Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

2013 and earlier-Honda Pilot Prices Paid and Buying Experience

1…457910…300

Comments

  • jemmettgjemmettg Member Posts: 5
    I recently purchased a Pilot EX at Johnsons Honda of Stillwater, OK and found it to be one of best car buying experiences I've ever had. No real hard sell or pressure, and they honored everything negotiated in good faith. They sold at MSRP, but it was technically "discounted" because they agreed to include Honda accessories as part of the deal. I found the salesman, sales managers (and also the general manager - really nice guy) to be committed to making it a "fair" deal. Of course we all knew that Pilots were selling at MSRP in the OK City area - yet they still (and basically the only dealership in OK) were willing to negotiate a deal. "Fair" was that I saved $500. BTW, my calculation of accessories were based on internet prices, not Honda list.
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    Is what I was offered over the phone by my Honda dealer. Is that as good a deal as I can expect? I bought a 2002 S2000 from them at $900 under MSRP last November.

    Our 1996 Isuzu Trooper appears to have a blown engine and unless Isuzu offers to contribute to the fix, I'll be dumping the Trooper (it is under 60k milage limit, but 9 months over the 5 year drivetrain warranty).

    What other SUV's should I consider in the $25-$40k range besides the Pilot. If I go above $40k, I'm getting an new 2002 E320 Wagon with 4-matic for $2k under invoice ($49k total).

    Thanks for any input.
  • jorgbirdjorgbird Member Posts: 3
    Dear eagleeye3, who is the coastal SD county dealer from whom you bought your EX-L at MSRP? I am ready for a polite and reasonable salesperson, after experiencing an overly aggressive and surprisingly rude sales manager at an inland dealership.
  • wardmwardm Member Posts: 23
    My guess is that if you wait a month or two for the "hipe" to subside on the Pilot you'll be able to get it below MSRP, perhaps closer to invoice. Unlike the Odyssey, I'm starting to see the Pilots on the dealers lots. In fact, I'm actually looking for the Odyssey and am having to use the Pilots on dealer lots in order to pick a color. Landmark Honda in Alexandria, VA (part of the Rosenthal car dealer group who I do not like) had about 10 Pilots on their lot yesterday. My wife and I went down there to see what the Sandstone color looked like. Regrettably, none of the 10 was Sandstone so we went to their sister dealer in Vienna. They too had several of the Pilots, 2 of which were in Sandstone. Either demand is not as high as the Odyssey or Honda is producing more of the Pilots.
  • mykidsgrannymykidsgranny Member Posts: 2
  • starkitestarkite Member Posts: 1
    Anyone able to get the Pilot at or below MSRP in the Chicago area?
  • bowkebowke Member Posts: 169
    will probably not subside as quickly as you think. a competitor has 7 odysseys in stock, but not because nobody wants them. they have an "adjusted market price" of $3000 over, when the rest of the dealers will take MSRP. i would assume the same for dealers with pilots in excess. we have one of the largest allocations of pilots in the country, and still have only 1 on the lot, and it has a "not for sale" sticker on it. no, we are not on the west coast, or in a snowy climate..just good old temperate louisville, KY.
  • wardmwardm Member Posts: 23
    Bowke,

    You very well may be correct as I did not inquire about the Pilots availability. They may have already been sold. After all, we are heading into the winter months where 4x4 and AWD demand increases. My observation was simply that it “appears,” to a layman in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, that supply for the Pilot might be beginning to match demand.

    If demand is higher than supply then the price goes up and that is what has been happening with the Odyssey and Pilot. If supply goes up and/or demand subsides then the price falls back in line with what American customers are more accustomed to paying. I don’t expect demand to decrease in the foreseeable future, however, the Lincoln, AL plant is slowly getting up to speed which could mean increased supply of the Odyssey, perhaps to a level more in line with demand. If this happens then it only stands to reason that prices below MSRP could become a reality.

    I have no problem with paying “market value” for a vehicle, even if “market value” is over MSRP. No one who posts on this board would sell their homes below market value despite what they paid for it. The problem is finding out what market value is in your area.
  • sjwsmwsjwsmw Member Posts: 131
    jorgbird-
    I just ordered a Sandstone EX from a Honda Dealer near the coast in northern SD county @ MSRP. It is being built to order and they are adding no accessories other than what I want. This dealer, I contacted months ago and was 1000 over MSRP, they changed their philosopy and now are not charging. The salesman was straight forward and respected that I did my homework and knew what I wanted.

    Email me and I will gladly give you the names.
  • skarlekarskarlekar Member Posts: 5
    Folks,

    I am going for a new Honda Pilot EX. It comes with a 3yr/36000 miles warranty. The dealer says it is a good idea to get the Ext. Warranty by Honda Care. I understand the dealer wants to sell as much as he can. But what do you people think?
    I was going through the Honda Care brochure (Ext. Warranty sold by Honda) and it says in there that parts are not covered.

    The dealer quoted $1495 for 7yr/100K warranty.

    So what is the point in going for it?

    Any points will be appreciated.
  • paulmlacpaulmlac Member Posts: 27
    My wife and I are going to look at a Pilot with Nav this weekend. Dealer said he doesn't have one and would have to special order. For those that have purchased this vehicle, did you find that you could get a better price(defined as MSRP or lower) since the sale and profit are higher for the dealer because of the extra Nav cost? Thanks for the input!
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    That price seems high. Have you checked http://www.hondawarranty.com?
  • jorgbirdjorgbird Member Posts: 3
    There now appear to be two MSRP dealers in San Diego County. Steve mentioned one just North of SD, and I found a second dealer closer to my home just South of SD. This second dealer sold us an EX-L Nav at MSRP and did not charge extra for the appearance package, wheel locks, and mud guards. The experience was uncomplicated and surprisingly pleasant, given the treatment I received by dealers in the city of San Diego. Dealers in the San Diego still insist on premiums (up to $1,500) and/or overpriced, mandatory DIO (appearance package -$500, cross bars for roof racks - $400, teflon protection - $500, theft coat (?) on windows - $400). It is a shame that some Honda dealers allow (or instruct?) their sales staff to turn into rude, aggressive, and pushy freeway robbers. What a short-sighted view! Well, and of course, we now have a new EX-L with Nav!!
  • golodgolod Member Posts: 1
    I have MSRP in writing from Academy Honda and Willis Honda in NJ. Avoid Princeton and Monmouth Honda dealerships as they are charging a premium. I currently have Academy and Willis in a finance bidding war after presenting each with my approval from People's First rate of 5.49%/60 mo. Currently, we are at 4.99%. Both cars are arriving ahead of schedule this week and have a "fully refundable" deposit holding them for me. Whichever dealership gives me the lowest rate has my business. If everything is the same, however, I will go with Willis Honda in Burlington because they give extras such as free window etching w/ theft insurance, loaner cars for service longer than 2 hours, free inspection and annual 12-point check-up.
  • viktoria_rviktoria_r Member Posts: 103
    Motorwerks of Barrington. We test drove, they offered at MSRP, approx. 2 months wait, $500 deposit. If you chanhge your mind they'll return deposit.
  • maj1maj1 Member Posts: 37
    Sorry to say, I'm still waiting for my Pilot, after I order my EX-L in late July my wife couldn't decide what color she wanted. We change the order a few times and now, for sure we are getting silver EX-L with Nav. The sales rep. told me now he can take $1,000 off the msrp for the friend / family of the dealer and he even refund me $500 (I had $600 off to begin with) after I notified him our final decision. I’d be glad to share the info if anyone interested in Michigan area. Good luck shopping.
  • platypusplatypus Member Posts: 192
    Anyone have a recommendation on dealers in the SF Bay Area who are selling at MSRP?

    I was at Sunnyvale Honda, and they had a silver EX-L at $4000 over MSRP. Pure mark-up, no DIO.
  • clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    Either go south or east and drive your pilot back. No way I would pay that when others around the country can get it for under MSRP. Here in houston I have had 2 dealers offer below MSRP $200 and $500.
  • mqc99mqc99 Member Posts: 6
    platypus, try Honda of Roseville. Call Rich Estep
    @800-882-5204 x 2260. We bought our EX from him a couple of weeks ago. The process was painless and the delivery was prompt. A very good experience overall.
  • clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    Also there was an add in today's paper for 1k off pilots and Oddy's
  • fresh24fresh24 Member Posts: 1
    Platypus

    There are 3 places i found in the greater bay area that sell at MSRP

    Mendo Lake Honda up in Ukiah - ask for Dennis
    Hansel Honda up in Petaluma
    Grace Honda in South San Fran/Daly City - but you have to use the internet to get pricing and the internet manager is Terry Williamsom. I just received an email from Terry saying they had a bunch of pilots for immediate delivery - all the way from the LX to the EXL with DVD player

    i personally ordered from Dennis up in Mendo Lake. He has been great - the only drawback is it's a smaller dealership, so smaller allocation - translation - longer wait time, but they'll deliver to the Bay area for free and no DIO

    The biggest ripoffs i've seen are Magnasun Honda in Fremont, Sunnyvale (as you mentioned) and Mike Harvey Honda in Burlingame. They all had huge markups over MSRP + a bunch of DIO which they also marked up

    good luck
  • falcon74falcon74 Member Posts: 67
    Mqc99....are you saying that you recently paid MSRP for a Pilot EX at Autowest Honda????? I went into that dealership last month and they were asking MSRP + $6000. Also, I thought they were extremely arrogant.
  • deanerdeaner Member Posts: 1
    Would not settle for less than $500 to $1000 off MSRP in South Central U.S. I have had dealers call me offering $1000 below MSRP to move dealer stock off their lots. Folks is California are obviously paying inflated prices compared to the rest of us, but it is simple supply and demand.
  • mqc99mqc99 Member Posts: 6
    Yes, I did. But, I went to AutoWest in Roseville, not the one in Fremont. I also checked with AutoWest in Fremont. But as you said, they want to charge an arm and a leg for it. I didn't even bother to return their e-mail. Give Rich a call and check it out.
  • rutger3rutger3 Member Posts: 361
    Honda has been playing the supply game for years with the Ody, manipulating the supply to always have an artificially high demand so they can continue to charge MSRP or higher for them. Chances are they will do the same with the Pilot and maybe the CRV. This works out great for them and will not change as long as people are willing to wait and to pay MSRP. The vehicles are very nice,and Honda's are dependable,but IMO, they would make even more profit if they went for the volume and expanded their market share by increasing production and selling at a lower price. Don't they want more people driving Honda's?
  • lok888lok888 Member Posts: 1,788
    There is no doubt in my mind that Honda is playing game. I remember people were waiting for their ML320, Mazda MX-5 & BMW Z3 for at least six months and paid MSRP (some even over MSRP) when they first debut. But they finally kept up the demands in a year or less. I don't think Honda is really making a lot of profit on these high demand vehicles (Pilot, Odyssey, CR-V and Acura MDX). I think the Honda is just making what the dealer pays for invoice. And the dealers are actually making a lot of money by selling at or over MSRP. Right? Honda claims the production of Odyssey has been increase since the opening of its plant in Alabama. It is the fifth year of production. But don't you see any major different on pricing and waiting time. Isn't it that the CR-V still made in Japan?
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    I really can't believe that a manufacturer would withold prodution to satisfy the dealers' profit margins. With Honda it's more likely a quality control issue.
  • sjwsmwsjwsmw Member Posts: 131
    I don't know if this is happening elsewhere but there are two dealers that began with the Pilot well over MSRP and now have abandoned it. in San Diego.
    The one I went with represents many other brands and said, they want me back to upsell me when I am ready to trade in the Pilot. Whatever.
    I wonder if the demand for the Pilot isn't quite as high as expected. It doesn't appear so with so many dealers in non-metropolitan areas selling at or below MSRP already.
  • slamsslams Member Posts: 1
    got mind today w/o waiting @ all. But @MRSP w/ accessories @ cost. Great deal on financing going on this weekend 10/4-6 on all honda new cars- 3.99%!! for 60mos-

    Pick up my car tomorrow. They are getting several in ~ late oct & not taken yet- no dealing in this no hassle dearlership- "Stateline hall honda" in North carolina @ NC/VA border.

    Cheers.
  • devicemanagerdevicemanager Member Posts: 3
    We just bought or '03 Sagebrush EX w/ Leather Pilot for MSRP and got accessories at cost. The local dealer was nice enuff to give us 3.99% apr today just like the previous poster mentioned. When it came time to speak with the Finance guy, he had no idea about the Honda Care warranty and was pushing another "housebrand" overpriced nationwide carrier. Good thing I did my homework on the Honda Care warranty and printed out the information from http://www.hondawarranty.com for reference. He matched the online price for the 7yr/75k mi ZERO deductible warranty which came out to 945.00. I guess he was drooling over the 7K trade-in and 6K cash down, lol.
  • jfeirouzjfeirouz Member Posts: 5
    I went in to a dealer looking to test drive the Odyssey, not knowing that Honda made the pilot, and an hour later I signed papers on a pilot. Feel in love with this SUV.

    However, after I got home I thought I got ripped off at first, paying 34,300 on a Sage Pilot EX with Moon Roof and some kind of interior and exterior coating. The car had 50 miles on it.

    MSRP was 29,800 for the EX
    plus 3,000 for a fancy / oversized moon roof
    plus 2,000 for heated leather seats
    plus 900 for the protection coating on the leather and exterior to include a 5 yr warranty on stains.

    The bottom line is they were asking 36,000 and we agreed on 34,300 and they were going to remove the warranty on the coating. Removing the coating warranty, pretty much, removed 700 from there MSRP. They gave us this price because they wanted the revenue for the quarter.

    Now that we had the car for 4 days we love it and now we are now feeling that we got ripped off.

    Did I get a good deal?
  • clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    But you did get ripped off. Never switch vehichles if you haven't done the research on it. A quality sunroof should cost no more than 1200. the seats are on sale for 300 each or six hundred. and you paid 900 for about $45 worth of 3m coating. Luckilly you overpaid on a vehicle that has a ridculus resale value. you probably could sell it tomorrow for 30-32 which isn't that bad. If you like the car and plan on keeping it who cares what you paid. Just chalk it up to a learning experience. Lord knows I have had my share of those. Enjoy your pilot and forget what you paid for it you will get it back come resale time :)
  • jfeirouzjfeirouz Member Posts: 5
    You are right and to be honest with you I am usually smarter than that. If I were to justify it:

    So you calculated that I paid 900 for a $45 coat. I did get leather on the 3rd row, and the over-sized moon roof may not be worth the 3000 that the dealer said but it it probably worth 1500.

    Does that make the price I paid reasonable?
  • clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    What part of the country are you in. I would probably figure you are on the west coast. If so you didn't do bad. People are paying 1-3k over msrp with no options at least you got useful to you options. Never get the sealant/protection package. for the interior go to home depot and buy some spray cans of 3m scotch guard (it is what the dealers use IF they actually coat it) secondly in some cases exterior sealant will void the mfg corrosion warranty. Which is usually an unlimited mile warranty any way. so these things are useless. never pay for these again the dealer made at least 6-700 off you for this. don't believe me call you local ziebart and ask what they charge for the same thing. Enjoy the car though if you like it just don't do repeat business with a dealer that would take advantage of you like that. Also go elsewhere to have the vehicle serviced if possible they have made enough off you already.
  • snowchiefsnowchief Member Posts: 16
    I got $1944 off MSRP on a Silver EX last weekend at Tempe Honda. Absolutely no dealer adds on the vehicle either. Ask for Jeff or Steve in fleet...great guys to work with and awesome buying experience.
  • huskydawghuskydawg Member Posts: 15
    Anyone in the Seattle area actually getting a pilot or CR-V at or below MSRP? I checked with several dealership in the Seattle area, all are are charing quite a bit over MSRP on Pilots and CR-Vs. A lot of the Pilots and CR-Vs are sold even before they arrive at the dealership. The one that weren't sold yet has some very pricy options on them(like $119 for a door-edge guard), and $2,950 ~ $4,000 dealer mark-up.
  • devicemanagerdevicemanager Member Posts: 3
    By waiting till Oct. 3rd to close the deal, we saved roughly 3K. We were going to finance the Pilot @ 5.75% for 72 mo. thru our credit union, so that saved us ~2200.00 over the term. In regards to the warranty we were able to save around 700.00 by choosing the Honda Care ZERO deductible vs. the Lithia Warranty. Do your homework guys and be patient! I would not buy any vehicle with an addendum stuck to it. Tell them what you expect to pay, and if they cannot meet or beat your price, simply walk away. There is ALWAYS another dealer that will cater to your needs.
  • dgill09dgill09 Member Posts: 1
    I live in Michigan and the local dealer quoted me MSRP on a Pilot. Anyone have a suggestion for getting one cheaper? I've got to admit I've never paid list for a car before.

    THANKS in advance.
  • maj1maj1 Member Posts: 37
    dgill09,
    I just copy the message # 317 I posted last week. I understand the host of this forum do not want us to post the dealer or sales personal's name. I'll be glad to share the information if you e-mail me.

    # 317

    I'm still waiting for my Pilot, after I order my EX-L in late July my wife couldn't decide what color she wanted. We change the order a few times and now, for sure we are getting silver EX-L with Nav. The sales rep. told me now he can take $1,000 off the msrp for the friend / family of the dealer and he even refund me $500 (I had $600 off to begin with) after I notified him our final decision. I’d be glad to share the info if anyone interested in Michigan area. Good luck shopping.
  • txpilot02txpilot02 Member Posts: 2
    Paid MSRP... add-ons at cost... according to dealer. I checked around and sure enough it was close to dealer cost. I would have probably have paid 2K more to purchase and have adds installed professionally. I am happy with it (I should say the wife is... I like my 525 :)
  • buttlebuttle Member Posts: 5
    Honda does this to you poor folks. CA gets it the worst. Come east, save some money and drive back. Don't let these dealers win
  • mtaylo00mtaylo00 Member Posts: 7
    I have looked at a silver EX 2003 Honda Pilot and am being offered $1,000.00 offf MSRP. Is this a fair deal? Service backup appears to be excellent. Also, problems have been reported on some of the Honda sites dealing with lack of service from the manufacturer--for example fester3 reported problems with Honda. Thanks.
  • joey_1966joey_1966 Member Posts: 2
    I see few inventories in some Bay Area Dealer's parking log. Do I still need to paid MSRP or above to get Pilot?

    Any advice? Where/Who to buy in Bay Area?
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    Most are over MSRP. I've seen a bit less nearby, but availability is an issue.
  • thewilliamsthewilliams Member Posts: 1
    We just purchased a silver EXL (w/o DVD, Nav or accessories). After reading that everyone was buying at MSRP or over we thought we were getting a good deal at a selling price of $30500. But, after we got finished and they tacked on all their "fees" the final price of the car was right at MSRP. We left with an uneasy feeling about the whole deal. I think it's mostly because we spent the whole day haggling with two different dealerships and ended up not bringing home the car (it won't be here till the end of the week). We were just wondering if this was the same case with everyone else that says they paid MSRP. Did the dealer tack on another $500 in fees on top of MSRP????
  • pilot29pilot29 Member Posts: 1
    Paid MSRP (EXL sagebrush/fern). Dealer did not play gimmicks - no extra fees. But he was firm on MSRP (did not even budge $500 below). Drove home same day. If you want to save significant $$ below the MSRP, I would advise you to wait until Jan/Feb 03.
    IN MY OPINION, NO VEHICLE IS WORTH ABOVE MSRP - SHOP AROUND!!
  • reichowjrreichowjr Member Posts: 86
    I just placed an order today for a silver EXL with DVD for $30,264.26. The dealer in the Detroit area was motivated to sell as they have to compete with all the people in the area that get employee discounts from Ford, GM, and Chrysler.

    Sales person offered it to me for $2215 under MSRP without any haggle and no dealer add ons. Only extra fees were doc $40, title $12, and MI sales tax.

    Based on what I have been reading over the past several months this is the best area of the country for deals on Pilots. My Pilot is scheduled for production on the week of 11/16 and delivered to dealer 7 to 10 days after production.

    I live in Knoxville, TN and dealers around here were selling around MSRP plus paint protection. 525 mile drive north is worth the savings.
  • 01r101r1 Member Posts: 280
    reichowjr:

    I think it's ok if we mention Dealer's names (just not the sales person or phone #) - would you mind letting me know which dealer this is?

    Thanks!
  • reichowjrreichowjr Member Posts: 86
    The dealer is Friendly Honda in Clinton Township, a suburb in the north Detroit metro area.
  • njeverestnjeverest Member Posts: 12
    reichowjr, how does that work you live in TN and buy the car in MI and pay MI sales tax? don't you need to register the car in TN? If so, wouldn't they charge you TN sales tax again? I never know you could buy a new car out of state.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles