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Comments
--jjf
Yay, congrats on getting your new Fit! And good that you got those extras taken off the final price. I had to sit through the whole spiel about what could happen if I didn't buy the extra warranties as well. Not a good time (mainly because he almost had me convinced!).
Not being able to see the engine hood is weird at first, but you get a feel for how much room you've got, and I seem to overestimate all the time, but it's a short car so I never stick out of parking spaces.
I got my dealer to throw in some floor mats, the kind that hook to clips installed in the floorboard, but I skipped the clips after two visits to get them installed and no one acknowledging my appointment. They sit on the floor just fine without them.
Enjoy your Fit!
I have taken to purposely NOT pulling all the way into a space so that other cars looking for spots can see the rear of the car, and won't pull into my car. In AZ there are so many 4 door trucks and such that parking between them makes my car really hard to see.
Yeah, I'm sure I'll get used to the hood-less feel. Another thing I've noticed already to watch out for...The pillars on either side of the windshield cause blind spots when looking to the front sides. They are fairly wide, and it is important to look around them before turning...
I've ordered some all-weather mats online from Bernardi Parts and have no intention of installing the hooks, so thatnks for that info.
Now I'm looking for decent seat cushions or covers to keep the front seat relatively clean and lint-free (have the black upholstery)/
As we speak, my boyfriend has taken off with the car. he LOVES it, and I think his Outback will remain idle much of the time now that we have the FIT!
I really like the upholstery, even if it is black, but I live with cats and I noticed that even if they are never in the car, their hair travels with me wherever I go.
I might consider covers for the seats as well, but they have to look really good to cover up that upholstery.
We bought ours from Hopkins Honda in Fairfield, CA. Got the last one for now. They were just great. We dealt with Mitch from internet sales who is very thorough, straightforward, easy going. No hard sell. Got MSRP, no package add-ons, no pressure from finance to get extended warranty, clear coat or anything else. We were REALLY pleased with Mitch and Hopkins.
Car: $16,565
Doc fee: $55
Tax $1288.05
DMV Elec filing fee: $28
Lic fees: $179.75
Total: $18,115.80
We also spoke to Dave Gibbons at University Honda (Davis, CA) who would have given us $100 off MSRP, he just didn't have the car we wanted on the lot. He is also very easy going, straightforward, and no hard sell and he calls back when he says he will. This is unlike San Leandro Honda that will do MSRP and no package add-ons, but I could not get Griselda to call me back even though I said I had a check ready etc.
Vacaville will do $200 under MSRP for Costco members but they do non-negotiable add-ons so the price ends up being about $130 over MSRP. Marin Honda would not budge on $1000 over MSRP with about $300 worth of add-ons.
MSRP ($22,155 Canadian) - $300 Discount + (plus add-ons)
with 2.9% financing for 36 months.
Honda North (Fresno, CA) gave it to us for $100 off MSRP ($16465 + tax/doc). The dealer told me the car was on the lot for literally 1 day.
One thing that kinda bugged me is that the car didn't have floor mats. We ordered it online for $83.70 including tax/shipping.
Great car, we are extremely happy!
Only dealer that had any in stock. We paid MSRP ($16565) plus tax/doc fees. Total came to $17500.
After 3-4 weeks of desperately searching for a fit in the Triangle area of North Carolina, about two weeks ago I called Leith Honda of Raleigh out of the blue and was able to find a Blue Sport MT with nothing at all added to it. So "just off the truck" that it wasn't even NC inspected yet.
Because of the research I'd done on the internet about having to pay above MSRP for a fit, having to pay for extras forced onto the car by the dealer, or simply the difficulties in finding one, I simply accepted I'd be paying MSRP and went in determined to avoid any "unneeded extras".
The salesman, Daryl, was very professional and there seemed to be an understanding of the situation surrounding the Fit in regards to prices. I really didn't make any effort to negotiate at all, something to which I was fairly embarassed at after the purchase. But because Daryl treated this like buying an Apple Computer in an Apple store -- the price is listed and the sales people just help you purchase it not negotiate an extra-high price -- the process was very straightforward. He took lots of information and explained all the fees and while I can't tell if it was real or sincere or not, he made an effort to ask his sales person to waive the doc fees ($398) if I was to referr all interested parties to them. This was denied (of course), and no big deal to me as I'd already expected to pay these BS fees in NC where they are permitted by law.
So all that said, I paid MSRP of $15,100 plus $595 in destination fees, 3% NC sales tax (its yearly or something like that down here), $398 in dealer doc fees "to make sure my paperwork is handled in the highest quality. [non-permissible content removed]. $16,900 US$ out the door if I recall correctly.
I put $2,000 on my credit card so they can eat 3% of that
Because they didn't give me any break on the price, I really won't promote them much. However: I was very impressed with their lack of effort to get me to buy anything else. The finance manager took literally 30 seconds with one piece of paper to list the extras I could buy such as extended warranty, paint protection, etc. He simply said "if you want any of these, write them down on this side of the paper otherwise just sign here declining them." I signed, we moved on and I was very happy not to have to defend my wallet from anybody.
I received my Honda after inspection, wash & wax or whatever they do, the following Monday with 14 miles on it. In the two weeks since I've put 980 miles on it via zipping around town and one trip to Washington DC & back.
To future Fit owners trying to buy a fit I would suggest this:
* Fits are out there if you can be patient like me you still have a strong chance of finding one pop up without having to order one and wait 60-90 days.
* Because the price is usually MSRP, I suggest being willing to go to any dealer in order to buy it. If the product is the same and the price is the same, it doesn't really matter who you buy it from... Get it with the basics then GET OUT of their lot!
* Plenty of places have accessories online. I ordered floormats and a cargo area protector online from collegehills honda in Ohio. I chose them because they've been putting very nice demonstration videos online showing how to install things. Accessories seem to cost pretty much the same around the net so why not reward the guys going out of their way to do something for free.
* YOU SHOULD TRY TO NEGOTIATE. At some point there are going to be plenty of fits available and some poor person is going to pay MSRP because these messages are making them think -- like I did -- that there is no other option. So in order to be safe, everyone buying a fit in the future should try to get the best deal they can. I'm still embarrased at not trying to beat them down, but I hope I got a good deal, all things considered.
I hope this helps he next person buying a Fit. My thanks to all the previous posters who shared their experiences before I bought mine!
BTW I had one offer of $17,283 out the door price including doc fees, license etc. Should I bite?
Thanks for suggestions, I am in So Cal but will move to bay area.
One thing you might do is look outside CA. Seems like you folks in California are paying higher prices than elsewhere.
Sorry I'm editing to add a few things....
My total out the door with taxes, titles, etc was $16.6. This was a silver AT.
Called 15 dealerships in Northern NJ until I found what I wanted. 5 Speed Sport in Black, Blue or Silver.
Drove down with the wife and kids. PAID MSRP with no extras, factory mats thrown in for free. Market analysis was done thru CR, no wiggle room on this car. More than happy to pay MSRP and get the 5 speed!
Coming off a VW GTI. The FIT beats the GTI in every aspect except acceleration. 80 mph feels like 40 :-)
The fits here in oregon are quite low in supply. that 500 more MSRP is offset by the savings if it had tax. There is no sales tax here so whoopiee for me!
I ordered the NighthawkBlack Sport AT. I would have chosen the MT but my wife would want to drive it too. I wont complain since I love the idea of having shift paddles (in fact this is one of the feature that sold me)
thanks all for your input!
Total out the door price: $17,065 + $218 DMV/Plate/Doc fees, standard 4-year Oregon registration
45 days of waiting seems too long
$ 15,765.00 Internet Price (INC DESTINATION)
$ 498.00 Processing Fee
$ 1138.41 Sales Tax at 7%
$ 19.00 Title
$ 3.00 GA MVWR
__________________________________
$17,423.41 Total Drive Out Price Factory Equipped
Which dealer are you dealing with, if you don't mind my asking...?
Processing fees/doc fees are pretty standard in this area, I think, maybe all over the country - they just vary in expense, anywhere from $35 up to the ridiculous $599 I paid!
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"The processing fees includes all the handling of your paper work...Pulling credit, processing all title documents, processing tag applications, having all state papers notarized, processing loans, overnight delivery on loan payoffs etc... Every dealer has this fee. It ranges from $399- $899..."
From reading the discussion, I was surprised to see the fee be as low as $35 in some places.
It's just another way for a dealer to make as much money on the sale of your car as possible. It lets them discount the price of the car but then start charging you extra fees so their profit for that specific car model stays in their target range.
So if you negotiate $1,000 less than list price, the $400 in doc fees is pure profit, the $125, $225, and $650 profit they made on selling you additional accessories, paint protectors, rust protectors, etc, gets their per car profit back up to where it was before you got a discount.
In ideal car buying situations, you're [for some reason] buying a car that isn't selling in the marketplace, the dealer has plenty of them he wants to GET RID OF, and other factors are ripe for you to negotiate everything down as low as possible.
With the Honda Fit, it's hard to find due to low supply -- something that keeps prices up in any market for any product, its getting great reviews, causing demand to stay strong, and other factors like higher gas prices are keeping demand high. Which makes it excellent conditions for dealers to stand firm on their pricing because if you won't pay it, the next guy will.
I paid MSRP plus $398 dealer doc fees for my Fit. MSRP I don't mind considering it is a low price car, but paying doc fees bothered me. Had the dealer dropped those for me, I'd be naming them right now and telling you what a great experience I had.. but they didn't do anything for me so I won't do anything for them
So clearly if a dealer in state X can provide high quality service with doc fees of $39, then dealers in states such as North Carolina where it is unregulated ought to be able to do the same..
Cars and Mattresses seem to have most sleazy salespractices I've ever seen...
GA and FL are nuts with dealer fees... but, if you insist on not paying them, you'll probably have to go out of state, as every dealer down there charges them..
So... hypothetically, if you consider $17,000 to be a good price for the car you want... and you know the dealer charges a $500 fee, then don't go over $16,500.. Let them call it whatever they want, as long as you get your price..
But.. make no mistake.. it is a way to make you think you are paying less. Just add it on to the selling price, and then see if you are still getting a good deal.
regards,
kyfdx
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I have contacted eight dealerships, and they're all starting to respond. In negotiating prices and putting them head-to-head, should I mention dealerships by name or be more vague, like "I've received an offer of xxx. Can you beat that?" I'm just not sure what's kosher or expected in this game.
I also talked to Gwinnett Honda, and some others (I think about four dealers altogether), and I went with Team Honda because of the Internet Sales Manager. She was great! Really low pressure, straight forward sales. Of course once I was in the dealership to buy the car the finance manager was the opposite, so the experience was not great, but I'm still thrilled with my Silver Sport MT!
Ed Voyles didn't seem to tack on any monstrous extra fees out of nowhere, but they won't go down to the OTD price I've gotten from another dealer. I've been working with internet sales for all dealerships since I'm out of town right now, and it's been pretty good so far. Some are straightforward whereas others are beating around the bush like mad. The biggest problem is that most are hesitant to give me a solid quote till July. I didn't think a two-month headstart would be that much to ask for.
I'll update once I've set a deposit...hopefully for a vivid pearl blue Sport MT!
They charged me:
$15,765.00 - MSRP incl destination fee
599.00 - absurd doc fee
951.84 - 6% sales tax
18.00 - title/registration fee
3.00 - MVWR Fee (?)
________________________________________
$17,336.84 - OUCH!
- 500.00 - trade-in
______________________
$16,836.84 - still, OUCH!
I really wanted the Fit, it was there, the color and transmission I wanted... and oh yes, I got them to throw in some free floor mats. Small consolation.
Be careful of Internet quotes - they never seem to be the same once you get to the dealer. You can try printing them out and carrying them in with you, but there is probably a disclaimer at the bottom of the e-mail you receive, notifying the prices quoted are only valid for so many days.
One other dealership has given me an AMAZING OTD of about $16000, but when I asked the others to match, one said it was "too good to be true" and another said it was "impossible," with both asking for a follow-up of my experience. With those types of comments, I feel like I'm setting myself up to be screwed. I was warned that a performance package of some sort would be added at the last minute to jack up the cost (to be comparable to everyone else's b/c why would he take a $2000 cut in profit for the heck of it?). I emailed to confirm that the OTD price was complete with no other costs added, but his answer seemed kind of evasive.
Is there any way to ensure beforehand that I get a car without all those frills and added cost, WITH the OTD quote that he gave me in the email? He ensured me that the price was good for July. Is the email with the internet price quote totally legit?
I checked that specifically b/c it seems that most dealers don't want to negotiate unless you're going to buy that car within days. Some of my internet price quotes did have a "valid for this month only" disclaimer, so I got the dealership with the amazing offer to promise to hold it for July.
I'm super happy that he did, but now I'm wary of hidden extras and costs come time to actually get the car... As I asked in the previous post, is there any way to buffer that kind of surprise attack?
I think the only way to ensure it is to print your quote and take it to the dealer with you when you go to purchase the car, and if they try to add anything on, show them the quote, and tell them if they don't meet it you're leaving.
And as always, ask for free stuff, like floor mats at least. We're paying too much for this car, because it's a popular car and we WANT it, and the dealers know that. I'm guessing that next year there will be more room for negotiation (maybe?).
$15,765.00 - MSRP
250.00 - Ohio Doc Fee
$16,015.00 - Subtotal
1,081.01 - 6.75% Ohio Sales Tax
25.50 - Tags and Titling
$17,121.51 - Out the door Cost
Excellent buying experience. All communication was done via e-mail. Waited a few weeks to get the color/transmission choice desired. Figured I had to pay MSRP based on the low volume of Fits. Their internet sales person was very friendly, helpful, and in constant communication regarding status, delivery details, etc. Drove off the lot with only 3 miles on the car. I would highly recommend Mike Pruitt Honda and their internet team.
It came down to the Fit vs Versa. I had driven the Versa and was going to order one with ABS. I checked the local Honda dealers and the supply of Fits was limited and all were automatics. Thus, I had just about crossed the Fit off the list.
Day before I was going to order a Versa, I saw a TV ad for a new Honda dealer (Wolfchase Honda-Memphis). I hate talking to car dealers, so I had my brother call them and he learned that they just had a truck full show up.
Went to the dealer next day (May 25)and he threw me the keys to a White base and said take it home and show the wife. I did.
Spent a Fit(ful) night trying to decide which to buy. Dealer wanted $16,444 OTD for the base. Wife said buy the one that's the most fun to drive. HONDA won.
When the guy called the next day, I offered him $17,000 OTD for the White 5 spd Sport. He called back 5 minutes later and said OK. I picked it up about an hour later and have been a Fit owner for 7 days now. Got my glass tinted 35% yesterday and I bees styling. :shades:
p.s. They did sorta stick me for the license tags as the $116 fee was not included.
p.s.s. The car is a blast to drive. Honda owners, especially those with kids in the car, keep pointing at me.
From my reading, it seems that I would pay sales tax in Georgia when I register my vehicle, not in the state of purchase. But I don't understand the title and registration. What are they? Would I get those in the state of purchase or in Georgia?
Don't know if this topic is appropriate for this forum, but I have not been able to find the info. Thanks.
Your best bet is to contact the Department of Motor Vehicles for your current state and for GA and ask them what the rules are, if they are not clear from looking at their web sites.
Using that information, contact both states' department of motor vehicles to verify the information.
I bought my 93 Civic in Virginia but they were able to do all the paperwork and plates for Maryland. In the DC area people cross borders to make purchases all the time so it made sense for them to be able to do this.
But I doubt you'd be able to buy here in NC and easily get them to do the tags in California or Vermont, etc.. So the devil is in the details.
1. no taxes are charged by the out of state dealer. That meant that I could not finance the taxes and had to come up with almost $2000 in cash to register the car in LA.
2. You must have a "Certificate of Origin" issued by the dealer to register the car in your home state.
3. You receive a 30 day temporary interstate sticker that gives you 30 days to register the car.
4. Suggest that you have your insurance company fax a certificate of insurance to the dealership,so there will be no hassel if you are stopped in transit.
Overall, not a bad experience but coming up with cash for the tax & license on top of the down payment really squeezed my bank account.
16565-300=16265 plus tax, title, registration fees
Is this good price?
thanks!
$300 less than msrp is be a good price for this car at this time, providing "title & registration" fees aren't jacked up above what your state charges. (MSRP or more is what the Fit currently goes for.) What was your out-the-door price?
I am now negotiating with Dallas area dealerships, and six have offered me MSRP + fees + taxes ranging from $16,950 to $17,100. However, one dealership has the exact color/model I want, and is asking for close to $17,800, saying the added cost is for add-on's, and that he's just being straightforward with me. He says that the others will all dump additional cost on me at the last minute for these extras. Although I'm wondering a big part of his argument is trying to take advantage of the fact that he has the exact car I want.
Should I bite or hold out? So far, this is the highest offer I've gotten from many of the 12 dealerships I've talked to throughout this long process, but the others do have hidden fees? :confuse:
For the 16000- 17000 range I would definitely try the Scion Ta hatchback also instead of a little roller skate no matter what quality.
Good luck
--jjf
For these prices y'all are getting, are there any add-on's (e.g. pinstripe, mud guards, etc) included with the out-the-door price?
I am now negotiating with Dallas area dealerships, and six have offered me MSRP + fees + taxes ranging from $16,950 to $17,100. However, one dealership has the exact color/model I want, and is asking for close to $17,800, saying the added cost is for add-on's, and that he's just being straightforward with me. He says that the others will all dump additional cost on me at the last minute for these extras. Although I'm wondering a big part of his argument is trying to take advantage of the fact that he has the exact car I want.
Should I bite or hold out? So far, this is the highest offer I've gotten from many of the 12 dealerships I've talked to throughout this long process, but the others do have hidden fees?