2013 and earlier-Honda Civic Prices Paid and Buying Experience

sbhonda

Honda has done every thing that they can to keep up their residual value by not mass selling their cars to rental companys and having large mark-ups just to rebate it later. this helps you in the long run with trade-in or resale value.
but don't worry we discount. you have to. but do you understand what Honda is trying to do for you.
but I give you one thing I would pay MSRP for a Honda but not any dealer markup. but heck you can get a better deal on a Honda than I can and I work for a dealer. I know a dealer that will triple net a car in the front make NOTHING $0 but if you don't buy all the stuff in the back they will blow you out (tell you the car was wrecked, eng. blew what ever it took to get rid of you. and then I get to try and make them happy. I think I have only sold 1 or 2 cars at MSRP one was a Pilot that we went 1200 miles to go get and trailer back and a 2003 Accord EX-V6 6spd. I guess it really don't matter to much a civic is a Mini deal even if it sells at MSRP after the dealer gets its money.
have fun and stick to your guns and you will get a better deal but it was a deal to begin with

bd21

Your attitude is exactly why dealing with Honda can be a pain in the back side. Honda builds a good car, not necessarily the best car. Many of their salesman think they are doing you a favor by knocking a little money of MSRP. Honda has the shortest warranty of any foreign maker and in my experience Honda's service departments do whatever they can to get out of making many repairs. A common statement I've heard is "oh that's just normal operation". I've had to go up to three different dealers to get things fixed that should have been fixed at the first dealership. Honda's hot line is a joke, I would have got more action by calling dial a prayer. Me think's thee is too full of thou product! If you want people to pay you MSRP, you are in the wrong business. Honda nor any other car is worth MSRP. Maybe you should sell shoes instead, I'd pay full price for them.

dudka

SBHonda, let me ask you, did you pay full sticker for your Honda? You mentioned that you sell Hondas, I assume you are a salesperson at a dealership. Have you been shown all the intricate details on how a dealership makes money? You work for commision, which is based on how much more you get over invoice. So, it is in your own interest to get as much as possible. Even if the dealership sold cars for invoice in 1-5 days, they still make money. They are not in as bad a situation as you may think they are. If they were, there would not have been a dealerhsip on top of each other.
I agree that the ntion of value has to come to play. Yes, Civic Si at MSRP has some value, but not enough to make me buy it, but at or bellow $15,000 is becomes a great value. This is the same reason I would not buy Acura RSX, because it has no value at the price point it is, being a $20,000 Civic. There are other cars at that price point that have greater value. If your dealership does not make the maximum on every Civic, they make up for it in Pilots, CR-Vs Elements and S2000s. I remember when the 2003 Accord came out, no dealership would go bellow MSRP +market adjustment. Look at them now, Accords are going for invoice.
When a dealership is selling mass produced cars at invoice, they are not losing money, Honda is giving them what is called "dealer incentive". Honda is losing that money from their corporate bottom line. And if Honda America operates like Honda Japan, that means that the big cheese on top (CEO, VP, CFO, ect.) don't get their bonuses. One thing Japanese companies in Japan don't do, is to punish its employees for manegment's faults. If a Japanese company not doing well, the only people who suffer are the ones on top. Their salaries are reduced and their bonuses are eliminated, until they make company profitable again. They can not fire people, one thing Japanese corporate cluture does not allow, is job eliminations.

They way I see it, Honda can afford to give the incentives to dealers because they have signed this huge contract with GM to supply V6's for Saturns and re-designed Chevy Malibu's. Honda is primarily an engine company, they just build cars on the side.

Maybe the reason Honda does not sell to rental cars is because it is not capable of producing the amount of vehicles that Enterprize or Avis buys on an annual basis. Saturns are sold to rental car companies, they hold their re-sale much better than other GM or Ford brands. Re-sale vlaues are not directly related to fleet sales, and more related to reliability. Who would want to go out and buy a $10,000 used car to put in another $5000 in repairs. With Honda you have a higher chance of getting a trouble free used vehicle, I should you used to. My Civic Si is no better than VW or Ford in terms of reliability. It is ready to go back for the 6th time. Nothing major to envoke Lemon law, but little things do start to annoy me. How do you think this will affect my re-sale, I am not expecting to get much for it in 2-3 years. Do you think I can take Honda to small claims and have them compensate for lost value due to their in-ability to get Swindon plant up to standards? So, maybe Honda has to do all these incentive programs because they are not as attractive anymore as they used to be. This Si is my last Honda, after a line of 7 Honda's, this is it. People vote with their wallets, as more and more loyal Honda owners turn away from Honda, Honda will have to increase its incentives to attract new buyers.
I think my aunt's 85 Civic had an MSRP of $6000 in 1985. I think she paid $6200 for it, the car lasted 17 years, 250,000 miles. That is why she and countless others paid over MSRP to get Honda. Those days are over. Even Acura, Honda's luxury brand is not free from QC oversights.

pat

This conversation would be better placed on our Smart Shopper board.

We are talking specifically about Prices Paid and the actual purchase experience here.

Thanks.

edsmom

I just paid $2750 for a used Civic DX (95) with an aftermarket Alpine AM/FM/CD in great condition. The previous owner kept detailed maintenance records (and I think I believe them) and took great care of this car. Has 102,000 miles on it. Suspension is like new (some of it is new).

I checked Edmunds and seems I paid $1000 less than even private sales in my area and this was from a dealer (not Honda). A/C doesn't work -- should I get him to replace it or pay for it with my savings?

ghulet

...you don't have much hope of getting the seller to fix the A/C, especially given the price you got (which is quite low, good job!!). This is a nine year-old car, after all. The seller 'should' disclose the things that aren't working, but is under no real obligation (legal or otherwise) to do so. Many dealers do nothing more than clean the car and change the oil before putting it on the lot (especially on older cars/'wholesale specials'). It is the buyers responsibility to check the function of all systems when buying. That said, it couldn't hurt to ask the dealer to fix it, right?

isellhondas

You really need to gain a bit more experience and spend a lot more time lurking here before posting.

Just some friendly advise from a grizzled veteran.

feihao888

We payed 16,400 for a Civic EX coupe. TMV is 16,500. It comes with mud guards and a nice trunk tray, however. We have no idea.

ncampbell2002

Bought mine in april...RED 2 DOOR CIVIC EX..paid $17060 for it w/ 1.9%apr financing....got pinstriping, spoiler, floormats, and Leather wrap on the steering wheel. Works out to be about 1000 in accessories...Original sticker for it was $17200...Ann Arbor Michigan

Kirstie_H

A major magazine is looking to interview someone who considered buying a Prius or a Honda Civic hybrid, but decided it wasn't worth the extra $3,000 to $4,000 price premium over the regular gasoline versions of the Corolla or Civic.
Please respond by October 22 to jfallon@edmunds.com with your daytime contact info.
Thanks!
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com

bottgers

I don't know if this topic is geared more towards the purchase experinece of new Civics or not, so I thought I'd post this message.

I've been considering the purchase of a used Civic coupe. I like the current body style, and trying to find one at the lowest possible price, I've been looking for 2001 models.

The first thing I did was to find out what they're worth using Edmunds and NADA. I like the way the LX trim level is equipped, so that's what I priced. The value comes out at between $10K-$11K, depending on options mileage, etc.

Then I searched the internet looking at classifieds from both private owners and dealers. I was shocked to find that most have an asking price of $13k-$14K for these cars. The next thing I did was try to figure out if these people were on drugs, or if they're actually getting these kind of prices for these cars. Heck, I was quoted a price of $12.8K for a brand new '03 LX just a couple months ago, and I received several prices in the low 13's. Why would people be asking so much more than they're worth? I know Hondas tend to hold their resale value pretty well, but do they increase in value?

dudka

I believe what you saw were asking prices. I am sure you would have been able to negotiate a few $$$ down. But I have been preaching for a few years now that buying used Honda or Toyota is sensless. Buying a year end model will cost less and Honda or Toyota will throw in some attractive finance options. Financing a $14K Civic LX with Honda's 1.9% finance optin will save you a few hundred or break even over the life of the loan when compared to $12.5K used Civic at 5%.
Personally I woudl advice against buying a 2001, it was the first year of the new re-design and had its share of design flaws.

bottgers

Again, why would people, and dealers be asking $3K-$4K more than what they're worth. I could see prices starting at around $1K more than what the vehicle's actually worth, but when they're asking as much or more for for an '01 than what you could buy a brand new '03 for, it makes no sense. With new '03's selling in the high 12's, in order to make it worthwhile to buy an '01 you'd have to be able to get one for less than 9K. I don't see that happening when their starting price is $13K-$14K. They probably won't be willing to come down that far.

dudka

If you look for a used Civic at your local Honda dealer, you will find that used certified civic is on par with new car prices. Most people, who are looking for used ones, have been scared off by the MSRP on the new one. They just turn away without realizing that there are incentives and dealers are willing to sell a new one for thousands under MSRP. Sound familiar? All these people asking $13K for a used one are just hoping for this kind of person to come along. If you are really interested in getting one, approach the seller armed with information. If it is a private sale, use Edmunds' trade in values as negotiating tool. Find a medium between "trade in" and "private" If the seller quotes blue book, blue books are useless. If the seller quotes local Honda's used lot prices, remind them that those are certified and come with 100,000 miles warranty and attractive finance options.
If you are buying from a used car lot, not Honda. point out that you can get a brand new one for a couple of hundred to thousand dollars more. Just make sure you present your points in lowering the price. I am sure if you search Edmunds, you will find a used car buying guide. If you are uncomfortable negotiating, then buy a car, either new or used at www.carsdirect.com

bottgers

What I don't get is why people are asking $13K-$14K for a used '01 model when you can buy a BRAND NEW '03 for the same amount, or maybe even a bit less. Who in their right mind would pay even close to the same amount for a used Civic, even if it's certified, when you can buy a brand new one for the same amount of money? Makes no sense.

rivertown

Agreed!

FWIW, I think some people just don't know that significant discounts under sticker can be had on Hondas and some people just figure other people don't know.

bottgers

Even if the discounts on the new Civics weren't available, people shouldn't be asking this much for used Civics. I realize Hondas hold their value better than most other makes, but even Hondas depriciate somewhat. These people are trying to basically sell them for what they paid for them new.

rivertown

people shouldn't be asking this much for used Civics

Maybe so, but I find Lenny Bruce inspirational if harsh at such times:
"What is, is. What 'oughta be' is a dirty lie."

P.S. Like Dudka, I think buying Hoyonda's used just isn't a good idea; but if you really want one of these used Civics, try leaving your name and number and maybe an offer. You seem like a nice guy, and you could get a call back if the seller can't get his price or if he goes to try to trade the car in.

flymuch

Just bought a 2004 Civic 5 spd LX Magnesium Metal..cool
Here's the lowdown:
paid 15,100 OTD.
14,352 for the car, plus 228 dealer prep charges - ouch! - the rest were Virginia taxes and licensing fees for a grand total of $15,100. The MSRP was 15,850 including delivery. I think i did OK! Oh yes. Brown Honda Charlottesville, Va. sold it. Comments?

anonymousposts

Sounds like a good deal. The magnesium is the color to get in the 04 Civic along with silver.

1-2 year old Hondas are usually not a good value but I wouldn't say that for older ones. My view is a little skewed though because we either buy them way used or brand new. We have only bought 2 later model Civics (2 2000 Si's in 2002) and got those for bargain basement prices because of our employer.

pierrot12

I got a good deal about Honda Certified used car at the dealer. 2002 Civic LX, 28k, Black. price is $12200.
Is this deal good enough for this civic?

ncampbell2002

I'm sure you'll be happy with your 2002, but you probably could have shopped around more and found a brand new 2003 that a dealer would have let go for right around 13,000 if you worked them right. (Some of the previous posts stated they have been quoted around there) I mean it is $800 more but you get a flawless car (hopefully) and 28,000 miles less than the used one you bought. Just my opinion though...

NC

isellhondas

You bought the car and felt you got a "good deal".

That's all that really matters.

If you ask like you did, someone will always jump in to rain on your parade by telling you you paid too much.

You did fine, enjoy it!

mattpdx

Hi-

Edmunds says the TMV for a 2004 Honda Civic Coupe EX 5-spd w/side SRS in Magnesium Metallic in zipcode 23220 is $17005. Invoice w/destination is $16,128. I want to shoot for as close to invoice as possible. I am going to get quotes from other dealers as well.

What I want to know is what you guys think a fair price is on this. What would the middle ground be between the Invoice+dest and TMV. I know the dealership has to make money, but I'm also adding 2K worth of accessories (spoiler, nose mask, foglights etc) to it, so shouldn't they lower the price and take the better deal on the accessories? *sigh*

I appreciate any imput!

Oh, and they say 2.9% apr if I finance it. How's that?

tinycadon

There's nothing you can do now about your purchase, it's like buying a plane ticket to Hawaii for $1,400 thinking you got a great deal to only find out the guy sitting next to you got his for $800. Take care of the car and it will treat you well, don't worry how much the plane ticket costs now, just enjoy your trip.

dudka

if price is important consider buying a left over 2003 Civic. Your choice of color and side airbags may be limited, but you may be able to get it for $13-$14K.

Some dealers may still have 2002 Si's in the back of their lots.

haemon

I just bought a black '04 Civic, EX Coupe with side air bags. I paid $18,200, BUT the car includes the follwing:

black leather heated seats
mud guards
cargo net

TMV (including destination charge) in my area is $17,947. How did I come out on my deal?

stork05

Picked up a 2004 Civic LX Coupe with automatic transmission on Saturday in northern NJ.

Price of car 14862, taxes and fees 1088, Total paid 15950. MSRP 16420.

mattpdx

...in Rallye Red. TTL, etc etc 16800!!! :-) How's that?

ish2l

how did you get leather seats on your civic? I didn't know that was an option...

haemon

ish2l, you're correct that leather seats are not an option from the factory, but there are "after-market" places that will put leather in just about any vehicle that didn't come from the factory with leather (it's done all the time from what i understand). at my request, the dealership had the after-market place here in town put the leather in for me. i negotiated it into my deal so i wouldn't have to come out of pocket to pay for the leather.

if you own a civic, you should consider getting it done 'cause it looks awesome! it totally changes the appearance of the vehicle.

ish2l

Well that makes sense...i didn't think aftermarket since you were talking about a brand new car from the dealer, but yeh, I do agree that leather can change the appearance of that car!

dudka

I, personally, don't like the feel of leather. Besides, most places install leather faced seats, which means that leather is only on seating surfaces, and sometimes only the front seats have "leather seating surface" while the rear seats and the backs and sides are "pleather."
Leather requires care, you have to moisturize it on at least by weekly basis or it will crack and break. Leather seats are often slippery because of the moisturizers. But, to each is his/her own.

Why would you need leather in a $15K vehicle is beside me, though. My dealer has one on the lot, it has been there since beginning of last year. People who shop civic usually don't care for perceived luxury such as leather seats. But if you like them, more power to you.

ish2l

Well it is mostly a personal preference and I don't think there's a right or wrong when it comes to leather. I don't necessarily perceive it as a luxury but to my eyes the interior looks sooo much better, that and I really don't care for the patterns that come in most new cars with cloth seats (not specifically the civic, but in general).

only1harry

'01 EX coupe 5-sp. $100 over invoice (it was around $15,400+tx). Bought it in August before the '02 models came out.

Sister's car: '03 EX coupe Auto - $1 over dealer invoice (I believe it was $16,101 or $16,201). I bought this with her in early March while it's still winter here in the NY/NJ area. It was 20 deg. out and the dealership was dead plus they had about 80-100 Civics in the lot sitting there with frost on them.
My '97 Civic was $300 over dealer invoice. My '99 Integra was $800 under dealer invoice ($1,000 factory-dealer incentive existed which doesn't have to be passed on to the consumer like rebates do).
  
Best times to buy cars is Jan-Mar. and late Aug. up to the end of September before the new models come out. I prefer Jan-Mar. so you car doesn't get labeled "old" right away when the new year models come out plus it maintains more value if you have to get rid of it in a couple of months.

Both deals were made with 2-3 e-mails. Never even saw the salesmen (or Internet Managers as they 're called now) until the deal was closed and we drove there to pick out a car. EVERY dealership has a web site now and most take offers on line or via e-mail. After they or you agree on the price and have a printout of their e-mail as proof, you then make and appt. and go pick out the car you want. The Civics offered to us both in '01 & '03 were cars with relatively high mileage that had been test driven. I argued that 50mi. (another had 80mi!) is not acceptable and it's not a new car to me. They let me pick a new car from the lot (or reserve lot which they usually keep somewhere close by) both times. Mine and my sister's Civics had 2 mi. on them and had never been test driven. We were in our new cars within 3-4 days from when we sent the first e-mail out.

It was easy for me because I 've been buying new cars since 1990 and buy at an average 2 new cars every 3-4yrs (my wife's too plus I usually have 2 cars because of my long commute and my racing hobby).
 The easiest way now is by e-mail, because if you 're not a good negotiator or are not pushy (or arrogant sometimes), you will not get the best deal by walking into a dealership. And who needs all that stress anyway? It 'll be a losing battle for most of you because the salesmen do it for a living. It's their job to get you to pay the highest possible price so don't walk in and confront them unless it's in the middle of a blizzard (I 've done that in February and bought a car. There was only 1 salesman there and no managers!) and late at night. Use the technology to work in your favor. Usually there 's only 1 person in charge of "Internet sales" and he 's usually a manager. He 's more interested in selling volume and justifing his job. He wants to sell more cars over the Internet and will take most offers, IF you assure him that you 're a serious buyer and promise him you 'll pick up the car in the next couple of days or by the coming weekend after he meets your price. If he resists your offer, you should always mention that you know many other people that got the same great price. It doesn't help to reinforce or justify your offer.
Good luck people and don't overpay for your cars! The economy is still slow. Take advantage of it like employers are taking advantage of us due to the unemployment rate.

isellhondas

I'm supposted to "moisturize" my leather seats every other week??

Really??

Hmmm...let's see now...my 99 V-6 Coupe is four years old...I've applied Lexol...ah...(gulp)one time.

Funny, though, no cracks or breaks.

Am I bad!

Seriously, I think it's time to do it again.

rnpn4

dealers seem desperate to get rid of few remaining 03's. With no trouble at all, i got a brand new 03 lx 4 door with 5 spd (that was the hardest part, finding a manual tranny) for $12,900 plus tax and lic. and 2.9% financing. SIERRA HONDA in monrovia, CA was high class all the way, being up front and costumer service oriented. Goudy honda in alhambra was decietful. they quoted one amount, confirmed it when i got there, then wouldn't write it up. wasted my time!

ceyan

I'm planning on buying a new 2004 Civic EX w/SRS within the next month or two. My local dealer price matches, all I have to do is bring them in a price quote. I was wondering if anyone had tried price matching from outside of the state, whether that worked or not? The cheapest I found (at the moment) is 17772, which is pretty good, but I figure if I can't get better quote from out of state, go for it.

The other question I had was about Carsdirect.com. I just checked their website from a reference here, so I don't know anything about them. And their listed price for the Civic is around 17500, so I was curious how reliable they are?

Sylvia

You can read about other's experiences in the Smart Shopper message board CarsDirect.com Experiences discussion.

mattpdx

I paid 16800 with everything for the same vehicle in Rallye Red (5-spd) that included all taxes, license, title, etc...i got a good job. Don't hesitate to go to multiple dealers and KNOW THE CAR and get a TMV from Edmunds before you go in.

jaxs

I am about to buy my first car, but I am not too great at this negotiation part. I got offered 16,652 as the sales price for an 04 EX Civic. I can't get them to budge and haven't found a better deal at other dealerships around Tulsa. Anyone have any suggestions?

bd21

You need to spell out what the price quote was for i. e. automatic, side air bags, etc. If that price is for an automatic, write a check because that is way under invoice.

dudka

Like bd21 mentioned is it auto or manual, 2 door or 4 door, side air bags or not, options?

Use Edmund's TMV for the exact car you are purchasing.

jaxs

Sorry about the specifics! Its for a 4-door automatic sedan with side airbags. No additional options, just sunroof/moonroof, factory cd, floormats, cargonet. Its also the magnesium metallic color.

jaxs

I guess what I am really wondering is if the invoice price listed on Edmunds is actually what the dealer paid for it, or is it a price they use for negotiations purposes? They told me the car is priced at $199 over net, but what does that mean? Or where should I look for that information? I appreciate any advice.

bd21

The price you are quoting is less than the dealer paid for the car, so I think you may not have the correct figure for the car. Edmunds' prices are correct and are as follows: 2004 Civic EX 4-door, automatic with side air bags invoice is $16,732, plus an additional $490 for shipping. There is a 3% dealer holdback on the base price of the car only, but not on the shipping. It is extremly rare for the dealer to let a car go at invoice including shipping or less. Plus you have to add shipping, which you have to pay no matter what which is $490. If the dealer simply gave you the car as it was dropped off the delivery truck, it would have cost them $16,720.04. So if the dealer didn't want to pay for any of his overhead and was hell-bent on going out of business, he only lost $68.04 by selling you this car for the $16,652 that you say he quoted you. Like I said, run back there as fast as possible and write a check, but I kind of doubt your numbers will match up when you go back there. Keep us posted, you have our attention.

miester_v

Well, I recently made a purchase of a brand new 2004 Honda Civic EX coupe with AT for a purchase price of $16,581 including destination and documentation charge. Is that a good deal?

However, it doesn't really matter overall because we got a APR of 9.0 and we got scammed into purchasing a $1500 warranty for Honda Care which was not verbally or visually disclosed to us. But we can always cancel the warranty and get that amount subtracted from the finance amount. Once that happens, I should be pretty satisfied with the amount that we've paid. Just for reference, we paid $7000 down and we have a credit score of 540. I hope our APR wasn't too inflated, if at all.

anonymousposts

540 isn't that great of a credit rating so 9.0% isn't terrible. However, pay on the car for about a year and then try to refinance it through your credit union or bank at a lower rate. My credit union was going as low as 3.4% up to 60 months on any 2001-2004 just a few months ago.

bd21

As your deal stands, you definetly overpaid. You have to look at the whole deal and I'm lost on how you signed paperwork without knowing that you paid for an extended warranty. Personally, knowing cars and Hondas well, I would never purchase an extended warranty. The odds of you ever needing it are extremely rare, but if you can't sleep without one, it can be purchased from any Honda dealer nationwide. The going rate is less than a $1000 for a zero deductible 7year/100,000 mile warranty. As far as financing rates go the credit unions in my area run 3.9 to 5.6%, so Honda got you on the interest rate and warranty. If you can drop the warranty and refinance the car for under 6 percent, than you have a reasonable deal. Honda still has 2.9% financing, so with $7000 down, I'm surprised they would not finance you. You must have some credit issues that hurt you pretty bad. Next time bring your approved financing with you, so you don't get caught off guard. Also, bring a calculator and figure out what your payment should be. Letting the dealer crunch the numbers leaves you wide open for a chance to slip something unexpected in. The invoice including shipping on your car is $16,629 and you said you paid a little less. However, the reality is you paid almost retail with the warranty overcharge and the high interest rate.

miester_v

We've tried our credit union, Capitol One, and Lending Tree, and all of them rejected our application for a loan. So that's the end of that as far as 3rd party finance goes. And as for the APR of 9.0%, yeah it's pretty high no matter what score you have, but we have a sore of 540 and expected rates much higher than 9.0%. If we have the chance, we will try to refinance, as suggested by one previously. But I'm pretty sure we got a good starting point of the purchase, which is the price of the car itself. I do feel pretty good about that, and I doubt that much else would go in our favor after we (surely and easily) cancel the extended warranty.