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EX-L with navi for 30,400 plus tax. Destination fee included. They charge a $499 dealer fee, which they wont come off of. So watch out for that.
Rick Case Honda. They have a web address. Get them to take that dealer fee off somehow, some way. They maybe can further cut the price of the car to make up for it. Or most of it. Whatever makes it worth your while. They advertise themselves as the largest Honda dealer in the world. Who knows! Do it on the phone and get the confirmation fax before you get on the plane! But that was what I paid. 30.4 k. Destination fee included. They made up the money on the trade in I have, which probably won't be your case, unless you trade the plane in that brings you.
Good luck!
I have been reading messages about people live in VA, but go to PA or OH to buy Pilot.
It seems PA and OH dealers are selling the car at much lower price, but is there a reason to not go to other neighboring state like WV for example? Also, do we (in VA) need to pay sales tax if we buy the car in PA? I read in one of the messages that we need to pay sales tax when we register the car in VA after 30 days? Also, there are so many dealers in PA, how do I pick which ones to request quotes from? Thank you so much for your help!
Carol in VA
That is correct but you only pay if the VA tax rate is higher than in the state in which you purchased your vehicle (they take their cut first) - and then you pay only the difference in VA.
tidester, host
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I've been reading these boards for a while - new to postings.
Sorry to disagree with Tidester, but I live in MD and have purchased my last 3 vehicles out of state. Only one of them collected taxes (in VA) and those taxes were paid to MD for when I registered the car there. The other purchases (PA & IL) held no taxes upon purchase. I then paid MD taxes (5%) to my local MVA when I registered the vehilces upon return to MD.
I've been looking to purchase a Pilot. In my research here and on other boards, it seems that Faulkner in Harrisburg offers decent deals. If you want to drive a bit further, Mike Pruitt in Akron, Ohio also seems to be great to deal with.
Just my $.02.
Scott
The point was you will pay sales tax in the state in which you reside regardless of where you purchase the vehicle - up to the difference in sales tax actually paid. My experience was I bought a vehicle in New York (where I paid sles tax) then moved to Virginia (very shortly thereafter) where I received a bill for sales tax on the vehicle. I had to prove to Virginia that I had paid more in NY sales tax than I would have paid in VA had I bought the vehicle there in order to avoid double taxation.
tidester, host
In my three cases, I was simply purchasing a vehicle from a state where I did not reside.
Scott
I'm not able to conclude the transaction just yet (have to sell my Accord first), but it seems that it's more than worth a plane flight and the 5-6 hrs drive back to the Bay Area.
My $0.02 for fellow Bay Area would be Pilot buyers.
Of course, after we made our deal, and we discussed my trade, they hammered me. So, I have one to sell, and a new Pilot on the way next week!
Thanks to everyone!
Did you buy, pay sales tax on, and register your vehicle in NY while you were a NY resident? If so, did VA demand sales tax (or a differential sales tax) there as well?
If so, that's the most absurd thing I've ever heard! Did they demand a tobacco tax on the few remaining cigarettes you had in your pack? Did they collect excise tax on the half gallon of NY fuel left in your tank? Did they count the M&M's in the glove box and tax you for the portion of the bag remaining? How about the clothes you were wearing or the food left in your stomach that you bought at Mickey D's in Delaware?
IF you bought the car in another state, while a legal resident of that other state, paid sales tax in that other state and registered the car in that other state, who the heck is VA to tax a transaction that had absolutely nothing to do with their state?
I would have told them to get bent and driven the car on NY plates until the "seasoning" period was over. Florida tried that garbage for years with its "impact fee" but ended up having to give court-ordered refunds.
Exactly! And to add insult to injury Virginia sent me a bill when I moved back to New York two years later insisting that I pay a "Personal Property Tax" on the very same vehicle since I was removing "property" from the state.
tidester, host
Tax takes big bite out of vehicle registration (Charlotte Observer)
Steve, Host
Can you please post or email me the name of the dealer you went through in Socal?
Thanks!
tidester, host
got a redrock Pilot EX-L with DVD for 30,700.
that's 2160 below MSRP
I thought that was good
got tow package for 859 installed
also rear mud flaps and roof crossbars
I had to hunt high and low to get a decent dealer.
by the by - delivery was yesterday
Valentine's day
financing at 3.49%
Would you mind emailing me the info on the So Cal Honda dealer? I wouldn't mind flying down to LA to pick one up at that price.
sungchang@hotmail.com
Thanks.
Despite Mike Pruitt being the lowest, I decided not to do business with them as they wanted a non-refundable $500 deposit and would not provide me with a contract...they said my email from them would be good enough. Classic Honda in Streetsboro, OH will try to meet your lowest price, which they did. Their deposit is fully refundable and they provided me with a contract. I bought my Redrock Pearl EXL for $28,761.
I flew out from Connecticut to Cleveland on Saturday 2/14 (Happy Valentine's Day to me!) A driver picked me up at the airport which is 30 minutes away from the dealer. I can not say enough about how wonderfully I was treated by Classic Honda. It is a beautiful and HUGE dealership and everyone made an effort to meet me and ask me about my trip. My salesperson was very professional and made sure I had a thorough introduction and orientation of the car before I drove off. They even provided me lunch!
My daughter came along to keep me company. We spent the night at a nice hotel and turned it into a mini-vacation. The Pilot drove beautifully and I was thrilled to get 22 mpg on my first tank of gas. All and all it was a great and fun experience and I saved $2600 as New England dealers want MSRP and over.
The Pilot, so far, does not have any of the noises and various other problems I have read about in these forums. In particular, I noticed that the seatbelts do not snap back into the door frame. My Pilot was built on February 1st so maybe Honda is listening to what everyone is saying and attempting to correct the problems. I sure hope so!
Thanks again for all of the suggestions and advise received on this board. I must admit that my Honda purchase initially started out as a rational rather than emotional purchase but I fell in love with it on my ride back home!
Nancye
Nancye, glad that Classic was able to take such good care of you. This is the first time I've seen them mentioned here.
I will say though that Mike Pruitt (whom I have never dealt with) must be doing something right given the many testimonials posted here. Given the prices they advertise locally, a non-refundable deposit does not seem wholly unreasonable.
The manager there has two really great guys who focus on the internet only. They actually have them in a separate building to drive home the point at the dealership that what they do is totally different. And what they do is compete on price with folks like us...who will come to them. Because the dealership needs to move volume in the competitive LA market, they almost lose money in the internet dept. The internet guys there do not have the same pay structure as all the other sales people...so that tells you they are pretty serious about the objectives.
All in all the flight down, acquisition, and drive home on lovely I 5 was rather fun. I left the house at 6:30 in the morning and was home by 5:30.
Just a heads up to those looking at doing something like this soon...my salesman informed me that he anticipates only 2 Pilots coming in during the next cycle when during the previous one, his lot received 40! He claimed that it was all due to factory limitations and build cycles. I did not say anything, but I find it hard to believe that one of the most sophisticated auto manufacturers in the world with a wealth of experience would have too much trouble predicting demand and stream lining inventory...but I would guess they rather prefer the limited supply approach that tends to hold the retails up, especially in the months when fewer new cars are sold. My best guess for those currently in the market would be to wait until April if you find that the next few weeks get tight...if you can wait that long.
tidester, host
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I know it wasn't a ploy because he said he would try to track down some still in the pipeline if I was still interested.
Anyone else heard of this and know a reason why?
good luck
Can you please provide more information? Where? How? TIA.
Just called Honda customer service and, after the rep asked around there, I was told that Midnight Blue will be permanently discontinued as of the end of March. They stated that it was NOT a quality problem, because - if so - Honda would have stopped production immediately. No new color replacement has been mentioned.
Seems to be something with the Blues - Havasu & now Midnight??!! Oh well, now I have to think about what to do since that was my color choice. It might be just as well to wait for 2005 and see what happens. I hope they will have sunroofs by then.
Scott
It's a newer dealership there but they are from the Classic Auto Group of Greater Cleveland which has a great history there. I went through the internet which saved me a lot of hassles and they didn't twist my arm for extras like warranties and accessories.
I could have saved lots of money since my father is retired from GM, but I like what this Pilot had to offer. I hope I made a Good decision. Does anyone have the chrome steps or a sagebrush color Pilot - how do you like it?
After all the talk about people in the Philly/NJ area having trouble getting good deals on Pilots, and after several dealers told me that they are selling Pilots at MSRP or perhaps $500-$750 off, I was pessimistic that I could get a better deal.
But to all those who are considering driving to OH or across the state, read on.
I sent an e-mail to 4 Honda dealers within a 30 minute radius of me. I addressed them to the Internet Sales Managers listed on Honda's website when you do a location search. (I actually called each dealership and asked for their direct e-mail address.)
Within these e-mails I stated that I knew that dealerships looking for a quick and easy sale would sell Pilots at $1000 over invoice, and if they honored that and gave me fair trade-in value on my trade (I listed all details and asked them to give me a non-binding estimate), then they would get my business.
One wrote back that I'm nuts and they discount $750 off MSRP.
Two others wrote that they'd go $1800 over invoice.
The fourth said "OK"!!!
So I went to this dealership and he indeed offered $1000 over invoice, but only on the ones he was receiving before the end of Feb (not our first choice colors). He wouldn't talk much about March deliveries, and then they low-balled me on my trade. We negotiated our trade up to a reasonable level but didn't sign anything.
In the meantime, I went one of the other dealers that offered $1800 over invoice, J.L. Freed Honda in Lansdale, PA. Low pressure, friendly dealership. They offered me a LOT more on my trade without any haggling. So I told him about the $1000 over invoice offer from the other dealership, and he said he wouldn't match it, but would take it down to $1500 over invoice. (By the way, I'm talking about EX-L's and EX-LRES's here.) Well, the bottom line between the higher sale price but also higher trade was exactly the same as the other dealership, but with almost no haggling or funny business. Plus, at Freed, we got the color we wanted and we're getting it delivered in only 3 weeks!
Things to watch out for: While the salesman at the other dealership was extremely friendly, he and/or his managers pulled a few sterotypical-sales moves on us. First, he over-quoted my trade-in estimate via e-mail because he "accidentally" entered the 2000 model year instead of 1999. Then when they low-balled us, he said they forgot to enter that we have a moonroof and CD changer. So we finally haggled our trade up $1500. Then they unexpectedly withdrew the offer on the one we said we'd take, not realizing it was already sold!! Although, they did offer an identical one that was coming in April, is was the last straw.
Sorry for the long post here, but for those reading this forum to learn how to get good prices and avoid getting taken, hopefully you'll appreciate what I've written.
Bottom line is, you CAN get $1,000 - $1,500 over invoice in the Philly area, and you can get blue book for your trade (sorry Edmunds, but your competition's blue book is a lot more accurate - I don't think I'm allow to say their name here.)
For a wonderful car that's almost impossible to get with less than a 4 week wait, getting $1600 off of sticker is a wonderful thing!
Out the door price on our new Black EX-L with gray interior: $29,761 + tax + only $93 fees (tags, title) -- no other hidden costs!! I know if I was even shrewder, I could have saved a few hundred more, but I got what I thought was a very fair deal.
Happy shopping!
I live in the Philly area and searched through many dealers throughout PA for the lowest price. I contacted and worked with internet sales managers from Main Line Honda, Conicelli, J.L. Freed, Keenan, Pottstown, Lehigh Valley, and several others, but the best price I could obtain in this area was $1000 off MSRP. Next, thanks to some posts on this site, I extended my search westward and contacted Bobby Rahal Honda in Mechanicsburg, Faulkner Honda in Harrisburg, Honda Village in Greensburg, and Bianchi Honda in Erie. Let me tell you, those dealers are much more interested in coming down on prices to make a sale. Within 1 day, I had offers from all 4 of these dealers for $1000 over invoice on a Silver EX-L with Navi without even really pushing. All of these dealers refrained from the slimy sales tactics and were very hassle-free.
My best experience was with Bobby Rahal Honda, which is about a 2 hour drive from the Philly area. I contacted the internet sales manager and had an offer very quickly. Originally, I was hesitant to do a deal with them because it would have been March/April until I could have gotten the Silver Pilot with Navi, but suddenly someone else who had ordered that very car 2 months earlier decided they wanted to change their color selection. As soon as I heard that the car was to be delivered in 1 week and was still available, I jumped on the offer. In retrospect, I probably could have gotten the price lower, but I was not interested in losing any sleep over the whole thing. In any case, I picked up my Pilot 3 weeks ago and the sale was completely straightforward and as advertised. The final out the door price was $1000 over invoice + tax + $117.50 tag transfer fees. I immediately fell in love with the car as I drove it off the lot and haven't regretted my purchase one bit.
Thanks again to everyone who has posted messages and good luck to everyone who is still shopping!
Then I decided to get a new Pilot and looked all over San Diego only to find an unanimous answer... MSRP or "a few hundred dollars below", then I found this board and read all about Gardena Honda... I called but they did not have any in stock... but I had an idea!... I logged onto the Honda website and went to the area that requests quotes from Honda Dealers, but instead of using my own Zip Code I used Long Beach (90755) and requested quotes from 6 or 8 LA Aread Dealers...
Within minutes I was getting quotes averaging $2000 under MSRP and some lower... Called one guy that had the color we were looking, got the paperwork via fax, signed and I'm picking up the day after tomorrow...
Not bad for a guy who almost paid "a few hundred under MSRP".
The drive from San Diego to LA is only a couple of hours -factoring traffic- if you leave in between CA and Ohio, you should fly to LA, pick your pilot, go to Disney and then drive home... You'll probably still save money or if you don't at least you went to Disney...!
MMS4Caro
San diego
I initially went into that particular dealer to get a Costco quote, which wasn't too bad ($1400 below MSRP), but I was able to talk him down a bit further by price matching with another local dealer’s internet ad and CarsDirect.com’s price.
Unfortunately the dealer did not have the blue EX in stock so he did a search over the next few days and found one about 50 miles away.
Good thing too, because from what the dealer tells me and I’ve read here, the blue is now discontinued.
So far the car is driving very well. Love the handling, the size and it’s looks. The midnight blue was worth waiting an extra week for.
I picked up my pilot from Hayward Honda yesterday. The buying experience is very pleasant. The price was agreed over phone and then I went to the dealership to do the paper work and get the car. Paid $31608 + tax + lience fee for EXL-RES. The car drives very well and it looks beautiful in its silver color.
I am getting a decent deal (Thank you, cars.com and Edmunds), about $30,000 + TTL in Chicago land. Post here if you want Dealer details.
Also, cars.com and Edmunds show different invoice prices? Any idea, which is more accurate?
That said, you might get them to come down a little more if you take a loan from them. They make money by selling you a loan. Sometimes they'll throw in some extra goodies if you finance with them. As long as the loan has no prepayment penalties of any kind, you can just pay it off when the first bill comes. It's probably not worth the hassle in your case.
While I know the equipment is quite good, I have no idea how good/knowledgeable the installer might be, so I'd like to be prepared to ask the smart questions and "audit" the work along the way.
Any feedback and/or advice is greatly appreciated!