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2013 and earlier-Honda Accord Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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Comments

  • twizard7twizard7 Member Posts: 9
    I would first go to a car dealer and see what they will give you for the car in the condition it is in. If they are willing to give around $1000 for the car, I would take them up on their offer. At least you know where you stand as far as trade-in goes.

    Also note: Just because Edmunds, KBB, and any other car rating site that gives you a trade-in value, most dealers will not give you the full amount of what the car is worth -- even if it is in top condition. This has been my experience. Why pay $900 to fix a car only to get $900 back in trade-in value?
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    "That is a great deal.... makes you wonder why more people don't lease."

    Considering how frequently we like to trade I would love to lease. Unfortunately both my husband and I drive 20,000 miles + a year. We did just lease an Odyssey but it is our 4th car. No way could we lease our daily drivers.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,200
    Yeah... I've a done a few 18K leases on Hondas, but any mileage above that, and it just doesn't make financial sense.

    But, $325/mo for a 15K lease on a $27K car... That is like stealing.....

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • axgxgyaxgxgy Member Posts: 4
    I am picking up a satin silver ex v6 sedan tomorrow for 23,243 plus tax and plates in the Chicago burbs. None of the dealers in the northshore area will touch that price, so I am travelling to countryside, il to it up. The lowest in my area was 23,537.00.
    I am getting a good deal? Also should I get the extended warranty? how much should I pay?
  • peterfpeterf Member Posts: 1
    I'd like to purchase a 2004 Accord LX Coupe. Should I buy now, or will I do just as well (or better) if I wait until late summer or early fall, when the 2005s are about to come on the market?

    Any advice appreciated.

    PeterF
  • nancymennnancymenn Member Posts: 16
    Just curious. Is that price with Navi? I'm in the market for the EX V-6 w/Navi, and I've been reading through the messages posted here. I'm near Atlanta (70 miles south in Macon) and yesterday I emailed & faxed my request for a bid to 10 dealers (took MusicBoy's advice on what to say!).

    I've heard from only 3 dealers so far, but it's been less than 24 hours. I did expect them to be a little faster, however. Will hope to hear from more later on and will post my outcome later.
  • axgxgyaxgxgy Member Posts: 4
    No that price is without the Navi.
  • cjones88cjones88 Member Posts: 23
    Nancymenn, if it's not too much trouble could you keep me/the board posted on pricing? I'm purchasing in a few months an EX V-6 Sedan w Navi and was curious what local Atlanta dealers are quoting you on the web. Better than carsdirect?
  • novellnovell Member Posts: 26
    I bought the Sedan last night with no Navigation, EX V6 with leather. Paid $22,400 plus $490 freight $100 processing fees tax and tags. Apparently Honda is dealing here in Maryland. That is correct you read $22,400. Good Luck.
  • dcbdcb Member Posts: 11
    I just wanted to share my experience in buying a black 6 speed coupe. I learned a lot from other folks on this board, so maybe this will help someone else. I paid $23,400 out the door, plus the dealer is mailing me the "mud flaps" to install myself. I paid an extra $20 for this. Dealer cost was $66, but I had previously bargained for a $46 leather shift nob as part of the orginal deal and offset this against the mud flaps. The factory shift nob looked and felt great. There is indeed an $800 factory to dealer incentive on the coupe as mentioned on earlier posts, plus 2.9% 60 month financing through this weekend. The $23,400 does not include sales tax.
  • nancymennnancymenn Member Posts: 16
    I'll be happy to post my outcomes on Atlanta and surrounding dealers. So far 3 of them are indicating they will match or beat a competitor's written offer.

    I have a burning question for this board: What's the doc fee all about? I'm getting from $249.00 to $399.00 on my quotes. Is this a Georgia "thing" and can I negogiate it lower or removed altogether? Or is it just a way to give more profit to the dealer?
  • musicboymusicboy Member Posts: 66
    nancymenn> What's the doc fee all about? I'm getting from $249.00 to
    nancymenn> $399.00 on my quotes. Is this a Georgia "thing" and can I
    nancymenn> negogiate it lower or removed altogether? Or is it just a
    nancymenn> way to give more profit to the dealer?

    It basically is the later. However in evaluating your offers you want to compare the final Out The Door price (including TT&L plus dest and doc fees.)That way it doesn't really matter what the doc fee is. The dealers will magically self adjust their "doc fee" in order to match another deal.

    nancymenn> So far 3 of them are indicating they will match or beat
    nancymenn> a competitor's written offer.

    That's great just make sure you get a "written" (email) bid from them too otherwise you'll just have a lot of hot air because you haven't gotten any "written" competitive offers to match.

    If they will not give you a written bid via email just send them one back thanking them for their time and previous response offering to match prices but that you are only going to deal with dealers that respect your time by giving you their lowest rock bottom price the first time you asked for it.

    If they can't (or won't) send you one then find more dealers. Expand your bid list to further out Honda dealers. Remember, you are in control of this process. You can always Make an Offer of your liking to any dealer later as well. Don't let them play games with you.
  • musicboymusicboy Member Posts: 66
    novell> EX V6 with leather. Paid $22,400 plus $490 freight $100
    novell> processing fees tax and tags. Apparently Honda is dealing
    novell> here in Maryland.

    Well don't leave us hanging which MD dealer was it?
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    In Georgia all dealers charge a doc fee. It may vary by dealer but the dealer must charge the same doc fee on every transaction. Like someone already posted, negotiate on the total drive-out and don't worry about what the doc fee is. The only legitimate fees that the dealer has to pay will be the $18 tag fee (some charge $21) and the $3 warranty rights fee here in Georgia.
  • nancymennnancymenn Member Posts: 16
    Thanks, musicboy. You always have good, solid information.

    For the record, I've emailed 10 Atlanta/Macon, GA dealers and I've gotten email or faxes back now from 8 of them in 24 hours. They are giving me itemized bids (if they don't, I email back and tell them that I asked for the price to be itemized and so far they have all responded.) I've put all the bids on a spreadsheet, so it's easy to see the base price bid for the car, the options (if they are priced out of the base price), tax, GA title, and then that dratted doc fee. I'm definitely looking at the final OTD price.

    One nearby dealer has not responded at all. I gave them a deadline of noon today to respond. I think I'll call and ask why I haven't gotten a response. It's been interesting that almost all 8 dealers indicate that they will match or beat a competitor's price and some even state they will beat it by $200. That gives me some extra leverage.

    I have to say, this is an easy experience to sit in my house and do this negotiating. Now I guess it's time to finally set up an appointment to test drive! :)

    I'll post how it all turns out in case it will help someone else.
  • novellnovell Member Posts: 26
    Criswell in Germantown, MD.
  • cjones88cjones88 Member Posts: 23
    Thanks for the update. Let me know your out the door price, and if you don't mind, I'd like to see the spreadsheet. Could you email to me at cjones88@yahoo.com? I'm close to Curry, close enough to Lanier and Carry Paul, but would be willing to drive to Macon or the likes if the deal is good enough. Thanks again.
  • renglekarengleka Member Posts: 20
    Well I have finally done it. Waiting to accept an order for a red ex v6 w/ navi coupe. I paid
    $25,275 (price includes destination, auto dimming mirror and wheel locks and no dealer prep or extra add-ons but I will be sure to check the paperwork before signing. I have to go in Monday to sign the papers.(closed on Sunday). I have the option of purchasing the spoiler for $500 which I negotiated and this includes installation...any thoughts on that price?? Still seems high and Im not so sure that I want the spoiler. I want to take at some cars on the lot that have it. Tell me what you think of that price....or maybe don't because its too late now anyhow. lol...the posts on here have helped alot and I do have some tips on how to get the best price. I will post some tips for what I have found helped.
  • tx_eggmantx_eggman Member Posts: 1
    We picked up our Graphite Pearl 4 Dr V6 EX, (no NAVI, just the XM radio) today in Houston. Memorial day sales were in full force. I had 2 dealers quoting $24,939.50 total drive out. Went with Honda of Clear Lake. Had a super sales guy, Will Hensel. No hidden charges, we added window tint and the protection package (locking wheels, mud flaps and trunk cargo tray) bringing the total drive out to $25,266 (including all taxes, 6.25% in Texas, and fees) We also go the 60 month note at 2.9%.
  • bigindianbigindian Member Posts: 1
    After Skimming the boards for the last couple of days, my wife and I dove in a bought a Graphite Pearl 4 Dr V6 EX. Went to Landmark Honda in Northern VA at 8:30 and had a deal by 9 for 22,700 and paid a total of 24,300 out the door. This was a first class dealership no bs.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    It would appear you are doing this backwards. You are price shopping a car you haven't even driven???

    I think you would be smart to make sure, first, that you even like the car in question before worrying about the price!
  • chinamanchinaman Member Posts: 9
    Hey, any word on this? Planning to buy as well in GA but undecided if I'm leasing or not. Can you send in your spreadsheet as well to my email add. Thanks.
  • nancymennnancymenn Member Posts: 16
    Not to worry. I'll be test driving, probably today. My husband has driven one & loved it; he thinks I will, too. I have a 95 Accord with 164,000 miles on it and loved every day of driving it, so I'm not thinking of buying anything but a Honda. But test driving is next.

    I'll send spreadsheet to those who requested a little later.
  • cmyerscmyers Member Posts: 4
    I've been reading this forum for a while and finally bought my new accord. I just want to thank everyone for all the great info on prices, holdbacks, incentives, etc. I live in MD and did the sending out of email thing to about 20+ dealers in the area. I stated the invoice price of the car I wanted, holdback and the $400 incentive from american honda and asked for the best deal. Honda of Bowie was by far the best with getting back to me right away and with having the lowest price. I just got home with my new 2004 Honda Accord EX 4 door sedan, 4 cylinder with side curtain air bags and cloth interior in desert mist metallic with 6 miles on it. The on the road price including freight, tags, MD taxes and everything was $20,696.50. The car had some extra accessories which I didn't pay for and were INCLUDED in the $20,696.50 price - stripe package, wheel moldings, mud guards and wheel locks. GREAT dealership and I highly recommend. Didn't push me to buy anything extra, no hidden fees - nothing. When I arrived the car was waiting cleaned and ready in the front. The guy even took me out to the car and spent about 20 minutes showing me everything and how stuff worked. I was amazed. That was by far the easiest car buying experience EVER.

    Now the dealerships I would not recommend in MD -Brown's Honda in Glen Burnie has poor sales people, management and service department and Jim Coleman Honda in Clarksville who gives those tricky on the road price and then the 'oops oh I didn't know you wanted an automatic' . Also Anderson Honda tried to pull some sneaky things too and wasn't very with what I was asking. Had to tell Anderson a few times what color I wanted. Alot of the other dealerships either never gave me a quote or never followed thru with replies on email. Oh Well. Their loss

    Hope this helps some one else.

    Cant wait until this summer for the 2005 Pilots. Hope Honda of Bowie MD has some great deals like that Mike Pruitt Honda in Ohio I've been reading about on the Pilots. 2005 Pilots better have the moonroofs too - thats what I'm waiting for...

    Crystal
  • nancymennnancymenn Member Posts: 16
    Okay. I've now test driven the EX V-6 w/Navi, and I did love it like my husband predicted. We went to the local dealer for the test drive after calling to find out the best time to come in.

    After the test drive, my husband and I then went into the Internet Mgr's office to talk. He didn't have a V-6 in one of my 3 color choices but "could get it." He asked if I had gotten better offers from other Internet inquiries, and I assured him that I had and told him my best price was $27,292 OTD and it included mudflaps, but another dealer promised to beat any deal by $200.

    He asked if he could show his sales mgr. those offers in writing. I let him take the emails. (Was that a No-No?) After taking about 15 minutes (coffee break?), he told me that I should go ahead and get the $27,292 offer, because they would match it if they had one in stock, which they didn't. OR go to the $200 lower place and see what they would do since they usually offered that but didn't usually come through.

    My impression: he "dissed" another dealer, his offer "to go get" what I wanted would cost them $200 to get a driver to go get it so the price would have to go up, and he didn't seem terribly anxious to make a sale to me. Thus, my confusion.

    I asked if he would be getting any V-6's w/Navi in any time. He looked on his computer and said none were being ordered and the factory would quit making any 04's within a couple of weeks.

    So, we walked! Did he think I was "low balling?" There was no pressure either way, to search for a car of my choosing OR to try to sell me what they had. It appeared that he didn't much care one way or the other. He was the Internet Mgr. and said he had other duties there (computers, facilitiating between sales & service, etc.) and he didn't sell but about 10 cars a year.

    It seems that my only other option is to check out my lowest bidder and take it from there. I'm even thinking of putting it all off until the fall and getting an '05!!! As I said, I'm confused and somewhat surprised at the lackadasial attitude!! Ideas, anyone?
  • richards38richards38 Member Posts: 606
    When you quote the deal you received, it might be helpful to give the full price of the car including "document preparation" and transportation, but BEFORE any taxes and license and fees which vary by location. Please don't include fees that are remitted to government entities.

    Different states and localities impose different tax and license fees, so an absolutely final out the door price is only meaningful for people in the same state and city.

    Everybody must pay for the transportation, so that should be included as well as any "document fee" which is a cost that's really pure profit contributing to the dealer's overhead. There are some document fees that are limited by state and perhaps local law--$45 in California, for example--but that seems to be a minimum amount. A dealer charging a $300 "doc fee" is really just adding to profit, so that should be included in your deal.

    Because Honda Accords are fully equipped, any accessories added by the dealer should be noted separately, too. Of course, if some of those items appear to be a gift from the dealer, then mention what's included in the pre-tax/license price if you can't put a dollar figure on the dealer add-ons.

    I think the fees that are beyond the discretion of the dealer--those that are remitted to government entities should not be included in the deals posted here to keep comparisons consistent............Richard
  • rutger3rutger3 Member Posts: 361
    I also posted on the camry board since i am considering both and Toyota plays games too.
     Why does Honda mess around with safety features like side/curtain airbags ? It is unfair to force a buyer to pay $2500-$3000 more for the EX model just to get side curtain bags. Even the LX model with just side bags is tough to get . I wanted to buy a car this weekend but was turned off because as most of you know, it is much easier to work a good deal with a dealer if they have the car you want on their lot. Having them search for a car is not an incentive for the dealer, plus I like to see the car I'm buying. This being said, I wanted an LX with side curtain bags, Not available. Then I wanted an LX with side bags, they had one on their lot in a color i didnt want. They had many LX's without bags and many EX's, but this would cost much more. SO now my choices are to buy an 04 EX now,or wait until the 05 comes out and hopefully be able to get them on the LX model. Curiously, I may be able to work out a price on an 04 EX close to what I would pay for an 05 LX. ANy thoughts? I drive 30k miles per year,mostly highway. I have a 99 camry with 154k on it. If i am now getting a 5 year newer car, would like to improve the safety equipment, but Honda does not make this easy.
  • rutger3rutger3 Member Posts: 361
    anyone have an idea on when the 2005 will arrive and will it have curtain bags as standard equipment on all model lines ? Perhaps isellhondas can give a clue.
  • nancymennnancymenn Member Posts: 16
    I was told today that the '05 Hondas would begin to trickle in about late September, but come in in quantity in October. Sound right, anyone?
  • musicboymusicboy Member Posts: 66
    nancymenn> So, we walked! Did he think I was "low balling?" There
    nancymenn> was no pressure either way, to search for a car of my
    nancymenn> choosing OR to try to sell me what they had. It appeared
    nancymenn> that he didn't much care one way or the other.

    Of course I am just guessing here because obviously it would be impossible for me to know the actual reasons for his attitude. Having said that I would guess that since he didn't have a vehicle like you wanted on the lot in the color you wanted and none on order as well as it wouldn't be profitable or beneficial to trade with another dealer at the rock bottom prices you had obtained.

    He likely knew from experience (or lack thereof) that you were probably not going to go for any salesman games or be downsold to a different vehicle so he knew he couldn't help you so he thought he would rain on your parade by dissing the competition. What did he have to lose. If he convinced you (by discouraging you about the other offers) to wait to purchase in September he might have a another bite at the apple.

    In any case this is an example of why I recommend that you are very specific in the "Request For Bid Letter" that you send to the multiple dealers. For example in my own request letter I told them that I want their very best ROCK BOTTOM quote only on a specific model that they currently have in stock in one of my acceptable colors and that is not a demonstrator and has less than 30 miles on it.

    In fielding the offers and deciding which one to accept, I also will not leave the house to go to their dealership until I have confirmed every aspect of the deal by telephone with the salesperson (and confirmed by their salesmanager.)

    You can tell your salesman that you want to accept their offer but you have been burned before and that you want to request that they fax you a completed, signed by the salesmanager, Buyers Order with the complete purchase info spelled out (i.e Vin Number, Stock Number, Color Make, Model, price, doc fee, TT&L) before you make a trip to the dealership to conclude the deal.

    nancymenn> OR go to the $200 lower place and see what they would do
    nancymenn> since they usually offered that but didn't usually come
    nancymenn> through.

    I would look into that. The dealer I bought from offered the same thing (i.e. to beat any other deal by $200.) They came through for me. I suspect that the $200 is the local/regional advertising fee that they will get from Honda for that vehicle that is built into the Invoice Price and they are givng it to you to get the deal.

    nancymenn> I'm even thinking of putting it all off until the fall
    nancymenn> and getting an '05!!!

    I wouldn't let this dealer experience discourage you. If waiting til Fall is in your best interest then by all means wait but if you want to buy now or in the new future just stick with it. You can always widen your number of dealerships contacted. You can wait a month and start all over. Circumstances at dealers are constantly changing. Ones that won't deal today may be falling all over themselves in a month.

    I wouldn't share this dealer experience with other dealers. Let them think that you've got folks competing like crazy for your deal. Don't make anything up (especially something that can be checked like dealers inventory)just play it close to the vest.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    Back in October of 2000 I bought a 2001 Accord and in September of 2003 I bought a 2004 Accord so the 05's should start hitting the lots in August/September.
  • richards38richards38 Member Posts: 606
    I bought my 2004 on August 25th of last year, so the '05s could be available in less than 3 months. The car I chose was the EX-L because it came with side curtain airbags which I think will be standard equipment on EVERY '05 Accord.

    It did annoy me to have to buy more car than I wanted to get the curtains--leather, sunroof, XM, etc.--but now I'm glad I treated myself to those features that make the Accord a near luxury car instead of an economy mid-sized car.

    And it's still very economical with the smoothest 4 cylinder engine out there......Richard
  • cmyerscmyers Member Posts: 4
    Ok I'll give the breakdown as my buyers order has it on the price I paid for my 2004 Accord EX sedan (4 door) with side curtain bags, 4 cyl and cloth interior.

    selling price 19470
    dealer processing 100
    tag & title 148
    MD tax 978.50

    total 20,696.50

    Dealer also gave me a coupon book with unlimited free car washes, free oil changes and coupons for discounted service, parts and accessories.
  • rampedramped Member Posts: 358
    You got an excellent price. The best I could do with an identical vehicle over the weekend was $19,998. In addition, the dealer was going to add a $499 "administrative fee." I declined, although even with the fee the actual total cost for the car would have been about $500 under invoice. Not bad.

    It's only a guess, but based on the number of Accords on the lots around here, there's a good chance the deals will get better in a month or two. But, I think I'm going to get something else. As hard as I've tried, I can't warm to the sedan's styling.
  • rai24rai24 Member Posts: 2
    I agree this is an excellent price. The lowest price we got for the same car in the same area this past weekend (email attack) was:

    (EX 4cyl sedan AT with side curtain airbags)
    Base: 19,350
    Dest: 490
    Proc: 100
    MD Tax: 997
    titling, etc: 161
    OTD: 21,098

    We were pleased with this price, at 1,169 under invoice. Didn't contact the Bowie dealer, they were just outside my geographical range. Oh well...

    We purchased from Brown's Honda City in Glen Burnie, and unlike your experience, we were quite happy with the treatment we received. They were very good about working everything out on the phone or by email ahead of time. When we got there, no surprises and the car looked great (only 2 miles on it). I'm sure some of it has to do with luck of the draw, but we had no complaints (no experience with the service department yet).

    Hope this is helpful to someone, because I feel we really benefited from the information on this board in the previous month.
  • rutger3rutger3 Member Posts: 361
    Okay, which do I have a better chance at getting for a lower price.
     Buy a 2004 EX sedan/auto/side curtains Now , or wait and buy a 2005 LX with side curtains if available latter in year.
  • rampedramped Member Posts: 358
    No question the 05 LX will be cheaper, especially if you wait a couple of months after they come out. All the 05s will have curtain airbags standard.

    On the other hand, you will lose a lot of options that come standard on the EX such as the 6-cd changer, the alloy wheels and the moonroof.
  • amymiamymi Member Posts: 1
    At the end of April, we paid $22,386.81 cash plus tax and license, for a silver Accord EX with the black leather interior. The dealership, Honda of Seattle (downtown), kicked in a gift certificate for a night in the Paramount Hotel downtown as well. The salesperson originally quoted $200 above the price we paid, but I talked him down, based on a bid I had received from Renton Honda. Great experience at this dealership--highly recommend. No pushy sales on the warranty, either.
  • renglekarengleka Member Posts: 20
    I picked up my accord last night. It was brought to western PA from Ohio. In Ohio they are required to have the front license plate but here in PA we are not. The car had the plastic piece that the plate would fit onto on the front of the car. I assumed (which i know you should never do) that the piece was attached without having any holes actually being drilled into the front bumper. When I inspected this further today I realized that the center screw was the only one that was actually drilled into the front bumper. I contacted the dealer and complained about this and they offered to repair it. Now I have two questions...

    1. Is the bumper being repaired (patched i guess) sufficient that I won't even know it was there?

    2. Should I complain enough to get an entire new front bumper or is that taking it too far??

    Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    Why not just have them give you a nice Honda tag to dress up the front end a bit?

    I have a black background with a chrome H logo. Looks very nice on the front of my silver Accord.
  • renglekarengleka Member Posts: 20
    Is that what they called?? Honda Tags? I'll have to look into that...Do they offer it in different color options. My accord is red. Thanks for the info.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    Your dealer should have a selection of available tags near their parts department. The selection will vary depending on the dealer but you can opt for different color combinations. Some of them have the Honda logo, some say Honda, and some say Accord.

    If the dealer doesn't have one you like you can also find them on the internet.
  • slawendaslawenda Member Posts: 101
    For those of you who have experience with the "e-mail attack" method of soliciting quotes (or "fax method")--for how long were these quotes good for? In other words, how long were the quotes honored for, or was there any mention at all in the dealer's responses about a specific date in which the quote "expires"?

    I am trying to decide when to solicit quotes as I am moving soon and hope to buy immediately after moving. I am wondering if I should solicit quotes a couple of days before I move, so I can buy right away, ideally? Or should I wait until I arrive to solicit quotes, realizing this way that I might not be able to buy right away, but perhaps a couple days later? I will need a car ASAP after arriving, and I am also anxious to get this over with since I have researching and test driving long enough (and am quite looking forward to the day!) Thanks.
  • renglekarengleka Member Posts: 20
    Is that what they called?? Honda Tags? I'll have to look into that...Do they offer it in different color options. My accord is red. Thanks for the info.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    I don't know what the technical term would be but I'd just ask for a Honda license plate. Make sure they know you want to see the plate and not the license plate frame.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,200
    I would have them repair it... If it doesn't look that great, then worry about putting a plate on it.

    This is one of my pet peeves. I live in Kentucky, where we also don't have front plates, but I buy almost all of my cars in Ohio. Let them repair it first, then you will have the option.. Those Honda logo plates are relatively cheap, so if you need one later, the expense is minimal... I can guarantee you they won't replace your bumper, no matter how much you complain.

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Expect to see 2005's in late August, early September. Rumors are that all Accords will have side curtain airbags but I'm not 100% sure.

    I hope this is the case since it's a nightmare trying to balance inventories.

    Funny, the vast majority of shoppers I've run into have little or zero interest in side curtains. I recently lost a sale on an EX cloth Accord. It was the right color but the customer wouldn't pay the extra charge for the curtains.

    What is important to a few means nothing to others.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I don't know that your dealer "dissed" the other guy. I think he just may be weary of blast faxes and shoppers pitting dealers against each other.

    I mean, I respect your efforts in getting the "best" price, whatever that is but, there often comes a point when a nothing deal just isn't worth it especially when the car has to be located and traded for. A lot of time, paperwork and expense for a next to nothing deal.

    This is even more the case when it's a low supply high demand car.

    It's so much easier to ask a friend, relative or neighbor for a referral. Have them send you to a quality store and salesperson they know and trust.

    Will you pay a bit more? Well, perhaps, and perhaps not. The OVERALL EXPERIENCE will usually be much better and withot the high stress level.

    It really doesn't have to be that hard.
  • richards38richards38 Member Posts: 606
    I'm amazed that you lost a sale because the dimwit customer wouldn't pay extra for curtain airbags that crash tests now show are life-savers.

    I paid much more for an Accord EX-L last August because curtain airbags were standard on that model but have no regrets because I like the extra luxury anyway--good excuse to enjoy life a bit more.

    What's surprising is the low price charged for side curtain airbags--just $300 at retail. That's only $150 per side on a purchase price of $20,000 or more.

    Considering the number of SUVs on the road and how damaging a run-in with one of those monsters would be, anyone rejecting that much crash protection for so little in added price must have a room temperature IQ......Richard
  • rutger3rutger3 Member Posts: 361
    I too am amazed that a person would not buy a vehicle because it HAS airbags. This is another reason why they should be standard equipment,then no one can complain about paying extra for them and the ones that want them will have them. The auto dealers will have an easier sell, buyers easier choice, even insurers will save money. Oh yeah it may even save lives or prevent serious injury. What a country.
     I believe the reason most people don't appear to care about them is because they may assume they come standard; or think well that type of crash will never happen to them. Or maybe they just want to save money, I mean if you made front airbags an option, some people would save the money, heck you could make a spare tire an option and save $50. Regardless, I still do not understand why safety features have to be an option . Why does BMW/mercedes/Lexus/Infiniti and the like make these items standard and couldnt sell their cars without them? Is it because only well paid people care about safety, and does that mean that Accord/Camry buyers do not?
     One idea is that airbags are not glamorous, you cant show them off like fancy wheels or a sunroof. Plus you may never use them. Kind of like life insurance, if you never use it, i guess you could say the money was wasted, but if you need it, then what a difference it can make.
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