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Comments
I just have this vision of a terrified car thief standing next to a vehicle he has just realized is equipped with the dreaded phantom footprints. I'm sure the finance folks are excited trying to pitch that stuff. Yikes!
Bill
2017 Accord Sport CVT Mod Steel Metallic
The entire sales cycle took me about three days. Started with Google-mapping all the Honda dealerships in the region (around ten) and e-mailing each one about what I was looking for and requesting a price. 25% refused to negotiate over e-mail but insisted that they would not be undersold, bla bla, all that BS. I wisely ignored them. I believe that the average consumer, even if he does his research, is no match for the hard-ball tactics at the dealership. They'll even double-team you, if necessary. I did visit one dealership to allow myself to probe for the bottom. That experience was like putting my hand into a hornet's nest. But with that hard-won knowledge, I extracted a good offer from another dealer via e-mail. But along the way, luckily, one dealer had requested that I just give it the best offer I got and it would beat or match it. Since there's no incentive for me in matching, I asked it to beat the offer by $300. Counter-offer accepted. The next day I drove to the dealership fully expecting some gotcha, or outright retraction. To my surprise, the battle was over and my experience was only sitting around getting full value from the $150 documentation fee. Main lesson: courteously negotiate with multiple dealers via e-mail, visit one if you have if necessary to find the bottom. Otherwise, never negotiate at the dealership. And apply credit on-line so they know you're in a position to buy. I saved a lot of money and hassle. I've since had a few e-mail exchanges with the junior salesperson at the dealer I visited about whether or not my offer of $26,000 was a money-loser for the dealership. I said no. He said yes, but I don't think he really knew. This forum taught me that dealer "invoice" includes dealer profit, so offering below invoice is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. But do that in a dealership and be prepared to get stung.
I will be in the market next year, and I plan to go with the USAA buying service, probably similar to Costco. We won't be trading in a car either...
I dont know how true this is but the latest word on the street is they have found a way to chop up a phantom tagged vehicle and use those parts undetected. If anyone is interested i will find out . Otherwise for the 300 dollars dealers are charging for this item refuse buying.
From what i read up on this ias etching system is you can be reimbursted up to 1000 dollars of your ins. deductible.
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
Bill
2017 Accord Sport CVT Mod Steel Metallic
The price breakdown in the last line was what I was getting from another dealer.
Bill
2017 Accord Sport CVT Mod Steel Metallic
Bill G
2017 Accord Sport CVT Mod Steel Metallic
I am the type of guy who would prefer to get EXACTLY THE CAR I WANT (color, model, accessories or more precisely NO accessories) at the LOWEST PRICE I can find. Am I going to futz around for $5 or $10? No of course not. But am I willing to take a few extra days and "work the process" and act confident and be willing to drive a few extra miles in order to save $500? Absolutely. $500 is $500. And by the way, even though I polled dealers that were 50 miles away, I ended up just using that as information to push the dealers closer to me. I ended up buying from a dealer 8.1 miles from me. Big whup...8.1 miles. People will spend time searching online to buy their TV and save $50, or will go to XYZ grocery store rather than ABC grocery store because "the prices are lower" and they probably save $8.72 on their grocery bill.
It's really not that hard or "stressful" to go to dealer's own websites, punch in your name and email address, and get some quotes. And then patiently and courteously ask a few questions of the various dealers who are quoting (do your cars have wheel locks and splash guards that are not included in your quote, etc). Maybe end up having a day or two of some email traffic, and a few follow-up phone calls. To me this doesn't qualify as "stressful", and its not like I'm being some jerkwad to the dealers and getting into high-stakes negotiations. It is all about getting more information and casting a broad net. Maybe to someone else this is stressful? I dunno.
Of course ANYONE on this board CAN afford an extra $500 or $1000. If they cannot, then frankly they shouldn't be buying a new car anyway. They should be looking for a good $10-12k used Accord. I don't really like the logic of "if you have money then you shouldn't care about spending more of it". But that's just me.
The Costco-type car buying services are fine and "no hassle" I guess, but people need to see them for what they are. They are basically just cutting out a little bit of work, and getting you to an "OKAY" price that is lower than sticker. If you're the type who is too busy or doesn't like "negotiating" or whatever then by all means go with the Costco service and call it a day. But I don't agree that it is sort of crazy that I or others who want to get "the best deal ever" are somehow irrational people who are wasting far too much time in the pursuit of very small rewards. Looking back at my research, had I had the misfortune of only choosing ONE dealer, and that dealer happened to be one of the higher-cost ones, I might have paid $1500 to $1800 more than I ended up finding by broadening my net and doing a little pushing. So call me crazy but that is real money regardless of whether you are poor or a millionaire.
At the end of the day, I am spending my money to buy a car. So if I feel like by waiting a few more weeks I might be able to save a few hundred dollars on the purchase price of a car or by negotiating with more dealers within a 30 mile radius I would be able to get a better idea of what a decent price on the car is in my market, then that's all part of the research process. Sure, some people might just want to walk into a dealership, do little negotiation and walk out with a new car and be happy that they paid below MSRP. That might work for some, but not all.
Before buying any big ticket item such as electronic gadgets or house hold appliances, I am the type of person who likes to do research and price comparison shop. At the same time, one should recognize when they are getting a great deal on an item and know when it is time to buy.
Before purchasing my new Honda Accord, I did a lot of research over a two month time frame. It was not just about price but also about negotiating techniques, which dealers to visit, whether they had good reviews and good customer service, and finally whether the car was available in the color I wanted. During those two months, I did learn a lot about the car buying game and I was able to arm myself with very valuable information. It was on this forum that I learned about Flex Cash. So in all, I was able to buy a new car for $1400 below invoice price with an additional $500 flex cash, without much stress and BS.
Being patient paid off for me and I am happy with the price I paid for the car, but also very happy with the car itself.
To each their own.
I tend to "enjoy" my big purchases much more when I've spent the time to know WHY I bought the model I did, and usually I've also been able to determine a way to get the features and performance I want for a fair price. In the case of the Accord, I compared the V6 and the I4 and decided the features and performance of the V6 were more than worth the extra $1500 or so it cost. But I immediately knew that the higher-yet price of the Touring wasn't worth it to me, since I could care less about the NAV, and while LED headlights are great, that alone wasn't worth a few more thousand to me.
Back to the earlier post, I am not going to be "hurt" or "mad" if someone else comes along and posts that they just bought a V6 for 26,750 vs my 26,999. At the time I made the buy, I was more than satisfied that I had found a good price. I am smart enough to know in the future that there may be more discounting or different market conditions that may give others an even better price. I wouldn't even feel one tiny pang of regret since I am enjoying the car every day right now.
But for those who have already found their way to this board, they must have at least some interest in trying to minimize their price and "get a good deal" and as many have said, it's not like the process requires super-human skills or quitting your full time job in order to manage it. If you have email and a cellphone you CAN do it. And you probably waste much more time doing things like watching TV or surfing the net anyway. Why not convert an hour or two of time and send some emails and make a few phone calls. A couple hours might save you $500-$1500 versus just walking into a dealer cold and asking for their "very best deal" which you will most definitely NOT get if you aren't a little prepared. $500-$1500 for a few hours invested seems a good payoff to me!
Bill G
2017 Accord Sport CVT Mod Steel Metallic
On one hand, we got nice treatment from the owner because we mentioned his friend; on the other hand, knowing he'd be giving my friend a $200 referral fee probably kept him from giving me that amount off the price. Right?
The price was $25,400 -- that includes the dest. fee and the $500 flexcash. The only accessories on it were mud-guards and all-weather floor mats which they said we were getting at discount for $250.
Doc. fee in Illinois is set at $164.30. Title and new plates - $196. Electronic registration and title fee $25. Tax - $1844. OTD - $28,379.
It's really nice. I wish it didn't cost so much, but it certainly has a lot of great features. One thing I'd like opinions on: this dealer offers a 7-year/100,000 extended warranty that he ultimately offered for $1,400 payable over the 3 years of the loan. What do you guys think of these kind of warranties? We never go for extended warranties but there are a lot of electronics in the car.
Do you WANT mudguards and floor mats? If no, then don't buy them even if they are discounted at "only" 250.
As for warranties, PLEASE DON'T BUY FROM THE DEALER when you can get them for a song from real live Honda dealers on the internet. Go check out Hyannis Hondacare (Bob Leab). He seems to have the best prices. Also Saccucci Honda or CurryHondaCare. Google them all. You will be amazed at how cheap the Hondacare warranties will seem vs the prices being quoted by your dealer.
MAKE SURE you only buy HONDACARE. Not anything else. Many dealers use a "similar" insurance policy. Don't buy it. You want to have your warranty directly through Honda. Go to those websites, type in your email address, and you will get an email with ALL the prices. And you will be amazed at the profit margin that your dealer is making. For example, that 7/100k warranty he offered at only $1400? It is $920 at Hyannis. Your dealer's $1400 warranty may not even be the HondaCare one!
The dealer may tell you that you can't really buy official Honda warranty over the internet. He is lying. The dealer may tell you you can't buy it except at the time of car purchase. He is lying again. You can buy it any time in the original warranty period, but there is a cutoff of 6000 miles if you want to get all of the longer-dated options and the lowest prices. Still, you have months to decide if you want to buy it.
Why don't you call up several dealers and offer them $25,100 for an EXL with NO options and tell them you're happy to finance thru Honda so their price is really 25,600. Call Lisle, Ed Napleton, Continental, Honda on Grand, Fletcher Jones, Valley in Aurora and Honda of Joliet. Tell them if they agree to that price you will be on your way to their dealership in 1 hour to sign the papers. Tell them that you have a list of 7 dealers who all gave you quotes, and you'll buy from the first one who says yes. Tell them you've already left voicemails for 3 of the dealers and you're working your way down the list and whoever calls back first has the deal.
And yes, we wanted some kind of mats and mud flaps seem like a good thing to have.
Cash Price (Includes destination charge) 26,150
Flex Incentive -500
Doc Fee 80
lic/smog 270
DMV 29
CA Tire 8.75
So at the end the actual car price is $25,650
which by the looks of it still a good deal plus I don't know if it matters but we did get something like 10 free oil changes and some car washes from the dealership (hey something is better than nothing) I've heard it adds up in the long run.
Thanks for the advice [non-permissible content removed] well will be bookmarking this site for future reference
One final say I take it your a devil dog with the screen name and all if so thank you for your service to this country and Oorah!
Yes, I am a 30 year retired Marine - thanks for the kind words about that.
Enjoy that new Honda!
Bill
2017 Accord Sport CVT Mod Steel Metallic
Enjoy the new Accord!
Bill
2017 Accord Sport CVT Mod Steel Metallic
I would recommend reaching out to dealers the last 2 days of the month and offering to buy TODAY for 27k without any incentives. Tell them you will drive down to the dealership within the next hour if they accept your offer. They would either call you back and say YES or NO. If they do not bite and you are in no rush to buy a car, try again at the end of next month.
Good luck.
As I stated, your best bet might be to wait till the end of December. If dealers are not prepared to offer you a sale price of $1000 below invoice plus flex cash, negotiate and work out your best deal. Hence, if they come back with a counter offer of say $800 below invoice plus flex cash, that might be the best deal for the car.
What is the second best offer you have received?
It might also have to do with supply and demand on the V6 model in your area. I would not be surprised if there were better deals on the 4 cylinder model (I am not implying that you should go for that model).
Since time is on your side, you are in good shape.
Just to RE ---eco............... bluesmk57cars.............. last 2 posts and very good/ sound advice. His assessment on pricing at months end is correct for our area.
Try these dealerships starting on Nov, 30th, late afternoon. Call and speak only to each dealerships internet Manager with your target price to buy that moment.
Hamilton honda...........n,j
Auto-sport...................nj
Garden state................nj
New Rochelle...............NY
Atlantic.......................LI/ NY
Unless these dealerships are pushing for a number sale incentive it might be close price wise across the board. New Rochelle is probably your best bet for that 1k plus incentives. Just remember every month the dealers last month with more aggressive pricing might not be as good.
The key to finding a real low price in the harder area markets to buy is...
Catching that right dealership with his stock and them needing to make there sales quota. Otherwise you may find 500 to 800 below invoice plus flex cash is the best you could do this month.
Good luck.
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
I'm also really tiring of the dealer game. We need to head towards standardized pricing on new cars like you see at BestBuy on computers or at appliance stores on appliances. All you get in the current system is scammy prices (leaving off destination, doc, etc...) that try to induce consumers to come in under false pretenses where they can then be worn down and made to overpay. Why else do so many dealers tell me I need to "come in for my best price?" Just shoot me an e-mail and let me know where your bottom line is, just like BestBuy would do. It's quite irritating, all you can do for now is to signal that they you are an informed consumer, and not fall for the dealer scams.
I thought it was a pretty decent deal.
My friend bought today and got the exact same deal. If you are willing to drive a couple of hours, you might get a good deal on a V6.
Good luck
Originally I was just going to pay cash for the Accord but I read in this forum that you should finance the minimum amount on the car to get the 500 flex cash. Some dealers have mentioned the flex cash to me but I have always paid cash for all my cars. So I was thinking, what is the overhead to finance the car and get the $500 flex cash ?
In other words, if I finance $5K on the car, what will they charge me to take out the loan. Will it be more than the $500 flex cash or will the finance charges be zero or $100 ?
I only have to play the interest ? That would be good then.
A 1 year CD is only getting around 0.5% nowadays, so i will still be paying more interest on the loan than getting interest on a CD. It makes sense to pay off the loan. Thanks for the info.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
The bmw 328d is about the same zero to sixty, and can of course corner much better without the body roll. But it was very surprising how smooth and planted the Accord Hybrid felt. It did not really feel like an Accord. Take it for a spin and see what you think.
I was going to get bmw, even msrp on this accord is 8k cheaper. But I've never paid msrp on a car yet, and in fact I have saved my friends thousands of dollars buying cars way below invoice from the Ishills of the world.
So it's a waiting game. This car won't be discounted till inventory goes up. I will keep an eye out for deals on it to help others in this forum who might be considering it.
I plan on test driving the Accord hybrid. I will pass on my review after driving it.
I dont recall my kids past 2 Accords being as jittery/jumpy on bad roads.
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Did you buy the BMW X-5 and get 39k on your trade.
heat34
39.7 plus taxes was the best i seen in the genesis forum. My deal was a monster one at that...... And one deal i was not passing on.
I purchased my R-spec sedan at Circle Hyundai in N.J. My problem was finding the color i wanted. I had several dealerships willing to match 38.3k in New york and n.j. but they did not have the persian gray color.
If you want more info i'm in the genesis forum.
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
Did you shop Brad Benson Hyundai? I hear them advertise like crazy on WFAN, & have always been curious what its like in there. High Volume, High Pressure, Try to screw you 6 ways from Sunday even for a "seasoned pro," I suppose.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
yes............ high volume... wont deal on the phone or online. They want you in the showroom. What there game is they advertise xxx off the msrp which sounds great but every one of there vehicles has a appearance pck $499 and another charge of 299 on bill of sale along with there doc fee's of 399.
You can get a good deal over there if you get them to knock off that extra 800 bucks. alot of there cars have alot of added accessories in them also.
My younger brother played college football with brad at Penn State.
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE