2013 and earlier-Honda Civic Prices Paid and Buying Experience

Sylvia · February 2004

Hi Mario - welcome to Town Hall! The best place to ask this question is in the Civic Owners: Accessories & Modifications discussion. Also, you might want to turn off the ALL CAPS as members tend to think you are yelling at them.

Enjoy!

bd21 · February 2004

You are at the mercy of your negotiating skills, because they have the over a barrel with your leather requirement. If it was a regular LX you could take $500 off of invoice as a starting point. Good luck!

mike1456 · February 2004

BD21, is that $500 off of invoice for the 2004? And what if we bought the leather after market, is that possible? And negotiate it separately?

Thanks....to anyone who can help give me a target price...

alpha01 · February 2004

In terms of Corolla CE vs. Civic DX VP, I'd go with the Corolla, no question. The Corolla offers a significantly stronger engine AND THE SAME MPG, 15 inch tires, and front and rear stabilizer bars (the DX VP lacks a rear stabilizer bar, and therefore, gives up the handling edge that the Civic LX/EX has over the Corolla line). The Corolla CE also has a few extra smaller items, like a tachometer, rear cupholders, body color pull style door handles, and the availability of choosing from 9 colors, as opposed to 4. For what its worth, Toyota's powertrain warranty is also longer.

If you were talking Civic LX, it might be a different story. I think the Civic DX VP is still pretty basic, and imparts a cheap feeling. Have you driven both the Corolla CE and Civic DX VP?

Not to offend you- but I think $13,900 is a terrible price for a Civic DX VP. I posted yesterday the price I was quoted for an LX- I was also quoted a price for a DX VP (but my aunt chose against that model)... in Central Jersey, figure on $12,800. I dont know where you could be that would justify a price $1100 higher.

~alpha

bd21 · February 2004

Honda is giving their dealers an additional holdback thru 1 Mar 04 of $400 to $1000 based on volume for 04 Civic. Find a high volume dealer, they are getting $500 or potentially up to $1000 to turn over Civics. Use that to your advantage. Retail for the leather option is $1200, so the cost is under a $1000 to the dealer. Try offering $600 under invoice after you have added the $1,200 for the leather for an 04 Civic. You should be able to come close. Follow the advice I gave on post 828 too. Also, call an upholstery shop and find out how much it will cost to recover the cloth seats in leather, if you are not getting side airbags. You need to do some research on your own to decide what is best for you. Let us know how you make out. Good luck.

bottgers · February 2004

.....the Civic DX/VP is it's too option void even for me. I'm afraid the lowest trim level I'd be able to go with on the Civic would be the LX. I actually received some price quotes in the $12.8K range last fall on new '03's when some of the dealers were trying to make room for the '04's coming in. That was the best prices I've seen on the Civics as of yet.

srocc · February 2004

I just purchased the Civic VP sedan for $13,168 plus tax and tags. Morehead Honda of Newburgh NY was the dealership.

mike1456 · February 2004

Thanks, one last question: These incentives are on the 2004, I assume, $600 under invoice. Should I try and get the 2003, is there that much difference in price? I couldn't find the current 2003 invoice price...Thanks again for your help...am looking this weekend.

mike1456 · February 2004

BD21 and everyone: I got an offer for the LX 2004 coupe automatic WITH leather OUT THE DOOR for $16,700 from the fleet manager (it seems like there are no 2003 available). They are charging $900 for the leather and $300 incentive. Is this a good offer? I can probably take this out the door offer to another dealer. Any suggestions appreciated! P.S. they are also offering 2.9 financing for 60 months.

celica115 · February 2004

I believe the deal should be between $14,300 to $14,700. Your $16,700 minus $900 and $300 is 15,500. In this board, I would tell you to try to get a better deal. Low APR is everywhere right now, remember not to let them to charge any bank fee or ad fee, etc.

bd21 · February 2004

Not really. Invoice on an 04 LX Civic coupe with automatic is $14,589 and destination is $490 and leather is $900 for a grand total of $15,979. Because there is anywhere from $400 to $1000 additional holdback incentive to dealers, you should easily be able to buy your car for under $16,000 including all dealer fees, excluding your state sales tax. Your target price should be $15,600 or less excluding state sales tax. Call another dealer and tell him you already have 15,900 out the door excluding sales tax, if they can beat that price, tell them you will buy the car from them. Use all dealers within 2 hours of you. Start at the one farthest away and work yourself back into town. Good luck!

mike1456 · February 2004

Thank you for your help, I now have a better idea what to expect when negotiating. My last question: I was able to find a 2003 LX, is it worth it to buy the 2003? Should I take another 1,000 off your target prices if I go with the 2003. Oh, they said there is 1.9 percent on the 2003's....

astrozone · February 2004

I am looking at buying the following:

2004 Civic
Value Package 2dr Coupe w/Side Airbags (1.7L 4cyl 5M)

MSRP (Edmunds & Carsdirect): $14,150
Invoice (Edmunds & Carsdirect): $12,981
Edmunds TMV: $13,267
Carsdirect: $12,630
These prices inc. destination fee ($490).

What should I be looking for as a reasonable price to pay based on this info?

mike1456 · February 2004

Thank you for your help, I now have a better idea what to expect when negotiating. My last question: I was able to find a 2003 LX, is it worth it to buy the 2003? Should I take another 1,000 off your target prices if I go with the 2003. Oh, they said there is 1.9 percent on the 2003's....

bd21 · February 2004

Mike I already told you Honda has 1.9% financing for 36 months on 04s too. The 04 has a totally different front end and rear tail lights, standard remote locks, larger wheels, better speakers and additional insolation in the floor for a quieter ride. It's your money, so you need to compare and make the call. Personally I like my 04 better, but if you can get the 03 for around $14,000 with leather excluding state tax, it may be worth considering, if you are going to keep the car for a long time. Remember the additional holdback and low APR end 1 Mar. If you wait much longer, you will be paying sticker or above. Good luck!

mike1456 · February 2004

Thanks, BD21, you helped a lot, will be buying Monday! Will let you know what happens.

isellhondas · February 2004

Sorry, but you are giving out incorrect information.

It's 2.9 % financing up to 60 months on Civics.

There is currently 400.00 incentive money which belongs to the DEALER. That 400.00 may enable someone to get a better deal.

It has nothing to do with holdback either.

bd21 · February 2004

Well IS I just bought a Civic and my Honda dealer confirmed what is listed on Edmunds dealer incentive page, which is what I have listed below. There is a $400 to $1000 dollar additional dealer incentive on all Civics through 1 Mar, plus they have 3.9% financing for 60 months or even less for 48 (2.9%) and 36 (1.9%) months. Call the incentive whatever you like, but it will help the customer get a better deal, because the dealer gets more money from Honda. I used the word holdback, because the dealer gets it, not the customer. I got my car for several hundred dollars below invoice with 1.9%APR 2 weeks ago.

isellhondas · February 2004

And I don't think it is, your information is wrong. they just changed the program a few days ago. They dropped the stepped rate program and went to a straight 2.9% rate regardless of term up to 60 months.

People here can get confused by well intentioned but incorrect information.

The factory to dealer incentive is currently 400.00 and not from 400 to 1000.00

bd21 · February 2004

IS, you are killing me here! If it will make you feel better, you can call the six dealers in Alabama and Northern Florida that I personally dealt with to get my deal. They all verified exactly what I printed, and yes I specifically asked them about the incentive and APR. The $500 to $1000 will only make it to high volume dealers who make their targets. Some of dealers I dealt with expected to get it and some of them said they would only make the $400. I'll give you the dealers names and phone numbers if you would like to call them. I picked my car up on 28 of Feb. Now something may have just changed, but everything was supposed to be available as I stated until 1 Mar 04. As an Officer in the Air Force, it's amusing to be called a liar by a car salesman. Also, don't forget to contact Edmunds, since their available incentive page states exactly what I did and verifies the deal I actually got. I'm sure they will appreciate you telling them they are all wrong, as much as I do.

alpha01 · February 2004

Tomorrow night, I'm going with my aunt to sign the papers for a deal for a Civic LX 4 door automatic at $14,261.15, with 2.9% for 60 months, in Central Jersey. If the dealer incentive doesnt range from 400-1000 based on inventory size, then why would the dealer be willing to quote me this price? I didnt even visit. This is two phone calls, one email, and a total of about 30 mins of thinking. I emailed another similarly sized dealer who said they wanted my business and offered $14,200 FLAT.

I feel that there is better pricing out there than you are leading people to believe, at least, in the Central NJ region.

~alpha

isellhondas · February 2004

O.K....I understand what you were talking about now. Nobody called you a liar.

It's a flat 400.00 unless a dealer is able to hit a certain bogey. Only then can it increase.

I had forgotten about that since at this point, it's pretty much pie in the sky.

A dealer can sell any car for whatever they want to. If they are jam packed with easy to replace LX Civics, they could be inclined to cheap sell a few hoping to maybe hit that bogey. They could also be looking for long term service business, referrals or perhaps an attractive trade-in they can make a few bucks on. It's a balance, and a smart dealer knows what to do.

The interest rates CHANGED about a week ago...UNLESS, it's different in other regions, which is POSSIBLE although I've never heard of such a thing.

It's now a flat 2.9% no matter the term up to 60 months. It can get confusing sometimes.

The only reason I jumped in is because my customers read these forums and then wonder why I can't offer them 1.9% financing for 36 months.

All of this being said...it's a GREAT time to buy a new Civic!

bottgers · February 2004

....the only way to get a decent price on a new Civic is wait until the dealers are trying to make room for the new year models. Paying $13K+ for an LX is simply too much.

celica115 · February 2004

We are taking about the 2004 automatic sedan. I don't think it can be 13K or less?

isellhondas · February 2004

13,000 is "too much"?

Even a five speed LX has an invoice of 14,531 with the destination.

I have to wonder what a "decent price" would be?

bd21 · February 2004

I think you need to reread your previous post to me. You may not of used the word liar, but you definitely said I was wrong and giving out incorrect information. I clearly spelled out my circumstances for my purchase. Your were too quick to disregard what was in deed fact for me. Regardless, we can agree it is a great time to buy a Civic.

celica115 · February 2004

You are both winner.

bdavis32 · February 2004

I looked thru Edmunds information, and requested a quote thru Edmunds. I recieved a reply from the local Honda dealer internet sales manager for $35 over MSRP (way higher than invoice). Has anyone else had poor pricing like this thru Edumunds? Any suggested dealerships in Denver or Pueblo area? Also - I did find a couple of places that documented the 24-60 month financing deal of 2.9% until March 1, 2004. With 3% plus $400 or more holdback, isn't my local dealer a bit greedy?

Thanks for your help...

isellhondas · February 2004

bd21, you are correct. I failed to remember the extra bonus money that **could** be earned if a large enough number of Civics were sold.

I guess I thought you were saying dealers would receive between 400 and 1000 dollars for every Civic they sold which of course would probably not be the case.

So, I apologize.

The part about the 1.9 -3.9 financing, however had been changed and I wanted to point that out as well.

the rates changed since you made your purchase and I don't think you knew that.

Heck, even I have to double check sometimes!

nishk · February 2004

Hello all:

We are looking to buy a VP 2Dr. Civic and I just noticed that Edmunds is not posting the holdback on these. So, far have one quote for 12,700 (plus the usual fees). I would like to know what others are paying in and around Los Angeles. Any good high volume dealer names will also be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your time and help.

bd21 · February 2004

Apology accepted, thanks Is, I do enjoy your interaction. No hard feelings here.

philbernie · February 2004

according to my research, invoice price of lx, 4 door, manual is $14,041 plus $490 destination charges. i paid $13,300 for the civic plus an additional $400 for the alarm. the interest rate was 2.9%. i bought this car in the los angeles area. is this a descent price?

bd21 · February 2004

Tell me which Civic are you trying to buy specifically (model & all options)? Also, are you trying to trade anything in and are you ready to buy now? I'll email you after you spell it out?

sirmack · February 2004

Well I have a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix GT with 110k on it in pretty good condition that I might trade in.

I actually prefer the Honda ACcord, but I'm guessing there arenn't any incentives for those right now, eh?

I don't know much about CIVICs and the various MODELS & OPTIONS. Havn't done a whole lot of research yet, but I know they are good cars.

I basically want the best bang for the buck, the cheapeast I can get! I just read that folks were getting loaded 2004 Civics for the prices of USED 2003 CIvis of similar value.

Any advice/suggestions would be helpful!

P.S. - What area are you in? are you stationed at the Navy Bases in Pcola?

alpha01 · February 2004

Last night, we finalized the paperwork for my aunt's purchase of a 2004 Civic LX auto 4 door. MSRP $16,650
Invoice $15,261
We paid: $14,200 + $99 doc. fees (very palatable).
Under Honda's Presidents Weekend event, as isell noted, we got 2.9% for 60 months.
With two grand down, shes paying $237.49/month, very very reasonable.

Excellent experience at DCH Academy Honda in Old Bridge NJ. Email me if anyone would like the salesman's name.

~alpha

roger8918 · February 2004

Hi Gang, What do you guys think of a 2004 Civic VP (Value Package) for $12,973.00 + tax out the door. Sound good to me. Sould I jump on it?

ltressler · February 2004

I am trying to help my daughter buy a 2004 Civic 2 DR LX. Thru Edmunds, it's easy to find the price of the car but they don't list the wholesale cost of dealer installed accessories.

Of course my daughter wants the rear wing spoiler @ $620, the alloy wheels @ $1299, and the aero kit (under body spoiler) @ $1275 cause they're cool. And unfortunately expensive.

Does anyone know approximately how much dealer profit is built into these items. By knowing that, I'd have some more room to negotiate.

Any help would be appreciated.

I plan to purchase within a week. Anyone recommend a dealer in Lafayette or Indianapolis, Indiana?

bd21 · February 2004

Go to the sponsor of this forum (handa-accessories.com)and and you can get a pretty good idea of cost with the exception of labor. I have a daughter too and my approach is a little difference. I am going to get her a new car too, but I going to teach her one of life's lessons. You don't always get what you want. The fact that you said these items are expensive tells me your not rich and neither am I, so don't stretch yourself. Just buying her a new car should be more than enough. Give her a choice of a couple of good models in a reasonable price range and let her pick the color. You can easily buy the Civic LX right now for under invoice at almost any Honda dealer under invoice. Good luck!

ltressler · February 2004

I appreciate your thoughts & I agree. But I neglected to say that she is 20 and living on her own. She can afford all the extras she wants on the car but her budget would strain. This is her first experience of buying a new car & I'm just trying to help her negotiate the lowest price. (Ya know, dads are suppose to know all this stuff.)

I'm not buying it for her. This is her purchase.

alpha01 · February 2004

Might I suggest going with the EX coupe? It comes standard with sweet looking alloys, as well a less obvious but still attractive underbody aero treatment. It would save a bunch of $$, and you'll also get ABS, moonroof, slightly better fuel economy, more power, and better resale as part of the deal.

~alpha

bottgers · February 2004

......Civic prices aren't too high on an LX priced at over $13K, then how do you explain the offers I was getting from dealers for $12.8K last fall? The '04's are almost indentical to the '03's, and dealers aren't going to sell Civics at a price so low they're going to lose money on them, not even when they're trying to make room for the new models. Civics are simply in too high of a demand for them to do that. My advice for anyone looking to buy a new Civic is wait until this fall. This is the ONLY time to get one at a good price. Any other time you'll pay too much.

alpha01 · February 2004

Clearly you have a different definition of "paying too much" than almost everyone else. If the invoice of a Civic LX is 15,2xx, and you can pay 14,200 without a rebate, then its a good deal, because there is no adverse resale impact of a cash back offer. Also, there were a significant amount of detail changes to the Civics for 2004. Page through the used car ads, two year old Civics with low miles can go for $12,800. If you could have gotten one at that price, why didnt you? Dont be bitter and tell people here that they are paying too much, when the market information (from many different sources such as carsdirect.com, edmunds.com, etc) clearly indicates otherwise. Why rain on peoples parades?

~alpha

PS- Let us know how your search goes this fall.

bottgers · February 2004

How is it being bitter by telling people when they can get the best price? You may see that as bitter, I see it as giving friendly advice. I've seen the '04's, and the changes aren't that significant, and certainly not enough to justify the price jump. Like I said, if you can wait, this fall will yeild the best prices on the Civics. Why pay $14K+ now when you'll be able to get one for low 13's or less this fall, and still get all the incentives to go with it?

bd21 · February 2004

I hope she has a great job. Man that is $3,200 worth of unnecessary junk. My guess is take $500 off of invoice and another $500 off for all of the add-ons. Hopefully she can qualify for Honda's 2.9% APR for 60 months. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

bd21 · February 2004

Rule one, never trade a car in. It muddies the deal and you can always get more than the wholesale/trade-in the dealer will offer. Any car dealer out there will give you $2,000 trade-in, even for a kid's hot wheel car, because they will make it up by taking less off retail and making you pay for paint protection or some other useless junk. Next, you need to go drive some Civics and decide what will meet your needs for the price. I recommend you drive a VP and an LX sedan. If you are savvy, you are looking at 13,000 or so for a VP and $14,700 or so for an LX with an automatic. When you are ready to deal, use the internet. Contact all dealer internet managers within a 120 miles of you and work for the best price. When you decide which car you actually want, post the info and I can give you a good target price and more strategy. Also, if you wait past 1 March 04, a Civic will cost you more, because a dealer incentive will expire. Good luck and I live in Ft. Walton Beach.

bdavis32 · February 2004

I have a few questions concerning tax's on a new car.
A.) If I purchase the car outside of my county of residence, do I pay that tax at time of purchase, or just when I get my plates?
B.) If I purchase the car outside of my city of residence, do I pay that tax at time of purchase, or just when I get my plates?
C.) If I purchase the car outside of my state of residence, do I pay that tax at time of purchase, or just when I get my plates?
D.) Is there any risk of needing to pay any tax (state, city, county) twice?

I would think that state/city tax would be where you purchase it, and county tax is based upon where you reside, but I want to make sure.

Thanks!

bdavis32 · February 2004

I saved these prices when looking last November. Since the prices were still a little high for me in Nov., I wanted to wait. These are all for new 2003 Civic 2 Dr Coupes, 5 Speed. The date (for TMV purposes was 11/16/03. All prices include $460 Delivery charges. The TMV should be much lower now, and could depend upon location. These were taken from Edmunds.com last November, and I don't know where these can be obtained now. I know some people were looking for pricing, and hope this may help them out.

MSRP Invoice TMV
DX $13,270 $12,175 $11,755
LX $15,470 $14,182 $13,808
EX $17,270 $15,824 $15,472

bdavis32 · February 2004

I for one appreciate all advice given on this board, as if it wasn't for the people replying, this board wouldn't be near the value that it is.

All pricing mentioned is "Out the door, less TTL, including all dealer fees".
Anyway - I wanted to buy a new 2003 LX 2 dr coupe, 5 speed. I found one at a dealer, and offered him $13,200. He said he couldn't let it go for that, but could sell me a 2004 for under invoice. Since I already have a price of $13,900 for a new 2004, the below invoice didn't interest me. Why do the dealers want to hold a 2003 (there is an additional $500 incentive for 2003 Civics in addition to the current $400 (or more pending quota))?

My thinking on reasonable costs are:
2003: $13,808 TMV (11/16/03) - $13,200 = $608
2004: $14,571 TMV (02/14/04) - $13,900 = $671

I already have a price of $13,900 for the 2004, and $13,200 was my offer on the 2003. The difference of the 2004/2003 TMV is $63, plus the dealer would get an extra $500 for the 2003 incentive, plus the TMV for the 2003 should be less now than it was back in November. I wanted to buy the 2003, since we plan on keeping it for a long time. But with the difference in pricing, and 15" wheels on the 2004, and immediate depreciation when driven off the lot, I can't justify a higher price on the 2003.

Anyway, any ideas why the dealer wants to hold on to the 2003? Do you think I could have bought it last fall for less than $13,200? (2003 Invoice was $14,182).

Thanks for any feedback you can provide, and dido for everyone else...

isellhondas · February 2004

I have to ask...what would you consider is a good price?

Do you want to buy it for 10,000 or something?

bottgers · February 2004

Low 13's would be a decent price for an LX, high 12's would be a good price.

2013 and earlier-Honda Civic Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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