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Comments
I didn't know what an SX4 was until I "stalked" one the other day to read its fender. I don't understand why anyone thinks its "ugly" -- its the nicest design I've seen in a car in a long time. (I'm one of those middle-age-ish off-market people). And much cuter than the photos someone posted of the impending sedan. (To me, the SX4 -- the current model available in the US - is clearly a "chick" car.)
Hasn't anyone ever heard of negotiating for a car price? I intend to basically pay cash for a car (it will be financed by my bank) --whatever I decide on -- and go in with a good, paid-off trade-in (2004 Nissan). I looked at an 07 SX4 and an 03 Honda CRV. The dealer gave me that "we buy the SX4s just barely over wholesale" line -- as if car prices are set in stone. Since when? Why are you all paying the asking price for these cars? It's because of this that car prices are so ridiculously high. We have all basically AGREED to it. Can't someone tell me that they bought an SX4 for less than what the dealer says it cost?? I know dealers probably haunt these forums, so I'm skeptical I'll get a straight answer here.
As far Hondas, Toyotas, and Subarus "holding their value" better than an SX4 or whatever -- that's bunk. They hold their value when you want to BUY one, but not when you go to sell one or trade one in. (Has anyone tried to privately sell a good used car lately? It's gotten to the point that it's almost considered weird to do this. Dealers know this.)
Anyway you approach a car purchase you're going to lose money on it. So the only "power" consumers have is to demand lower-than-sticker or MSRP prices. They'll make a profit on my trade-in (to someone who doesn't know what an ASKING price means) and then even on what they make from however much I can talk them down (which wouldn't be enough, for such a basic little car).
I was also surprised that there are no incentives for buying a new SX4 -- finance rates are higher than my bank's, and the dealer said something about $500 rebate or off sticker. Which is probably still way over wholesale. How do we know what the real wholesale price is? KBB surely isn't impartial -- just look at the ads on its Web site!
The scarcity of Suzuki dealers in my area (there's one within a reasonable driving distance) scares me; if I bought one, it would be in large part for the warranty. How do I know it will still be around in five years, when things are falling apart? On the other hand, the 03 Honda CRV has a 12-mo warranty -- and I know the transmission will fall out on day 366. That pretty much happened with my used Subaru!
I should probably just keep the Nissan. But it's not 4WD, and I need that where I live. And I want to cash in on it now, before the mileage (almost 50K) gets much higher.
Thanks for listening; any input would be much appreciated; I promise I won't attack.
Kim
as far as not paying list. and why there is no deals. 2 words. (New Model). I never seen deals on new models. same with the honda fit. their attitude is if you dont buy it someone else will.. My Local suzuki dealership cant keep them in stock, and thats at the list price according to the sales person. So you can talk price all you want but if they arent going to move on the price then they will just sell it to someone else. at least that is how its down here with the new SX4. btw i dont have one. and from the reviews ive read its making me seriously think twice. where i live awd is not needed, so fuel economy might take front seat on this one. gas price wont be going down over the 5 years i have to pay on a new car. i Dont want $4 a gallon at 21mpg!
I still have a hard time believing that a dealer buys a car for what they intend to sell it for. That just sounds like me being naive.
I inherited the Nissan (well, I inherited the Nissan and its loan) recently. I have studded snow tires on it right now. Although so far, no snow. (I live in a remote-ish hilltown in New England, roughly). And I should have said I'm selling it and paying it off (to a local service station that sells a lot of used cars) -- then (maybe) going into the dealer and paying cash. It just so happened that my Subaru became more of a liability at around the same time, so I wanted to "combine" them -- then I happened to see an SX4 tooling down my hill.
A Buick dealer w/a used lot I visited told me something interesting today. (He recommended a used Hyundai Tucson). He said anyone who considers buying a used car should ask to see the title then call the previous owner. Makes sense but it probably wouldn't have occurred to me. It's apparently a state law, at least here, that they have to show you the title if you ask.
Suzukis depreciate horribly. Hondas and Toyotas do not. Selling private party is easy. I've sold a ton of cars on my own. You end up losing thousands trading it in.
You're lucky -- I used to have no trouble selling used cars, no matter what their condition. I live in a different area now, and people here seem to look askance at buying used cars privately. I put the Sentra in the local paper, penny saver, online, local Web sites, signs on car, signs in the office, etc. for a month and got not ONE phone call except from auto sales brokers. Keep in mind this car looks brand new and is in excellent condition inside and out. It was meticulously maintained, blah blah blah. I know I wasn't asking too much -- much less than a local dealer suggested because it seemed inflated accdg to Edmunds prices (which are also inflated) -- and put obo in the ads. And I figured potential buyers would know to negotiate. It was just by chance that I started talking to the owner of a local garage (did the inspection when I transferred the plates) who offered more than a dealer would have -- not as much as I hoped but in the ballpark. Maybe because it's a 5-speed? It seems like no one around here knows how to drive them anymore -- more likely they want their hands free for cell phones.
I've found sellers often are VERY unrealistic on the value of the car they are trying to sell. Craigslist has turned into a joke with most of the asking prices way too high, like higher then dealers prices.
And yes, sticks are hard to sell. I have 3 of them and can't imagine an automatic, but I'm in the definite minority.
2004 Nissan Sentra $10,800 - $13,750 Not Rated 8.7 out of 10
2003 Nissan Sentra $9,525 - $12,300 Not Rated 8.7 out of 10
2002 Nissan Sentra $8,425 - $11,100 Not Rated 8.5 out of 10
I just love this car..my friends think it was an odd choice.. I guess it's not for everyone.. but it is for me, and that's all that matters. Why did I choose it? 1) I like the way it looked 2) Good value in my opinion 3) AWD 4) Made in Japan (I have a '97 Honda Prelude w/220k mi and runs like its only 30k) we'll see if I'm lucky enough to get such dependability with this one.
You can see some pics here... Feel free to Email me if you have any questions.
http://mcarrillo783.photosite.com/album1/?refcd=ea
Specs:
Sport with Automatic Trans
Sunlight Copper Pearl
Accessories:
Rear deck spoiler
Wing lip extention (on back order)
Side molding (Wide)
Chrome Exhaust Tip
iPod integration**
** I can't figure out how to make the playlists work. It's supposed to have 6. I'm stuck on its default playlist which is Alphabetical By Artists. I have a 30GB Video iPod. Any advice welcomed.
I originally wanted the manual for a little more pep out of the car, but I went with the auto in the end. A few reviews I'd previously read had said the auto felt a little sluggish, but it doesn't at all to me. It picks up great merging up hills on the freeway and passing etc.
The keyless entry and start was all new to me, but I love this feature already. The fog lamps look awesome too.
I love this car, it has so many great features for a great price and is even better then I expected it to be.
Can't wait to take it up the mountains snowboarding this weekend and see how it goes in AWD.
Pics here (sorry camera phone pics, not the greatest)
http://donnamg.photosite.com/sx4/
But I don't like the blue, never use cruise control, don't like the slippery leather steering wheel and would rather have a manual.
But it's such a steal! Edmunds says these are now going for only $150 off list so I know this price won't last.
They had a silver manual last week but I missed it. Drat!
They say they can order one but It'll take 4-6 weeks and might not be as much off.
If they were any other color than that gaudy blue....
Old car: 1999 Subaru Outback Sport, black, automatic, AWD (obviously), cruise control, CD player, Sirius satellite radio, purchased new, with 116,000 miles. No major defects or problem. Regular maintenance & oil changes were done, new brakes installed at 100k miles, tires were a little old but still serviceable. Inside and outside immaculately clean, zero body damage, all OEM equipment, etc. I am a loyal Subaru fan - my parents had an '83 hatchback when I grew up, I learned to drive on an '87 wagon, took the driver's test on a '93 wagon, bought an '84 wagon as my first car, drove it to over 150k miles, then bought the '99 as my first new car. My parents currently have their own '02 full-size Outback.
New car choices: I wanted a smaller car. My wife has an '02 Nissan Pathfinder that we use for trips/cargo hauling. I looked at the Toyota Yaris, the Honda Fit, the Suzuki, and the Scion xA. I wanted to spend under $18,000 and under $17,000 if possible. I eliminated the Yaris (too small, no cruise, etc.) and the xA (just didn't feel right about it.) I was leaning towards the SX4 since it has AWD like my old Subaru, but the Fit looked like it was slightly more practical, with better MPG and more unique seating/cargo options.
I test drove both, then took my wife to test drive both. Honda has terrible financing right now (8.9%!!!), so I got a loan check from USAA at 6.24%, which would basically make me a cash-buyer.
The sticker on the Fit AT Sport was $17,060. The dealership only had one car, silver in color, on the lot. Two other local dealerships had no Fits at all. The dealer with the Fit was also tacking on a $495 "Appearance package and prep" fee, on top of the usual tax, tags, etc. They offered me $2500 for my Subaru, over $1000 below Kelley Blue Book. I swallowed and agreed. Hey, it has over 100,000 miles, right? I pulled out the loan check, explained that it was basically cash to them, and said I would walk out the door with a Honda Fit for $14,500 after trade-in. Essentially, I was agreeing to sticker minus fees, etc.
The dealer did the usual "let me go ask my manager" dance, and went away. Upon return, he had written down $15,567 and some change, meaning they wanted $18,000+ before trade-in! Needless to say, my wife and I walked. I had no intention of wasting my Saturday with the back-and-forth.
We drove across the street to the Suzuki dealer, met with the salesman I had already spoken to, and took out a red base model for a spin. We agreed we wanted this car, then went back in to play "hardball." Turns out we didn't have to!
They offered me $3500 for my trade, nearly KBB. On top of that, we got $500 for being grad students and $500 for me being military. We were offered 4.9% financing through Suzuki as well. I asked to see the numbers on a sport model as well. I figured, what the heck?
I turned down a $400 "Data Dot" anti-chop shop thing, but asked for the $400 XM-tuner option. At the end of the day, I bought a red '07 SX4 Sport automatic with XM for $14,511, including tax, tags, title, and all fees. Not too shabby, I think. I was happy, the dealer and salesman were happy, and I love my new car.
Also, the steering wheel mounted audio controls you get with the Convenience Pack were pretty nice. Even the blue color is beginning to grow on me. It's the only color that Edmund's lists as having a positive color adjustment so I guess it's the most in demand if I ever want to sell the car.
The dealer has one car remaining. I might go for it. At $15,299 I'm basically getting the AT and Convenience Pack for free.
Then, they changed some numbers on the paperwork, basically committing fraud, and now we have to take our dealer to court.
Plus with him in the body business, it just might get a crazy paint job, time will tell. If you are thinking of getting this car, great little car in my book!
$ 16,867.06 (OTD)
I now own a new Sport in Silver 5sp as of last night. :shades:
PEACE-
I'm real happy with the car. Has anyone purchased (through Suzuki or not) the IPOD connection. I'm just looking at prices. The cost for the IPOD connection was an extra $200. I think I can get a better deal through some of the electronic outlets.
at this price you cannt get any similar car with the features and the warranty. Besides, Suzuki builds great car and engine in japan.
Bought a 2008 SX4 w/ Touring II Pkg AWD. I have no idea why they call it the II as there never was a Touring I.
In anycase, this replaces the 2007 Sport Pkg.
For color I went with a new color for 2008 SX4 called Azure Gray Metallic. Hard to describe new paint, but in general it's a Charcol Gray with a hint of Blue.
I am a little disappointed that Suzuki doesn't have much "news" out on the web yet for the 2008 lineup. All you find is their marketing blitz on the front wheel drive SX4 Sedan or 2007 data. So doing research on the 2008 SX4 5door hatchback or "crossover" was near impossible. However armed with what I found on 2007 and seeing that the 2008 only has small changes, it was easy to find a good price point with negociations on what I would pay.
First let me tell you what I found "new" or changed in 2008 Touring II from 2007 Sport.
'08 Gas Flap is opened by inside button (versus finger flip from exterior).
'08 Touring II has color matching rear spoiler Std. w/ black trim.
'08 Touring II has 9 speaker Std (subwoofer under driver seat..very small, but hey! that's 1 more speaker).
'08 Touring II put in white lettering (easier to read) for the description of the 2 buttons to the right of the LCD read out that tells you MPG etc..('07 was just black..hard to rear what button was what).
That's all I noticed..hehe probably some other very minor changes, but that's all I have seen at this point since I don't have 2 to go over inch by inch.
Price for 2008 SX4 Touring II AWD:
MSRP was 18,595
Dealer Inv was 17,911
Net Invoice (this is what you don't see) was ~approx 16,972 (could be off a little, but I was trying very hard to memorize so many numbers).
I paid 17,000.00 (including Destination Fee).
plus tax/title as with any car you'd buy in most States.
Yes, that's a good deal from what I can tell. Most dealers will not go below Dealer Invoice. Tip is simply stick to your price.
Difference between Net Invoice and Dealer Invoice is 3 main things that the dealer will get pending the individual car sale. I show above a difference of $939 between Net and Dealer Inv. $595 is the Hold Back incentive that Suzuki will pay the Dealer for Selling the car...approx $135 guessing (you get the idea) is what Suzuki will pay the dealer of "Show Line" which I don't know much about. Something to do with credit/carry costs I think (could be way off base). 3rd item would be Marketing. Suzuki will pay Dealer for Marketing schemes used to sell car (probably such as Web advertising or maybe tying ballons on the car) hehe I dunno. Bottom Line is be informed there is a Net Invoice that is Below the Dealer Invoice. So paying Dealer Invoice Price is a good deal, but you can do better unless the sales person is greedy or you get too greedy as well, play it cool show respect and talk smart.
Appears to be a fun car with many options I didn't expect to find in a "commuter" type of car.
I just hope when Suzuki finally gets information out there I don't find I really got screwed in price. So I post this as tips/news to others who are looking into this car as to aid them in their research.
2008...go zuk go.