Buying new off the lot vs factory order ?
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I think most of the time dealers will want to sell what they have- hence deal with you more. When you custom order they can't record the sale until it's delivered- not as much motivation. There are other reasons as well I'm sure.
I was close to ordering one... couldn't really find everything I wanted. But... they found a new S that they gave me a super deal on... I jumped all over it and couldn't be happier.
I was close to ordering one... couldn't really find everything I wanted. But... they found a new S that they gave me a super deal on... I jumped all over it and couldn't be happier.
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They are more willing to do a deal on a stock car than an order from the factory.
It all depends on whether you feel the compromises that may occur with the spec etc are worth the extra discount.
It all depends on whether you feel the compromises that may occur with the spec etc are worth the extra discount.
I would expect you get a "better price" by buying off the lot in terms of discount to MSRP. But a better deal? That depends on what you want and what is on the lot that you are looking at. If the lot car doesn't have the configuration you want it's not much of a deal.
This is usually my issue. The lot car will have $6000 in options I couldn't care less about and it won't have $6000 in options I do want. By the time I factor that in, including I like to hold onto my cars for a long time, it is hard for me to justify the discount for a lot/CPO car.
Not that it has really stopped me from buying a "pre-loved" car but it does chip away at the value difference.
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This is the crux of the issue, and why in-stock cars are almost always discounted more (key phrase alert!) at dealers of makes that allow you to custom-order a vehicle. (IOW, this effect doesn't apply at, say, VW or Audi dealers.)
It's also partially why many in-stock models are 'loaded' with most of those 'extra' options; they're there to entice you to order your own and, thus, allow the dealer to charge somewhat more.
Dealers aren't daft. They know full well that many in-stock cars won't sell -- and when they do, it's likely to be to someone who either doesn't care much about anything other than major options or who is 'settling' somewhat and willing to compromise, ah, for a price (i.e., discount.)
I completely understand. Especially given the pricing of Porsche's I looked around for a used car, but ultimately couldn't find something that worked for me. I also keep cars a long time, so far both my wife and I have had a car for no less than 10 years. So I can justify the cost of new and also getting what I want out of the gate even if I pay a little premium.
I ended up going off the lot and got a few more options than I might have spec'd in an order. But paid less than a new order would have cost when you factor in the year over year price increase for a new order and smaller discount or traveling to another state to look at and then either drive or ship a car to me. Helps I feel I got a reasonable (not hugely great) discount on the lot car and it was at the point that a new order would have been a 2019 vs the 18 I brought home last fall. And that's without factoring in the opportunity cost of waiting for a new car to be built and shipped.
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Absolutely! In my case- the only reason I was able to get the S version is they heavily discounted one they had. The only options it had that I didn't want was the upgrade to Night Blue Metallic ( I wanted Carmine Red), Apple Car Play and beige leather interior color The wife really loved the Night Blue/Beige and the Apple Car Play worked out just fine... I saved $10K off the car... end of a slow month helped too!
Point is shop around if you can! I have several dealers nearby that I went to. When I went to the last dealer I was about ready to put in a custom order... till the guy told me he could get me a great deal on one in stock. The rest is history!
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when I purchased mine back in 2017, I went to a dealership and test drove a bunch of CPO Caymans and Boxsters. Went home that evening and built a car online as to what I wanted. Went back the next day to do more test drives, and when out test driving a CPO Boxster, my wife finds my car on the lot that I built online and the only difference was the exterior color versus the interior color. I wanted Agate for exterior and black interior, the car she found on the lot was reverse, which was not a big deal to me. Test drove that one and bought it. When building my car online, it came out to almost the high $80's. And we were able to get a great price on it. After telling my brother about the deal I got on my 2018 Base Boxster, he tells his co-worker and he went the next month and purchased a Miami Blue Base Boxster for the same price I did. I guess the last day of the month makes a difference as well.
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I ordered mine since I didn't see what I wanted in stock. Sat with the sales associate and reconfigured one they had pending in the production queue. They had a few days before it finalized. We quickly dropped about $3K of things that I didn't want at all, changed a few things to what I wanted, took the "free" options like the smokers package to get the extra 12V outlet. I could probably have gotten a bigger % discount to take something in stock. But that would be a discount from an "inflated" price based on stuff I didn't want. In the end for me, it's what did I pay, not what % of some inflated number did I get a "discount" on.
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720 Posts
I knew most of the cars in-stock were loaded and I was determined to get a very basic Cayman with PDK as its only option. I didn't want to pay for stuff I wasn't interested in. Even a basic Cayman isn't exactly a "stripper".
A few dealers dismissed me and tried to get me to accept the cars they had. Which irritated me to no end.
I ended up making a bunch of calls to various dealers within 150 miles of me. I told each of them I was a cash customer and that I wanted a new, base, white, PDK Cayman with no other options. And that I wasn't in a hurry.
Some tried to get me to pay a premium for such a "special" car (pathetic).
But I found a few sales people who realized that when all was said and done, I was an easy, no-drama sale for them. One dealer offered me around 5% off but Monmouth Porsche offered me my exact car for a bit over 8% off. Mine was a new 2018 and I waited about 14 weeks for it.
In the end I paid about $54,800 for my new Cayman (before tax and title).
I did spend a bit extra because my wife and I decided to pick it up in Atlanta at the PEC and drive it back to NJ. That was just for fun but it added some modest travel expenses (food, hotel, fuel, etc.).
A few dealers dismissed me and tried to get me to accept the cars they had. Which irritated me to no end.
I ended up making a bunch of calls to various dealers within 150 miles of me. I told each of them I was a cash customer and that I wanted a new, base, white, PDK Cayman with no other options. And that I wasn't in a hurry.
Some tried to get me to pay a premium for such a "special" car (pathetic).
But I found a few sales people who realized that when all was said and done, I was an easy, no-drama sale for them. One dealer offered me around 5% off but Monmouth Porsche offered me my exact car for a bit over 8% off. Mine was a new 2018 and I waited about 14 weeks for it.
In the end I paid about $54,800 for my new Cayman (before tax and title).
I did spend a bit extra because my wife and I decided to pick it up in Atlanta at the PEC and drive it back to NJ. That was just for fun but it added some modest travel expenses (food, hotel, fuel, etc.).
I had to have my car built because there was nothing in the entire U.S. network of dealers (including Hawaii and Alaska) that was as basic as what I wanted. The six speed eliminated about 90 percent of the possibilities and the specific options eliminated the rest. I wasn't in a hurry, I gave them my configurator number and we negotiated a deal. It happened they had a base Cayman ordered and it could be reconfigured for what I wanted. Ordered in October, built in November and parked it in my garage just before Christmas.
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548 Posts
Same thing happened to me. After they exhausted their search for a 6MT with what I wanted, we ordered the car. I consider it my homage to the original 718s ........ 19" sport wheels, no PASM, no PVT, no Chrono, no lane change assist, no entry and drive, no Nav, ........ GT Sport steering wheel, Sport style pedals and footrest, Sport tailpipes, aluminum look fuel cap, "718" rear designation, and heated 2 way sport seats, ........... in GT Silver with Black/Bordeaux Red interior. I did order the Bose sound system. Been waiting since January. Should be here early July.
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264 Posts
Well...my story is a bit unlike any I've read here....
After owning my '06 Cayman S for nearly 10 years (purchased it used in early '09), I started getting the itch for something new.
I looked at a used '10 Cayman S. It seemed a bit boring compared to my car...just felt bigger and less fun. After that, try-out, I started looking on the PCNA website. I'd build a few cars every night. I checked the inventories of local dealers online and the national inventories, new and used. My dream was to own a GT4 but it's pretty low. I drive my Porsche in the winter, so low, low ground clearance isn't the best for me.
In mid 2018, I finally went to a local dealer with a friend to kick a few tires. There was a gorgeous '15 Turbo S in Agate Grey with Expresso natural leather and carbon fiber on the dash, single-bolt great looking Turbo S wheels, carbon brakes, glass roof etc. I managed to get a test drive. OMG...the power is just crazy. I don't like GT3 type wings, but I do think the Turbo has some great lines, specifically, the rear fender vent and the much cooler rear wing. I liked it enough to drag the wife back the next day. That poor salesman! All that said, they wanted 130,000 and would give $15K on trade. The Turbo was a little bit heavy, a little bit harsh on bumps and just a little too posh for my chosen lifestyle. I could afford it, but I passed it up.
After that, we looked at some Astons and some used stuff that really was tempting...but they were heavier and more about brute acceleration and less about balance and sweetness....sorta like the difference between Detroit muscle cars and cool little early 911's and brit roadsters. I'm definitely in the lightweight car camp for a weekend car.
I was secretly thinking about Lotus as well and have seen and been around race tracks in some pretty nice ones, but they're maybe just a little too focused. I want to carry something bigger than a lunchbox. It's also the reason Miata wasn't considered...although I know them to be a ball of fun and I like the looks of the new ones much better.
Back to building cars at night...on several new-car websites. Mix in bringatrailer.com and deciding was getting difficult and more time consuming.
On PCNA and on u-tube, I became interested in the Carrera T. It is a very cool 911 and very well regarded by testers. It has the smaller 3.0 six, with smaller, faster acting turbos. It has a lower gear ratio than regular Carreras and it is a bit lighter...not much, but a little. It also comes with all the good stuff from the GTS and has it's own special interior.
I found myself building the same Carrera T over and over with only minor differences. My ideal car was a manual GT Silver with Black/Silver Sportex interior, white gages, rear wheel steering, Bose, 4-way Sport+ seats and metal sunroof. One weekend, I spotted almost the exact car I'd been building in a local dealer's inventory. I made an appointment for a Wednesday afternoon. I took it for a drive and loved it. I drove a Carrera S with Power Kit too. That was the only other manual car they had in stock, new or used...!!! The S with Power Kit had really nice power but it had a custom color that I really didn't like. It was a metallic rose color...It just looked wrong to me. It also didn't have the suspension and wheels that the T had.
I bought the T that night and drove it home. My really super-driving '06 was traded in for pathetic money. They give me $6 grand off the list price on the T as well. I drove home feeling prosperous.
I continured to feel prosperous and spiffy in this Carrera T. I got compliments on it until the day it was gone, but I really missed the Cayman's insane handling....and....the rear hatch!
After 6 months, I thought I'd go back to the dealer for some conversation. They had a black on black CGTS around and gave me the keys. My first 718 drive. OMG. I was home. It took 2 miles to know it. I loved that thing.
I asked if they had something in not black. No. I asked if they could find one. They checked all over the country while I, with my laptop, looked on the inventory section of Porsche USA. I found a silver one at a competing dealer. They said they couldn't trade for that one. I maybe should have gone to the other Chicago dealer, but I like these people and so I didn't.
I didn't find much else in the whole country online that was manual and wasn't black or white or red. They found a GT Silver car in NC, got a print-out of the window sticker and made me a nice deal. The deal included a swap of the 20" black wheels on that car for some nice 20" Platinum Grey Carrera S wheels that I like a lot.
...I got a check back! I'd put 7500 miles on a brand new Carrera T. I bought a brand new 718 CGTS...and got a check back.
The CGTS is fairly well equipped, but, like many have said, it had stuff on it that I really don't care about....designed to look interesting in the showroom, I think? My main issue is with the shiny black bits (Black SportDesign package, $1270) on the front and back. Plus it has shiny black trim bits along the window arches $510. Finally, they added gloss black side intakes, $680, which, btw, got dinged up on the first serious drive.
This car, to me is gorgeous without being tarted up. It doesn't need this to look good. These black bits added $2660 to the list price. I'm going to spend a bit more replacing some of this because, to me, it looks worse.
It came with full leather interior. Only the roof is alcantara....I like it a lot. Wouldn't have ordered black full leather without colored stitching, but it is great...also has heated and cooled seats. I've used the cooling several times already and it's a good thing on black leather seats.
...but the leather interior has silver trim that doesn't match the quality of the leather, to me. I'm a bit spoiled since the test ride in the Turbo and the 6 months in the T, which had not only leather but leather with silver stitching and dark trim, which looked great to me. Now this silver stuff reflects the sun in my face and just looks cheap by comparison...so, for me it's dark aluminum or carbon fiber or piano black on the trim.
Off to Suncoast for some carbon fiber bits. The console piece arrived yesterday. Dash bits are back-ordered. The other thing bothering me was the really tall shifter. So, I got the sport shifter too. Still waiting for the dash and shift knob pieces in CF.
Also got a pair of plain old flat-black intake grills. They won't chip. I may splurge and get the black painted grills re-painted GT Silver. That decision can wait. The flat black grills are going on soon. I'll have the shiny black ones as spares to paint as I like.
I like the front of the SportDesign Package but not the rear. The rear diffuser bit looks wrong in shiny black with silver around it. I think a body shop can paint it...either all silver or all black...can't decide....but it's just wrong now. Ruins the lines of the car. I don't know if I'll be able to drive the car without this piece installed...so I may wait for this change until winter....and at the same time, decide on the intakes...but the shiny black side intakes are coming off ASAP.
The good stuff? Well, it came with white gages, which I've grown to love....my 3rd car now with them. It also came with Entry and Drive. The T did not have this. I really do not like sticking a model car into my dashboard to start my car. Entry and Drive is great. It's on my short list if I ever buy another one.
I have some great theories about what Porsche could do to improve their cars' Entry and Drive thing. Just give us a very small thing on a key ring. No buttons, waterproof and laundryproof. If it's in my pocket, I can get in the car, start the car, open the trunks etc. Don't need expensive fake model cars with 4 buttons on it...plus the panic button, plus the spare key (read the manual if you don't know about the spare key). Anyway, none of that is important at all. What's important is that a key gives a coded signal. That's all I need or want...that and more room in my pocket.
CGTS came with normal PASM. Wow! This is A LOT better than the PASM on my '06! It was also pretty great on the 911T with lowered sport PASM suspension. Both have 20" wheels, CGTS handles GREAT and rides great too. I may get the camber increased for occasional track days but that's down the road a bit. I don't plan to tweak the performance for a while. If I keep this long term, I may buy software.
I probably spent more and got less car than any of you writers... I've got plans to spend a bit more, but I got a great Carrera T experience as well. I'm very happy with this car now and no longer long for a 911. Check that off the bucket list!
I think, if a car is close to what you think you want and it's sitting at the local dealer, go ahead and buy it. If I'd ordered a Carrera T with the exact options I wanted, I still would have traded it for a Cayman. Really, the only option I got that I didn't want on the T was Lane Change Assist. I would have bought Enter and Drive and didn't get it. These aren't biggies. The rest was just as I built it online...It is a great car but it's just not a Cayman!
The Cayman GTS was a bit further from my real wants, but take off all the shiny black bits and it's pretty close. I'd have added auto climate and CF trim. I'd have put a sport shifter on it after I bought it anyway. You can't order that but you can put it on after you buy.
The hard part is figuring out what you want. Finding what you want is hard if you want a manual transmission. PDK is much, much easier...wide selection of cars.
The reason I didn't order a CGTS was that, while I waited for it to come in, my '19 Carrera T would be depreciating. Also, there was that recall thing going on. Ordered cars were being delayed. I didn't want to sit on a car that I only partly liked while it cost me a lot of depreciation. So I took what was out there and will make it into something that suits me perfectly for a few bucks more.
After owning my '06 Cayman S for nearly 10 years (purchased it used in early '09), I started getting the itch for something new.
I looked at a used '10 Cayman S. It seemed a bit boring compared to my car...just felt bigger and less fun. After that, try-out, I started looking on the PCNA website. I'd build a few cars every night. I checked the inventories of local dealers online and the national inventories, new and used. My dream was to own a GT4 but it's pretty low. I drive my Porsche in the winter, so low, low ground clearance isn't the best for me.
In mid 2018, I finally went to a local dealer with a friend to kick a few tires. There was a gorgeous '15 Turbo S in Agate Grey with Expresso natural leather and carbon fiber on the dash, single-bolt great looking Turbo S wheels, carbon brakes, glass roof etc. I managed to get a test drive. OMG...the power is just crazy. I don't like GT3 type wings, but I do think the Turbo has some great lines, specifically, the rear fender vent and the much cooler rear wing. I liked it enough to drag the wife back the next day. That poor salesman! All that said, they wanted 130,000 and would give $15K on trade. The Turbo was a little bit heavy, a little bit harsh on bumps and just a little too posh for my chosen lifestyle. I could afford it, but I passed it up.
After that, we looked at some Astons and some used stuff that really was tempting...but they were heavier and more about brute acceleration and less about balance and sweetness....sorta like the difference between Detroit muscle cars and cool little early 911's and brit roadsters. I'm definitely in the lightweight car camp for a weekend car.
I was secretly thinking about Lotus as well and have seen and been around race tracks in some pretty nice ones, but they're maybe just a little too focused. I want to carry something bigger than a lunchbox. It's also the reason Miata wasn't considered...although I know them to be a ball of fun and I like the looks of the new ones much better.
Back to building cars at night...on several new-car websites. Mix in bringatrailer.com and deciding was getting difficult and more time consuming.
On PCNA and on u-tube, I became interested in the Carrera T. It is a very cool 911 and very well regarded by testers. It has the smaller 3.0 six, with smaller, faster acting turbos. It has a lower gear ratio than regular Carreras and it is a bit lighter...not much, but a little. It also comes with all the good stuff from the GTS and has it's own special interior.
I found myself building the same Carrera T over and over with only minor differences. My ideal car was a manual GT Silver with Black/Silver Sportex interior, white gages, rear wheel steering, Bose, 4-way Sport+ seats and metal sunroof. One weekend, I spotted almost the exact car I'd been building in a local dealer's inventory. I made an appointment for a Wednesday afternoon. I took it for a drive and loved it. I drove a Carrera S with Power Kit too. That was the only other manual car they had in stock, new or used...!!! The S with Power Kit had really nice power but it had a custom color that I really didn't like. It was a metallic rose color...It just looked wrong to me. It also didn't have the suspension and wheels that the T had.
I bought the T that night and drove it home. My really super-driving '06 was traded in for pathetic money. They give me $6 grand off the list price on the T as well. I drove home feeling prosperous.
I continured to feel prosperous and spiffy in this Carrera T. I got compliments on it until the day it was gone, but I really missed the Cayman's insane handling....and....the rear hatch!
After 6 months, I thought I'd go back to the dealer for some conversation. They had a black on black CGTS around and gave me the keys. My first 718 drive. OMG. I was home. It took 2 miles to know it. I loved that thing.
I asked if they had something in not black. No. I asked if they could find one. They checked all over the country while I, with my laptop, looked on the inventory section of Porsche USA. I found a silver one at a competing dealer. They said they couldn't trade for that one. I maybe should have gone to the other Chicago dealer, but I like these people and so I didn't.
I didn't find much else in the whole country online that was manual and wasn't black or white or red. They found a GT Silver car in NC, got a print-out of the window sticker and made me a nice deal. The deal included a swap of the 20" black wheels on that car for some nice 20" Platinum Grey Carrera S wheels that I like a lot.
...I got a check back! I'd put 7500 miles on a brand new Carrera T. I bought a brand new 718 CGTS...and got a check back.
The CGTS is fairly well equipped, but, like many have said, it had stuff on it that I really don't care about....designed to look interesting in the showroom, I think? My main issue is with the shiny black bits (Black SportDesign package, $1270) on the front and back. Plus it has shiny black trim bits along the window arches $510. Finally, they added gloss black side intakes, $680, which, btw, got dinged up on the first serious drive.
This car, to me is gorgeous without being tarted up. It doesn't need this to look good. These black bits added $2660 to the list price. I'm going to spend a bit more replacing some of this because, to me, it looks worse.
It came with full leather interior. Only the roof is alcantara....I like it a lot. Wouldn't have ordered black full leather without colored stitching, but it is great...also has heated and cooled seats. I've used the cooling several times already and it's a good thing on black leather seats.
...but the leather interior has silver trim that doesn't match the quality of the leather, to me. I'm a bit spoiled since the test ride in the Turbo and the 6 months in the T, which had not only leather but leather with silver stitching and dark trim, which looked great to me. Now this silver stuff reflects the sun in my face and just looks cheap by comparison...so, for me it's dark aluminum or carbon fiber or piano black on the trim.
Off to Suncoast for some carbon fiber bits. The console piece arrived yesterday. Dash bits are back-ordered. The other thing bothering me was the really tall shifter. So, I got the sport shifter too. Still waiting for the dash and shift knob pieces in CF.
Also got a pair of plain old flat-black intake grills. They won't chip. I may splurge and get the black painted grills re-painted GT Silver. That decision can wait. The flat black grills are going on soon. I'll have the shiny black ones as spares to paint as I like.
I like the front of the SportDesign Package but not the rear. The rear diffuser bit looks wrong in shiny black with silver around it. I think a body shop can paint it...either all silver or all black...can't decide....but it's just wrong now. Ruins the lines of the car. I don't know if I'll be able to drive the car without this piece installed...so I may wait for this change until winter....and at the same time, decide on the intakes...but the shiny black side intakes are coming off ASAP.
The good stuff? Well, it came with white gages, which I've grown to love....my 3rd car now with them. It also came with Entry and Drive. The T did not have this. I really do not like sticking a model car into my dashboard to start my car. Entry and Drive is great. It's on my short list if I ever buy another one.
I have some great theories about what Porsche could do to improve their cars' Entry and Drive thing. Just give us a very small thing on a key ring. No buttons, waterproof and laundryproof. If it's in my pocket, I can get in the car, start the car, open the trunks etc. Don't need expensive fake model cars with 4 buttons on it...plus the panic button, plus the spare key (read the manual if you don't know about the spare key). Anyway, none of that is important at all. What's important is that a key gives a coded signal. That's all I need or want...that and more room in my pocket.
CGTS came with normal PASM. Wow! This is A LOT better than the PASM on my '06! It was also pretty great on the 911T with lowered sport PASM suspension. Both have 20" wheels, CGTS handles GREAT and rides great too. I may get the camber increased for occasional track days but that's down the road a bit. I don't plan to tweak the performance for a while. If I keep this long term, I may buy software.
I probably spent more and got less car than any of you writers... I've got plans to spend a bit more, but I got a great Carrera T experience as well. I'm very happy with this car now and no longer long for a 911. Check that off the bucket list!
I think, if a car is close to what you think you want and it's sitting at the local dealer, go ahead and buy it. If I'd ordered a Carrera T with the exact options I wanted, I still would have traded it for a Cayman. Really, the only option I got that I didn't want on the T was Lane Change Assist. I would have bought Enter and Drive and didn't get it. These aren't biggies. The rest was just as I built it online...It is a great car but it's just not a Cayman!
The Cayman GTS was a bit further from my real wants, but take off all the shiny black bits and it's pretty close. I'd have added auto climate and CF trim. I'd have put a sport shifter on it after I bought it anyway. You can't order that but you can put it on after you buy.
The hard part is figuring out what you want. Finding what you want is hard if you want a manual transmission. PDK is much, much easier...wide selection of cars.
The reason I didn't order a CGTS was that, while I waited for it to come in, my '19 Carrera T would be depreciating. Also, there was that recall thing going on. Ordered cars were being delayed. I didn't want to sit on a car that I only partly liked while it cost me a lot of depreciation. So I took what was out there and will make it into something that suits me perfectly for a few bucks more.
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82 Posts
I have purchased two Caymans and both were factory orders. My first, a 981 series, had no options. My current car, a 2019 718 Cayman S has PASM and PTV.
In my opinion, these cars come with everything I really need without options. I can buy a new car with no or few options for less than a used car or one the dealer already has. I know that I am in the minority, but that works for me.
In my opinion, these cars come with everything I really need without options. I can buy a new car with no or few options for less than a used car or one the dealer already has. I know that I am in the minority, but that works for me.
I do believe you would get a better deal on one that has been sitting on their lot for a while. I wanted a custom ordered car built to my spec. When I showed him the build sheet , He instantly said we will never find this car on any lot in the USA, you will have to custom order. And I said that's what I want. I know my car is one of kind. I got 5% off the order plus options. Also got a 30% discount on PPF and wheel and tire insurance. , But my CGTS still cost 105K before tax and discount
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