2001 - 2006 Honda CR-Vs

stever

Honda is offering marketing support for the Accord, Civic and Odyssey in my zip code (i.e., money to the dealer that consumers can use as in negotiating a lower price. The Civic and Element also have low APR offers right now.

Check our Incentives page for updates - now that August is here the incentives may get better (or go away).

Steve, Host

aggie1995

You're right, that is why I bought by Honda (4 of them in the past 10 years). I'm just glad I'm on the seller side of this equation.

edunnett

I was told (by a salesman so take it FWIW) that Honda comes out with new models after the summer selling spree that other makers go through. One way they keep their resale value up and cash in on other's marketing $$s :-) He suggested (after we'd signed the paperwork) that the 2005's might be out in November, but also that there is traditionally no rebates on Hondas - again, rebates de-value the used Hondas on the market by undercutting them with the new models - that drags down what a used one will go for. I would expect financing and leasing incentives and dealers to be motivated to sell but don't count on a $4000 factory to consumer incentive!
elissa

stevedebi

Which I do not believe, but I went to the Alldata site which lists recalls and got the following popup:

"IMPORTANT NOTICE

The American Honda Motor Company, Inc. has requested ALLDATA restrict access to Acura and Honda repair information by individual consumers. You will unfortunately not be able to register for access to Acura or Honda vehicle repair information, technical service bulletins or recalls.

We kindly request that all comments should be directed to:
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
P. O. Box 2206
700 Van Ness Ave.
Torrance, CA 90501

Honda: 800-999-1009
Acura: 800-382-2238

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused you."

The site is at http://www.tsb.com/TSB/67/026713AO.html.

No further comment from me...

stever

It's been that way for quite a while. I think BMW has the same issue with Alldata.

Try the Edmunds Maintenance Guide or the NHTSA for recall and summary TSB info.

You, Your Vehicle and the Technical Service Bulletin

Steve, Host

gee35coupe

edunnett

Ditto on the other comments - Alldata hasn't gotten Honda data in years. Honda does every thing it can to help us keep our resale values up, restricting random's access to recall data. :-) You can only get your own vehicle's recall data by going to the Honda owner's link.
Elissa

drive62

That'd be great if OwnerLink was accurate. In many cases it is not.

icvci

You can only get your own vehicle's recall data by going to the Honda owner's link.

Actually, you can get all of Honda's recall information for every vehicle on NHTSA.gov.

It's not hard to find.

rockycow33

http://www.detnews.com/2004/autosinsider/0408/04/a01-229485.htm

change in tactics for Honda

andrelaplume

I see no $1200 rebates like on the Camry...it will be interesting to see if Edmunds can determine the dealer incentive. AND...no incentive on a 2004 CRV!

kyfdx

Accords have between $500-$1000 incentives right now, but that is pretty paltry compared to the domestics... plus, it is the end of the model year, and you'll notice there is no direct-to-customer rebates. Isell is correct, they do a great job of not falling into the rebate trap.

regards,
kyfdx

varmint

"Honda does every thing it can to help us keep our resale values up, restricting random's access to recall data."

Not quite. Honda (and BMW) does not allow Alldata to profit from releasing their internal documentation. TSBs are the property of the corporation that issues them. Alldata makes a living selling that information.

In the case of recalls, the information is public. Recalls are issued by the NHTSA, not the manufacturer. Though the manufacturer can request that the NHTSA issue a recall.

andrelaplume

Lets hope they do not fall into the trap....I suspect by NOT falling into the trap this helps depreciation?

I mean a Taurus looks real bad depreciation wise, lets say (an I am making this up) a new Taurus lists for $21K but never sells new for more than $17K due to everlasting incentives. Doesn't this make it look like the Taurus depreciates more than say if they just dropped the MSP to $19.5K and had no incentives? In other words after a year, say the Taurus is worth $15.7K (again made up), this sounds way out of line with $21K new but no so bad if *new* had been $19.5.

Ergo, doesn't inflating your price only lead to worse **looking** depreciation numbers down the road?

I had this argument with a friend who was buying a new Camry at the same time I was shopping a Taurus. He kept pointing out depreciation
numbers; but they were based on an inflated figure for the Taurus than likely no one ever paid due to incentives. When I factored in the real price the depreciation did not seem that bad.

(Nevertheless I bought a Camry; for other reasons....don't be offended, the NEW Accord was not out yet and the OLD Accord stock was slim pickens and to be honest not that great a deal since the NEW accords were coming!)

kyfdx

Yes, staying away from rebates probably helps their depreciation ratings. And that $21K Taurus? It is probably selling for closer to $15K, than $17K. Real world depreciation, from sale prices rather than MSRP, would even the playing field a little bit, though I suspect that the Hondas and Toyotas would still come out ahead. Not to mention a superior ownership experience.

regards,
kyfdx

varmint

If you buy the car at the end of its run (when incentives are at their height), the depreciation will be lessened. That is true. If you buy earlier, you get whacked with a big hit. Regardless, that is only one factor in depreciation.

In this example, the fact that half of the Taurus fleet is sold as rental cars drops the value like a rock. There are so many in the used cars lots, you can practically get the dealer to pay you to take them away.

stever

TSBs are the property of the corporation that issues them.

There must be some reporting requirement because the NHTSA has TSB summaries (and occasionally full text for free). They may not have ones that relate to defects. The full text may be in the public domain since the NHSTA will research it for a fee.

I've wondered why Alldata doesn't provide the summary info since it's available from the NHTSA (maybe they do?).

Steve, Host

ateixeira

Rebates and rentals kill resale. Just for fun, I priced the resale value of my '98 Subaru Forester L, kbb says about $8600 with 60k miles in Good condition.

I checked a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo and it was worth $600 less even though it cost $6-8000 more when new (I paid $19,200). There is a bigger supply of used ones than there is demand, plus new ones are so cheap now it devalued the used ones.

So buyer beware, buy the wrong brand and your depreciation is roughly double.

Honda does well, of course, a '98 CR-V LX 4WD 5 speed with 60k miles in Good condition runs $8020. About the same as the much pricier when new Jeep.

$1000 dealer cash per car is not bad, and dealer cash is better than customer cash because 1) it's less visible and 2) in MD at least you pay sales tax on customer rebates but not lower prices due to dealer cash.

-juice

icvci

I think the new trand of 24 month leases is really going to kill resale too. Once those leases are up, the market will be flooded with vehicles.

kyfdx

In the case of the Odyssey, those values are going to drop anyway, due to the new model coming out.... Mazda is who is really killing the resale of the RX-8 with the $4250 dealer cash. They are really pushing the two-year lease there, and are going to end up eating it when they come back with the 65% residuals.. I would hate to be the buyers who paid MSRP last fall.

regards,
kyfdx

icvci

Where'd ya hear they're offering $4250 dealer cash on the RX-8?

kyfdx

Host on the Lease Questions board... In the Smart Shopper section.. Go to that board and do a search for RX-8.

stever

Lots of recent RX-8 posts over there - here's one link:

mzinzi "Lease Questions - Ask Here" Jul 28, 2004 3:58pm

Steve, Host

ateixeira

2 year lease, wow, you'll have nearly new cars on the lot for a bunch less. That might backfire and hurt new car sales in 2 years.

Like I said, at least the Honda will hold its value, so the used one won't seem much cheaper after just 2 years.

-juice

edunnett

I had the following experience with respect to brand and resale. I sold three cars in the last couple years. I consider myself a good negotiator, kept all three cars in top shape for their age and mileage, all were one owner and nearly blue book excellent but admittadly a very good blue book good. I worked hard for my prices on all three (except the Honda, this buyer fell in my lap) and here are the results, which tells me regardless of the THEORETICAL blue book and depreciation, you may have a b**ch of a time selling some makes at any price and only have to wave the title out the window for others. :-)

honda, 93 civic 110K miles - sold for several hundred dollars OVER blue book excellent within two weeks on market

subaru, 01 forester with 54K miles - sold for blue book good after two weeks on the market

dodge, 01 dakota 60K miles - could not sell even at blue book fair even after 6 weeks on the market, traded in at $1000 below dealer trade in blue book value

mikefm58

I agree with edunnett, certain models don't bring KBB prices and others bring more. My recent experience with a '98 Mustang, KBB private resale is $6500, my asking was $5900 and got about 3 calls in two months and no one showed up to look at it.

ateixeira

Elissa: I bet that's not atypical, it's easier to sell a popular car because there is more demand.

Also, it's easier to sell for a lower price because often the buyer does not need financing.

I think KBB prices are generally optimistic, but I was just looking for kicks. Mine's not for sale. Even though new vehicles tempt me, it's just not smart to ditch a vehicle that has cost me exactly $0 in repairs over 6 years.

-juice

icvci

Well, it will help move some RX-8s... if they advertise the deal.

gee35coupe

When it was introduced. They were offended that I suggested it wasn't the all-end-all sports car that they thought it was. I told them the time of MSRP pricing was short lived. It was the answer to the question not many people were asking.

icvci

Actually, it was a question that most rotary fans and many plain old car fans have been asking since the departure of the RX-7.

Would Mazda ever bring the rotary back to America?

And, it has been very well received by those with an open mind, while gathering enthusiastic reviews from the press and enthusiasts alike. Is it the greatest sports car ever? Nope. But, pound for pound, dollar for dollar, it holds it's own very well.

stever

Well, this is the CR-V room so let's not irritate those who are visiting to read about Honda too much eh?

It's odd that there's no RX-8 comparison topic. Someone should start one. (and no, I don't mean CR-V vs RX-8 <g>).

Steve, Host

ateixeira

We should actually compare the RX8 to the Element because both have suicide doors. ;-)

-juice

kyfdx

No comparison threads, please!!

I had to take them off my subscription list.. they are the worst!! i.e.: you are a jerk because of the car you drive....

stever

I think they're among my favorites. I learned a lot over in CR-V vs Escape, even though you do have to plow through some dross for the gems.

Steve, Host

varmint

Comparo threads are great for getting a really detailed look at cars. Fans will go to all kinds of extremes to defend their chosen vehicle and, of course, detractors will pull all kinds of research off the web to attack them. No stone is left un-turned.

I learned a boat load about the CR-V and Forester going back and forth with Juice, Kens, Spyponder, and a few others back in 1999.

But Steve is right. There does tend to be a low signal to noise ratio in those threads.

icvci

Check out the 8/04 issue of Road and Track. G35 -v- RX-8.

And I guarantee the letters C-R-V appear within the issue. : )

ateixeira

Ah, those good 'ol days. ;-)

But yeah, perhaps to an extreme, a potential buyers could find out every single last difference between two essentially similar choices.

Elissa is a funny case because she owns one of each. Bob H's wife has a Forester and his daughter a CR-V. So those folks can offer a unique, insider's perspective, too.

One funny thing I learned from Elissa is that she actually finds her Forester much easier to sleep inside because the area with the seats folded is longer. The CR-V's built-in bed is less comfortable to her.

And to think I conceded that battle back then...LOL.

BTW, found what might be a useful tool for Honda shoppers - check out brownscar.com. They're a no-haggle dealer that up until recently always had "Call" listed as their price, but I checked again today and they actually list no-haggle prices. It's useful for comparison shopping, because you get an idea on real-world pricing.

CR-Vs and Elements are getting deeper discounts than what you saw a couple of years ago. The Ody price drop is amazing, my cousin paid MSRP a couple of years ago and now they have LXs for $22k, about a couple grand less than she paid!

I could run out and buy an EX with a DVD player for the price she paid for a basic LX with roof rails!

Price pressures are intense, eh?

-juice

kyfdx

BMW 3-series vs. Acura TL

They actually had to shut the thread down.. The proletariat were revolting!!

ateixeira

BMW X3 vs. Forester XT was a bit like that, but the Moderators settled things down a bit.

Seems like some (not all) Bimmer fans can't accept even being compared to "mere" Japanese cars no matter what data you come up with to reinforce your position.

I was stranded on vacation once by a faulty fuel pump on my buddy's 325i convertible, so I give them no such pedestal.

-juice

kyfdx

Believe it or not, the vitriol was much more biased the other direction, and I consider myself on the fence, since I am a fan and owner of both makes. More along the lines of: You are an imperious snob who obviously doesn't know the value of a buck. Not: My car is better because...

And I am a very big Honda fan, and it wasn't directed at me, but shewwwwwwwww.... it was too much.

regards,
kyfdx

kyfdx

but, I have sworn those discussions off....

bshel

back to CR-V

ateixeira

And more news on the 2005s?

Ody info is leaking out all over the place, people know more about that new model than they do about the carryover CR-V!

-juice

maxhonda99

I have a friend with a 2001 CR-V AWD with Automatic.

What needs to be done at the 30K mileage interval.

She called 2 dealers, both gave her estimates of $415 to $450. They say they would do the:

Air filter
tire rotation
A/C Filter(does the CRV even have one??)
oil & filter change
Transmission fluid
Spark plugs
differential fluid
brake fluid
and of course the rest being the usual "inspections/checks".

Her myhonda.com website says only oil & filter change, air filter, and tire rotation should be done at 30K.

Anybody know what really should be done??

She lost her owner's manual long ago.

Thanks in advance.

kyfdx

It definitely has one that needs to be changed.. I think that is about $60 of the cost.... I think all of those things should be done to the '01.. The 2nd gen CR-V is less maintenance intensive.

ateixeira

A/C Filter(does the CRV even have one??)

I don't think so. Can anyone confirm?

Perhaps the dealer lists it for other models, but they should say "If Applicable".

-juice

kyfdx

All CR-Vs have the ventilation system filter... both generations.. and its pricy.

ateixeira

I stand corrected.

I have one on my Forester and they really work, it was filthy when I changed it.

Not cheap from Subaru, either.

-juice

maxhonda99

My Accord book says trans. fluid doesn't need to be changed until 90K miles. So, what's up with the CR-V at every 30K miles?

Also, how about the brake fluid? Again, my Accord says 45K between fluid changes, but dealer says 30K for the CR-V.

kyfdx

The engine in the 1st generation CR-V is Civic based, not Accord based, unlike gen II. I had a '98, but I swear I can't remember what the manual says on it. Varmint or theracoon should be weighing in on this.. They both have gen I CR-Vs.

regards,
kyfdx