2013 and earlier-Honda Pilot Prices Paid and Buying Experience

stever

Not to cast aspersions on any particular dealer, but taking buyers out of the market isn't all that unusual of a shady practice. You've lost 4 weeks that you could have used shopping elsewhere and now you're "invested" in getting the SUV from this dealer.

Your dealer may have just had its allocation messed up, but that doesn't help you get into your ride any quicker.

Steve, Host

rerenov8r

You want a Pilot, the dealer wants to sell one. Odds are that something simple got screwed up. Get on the phone. Explain your frustration. Explain the up-coming vacation. Explain that you know there are folks buying Pliots exactly like the one you want EVERY DAY, probably at as good, if not better prices.

They are not morons. They know they SHOULD have gotten your Pilot. GIve them a chance to "make things right" and they probably will. Napelton has an a bunch of stores, including Acura & Porsche. They can't be that hard headed with those stores too. (In fact I know afew folks who got their MDX from Napelton Acura, and they claim things went pretty smooth...)

If they knew they had an "allocated unit" on its way to meet your request it is possible that it is literally a day or two away. OTOH, if they tried to "electronically trade" with another dealer who had the vehicle you wnated queed up, maybe something feel through. They should have told you either way.

Give 'em a chance BEFORE you call MasterCard, who will NOT take kindly to opening a dispute on a deposit w/o documentation -- do really want that much hassle??

clpurnell

go to the real world trade in values thread for a price quote be sure to include year, miles, trim , equipment, color location. And Terry will give you a price. Honestly 8000 sounds like all the money on a 99 quest.

robsdad1

I went to Chicago from Southeastern Virginia to buy my Odyssey and got a great deal.

Have you checked these two Chicago dealers for a Pilot? Windy City Honda or Carrs Honda...

Windy City has 21 Pilots listed on their Internet site. Not sure about Carrs.

At Windy City you must call their Internet Contact to get a price which is listed on the site. At Carrs just send an e-mail and you will get a quote by return e-mail. I dealt with Carrs and they were great.

Good luck.

mjhilb

Thanks for the info. My local dealer came up to $8500 on the trade of the '99 Nissan Quest. Still holding out for $9000. Do you think i should take the 8500 and run with it seeing the he is willing to sell me a '04 Pilot EX w/ Leather for $30180? Its only $500 and i dont want to lose this pricing on an '04 when there is rumors that heated seats might be added to the EX line.

Thanks

mohans60

I just put down a $500.00 deposit for a 2004 Honda pilot EX-L with Navi from a Ohio Dealer. I am paying $1500.00 above invoice(whatever the invoice may be). This is suppose to be built between Aug 26 -30. I am willing to wait.
So the price would be $31214.00 plus whatever the increase in the invoice from this year would be.

Is this a good deal ?. Also any one knows of Northshore Auto Transport. They have given me a decent pricing for transporting it from Ohio to NC.

lindalu

Is now supposed to be on a truck... somewhere. Called the salesman again today and this is the most info I have been given yet. However, he still can't tell me where it is or when it will show up. We leave on vacation Monday in the other direction, and I am 6 hours from Chicago, so the last day I can pick it up is Saturday, or I will have to rent a van for vacation and pick up the Pilot in 3 weeks, IF it's in by then! The salesman today PROMISED he will give me an ETA tomorrow. We'll see if he calls.

I did explain the vacation thing to him 2 weeks ago to let him know I had a deadline, and he seemed understanding and empathetic. Despite the fact that he doesn't call me back and has no reasons for me, the salesman has always been very courteous and apologetic. He's seems like a nice guy, doesn't seem to have the attitude of a typical car salesman. He almost seems non-confrontational, maybe only wanted to call me if there was good news and there just never was any. Actually, he's so nice it's almost frustrating because it's hard to be too tough on him. Is that a sneaky sales tactic I wasn't aware of?

When I was emailing, Carr's was $1000 higher on the Pilot, though they were the best price on the Odyssey. Windy City said they would meet the price I got from Ed Napleton, but they didn't have the color I wanted either. But that was a month ago and, as Steve pointed out, several red EX-L's may have come and gone from their lot by now because I was "committed". I wasn't aware of that "getting you out of the market" trick. Darn, and I was trying to be so careful!

Thanks rerenov8r, for the advice, I was trying to psyche myself up to call and be tough on the nice salesguy, but you calmed me down and reminded me that rationality would likely get me further.

Somewhere out there is my Pilot, driving around on a truck... allegedly...

njmom2boys

A word of thanks to all of you out there who have posted your experience with out of state transactions. You gave me the knowledge and confidence to make this happen. In my area (central NJ), there is limited inventory and little room to move on price. Although Paragon Honda in Queens, NY was good on price and helpful, they were not able to actually get me my vehicle. I e-mailed three dealers in OH, two of whom were very willing to work with me. Motorcars in Cleveland Heights was great, but I ended up going with Mike Pruitt Honda in Akron because they actually had the vehicle available immediately. $28,230 for a Sagebrush EX + $1513 for running boards, fog lights, auto day/night mirror and rear splash guards installed. I e-mailed them on Saturday, made phone contact on Monday and took delivery this Thursday! $300 to have the car delivered and did the paperwork in my kitchen. The most painless car purchase of my life. Maybe not the best price that's out there, but I have my car 4 days after making contact and in time for our summer vacation! Thanks again to all.

jenniju

Help! I am trying to locate a Honda EX (white) and am getting the MSRP run around. I would prefer to purchase within New England area. Any suggestions? As most of you know, I have heard quite a few stories from the dealers!

jbrutvan

just purchased, 8/2/03. pulled the trigger after looking at expeditions, tahoes and yukons--- we need space, one child will be two in october and her twin sisters will be born soon after. we paid 31600 for an exl-res (dvd w/leather). This included running boards, all season floor mats, and crossbars for the roof. WE have xplan at ford and still could not justify the wasted gas expense. The 22 month old loved the dvd on the way home from the dealer, i was actually able to converse with the wife! so far so good, look at this car if you need space and are considering those gas guzzling fords, chevy's or gmc's. WE
VOWED NEVER TO BUY A MINI VAN. although the new sienna was close. oh ya, purchased at wyler honda in cincinnati, ohio www.wyler.com, no i dont work for honda.

jbrutvan

i have heard of people flying into ohio to buy a pilot, or just paying the destination charge, i think 800 bucks more, check out all ohio dealers here's some zip codes: 45243, 43201, 44333. if you have a trade in i guess your stuck at a local dealer, unless you can road trip. email, email, email all dealers in your area and see who wants to make a deal, it really works!

clpurnell

That is a good deal on an 04 works out to maybe 1200 off. plus a decent value on the trade. If you can live with go for it. Try to get then to throw in some oil changes or freebies to seal the deal. Good luck.

phillyeagle

Hi, njmom2boys, congrat..

could you please tell us the dealer's name you were talking with? Please drop some lines to my email address. I am still a little bit worried about this "long distance deal".
I am living in Philly area. Thanks.

jenniju

Thanks for the feedback. I am nervous as heck! I have never bought anything so significant over the internet. I have not had much luck using the power shopper. Out of the 7 dealers I emailed within those zip codes, 5 came back with stmp errors. I surfed the net for dealers in OH and have sent several emails, hope I have better luck there....

jbrutvan

go to honda.com, put in those zip codes i posted for locate a dealer, most have 800 numbers to call if you dont want to deal over the internet. But i will tell you the dealer websites i visited emailed me back a price that was well below msrp for an 03, ie, 29477 quoted from wyler.com. The 43201 (columbus, ohio) dealers were extremely friendly and gave me about the same price. This may sound insane but we purchased ours without a test drive, it comes with a lemon law and 3 year 36k mile bumper to bumper warranty. keep emailing those dealers, you will get a response these cars are not that hard to find. They are hard to find for a good price! good luck.

jbrutvan

if you want good pricing go to the consumer reports new car buying guide, spend the 12 bucks and get a pricing report back on a pilot.

stever

Or go here and get all kinds of new car info, buying guide, advice, etc. Free!

link

Steve, Host

benjamin_ng

Hi All,

How musch does the HondaCare Extended warranty 7yr/100K cost for a 2003 Pilot. Should the price change according to what options the PILOT has ?

I mean, is the warranty cheaper for a basic model compared to a EXL-Navi or EXL-RES.

Should these price be fixed by Honda or it varies by Dealers?

If I don't buy at the time of purchase, can I buy it from the dealer before the 3yr/36K is up ?

What is the benefits of buying it upfront.

Thanks a lot.

Benjamin

qbrozen

the only benefit to buying it up front is so you can roll it into your financing.

Yes, you can buy it up until the factory warranty expires. I think I read somewhere that it might cost you like $100 more or something if you wait until after 24K miles/2yrs.

go to Hondawarranty.com for good prices. They do vary by dealer. But, no, they do not vary by options. A base Pilot gets the same warranty price that a loaded up EX does. You DO NOT have to buy it through your dealer. You can buy it through any dealer and I believe that's what hondawarranty.com is, just a dealer that offers them at a good price.

my3kids

I was nervous also about the email and phone dealings also, but came home from Ohio with a brand new Pilot and about $3000 in savings. I don't know why it is so much cheaper, but it is. I've posted here in the past about my experiences in this deal. It was so easy. Look in Beavercreek, Cleveland, North Canton, Akron...read through all the posts and find dealer's names. Send the email requests and see what happens from there. I think everything depends on what they have at the time, and how sales are going. Some that offered great deals here to others never replied. Others I contacted offered much better deals that I've read here.

It was such an easy experience. I still shudder thinking about my visits to local dealers to inquire about Pilots...all the tricks and pressure you read about. The email route was straight forward and hassle free. I just printed out the responses and stacked them in order of price. With each new reply, it got filed according to the offer. The one I ended up using called after I thought I'd heard from everyone. He asked what price I was looking for. I looked at the top of my stack of offers and told him what the lowest quote I had was, figuring he wouldn't be able to come anywhere close. He quickly beat that by several hundred dollars, and I said we had a deal. That easy, that hassle free.

phillyeagle

HI, I am living in Philly area, I plan to buy Pilot recently.
I did read your post before, you got one Pilot from Hidy,OH, right?
I think I will go for the "out of state" deal too, but still nervous...... Like if you get the truck then after several months, you find some problems(it' s not likely 'cause I owned a civic, no problem, but still worried), do I need to bring it back to OH? I got an impression that many people would bring the car back to the dealer if they have quality problem, maybe small things like unusual noise from the door/too low milage...
Thanks for any comments, I know I am an inexperianced buyer, I need to remove my worrys...

my3kids

The car's warranty is from Honda, not the dealer. You will have full coverage for 3 years/36,000 miles on the Pilot. Any Honda dealer in the country will service your car. I bought in Ohio but use a local dealer for service. I've found that the service managers really don't care where the car came from(we've bought two cars from out of town and used local dealers for service) The Honda service department gets paid for the warranty work by Honda....they don't make any additional money for servicing the cars that their salesmen sold.

mjhilb

I emailed Carrs Honda in Chicago reqarding the '03 Pilot EX w/leather. I told him i wanted black in color. Came back with a price of $29980. I told him i was willing to pay $500 over invoice. He emailed me back and told me he could do a Havasau Blue at $500 over invoice. Not the color I am looking for. From what ive heard, this color is not going to be offered next year. Dont think its one of the more popular colors.

sxz4871

I just saw this (2004 Honda Pilot EXL, AAA special price of $30,366):
http://www.aaacarolinas.com/Automotive/New/special.htm

This is probably a sign that the 2004 model is coming. Maybe someone down in Carolinas can ask when the delivery date will be. I live in the Boston area and placed an order for a 2004 EX a while ago for roughly the same deal (estimating the price will go up 300-500 bucks), and I am eagerly waiting....

lindalu

Carr's wouldn't come close to this price on a Pilot for me either, though they did great on Ody prices.

The internet manager at Windy City told me they would "meet or beat" anyone else's price, and when questioned he said he would meet my lowest price of $500 over invoice ($28,416) I got from a dealer close by. He didn't have the color I wanted (red) in an EXL, and he did try pretty hard to sell me an EX-RES in red. When I said "no thanks" he was willing to try to get it in for me. I don't know if he was going to trade for it or order it, I didn't pursue it that far. Rumor on this board has been that their lot is full of Pilots.

Also, their fees were very reasonable, less than $100 total for an out of state purchase. This was all right at a month ago, and unfortunately I chose to order through another dealer and I am STILL waiting... "7-10 days" has so far turned into 32 and counting, so if you want your Pilot fast, I advise finding someone with one in stock.

I paid $409 today to rent a van to go on vacation. Sure would've been nice to put that toward my down payment instead. The dealer I went through has worn me out, he won't respond to my request for a copy of the order he placed so who knows, maybe he still hasn't ordered it yet. Good luck, you will probably have yours before me.

lenkarma

Plan on buying a Sagebrush EX w/Leather & DVD for Fall delivery. I've started poking around with Northern NJ dealers, but it seems that $400-700 under MSRP is best I'll find (for '03 & '04). Is anyone aware of NJ area dealer willing to actually "deal," or should I just pursue an Ohio transaction like so many others on this board?
Thanks!

jenniju

I am trying the OH route. So far, best price is 1k off MSRP. Out of the 12 or so dealers I have emailed, I have only received 2 quotes. I guess timing is everything, or this board has created a greater demand in OH area and they are less willing to move on prices. I am still trying locally in New England area. Sigh.

qbrozen

try Coast Honda in Wall (i think). or there is always Turnersville. If you request info. on turnersville through their website (turnersvilleauto.com), they will (probably) email you back with $1K off sticker (maybe more these days).

mjhilb

I just got off the phone with Honda Corporate. I had asked them about the '04 Pilots. According to Honda, they will be having a rolling start with the first units (115,000)being shipped. They said they arent taking any more orders for the '03. Now the good news, Honda told me that on the 04 EX w/ Leather that heated seats and mirrors are standard. Havasau Blue is going to be replaced with a Midnite Blue. Hope this info helps.

sxz4871

So the hope for 04 model cars is here... Thanks for the news, although I'm a little regret now that I didn't order a Leather. mjhilb, did they say when the first shipment will be? And any other changes they mentioned, liked the adjustable 2nd row seats a lot of people have on their wish lists?

mjhilb

According to Honda the first '04s are due off the line August 18th. From what they told me it is going to be by geographic territory. They are coming from Canada. He didnt tell me what areas are going to get them. Im in the Chicago area and Im waiting to sell my minivan before i put down a deposit on a '04

lenkarma

2 dealers (Akron & KY) offered me a discount off MSRP on '04 EX (leather/DVD). They don't know what MSRP will be, but they'll give me $1000-$1200 off whatever MSRP is. Another OH dealer tells me the others are trying to take me off the market and they won't honor the discount when the car comes in. Anyone hear of such craziness? I'm assuming it's just BS from someone unwilling to deal on the 2004s. Other BS (I think) I heard today:
- Local NJ dealer tells me the local dealers will give me lousy service because I purchased out of state
- Salesman on the phone gets his coworker to laugh at the top of his lungs by asking him if he ever heard of anyone offering a $1000 discount on a 2004 that hasn't been built yet.
Ack!

lenkarma

Thanks for the response. I pursued Ohio pretty aggressively and got 4 quotes. $1200 off is best I got on '04. $1800 off is best I got on remaining '03, but I don't trust this one. Will probably do the $1200 '04 with $300 delivery charge. Local NJ guys won't come close. Screw 'em.

my3kids

I have heard it all from people's local dealers telling the ill that will befall a customer who purchases a Pilot in Ohio. The best was the dealer who said they were not cars destined for the US market and thus any Pilot purchased in OH wouldn't qualify for a warranty. The "You won't be able to have it serviced here" is a pretty common one. My experience is the service deartment doesn't care where you purchased the car. You *might* get the infamous Honda Survey after the car is worked on where they want all 5's for their service work. They will try to make you happy. Service guys don't care where the Honda came from....

qbrozen

don't believe any of that bull the sales folk are handing you. any dealer here on edmunds will tell you that they make very little money on new cars but, instead, make all their money on used cars and service. So, do the math, would any dealer turn you away (or give you bad service) when that is the business they really want and need from you?

lenkarma

I'm about 450 miles away. The delivery will be arranged by the dealer. They use a service (sounds like a couple). Mike Pruit is the dealer. What dealer offered you 1500 off (off MSRP, I'm assuming)?

sxz4871

$1500.00 below invoice for a 2004 model? Hope that was a typo, otherwise you will make many of us jump off the bridge :-)

I wouldn't believe what the local dealer says about the "penalize", "not warranty" or "not service" stuff, it's all BS. But you can't blame them too much, the price is baded on demand, that's it.

Just curious though, if the difference between the Ohio dealer and your local one is only $500, and you want to use a delivery service from Ohio to Raleigh, then I don't think you can save too much.

rerenov8r

And I just had to drive by and let 'em see my invoice -- now who got the "last laugh"?

The sales guys ought not lose sleep over your "lost sale" UNLESS they have a whole PILE of unsold Pilots. The reality is that there ARE very real differences in 'regional demand' -- the internet & cheap phone calls allow smart consumers to take advantage of this and save $$$ -- don't let the dealers attitude do anything other convince you to find a more accommodating bunch of folks -- believe me there are dealers out there that WILL come around...

lenkarma

Now thats VERY interesting. The obnoxious phone behavior I mentioned before came from someone else at that same dealership. The price you note seems very close to what they offered me for a 2003 model, but he wouldn't do anything on 2004. You're sure it's a 2004, right?

gotmypilot

Thanks to all out of state buyers who shared their experiences here. I would never have even thought about buying from out of state. Got my pilot EX-L for $28.7K from Waikem Honda, Ohio 2weeks ago. The best offer in NJ was $1K under MSRP. Flew to Akron (one way cost was $80) and drove back. It was a painless and no haggle purchase. The sales manager was very pleasant. Even got a follow up call from him. Would recommend Waikem Honda(the internet sales manager in particular)without reservations.

njcarshopper

I wanted to see where you are buying that 04 for 1200 off MSRP? I might want to follow in your footsteps. I'm all for the "Screw 'em" philosophy for NJ Dealers

lenkarma

Also try Wyler Honda-Florence in KY near Cincinatti

phillyeagle

gotmypilot, Please let me know the saleperson's name you were dealing with when you did your purchase, thanks.

I am talking to different dealer in OH too.
Almost fixed a deal for '03 model. But '04 model really make me hesitate now. maybe I should wait for some time.

larry51k

traveling to visit family in akron tomorrow and will try one or two area dealers for pilot. i probably will get the towing package. is there any negotiating over that or does everyone pay the $1000+? also, is there a switch already on the dash(or elsewhere) for the fog lamps i also plan to purchase? last, although i only want to use the hitch for a bike carrier, do you believe i'd be better off getting the tow package in case something goes wrong with the tranny and they don't honor the warranty?

my3kids

For my towing package, I think I paid about $800.

I'm not sure that those great Ohio deals are going to people walking into the showrooms. I got the impression that it was truly an "internet deal." You might want to email the Akron dealers before you talk in person.

larry51k

did you negotiate the $800 price? yes, i've contacted the ohio dealer via the internet. thanks

rerenov8r

I have done a lot of shoppping on the 'net. The parts guy from "Ray Laks Acura" runs a terrific business in Honda & Acura parts -- huge savings.

I downloaded the PDF for the towing package and the price quote. I got the dealer I was buying from to come down to $700 -- well below what their orignal quote was. This still represented several hundred dollars worth of "installation fee" -- but they did do a good job and it probably would've taken me several hours of painstacking work.

BTW They would not go as low on the chrome side steps, so I got those from the 'net. Lots of bolts to tighten, but otherwise a "no brainer" that took me a bit over an hour -- I did lots of preparation/planning beforehand...

stever

Please, no names of salespeople, contact info, etc. We've had problems in the past with shills loading up the boards with fake posts and wish to discourage that practice. thanks,

Steve, Host

gotmypilot

Send email to Waikem Honda, they have only one person dealing with internet sales. Cannot post the name(lookup msg#697).

metmdx

Can anyone provide recent experiences with buying Pilot in NY Metro/LI/Westchester area.
Thanks.
METMDX