2013 and earlier-Honda CR-V Prices Paid and Buying Experience

hondacircle

Thanks to all who post here for those of us who love to do their due diligence.

That being said, we finally purchased our 2005 CR-V SE (pewter) and took advantage of Honda's recent 2.9% finance offer. Best we could get from our credit union was 5.5%.

Started with a Mike Pruitt Honda quote and presented it to a local dealer (Indianapolis) who matched closely (+$100) but they install mud guards ($95) on all of their Hondas no matter what so it was a wash. No doc fees.

With our CR-V invoice price set we then presented our trade-in and was offered a price. We then took it to another local Honda dealer, got the same invoice price on the CR-V and got an additional $500 out of our trade-in. I was surprised to have two local dealers come close to Mike Pruitt Honda quote since they usually are the best in the mid-west region. Each local dealer only had a few SE's on each their lots so it's not like they were loaded. We actually bought the last one since the other one was sold while were negotiating. The dealership we purchased from was Honda West in Indy. The guys there we're great and the transaction went as smoothly as it could with a 2 1/2 running around the floor and in the demos. I would recommend them or the guys on the South side. STAY AWAY from the Honda dealers on the North side of Indy.

Here are the numbers:
$23,835.60 - Invoice price
$1.25 - State tire tax
$78.75 - Admin fees

$23,915.60
plus 6% IN sales tax.

Our trade had nothing to do with getting an invoice price since we didn't mention it until we had a email with the CR-V invoice price.

Good luck to all!

al2005

Hi,
I'd like to know the fare price for 2005 CR-V EX Auto. I got a quote for $22583, which is $300 over invice (including destination charge, before tax). But i saw some people got invoice or even several hundreds less. What should I do next to bargin the price?
I am in Bergen County, NJ.
Thank you!

jgreer

Hi Everyone,

I'm a newbie here. I wanted to let you know that I've read the posts in this thread and appreciate everyone posting. It has been informative.

I'm planning to make a dry run at a negotiation on an EX with automatic transmission tonight after work.

Basically, if it doesn't work out tonight, I'll be going the route of the fax attack.

I'm planning to negotiate price only, and then mention the fact that I might trade in my current car.

I am in a unique position in that my current car is leased, but is worth more than the payoff.

I know that selling it myself is the best choice in this circumstance, but if the dealership will come up with the extra that I need, I'll trade it to avoid the hassle of paying it off and selling it myself.

My question to everyone out there is:

Do you think it's possible to get an EX with standard equipment out the door for $23K in Southern California?

My sister took my advice when she bought her RAV4 in January and got a deal that other dealers wouldn't even touch because the dealer she bought from was trying to make their quota at the end of the month.

Thanks for any comments or opinions.

Greer

jsalz

Are there any other useful websites that you guys have used during your CR-V hunt? Besides the KBB, Nada, and edmunds?

jgreer

For an overall understanding of the Fax Attack method, I suggest that you read the following article:

http://www.fool.com/car/car.htm

I read the article, and helped my sister get the deal that I referred to in my post above.

It's a good method to try.

marleybarr

Could I inquire how you like the CRV in these general areas:
1.) gas mileage
2.) seating arrangement
3.) ease of loading cargo
4.) acceleration
5.) braking
6.) handling
Thanks for your time and congratulations on your new purchase!

jsalz

1.)
From my experience I would tell you that the gas mileage is one of the best features of the car. I think maybe only the Toyota RAV4 comes close to it.

2.)
Seating is nice, but I do not like the tan cloth interior, it will definitely show wear and tear as well as dirt and stains. Leather is tough and of higher quality than I was expecting.

3.)
Very well thought out interior, not sleek and sexy like some nissans or even an Accord's but functional and well finished. The center console between the two front seats folds down and gives you some room for a small bag, and there are tons of storage pockets. I think it has the most cargo space for its class. Folding the seats for more room is super simple.

4.)
"Peppy" is what most "experts" say about the acceleration. I feel its alot better than my Ford explorer and my girlfriend's RAV4.

5.)
Nothing special I guess, no complaints.

6.)
Its not a performance vehicle, I think its based on the civic platform so it has the car feel.

Hope this helps.

driver11

I've only had the car for a few days but so far I am satisfied in every aspect. We've already tested out the cargo loading, and bought some furniture from Ikea. It was really easy to load and the seats folded down easily. The seating arrangement is great. I drove some friends to lunch and one who is over 6 feet tall sat in the back and said he had plenty of leg room. On the topic of handling, it's something I personally have to get used to driving an sUV. My previous car was a small nissan sedan, so I definitely was accustomed to hugging those corners on the turns, but now I have to take wider turns (a few times I felt like I was going to flip over when I took the turn too tight). I absolutely love the interior and all the features that are included. Heated seats are great, moonroof is fun, leather is awesome, can't see any dirt on it.(I have Pewter Pearl exterior and black leather inside). I am very happy with my purchase so far, great car with great features for the price. Hope this helps.

jsalz

Can I ask you what you paid for it? Did you feel the the Pewter color was in short supply in your area?

bigeaux

Inked an offer sheet last night, sale isn't final. I'd like your opinions.

WHAT: 2005 CR-V LX FWD
OPTIONS: Roof rack cross bars, wheel locks, leather interior (installed by 3rd party after wholesale)

PRICE QUOTE: $19,950

BREAKDOWN:
Invoice: $18,657
Destination: $515
Cross bars: $240 (dealer invoice)
Wheel locks: $38
TOTAL: $19450

QUOTED PRICE W/O LEATHER: $19,650

So you could say that I'm paying $200 over invoice for the car w/o the leather, and another $300 more for leather seats.

I'm having a hard time finding a price online for leather seats installed after market on a CR-V. Looked up local shops at katzkins.com and called; guy wasn't in yet.

Sticker for the leather was $1,295.

I feel this is basically a good deal, but my uncertainty about the leather seats gives me pause. I simply did no research in this area - never crossed my mind. But my wife likes them, and I admit they would be easier to clean, and would improve resale.

OTOH, I know that I could go about 30 minutes up the highway and use my online quote to get the car w/o the leather for invoice exactly (or so the email says). It has the advantage of being a pre-price hike model as well. But, they would charge install fees on the options.

I'm not thrilled with $200 over invoice, considering hold back on a CR-V is in the neighborhood of $600. But it's not ridiculous. We've had our Honda Civic serviced at several local dealers, and this one has never let us down, whereas the others have.

My question to the panel: is $300 a fair price for after market leather seats?

familyman1

Has there been anyone recently who purchased an '05 EX base at invoice price or below in the Schaumburg, IL area? We intend to purchase today and dealer is offering $300 over invoice, not including destination. I haven't negotiated trade in yet. Can someone provide purchasing info asap. Sorry for the short notice, but we expect to purchase today before the 2.9 financing runs out.

armand

Is leather an option on the LX or the EX - I thought you could only get it with the SE?

jgreer

Well, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the deal, mainly due to time constraints and the 2.9% financing deal expiring on Thursday.

Here's what I got:

2005 CR-V EX (standard EX Equipment)

Invoice: $21753
Destination: $515
Wheel locks and mud guards: $108 (dealer cost)
3 oil changes, 3 tire rotations, free car washes whenever I go in, and 1 full detail when I want it.
Tax @ 7-3/4% (San Diego): $1734.14
License: $205

Total out the door: $24,315.14

I'm on the fence as to whether or not I really did get a decent deal.

It is in Rodondo Red Pearl which is not the easiest color to find out there.

I figure by taking advantage of the 2.9% financing that I probably saved $1800 over a loan that I could get at 4.9% (which is what my credit union was offering).

How do you guys think I did?

Thanks,

Greer

bigeaux

It's not a factory option on the LX. The dealer had it installed at a specialty shop after purchasing the car wholesale. From reading some on-line articles this morning, dealer-added leather is a popular gimmick for increasing profits on lower trim-line vehicles.

bigeaux

Looks good to me jgreer.

bigeaux

Further to my post above on leather interior prices, I did get in touch with a leather shop. They quoted me $1025+tax (labor included) for a 2005 CR-V LX.

Anybody else have any quotes or experience with after-market leather interiors?

norabill

Hello, we went to several dealerships and did test drive the CR-V twice, from the same salesman for about a total of 30 minutes of his time. We did not like him, but he nabbed us. We'd like to purchase the car via the internet but they asked for the salesman's name, if someone "helped" us. We really don't want to involve this guy. Any advice?

jgreer

I believe that most of the time when you deal over the internet, you deal with the Internet Manager.

You shouldn't have to deal with the salesman you don't like. Correct me if I'm wrong everyone, but don't they usually want to know the name of any salesman you've worked with before so that they can give hime credit (or partial credit) for the sale?

But, if for some reason they put you in contact with him, simply ask to talk to the Sales Manager and tell him, that you would like to deal with someone else. You appreciated the salesman's time, but you aren't entirely comfortable with him.

If they won't let you deal with someone else, you don't want to do business with that particular dealership anyway.

Hope that helps.

Greer

marleybarr

Thanks much for the info. Sounds like you are satisfied with your purchase. One last question, does the back window open up w/o opening the door, and how do you like the side opening cargo door vs. the flip open hatch on many SUV's ?

jsalz

I like the flip open door alot better actually. The side opening door is okay but I think it would have made more sense to have it open in the other direction(facing the curb so you can load things).

From what I seeing now, CR-Vs are getting discounted pretty easily right now. One out of every three or so dealers I contacted were taking $2000 off MSRP through internet quotes. In some cases under invoice by $200-$500 which makes me think that there is some factory to dealer incentive that we don't know about on top of the hold back.

driver11

Here's the breakdown of what I paid for the SE. Got it for $22,795 including the destination charge. Didn't get any options, so out the door price with all fees (only had a $45 doc fee) + license/reg/dmv + tax was $24,945. Got it for about $1,000 under invoice. Shopped and negotiated the price on the internet and over the phone. I found that pretty much all the dealerships that I contacted had the Pewter Pearl. I think they said that color is fairly new, so all the cars that they had in that color basically just "came off the truck". When I got mine it had all the stickers on it and the seats where covered in plastic and it only had 3 miles on it.

bigeaux

That's an excellent price jsalz.

bigeaux

Bought it last night from Superior Honda (Harvey LA, New Orleans Metro).

05 CR-V LX 2WD

Price: $19,950 including leather seats installed (dealer aftermarket), wheel locks installed, cross bars installed.
Trade: $1400
TTL: $1789.50
Total out the door: $20,339.50

No other dealer would match this, let alone beat it, when given the chance. The best competing quote from another dealer - Royal Honda - identically equipped, was $650 more.

Qualified for 2.9%, saved me quite a bit.

Superior treated us very well. I highly recommend them after this experience. We negotiated for 2 hours on Tuesday night, and we signed the offer sheet long after finance had closed. When we came back Wednesday, there was an error in the re-typed offer sheet, and it was in the dealer's favor. However, our salesman was completely honest, remembered the actual verbally agreed upon numbers, and straightened it out without ever doubting or questioning us.

Notes on other local Honda dealers, for those in the NOLA metro area:

Royal - Salesman I spoke to there was easily the most knowledgeable and professional car salesman I've dealt with. Ever. Excellent test drive experience, full and complete vehicle walk around. After that, I knew things about the CR-V that salesmen at other dealers didn't. Unfortunately, he just couldn't match the price. I credit him for being honest about that and not wasting my time with a dishonest low-ball to get me to come in. I really wish I could share his name, because he deserves some business.

Premier - If you're into internet shopping, this is the way to go around here. Their quote was a little slow in coming, but it was definitely worth it. They were easy going and responsive over the phone, no pressure. I didn't end up buying there, but I was able to use those printed internet quotes as a bargaining tool.

Slidell - Poor internet shopping experience. In our first contact, they immediately gave me this song and dance, and I quote from the email:"Please note that the price quoted is the INVOICE price that means we buy the car for that price and as an Internet buyer I will do something special from the Invoice price. Let me ask a question. What would be the fair value you would like to pay above the Invoice please? You got to understand every body stays in business by making a little profit." Well, duh. I found this insulting, as I was asking him for a quote, not a negotiation, and not his sob story. His further emails did nothing to change my unfavorable impression.

Covington - Easily the worst initial offer, and it was an internet quote. Follow up phone messages were a bit pushy. Didn't bother asking them for a counter.

mldj98

norabill,

As mentioned in the other post I would have no problems in going to the sales manager and just tell him you want to deal with another salesman.

If you do not have the options of going to another dealership in your area, or if your happy with the deal your getting at the present dealership but just do not like the salesman then don't worry about who is going to get credit for the sale. I'm sure that will all be worked out internally within the dealership.

Bottom line is this, you are the customer, you are always right no matter what, and you should be made to feel comfortable about making a purchase from this dealership. Other than buying a house this may be your biggest purchase and it should be a pleasant one.

You can be that firm with your personality without being rude because you and I both know that at a moments notice they will try and slip something past you if you are not an informed customer.

I think that is why is forum is so great in that everyone of us (consumers) can help each other out with pricing and experiences.

Good luck in you search and I hope you end up with a nice buying experience.
Please let us know how it all works out!!!

maferna

Bigeaux:
That seems like a great price!
Was it easy to get the 2.9%? Did they mention a score range?

On another note, I am planning to buy an LX as well, but have read about the pull-to-the-right issue. Is this reason enough for not buying a CR-V? Is it really only torque-steer?

Thanks,

bigeaux

maferna,

2.9%: Forgot to ask for the exact FICO. Both my wife and I are in the upper 700s. I think somebody on this board mentioned 720. Better hurry if you want it. It expires today, according to Honda's website.

PTTR: I just posted on that in the Problems and Solutions forum. My recommendation: test drive and check for it. If it pulls, tell the salesman and ask him to make a note of it for the service department. They should be able to find and fix any problem during the Pre Delievery Inspection (PDI). Drive it again after PDI.

Mine pulled to the right on the test drive. I mentioned it, they checked it out. It didn't PTTR after PDI. Probably tire inflation.

hkjcrv

My 2 cents...

1.) gas mileage
It's good, but not great if you're used to sedans. If you live in a cold weather climate, expect to get lower than the estimates during the winter. I bought my CRV auto EX in July 2004 and saw a significant decline in my MPG starting at the end of October. It's slowly climbing now that spring is coming. I'm hoping to see numbers like I saw last summer pretty soon. In the summer, I was getting right around the estimates, 23/27, but in the winter I'm getting more like 19-20 mpg city/mixed and maybe 22 mpg highway.

2.) seating arrangement
I like the seating arrangement... roomy backseat makes most of my backseat passengers very happy. I like the folding tray in the middle of the two front seats.

3.) ease of loading cargo
Loading and unloading cargo is pretty easy. The seats fold up and down so easily that it can be done in a snap. I like the side swinging door instead of the hatch. I find that hatch openings are more difficult to close and feel a lot heavier. There are really varying opinions about this though.

4.) acceleration
It's great... I don't feel like it lags at all.

5.) braking
Been great for me so far.

6.) handling
I like the handling. It feels like a car, yet you're up high. It turns on a dime, makes it really easy to get into tight parking spots and around sharp corners (or hang the occasional U-turn!)

jsalz

How fast did you guys know if you qualified for 2.9% APR at the dealership? After today, does anyone know what Honda's lowest APR will be?

kyfdx

I thought that the 2.9% was good until 4/4/05?

maferna

According to honda's web site, it expires today.

How long does it take to get pre-approved online? Is this a better strategy than going directly to the dealership?
Thanks,

jsalz

Online it is very fast, within minutes actually. The lowest rate available though is about 4.49% from what I've seen. If anyone found a lower online auto loan rate than this could you please let me know where?

bigeaux

Can't tell ya exactly how long it takes at the dealer - faxed in the credit app at noon, went to the dealer after work. But from previous experience with loan applications, it really doesn't take long, just a few minutes.

As for when it expires, Honda has 1.9% and 2.9% on a lot of vehicles, and the expirations vary. At Honda's website, it's definitely 3/31 for the CR-V. Anybody's guess what happens on 4/1.

jsalz

How often does the 2.9% come around?

maferna

Every quarter? Could be, they offered it in Q4 of 2004.

BTW, I am on my way to get my CR-V!
I'll let you all know the outcome.
Wish me luck!

bigeaux

Good luck maferna! Let us know how it goes.

norabill

Thank you very much for your sound advice, mldj98 and jgreer. As I learned in my Edmunds studying, we saved a ton of money by using our feet (and walking out the door of the dealer) when it came time for the trade-in offer from them for our car ($3700). Just today, we had a couple offer us $6800!
Now, the next leg of our journey will begin with the purchase of our CR-V. I'm confident from all the information I have read and learned on Edmunds and esp. from all you good people willing to share your experiences. That is invaluable and I thank you all for your input. This kind of cooperation makes the experience of buying a car more interesting and less intimidating. Knowledge IS power!

rob18

Just brought home our Silver Moss LX 4WD from Koons of Manassas in northern VA. The internet sales department was great. The only drawback was the hard push on the extended warranty. I really appreciated everyone posting their itemized purchases. So here is mine.

$19,200 ($565 below invoice)
$515 Destination
$279 Processing Fee (making it closer to $300 below invoice)
$600 VA tax
$34 county tax
$70 inspection, tags, title

$20,700 out the door

They threw in 2 oil changes, wheel locks and Honda mudguards. They also offered door edge trim and fender wheel trim but I have to schedule to get those installed. Anybody have any opinions on whether I should bother getting them installed?

I also had very good luck negotiating a slightly better price with Sport Honda in Silver Spring, Maryland if you live out that way.

maferna

I just got home with my LX 2WD, also in Silver Moss. I bought it from Tempe Honda. Overall, a great experience, highly recommended. Since I went through the Internet Fleet Department, price was previously negotiated and no hassle at all.

I got 2.9% financing as well.

Here are the details:

$18,208 ($450 below invoice)
$515 destination
$873 alloy wheels (installed)
$169 window tinting
$1,600.97 AZ tax (8.1% ouch!)
$299 doc fee (therefore, $163 below invoice)
$380.68 title and registration

$22,045.65

I also got the Honda Care extended warranty, since I drive 20k a year.

If you are in the Phoenix area, definitely consider Tempe Honda.
Thank you all for all your help.

hillfla

Well I tried! I went in last night to buy a silver EX. Of course, I got horrible offer right away on my trade-in. I started to walk and immediately they offered $5000 more! it was still not enough so I did end up walking out last night.

Another thing I did not like about this dealership however was the fact that all new CRVs come "standard" with $1000 in accessories that they refuse to remove. They had added mud flaps, roof cross bars, pin striping, and wheel locks. The biggest one I had a heartburn with was the cross bars for $300! I guess it was best that we did not come to an offer agreement on my trade because I really did not want to fight with them over the accessories. (we had not gotten around to negotiating on the new CRV). Is it standard for the Honda dealerships to add accessories that they will not remove and make you pay for?

This dealership is Ed Napleton in St Peters, Missouri (just outside of St Louis). Does anyone have any recommendations for me on a good dealership in the St Louis area?

bigeaux

rob18 & maferna: Well done!

hillfla: They should absolutely remove any add-ons you don't want. My wife and I don't like the pinstripes and asked to have them removed from our vehicle before delivery. They were, no extra charge, no hassle.

yellowperil

I read in the news today that Honda will build the 2006 CR-Vs in the OH plant. Anyone know if the 2006 will be drastically changed? The dealer I called said no change, but that answer was probably self-serving

Also, same dealer said after-market leather costs $950. Apparently, they just cover the existing seats and door trim with leather.

I was seriously considering the Kia Sportage/Tucson-it's so cheap! But common sense prevailed. The Korean V-6 engines are simply too inefficient, and there is already a recall for an ESP problem. I also drove an Escape XLT V6 for a few days. The interior felt 'cheap,' and the V6 guzzled more gas than was reflected in any improved performance.

Edit: I just found this on Google (True or not??):
Never install aftermarket leather seat covers on Honda vehicles with side airbags. Here’s why:
• The occupant position detection system (OPDS) sensors attached to the seat-back foam are calibrated to sense through the seat cover. If the cover material changes, the OPDS could malfunction or turn on the SRS indicator.

• Side airbags that deploy through the seat bolster seam are sewn with a special thread that bursts and positions the side airbag to protect the occupant. This thread isn’t available to the aftermarket, which means you must replace the seat cover whenever a side airbag deploys or a seat cover is damaged.

• Side airbags that deploy through a plastic lid still have OPDS sensors that are calibrated to match the seat cover material.

bigeaux

Yellowperil,

Thanks for the info! I'll check it out some more.

The 05 CR-V side airbags deploy through a plastic cap, and the leather is cut around the cap. As I understand it, the upholstery was removed before the leather was installed, but that info could be wrong. It certainly looks like it's gone. I'll contact Honda about the OPDS calibration. Maybe the dealer could re-calibrate it, if necessary.

Thanks again.

jsalz

How much to the title and registration fees be?

While reading this forum I have found alot of different prices. Is this something you can go to the DMV and do yourself?

lharr

Purchased a CRV (LX -21380.74 out the door) on March 14, 2005, from Open Road Honda in Edison New Jersey. The salesman "assured" me my car would be delivered in 5-10 days. Today is April 2,2005 and still no car. I've been "assured" by the internet sales manager, and the general manager on five seperate occasions as to when my car would arrive and still no car. I've contacted Honda corporate and got "gee, sorry about your experience, but when I bought my car it took five weeks for them to deliver it to me." Does anyone have any ideas or know of any contacts within Honda that could intercede on my behalf? :mad:

robgeo

I just looked at a Honda CRV SE 2005, brand new...they were goign to sell it to me @ $23,835. No additinoal accessories other than the standard included.

Good price?

Also a new 2005 EX @ $22,270.

They say it's just over invoice...seem right?

thanks!

robgeo

What's the best way to shop & negotiate on the net? I'm new to buying a car and am interested in the SE Pewter as well.

???

cpick

Simple, just use the Edmunds request for quote page that comes in when you are using the TMV calculator. What I did was get two quotes from nearby dealers who I would deal with if I had too but then brought the best quote to my favored dealer and asked them to simply match it. They happily did and I got the car easy as could be at a good price-23,800 BTW sfor Pewter SE in Northern Cal.

Good luck and stand tough if they try to negotiate you up. Also you can negotiate for accessories. They wanted about 600 to provide and install the fogs and I got em down to 460 three weeks after I bought the vehicle.

dawner

Did they offer to go below invoice? Is it appropriate to ask to go below? They are offering 300 above and I thought that was a good deal but....
:confuse:

bob05

Today's Boson Globe seems to suggest that they are selling at or slightly below invoice here....so asking for invoice is certainly appropriate....look in your local paper and then compare to Edmunds invoice price.

....keep in mind that Toyota is having a sale right now, so there is competition...wouldn't hurt to quote those good RAV4 prices one sees in the paper....

blueiedgod

Purchased a CRV (LX -21380.74 out the door) on March 14, 2005, from Open Road Honda in Edison New Jersey. The salesman "assured" me my car would be delivered in 5-10 days. Today is April 2,2005 and still no car. I've been "assured" by the internet sales manager, and the general manager on five seperate occasions as to when my car would arrive and still no car. I've contacted Honda corporate and got "gee, sorry about your experience, but when I bought my car it took five weeks for them to deliver it to me." Does anyone have any ideas or know of any contacts within Honda that could intercede on my behalf?

It has only been 3 weeks, by the way. In your purchasing agreement it should state that they will deliver the car in 5-10 days. You can simply cancel the deal because they failed to deliver in 5-10 days, "breach of contract"