Buying a Telluride in the Time of COVID - Out of State or Local?

[zhelder]

Since the day it was introduced, I have been dying to get my Telluride. And for about the past 15 months, I had dreams of taking a road trip from NJ to Kia of Muncie to get one, to save $$$ with the Costco program. $150 in gas and $150 for a night in a hotel doesn’t seem too bad to save about $1500 on an SX-P. Now, about a month away from being able to place an order...

this stupid plague hits, complicating everything.

NJ, which has definitely been one of the stricter states in regards to trying to contain the virus (and for good reason), has Indiana on its quarantine list, meaning if I was to travel there, I’d be expected to self-quarantine for 14 days upon return to NJ. Not fun, and maybe not possible for me. In addition, all of the DMV agencies in NJ were closed for months, and are now fusterclucks, with lines starting at midnight or earlier the night before they open for the day. I’d have to hit one up to register the car, but I have shoddy knees, so I don’t think I can wait in a line for 12 hours.

Do I get the vehicle shipped from Muncie, still coming out maybe $500 ahead, but possibly having to deal with the hassle of selling my old car privately (which, based on past experiences, I am NOT a fan of, even if it means a few extra $$$). Then I still gotta deal with the DMV.

Or, do I scrap the dream of the road trip, forget the hassle, and just order from a no-markup legit local dealer like Nutley Kia? Another plus to this is the waiting list is likely a bit shorter there than at Muncie.

Which way would y’all go? Save $$$ or save hassle?

 

[rbfromma]

Given all of those variables, Nutley may just be worth the fewer headaches.

 

[alexdrums]

Definitely scrap the road trip. Keep in mind you can sell your trade or “wholesale” it to a dealer—you don’t have to trade. If you shop it to a few dealers, you should find the same deal as if you actually traded it in.

 

[TellTastic]

Logistics playing a key part in this decision, I’d go local.
I agree with those that have commented.

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[WaxZ28]

I wish local was an option for me, but seeing as the CDC just changed guidelines your options might open up again soon

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2020/08/24/cdc-drops-14-day-self-quarantine-recommendation-international-out-of-state-travelers/

 

[Familyman20]

Road trip and then self quarantine in your new Telluride for two weeks as recommended by your trusty governing telluride forum moderators!!

 

[Dschneider]

I took a road trip from NY to Fl, turned it into a week long vacation. Rented an AirBNB with a pool and a grill, hung out in the house for a week and cooked out everyday. Not our typical vacation but nothing typical this year. The dealer had everything ready to go upon arrival and was in and out in an hour and a half. So glad we did it, we love the Telly. Made the ride back more enjoyable than normal from a vacation. This was just last week.

 

[My Car is a 2001]

If I were in your situation, I'd let the following factors guide my decision:

1. Price
   • Both seem to have favorable pricing so it doesn't appear you can lose here
   • Saving money is always great, and even better if you can pair it with an adventure like a road trip
2. Dealer Volume
   • I've heard Muncie is a high volume dealer which is a plus. Not sure how many allocations Nutley receives on average, but they should be able to tell you and you can work backwards to estimate a wait time
   • While a shorter wait line is attractive at first glance, it may end up costing you more time in the long run
     • I saw one person share earlier this month that for August allocations, they moved up 30+ spots in their dealer's queue and should make it into KFOS in September
     • High volume dealerships like this one could end up moving you faster through the queue even though you might be further to the back of the line to start

Hope this helps, it's how I would make this decision if I was starting over. Good luck!

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