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

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Comments

  • carol5carol5 Member Posts: 2
    I just found this discussion board (it's great!) and don't know the best way to get the best price on a Honda CRV (2005). I went to a dealer yesterday and of course he had the manager come over and talk to me about price and he only went down $1400 on their top of the line loaded EX/SE and I said "you can do better" and he said "mam, if you call me a liar I bid you good day" and he walked away. We promptly walked out. They are so arrogant! I am going to another dealer, but would like to be armed with a solid invoice price before I negotiate. I have been able to get invoice prices on other vehicles, but on the Honda CR-V have been unsuccessful. Thanks! Carol
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    It sounds like that dealer was pretty rude with you and that's not right.

    Bear in mind, unlike a lot of other makes, honda doesn't pack a lot of profit in the MSRP's. There is only something like a 1700.00 spread between invoice and MSRP. If he offered 1400.00 off MSRP, that, indeed, was a great deal despite what you may read from some people in these forums.

    CRV's, especially the SE's aren't distressed merchandise and you may get very frustrated in your attempt to wring out another 300.00.

    the MARKET determines pricing.
  • jsalzjsalz Member Posts: 28
    Honda sales are up period. I checked their end of month report for march and CR-V sales are up about 8% nationally compared to this time last year(probably because of the 2.9% APR promotion ending in march).

    I'm not sure if they can keep that up for the months to come but if you need to buy wait until the end of the month, go to Honda's website, locate the dealers near your area and request a quote from them. Try to buy from a dealer that already has it in stock, even if you have to drive a little.

    CR-Vs as people like to say is hardly "distressed merchandise" but according to their sales reports its their 4th best seller behind the Accord, Civic, and Odyssey with the Pilot aggressively catching up.

    So realistically, CR-Vs are stable sellers, nothing more. Invoice is possible, but more likely through the internet sales department. Dealers wouldn't sell a car like the CR-V at a loss and if some of our forum buddies are getting invoice than invoice is not what the dealers costs are.

    www.carbuyingtips.com is a good site. I hope this helps.
  • carol5carol5 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks so much, that was very helpful! At least I have a ballpark figure to work with. I am used to Buick or Pontiac with $5,000 rebates so $1,400 off does not seem like much, but i understand that is what they are getting for them. Thanks again.
  • dc_driverdc_driver Member Posts: 712
    I have found that it also depends on the area that you live in. Some Honda dealers seem to be selling at invoice on the CRV, but that was not true in my case in the metro DC are back in November. I was looking at the CRV SE, and most would not budge even close to invoice (dealing over the Internet), so I bought a Mazda :)

    End of the month is definitely the best time, and I also recommend involving as many dealers as possible. If you are willing to drive 100-200 miles, it may save you money as well.

    Good Luck!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Exactly. the domestics have rebated themselves into a trap. I think you know just how artifical that whopping 5000.00 rebate really is.

    I hope Honda never resports to this.
  • gregoirejgregoirej Member Posts: 1
    Just bought an 05 LX 2WD at Criswell Honda in Germantown, MD.
    Price $18,267.86
    Frieght 515.00
    Tax 939.14
    Tags 154.00

    Total OTR $19,876.00

    They treated me excellent. No hard pressure on the warranty or any of the other crap. Very good experience.
  • automaticautomatic Member Posts: 41
    I love my 05 CRV EX automatic!! Knowing that you work in the Seattle area market, it appears that the number of CRVs in stock at our local dealers is a lot higher than they were in 03-04. Is Honda cranking more CRVs out this year than in the past? Larger inventories may be playing a part in the better (near invoice) pricing we've seen on this board of late. Agree that the market sets the price. I've wondered why our local Seattle market (which is sizable, right?) seems less competitive from a buyer's perspective than, say Houston or Boston. I worked hard and waited to get a deal I could live with and even then others on this board have done $500 better with apparently less effort. Anyhow, the CRV is a fine product and I have almost forgotten about the $500 "lost." I figure I got as good a deal as anyone could in the Seattle area.
  • robgeorobgeo Member Posts: 8
    What is the chance that a dealer will honor the recently expired 2.9%? Or do I have to wait until the next incentive period? And how long could that be?
  • robgeorobgeo Member Posts: 8
    Giving some credit to "carbuyingtips.com"...they talk about being able to get much below invoice than you'd think you could. But do I understand that that may not be necessarily true with Honda CRVs? That getting around invoice is doing good?

    Give me several replies to this, so no one can prove that I'm a dealer "planting seeds."
  • robgeorobgeo Member Posts: 8
    What was your out-the-door price?
  • bob05bob05 Member Posts: 27
    I think you got a great deal! If I recall, invoice is $18989 (including freight)

    What color? I'm guessing blue.

    Bob
  • jsalzjsalz Member Posts: 28
    It depends on the factory to dealer incentives.

    Around invoice is always good in my opinion for a car like the CR-V. The invoice price minus 2-3% for the dealer holdback is what the dealer really paid. (Holdback is something that the factory pays the dealership after they sell the car, to offset dealer costs)

    But we never really know about the factory to dealer incentives which is what allows the dealers to go under invoice. Honda is not know for factory to customer incentives like the domestics, I heard somewhere that they've never done that on the CR-V, the most they will do is the low apr once in a while.

    So basically without knowing the factory to dealer incentives the best you could hope for is invoice or just a little under if the dealer is willing to share some of the holdback he gets. Personally I wouldn't use the holdback against them because its made to help the dealer with the costs of having the car on the lot.
  • norabillnorabill Member Posts: 5
    Just bought a CR-V SE. I'm so happy with the choice I made!

    First, I educated myself with the Edmunds.com and Fool.com websites, very helpful.

    Secondly, I chose to go via the internet for bids from local dealers. Two of the three dealers were professional.

    One pretended to be an internet manager, but upon closer look at his "title", it was "Internet Sales LEAD Manager". Watch out for that! We spoke on the phone and he said I should come in. I went in to speak to the sales manager and when I arrived, he refused and stuck me with a young salesman. It was the most pitiful drama I have ever witnessed. Like a bad singer on AI. He literally folded his hands in prayer and begged me to "pray for him" as he delivers this offer to Mr. Manager. We ultimately walked out.

    These people need to understand that with the internet and consumer websites, those days of Game Playing are gone. The proof is that I was (happily) spared all that with my purchase.

    My experience with the real Internet Sales Managers were actually quite pleasant and painless. $23600 plus tax and tags. Had the local dealer fax a quote sheet, had a cup of coffee while reviewing in my own home, not a stinky cubicle! Went over to the dealer's later on, met the professional sales manager and signed the deal. No bull about extras I didn't want.

    My only complaint would be the ding dong that showed us the car, didn't know a thing about it, but that's what owner's manuals are for, and I read it until I, ah, dozed off in bed, the memory of new car smell putting a smile on my face.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    That depends. There are times when we have a good selection of CRV's in stock and then we have the times where we just can't keep them in stock.

    I have no idea what happens in other markets. I hear "prices paid" numbers here that I find hard to swallow, but, hey, I suppose those dealers could give them away if they wanted to. A lot of markets have been basically ruined by dealers who run the full page screamer ads that only serve to cheapen a great product.

    You love your CRV and that's all that matters. We love ours too!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Well, any salesman can suddenly assume the role of an "Internet Manager" , "Fleet Manager" or whatever and this is what usually happens.

    Going through the Internet Department does not empower a shopper in any way toward a better deal.

    Better yet, in my not so humble opinion, ask your friends and neighbors who have recently bought a new car about their experience and to refer you to someone who treated them nice.
  • norabillnorabill Member Posts: 5
    >

    Oh, yes it does. The in-person dealer offered to sell me the same car at well OVER MSRP! No one should waste their time walking into a dealership without first establishing a price.

    People must know that they do not have to endure the ridiculous scenario I described when I went in person.
  • jgreerjgreer Member Posts: 31
    norabill, what part of the county are you in?

    I'm curious because in Southern California, is doesn't seem like CR-Vs are going much below invoice, if that.

    Poway Honda wouldn't even discuss holdback with me (not that I brought it up, but they asked me where I got my numbers), and claimed to be losing $71 on the deal. But, I knew that if I didn't close the deal, it would mean about $1800 over the life of the loan, so haggling over $300 wasn't worth it.

    Still, they said they were 17 units short of their quota with only 2 days left to go. I would have thought they'd give on the $300.

    I'm still happy with the deal though.

    Greer
  • bigeauxbigeaux Member Posts: 46
    I personally think that getting about invoice is pretty good for the CR-V, based on my own shopping experience in New Orleans metro and other posts I've seen here. My best quotes, from both internet sales departments and in-store, were all at or around invoice. Worst was $600 mark up over invoice, but still well below MSRP. Where things got competitive was the installation costs on the accessories I wanted to have installed, and that's where I found my best deal. If you beat invoice, you're doing very well.

    Shop around, establish a relationship with both internet and in-store sales, and get some quotes. I called around a bit and eventually, nobody would beat or match the deal I got. Trust is a big issue though - if you think somebody is lying to you just to get you in the store, forget it. Quotes in writing - fax, email - or not at all.

    Obviously, there's going to be some uncertainty for you, the buyer, in any deal, because you'll never really know exactly how things work between the dealer and manufacturer. So your best indication that you did as well as you could is by comparison to other dealers in your region.

    2.9%: As far as I know, that was straight from Honda's finance company, so I think it would be hard to find a dealer offering it independently.
  • jsportjsport Member Posts: 4
    Hi everyone, I'd like to first say that this forum is awesome with its vasts amounts of valuable information for the informed consumers. Members who have already contributed their buying experiences gave me a great advantage when I encountered dealerships in my local area. However, when I did my own shopping via internet/telephone I was shocked to find that most dealerships in the Seattle area would not sell under costco's price which is about $900 over invoice. My best offer thus far is $700.00 over invoice. I'd like to ask anyone in or near the Seattle if they encountered similar prices. Would anyone like to give me a referral to a dealership with positive experience? At this time, I'm very tempted to start shopping in CA and have the car shipped to Seattle seeing that you can purchase the car at invoice or even under invoice. Any input would be appreciated.

    Thanks,

    Jsport
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Hardly worth the trouble and shipping expense. What if the car has damage when it arrives etc.

    For the life of me, I just can't understand why a dealer would sell a great, fast moving, popular car for invoice. I'm from So. Calif and I know it's a cutthroat market. Just be careful to watch for the other ways they have of making a profit on the deal. Holdback doesn't begin to cover flooring and advertising so don't think that's bottom line profit. far from it.
  • automaticautomatic Member Posts: 41
    I got my 2005 EX automatic for $22685 (plus tax and license) at Burien Honda in late 04. Straight talking dealer and they offered the most for my trade to boot. Only downside is that that they are small, so inventory is less than the larger stores. Luckily, they had the model and color I wanted. Isell's dealership (Honda Auto Center) is the biggest volume in the area, and worth checking out, though I am not convinced that the bigger dealers offer any better deals. I have purchased from them in the past and was satisfied. Other dealers that I walked out on were Honda of Seattle (nice, but lowballed my trade), and Lynnwood Honda (never felt comfortable with them).

    You can get a great deal in CA, as I shopped in the San Jose area to get an idea of how much more the Seattle CRV market was. I bet you could save $800-$1000 over Seattle prices, but the hassle factor was not worth it for me, as I had a trade-in which could not be appraised over the phone. If I were just buying new with no trade, I'd seriously consider it...email the internet sales dept at Capitol Honda in SJ, Honda of Stevens Creek in SJ and Autowest Honda in Fremont and see if the savings is worth it. Be advised that the CRV appears afflicted with occasional cases of "pull to the right" which you can only know when you drive the actual one you are buying, so don't commit to buying anything without a final test drive clause...i.e. buy from a dealer that has several of the one you want, so you can select another if "yours" has PTTR. Good luck.
  • hooters361965hooters361965 Member Posts: 1
    just purchased a crv ex with splash guards and cargo tray to cover the cooler from waikem honda in canton ohio for 22027 plus tax and title total otd price was 23 595.2nd crv i have also have 2000lx,really liked it but the new ex seems much smoother ride and many extra s.
  • raysrraysr Member Posts: 3
    Just bought a 05 CRV EX AT.
    Car cost (w/ dest. charge and security system upgrade): 21288
    Tax: 1600
    DMV: 211
    CA tire: 8.75
    Doc: 45
    Out-the-door: 23153

    Seems ok.
  • rhodyvrhodyv Member Posts: 16
    I have a 2 week old LX AWD. Got for $300 over invoice as a "no haggle" offer referred through triple-A. Added top of line lo-jack for just over $500; no other accessories.no preparation or documentation fees except $100 for routine DMV transactions.

    This was at Majestic Honda in Warwick, RI. I also bought a Civic from them awhile back, and will go there when I need my Odyssey replaced in a couple years.

    Very friendly, absolutely NO BS :) , very responsive. Actually a pleasureful experience for a guy who totally hates shopping for anything, let alone a biggie like a car. Perhaps I could have raised my blood pressure and stomach acid haggling away a couple hundred more over a month somewhere else, but why bother?

    BTW, love the car!
  • mantramantra Member Posts: 7
    I bought my CRV 2 weeks ago and just got my plates .. how long does it take for the title (proof of ownership) to come ? I thought you get this with the plates...
  • bshelbshel Member Posts: 232
    I picked up my CR-V with the plates on. It depends on how you paid for it when you get your title. Did you purchase with cash?
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,222
    If you have a lien on the car, that has to be recorded on the title... That usually takes a little longer.. In my state, an extra couple of weeks.

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • mantramantra Member Posts: 7
    yes, I purchased it .. no financing.

    how long would it take then? would it still be an extra few weeks after the plates?

    Thanks
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,222
    I'm sure it varies state to state, county to county... I'd give it another couple of weeks...

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  • banjolaya1banjolaya1 Member Posts: 88
    Sure it does. That tells us this:
    2006 EX 2WD AT MSRP = $22550
    2007 EX 2WD AT MSRP = $22850
    - 300
    2006 EX 2WD AT Invoice = $20835
    2007 EX 2WD AT invoice = $22835+$300= $21135
    Now we all know how to calculate the invoice price for other models even though Honda is hiding it. Wonder why...???
  • robgeorobgeo Member Posts: 8
    Just bought 2005 brand new SE, Pewter with splash guards...no other specials other than the standard extras with the SE.

    $23,200. OTD $24,352. Financed through state employee’s credit union 5.5%, $366 a month....not the best rate, but not bad for raising interest rate period.

    Good deal?
  • jgreerjgreer Member Posts: 31
    Robgeo,

    What part of the country are you in? I think that's a great price on an SE :)

    Greer
  • jsu3jsu3 Member Posts: 1
    I want to know it too... Thanks.
    By the way, is it a rumor that Honda will stop producing CR-V?

    Su
  • robgeorobgeo Member Posts: 8
    Western North Carolina
  • jsalzjsalz Member Posts: 28
    Does anyone know what Honda's lowest APR currently is on the CR-V? Is 4.75 good? Just missed the 2.9 from last month, kind of regret it now.

    Are online insurance places cheaper than going in person? Can anyone make any recommendations in the NJ area? Or internet companies, besides Gieco.
  • jgreerjgreer Member Posts: 31
    I really do think that's a great price for an SE.

    How popular are CR-Vs in your area? In Southern California they are quite popular, and from what I've seen it's harder to get much below invoice here.
  • jgreerjgreer Member Posts: 31
    jsalz,

    That's not generally a bad rate for a car loan, depending on the term of the loan. If it's a 60 month loan, it's pretty good. The rate you can get mostly depends on the length of the loan and your FICO score.

    At my credit union, I can currently get a 3.99%, 48 month loan for a new car (putting 20% down). Credit unions are a good place to check for rates. You could go the route of checking rates online (e-loan or something like that). I have never personally used a broker like e-loan.

    If you are sure that you're going to purchase the car within the next couple of weeks or so, go ahead and apply for loans online. All credit checks within a 2 week period count as only 1 hit on your FICO score. So, you could theoretically apply at several places within a 2 week period and it would only count as one inquiry.

    But, definitely check around and DEFINITELY make sure that there is no pre-payment penalty on the loan. That way if you want to pay the car off early, it won't cost you more.

    As for insurance, I have heard pretty good things about 21st Century (I'm not sure if they're available in your area). link title

    I've also heard good things about Wawanesa (but I think they are only in Canada, Oregon, and California). link title

    Personally, I prefer to pay a little more for service when I have a claim. So, I have all of my insurance (homeowner's, car, etc.) at one company.

    My suggestion is to check out the reputation of any company you consider. Epinions is a great place to check things out. link title

    Also check with the Better Business Bureau (link title). Some states also have insurance commissioners. I know that California has a lot of information about what companies have had complaints, etc.

    Whatever you do, when shopping for insurance make sure your're comparing apples to apples. You need to compare the exact same coverage if possible. Make sure you are comparing policies with the same deductible too.

    I hope that helps :D

    Greer
  • robgeorobgeo Member Posts: 8
    Well...I see them around, but I wouldn't say that they are more popular than trucks around hare (not a mispelling, it's dialect). Racing is big here too, so you see a lot of toys on the roads. But, being near the mountains and planning to move there soon...an SUV was the route I wanted to go...and the reviews of the CRV are very good. I've been follwoing forums and researching for quite some time now.

    All I can say is "use email" with the dealers...it worked best for me communciating with about 12 dealers at once and playing each offer with the other, until...
  • edmunds4mk25edmunds4mk25 Member Posts: 14
    Folks,

    After reading a ton of posts on this board, I've decided to get a 05 CRV LX-FWD (Blue).
    Now as far as price is concerned, I've received a quote of $20200 drive out, which seems to be a decent deal considering that some local dealers just said, "great deal buy it there!" when I asked them to beat this number.

    so $20200 (incl. $525 dest, 6.25% tax, doc fee, inventory fee, title, license) - No addons at all.

    Before I pull the trigger, I wanted to get some feedback from recent buyers in TX.

    Downside: I need to drive 200 miles each way to get this vehicle.
    I do have a faxed invoice from the dealer.

    Thanks
  • jgreerjgreer Member Posts: 31
    Usually if other dealers won't touch the deal, you're getting a good deal.

    How much is the inventory fee? I've never heard of that (of course I live in California though). I kind of wonder if that is an unnecessary fee.

    Only you can decide if it's worth the drive.

    If the other dealers are within a couple of hundred dollars and are a lot closer, personally, I would go to one of them. To me it's not worth $200 to pay the extra gas and the hassle of driving.

    Just my opinion.

    Greer
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,222
    Inventory tax in Texas... It is pretty small.. a percentage, but usually under $100.. Not bogus..

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  • mafernamaferna Member Posts: 83
    That's a good deal. You did not break down all the numbers, but I guess you are getting something like 400-500 below invoice.

    BTW, destination s/b 515.

    As mentioned, if the difference is only a couple hunderd bucks, it might not be worth it to drive and pay $35+ on gas. Moreover, if there's any problem, you might get a better response from the dealer you bought from, and the closer, the better.
  • jgreerjgreer Member Posts: 31
    Thanks for the info on the Inventory tax. I wasn't aware of that.

    See what happens when you live in the same state your entire life?

    I guess if there is something to tax, most governments will find a way to tax it
  • jgreerjgreer Member Posts: 31
    And if you deal with a local dealer, there's a chance you could get them to throw in car washes, full details, oil changes, etc. to help make up the $200 difference or so (if that is the difference) of going with a dealer close by.

    Car washes are an easy thing to get them to agree to because it only costs them labor that they're already paying for anyway.

    If you do negotiate for these things, make sure you get it in writing that they will perform the services. That way you know you'll actually get it later.

    Greer
  • edmunds4mk25edmunds4mk25 Member Posts: 14
    Local dealers weren't even interested in negotiating, got no counter offer.
    I probably should have danced the dance and then let them know my best offer, but with the intention of keeping the discussions short I just asked if they'd match or better the drive out price. Probably pissed them off by throwing a number at them and asking them to work for my business.

    Anyway the guy who is ready to sell me the car, 'sounds' like a decent chap.
    Yeah its too bad I couldn't get this from a local dealer, my guess is there is at least a $500 difference.

    Here's the break down in detail:
    18801 price
    1175 tax
    47 inventory tax
    72 License fee
    55 Inspection & Title Fee
    50 Doc Fee
    -------
    20200
  • jgreerjgreer Member Posts: 31
    In that case, if you are comfortable with the dealer, and don't mind the cost of extra gas and the time it will take you to drive the distance, I would say go for it.

    In my estimation $500 is significant enough of a difference to put the time in.

    Obviously you have everything in writing.

    But, if you don't have the VIN, you might want to ask him for it just to make sure that he actually has the particular car before you make that long drive.

    I've actually had dealers (not Honda) say they had the car I wanted, commit to a price, and then when I got there, the vehicle had migically disappeared.

    Good luck and keep us posted.
  • bob05bob05 Member Posts: 27
    Here's the break down in detail:
    18801 price
    1175 tax
    47 inventory tax
    72 License fee
    55 Inspection & Title Fee
    50 Doc Fee


    This looks pretty good to me. I paid price of $18989 + $200 doc fee in December here in Boston ( where the FWD isn't in much demand). Mine's blue too.

    Since you are on Edmunds, I assume that you know you are below invoice.

    So I say....go get it! And congratulations!
  • lmoyer1lmoyer1 Member Posts: 6
    Sound like a good deal. I am in Texas and looking to buy a CRV. Mind telling me where you got the deal?

    Lyle
  • edmunds4mk25edmunds4mk25 Member Posts: 14
    Hi Folks,

    Just got back from Houston with the 2005 Crv LX FWD (Blue).
    Delear stood by his word and sold the V for $20,200 (drive out).

    When he showed me the V, I asked him how many miles it had on it. He asked me to start it up, so my wife did and it has 2 miles on it! I've never seen a new V with so few miles.

    The sales guy also spent a hour in Houston traffic helping me drop off the rental car.
    Got to ride in a loaded 2006 Ridgeline - very nice.

    I can't pick out ANY thing to really complain about as far as the dealer is concerned.
    I'd recommend my sales guy.
    Lyle I sent you a personal message with the dealers details.

    Oh before I forget my crv is PTTR:( (pulling to the right).
    I did test drive the V for around 5 miles, but couldn't detect PTTR. However on my way back It definitely was noticeable on the higway.

    Any suggestions on how to deal with this. I noticed this only because I took both hands of the wheel, with a hand on the steering wheel, I couldn't notice it.

    that's all folks.
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