sharks just waiting for unsuspecting customer prey to wander into the salesroom.

But to my surprise, I was greeted and treated with respect. I had an incredibly amicable relationship with my designated salesperson during the entire negotiation and sale of the vehicle.

It reminded me that car salespeople are human, too.

Of course, this does not mean you should accept a deal you are uncomfortable with, or that is outside your researched price range. You should still be firm in what you want and how much you will pay.

But it means that being kind, respectful, and communicative goes a long way toward getting an acceptable deal for you and the dealership.

Your experience as you walk away from the dealership (with or without a new vehicle) will be much more positive.

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading, and we hope you enjoyed it and found it informational.

Of course, our new Ford Transit’s initial price substantially factors in our campervan travel costs.

Buying a new vehicle straight from the dealership can be stressful and confusing. If you haven’t already, check out my article on how I Prepared For Our Meeting At The Dealership.

If you do the research first and know what you want and the range of how much you wish to pay, the experience is not nearly as daunting as it seems.

If you have any questions about our Ford Transit buying experience, please let us know in the comments section below.

Happy traveling!