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Anyone who's snapped up Ford's latest hot hatch has likely run into the same problem -- the Focus RS's $36,775 advertised base price is about as real as a unicorn covered in money. That is, unless you have someone willing to help you on the inside or you know how to game a high-volume dealership.
According to a post by Tom McParland from AutomatchConsulting.com on Jalopnik, the step most folks should take first is to try and find a dealership that moves a ton of cars. Low-volume stores simply won't get the number of cars the higher-volume stores will. Once you've tracked down the highest-volume store in your state, you might find they're still unwilling to work with you on the price. The rules of supply and demand are in the dealer's favor in the Focus RS's case, and that means the dealer can wait until someone is desperate enough to pay as much as $15K above sticker.
McParland suggests to then chase down a fleet manager. While that might seem like an “inside baseball” approach to buying your next car, it kind of makes sense. Fleet managers don't make money in the same way retail salespeople do, generally speaking. The guy running the fleet mostly cares about how many cars he can wring through the door, which is why this could be your best bet in finding a good deal. That said, like McParland found in his hunt, this isn't a surefire way of scoring a markup-free Focus, at least not on the first try. Still, pushing on and contacting various dealers and fleet managers around the country will probably net you some sort of deal.
The time you invest in chasing down your MSRP-priced Ford Focus RS might seem costly, but avoiding the ridiculous dealer markups is a skill you'll use later down the road, too. If you can make friends with a fleet manager or dealer now, you might even get the first crack at the crazier hot hatches sure to come ... or the minivan you should actually buy instead.
