2013 and earlier-Honda Civic Prices Paid and Buying Experience

stdcirrus · July 2008

PLEASE help me on this...I.m ready to buy NOW and I'd like to enlist the help of others who have found good Honda dealers to work with. I'm in the centra Florida area and find the Honda dealers here to be arrogant and unwilling to work with you. I'd like to find a good, honest dealer to deal with and see where their OTD pricing is. I have a very good offer on an '09 Corolla LE-auto ($17,960.00 OTD) and will go with that if I cannot find a Honda that is comparable in price. Unfortunately, I find that the Toyota dealers here are far more pleasant to work with and are willing to give you pricing the way you ask. I have contacted 12 Honda dealers and not one would give a complete out the door price. What's up with that??? So - please recommend a good dealer for me to see and I will be sure to mention your name, so you get a referral gift. BTW - the car I'm looking into is an '08 Civic LX Coupe with automatic - no other options.
Thanks.
RR in FL :confuse:

2006usedcivic · July 2008

I have been offered a 2006 EX - Automatic with navigation and 19k miles on the vehicle for $16k. I am located in southern CA....is this a good deal.

OTD would costs about $17k.

or should i go for a brand new LX ??

thanks for your input

jmcgonigal · July 2008

Just wanted to say good luck. I'm looking all around MD right now for the same car. Everyone here is asking and only accepting sticker for the vehicle and have deposits sitting on some that are due in. The fiance likes the Civic 10x over the Corrola but at this rate she may have to live with the Corrola.

mrcoolguy209 · July 2008

Sorry for the delayed response. I haven't logged on in weeks.

You are correct that I'm in NorCal - Modesto specifically.

Contact Sylvia at El Cerrito Honda (it's a mile away from Berkeley). They have been the most competitive. Other than them, Berkeley seemed to want to deal as did Oakland. However, Oakland seems to be a bit scumbaggish but work them and if you're not happy at the dealership, it's easy to leave considering Berkeley and El Cerrito are 3-4 miles away.

Also, let me know if you contact El Cerrito and they are higher on quote. Perhaps I could contact them and see what they can do for a referral. My email is mrgabroo2@yahoo.com

mrcoolguy209 · July 2008

He wrote that he is in NJ.

He is asking for help regarding his deal. Although it is at invoice, that doesn't mean he is getting the best deal possible. I got my '08 Civic LX AT in early June for $900 back of invoice while you were posting in this forum that deals like that were impossible.

You need to get OFF OF YOUR HIGH HORSE.

mrcoolguy209 · July 2008

You wrote:

As I have said many times. I wish people would ask family, friends and others for a referral instead of frantically trying to wring the last dollar out of a dealer.

You have slimy stores and slimy salespeople who will say anything in order to get a customer in the door. You also have cheap customers who will lie too as they pit dealer against dealer in their frantic zeal to "save" money.

As a referral customer, you will be welcomed with open arms and you will be treated well. In the end, you will probably pay no more than you would if you play the game.

I despise some of the sales tactics I hear about but quite honestly, In some cases the shoppers almost bring this on themselves.

Why are you putting save in quotation marks? Are you implying that one cannot save money by having dealers compete with one another for business? Rather, they should ask for referrals to a dealer and not see what the market may offer currently - sounds ludicrous to me.

You "despise some of the sales tactics...but shoppers almost bring this on themselves". True colors revealed. Never does a shopper deserve to be lied to for the sole purpose of having them come to the dealership. Never. Once again - NEVER.

mvs1 · July 2008

Funny post. As a former owner of a business working with car dealerships. I still recall several sales/general managers stating that they love referrals since everyone wants to brag about "their" great deal from Dealer ABC and salesperson XYZ. The work is pretty much done for them and "trust" is established. Dealerships even hire sales people, tell them to bring all their family and friends in sell them cars, then when tapped out, toss them aside for the next round.

Back to pricing.....with the model year end it's obvious all manufacturers want to move out 08' stock. As always these vehicles will depreciate quicker once new MY is available.

Invoice pricing is and always will be the starting point and better deals are available.

mrcoolguy209 · July 2008

I agree with everything you wrote.

The problem on this board is that 'isell' treats readers of "Honda Civic Prices Paid and Buying Experience" as though they walked onto his lot and he's trying to sell them a car. Of course, the car he is selling is "hot".

Once again, this board would be better off if "isell" stopped posting his opinions and stuck to facts. Well that and checking inventory for buyers would be nice.

mplshondadlr · July 2008

"Once again, this board would be better off if "isell" stopped posting his opinions and stuck to facts. Well that and checking inventory for buyers would be nice."

Everyone here expresses opinions rather then just sticking to the facts. Do you know who is a postion to discuss just the facts? The two people here who sell Honda's on a daily basis. The two people here who have to wade through mounds of bull which is written on this board which is then repeated over and over as if it were true -- like super-secret other then holdback volume bonus that dealer get.

But let me ask you, why would you smear isell and come full circle by saying that it would be nice if he could check supply?

You wanna know supply? ZERO.

love_luv · July 2008

Thanks for backing me up. Do you think can I still negotiate? Not 900$ but anywhere between 250 below invoice to 900 below invoice on 2008 Honda Civic?

How about 2007 Honda Civic. I just received email from one of the dealership that they need to clear 2007 Honda Civic EX for ~17800

Thanks.

mrcoolguy209 · July 2008

If I recall correctly, you are getting an '08 LX Auto @ invoice. That seems to be the a fair deal. Normally, one would think that during a year end closeout bargains should be had - however, there is a limited supply and demand is somewhat high. Yet, different parts of the country may have different supply/demand. Do your research.

With that being said, I differ from "Isell" because I believe you should play the marketplace. I contacted dealers within a 2 hour driving radius and played them against each other. With that being said, you have to make the choice as to whether $250 off invoice is worth the hassle and wait @ this point. Good luck.

mrcoolguy209 · July 2008

Smear him? Are you kidding me? Go back and read his posts.

I said it would be nice if he could check supply because that seemed to be the only redeeming quality from his posts.

Additionally, ZERO is not the supply as evidenced by recent posts.

I feel as though I'm at a car dealership and "isell" was the frontline guy and now I'm dealing with his manager "mpls".

mplshondadlr · July 2008

Obvious I was being facetious when I said supply was ZERO. In my area, the only available Civic's are the coupes. As far as sedans go, we're pre-sold through the end of August. In fact, we now have 10+ orders for the refreshed 2009 Honda Civic.

Thankfully, we have 25 Civic sedans of various trim-levels slated for September. With the ease of oil prices coupled with a greater supply of Civic's this fall, you'll see a drop in prices again. Price is set by the market after all.

Right now, according to Edmunds, the "True Market Value" for the Civic LX sedan in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area is $18302.00 -- about $120.00 off the MSRP.

As for me being isell's manager, I live in Minneapolis. Isell lives in Seattle(?). While I can't speak for isell, the reason I am here is to help provide accurate information in regards to Honda products. I have no problem sharing opinions for pricing and true hold-back on each car.

Sorry if I seemed curt.

stdcirrus · July 2008

I don't see why anyone chooses to pay over $2,000.00 more for a Civic Coupe than they can easliy get a Corolla LE with more equipment for. I am buying a 2009 - read 2009 Corolla LE for $17,996.00 Out The Door, including taxes, tag and all fees. The best the arrogant Honda dealers here would do for a less equipped Civic Coupe is $19,999.99 OTD. I'll take the two grand difference and take the wife on an Alaskan Cruise or visit Europe and have a current model year/current model car that will easliy last 150,000+miles. My old Honda is my last Honda.
RR

kyfdx · July 2008

Let's post about Civic prices... posts about other members are off topic...

Thanks,
kyfdx
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mrcoolguy209 · July 2008

You make a very good point.

I recently helped a family member negotiate a deal for an '09 Toyota Corolla LE Sedan Auto. He got it for $15,999 (including destination) before TTL. I think it was $17,400 w/ NorCal taxes, title, license. I paid $16,297 (before TTL) for a comparable equipped Civic LX Auto Sedan. I like my car better but would buy the Corolla if it was 1,500 - 2,000 cheaper.

The only thing that stunk about buying this car was that Toyotas come equipped with so many different options within a trim line even. Once I was able to learn standard options that are added on, it was a breeze.

abincom · July 2008

Thank you.
This board works well without car sales people.
If you bought a honda yesterday, then please list the state, the dealership, the out the door price, and MAYBE comment on the experience.
This site saved me lots of time and money.

kingpcgeek · July 2008

Comment in an email to me from a local Honda salesman:

These postings on the Internet, we have all found, come from other dealers giving much false information to keep buyers confused.
The Internet is Great for that.

kyfdx · July 2008

It's all lies..

400,000 posts in over 400 pricing discussions.. :surprise:

Also.. no one has explained how it benefits a salesperson to post a low price on the internet... To drive traffic to their store? Where they won't sell at that price? A vast conspiracy by all salespeople to confuse the buyer? Maybe they all hatched that plan at their last union meeting.. :P

Me? I'm just happy if the salesperson that ups me has been there long enough to have his very own business cards, with his very own name... You know.. printed on the card... not written in ballpoint pen over the last guy's name..

maria18 · July 2008

I'm not sure if that is a good price for an EX, but check out Hardin Honda in Anaheim. Go to their website and do the build a model, then quick quote. Give them your exact specifics and ask internet sales for an out the door price for an LX and and an EX. I bought a new 07 Civic LX sedan from them last year and had a great experience.I wanted the exact break down, my price + fees and taxes and what the cost is for each of the fees with the exact OTD price with everything added together. They had no problem responding by email with all the information in less than 5 minutes. I called them after getting the email, verified the price and flew in from Az. the same day with a cashier's check and paid cash for the entire car. Not one dealer in Az was willing to give me an OTD price in an email and they were even worse when I went to the dealers directly. I dealt with Emmanuel Franco on the internet, he even picked me up at the airport and at the dealership Robert Klemenz. When I buy another Honda, they will get my business.

psinkant · July 2008

I just bought a Honda Civic LX Sedan with Automatic Transmission yesterday (7/30/08) from Pohanka Honda of Fredericksburg in Virginia. The out the door price was $18,4xx. The sales person was straightforward, everything went smoothly since the very first minute. The only thing that kind of annoyed me was when the finance manager was trying to sell me the extended warranty. I clearly said no but then he kept asking me about what he could do for me to purchase the extended warranty. Other than that, it was a good experience at Pohanka Honda of Fredericksburg. The out the door price was the lowest out of 8-9 dealerships in the area. In fact, the second lowest out the door quote I received was $500 more. Shoot me an email and I'll give you the name of the salesperson.

fizzure · July 2008

Purchased a 2006 Honda Civic LX yesterday with 30,000 miles at Duval Honda in Jacksonville, FL for $ 14,000 OTD. They told me the pricing was low due to end of month but I'm not so sure about that?

Great sales people and very little pressure.

Hope this helps someone and I believe I got a decent deal.

bearcrkrd · August 2008

Hi. I am posting a reply before going back and double-checking the root of these back and forth posts, so this may miss the point. Just wanted to reply to your Supply comment; I got my first oil change two days ago. There were 32 new Civics on the lot. Thirtytwo. ONE used Civic, which was current generation, but it was also in a bullpen type area with an 'as is no warranty' sticker on it. Looked to be in fine shape. In my area Civics are selling for just a few (very few) dollars under MSRP at the moment. I got an '08 LX Auto at the end of May for $1100 under MSRP, so feel ok about that. I went for this first oil change/tire rotation at 4,400 miles, and the oil life indicator read 50%. They said come back in a few weeks, but I had it done anyway. I get 3 days off a week, and with the mpg the Civic gets, I'm making up for lost drives. Was staying home before I bought it! So odometer reading will be pretty high before Summer is done.

mplshondadlr · August 2008

At present my dealership has 12 Civic coupes and three Civic sedan available. But, if you were here on the lot you would see clost to 30 Civic's as well. However, the remaining Civic's arrivied in the last two days and are pre-sold to customers who ordered them 30+ days ago.

Perhaps there are pockets of the country that received a special allocation of Civic's?

Last thing, you shouldn't have changed your oil at 50%. The reason being Honda includes a special additive in the oil to help ensure proper break-in and lubrication on all brand new Honda's. Changing at 50% may compromise the break-in for your Civic. If you look at the "Break-In" section of your owners manual it specificly states, "Do not change your oil until scheduled maitenance time".

chillenhonda · August 2008

Purchased a new 2008 Civic EX auto sedan at Paragon Honda in NYC. Price was $19400 including destination. Fees were about $280. Tax was $870. Out the door price was $20550. Edmunds lists the TMV as $20100 with destination but without tax.

I had gone to 5 dealers in the area, this was the second best price but a far better dealer experience and the exact color and trim I wanted.

If you are in the NYC area and want a more thorough review of the dealers, their offers, and etc, I will post those also.

bearcrkrd · August 2008

I saw the instruction regarding break-in. I figured close to 4,500 miles should be enough. My driving style is kinda gentle, but I do also put a lot of miles on my vehicles. The computer must have picked up on that driving style to do it's calculations on oil life. I was figuring 3, 4, or 5 thousand and was trying to wait until 5,000. I know Accords can go 7,500 - 10,000 or some unbelievable number of miles between oil changes. At least '05 was like that, with regular type oil even. Helped my brother car shop back then, and he settled on an '05 Accord, EX, 4cyl. He loves it. The new Civics at the local dealer are lined up on the sales lot, for everybody. I do know there are some posts on here of fantastic low prices for Civics. I saw the same for my last vehicle over on the Toyota Sienna forum. It almost seemed worth while for me to drive or fly across country to buy at the prices quoted in the posts. Never did. I want to be able to walk away. Anyway, whenever I am seroius about buying a new car, I always end up with one. And then read in these forums about how poorly I did price wise!!

ski353 · August 2008

I am looking to purchase a 2008 Civic LX Sedan - auto in the NYC area. So far the best quote I received was for $16,599 plus destination $670 and tax and DMV. I would appreciate it if you could post which dealerships you could recommend. Thanks.

goranbaba · August 2008

Need CIVIC LX (vanilla) + floor mats

MSRP = 18531 (dest incl.)
OTD (Dealer quoted) = $19700.86 Utter [non-permissible content removed]. At this price I will just keep driving my old car.

What is your experience in detroit

skeptical · August 2008

I'm new to this particular forum--I have the opportunity to buy an '08 Honda LX grey for 17,500--it has floor mats. It will be about $19,000 with taxes, etc. Is this a fair deal?

Please respond soon--I have to let them know tonight.

They were asking $18,500...and I got it to 17,500--now I see that may not be such a fantastic bargain after reading what others here have found...although I am in So CA and cars tend to be pricier in general out here...

Thanks in advance for any guidance!!!

mrcoolguy209 · August 2008

I think the best way to answer if $XXXXX price is good is to compare the price to the invoice price of the car. Since you're buying an LX (Auto??), the 17,500 is about 200 over invoice. However, that doesn't take into consideration the holdback the dealer has on the car.

With that being stated, the only way to get a good deal is to have dealers in your area compete for your business. I emailed all dealers within 1.5 - 2 hours driving distance (20 dealers) and got price quotes. I then played them against each other and got the best price. Keep in mind, all of them insisted the car is "hot" and that they didn't have any flexibility on pricing.

skeptical · August 2008

Wow--thanks, this is a fantastic reply--I wish I had spoken to you before I agreed on this price with them! Yes, indeed they kept saying it was rare to find and hot, yet they do seem to find them, even at this late date...I know they are thinning out, but they are not all gone...

But the price is settled now and it sounds fair enough, I suppose.

BTW, what does 'dealer holdback" refer to?

And I thought though that the invoice for an auto LX was around $16,340 and MSRP is $17,760...At least that's what Edmunds site indicates (?). Is that outdated information?

Thanks again!!

backy · August 2008

Be sure to include destination charge ($670) when you calculate the invoice price, since the dealer pays that fee to the manufacturer. Adding destination charge makes the invoice on the Civic LX AT sedan $17,019 according to edmunds.com.

skeptical · August 2008

Thanks. Hmm...Yeah, I did see they added onto the MSRP sticker price..Does the dealer truly pay that much($670) for destination/ delivery for each and every car? Seems a bit steep...But If that is the case... than maybe $17,500 is a decent price...

backy · August 2008

To my knowledge there is no profit to the dealer on destination charges.

jlo6 · August 2008

Paragon told me they would match a price of $23,397.98 for an '08 Honda Civic EXL/Nav. However at the dealership they added fees bringing the price to over $24,400. Even with $10K downpayment, they told me financing would be close to $500 for 36 mo at 1.9%. They presented a lease deal of 36 mo w/$3,000 down and $340 mo. payment.
Please let me know what you think of this.

Thank you.

maria18 · August 2008

Floor mats are a standard feature included in the LX, so you should not be paying extra for them. In different areas of So Cal, the prices are actually cheaper. Get an online OTD quote from Hardin Honda in Anaheim. I was able to get a good deal from them last year. Have them break it down for you in the email, your price, fees, taxes, registration, etc with a total OTD. You might save some money,

skeptical · August 2008

Thanks, Maria--

Yeah, I see the floor mats are included...they are not exactly the best looking or best quality floor mats, from what it looks like, but they'll probably be just fine for a while...it looks the rear floor mat is one long mat that stretches across the entire back seat floor--is that how it's supposed to be?

backy · August 2008

Why wouldn't you want a floor mat that covers the entire floor, since there's no hump in back? :surprise:

skeptical · August 2008

Oh, I don't know...
My question was just to verify this is the norm...

But I suppose it does look a little odd to my eyes:
I prefer the look of two separate mats --
And naturally, they'd be much easier to maneuver and clean.

But if I get the car, I'm sure I'll get used to something so minor..
I'm sure it was a cost saver for them--

backy · August 2008

Yes, this is the norm for vehicles with a flat floor in the back seat. For instance, I've owned 3 minivans and each had a one-piece mat in front of the middle row (and another one piece mat in front of the 3rd row). This is not really to cut costs, but to better cover and protect the carpet. I've found it's quite easy to simply fold the mat lengthwise and pull it out (just did it yesterday in fact). I think it would look odd to have two mats. Plus the carpet under the "seam" would get dirt etc., and the two mats would shift more easily.

This is your first car with a flat floor in back, yes? You will get used to it, and in fact I predict you will eventually think that it is the logical way to design a carpet for that space.

Many, many more things to worry about, to be skeptical about

, than a one-piece carpet in the back seat of the Civic.

skeptical · August 2008

Oh, lol, you'll find I'm skeptical (read not cynical) about most things.

You could be right, since there is no bump, it might look worse and be awkward overall...yes, this is the first time I've ever seen this, I suppose, and it's been a gazillion years since I bought a new car...so there's tons of things I'll likely be asking about from wiser folks like you who clearly have much more experience with cars in general...

Thanks so much!

donsur · August 2008

That was out the door - no more no less

someguy5 · August 2008

Hey mpls,
I also live i mpls, and I am looking for a Civic Coupe, what can you do for me?

kyfdx · August 2008

Sorry... he can't do anything for you... or, he'd be in violation of the member agreement.. which bans solicitiing..

regards,
kyfdx
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mplshondadlr · August 2008

kyfdx is correct, I can not even tell you the area code I'm in. I suggest you email every dealer in the metro. Most of us have a decent selection of Civic coupes on-hand.

I have shopped the competition here, my dealership is the highest.

mplshondadlr · August 2008

Yeah, and I dont need any more flags - ONE IS ENOUGH :mad:

elena250 · August 2008

I'm looking to buy a civic lx - seems they are inflexible with price. What is a realistic offer for OTD for one of these now? The one I looked at yesterday was about MSRP of $18,500 but then had additions on it to make it come to about $20,000 so they said out the door would be about $22,000. That seems steep. What price should I expect would be reasonable. Don't want to sound utterly out of the ballpark. I jokingly said $17,000 and they just laughed. Help! I really don't like these kinds of negotiations but do feel it's a lot of money for a civic! But it is a nice car.

skeptical · August 2008

Hi elena 250,

Have you read through some recent posts here from the last week or two? You may find some help/clarity in doing so.

What sort of additions are you referring to that tack on an additional $1,500? If they are additions you don't want, and they refuse to remove them or the extra $1,500, and this is too steep for you, than I'd advise you move on to another car/ dealer.

There are still very good deals to be had on 08's as they want them off the lot for the '09's to come in.

BTW, I wouldn't jokingly throw out a number, because they won't take you seriously. Your request to pay a certain amount needs to be well timed. I'm new to this myself, but it seems helpful to not talk numbers till the end, till you are clear and can speak with seriousness and confidence that your offer is fair and reasonable comes when you do the research. Some folks actually offer a few hundred lower in case the manager comes back with a negotiated new offer.
Be clear how high you will go and be prepared to walk out if you think the deal is
not fair. There are many dealers and many deals to be had elsewhere.

Remember--they want to sell cars.

Good luck!

xtetic · August 2008

Elena - That definetely sounds like a rip off for a LX. I got a OTD offer for 18.7 in FL.

elena250 · August 2008

Seems to me the MSRP was just about 18,500 (I believe that included destination charge) then the dealer had tacked on 295 for door bumper guards, 250 for pin stripes, and 695 for the "environmental protection package" and then I believe there was one other thing that brought it to 20,000. He said he might have some "wiggle" room on the add ons if he could get to it before he "brought it out front" - meaning that he might be able to get some of these extras not put on (since they add them there apparently). He also said he thought this would be his last shipment until he gets the 09s in and that they would be the same only 6% higher in price. I know that over the internet they quoted me 19,580 with an OTD price of 21,025. I saw a different person when I went to the dealership - so basically they're both saying the same thing. Seems like there are very few in this area. I can't really see how I can get it for much less than this. 18,700 OTD! I don't think they would touch that price either if what they're telling me is true and that they are having trouble keeping them in stock and there's virtually no discount. Really trying to consider whether I should just pay this - or look at some other car (American made? yikes!) that might be less.

thanks for any comments.

2013 and earlier-Honda Civic Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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