2013 and earlier-Honda Civic Prices Paid and Buying Experience

isellhondas

Do you have any idea what a 540 beacon score is?

A 9% rate really isn't that bad considering that!

bd21

Yes IS, I know his score is low, but I though his $7,000 down might help him out. I'm one of the lucky ones, I couldn't tell you my score, I have never checked it. The only debt I have is my house and it's halfway paid off on a 15 year 4.9% loan. I make a fair amount of money and I didn't get my first credit card until I was 30. No one would give me one. I'm 44 now and have a 2001 Accord. I getting a 04 Civic in a month or two. I don't like to finance cars long, so I'll put down $10,000 and pay the rest it off within 6 months. The interest rate doesn't really matter because of the number of months I'm working with, but I'll use Honda's 2.9% if it's available or my credit union's 3.9%.

jaxs

OK I know I was all about this Civic. BUT I have now found an Accord 2003 Lx 2 door for 16400, 300 miles at Don Carlton in Tulsa. I can't pass this up either. Comments? And yes the civic is still the same price at Mark Roberts in Bartlesville (1st offer as well).

firstcivic1

I ready monday or tuesday to buy a 04 civic Lx automatic. the deal is 14675.00 b4 tax and title and plates bringing it to 16000.00.based on TMV and invoice that was approx 600.00 below invoice that seemed good and another dealer wouldn't go below that. my fico is about 850+ so i think the 2.9 i'll use. my questions is still honda vs hyundai vs toyato corrola i think the honda is the better product?? any thoughts thanks (chicago area purchase)

firstcivic1

now i see the 14675 i thought i got them down to advertised in the sunday paper. does anyone think there is still room to go down on a civic 04 LX -a/t ???? i thought it was good.

strager

$14765 sounds like a great price. The Civic is definitely more fun to drive than the Corolla and will keep its value better compared to other small cars, imho.

Although Mazda cars depreciate a lot, you may want to check out the new Mazda3, I feel it's a much better car than the Civic, Corolla, or Hyundai. The M3 is also assembled in Japan.

celica115

I just bought a Civic 04 LX auto 2 two days ago. I paid $15,000 including protection package and destination charge which means the car is $14,510 (minus $490.00). I believe (99%) this is not their bottom line. $300 to $500 more discount should have no problem. I tested drive the Corolla LE. The Civic LX's handling is better.

firstcivic1

whats the best thing to negotiate for. price or should i try protection package. if the price of 14675 is in the paper what should another dealer offer to make me buy it. i only have dealt with new dealers twice in my life and that was a while ago.

celica115

I think their bottom line should be under $14,510 including all fees except tax. I would try $14,200 w/o tax. There is nothing need to negotiate for. Just tell them your target price. If they don't agree, just walk away to the next dealer. I talked with 7 different dealers when I bought my Civic. But you really need to prepare to talk to the finance people. Like other people said on this board, get the credit pre-approve fist before taking to the finance manager. It was a nightmare for me! Good luck.

firstcivic1

i have a better deal on line now 14292.00 for 04 lx 4dr a/t in my color. now i'mtrying to get my local dealer to match so i can go only 2 mile rather than 35 hardmiles in chicago.
i think thats a great deal now somehow almost 950.00 below invoice.
i have a great fico score so do i just not let the finance guy sell me anything or take any crap from him or walk if so?

celica115

I am just thinking. If you go to the dealer on the last date of Dec., will they cut down the price to $14,000 with everything? lol ...

firstcivic1

14292.00 is good enough i really need the car do to losing my job anyday and my company car.
thanks for telling me you thought there was a lowere price than i originally had.
i am satisfied i will drive 30 miles to save the 450.00. to the south side of chicago (river oaks honda) and i pre approved my credit so they won't blow the deal with surprises ( i hope) i also have a bak up dealer just in case.

lawdawgfl

I am contemplating buying a new 04’ HX 5 speed, after going to the Honda website and building my new car I have a few questions. Are the fog lights worth the money, or would aftermarket lights be better? How about the keyless enter and the alarm? Would an after market one be better? I am looking at the HX for the fuel economy. I currently have two gas hogs a Chevy Tahoe (wife’s car) and a Nissan Xterra (giving it to my daughter). With all the driving a do and plan on doing getting 44 mpg would be a nice change.

celica115

The car alarm installs by the dealer is pretty professional but it is pricy. If you want to add the remote start later on, then you should go for after market one. You should be able to get the HX $1,000 below invoice. It is a great buy at the end of the year. Good luck!

firstcivic1

honda want 795.00 for a total of 6yr/75000 miles
is it fair? or worth it?
i was a little worried that the civic only had a 3yr/36000 powertrain.
my civic has 35 miles on it now. i have 30days to buy it at this price.
my dealer i bought from wont be the dealer i service.
what do you all think?
thanks
scott

bd21

If you have an extended warranty to sleep at night, than the going price is less than $800 for a zero deductible 7 year/100,000 mile Honda warranty. Personally, I would save my money. I'm a mechanic and it would be extremely rare for you to need any repair during that period of time. Regardless, I would still at least wait 24,000 miles or two years before I would even consider buying the extended warranty, because there is no penalty, it will still cost the same price. Even if you wait just shy of 36 months or 36k, there is only a $60 dollar additional charge. Bottom line, if my car was sound near the end of the basic warranty, I would bank the money. Chances are (95% or better) that I will have all my money plus interest in the bank 10 years after I bought my Honda, especially if I do all of my required maintenance. The Civic is a well made car and I doubt you will be replacing anything but tires, wiper blades, brake pads and maybe rotors in the next 7 years or 100,000 miles. After about 10 years or 110,000 miles, then you could possibly be expecting to pay out money for other repairs, but it may be many more miles or years than that. I keep cars for 13 to 15 years and I have yet to have a failure that would have paid off with a factory warranty. The good news is most Hondas, Toyotas and Nissans will make it till a 100K without dipping into your wallet. Even if your car needs minor repairs, it will most likely be less than the money you shelled out for the warranty. Just make sure you service your car by the manual, not the dealer's recommendations. This will save you a lot money and your car will last you a very long time. Also, I recommend following the severe maintenance schedual in your owner's manual regardless of your driving style. Happy motoring.

lawdawgfl

Where? The dealer that contacted me because of an internet search told me $14,450. I thought that was a bit high considering. The only option I put on it was fog lights and alarm. I have also sent the request to 2 other dealerships. I live in south Florida so I wonder if that has anything to do with it. Thanks for the info.

celica115

As you read this board in the past week. FIRSTCIVIC1 and I just purchased the LX. So far the lowest price is $14,300. The dealer invoice is 15,261 in NYC. I am not sure in S. Florida. Just enter you zip code in "New Cars", and you will see the different between NYC and Floira. Plus, it is almost the end of the year. I am sure you can do better than that.

firstcivic1, I agree with bd21. There is no need extended warranty especially for Honda.

r8412

Purchased a 04 EX auto yesterday for 16,500. Took the 2.9 from Honda as well. I decided to get the 7/100 b-to-b warranty. My wife drives a ton so she wanted it for a peace of mind. First quote on the warranty was 1600 bucks but when all was said and done, 700 was the final answer. I couldn't believe the finance dude. He also tried to slip the bogus (if you get hurt or die insurance) on the contract. I gave him hell and he took it off and lowered his warranty price. Finally, when I drove the car off the lot the anti lock brakes light was on. I went right back and made them exchange the car for another one. he he, free oil change and mud guards too. What a great day huh?

celica115

I think you were lucky that the dealer had the same one in stock.

celica115

Learned a lesson, and do it better next time.

pkomma

Atlanta area

Just put deposit down on the Civic VP in Fiji Blue (really great looking color). Pretty much last night started calling around, carsdirect was listing 13064, asked if people could match. Three dealers refused, two beat it. Ended up being 14135 out the door (7% tax for Fulton county). These guys took a hit, got the 2.9% on the car too. Lanier Honda and Hennesey Honda out in the boondocks of the Atlanta metro area were the ones willing to sell for the least.

Whole experience was an absolute breeze. There was no negotiation, after I'd called the dealership he called me back and dropped that price on me and I just took it. Got there, he didn't calculate title and lemon fee (21 bucks) threw that on and that was end of it. After going to several other dealerships in Atlanta area just to see cars (felt like pulling teeth) business at Lanier was really great.

bd21

I dealt directly with the internet sales manager at Treadwell Honda in Mobile, AL on-line and firmed the deal up with a phone call and my credit card deposit. I got an 04 Civic LX 4-door sedan, automatic transmission with side air bags in Shoreline Mist. They are ordering it, so it will be a month or so before I pick it up. I did the same thing with them before. My total price including all processing & dealer fees to include a car tag is $15,100. I just have to pay my straight sales tax. I live in Florida(6% sales tax), so by the time it's all said and done it will be in my driveway for $16,006. No trade was involved and I'll use Honda 2.9% financing if it is still available when my car comes in, if not my credit union has 4.25%. I've been looking for a while, this is the best that I could do within a 120 miles of Ft. Walton Beach Florida.

firstcivic1

i feel better about my reliability of my civic.
i will wait until closer to 3 years to see.
i will only put 7500 - 10000 miles max a year.
buying on the net in chicago was easy with nine dealers to email i got many prices. but at almost 1000 below invoice it was great.
i sent them the credit app over fax ahead of time.
my total time in dealer was 2.5 hrs from hello to test drive to paperwork to finance guy. i guess that was good.
thanks again.

now i need a digital camera know of any good discussion boards?

bd21

I think that's the way to go. I'm jealous of the deal you got up there. Can you break the deal totally down, so we all can understand it? I assume the $14,292 included shipping($490), so what did they charge you for any processing fees, deposal fees, doc fees, etc. Did you trade anything in and how many miles were on the car when you picked it up? What was the full price excluding your state tax only? I recommend the Cannon A-70, go to pcworld.com and look at reviews on cameras under $500. You can get it delivered to your house for about $265.

jmelnn

I am currently looking at a 2004 Civic EX MT 4 door sedan for $16145 including the destination fee. I am trying to get the 6 disk changer included but am not having any luck. Does this sound like a good deal??
Thanks

firstcivic1

14292.00 (incl 4.90)
 1107.00 tax
   15.00 county tax
  143.00 new plates & title
   52.57 doc fee
__________
15609.57 from memory 4k down stroke & 2.9 for 48 month
no trade in
5 miles on it and made 12/03
oil cap was a little loose i turned it 2 more time
i'm really happy
got 60 miles on it

now on to my camera puchase

bd21

You definetly got a great deal! I am getting the same car an 04 Civic LX 4-dr, auto but with added side air bags. I'm paying just under $14,900 for the car, so that's $600 under dealer invoice. My $15,100 price included all dealer fees, doc fee, tittle, and tag, just not state tax. Remember on your digital camera search, if you are not going to print pictures above an 8 by 10, don't buy anything above a 3.2 megapixel. Your just spending extra money, the pictures will not come out any better. I highly recommend the Cannon A-70 or the Nikon Coolpix 3100. Good luck in your search!

lawdawgfl

Let me first start by saying I know the Civic is not a racecar, and that is not why I am thinking about buying one (44 mpg is the reason). That being said, what kind of 0-60 does the Civic HX 5 speed have? I have looked online but cannot find anything, I know how slow my Xterra is and thought I could compare the two. I have not been able to test drive one yet due to the holiday schedule at work, being a cop at the holidays is very interesting. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I can get to the dealer. Also why are there so many different invoice prices listed on different web sites for the civic? Where can I find an actual price? Thanks for the info.

Sylvia

It is important to know that there is the factory invoice, dealer invoice and then MSRP.

Depending on the site, they may not take into account in their "invoice" price items such as advertising fees.

You might want to read the following:
http://www.edmunds.com/help/faq/articles/newcar.html

hope that helps...

lawdawgfl

While looking at some of the difference between the HX and other Civics I noticed that the HX does not come with a center console with armrest. It would be nice to have one of these but I am not willing to give up the MPG or the extra money just for an armrest. Is there some place it can be purchased for a reasonable price?
Thanks for the help.

Sylvia

H & A
http://www.handaaccessories.com/civic.html

Be sure and read the installation instructions and make sure it will work on your model year.

lawdawgfl

I found a site but had to put the console together from many parts, I stopped when the price reached 264.46, and that was only for 4 pieces. Oh well, maybe an armrest.

88civic

I'm also talking to internet manager at Treadwell Honda in Mobile about an '04 Civic sedan LX manual trans. w/out side airbags (eternal blue). They don't have the car on the lot. He's only at $14,731 (including dest. and protection pkg.) According to manager, protection pkg (which I didn't want) was put on at existing location but he's waiving charge. At $200 above invoice I would generally feel it was a decent deal except that bd21 bought a Civic at same location for $600 below invoice. Seems that a greater supply of automatic transmissions are available in this area, possibly a bargaining chip not available to manual transmission buyers?

1sthondalso

Just purchased a new Civic EX 2004 for $16,794, including destination charge, with no extras from Burnsville Honda in MN. Shopped around with an internet search after stopping in another dealer. Used the lowest internet price from an area dealer plus the best offer, from 4, for my trade-in to consummate the deal. Took the 2.9% for 5 year financing.

Not the best price posted, but I am happy. Definitely the best price I could find in the area. Very good experience. Low pressure. Offered other options and accepted my choice. All the various warranties, etc. were offered by the finance guy, but the focus was on offering, not a hard sell. Left a very favorable impression.

The car is fun. Better than expected. Not the best car in world, but a great value! Look forward to the gas mileage and the quick maneuverability. A great commuter vehicle.

bd21

I ordered mine, which meant the dealer got to keep full dealer holdback instead of having to pay a premium for a dealer swapout from another lot. Honda is also giving their dealers an additional holdback 20 Dec 03 thru 1 Mar 04 of $400 to $1000 based on volume. Treadwell is a high volume dealer, so they are getting $500 or potentially $1000 to turn over Civics. Look under current incentives for Civics on Edmunds and you will see what I'm talking about. Don't mention holdback to them, just tell them you found the car at another dealer for $500 less, but they will have to order it for you. Be prepared to walk, but I think they will match or beat that offer. Good luck!

chabao

Got my Civic EX in Houston today. $500 below. Drive-out price 17899. Quite happy process. Internet manager quote the price on the phone yesterday. I just went to his office this morning and it took 2 hours for the paper work.

astrozone

I am looking at buying the following:

2004 Civic
Value Package 2dr Coupe w/Side Airbags (1.7L 4cyl 5M)

MSRP (Edmunds & Carsdirect): $14,150
Invoice (Edmunds & Carsdirect): $12,981
Edmunds TMV: $13,267
Carsdirect: $12,630
These prices inc. destination fee ($490).

What should I be looking for as a reasonable price to pay based on this info? This will be the first new car purchase for me.

astrozone

I now have price quotes of:

12,100 + tax & registration
12,481 + fees
12,600 + tax & license

How do I know if all the fees/license/registration charges are all about the same without wasting alot of time? Basically, how do I compare, since there is a $500 difference in prices?

bd21

Call your local Department of Motor Vehicles. They can tell you how much tax, registration, tittle, and tags will cost you based on the actual selling cost of the car. Many dealers have a processing fee that is actually printed on the paperwork, so you need to know what they are charging you. It may be $99 to $299. The bottom line is you need to know what the dealer is charging you for the car including any of their processing fees, excluding state tax, tags, and tittle. Everybody has to pay those and they very state to state and county to county. Good luck!

jaa37

I paid $16,167 incl. destination charge for a silver EX in Connecticut last week. I think I got a great deal, judging from what people here have been saying. I've been shopping around for ext. warranties and saw 6 yrs/100,000 for about $800, but people on this board have convinced me not to buy one just yet, if ever...

atutu

from which dealer do you get this deal?

gregarious1

I quoted via email for 2004 White Honda Civic EX AUTOMATIC with a out-the-door price of $17705. I went to the dealership and test drove the car and just as I expected I like the way the Civic drove. I really couldn't get the dealer to go lower that and the other quotes that I received from other dealers were higher than what the first was offering. Question #1? Does this seem like a good deal? I really need a car now and I've read that some people are getting it cheaper. The invoice price listed on Edmunds is $16139, the sales tax where I live is 6%. I am I low-balling myself for what taking a deal that basically calculates out to what is $45 dollars more than the MSRP of 17660 AND $1556 more than the invoice of 16139 (remember than 1$7705 is the otd price). 2nd Question I fill out the credit app. and I left out before finance gave me an APR. The salesman assured me That I will get I can get financed with payments between $250-260 for 60 months with $5000 down. I didn't want to purchase the car without checking around to see if the price is okay. It really is the car that I wanted and the color that I wanted.

ncampbell2002

It seems as if that dealer is screwing you with the finance charges on that payment. Take my example. I purchased a 2003 Civic Ex coupe last April. 6% sales tax in Michigan so with tax, title, license and all that extra crap the car came out to 18,100. I put $2000 down so the monthly payments for mine are $282 per month for 60 months. I would consider other places before I took that deal, or if you are younger try getting a co-signer that has good credit history so you can qualify for the lowest APR's. Good luck.

bd21

Your numbers don't check out from Edmunds! A 04 Civic EX 4 door with automatic invoices at $16,504 and destination is $490 which translates to true invoice of $16,994. Don't muddy the water with state taxes. State your figures with what the dealer is selling you the car for and include their processing fee. Tax, tag, tittle are on you. Check your numbers again and re post, so we can understand your deal. Although, does it really matter since that is the best price offered by all of the dealers you have been too? Also, without knowing the APR and number of months that you are financing, it is impossible to figure out what your payment would be. Go to a credit union or bank and find out what kind of rate you qualify for, before you go back to the Honda dealer. Anyway, I doubt you will be able to twist their arms with anything you get off this board to get your price lower. Good luck!

gregarious1

The car is a Civic Coupe and the actual selling price is $16,700, sales tax is 6% ($990), tag+title+registration = $180. As I said I had to leave before the finance department gave the final word. So I estimate that the APR to be between 6%-8.5%. I guess that this would be good, since I only have a credit history of less than 3 years but other than that it is good. I couldn't get a loan from the credit union for more than $2000 so I don't think they are an option. As for for a cosigner with good credit that is highly unlikely for me.

bd21

Your figures are still off. The true invoice of the EX Civic coupe automatic including destination is $16,629. The dealer is selling you the car for $16,700 which is reasonable, but others are paying less than invoice right now, because Honda has a $400 to $1000 incentive though 1 Mar 04 to its dealers based on volume. If you can tap into that, you should be able to get it under invoice. If your tax is 6% on $16,700 that equals $1002 (state tax) plus your $180 for the tag & title for a grand total of $17,882 OTD, based on the figures you have listed. Use this link to figure up what your real payments should be based on your actual APR and number of months financed http://www.interest.com/hugh/calc/missing.cgi I took your $17,882 price, subtracted $5000 for the down payment, which left $12,882 to finance and came up with the following numbers for you. I used 8.5% APR, which translates to $317.52 monthly for 4 years, 264.29 for 5 years, and $229.02 a month for 6 years. Make sure they don't try to hide in life insurance or GAP insurance in your payments. Good luck!

gregarious1

Thanks alot. I will continue to search for a better deal.

tofun2

I helped my cousin to deal and buy a new 04 LX yesterday, 1/11. We paid 14900 with the dealer's alarm option (cost 350), plus tax and licences fee. Is it a good deal? We got it at Norm Reeves in S Cal. Thanks every one.

nerdx

Spare me the tightwad comments. We bought our first civic dx 5spd and picking it up tomorrow. the TMV is listed at 12,750. We negotiated for 12,550...with a CD player. Nothing else - no air, power, etc. Any comments?