"I'm told most people with very good credit have in the high 600's, so it's a little deceptive."
According to Bankrate.com a credit score of 720 is about the median for the U.S. population (where half of Americans are either above or below). 40% of Americans are above 749 and 11% are above 800.
I'd say that Honda was pretty generous in extended it's low APR financing to anyone in the top half of the population.
"I was turned down by Honda Financial Services online."
If you've been turned down for credit, you can get a free copy of the credit report which included the negative information used to deny your loan. Something is clearly wrong if Trans-Union says you're at 901 but Honda turned you down for a car loan in December of all months.
I just talked to Ed Voyles I think the deal on LX is available before the end of the year. The person I talked to there is Mike Dennihy. If you want you can tell them that I referred you. My last name is Jain.
Any body have an idea of how much should i be paying for 2005 Accord EX-L Auto in Houston or Austin, TX? I am getting a quote of 21,800 (including destination). I need tinted windows and splash guards (I guess it will be useful).
I need to add another 300 for the above two on top of selling price.
I live in Sonoma County, California, and wanted to buy a 2005 Accord V6 EX non NAV. Based on other posts on this forum I contacted Autowest Honda in Fremont over the internet. This is about two hours from my home. They really gave me a remarkable price of $22,838 plus doc fees of $45, and tax and license. I was astounded by this price, as this is about $1600 under the invoice. They then emailed me a few days later with a "blowout" price of the car I wanted, which they have in stock, of $22,638. This is about $1800 under invoice. I don't know how they can do this. I spoke with them directly, and the deal is legit without any hidden fees or costs. In any event, I really preferred to buy this locally for a variety of reasons, and my local dealer was able to come in at $23,200 after seeing my other quote. I am happy with this price, and have agreed to it. I pick up the car tomorrow night. In any event, no other dealer could touch the Autowest Honda of Fremont price. One nice guy at Hansel Honda in Petaluma let me know that he currently has no help from the parent company, and even if he wipes out his entire dealer holdback, the best he could do is $1000 under invoice. As it is I was able to get it at $1300 under invoice. The invoice is $24,500 for this car. Anybody have any idea how the other dealer could possibly do this? Consumer Reports shows no current dealer incentives for this car.
>>Mine was at 801 when I checked it last year... So, the program isn't deceptive...but the person that told you that most people with "good credit" score in the 600s might have been.
Did they tell you what your credit score is? <<<< Didn't matter as it was a business purchase. Mine isn't particularly high because while we pay all our bills promptly, as a small business owner I'm personally guaranteeing the sun, the moon, and a constellation of stars. In the Army I had to personally sign for an Armored Cavalry Platoon - nine vehicles and associated weapon systems and commo gear, total $7 million. So I'm used to it.
I just got back from the dealership. I purchased a silver EX V6 without navigation for $24 even, including destination, not including a $400 dealer prep fee, and of course, TT&L. I also got mud guards, wheel locks, door edge guards, and the fender protectors thrown in at no additional cost. I probably could have done a little better (I had another dealer promising to "beat any deal by $300" but they're a 45 minute drive away), but I'd had enough by then, and felt good about my deal. Of course, I felt better before reading the post before mine:). I live in southwest Florida.
I have been emailing to several dealers in ATL over the last two weeks or so. I've received quotes of $299-$499 for doc. With the lower fee the car price seemed higher so it's probably not worth a drive.
___I have no idea how these Honda dealerships are running the prices well below Hold Back but they are? I only wish I knew what the internal incentives actually were?
___Anyway, I have been considering an 05 Accord EX-L Sedan I4 w/ Auto and NAVI for quite some time. If Fremont’s numbers work out similar to what they quoted you on the V6, this Accord would go for ~ $22,458 or ~ $1,901 below its Invoice!
___Honda’s H/B is only 2.5% of MSRP so that equates to $667.50 for the V6 and $662.50 for the loaded up I4. How are these Honda dealerships letting brand new 05’s go for an ~ $1,233 loss? The 04’s have the $1,300 factory to dealer incentive of course but not the 05’s that any of us know about? Or do they :-D
___Thanks for the update in any case. I wonder if they would allow me (an Illini) to fly out and pick one up w/out the much higher California taxes attached if they have the above I4 in Graphite Pearl ;-)
I have been quoted a price of 19498.00 on a 2005 Accord EX 5sp 4 cyl cloth, manual is this a good price . I have also qualified for the Honda financing do all Honda dealers do this financing . Thanks for any help in making this car decision.
hondaman, is that your out-the-door price? If so, I'd say it's terrific. What's included in that price?
For comparison, I am currently embroiled in negotiations to purchase an 05 Accord *LX* sedan, 5-speed 4cyl cloth, and my best offer so far is 17,736 as the selling price (including destination) and an out-the-door price (including my local 7.25% sales tax) of $19,154.61. I'm in Northeastern Ohio.
Wow, acrispino, looks like I need to move to Connecticut. For the Accord LX 5-speed manual, CarsDirect is quoting me $18,475, much more than where you are!
But it shows hondaman really is getting a good deal.
I now have 11 bids in for my 05 Accord LX sedan 5-speed cloth 4-cylinder (whew!). None of the bids stink. There is a gap of only $537.14 between my lowest OTD offer (19154.61) and the highest (19691.75). The highest base price offered to me was invoice--all others were below invoice. It looks like everyone is ready to deal to at least some degree right now.
I agree with acrispino--if your 18,100 includes the $515 destination fee, that's a great deal.
Well, we have a winner on my car: Honda Park South in New Philadelphia, Ohio is not only getting me my 05 LX 5-spd cloth 4cyl for an OTD price of $19,139.60, they are bringing it to my house! This will save me a good 2 1/2 to 3 hours of driving. I am very happy with this deal.
The $18,100 price includes the destination charge, but that is it. No other dealer fees are included. So is this still a good price?
Another question is: is VIN etching fee optional? I read on carbuyingtips.com that this fee is ridiculous and that it can be done by the buyer itself for much cheaper. Opinions?
How many other fees and charges are there besides the purchase price of the car itself? I am trying to decide the out of the door price on this Accord if I decide to take the $18,100 price tag.
In many parts of the country dealers have to pay stiff property taxes on cars in inventory as of 12/31. So, as 12/31 approaches some dealers may sell much below their true cost (whatever that is) to avoid paying property tax on the car.
I bought an 05 LX auto in TN for a shade under invoice a couple of weeks ago. Had I waited I could have probably done better (but the car I wanted may have been sold, too).
It will be interesting to see if things tighten up again in January.
___Whooa, that would be a hell of an incentive to move cars off the lot! Is this in California only? This tax can’t be based on a car being on the lot for a week or two being charged for a whole year, can it? That would be nuts as most car dealerships will be out of business in weeks after 12/31 if so.
___If what you posted is true, there will be far smaller inventory of automobiles on the lots of all dealerships in those states that grab this tax in the coming months. This will seriously bind up the manufacturers as well as used car lots. What a nightmare this $ grab will become for the dealerships and us. I can see 6 or 7 cars on the lot for test drives and 6 - 10 week waits to order. Or those interested in purchasing will simply cross state lines to purchase an automobile on the ground today.
___Thanks for the insight. I just don’t know if I should wait a few months for an Accord Sedan - I4 w/ Auto EX-L w/ NAVI or not now :-( The wife liked the one we test drove today but possibly not enough to jump through hoops tomorrow for an automobile purchase half way across the country whether that be in Massachusetts or California! If I am going to purchase, it has to be a PZEV thus the travel.
If you got an automatic your deal is amazing. I had to buy in a hurry and shopped around some, but ultimately paid 18,648 for a 2005 LX with the added security system which is necessary. The lowest I've seen 2005 lx's for is 18,198 in the NJ area thru Carfax. But who knows. The bottom line is that the Honda accord and the Camry are the best cars made for the money.
I have the p/s in front of me and the price is for a green 4 door sedan ex cloth interior. It is a 5 speed manual transmission . The price will be 19498.00 + 198.00 doc prep and license fee . They wanted to sell the maintenance plan for 1350.00 seemed a bit high so i declined on that then brought it down to 950.00 but I still did not want it . So thats the price I will pay plus sales tax . Also getting 1.9 finance. hondaman3
wow, bought the same honda at DCH for 19,900 with the optional security system. Had I waited several days I might have gotten a similar deal. One must always remember end of the month/year sales.
The only other fees I was charged on my 4door 5 speed ex car was 198.75 doc prep registration fee. But they will try to sell you more stuff in the finance office . Honda care ,lojax ,tire insurance ,fabric protection .These can add up if you can't say no. Hondaman
I've been emailing several dealerships and the lowest price quote on a Accord LX Coupe Auto I have been given is 18,600. Is this a good price? The dealerships don't seem to want to quote me any more prices. They all say they will beat it. but won't give me a specific number. One dealership also offered free tires and loaner cars for life. Has anyone else been offered this? Is it legit?
As a follow up to my last post, I took delivery of my car tonight at Manle Honda. I paid $23,200 plus $45 doc fees, $5 California tire fee, and tax and license. There was no attempt at all to sell me any other useless products such as etching and other fluff. In fact, the car already had door edge guards which were put on the car at the dealer where the car was originally. My dealer had to trade for it. I was not charged for those. The whole experience was terrific. I'm very pleased, and the car is fantastic. There really are some good deals to be had at this time of year for some reason. My car is $1300 under invoice, which is the best deal I have ever gotten for a car.
I got free tires and oil changes for life.....the catch is all the service(including tire rotation and yearly alignment) must be done by that dealer. I am used to doing all my maintenance myself, but I am used to GM products. I still have to call the service department to get the service prices to see if they out weigh the cost of the tires.
If they bring the car all the way to your house and you see that it has a defect, it will be hard for you to refuse it.
It would be much, much safer to drive to the dealer and look at the car very carefully.
There must be a good reason why they are willing to sell a car cheaply and drive it all the way to your house. Flood damage that has been touched up? Damage by the dealer that has been hurriedly repaired? Sounds very suspicious to me.
You have got to be kidding...there?! The greatest Honda dealer in that area sold me a vehicle at a very fair price [Route Honda in Pompton Plains]! The salesman I dealt with, Michael Washington was awesome! Did you know they even have this thing they call AutoAwards which they say is like a frequent flier mileage program giving you money back?
I posted yesterday that we are shopping for a Honda Accord LX V4 Auto Sedan. The lowest quote we got is from a dealer in Manchester, NH.
We have a trade-in car valued at $1480 according to Kelley Blue Book, but since it is missing rear bumper which is a major defect, it is valued less. Anyway, the final sale price with the trade-in is $17250, which we consider is a great deal.
We are going to sign the paperwork today and get the car tomorrow. We also get a great $1.9 APR financing.
Wayne, I am in TN so I don't know if local property taxes would be an issue or consideration for you. I am sure this varies greatly from state to state and town to town. I don't even know the details of this here in TN, but believe it to be true.
Most if not all of the great deals posted in recent weeks are only memories. I talked to two Honda dealers today who said that they'd already met their sales quotas for next year's allocation. Both of these dealers (and probably most other Honda dealers around the nation) have stopped giving out super low price quotes and, in fact, they're talking about $600 price increases for the new year starting now.
The lesson I've learned here is that hunting for awesome year-end deals can be a tricky proposition. The best deals can be had right before a dealer meets his allocation quota - whenever that is. The next day, you're probably out of luck without a written quote.
The last week of December might be too late to get the best deals possible.
Toyota and Nissan are advertising on TV year-end sales that end on Jan. 3rd. 2005. I know the Honda 1.9% financing on Accords ends on Jan. 5th.. Could it be that for some Honda Dealers the year end is on Jan. 5th., also?
The low APR financing is provided by the manufacturers. What motivates a dealer to continue offering super low prices once they've reached their allocation quota for the following calendar year? Low dealer prices and low APR financing are two very different things.
Toyota is really smart - their "Toyotathon Sales Event" runs all the way until the end of the year. How many Toyota buyers in the last week of December realize that the "year-end sales prices" they're getting are probably much higher that what others got just a week or two earlier?
Interesting too to ponder why Honda doesn't abuse it's customers in the same way.
What is different about this dealership, is that they give you a very competitive up front price without any bargaining to begin with. For example: the up front price we got for the Honda Accord LX Auto Sedan is $18595, which is very good considering the invoice price is $19079. This dealership puts its whole inventory on their website, and they also give the up front price on the website for each car.
I like this dealership a lot and will recommend my friends to shop there in the future.
With trade-in, we got a deal of $17250 for the Accord LX Auto today (this price is prior to tax and fees, but does include the destination charge).
I was offered from a dealer just outside of Philadelphia, PA, a white 2005 Honda Accord LX Sedan w/ auto transmission for $18,444 (including destination charge) plus tags ($195) & tax. I would love to hear all of your opinions if this price is Very Good or Reasonable or Overpriced.
Thank you all for your input and wish you and your family a wonderful New Year!!!
I think this price is pretty good. I bought an Accord LX 4 dr with AT for 17,900 on Monday. However, in my case it was a special case of year end and month end quota pressures.
One interesting thing that the dealer told me is that Honda does not advertise cash back like Toyota is on their vehicles (you can go to toyota website and find all incentives). Thus, it might be the case that Honda has some silent incentives going on that we dont have a good information on. However, I found no other dealer could match the price I was getting so seems like it was pretty much a product of quota incentives.
" Honda does not advertise cash back like Toyota is on their vehicles (you can go to toyota website and find all incentives). Thus, it might be the case that Honda has some silent incentives"
Honda makes it possible for the dealers to maximize profits because consumers don't KNOW the amounts of the incentives the way that they do with GM, Ford, DC, Toyota. This does a disservice to the consumer.
I've been told in forums that Honda doesn't have to give incentives like other manufacturers when I said there must be some incentive in play for the pricing. Obviously there are incentives but the customer is on the short end of knowledge so they often end up paying more than they could have by not knowing how much incentive is offered (to the dealer).
Looking for a 2005 Accord EX-Leather, Automatic w/o Navigation. Was quoted $21,800(which includes destination charge, but excludes TTL)from a dealer in Central NJ. Carsdirect.com is quoting same price. After reading posts on Edmunds, it seems like there is still room to negotiate. Interested in prices paid by others in NJ/NY area or thoughts on this quote. Thanks.
I think the invoice price now a day is pretty meaningless cuz I've seen so many people including myself buying below invoice. so what price can we go by now?
It used to be the case that we would negotiate from invoice and give the dealer whatever amount (usu. $500) is right, but seems like that's not the case anymore. We probably should start $1000 below invoice and negotiate up!
Does anyone feel that the invoice and TMV that Edmunds quotes are way too high?
Comments
According to Bankrate.com a credit score of 720 is about the median for the U.S. population (where half of Americans are either above or below). 40% of Americans are above 749 and 11% are above 800.
I'd say that Honda was pretty generous in extended it's low APR financing to anyone in the top half of the population.
We got the deal from Ed Voyles Honda at Cobb parkway.
If you've been turned down for credit, you can get a free copy of the credit report which included the negative information used to deny your loan. Something is clearly wrong if Trans-Union says you're at 901 but Honda turned you down for a car loan in December of all months.
Thanks
I need to add another 300 for the above two on top of selling price.
Thanks
West 120, Route 4
Paramus, NJ 07652
Did they tell you what your credit score is? <<<< Didn't matter as it was a business purchase. Mine isn't particularly high because while we pay all our bills promptly, as a small business owner I'm personally guaranteeing the sun, the moon, and a constellation of stars. In the Army I had to personally sign for an Armored Cavalry Platoon - nine vehicles and associated weapon systems and commo gear, total $7 million. So I'm used to it.
-Sterp
___I have no idea how these Honda dealerships are running the prices well below Hold Back but they are? I only wish I knew what the internal incentives actually were?
___Anyway, I have been considering an 05 Accord EX-L Sedan I4 w/ Auto and NAVI for quite some time. If Fremont’s numbers work out similar to what they quoted you on the V6, this Accord would go for ~ $22,458 or ~ $1,901 below its Invoice!
05 Accord EX Sedan V6:
$26,700 MSRP/$24,024 INVOICE + $515 destination = $27,215 MSRP/$24,539 INVOICE
05 Accord EX Sedan I4 EX-L w/ NAVI:
$26,500 MSRP/$23,844 INVOICE + $515 destination = $27,015 MSRP/$24,359 INVOICE
___Honda’s H/B is only 2.5% of MSRP so that equates to $667.50 for the V6 and $662.50 for the loaded up I4. How are these Honda dealerships letting brand new 05’s go for an ~ $1,233 loss? The 04’s have the $1,300 factory to dealer incentive of course but not the 05’s that any of us know about? Or do they :-D
___Thanks for the update in any case. I wonder if they would allow me (an Illini) to fly out and pick one up w/out the much higher California taxes attached if they have the above I4 in Graphite Pearl ;-)
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
For comparison, I am currently embroiled in negotiations to purchase an 05 Accord *LX* sedan, 5-speed 4cyl cloth, and my best offer so far is 17,736 as the selling price (including destination) and an out-the-door price (including my local 7.25% sales tax) of $19,154.61. I'm in Northeastern Ohio.
Their price for the 5 speed LX in Connecticut is $17,475.
For the 5 speed EX, it's $19,654.
Both of these include the $515 destination fee.
But it shows hondaman really is getting a good deal.
Year: 2005;
Model: LX V4, 4dr Sedan;
Options: Automatic Transmission;
Color: black
Our local Honda dealer agreed to sell it to us for: $18,100.00
My question is: is this a good deal? Should I take it or return a lower price? How much lower?
Thanks very much!
If it does, it's a great price. If it doesn't, you may be able to do better.
Well, we have a winner on my car: Honda Park South in New Philadelphia, Ohio is not only getting me my 05 LX 5-spd cloth 4cyl for an OTD price of $19,139.60, they are bringing it to my house! This will save me a good 2 1/2 to 3 hours of driving. I am very happy with this deal.
Another question is: is VIN etching fee optional? I read on carbuyingtips.com that this fee is ridiculous and that it can be done by the buyer itself for much cheaper. Opinions?
Thanks again!
How many other fees and charges are there besides the purchase price of the car itself? I am trying to decide the out of the door price on this Accord if I decide to take the $18,100 price tag.
Thanks!
I bought an 05 LX auto in TN for a shade under invoice a couple of weeks ago. Had I waited I could have probably done better (but the car I wanted may have been sold, too).
It will be interesting to see if things tighten up again in January.
___Whooa, that would be a hell of an incentive to move cars off the lot! Is this in California only? This tax can’t be based on a car being on the lot for a week or two being charged for a whole year, can it? That would be nuts as most car dealerships will be out of business in weeks after 12/31 if so.
___If what you posted is true, there will be far smaller inventory of automobiles on the lots of all dealerships in those states that grab this tax in the coming months. This will seriously bind up the manufacturers as well as used car lots. What a nightmare this $ grab will become for the dealerships and us. I can see 6 or 7 cars on the lot for test drives and 6 - 10 week waits to order. Or those interested in purchasing will simply cross state lines to purchase an automobile on the ground today.
___Thanks for the insight. I just don’t know if I should wait a few months for an Accord Sedan - I4 w/ Auto EX-L w/ NAVI or not now :-( The wife liked the one we test drove today but possibly not enough to jump through hoops tomorrow for an automobile purchase half way across the country whether that be in Massachusetts or California! If I am going to purchase, it has to be a PZEV thus the travel.
___Good Luck and Thank you
___Wayne R. Gerdes
Year: 2005;
Model: LX V4, 4dr Sedan;
Options: Automatic Transmission;
Color: black
Our local Honda dealer agreed to sell it to us for: $18,100.00
My question is: is this a good deal? Should I take it or return a lower price? How much lower?
Thanks very much!
I would like to buy a V4 Honda as well, ha ha ha.
It would be much, much safer to drive to the dealer and look at the car very carefully.
There must be a good reason why they are willing to sell a car cheaply and drive it all the way to your house. Flood damage that has been touched up? Damage by the dealer that has been hurriedly repaired? Sounds very suspicious to me.
We have a trade-in car valued at $1480 according to Kelley Blue Book, but since it is missing rear bumper which is a major defect, it is valued less. Anyway, the final sale price with the trade-in is $17250, which we consider is a great deal.
We are going to sign the paperwork today and get the car tomorrow. We also get a great $1.9 APR financing.
Good luck.
The lesson I've learned here is that hunting for awesome year-end deals can be a tricky proposition. The best deals can be had right before a dealer meets his allocation quota - whenever that is. The next day, you're probably out of luck without a written quote.
The last week of December might be too late to get the best deals possible.
Toyota is really smart - their "Toyotathon Sales Event" runs all the way until the end of the year. How many Toyota buyers in the last week of December realize that the "year-end sales prices" they're getting are probably much higher that what others got just a week or two earlier?
Interesting too to ponder why Honda doesn't abuse it's customers in the same way.
What is different about this dealership, is that they give you a very competitive up front price without any bargaining to begin with. For example: the up front price we got for the Honda Accord LX Auto Sedan is $18595, which is very good considering the invoice price is $19079. This dealership puts its whole inventory on their website, and they also give the up front price on the website for each car.
I like this dealership a lot and will recommend my friends to shop there in the future.
With trade-in, we got a deal of $17250 for the Accord LX Auto today (this price is prior to tax and fees, but does include the destination charge).
I was offered from a dealer just outside of Philadelphia, PA, a white 2005 Honda Accord LX Sedan w/ auto transmission for $18,444 (including destination charge) plus tags ($195) & tax. I would love to hear all of your opinions if this price is Very Good or Reasonable or Overpriced.
Thank you all for your input and wish you and your family a wonderful New Year!!!
One interesting thing that the dealer told me is that Honda does not advertise cash back like Toyota is on their vehicles (you can go to toyota website and find all incentives). Thus, it might be the case that Honda has some silent incentives going on that we dont have a good information on. However, I found no other dealer could match the price I was getting so seems like it was pretty much a product of quota incentives.
Wish you all a happy new year
Honda makes it possible for the dealers to maximize profits because consumers don't KNOW the amounts of the incentives the way that they do with GM, Ford, DC, Toyota. This does a disservice to the consumer.
I've been told in forums that Honda doesn't have to give incentives like other manufacturers when I said there must be some incentive in play for the pricing. Obviously there are incentives but the customer is on the short end of knowledge so they often end up paying more than they could have by not knowing how much incentive is offered (to the dealer).
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
It used to be the case that we would negotiate from invoice and give the dealer whatever amount (usu. $500) is right, but seems like that's not the case anymore. We probably should start $1000 below invoice and negotiate up!
Does anyone feel that the invoice and TMV that Edmunds quotes are way too high?
We can search the internet to get an idea what the invoice is but then... please read my comments above on my opinion about invoice prices.
May 2005 brings Peace & Happiness to everyone in the world!!!