2013 and earlier Honda Odyssey Prices Paid and Buying Experience

ayung

I got offered $1085 for 7 yrs/100k w/0 deductible.
I'm still looking for the best price though.

wondering if it's the best deal posted so far

balee1

First off, I am not a Honda parts salesman in any way, but I have shopped around for Honda accessories and have discovered a few realities. There is a website, www.cheaphondaparts.com which sells these accessories at a very competitive price.(they're in California) I bought my Pilot in Ohio and didn't want to pay the tax and retail price over the counter for side steps, cross bars, and splash guards. The installation is very simple on the majority of accessories and they include the instructions with your shipment. I've also ordered accessories for my Element as well from them. Plus, they ship FedEx so you get them quick. So many things like cross bars and side steps are "perceived" to be difficult and heavy labor. The reality is that for side steps as an example, has the holes pre-threaded underneath the vehicle for the bolts. For cross bars, I installed these on an 05 Odyssey a few days ago in 5 minutes flat. One torx wrench and a small screw driver and a ladder. Piece of cake. You run into more work on things like fog lights that require removing the entire front bumper. I'd leave that up to the dealership and have it covered under the vehicle warranty.

Anyway, I think it would be beneficial for you (a prospective buyer of any Honda vehicle) to take a walk to the parts counter and ask to see the installation instructions for your needed accessories. Then, decide which is easier and more economical.

I hope this helps!

balee1

4thcar

Is that a "Honda Care Extended Warranty" from Honda or an extended warranty from an independent insurance company?

suio

I too got an offer for an 05 Odyssey LX at $515 under MSRP last Friday. It is a Honda dealer in the twin cities area. The Ody is currently on order.

scotch

For those of you who are buying from neighboring states, are there additional costs to register the car in your state? For example, we live in Iowa, and there are very few Honda dealers, making it hard to get good deals. We're willing to drive to neighboring states such as Wisconsin, Illinois, MN, etc. if we could save $$ but we don't know what "additional" costs we'd have to face when it comes to registering the car in our state. Will the dealer handle the Iowa registration for us? Any other hidden costs involved in buying out of state? Thanks.

hpan

I am about to receive my '05 Ody EX-L Nav & DVD and wondering whether I should have the dealer install some accessories.

How useful are the fog lights? What's the advantage of the leather steering wheel? Should I try to replace the steering wheel myself?

I also want the auto day/night mirror. Is it an easy do-it-yourself job?

oldie

Is this Honda Care?

May I ask the dealer's name?

Thank you.

balee1

FOG LIGHTS: This requires removing the entire bumper yourself. Unless you are incredibly confident in your abilities, I'd leave it up to the dealership. Ask for their "internal" cost which removes the retail markup.

LEATHER WRAPPED WHEEL: The wheel doesn't come off for this. It's simply a leather "skin" that's put on the wheel. Put on similiar to lacing up a shoe. Again, for the small cost, I'd have them do this, that way if they mess it up, they're responsible, not you. This accessory is awesome as compared to the factory leather wheels. Every 4 - 5 months, get some leather cleaner and reconditioner and use it on your wheel and seats. I recommend the brand "Lexol"

AUTO DAY/NIGHT MIRROR: This involves wiring into where your maps lights are. Again, if you are comfortable with pulling down your ceiling a bit and doing some wiring, this is for you. Otherwise, have them do it. This accessory also includes a compass.

I hope this helps!

robr2

Every state is different but you may have to pay some little local fees where you buy it. You may have to pay for a temp tag to get it home unless your state allows you to remove the plate from the vehicle you are trading and put it on the new one.

Taxes and the such should be based on your home state when you register it.

The best bet is to call your insurance agent. I'm sure they deal with this all the time.

The one time I bought out of state was in NH and I live in MA. The dealer did all the paperwork for MA. I took my plate off the trade and put it on the new vehicle. MA gives you 48 hours to transfer the registration. My insurance company already had the new vehicle on my policy before I picked it up. I went to the RMV with all the papers and paid the tax and fee at that time.

One thing to keep in mind is that should you have to invoke any lemon laws, it's based on the state you bought the vehicle - not where you have it serviced or live.

hpan

Balee1, thanks for the tips!

For the leather steering wheel, if the leather is wrapped on the plastic wheel that comes with EX-L, will the wheel become noticeably thicker? Is the leather wheel that comes with Touring done the exactly the same way?

I have owned several new cars including a 2001 Ody EX, which was the first one that didn't have fog lights and only one that didn't have leather wheel. I am still driving a 2002 Accord V6, which is the 2nd one that doesn't have fog lights.

I wonder how useful the fog lights are and what advantage the leather wheel has over the plastic wheel. I'd appreciate any insights from you or anyone on this forum.

2000kshm

I'm looking for the cargo rack cross bar, dealer wants $220 or so for the 05 Ody, can you suggest a place and price to get them??

hifisoftware

I used to have M3 (previous body style) with fog lights. They did absolutely nothing useful (I live in Southern California near ocean and we often have fog like today). But I always though that they were cool. They do look better when car is low to the ground.

It's quite possible that they were brighter then regular lights (because they do not shine directly into incoming drivers), but they did not seem to light the road any better.

Kirstie_H

Don't forget -
We've got a whole discussion dedicated to Odyssey Accessories & Modifications

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

moo

My fog lamps are being installed at Stevens Creek Honda as I write this. The lamps cost about $250 (shipping included) thru College Hills Honda. Stevens Creek is charging about $400 in labor for installation. After chatting with their service guy, he said that their F&I guys typically charge $800 for the lights and installation.

The installation instructions are available off the College Hill's website. It involves removing the bumper, cutting out some portions as well as wiring work. I let the dealership guys take care of it so that I don't void the warranty.

Of interest. My Ody was not the only one in Service today. I was getting they to look at my driver's side sliding door. Sometimes the door will just about get to closed, but then reverse. The only way to reset it was to switch the system off, close the door manually, then reactivate the system. The lady with the 05 Touring model behind mine had problem getting the sliding door windows to work.

hpan

Are fog lights supposed to make the car more visible to other drivers in fog?

hpan

I wouldn't spend more than a few hundred bucks on fog lights.

Did you buy your Ody at Stevens Creek Honda? Did you lease or buy? What kind of deal did you get? I am trying to get a deal for $2K+ below MSRP. Do you think it's realistic?

I have been concerned with the first-year bugs of the '05 Ody. Now it makes me think twice before I take delivery of my Ody.

stickguy

the little bugs that work themselves out in the first couple of months are a good reason to wait until early next year, assuming you really don't need a car soon.

Sylvia

If you want to check the prices of accessories - click on the H&A Ad at the top of this page. I purchased accessories from them for my 2003 Ody and it was much cheaper than what the dealer was saying their cost was. Hope this helps and happy shopping!

focusjc

I wonder what is Torque Steer? Would it be something to be handled carefully? Thanks.

dex

fyi ... just saw that carsdirect.com are finally listing the 2005 odyssey for my zip in GA. however, their price is msrp which is a little disappointing since it's not difficult to do better than that.

hifisoftware

I saw carsdirect info for my zip yestarday too. It was (and still is) 2k over MSRP. I figured it was a no news since I can buy for MSRP.

robr2

Follow the link:

http://autorepair.about.com/cs/generalinfo/l/bldef_763a.htm

Essentially when power is applied the wheels tend to go off to the side as opposed to straight ahead. You will feel it in the steering wheel.

2000kshm

I received an offer for $1195 for 7/100, but with GE from dealer.

Will you please list the dealer and which warranty company??

elaine

Do dealers usually accept (partial) payment on credit cards? Our deposit was made by credit card, but would like to put all of our down payment on it to get the credit card perks.

And, yes, we will pay it off in full the first month it is due:)

My second question is what can you do, if anything, if you have put down a deposit, but you learn of a better deal at another dealer? Are deposit's refundable? Is the agreed upon price re-negotiable?

This hasn't happened. I'm just curious what the protocol is if it does happen?

Thank you.

balee1

It definately will make your steering wheel thicker. The leather on the Touring wheel is factory done and would be more like your 02 Accord V6. My wife swears that she likes the dealer installed leather over my 04 Accord factory leather wheel. I'd have to agree with her.

Fogs: maybe some more illumination at night, but mostly, it's just for looks.

balee1

http://www.cheaphondaparts.com/shop/productdetail.asp+SID+1+Categ- ory_ID+1323+Product_ID+6970

$159 plus shipping and maybe 10 minutes tops to install them...they'll send the directions with them and ship them FedEx

hpan

Yes, most dealers accept credit card for up to a certain amount. It's up to $2,500-5K in my area.

If you have not signed anything with the dealer, the deposit is fully redundable. Also, you don't have to buy the car if they don't give you the price you want when the car arrives at the dealership. You don't have to pay the price offered when you gave them the deposit.

balee1

Most dealerships say something like "you can put down up to 2000 on a credit card" or some price near that. From what I understand and please correct me if I'm wrong, but by law, they cannot refuse any amount. They can refuse a type of card, like American Express (which most do because of the high fees), but I don't believe they can stop you from paying alot with a credit card. I tend to say "Our finance department prefers not to charge more than $2000 on a credit card but there could be an exception made." That is not dishonest in any way but doesn't encourage high credit card deposits.

Referring to your second question about backing out of a deal when your Ody arrives: If you were happy with the dealership and they spent the time with you and you gave a deposit and signed a buyer's order, I would suggest you continue the relationship unless they do something dishonest to lose your business. There is nothing wrong with talking about price again when you Ody arrives but most likely, the buyer's order you signed and agreed to should be followed. Maybe negotiating some accessories into the deal would work better? Anyway, I would keep the experience on the positive note as best you can...it only benefits everyone involved.

hpan

I doubt there is such law and am sure there is none in California for dealers, which will incur at least 2% additional cost on any charged amount.

I don't see anything wrong not buying the car when it arrives at the dealership if you can get a lower price at another dealership for a similar car already in stock. The dealer you have given the deposit to can match or beat the lower price if they really want your business, or they can hold and wait to sell the car to the next sucker at a higher price.

Dealers will make a fortune if they sell the car to you at MSRP. The invoice of the Touring is just a little over $30K, and the dealer will make another $1K+ on the holdback.

majordad

Thanks for the advice. trying to refrain from buying early and having buyer's remorse later. An extra $500 to $1K saved may not seem like much, but it will go a long way toward my ego.

Hopefully prices in this region will start to equalize soon. I made the mistake of test driving the OD on Sep 22 and had a dealer quoting me $2K over MSRP..Never returned to that dealership, but they've called my voicemail stating that the dealer assessories are negotiable for vehicles which are ordered.

I don't believe this dealer is worth the time and effort.

Will continue my email search and see what develops.

elaine

Thanks for the quick responses. This was an internet deal, and nothing was signed. The salesman seems to be treating me quite well, so I certainly will want to continue with him. However, if I begin hearing of dealers in my driving distance offering $1000 under, I'll be a bit upset if I'm tied to $500 under.

I've never actually negotiated for a car before. My first was done as a relative of a Toyota employee, and the second was from Dave Smith's one-price no-haggle dealership. Unfortunately, they only carry domestic models.

I love the information on this board, it's very helpful!

robr2

It depends on their merchant agreement with the credit card companies. Our merchant agreement does not allow us to accept cards for the sale of automobiles - it's written in standard boilerplate.

Also, your rewards program may exclude car purchases as well - check your fine print.

ed5

Got my 2005 EXL-RES today, $32621 out the door ( including 6% tax and $300 dealer fees ) Naley, Honda, Brunswick GA. Got it throuh their internet sales dept., they even brought the car to my house. ( I live in Florida about 90 miles from the dealership ). Before I found this dealer I had to beg the dealers in Florida to even offer me one at MSRP... I had one dealer here offer to wave their $900 "paint protection" if I put down a deposit on the same car at $2000 above MSRP and waited a month for the car.

The most ironic part is the dealer in GA ended up trading with one of the dealers here in Florida that wouldn't budge on MSRP for the exact car I looked at a couple of days ago!

balee1

By my calculations, was this about a $2000 discount off sticker? I think MSRP is $32,410. Would my calculation be correct?

ed5

Got my 2005 EXL-RES today, $32621 out the door ( including 6% tax and $300 dealer fees ) Naley, Honda, Brunswick GA. Got it throuh their internet sales dept., they even brought the car to my house. ( I live in Florida about 90 miles from the dealership ). Before I found this dealer I had to beg the dealers in Florida to even offer me one at MSRP... I had one dealer here offer to wave their $900 "paint protection" if I put down a deposit on the same car at $2000 above MSRP and waited a month for the car.

The most ironic part is the dealer in GA ended up trading with one of the dealers here in Florida that wouldn't budge on MSRP for the exact car I looked at a couple of days ago!

ed5

Yes, approximately $2000 below MSRP, if you count the $300 fees call it $1700, but most dealers have some sort of fees on top of whatever price they quote you anyway. I just realized they threw in a pin stripe and splash guards without charging me for them also.

ayung

dealer : Dick Brooks Honda
warranty type : Honda Care

jmurman42

I agree with the other statement in regards to dealer costs. There are some dealers in the Baltimore area that will put on accessories even though you have a deposit on a particular in bound car. These could be the infamous "appearance packages" ($600-$800) Better to state up front what is acceptable and what is not.

dex

You can now get some terrific deals via e-Bay from what seems to be very reputable dealers based on customer feedback. For eaxmple, I saw a Touring with a Buy It Now price of $33k. The dealer is located somewhere in TN.

moo

The price for installation was a bit heftier than I expected. The charge was for about 3hrs labor. I would have expected only 2 hours.

For us, the lamps will be of good use. We plan on making frequent trips toward Tahoe and Yosemite. Most of these trips start in the early morning before the inland fog burns off. In VA, fog lamps were of tremendous help for our Outback and Alero. Heavy rains made it really hard to spot lane markings (they don't usually have raised reflectors). The lamps helped out quite a bit for that.

Yes I bought at Stevens Creek. I believe that I got a fair deal on it. In the past 2 weeks, I believe that there is more space for negotiation on price. I think that $2k off MSRP is a bit much for this area and timeframe. I'm quite sure that you could get around $500 off MSRP for a dealership in the Bay Area. Maybe close to $1k if you go out a bit further. Sit tight a few weeks and the $2k will probably become more realistic.

stickguy

there is no guarantee that the van listed is in stock, or that it doesn't get sold locally before the auction is over. Sometimes those listing are basically cheap advertising to locate intereted buyers.

The BIN price does sound good though, but if it is that cheap, you would think that someone might have snapped it up already. Or maybe they did, and the dealer just never updated the auction.

mika

Could anyone living in Michigan advise on the buying experience and prices paid for EX?
I live in Lake Orion (about 35 miles north of Detroit), and the near by Honda dealership is in Troy (Troy Motor Mall). Thank you very much!

sachmo

I am ready to get an odyssey EX-L w/DVD and can pay cash. All the dealers in NJ want MSRP or MSRP+. My local PA dealers want MSRP plus various
fees.

I'm willing to drive 4-5hrs from the Philly/NE PA (Lehigh Valley) area to get a better deal.

Can anyone help or suggest where to look?

The dealer arrogance is getting on my nerves.

ecarmack

Jeffrey Honda in Roseville offered about $600 off on an EXL-RES via an internet quote. You might want to try them for an EX quote. Some Toledo dealers seem willing to deal a little as well. Good luck.

dex

A word of advice. Never tell a dealer that you are paying in cash. A big chunk of their profit is when you finance thru them. Negotiate the price and then once that is done, at that time tell them you are paying cash. I have heard of (and I am not advocating this) folks who let the dealer finance at a fairly high rate and then are able to secure a great deal on a particular car. They make sure there is no early buyout clause and then after a month or two they pay their loan off and it only costs them interest for two months but they got a much better deal on the price. Can't say it would work on the Odyssey though since it's pretty hot right now.

ellerphant

just response to the advice. dex is right, dealers would much rather you not pay cash. however they usually dont make a "huge" amount on the financing. when honda does a special interest rate the dealer gets like 100 for every contract. on other rates they can either get whats called a flat fee of $100-200 depending on the amount of the loan, or they can mark up the interest rate(i think 3% is the limit with most lenders). here in my state we are required to post a sign that says interest rate can be negotiated. just go in with an idea of what banks and credit unions are charging on new car loans and you shouldnt get gouged. just remember that a lot of those guys at the dealership are just trying to make a living and should get a fair profit for what they do.

sachmo

I am ready to get an odyssey EX-L w/DVD and can pay cash. All the dealers in NJ want MSRP or MSRP+. My local PA dealers want MSRP plus various
fees.

I'm willing to drive 4-5hrs from the Philly/NE PA (Lehigh Valley) area to get a better deal.

Can anyone help or suggest where to look?

The dealer arrogance is getting on my nerves.

pen101

Went to 3 dealers over last couple of days (I was driving by anyways, did not make a special trip). One had markup of $2500 (3 in stock), next had markup of $3500 (has 2 in stock) and other had markup of $5000 (5 in stock). Each salesman appeared very willing to negotiate (no da!)

awdman, I would not let the attitude of a saleman affect my car decision. It is just one person and you can always get another one to deal with if you do not like that one. Your choice.

Same is true of the markup of one dealer over another. It means nothing. If they have the van you are interested in, start with invoice and work up. Never start with their markup and work down. Also keep in mind, if you do not get what you want at that dealer, there is always the next dealer and the next, even if 50 miles away. We, the consumer have the advantage. We can always say no. New cars are easier to buy, because every dealer has the same one, while used cars are more complicated because there are more factors to consider.

After test driving the Sienna and the Odyssey, I have realized that you cannot go wrong with either. Other factors enter into the decision, such as price, design and the special features of one over the other. It is a personal decision as to what is right for you.

hpan

I have just emailed several dealers in Northern California, and they all quoted $500 under MSRP for the ones they have in stock or on the way. With little negotiation, I am pretty sure I can get them lower the quote to $1K+ under MSRP now. I probably can buy it at $2K+ under MSRP if I can wait until next month.

fredf3

hpan, I am also looking in Northern California and have only been quoted MSRP. I have not sat down and negotiated, but believe that $500 below was reasonable. What dealers quoted you $500 bleow?