buying a used energi

[ravenzfusion]

I plan on buying an energi in two or three years. From my understanding, plug in cars are being leased much more than bought right now due to consumers fear of range issues or not wanting to commit to this new tech. So I believe these cars will depreciate like crazy due to this. RIght now i own a 2010 fusion sport, i love the car but i also want the ability to go to work without using gas. I also like having a ICE as a backup since i tend to do more driving on weekends. I am lucky enough to live 6 miles from work , so I would imagine I would never use gas for work. I know its a couple years away, but what do you think the energi will cost in two to three years for someone like me to buy one used?

[rgb2]

I was actually crunching the numbers for the lease. Ford Credit estimates after 3 year/36K lease, the value would be 54% for Titanium.  

 

Taking current 2010 Fusion Hybrid prices as another approximation would yield ~55-60% of MSRP

 

Current incentives make getting a new one really attractive. Including federal and state tax rebates, you can probably save >12K off MSRP on a Titanium.

[Griff]

If it helps any, when I pick tech, I rarely pick a loser. I picked this vehicle for commutes between 10-70 miles roundtrip with the ability to charge at the endpoints. I would prefer the vehicle had a battery that allowed for a little further distance (30-50 miles), but it works for me. My other vehicle, this one replaced, averages 17mpg. The first year (including tax credits) I expect to save $9000. The following years, I expect to save $3000-$5000, depending on the price of gas. Depreciation or not, I'll save the value of the vehicle within 8-10 years. You may want to consider what kind of savings you'll get if you get this vehicle, new or used.

[Russael]

I think Fusion Energi's used are going to be a very rare commodity.  I think there are more buyers than leasers for the car as it currently stands (and a lot of people looking to buy their lease once it's up).  I would NOT expect to pay 20,000 (53% estimated residual value after all rebates and tax credit) for a Fusion Energi in 2 years.  I'd expect it to be, bare minimum 28k.  Escape Hybrids held their value really well.  Fusion Hybrids also held it extremely well, but since the 2013 Fusion bodystyle came out, they've gone down a bit (found a 2011 Fusion Hybrid base with 33k on it for 13 grand... that's a steal).  Others are floating between 15k and 19k with varying miles on it.  Saw another with 10k miles on it for 28k.

 

You can get a brand new Fusion Energi Ti (like mine), for something really reasonable. Example base price (with some options) is $43,525.  Do X Plan and now you've got 40941.  Add the 2500 ford incentives and now it's 38441.  Add the Uncle Sam Check at the end of the year and now it's 34690.  (none of those include tax, title, fees, etc etc.)  Looks like Ohio has as many incentives as Michigan does for switching to PHEV/Electric vehicles (a whopping nothing).  May look to see if the electric company you're with offers anything.  DTE does... 2500 bucks toward the purchase of a charging station, installation, and a separate meter for it.

 

Plus, if you dive in now... you'd probably save at least 3000 a year just in gasoline (pure speculation), so if you did it now, you'd come out ahead.  Plus there's nothing like the feel of a brand new car. :)

 

As things are, a handful of dealerships have already tried gouging or artificially raising the price above MSRP since the car is moving decently well.

 

Just some thoughts to consider.  I know the upfront cost is steep, but all things considered, it saves the longer you keep it.

[jeff_h]

You can get a brand new Fusion Energi Ti (like mine), for something really reasonable. Example base price (with some options) is $43,525.  Do X Plan and now you've got 40941.  Add the 2500 ford incentives and now it's 38441.  Add the Uncle Sam Check at the end of the year and now it's 34690.  (none of those include tax, title, fees, etc etc.)  Looks like Ohio has as many incentives as Michigan does for switching to PHEV/Electric vehicles (a whopping nothing).  May look to see if the electric company you're with offers anything.  DTE does... 2500 bucks toward the purchase of a charging station, installation, and a separate meter for it.

 

... and can the $750 private cash offer also be added on and make the price lower?

[Russael]

... and can the $750 private cash offer also be added on and make the price lower?

 

Forgot about that.  Yes, if you're using X plan.  33940 before all the additional rubbish. :)

[ravenzfusion]

Are people buying up the last gen hybrid fusions/mkz? I don't see too many around here

[ravenzfusion]

forgot to mention the milan hybrid too

[ravenzfusion]

also the milan may actually carry a lower price

Edited June 28, 2013 at 03:39 AM by ravenzfusion

[murphy]

Are people buying up the last gen hybrid fusions/mkz? I don't see too many around here

I traded in a 2010 Fusion Hybrid on my Energi.  The dealer sold it a week later.

[Rhyalus]

The practical thing to do with these cars is lease them, really.  The only reason I did not, is because I did not want to worry about the mileage, or confirming to rules of a lease.

 

Let's face it guys, in 5 years or less, battery technology will simply eclipse what we have here in the Fusion Energi.  21 miles of power is really small, and five years from now, it may actually be tough to sell this car used for a good price.

 

R

[murphy]

Leasing is not an option for me.  It appears that most leases require at least 12,000 miles a year.  I drive less than 4,000 miles a year since I retired.  The Energi is a perfect fit for my driving.  My longest regular trip is 10.5 miles.  The only time I use gasoline is when I leave town to visit relatives.

[ravenzfusion]

The practical thing to do with these cars is lease them, really.  The only reason I did not, is because I did not want to worry about the mileage, or confirming to rules of a lease.

 

Let's face it guys, in 5 years or less, battery technology will simply eclipse what we have here in the Fusion Energi.  21 miles of power is really small, and five years from now, it may actually be tough to sell this car used for a good price.

 

 

This is why I believe buying a used one in a couple years will make sense as well. Battery tech improving a great deal in only a couple years. Look at the nissan leaf, they lowered the price a few grand and the battery is a bit better.

 

R

[Eric4539]

I purchased a Fusion Energi Titanium yesterday!  I have never leased a vehicle because I usually keep my vehicles for 5 years or longer.

 

My Energi Titanium is my first brand new vehicle in about 20 years.  I had a new 1994 For Ranger, sold it and in 2004 I bought a used 2003 Ranger 4x4.  In 2009 I bought a used 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid.  For me used cars made sense because I normally buy a fully loaded vehicle and purchasing new vehicle means facing the immediate depreciation.  The 2003 Ranger listed for $25,000 new and I purchased it for $17,000.  The 2008 Altima listed for $35,000 new and I purchased it for $23,000.

 

A new fully loaded 2013 Fusion Energi lists for $45,000.  I guesstimate that this used Energi would list for $41,000 in one year (I could be waaaay off) if the technology and demand for plug ins increase.

 

The $2500 Ford Incentives, $750 Ford coupon, $1500 Clean Air Refund (in California), and the $3750 Federal Tax Credit I would net a $8500 "discount" off a new Fusion Energi.  My net price is  $36,500 and that is less than waiting a year for a used Energi.  I wanted to wait a year to purchase a used Energi Titanium but I thought I would actually pay more for the used vehicle because I would not qualify for any of the Rebates, Coupons or Tax Credits.

 

Has anyone calculated that too or am I crazy??  Either way I LOVE my new Energi Titanium!!

[Russael]

Wow... congrats. :)  I know you were thinking about it and comparing it to your current Nissan, but I'm sure you'll be extremely happy.  And lucky you living in a state that has incentives too.

[larryh]

The estimated depreciation for the first year for a Titanium Energi is about $14,500 according to Yahoo.  $10,200 for a Titanium Hybrid.  And $11,600 for a gas Titanium.  Perhaps the new owners expect to share in some of the $3,750 tax credit and rebates (if you deduct them, the actual depreciation cost is about $7500) .  Yahoo has the overall 5 year ownership cost for a gas Titanium more than for an Energi Titanium, $48,679 vs. $47,004.

 

http://autos.yahoo.com/ford/fusion-energi/2013/titanium/cost.html

Edited July 1, 2013 at 02:36 AM by larryh

[apm]

First of all, I think it will be very difficult if not impossible to find a used 2013 Energi within a year. All the people on these boards seem to be quite happy with the car (including me!). I know that we are just a sample of owners, but Ford hasn't sold all that many Energi, around a 1000 until now, if I remember corrently (I believe that June sales number come out tomorrow).

 

Second, I don't think they will depreciate as much. I say this based on my expericience with selling my 2010 Fusion Hybrid. I bought in September 2009 for $500 below Sticker or around $31K. I also puchased ESP for 5 years or 48K miles. I sold the car at the end of March 2013 with $36K miles for $19,500. This is 62% of the original value which I think is higher than most cars.

 

Regards,

APM

[shaggy314]

Second, I don't think they will depreciate as much. I say this based on my expericience with selling my 2010 Fusion Hybrid. I bought in September 2009 for $500 below Sticker or around $31K. I also puchased ESP for 5 years or 48K miles. I sold the car at the end of March 2013 with $36K miles for $19,500. This is 62% of the original value which I think is higher than most cars.

 

You also have to knock off the $3750 we get as a tax credit, we get it and the next buyer doesn't so that comes out of the price too... I'm planing on keeping this care over 10 years so depreciation isn't important. The longer you keep your car, the better for your finances.

[Rhyalus]

I have kept my other cars for a long time, but I am pretty sure I won't keep the Energi for more than a "few" years.  If Tesla comes up with their "next gen" car or battery technology provides 50-100 miles per charge with an efficient hybrid, I'll upgrade to the latest green technology.

 

Not a knock on the Energi, but we should realize that we are really early adopters to a rapidly changing technology.

 

R

[apm]

First of all, I think it will be very difficult if not impossible to find a used 2013 Energi within a year. All the people on these boards seem to be quite happy with the car (including me!). I know that we are just a sample of owners, but Ford hasn't sold all that many Energi, around a 1000 until now, if I remember corrently (I believe that June sales number come out tomorrow).

 

Second, I don't think they will depreciate as much. I say this based on my expericience with selling my 2010 Fusion Hybrid. I bought in September 2009 for $500 below Sticker or around $31K. I also puchased ESP for 5 years or 48K miles. I sold the car at the end of March 2013 with $36K miles for $19,500. This is 62% of the original value which I think is higher than most cars.

 

Regards,

APM

 

 

You also have to knock off the $3750 we get as a tax credit, we get it and the next buyer doesn't so that comes out of the price too... I'm planing on keeping this care over 10 years so depreciation isn't important. The longer you keep your car, the better for your finances.

 

I forgot to mention that I received a $1700 tax credit on my 2009 Tax Return for the purchase of the 2010 Fusion Hybrid. This amount never entered in the conversation at the time of selling the car.

 

I plan to keep the car at least 3 to 4 years. I'm sure that by that time the technology will have advanced significantly and it will be a good time to maybe jump into an all electric car, hopefully with 150 or 200 miles of range.

 

Regards,

APM

Edited July 3, 2013 at 01:56 PM by apm

[meyersnole]

...and all the gas we are saving this year over a conventional car is not a trivial amount of money at over $3/gal. (My previous car only got 21mpg on premium fuel).

 

Kept my last car 7 years (longest I have ever owned a car), and plan to keep this one about the same. Wonder what the 2020 models will look like. Hydrogen? Natural Gas? Capacitor based electric (quick charging)? One thing is for sure, it will be different as the CAFE standards keep getting tighter.

[surfandswim]

I love my Energi SE. My expedition is 13 years old, going strong and keeping it. My SE had nav, moonroof, driver assist, rear sensing. MSRP 42480. Dealer took 3990 off that. 1500 Ford Rebate took the price down to 36,990. In CA I will get 1500 for Green project and 3750 in Fed tax. So after all that I'll have paid under 32K. Over 10 years I should be able to save 25K in Fuel over my Expedition at $4 per gallon and $.12 per Kwh. New technology or not, we'll keep this car and get a new one when my wife's 2007 Vovlo wagon dies.

[Russael]

Nice.  My Expedition is 14 years old (1999) and I'm also keeping mine (don't care what the Prez says, it isn't a clunker to me).  I sold off a 2001 Focus a week before I picked up my Energi.