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Still, both versions are great cars and I'm still very pleased. Which ever you choose, you won't be sorry. But if I were buying in the near future, I'd wait a bit until the new Corolla debuts and then drive back to back the following list:
Corolla
Lancer
Elantra
Mazda 3
Versa
G5
Jetta/Rabbit
Civic.
There's so much to select and they all have a bit different ergonomics and engine sizes. The reason to drive them all back to back is so you can really get a feel for each contender and go from there. If it were me, I'd spend a couple of days doing this so I could narrow down the field to maybe 3 of these. Then I'd like to rent each for a few days to see if I could live with them in my life. Sure it's a bit of a long drawn out process, but why buy something that you're really not going to be happy with a year or two down the road.
The Sandman
2007 Honda White Civic EX Sedan with automatic transmission, mud flaps, door protectors (painted to match car color at factory):
Price of car: $18750
Mud flaps: $133.2
Door protectors (on edge of door): $136.4
State & Federal Document fees: $165
Sales tax (6%): $1151.08
Transfer plate: $8
Title fee: $15
Full tank of gas: no charge
TOT: $20,358.68
Test drove the car, in town & highway & checked absolutely everything> I specifically followed the advice of findings by others in the Civic forums. I had a two page list!
The car drove like a dream! I can not wait to pick it up this week!
Good luck and thanks to all that contributed to this forum.
Of interest, I followed up on advice and priced a car at neighboring Ohio. After working out all the details, I would have saved ~ $175. The inconvinience of picking up the car ~150 miles from home plus doing all the motor vehicles work myself, was not worth it for me.
Have a great day folks!
Sounds like you had a great experience. Would you mind emailing me your pre-delivery checklist? I hope to be a new Civic owner soon, and I have seen that there are a few issue that could become a concern. I, too, hope to avoid them.
Thanks in advance
Loki
1. I opened and tested everything: trunk remote, gas cap, horn, lights, signal, every heater/AC control and so on. I made sure every single item in the vehicle was working.
2. I drove it for about 5 miles on rough local roads, with radio off, to hear the sounds of the car. I was looking for unusual noises in the rear or the front, which could mean the suspension was not working well. This was reported by early owners of the Civic (2005-2006 especially).
3. I took the car on the highway for 10 miles with close attention to acceleration, feel, noise levels and control of the car. I used the cruise control and also accelerated a few times to 80-85 mph just to see how the car responded. But my main focus was driving the car the way I normally drive to assure I could live with it.
4. I actually measured, with a tape, the distance between all four tires and the body of the car. Some owners reported that uneven height was due to defective front end struts. Visually, none of the cars on the lot had any such defects
5. Owners here reported that windshield scratches easily as well as the paint. So I inspected the car, every inch and found only perfection. Only time will tell how the paint and windshield hold up.
6. I asked about upgrading the tires from Bridgestone but dealer did not offer it. Owners reported tires failing or wearing too quickly. Only time will tell on this too.
7. Some reported the interior of the vehicle may scratch easily: could not tell from the new vehicles. But this is a minor point for me. However, I made sure my vehicle was as perfect as possible in the interior appearance.
8. Many reported concerns in this forum can be eliminated by a careful drive, paying attention to sounds (radio off!). So, reports of weird noises, transmission shifting oddly, vibrations, etc., can all be identified prior to driving the vehicle. I tested one, with 1.8 miles, that had a severe vibration starting @ 40 mpg. I brought it immediately back and told the dealer that I was not my job as a customer to "test drive" their cars. I mentioned this to other dealers, who I believe made sure that did not happen with their cars.
9. I made sure that all the outer panels, doors, etc. were properly aligned. Opened and closed every door. This eliminates a sloppy assembling job. This is mainly a visual inspection. Take time to carefully look at the car critically, walk around it, step back and if something is not right, you will see it.
10. We had snow here and rain and windy days and I got to test the Civic under these conditions, including day & night driving. This is a hard one to do, because the weather has to cooperate and you need time. But I eliminated per my requirements the following comments on this forum: headlights illuminate poorly (OK for me!), windshield wipers are noisy (a bit, but not a big deal for me), poor handling at highway speeds (my experience is excellent handling, including windy conditions, snow, passing a large truck, etc.). My last car was a 94 Buick (a tank!) and yet, I felt very comfortable and no complaints in this area.
11. I did purchase an Ohio assembled vehicle because some folks mentioned they were performing better (versus Canada assembly) and also to keep some of my $$ in USA. This is just my preference, although it appeared that all EX models came from Ohio.
12. I looked for blind spots and they were minor for me, as in all vehicles there will some areas of poor visibility.
13. The sun visors are barely functional, but that is why I have sunglasses. I found no blinding glare from windshield area, as some reported. The parking brake was not in an inconvenient location for me. Driver's seat was comfortable and if you raise it to its highest point, it feels like I am in my wife's SUV. Although she pointed out my head was really close to the ceiling.
14. A did look under the car (best I could) for any oil leaks, especially around front & rear suspension (you can feel it by hand behind the tires & also visually) and rear differential on back of car. I also closely inspected the engine compartment. All you need to know is: anything looks disconnected, leaking or odd? The salesman can answer any of your questions. I asked quite a few, although I understand cars a bit more than most after working on older vehicles for too many years.
I think I went overboard here, but I work in research and my analytical side is always on overdrive. In the end, it is a very personal decision on what to buy. I bought a white Civic which my entire family thought was ugly, but in my eyes it really highlights the car. Go figure. Best of luck and do not be surprise if others in this forum do not agree on some of my impressions or guidelines I used. It is after all only my opinions and how I chose a car. Plus, my spouse would not allow me to research it endlessly, because she knows I would never stop
We went to TIPTON Honda in El Cajon first and the salesman wouldn't budge below $16,944. He said he was not willing to throw in the trunk tray at that price either. However, he did offer a year's service, but again was not willing to put down in writing what that would include. I hate that dealership, high pressure and never a straight answer. :confuse:
Finally, we went to PACIFIC Honda where I bought my 2004 Civic and was able to close a deal. Helped my brother get a NEW 2007 Honda Civic LX 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 5A), all standard LX features plus the trunk tray and splash guards for $16,800 plus TTL.
He bought a Consumer Reports "New Car Price Service" and it stated the Invoice was around $16,323 (not including the $595 Destination & Handling). I think the lowest price I've seen here, was $16,744, so all in all we feel we got a pretty darn good deal.
Good luck to all, and stick to your guns.
My reasons for not buying a car from my not be useful, but here they are:
-all dealers were comparable in service & price. A few dollars more or less, did not influence me.
-decided that I did not want a car shipped from another dealer, in the color I chose. Did not want to deal with a vehicle with problems after the dealer went through time/expense to bring in the vehicle.
This became apparent after I test drove a Civic at your dealer that obviously was not ready for sale (severe vibrations at 40 mph).
-My strongest recommendation is not to let a customer be the first to test drive a new vehicle. It was the worst experience in my case when shopping for a new Honda Civic. It made me wonder about a lot of things: quality & reliability of Honda: lack of attention to detail by your dealership.
Now, here is what would have made my buying experience better and more likely to focus on one dealer:
-offer me inexpensive freebies up front: like 3 or more free oil changes or whatever.
-then, offer me the lowest price from the get go (another dealer offering me $100-$200 less would not then sway me)
-offer me discount coupons for tire rotation and other maintenance the first 30000 miles
-tempt me with options (carpets, door moldings, mud flaps, etc.) at a discounted price.
-I asked from all dealers but did not get a convincing story of what made them special, better, a place where I wanted to do business. For example, if a dealer had shown me a display of letters & pictures of satisfied customers. Or, customers that I could call who are excited and willing to share: specifics about excellent service: skill of your mechanics: solving problems with their cars: above & beyond assistance when having to go to Honda corporate to help the customer resolve a problem, and so on.
Somehow, the dealers were all pretty much the same to me and I could not differentiate between one or the other. It was all words and very little supporting documentation. If you do a great job, document it and by all means share it!
Not sure if this is useful or not. However, your dealership is closest to my home. My vehicle will need servicing. Put me on your mailing list and offer me maintenance deals in the future and you may gain my business in this manner.
Happy hunting all!
However, I can but do NOT enjoy the dealers sales game. I don't want to play games with price and the "let me see if my sales manager" b/s "will go for this". I will only (now) buy on-line and come in to close the deal. A hundred bucks here or there makes little difference in a car purchase but I want a fair price. Any dealer who will not go respond to a request for purchase online with a real $$$$ numbers is out. I especially hate the "get your best deal in writing then come to me". I sent out emails to 7 dealers stated what I wanted and I was prepared to purchase. I let them all know that this went to all Honda Dealers within 50 miles. Three responded with actual numbers but only one was "good" the other's were pretty much MSRP. The offer was not the very best here but was what I consider fair (I've posted all that before so I won't repeat) mine is really just let other's and dealers know I will use the "On-Line" method of buying a new car I think it is less stressful and a more informed reasonable way to buy for me. Now if you enjoy the haggle process that's cool but I came in all the paperwork was complete and ready and I left 20 minutes later with my new car. Maybe I could have saved $200 by being hardcore but it's just not worth it to me. :shades:
Gee, do you THINK??
I have sold, literally THOUSANDS of new Hondas over a 12 year period and I have NEVER, EVER had anyone come remotely close to doing anything like this!
Good Grief, it's only a CAR!
Different strokes, I suppose.
It sounds like you're happy and that's what matters.
Enjoy!
I bought a new Honda Civic EX Coupe one week ago, and the dealer had it registered for me yesterday( it took some time for some reasons). I was supposed to go to the dealship to get my car yesterday, but they told me yesterday that there was a scartch on the door of my car. They said they would have it fixed it for me and I wouldn't even see the difference. Can I trust them on this? I said I don't want this car, I would like to either have another one or have my money back, but the dealer told me that this is my car becasue it was registered under my name.
Two questions here:
1: Can they really fix it? Will the difference on paint begin to show months later after I have the car?
2: Can I return this car because it has never driven out of the dealership by me?
Thank you very much for your help on this issue.
luckluck
2:
I got my Civic LX Auto Coupe and I like it alot!
I plan on buying my Civic LX coupe on Mon but unlike a lot of others, there's only ONE Honda dealership in my city (Wichita,KS).
Do I have any deal wiggle room here or am I pretty much stuck with whatever price the dealer slaps on the windshield?
In my case, the best initial quote I got (slightly below invoice) was from a dealer 50 miles away. A closer dealer said in their quote that they would try to beat any offer by $200, so I forwarded it to them and they did. Plus, they had the color I wanted so I went there. YMMV.
Good luck,
Josh
+ TTL ) . Do you think I can get this any cheaper ?
LX Sedan Stick
Invoice 16,210
MSRP 17,555
Average 17,204
LX Sedan Auto
Invoice 16,944
MSRP 18,355
Average 17,988
LX Coupe Stick
Invoice 16,027
MSRP 17,355
Average 17,008
LX Coupe Auto
Invoice 16,761
MSRP 18,155
Average 17,792
These are the number I see on Kelly's on Friday the 13th but I do suggest everyone do a tad of research and look up a "few" things for yourself
Selling price: $18,750
Options: $0 (none)
Documentary Fees: $250
SUBTOTAL: $19,000
Sales tax (6.5%): $1,235
Transfer plate: $0
Title fee: $15
Full tank of gas: no charge
TOTAL: $20,250
Footnotes:
1. This is about 5% less than what Edmunds says “others are paying”, but frankly I’m not sure how accurate Edmunds numbers are. Seems most posts here are about 5% less than “what others are paying”, regardless of make or model.
2. “Documentary fees” are junk fees used to pad dealer profit. I was prepared for it when we negotiated $19K, just beware if it exists and if so, how much they plan to pile on.
Looks to be $200 UNDER Invoice which :surprise: "seems" :surprise: to be very good to me. Seems to be common for others but I sure did not get any under Invoice offers
regards,
kyfdx
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The Sandman
Really? I just bought a 2008 Lancer. It's a fantastic car that offers more bang for the buck than a Civic. At least the Mitsubishi salesperson I dealt with was friendly and courteous, totally opposite of the arrogant "take it or leave it" attitude so prevalent among Honda dealers.
I wasn't knocking Mitshibishi nor do I think they are bad cars. They just aren't big sellers for whatever reason.
You may lose that "bang for the buck" later when it's time to sell it or trade it in.
One number might help a few of us out a little more - what was the base price of the car? Minus TTL, minus your options, minus destination... what was that number?
THANKS!
Loki
PS. You might get a better price for a warranty online.
Isn't it too late to cancel the warranty from the dealer and buy one on line?
Thanks..
And why a state inspection on a NEW car??
Never heard of this.
Hey, Josh,
Thanks for the great advice. I actually got an online quote from a dealership about 45 miles away ($16,800). When I told the local guy he talked to his sales manager who said he wouldn't lose the deal to the "other guys" and they matched the quote. So, I'm closing the deal on an automatic LX coupe this evening. I'm also getting the 2.99% APR financing for 36 mos. I'm excited.
A lot of people seem to be talking about warrantydirect.com but even they are not the only game in town. I am considering a warranty through them. They seem to have one interesting option, that "wraps" around the standard Honda warranty so you're not duplicating coverage, and costs about $700 with a $100 deductable (that's a bet I'll make with a Honda:). They say they'll tow ya, too - don't know if Honda will.
Check out the warranty talk here.
Good luck!
Loki
for the intents and purposes of why we post on this particular thread:
it's a galaxy gray 2007 civic ex coupe w/ navigation 5-speed
accessories include: fog lamps, all season floor mats, moon roof visor, leather wrapped steering wheel, mud flaps, auto day/night mirrors.
i purchased through honda finance at 2.9% for 36 months for $20K give or take a few andrews OTD. this includes all fees, charges, taxes, etc. in actuality though, the salesman i was dealing with told me he made a mistake and priced me out the car without navigation, so the price is probably off by about $1500. he was cool on providing me the price we agreed on via email. (i did make him verify the price twice btw). other dealers in my area (atlanta, ga) were about $2500 to $2800 higher....without me haggling.
it was actually the best buying experience i've ever had. since the price to me seemed great.
i hope this info is helpful for the next person looking to purchase this great car.
I am in the Kansas City area.
Basically, invoice plus destination is about 16,200. Work with that number. All other numbers (tax, docs, licensing) vary by state, and you'll have to make that calculation yourself.
Loki
I'm going to try to have them cut down on the doc fee. And target something like $16000 - 16200 incl. that.
Also, if I want a specific color, does that reduce my chances at a lower price?
Again, according to Edmunds, certain colors cost more. I plan to be flexible on color to give me a little more leverage. The sticks exist, but from what I've seen from online inventories, not every dealer has it in every color. There are only 2 colors I hate - I'd be happy driving the rest.
My target number is about the same 16,000-16,200...
...if those gas prices keep going up tho, who knows!
Loki
I also lived in lewisville and wanted to buy a Civic LX 4dr.