2013 and earlier-Honda Civic Prices Paid and Buying Experience

chadpetri

I'm looking to buy a new 06 Honda Civic in Jax FL--I'm gunning for a 4-door LX. The MSRP is 16,500--but I'm getting quotes like 19,800 out the door. What's a reasonable price I could finagle the dealer down to? I've never bought a car before, so I'm really new to all this

thebill

offer them 19500 out the door and stick to it, then enjoy your new civic!

chadpetri

Oh, I certainly won't say anything about "I've never bought a car before" that's a hidden horror suitable only for the message board. So--you're saying I shouldn't pay more than 16-k--and that's OTD (out the door?)--how then do I get them down that low? What are some good negociations tactics? Why do I wanna take a friend?

jmurman42

if I'm not mistaken Florida has a sales tax of about 8% right?

You can do better than $19,800 out the door. That Civic LX Sedan in Maryland will run you..based on a FL 8% Sales tax $18,300 out the door.

From what I've heard, the FL Honda dealers are all across the board in pricing. The CEO of our company went to a couple of FL dealers and he said it was one of the worst experiences he's ever had. This from a guy that operates 43 dealerships.

chadpetri

The sales tax here is 7-percent in FL--all the honda dealers in my area are running the odt price about the same near or above 20k

I know I can do better than that for this civic lx 4-door--I just need to know what the reasonable immutable price should be for me to hit or leave the dealership.

kyfdx

I was at the Cincinnati car show today... The salesperson working the Honda exhibit is from a dealer that recently went to "fair market value" pricing..

Even the salesperson admitted that it wasn't their bottom dollar, but that they would automatically quote this price to anyone who asked.. no negotiation necessary... (not including the SI..MSRP only).

In the example he quoted me (and these are just round numbers from memory)... Civic EX w/NAV manual-trans.. MSRP $20,300.. Invoice $18,600.. Selling price $19,600.

Now... I wouldn't be happy with that deal.. but, it at least gives you a hint that halfway between invoice and MSRP should be an easy deal.. Any OTD deal in FL including taxes should be around $500-$700 over MSRP.. at the most, without any gnashing of teeth...

They did have an SI with NAV.. in Galaxy Gray.. Really sharp.. owned my Honda Motor... not for sale..

regards,
kyfdx

chadpetri

the 4-door civic lx's MSRP is 16,550--so, what you're saying is that about 17,200 is a fair deal if that's the otd?

Should I shoot for that? How do I get to that # with the dealer? Should I just say "17k is all I'm willing to spend?"

kyfdx

If it were me... I'd shoot for lower than that...

If the MSRP is $16,550, and you want OTD pricing.. with all taxes and fees included... then I would probably ask for $16,550.... If you end up at $17K, you still have a fair deal...

You'll never get what you don't ask for.. But, really.. the negotiating is the hard part.. It is easy for any of us to say what you should pay.. getting to that point is a little more difficult..

I will say this... As popular as the Civic might be, it is a mass market car for Honda... they expect to sell 300K/yr in the US.. SI models may bring a premium for a long time... but LX and EX models will be as common as grass in a few months..

regards,
kyfdx
Host-Prices Paid Forums

jmurman42

If it were me, knowing what I know about the Civic and its pricing, I would maybe do things a little different.

First of all I would contact through the Internet Depts the various dealerships in your area. See who responds to you. If they don't respond with a price then move on. If you get the "come on in and lets talk about it" move on.

Now I do want to tell you that I do this for a living...that is run the Internet Dept for a fairly large Honda dealership.

So, once you get your contacts...and don't go chasing the ones that don't respond to you down. Now you need to set up a time to go in a test drive. You only need to do this with one dealer as they all pretty much drive the same. So pick the guy or gal that gives you the best information as to what you asked for...in other words see the one who will give you the service you deserve.

After your test drive the salesman will ask you to sit down and go over numbers. When you sit down, you need to have figured out if they have the color you want, don't skimp here as you will probably have the car for a long time. Sit down with them and tell him right up front, that you do not in any uncertain terms wish to be turned over to another salesman or manager. If he agrees, then go to the next step. Calmly...like you've done this a billion times before...review the numbers he has presented to you. ASK QUESTIONS, it's your money so dont be afraid to ask questions.

Now when I say ask questions, don't ask in a tone that is inferior or subservant like this "Would it be possible to have this figure reduced..I was just wondering?"

No, you are going to state, calmy and rememeber its your money "I really like the car and I am prepared to buy it, however I will only pay $X for it...and that includes everything...taxes tags processing...everything." Then shut up...the first one who talks loses here...just be still and let him talk. He'll ask where you got those "insane" numbers and boy oh boy I better ask my manager. Or if his numbers are truly low and there isn't anywhere to go...he just might stand up, shake your hand and wish you luck. Don't feel bad if this happens, you are offering him a decent profit, and it is your money. Then remind him that he made a promise that you would not be turned over to another. If the manager comes in to close you, stand up and shake his hand and prepare to walk out.

The manager will probably try to bump your numbers, the key is to have enough cushion so if they ask you to split the difference then you can do it and feel good about it.

Now, if you would like to know what numbers I'd take into the dealership on a Civic LX Sedan, feel free to email me and I'll put some numbers together for you.

thebill

The salesperson has no right to accept any deal. The sales manager has that authority.

We do not have that authority.

I do agree with your strategy with emailing and your test drive philosophy. Still too much effort, but close to an ideal buying experience.

I still say that getting prices on vehicles doesnt have to be that difficult. Just offer around a 5-7% profit over invoice plus tax, lic and all fees and move on.

thats just me though, i dont have the time and patience.

jmurman42

I guess that depends on the dealership. Here our salespeople are expected to close their own deals. We don;t use the liner/closer type system that some dealerships stiil use.

thebill

closing a deal and accepting a deal are two different things.

If a customer walks in and says "I will offer you _____, but I dont want to talk to anyone take it now or leave it."

We do not have the authority to say "You have a deal, congrats!"

Know what I mean?

jmurman42

I understand what you are saying. Our guys do have the authority, within reason to accept those deals. Again, it 's all in the functionality and management of the dealership.

mikefm58

" offer them 19500 out the door and stick to it, then enjoy your new civic! "

$19500 OTD? For a Civic with an MSRP of $16500? $19500 would be waaaaayyyyyy too much IMHO.

I'm in Orlando, so assuming sales tax is the same, 6%, and a couple hundred bucks for the registration. But let's assume Jax is 7% sales tax. This would give an OTD price of $17855 if he paid MSRP.

And you want him to pay $19500? Almost two grand over MSRP? Ooooookay.

mikefm58

My advice, take a friend with you for moral support, even if they're not an experienced car buyer, it will be a good learning experience for both.

The '06 Civic really is a nice car, but you have to decide what price is right for you. But if I were in the market for one now, I wouldn't pay more than MSRP.

The easiest and most simple method of buying is the infamous, world reknowned, patented BOBST method. In summary (don't ever ask BOBST to go in to detail...LOL), just offer the dealer an OTD price.

MSRP including destination
+ sales tax
+ registration ($150 for a transfer, $300 if new)
equals your OTD price.

Don't let them add any dealer fees, these are included in your offer. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

thebill

she said her quote was 19800.

I just subtracted 300.

I didnt figure any of the numbers, i was quoting a 300 discount. Quick and painless.

I am the same way, I wouldnt pay over MSRP for any civic below SI

sandman46

When we bought our 3s this summer, I dealt only with the internet guy who quoted me invoice and then took my $800. worth of coupons off of invoice. I was happy with the deal. His invoice #'s matched Edmunds #'s so I felt good and apparantly he did also or he never would've made the deal with us.
A very pleasant buying experience especially when both sides are happy and another unit is moved. I also think buying the last day of the month was incentive also. I never jacked him around and he knew I wanted to buy from his dealership and I was ready to buy right then!

The Sandman

mmwb2u

How did you get out of paying the destination charge? Am curious since it seems customary.

mdta

I got an offer on LX AT for 16,415. It is at invoice.

mmwb2u

I'm getting ready to lease a Civic, but nervous about being stuck in a 36 month contract. What happens if I need out? Does honda finance allow a third party to take over payments? How does a third party buyout work?

If anyone can help I would really appreciate it.

mikefm58

I believe the complete lease terms for a Honda lease are here:

http://www.hondafinancialservices.com/planning/lease_new_auto.asp

hchinhouston

Hi new question:
What are people paying for 2006 HCH (honda civic hybrid)? We just paid around $24,000 OTD for 2006 HCH (the dealer already had lots of extra costs (etching, "protection package"), but did not have to wait in the houston area. Reading what people are saying about the OTD price for the LX sedan makes me feel like we paid waaaay to much. Was wondering what other's experiences have been...Thanks.

kyfdx

If you are nervous about keeping a car for 36 months, then you shouldn't lease it...

Leases can be good deals, if you fulfill your end of the contract... If you can't, then they can be very, very expensive...

regards,
kyfdx
Host-Prices Paid Forums

thebill

you cant get out of destination

you can however offer a price minus the destination charge:

MSRP 19,600

- 550
_____________
19,150

DESTINATION IS NOT NEGOTIABLE!!!

adomingo

Hi,

I paid 22,800 for my 06 Silver HCH with Navigation in the NJ area. That price excludes taxes and registration. I found a dealer that quoted me 1K under MSRP. My definition of MSRP includes destination charges ($550). Every dealer wanted MSRP and some discounted $500 under MSRP. I just used the internet and asked for quotes from 30 Plus dealers. If you can, just be patient and get at least $500 under MSRP. Of course, if you live in a high demand area like California then it may be difficult.

-A

magico1

I wanted to buy a Civic EX coupe with navigation since they were offering the 4.9% finance charges. One dealer I went to wanted $500 deposit to search for one for me since they had none in stock. Is this normal? The dealer I bought my current Civic, told me that they had none in stock but could order me one but it would not come in until May or June. Anyone else waiting this long? Is Honda not making any more Civics with Navigation and shipping them to dealers or are they just waiting for the dealers to order them?

anonymousposts

they are nearly impossible to find. We gave a couple of dealers a $500 deposit to locate and they couldn't produce the car. There was only 1 in Georgia and the dealer wouldn't trade. We did find one in TN but the dealer wanted MSRP for it. When we checked back with our local dealers they all told us that no more NAV models were being built until April. So, what your dealer is telling you is correct. We've heard a few different versions of why they aren't building them. One dealer says that noone wants them so they don't order them while another dealer said that Honda doesn't allow dealers to specify which models they want to they take what they are allocated.

We decided to wait until we came across one on a dealer's lot. This is the first year and they will be made another 4 years so eventually you will get what you want. If you REALLY want the Civic though and you trust that your dealer can produce the car then give them the deposit and wait.

bamacar

Have you seen many Civic manuals of any kind? I am amazed at how few there are so far. I have not seen a sedan with a manual yet. I have only seen a couple of manual coupes on the lot. It appears that there are a higher percentage of manual Accords than Civics. This doesn't make much since to me.

klughing

Hey, I'm trying to get the same thing! Unfortunately, in this case, i'm in california so it might be harder to get.
I'll definitely buy the car right away if i get the car with your price. Do you think it's possible?
Btw, what color did you get? was it hard to find?

klughing

Hey i'm also in San Diego. I'm also trying to get a civic but i'm aiming for a 06 coupe AT w/o navi. I believe LA has a lower price than SD and the lowest price i could get last week was around 18,471 before tax etc. So all in all, you would pay like 20,300. So i dont think you can get what you want under 20,000. Anyway, how's the search? Did you get your car yet?

integradriver

I saw ONE manual while I was looking...heard lots of promises that 'we can find one', but ultimately bought off of a dealer's incoming manifest (ie, he had a VIN) for what was the second manual tranny Civic that I saw. Got a call a week later from another dealer who was getting a manual, but all wrong for me as far as body type etc.

harry77

Sounds better than what I got. What did Boch charge for your "Documentation Fee"? Can you list the individual charges that make up the $16,600 total? Thanks.

mtbiker278

It's definitely possible to get that price for the EX auto civic coupe. I would try to go for a sale if the dealerships near you are having one. Plus, fewer cars are sold in the winter months so you could probably haggle them down. The only stipulation with your situation is that California has the strict emissions laws. I wouldn't be surprised to find some kind of additional vehicle tax of sorts, but having not live there I wouldn't know.

My civic came in Galaxy Gray. It wasn't too hard to find. Best tool to use is the dealership finder on the Hondacars.com website. Search the dealers inventory and they should list all the vehicles that are in stock. Also, there may be some vehicles that are on reserve that aren't listed, but if the customer doesn't buy them they'll just go in the stock log. However, this is unlikely since most of the civic I've seen have been going like crazy.

Hope this helps!

jmurman42

"My civic came in Galaxy Gray. It wasn't too hard to find. Best tool to use is the dealership finder on the Hondacars.com website. Search the dealers inventory and they should list all the vehicles that are in stock. Also, there may be some vehicles that are on reserve that aren't listed, but if the customer doesn't buy them they'll just go in the stock log. However, this is unlikely since most of the civic I've seen have been going like crazy."


The dealers inventory is not as up to date as what we would like. The issue is the software system used by about 99% of the dealers. This is akin to MS Windows if you can understand the analogoy.

Civics will not show up if they are inbound. They won't show up if they have been delievred to the dealership but haven't been stocked in by the folks that do this. It takes a couple of days for inventory to show up on the web site inventory...and it will take a couple of days after the car has been sold for it to come off of the web site inventory. Also, if the car has been pre-sold, it will show on inventory as being in stock.

It's probably best to send in an Internet Inquiry on the car, then make contact via phone, email etc to establish that the car is on the ground and available.

cconnor

After much thought and deliberation (with the help of Edmunds and these forums) I was able to come to terms on a Silver Civic LX Sedan AT today. I went with the "OTD" method and ended up getting the number that I wanted. I asked for $18,200 out the door and here is the breakdown that I got:

Vehicle price: $17,000.41
Document fees: $100.00
Sales tax: $1,079.09
Title & filing fees: $20.50
Total: $18,200

I didn't meet much resistance. I asked for the 18,200 and they gave it to me. Maybe I should have gone lower, but I'm content with that number. They make some money and I feel like I got a reasonable deal.

thebill

Outstanding. Im happy for you!

Enjoy your Civic!

magico1

Thanks for the information. I did find one at another Honda dealer, got the silver one with nav and 4.9% finance. I pick it up tomorrow.

yugin

Hi everybody,
2 years later I'm back..
Looking to get 4 door Civic LX 5AT. I've got an offer of 16,875 for that model (that is without title and registration, and Washington state sales tax 8.8%).
Is this a good deal for North West? Seems like to me, since edmunds TMV shows 17,492.
Probably tomorrow will make final decision.

brupop

Hi yugin,
Please tell which dealership in the Great Northwest you got this deal at.
Thanks,
GregB in Portland OR

yugin

Valley, in Spokane
Is it sounds good?

klughing

By the way, that $17,650 of yours. Is that including the $550 destination charge?
The invoice is $17,442 right?

irislin23

I am a foreign student in Champaign, IL.
Recently, I went to Honda dealer to test drive a
2006 Civic 4-door LX.
The dealer offered $18038 as OTD and seems not
negotiable. I asked for OTD $17000. They say it is impossible.
Now, I am thinking buy a car at Maryland during the
spring break. (My boyfriend lives there)
It seems easier to get a better price than here.

My only concern is that if I buy a new car during spring
break in Maryland, and drive it back to illinois. Is there any problem that I should know?

Thanks for your help

jmurman42

"My only concern is that if I buy a new car during spring
break in Maryland, and drive it back to illinois. Is there any problem that I should know? "

There aren't any problems per se, what you will run into is a Sales Tax question. In Maryland for an out of state purchase the Sales Tax is waived and a MD Temp tag is placed on the car. If you are financing, the Sales Tax from your area is added to the contract and you are mailed a check for that amount. Make sense? So, make sure you have proof of residency for IL before you shop here in MD.

Some states like NJ are absolutely hell-holes for car insurance. Make sure you have a current insurance card and that your policy is for Comp and Collision.

mtbiker278

Double checking the invoice, you're right that it's $17,442. Thinking about this I went over my charges and I show the destinations charge not included. This would be my fault since I though the invoice was higher. I might have also read the deal wrong saying it was $200 above the invoice. Either way, I haven't seen any EX Civic 5AT Coupes for much lower than that. To be honest I'm not surprised that the car sold for a little more than invoice. The dealers still have to make some sort of profit.

jj7

I got my Civic 06 EX MT Galaxy Gray color last week. I paid $500 over invoice. Total including registration and taxes(california) and all other fees was about $19,200. Did I get good deal?

bingo

Paid $18,000 for Galaxy Gray, EX, auto, w/o nav, with mudflaps and wheel locks.(Jan 23, 2006) Out the door(OTD) price of $19,008.
Dealer: Hendricks Honda, Charlotte NC. Went to 4 other Charlotte dealers..all were higher from $150-$500. Highly recommend Hendricks. A few weeks before my purchase, a co-worker paid $18,920 OTD for Silver EX Coupe, at Lake Norman Honda.(I went there but they did not have any EX's in stock)

klughing

How can you pay OTD only $1000 above the dealt price? I hear almost every dealer around here (CA) say that usually it's around 10%, which in your case is $1800. I guess it might be because of the taxes.

ooohmai

Well, Pacific Honda has been really good with quoting.. i was quoted 20,910 for EX Sedan AT/w/Nav I still want to try and knock off a couple hundred on that. And i was quoted that before i ever mentioned the invoice of 19,340 so i emailed today saying i want 19,340 to see how much lower they will go. Fuller Honda down in Otay Mesa said their stock is really low right now, and Poway Honda said they are all out of inventory, so i'm also working with Mission Valley and Escondido Honda and Tipton Honda in El Cajon said they can only do MSRP, so right now Pacific HOnda is looking the best, but this Sunday i'm gonna go out and hit the pavement How about you?+

kyfdx

I believe NC sales tax is very low (like 3%?) or the total amount is capped...

Wouldn't that be great?

psy

Have you seen many Civic manuals of any kind? I am amazed at how few there are so far. I have not seen a sedan with a manual yet. I have only seen a couple of manual coupes on the lot. It appears that there are a higher percentage of manual Accords than Civics. This doesn't make much since to me.

I own a 06 EX Sedan 5MT w/Navi. Purchased the Thursday before X-mas for $19,128.00. Includes Dest. and Doc. Its the broucher car. :shades:

http://www.psyshack.com/06side.jpg
http://www.psyshack.com/06isfront.jpg

Mt's are out there.. and well worth the wait. Snatched mine right off the truck.