Honda Civic Sedan 2006

bigal3 · September 2005

Now we already have the price of the EX Civic coupe.....anyone of you have any news on how much are the Si Civic coupe?

steveoregon · September 2005

For those of you who already have an 06 Civic - I need someone to try a little experiment on the CD/mp3 player.

Please play a CD with an mp3 file on it, and let that song play a for a few seconds. Then shut the car completely off. Then turn the CD player back on - and let me know if the mp3 file you were previously playing starts playing exactly where it left off.

This is important to me. I listen to very long mp3 files (hour long). These are talk radio files I download off the internet. My current after-market CD/mp3 player in my 95 Civic will start playing these long files exactly where it left off - since the last time I turned the car off. If this weren't the case, then I would be forced to try and fast forward through 15-30 minutes of the file - to get to the point I stopped listening before (impractical).

I believe this may be referred to as a "resume" feature.

Steve

biker4 · September 2005

Plus, your calculations are way off. Every civic that I've driven has had a "fast" speedometer by about 5%, meaning that you didn't get your calculated fuel mileage.

The speedometer might be off by 5% but the odometer, which is used in milage calculations, by law has to be very acuurate (less than 1% error). The two are not necessarily related.

nippononly · September 2005

I am sure they will hold the base sticker price of the SI to $19,995 just for the emotional/sales value of staying under that $20K threshold. That is what they have stated they intend to do.

thegraduate · September 2005

DING DING DING! We have a correct answer, and the win!

Now Johnny, tell him what he's won!

Sorry, just watched part of the price is right. You are correct though.

jrct9454 · September 2005

Honda products are notorious for speedo error - that does not translate to odo error. The worst was our '96 Acura RL - speedo was off by nearly 7%, but odo was flat dead-on - I checked both against highway markers many times.

Our '98 and '01 Accords had similar, though moderately less, speedometer errors, but once again, the odometers were off way less than a 10th of a mile in 5 miles of measured distance driving. No connection.

bigal3 · September 2005

It sounds too good to be true. Then the new 2006 Civic Si with 200 hp will be priced almost same as the new 2006 Civic EX with 140 hp ?

nippononly · September 2005

No, it will be about $2K more than an EX coupe. Remember, that price for the SI is stick shift only. The EX coupe has most of the same equipment, so you pay the extra $2K for the better powertrain and the limited slip. The SI is a total bargain in that context, but the REAL test will be whether the public thinks the EX coupe is overpriced (and whether ALL the new Civics are overpriced).

One other difference: the SI's powertrain has been around with minor tweaks for more than four years, whereas if you buy the EX you get an all-new powertrain with ULEV emissions (and way better fuel economy). And can you get NAV on the SI? I am not sure.

Now, I DO wonder if they will be able to keep the price "down" to $19,995. Perhaps it will be $20,995 by the time it arrives?

leslie19hb · September 2005

I own a 2004 Honda Civic LX but I am going to buy the new Civic when it comes out. I got my 04 Civic 17%off MSRP in May 2004 (thats almost $800 off Invoice price)

If I buy the 06 Civic this year, it will have to be during the last weeks of November or early December. If not, I will have to wait until March or April of next year.
Do you think that I can get almost such a good deal during the November/December time? Or would I need to wait until March/April?
I am not afraid to shop around and say no if I don't like a price so that is not a problem.
Well, hope I hear from some of you soon...
Thanks
PS: If there are any dealers out there, what is the slowest time of the buying season?

hondasalesrep · September 2005

Yes, the Civic will be available with Navigation. However, even as a salesperson, I am unaware of any pricing on the Si model. Our dealer is not scheduled to receive any until some time in December.

pete25 · September 2005

Does anyone have actual photos that they have taken of Atomic Blue? Is this an actual depiction of what the color looks like or is it lighter than this photo................

http://www.japanesecarfans.com/photos.cfm/photoid/3050901.001/pageview/photo/photo/1118/si- ze/large/honda/1.html

hondasalesrep · September 2005

The perfect time to buy isn't always necessarily a specific time of the year. Manufacturers put of great incentives on cars throughout the year. Yes dealers are generally more flexible with pricing during the winter months when things slow down, but be sure to check pricing periodically. Sometime a special program can make all the difference.

civic4 · September 2005

Where is the sunroof control switch on the new Civic EX model located? I am happy to hear it is a one touch control. I have an '04 and must admit, the placement of the sunroof switch by the driver's left under the dash is not user friendly, in addition to being so close to the electric mirror switch. which makes the driver have to take his eyes off the road I hope they put it where it belongs, between the map lights at the roofline. Whoever placed it in the previous model should have their head examined. Also, the electric mirror switch could be better designed and placed. Funny how something as small as this can be a major ergonomic factor for someone.

thegraduate · September 2005

The switch, if I remember from my test drive, is near the map light/rear-view mirror, etc... Proper placement, wouldn't you agree?

obie2 · September 2005

I'm sorry, I meant $100 off MSRP. Anyway, I'm thinking like your step-dad. If I can get an Accord for the same price, why should I buy a Civic. Gas mileage is one reason, but I,m having a hard time justifying a decision based on that. Matt

drexelnet · September 2005

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to visit a Honda Dealership sometime tomorrow, I was wondering if anyone could give to me hints or tips on the ways of negiotating for a 06 Civic LX sedan.

Thanks

yesroh · September 2005

Be sure you know your cars. The dealers might try to push you up to an EX and then feed you a lot of crap about why it's such a great deal. Be sure you know about the cars and don't believe anything they say unless you can confirm it.
Be prepared to walk out if you don't get what you want. You can always walk back. Civics aren't endangered...if you miss one, there will be another right behind it. I liked to deal over the phone because it eliminated that intimidation factor and allowed me to move from dealership to dealership quickly and also to have my information readily available.

drexelnet · September 2005

Thank you very much yesroh. I actually spoke with one of the internet consultant online, and she said that I could get an 2006 Civic LX auto sedan, including taxes and tags for around $16,800. I couldn't believe it and she told me that I need to come down to the dealership and we can then talk further.

Thanks again.

stupidfool · September 2005

looked back and couldn't really find it it has something to do with brakeing anyone remember that...........

jrct9454 · September 2005

Just go to Honda's website - the differences are explained.

Briefly, without attempting to be complete:

-Sunroof
-Alloy wheels
-Disc brakes all around
-Brake Assist
-Sound system upgrade
-Slightly different interior materials / trim
-Availability of the nav system, if that means anything to you
-Some different color choices

The LX strikes me as a good value; the EX does not. Whatever you want....

only1harry · September 2005

Blueiedgod: You are right. I got it backwards (it happens when you get older you know, hehe) I don't know what I was thinking. It's because the dollar is weak that we are faced with higher Japanese (and European) car prices. Hey, but Bush says our economy is strong and that thousands of new jobs are created every month. Yeah in the construction and retail/food services.. while half the white collar/professional jobs have gone overseas and continute to do so. The more jobs they offshore, the less cars manufacturers will sell, and the economy will continue to go down the drain. But that's a subject for another forum.

I still auto-x my Integra regularly and I 'm still spending large sums of money modifying it

but at least I 'm good at it so it's pretty satisfying when I go to a BMW club and beat $55K BMW M3's and get FTD (Fastest Time of Day) or PAX 3d in SCCA events

Speaking of CRV's, I bought my wife an '04 CRV EX last year. $50 below invoice. I 'm sorry to say the CRV doesn't come close to the Civic's reliability. We 've had to take it back 3-4 times (10k mi. so far) for little stuff but one was major: The airbag light kept coming on and going away! Of course we got the canned answer: "well we can't help you if it's not doing it when your bring it in" but they at least ran the computer diags and nothing (no codes) showed up, so that's not resolved yet. I bet if the warranty had run out they 'd tell me I need a new airbag or ECU or something. That's how they operate.. I 've owned many Hondas and I 'm sorry to say they don't compare to the Acura dealers who will bend over backwards to help you. Totally different class of service and people..

Anyway I don't want to be off topic so back to the '06 Civic. Someone was saying that an Auto Civic (or Accord they were driving) would take a 5-sp. anytime? Ah, hmm, (cough, cough), where? not on this planet. I 've raced many cars in my lifetime at the light and I have a very good and fair comparison for whoever thinks the above statement is correct:
I raced my '01 Civic EX coupe 5sp. against my sister's '02 EX coupe Auto but my brother was driving her car who is also a seasoned racer (formal SCCA racing like me, we 're not street racers). This happned in the summer of '03. We went at it at the light and I blew his doors off. We then switched cars. I jumped into my sister's Auto Civic EX and my brother drove my manual '01 EX 5sp. He blew my doors off. We raced at least 3-4 times at different lights while I was driving the Automatic Civic and one race was up to 80-85mph. The others were to about 65mph. Every time I tried something different with my sister's Auto Civic to see if it made a difference. I 'd raise the RPMS while applying the brakes and when the light turned green I 'd release the brakes (that actually worked best). I tried shifting the auto tranny manually from 1st to 2nd...same result (actually I think that was the slowest run). The 5sp. Civic was just too quick. I 'd say at least a whole second, but closer to 1.5sec. difference 0-60 or 65. I 'd be at least 5 car lenghts behind when we hit 60mph and the manual Civic (mine) would keep pulling away. At about 85mph, I was behind something rediculous like 60-70yds.

I thought my sister's '02 Civic auto was actually pretty fast when I 'd drive it without racing anyone. I thought it had pretty decent acceleration, but when I raced it and/or raced against it, that's when I realized how much faster my 5sp. Civic really was.

allfiredup · September 2005

Sticker on an automatic LX should be $17,860, so that'd be a little over $1000 off. Great right now with the prices a lot of dealers are getting for the '06s. Hopefully they won't try to tack on any protection packages or other BS when you get there. Good luck! What color are you wanting?

only1harry · September 2005

So what are the differences between EX and LX? (interior/seats, sunroof, alloys, stereo, lumbar support, etc.). Are they too many to list, or just a few?

Also, is there a color that distinguishes EX from LX like there was for the 7th gen. Civic the first 2 years (Blue was only available to '01-02 EX models but in '03 it was available to LX as well.)?

I also want to figure out what the weight difference is between the two but if someone has the weight figures already it' d be much appreciated.

only1harry · September 2005

Just got off the phone with my brother and he said he read in MotorTrend Mag. (or was it C&D?) that the Civic coupes get a little firmer suspension than the Sedans!

Now I 'm not sure if he read this right. I think maybe he was reading about the Si. Not sure but he insisted he read it correctly. I 'm skeptical about this because I don't think Honda would go through the expense of installing 2 different suspensions (shocks with different valving and/or stiffer springs) for the regular non-Si Civics. If they in fact did this, which I hope they did because I always buy a Coupe, it would be a landmark case for Honda or for all economy car models. It's something very rarely done by high end car manufacturers. If it's true, other mainstream car manufacturers will probably do the same in the years to come.
Anyone have any info on the '06 Civic suspension?

steveoregon · September 2005

I forget what website I got this - but had cut and pasted it some time ago. I think I recall it also got and external temp guage.

===quote=====

The Civic Coupe EX adds 16-inch alloy wheels, 7-speaker with subwoofer AM/FM/XM-Ready Audio System with CD player (MP3/WMA enabled), 60/40 split folding rear seat, one-touch power moonroof, ambient console lighting, round exhaust tip finisher and available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with Voice Activation (also includes XM Satellite Radio).

drexelnet · September 2005

Thanks, I would really like to have a black or maybe gray silver if available. What kind of BS would they try push me to buy anyway. It's my first time buying a car. They seem nice online. Can you give me any advises or tips in car buying, so I know when they are trying rip me off.

Thanks alot.

gabagooo1 · September 2005

My wife and I just bought our new Civic LX auto on Tuesday. We looked at cars at two dealers. The one in town didn't treat us well - the salesman took a personal cell call while we were on the test drive and then rushed us off the lot when we got back because they were close to closing (it was Saturday evening). If her wanted to sell a car he would have talked with us a little more. Also, he knew almost nothing about the 2006 Civics he was selling. We drove 60 mile north to another dealer. We were treated well - I'd advise anyone looking to buy a new Civic that you walk away from the deal at least three times. Our payment came down $100 per month after a day of saying, "No thanks, We'll wait until spring." They came up more than $2000 on my trade and they came down $600 on the Honda and founds us a very low rate on the financing. So far we are loving the new car. It rides well, is very quite, and has all the safety features one could want. Also, the car we bought was built in Japan - We are hoping for years of trouble free driving.

only1harry · September 2005

Congrats on the purchase of your new Civic LX and good luck with it.

Did your LX come with 15" alloy wheels? Did you happen to look at the window sticker of any LX 5sp? Was the gas mileage the same as the EX 5sp (as an LX auto)? ie: 30/38?

I think if I buy the EX, I 'm going to ask that the dealer swap out the 16" alloys for the LX's 15". If the LX wheels are plain steel (with hub caps) then I won't do it because the steelies with no doubt be heavier. That way with the 15" alloys I can get a little better gas mileage and at the same time get them to drop the price a little (I hope) since I 'm getting the cheaper wheels and giving them back the better bigger ones.
15" are also better in the snow than 16". Does anyone know the width of these wheels? Are they 15x6" and 16x6.5"?

gabagooo1 · September 2005

Thanks much! Our car has the LX wheel covers. The 5 speed rates at 38 mpg highway - when asked the salesman told me that then new auto transmission's computer is the reason the auto gets 40 mpg on the highway. The stick is $800 less than the auto. I drove both and liked both. The Atomic Blue was very nice and we thought it would do better on resale years down the line when it comes time to replace it.

yesroh · September 2005

Go to http://automobiles.honda.com/

Any and every question about the difference between the LX and EX should be answered there. It's where I get all my info. If you want a brochure maybe the dealership would have some (they might not be there yet since it's a new model) and you can take the brochure home and read it carefully so you are familiar with the vehicles

yesroh · September 2005

I've been told a lot of things by the dealers which weren't really true. I thought we had decided that the top gear was taller on the auto and that's why the mileage was better. This makes the most sense because I've seen taller gearing in economy cars to get great fuel economy.
Maybe he meant the new computer for the auto improved shifting and allowed a higher gear because shifting was so precise. I'd be curious to see what the other dealers say.
I remember late 1998 right after I'd bought my Accord. I'd already had information on the new Civic Si hatchback and all its specs. The Honda dealer didn't even know Honda was making an Si. It was on the Honda website already. I had to fill them in on it.

yesroh · September 2005

http://automobiles.honda.com/

It's Honda's website. It will tell you everything you need to know.
Yes, the LX comes with 16" wheels. The LX has steel wheels...otherwise they wouldn't have wheel covers but they're have styled alloy wheels. So the Lx's wheels are heavier.
How would using 15" wheels improve gas mileage? Even if you drop 40 pounds it probably won't be something you'd notice on gas mileage. It might make the car a bit quicker but I doubt if there will be a noticeable difference in gas mileage, especially highway mileage. Look at the difference in weight between the DX, LX, and EX, and the EPA figures are identical.
Also, I don't think the dealer would give you any credit for swaping out standard alloy wheels. I can pretty much guarantee they'll tell you to swap them out yourself. Keep the alloy wheels. It will improve the value of your car, and the looks.

allfiredup · September 2005

There are all sorts of tricks dealers try. Just say NO to anything that isn't on the Honda window sticker. Most dealers have a second sticker next to it where they've added extras like protection packages, paint sealant, floor mats, stripes and a host of other useless junk. Not that some of these items aren't desirable, but hideously overpriced. I saw a dealer once charging $495 for an "appearance package". This package included floor mats, pinstripes and mud guards. I bought the pieces from the parts department at another dealer (after I bought the car with none of these add-ons) for $140 and put them all on myself.

I strongly suggest against extended warranties, VIN etching or any other security features they offer. The car comes with a security system and if you want any of these other things you'll do much better to get them after you buy the car. They're pure profit for a dealer.

There are a few honest dealers out there, but don't let your guard down. Remember they're paid to be nice and earn your trust. It's a very good idea to print out any price quotes they've sent you as well as any other prices you've gotten from sites like ,p>
Edmunds (as long as they work in your favor).

Good luck!

yesroh · September 2005

I think this is a bad time to buy because the Civics are new and gas prices are high. Small, efficient cars are probably going to be in higher demand, at least for the near future.

yesroh · September 2005

Consumer Reports "auto issue" had a lot of good advice on buying a used car. I believe they tell you to start with dealer invoice, add shipping charges, and then a few hundred dollars and start there.

yesroh · September 2005

Coupes are considered sporty. Honda stiffened the suspension on their Accord coupes also...I know, because I own one. Most people who want a sporty car will get the coupe. The rest of us will want a 4-door and might bring our families, so we want a softer ride.
Honda has been doing this with their Accords for at least eight years.

yesroh · September 2005

Well, if it's your first time buying, find an experienced friend whom you can trust. I think that's a marvelous idea. Don't be outnumbered by the dealers!

yesroh · September 2005

If they have an 'appearance package' you can always come back and get it later. Don't buy anything you didn't want to buy in the first place. If you aren't sure, ask for time to do research. Don't let them dictate your timeline or hurry you into buying something you don't know about. Go home, come back later. Chances are, it's a gimmick.
If it isn't, you can always buy it later. I would try to squeeze in Honda floor mats. None of my cars came with them and they are probably $100 or more these days. Anyone else on this? The Honda floor mats just look nicer than the Walmart mats. You might be able to get them in the deal.

drexelnet · September 2005

Congratulation on your new car. I was wondering if you could tell me how do you know that your vehicle was built in Japan rather than in USA/Canada without asking the saleperson. Where did you look?

Thanks

allfiredup · September 2005

Actually, this year, the LX and EX sedans are available in all the same colors. The LX and EX coupes are also with the exception of Rallye Red being added for the EX coupe in January 2006. I guess the darker red color in all the Si photos is an Si exclusive color.

allfiredup · September 2005

According to the Honda website, floor mats are standard on LX and EX models. I'm sure some unscrupulous dealers will charge for them anyway...or for that sticky plastic film on top of them...

creamyam · September 2005

Does anyone know if i could negotiate a 2005 rsx type s to around 20k-21k cause then i'd consider it over the Si. Other than that Si is a clear winner.

backy · September 2005

Look at the window sticker--it will give the place of manufacture.

crazycro · September 2005

The first digit or letter of the VIN # lets you know where the car was made. J obviously stands for Japan the number 1 stands for U.S. and the number 2 stands for Canada. Hope this helps.

steveoregon · September 2005

The window sticker also tells you where it was built.

Look Here

kknowles · September 2005

The LX has 16-inch wheels under its hubcaps and the same exact Bridgestone Turanza tires as the EX has on its aluminum rims.

Gas mileage on manual is 38 compared to 40 for auto..

only1harry · September 2005

Drexelnet: Dealers have all kinds of tricks up their sleeve. Take it from someone who has bought over a dozen new cars.

You really must read Edmund's tips on how to deal with car salesmen and get the best price on your new car. It also tells you how they think and operate. I tried most of what they recommended back in the mid-90's and believe me it works, but I bought my last 3-4 cars via e-mail (e-mail several dealerships for the best price) and closed the deal via e-mail without having stepped foot at the dealership, or ever having met the salesman. They 're actually called Internet Sales Managers and every dealership has at least one of them who is responsible for handling deals through the internet/e-mail, and is authorized to quote you. They are actually management and rarely have to consult the general manager or sales manager when you hit them up with a pretty low offer. With the '06 Civics however a couple of hundred bucks is all the discount you 're going to get since they just came out and you 'll have to work hard on that as well. In a few months or in the winter months, you 'll be able to get one for a thousand $$ or more less than sticker without trying much. Another important thing is that you know the car's invoice (what the dealer pays) price, so you can work your way up from there.

If it's your first time buying a new car, I 'm sorry to say (or predict) but you 'll be taken in one way or another. Here are some examples you may fall victim of:

1. They are (and will) going to give you a high interest rate
Solution: Don't let them. Tell them (bluff) that you can get a better rate on the Web or from your bank. See how fast they drop it. Shop around before you go so you know what the going new car rates are.

2. They 're going to sell you an extended warranty at a rediculously high price with a
large deductible (like $100). The business or finance manager usually does that
It's his/her job to sell you as much extras and crap as they can short of a pink elephant because they make great comission off those especially the ext.warr. which they hugely inflate.
Solution: Don't purchase an extended warranty. If they talk you into it, get a 100k mi. one, nothing less. They 'll try and sell you the 75k with probably a $50 or more deductible. Ext. Warr. should cost way under $1K with ZERO deductible. I got one with my '01 Civic (which I won't do again because I didn't use it) because I talked them down to $650 for 100k mi./0 deductible. I did not expect them to say YES, because I didn't want to buy one. (They started at $1500 and met my $650!!). 99.99% of the time you won't have a major repair or even a minor repair until you have way more than 100k mi. My '01 Civic has 156k mi. No problems so far (knock on wood).

3. They 'll sell you the car very close to sticker/retail price.
Solution: Read Edmund's tips. Follow my tips and say no and insist on your price.

4. They 'll sell you a car with 50-100mi. on it. (that's not a new car!)
Solution: Do not buy the car you test drive unless it has 10mi. or less on the odometer. Cars with more miles than that have a higher chance of being abused by people that test drove it before you. The more miles on it the more the odds, meaning they violated proper proper break-in procedures which will result in poor gas mileage in the future and/or premature clutch & tranny problems, etc. The drivetrain needs to be broken in properly by taking it easy the first 1k mi. Besides, to most of us, a car with 50, 75 or 100mi. is not really a new car. Do you want your new car to have been test driven by 20-30 people? I never bought a new car with more than 10mi. Most of my Hondas had 2-3 mi. on them. Pick one from way in the back that is blocked in by other new cars around it from every which way. This way you ensure it's brand new with no or very few test drives.

5. They 'll pressure you into making a decision fast. They 'll tell you they can't hold the car, etc.
Solution: You say: "whatever, you 'll get more cars in" or "if you meet my price then I 'll buy the car today/tomorrow".

6. They will ask you (mostly demand from you) for a $1,000 deposit to hold the car or as a good faith gesture.
Solution: Kindly offer $100-200 and make sure it's refundable if you decide not to buy the car for any reason. You don't have to tell them the reason - just any. Tell them their asking for so much means they don't trust you or they think you 're dishonest and you don't like that. Get it in writing that it's refundable. They can hand-write this anywhere on the contract (make sure it shows up on all carbon copies, not just yours).

7. They 'll ask you to sign a contract in which they have left out: A: the negotiated/agreed upon car price, B: tax(es), C: dealer fee(s),

the VIN# of the car you want to buy, E: total price with everything, F: have not filled out anything except your name & address & deposit. Nissan just did this to my naive niece who was buying her first car and didn't call me for help until after the fact. She 's having trouble getting her deductible back because they bought the car from another dealer and drove it 120mi. and wanted almost full sticker price for it. All she has is a blank contract which shows her $300 down payment without showing the price of the car. They claim it cost them almost that much to transfer the car from another dealership plus they piled mileage on it to drive it over, so they 're not giving her the deposit back!
Solution: Do not sign the contract if anything is missing from the contract or there are empty fields/items. Don't sign if you don't like the price they write down. Don't bother with the contract at all if they haven't said YES to your price or you to theirs. Do not sign until after the salesman has explained all the items (fees, etc.) to you (salesmen are fluent in reading contracts upside down - paper facing you). Challenge the dealer fees and call other dealers to see what their "fee" is for preparing the paperwork, registering your car (getting you new plates, etc.) In NY dealer fee is $25-50, plus another $50 for the Motor Vehicle registration & new plates which goes to DMV, not the dealer.

8. They 'll sell you another car that the one you thought you were getting. This happend to me!
Solution: Write down the VIN # of the car you want to buy or agree to buy (not just the LOT# on the windshield). Make sure the salesman understand that this is the car you want, and not the one you drove the day before, or the one he showed you or talked about, etc. Dealer tried to sell me a different car when I went to pick it up. I noticed some touch-up paint on the hood which made me suspicious. I looked at the VIN # on the preliminary contract and it was different than the one on the final Bill of Sale contract they had prepered.

drexelnet · September 2005

Only1harry,

Thank you very much for taking your time to provide me with those wonderful detail information. I really appreciate it, honesty. Hopefully, I can walk away knowing that I got a steal. But, what do you mean by deductible? I'm planning to pay all upfront in cash, do you think that they would give me a discount if I pay all upfront?

Thanks a bunch.

only1harry · September 2005

No problem.
Deductible: When you buy an extended warranty, it's very much like buying car insurance. With car insurance, if you get into an accident you pay the first $250 or $500 of the damages and the insurance company pays the rest. That $250 or $500 is called the deductible. Same as your HMO "co-pay" or medical insurance. You pay the first $15-20 to your doctor, and they collect the rest from you insurance company.

Well, IF they talk you into buying an extended warranty, which I don't recommend, make sure it has a ZERO ($0 dollars) deductible. Meaning if something breaks on your car past the 36mo. warranty, you don't have to pay a dime to the Honda dealer to fix it. No out of pocket costs. If you purchase an ext. warr. with say a $50 deductible, then you 'd have to pay the first $50 of the repair. You don't want that. You also don't want a 60k or 75k. mi. ext. warranty. Nothing will go wrong at 60-75k mi. You want at least a 100k mi. warranty. That is, IF they talk you into it.

Also don't let them RUSH you into making a decision. They 'll put a lot of pressure on you to buy the car right away. Unless they 've met your price and you 're happy with the negotiated price, then go ahead and buy the car. Do not sign anything unless you 've test driven the car you are buying first. Write down the last 6-7 digits of the VIN# so when you come back to test drive it again or for any reason, or to pick it up after they have prepped it, you 're making sure you 're getting the same car. Also tell the salesman to NOT allow anyone else to test drive the car you have agreed to buy (after you have put a small deposit on it and signed a contract). They 'll usually put a note on it that's it's sold or he 'll enter it in the computer so that the next salesman won't see it as being available on his monitor. Make sure he/she understands that you 're really serious about anyone driving it and the low mileage..

After you agree on a price and have driven the car you want, you will put a deposit down and sign the preliminary contract which is basically a show of faith that you will return and buy the car. That's Day 1 of the process (or you could return the next day after shopping around some more and sign the contract). Then there is a 1 possibly 2 day waiting period after that, in which time they process your credit/loan application, and you go get insurance on the new car which you haven't really bought yet, but intend to buy. They approve your loan and then they call you to tell you which bank or what rate you got (according to how good your credit is), and ask you when you can come in to sign the final papers and pick up your new car.
That's usually when they try to sell you a bridge (ext. warranty, etc.), just before you sign agreeing to pay the loan back. Once you say NO I don't want anything extra, they 'll finalize it (not add anything to the price you were quoted) and ask you (or not) if you would like to inspect the car. You will inspect the car before you sign anything.

Look for dings, scratches (inside and out), weather stripping on all the doors are not hanging (sometimes they damage them while they clean the car or get in and out to vaccum it..), no ripped cloth/seats, a good wax job all around (They only waxed half my wife's CRV! and Armorall'ed 3 out of the 4 tires!!! the other guy on the other side of the car fell asleep - I saw them using 2 guys to clean & wax the cars, 1 side each - messed up). Test the radio, blinkers, lights, A/C (A/C was not connected on my '97 Civic - the technician had disconnected it while checking something and forgot to reconnect it). Look under the hood - make sure there are no leaks or fluids laying around, ensure all reservoirs and levels are full like antifreeze, brake fluid, etc. Most dealers will give you a full tank of gas. Check the fuel gauge. I don't know if they still do it with these gas prices.. Ask them before you buy. You also may want to drive it around the block once more to make sure there are no strange noises or check engine light (CEL). Once satisfied with the car, go back inside and sign your life away. That's pretty much the whole process.

allfiredup · September 2005

Apparently, paying cash used to be a good negotiation tool but that isn't the case today. Dealers often sell cars for smaller profits and make their money on accessories, extended warranties and financing. The benefit of using cash is that they have one less opportunity to gouge you (on financing).

Don't offer any information you don't have to. Don't tell them this is the first time you've purchased a car (if that is the case). Hold out on telling them you're paying cash until you have a written price that you know is fair.

only1harry made some great points...some I wouldn't have even thought about. The one about avoiding cars with 50, 100 or more miles is a great tip. I'd honestly not thought about the test drive abuse that could occur. That's the same reason I tell people never to buy a former rental car.

Your question about "deductible"- a deductible is the portion you have to pay for a repair before the warranty kicks in. For instance, your radiator goes out and it's going to cost $300. If you have a $100 deductible, you have to pay $100 and they'll pay $200. Some folks on here may disagree with me, but I think extended warranties are a waste of money and should be avoided. I've owned eight Honda/Acura products in my life and never had any sort of problem after the warranty ran out until well over 100,000 miles. An extended warranty would have been a total waste of my money. Today, cars are so well engineered and built that major components last over the 100k mark. The ones with "lemon" parts typically crap out well before a standard warranty runs out.

Once again, good luck!

Honda Civic Sedan 2006

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