2013 and earlier-Honda Civic Prices Paid and Buying Experience

bdavis32 · February 2004

Any reply to Msg #896 above?

isellhondas · February 2004

Sounds like you probably won't be buying one then since that's about what 2002's are selling for.

Maybe a Kia or a Hyundai would work better?

bottgers · February 2004

bdavis32

Sorry, don't know what to tell you on that one.

isellhondas

Did you read any of my previous posts? I'm sure I mentioned that I received several price quotes from dealers last fall for brand new '03 LX's for under $13K. I'd be willing to bet a paycheck the '04's can be had for that come this fall. BTW, anyone paying that much for an '02 is a fool!

alpha01 · February 2004

Question, are you talking with automatic or with manual?

~alpha

bottgers · February 2004

Manual.

alpha01 · February 2004

Makes a big difference. In that case, according to what you are indicating, and the deal I just got on a Civic LX 4door auto... manuals can be had for about 13,400 right now.... still very good, even if it isnt 12,800 which seems to be your benchmark.

~alpha

l_e_m · February 2004

After checking a few dealerships in Jacksonville, Florida, the best deal I could find on a 2004 Honda Civic VP Sedan Auto is 15k flat OTD (all taxes and fees accounted for). Should I hop on this?

Needless to say, some of the Toyota offers I have recieved are disappointing, and I have found the sales people both on the floor and the internet to be vague, not to mention unhelpful, with one exception.

Any input would be appreciated.

astrozone · February 2004

I am looking at buying the following:

2004 Civic
Can anyone comment on a reasonable price to actually pay for this setup???

Value Package 2dr Coupe w/Side Airbags (1.7L 4cyl 5M)

MSRP (Edmunds & Carsdirect): $14,150
Invoice (Edmunds & Carsdirect): $12,981
Edmunds TMV: $13,267
Carsdirect: $12,630
These prices inc. destination fee ($490).

What should I be looking for as a reasonable price to pay based on this info?

bdavis32 · February 2004

I think it's up to how much you want to pay, how far you willing to travel, and if you may be dealing with a high volume dealer that can get $800 to $1000 dealer incentive before March 1st.

I think a high volume dealer will get 3% ($389 in your case), plus up to $1000 or a total of $1389 if sold at invoice. I've heard that a dealer should make at least $500 a car to pay for overhead. That would be $889 under invoice. To me, I'm willing to split the difference, and think that $450 under invoice is fair. The dealer makes more, and I save more due to dealer incentives. For a low volume dealer, I think a fair price would be about ($389 + $400 - $500)/2 = about $150 under invoice. Other messages indicate that the price can be much less. Also, it depends if the dealer has the car, or has to pay another dealer for it. All of this of course is in my opinion.

andsmi · February 2004

Okay, 12:30pm today I sign the papers I think-- here's the deal I'm getting,

Civic value package -- $12,650 (includes delivery charge) with added bonus of the cassette deck as well as the CD thrown in.

This appears to be about $1,000 below invoice--Other dealers have said "I'll match that price" but no one seems to want to go lower. And the dealer I wanted matched the price and after much complaining was willing to through in that cassette deck (gotta listen to my books on tape, although I could just buy one at BestBuy or something, figured I wanted something extra.)

It sounds like a good deal to me. The other car I was looking at ( Toyota Echo) is $11,999 and the Hyundai Accent (what I have now, and put 100,000 miles on) is almost 11,500 for the same options as the civic, so why not spend the extra doe and get the civic is my opinion. That way my car won't be worth only $250 after 100,000 miles.

The dealer keeps pushing this "BALLOON FINANCING" -- I don't want anything to do with that, but might go with their 2.9% on the car if they give it to me instead of my already obtained E-Loan PowerCheck (tm)

Hows the price sound to everyone? Good deal?

btw, on the County Tax question--here in NY we pay sales tax based on the county we live in -- not where the dealer is. Which is great because the county I live in is one percent lower than any other county. in the area.

bdavis32 · February 2004

$1000 below invoice sounds like a good price to me. You didn't mention the type of VP Civic (sedan/auto/airbags?).

Did you get your pricing thru calling or email? How many dealers?

Thanks for the feedback on the tax question. I'm fairly sure our county tax is paid only based upon where we live, and would think that state tax is based upon where the car is sold, but not sure on the city tax (they have all 3 broken down here).

capecodder99 · February 2004

was just at dealership, got a qoute for $14500 for honda lx civic sedan any thoughts? can i do much better

bottgers · February 2004

Maybe not at this time of the year. Wait until this fall and you'd probably be able to do a lot better.

andsmi · February 2004

Value auto/air/front air bags -- 12,650 (including delivery charges)-- went in today, signed all the paper work, they have to go find one though.

now when I sign the paperwork they want to ad this

Chemical Package (rust/scotchgaurd/etc.) $545 -- I think this is a rip off!! Any opinions?

Extended Warranty ( 5 years/100,000 miles (I put 25k on it a year so the years aren't a problem) for $767 or something. I like this option--It is supposedly bumper to bumper, and for that price it seems like a good deal?

Any opinions? I'm gonna say no way on the Chemical Package, cause I think it's a croc, unless someone can tell me different.

Let me know...thanks.

andsmi · February 2004

in reply to how I got the 12,650 price-- I did one Internet quote, got $12,950 right off the bat from them, went in and did a test drive, talked a little about the lack of a cassette player (comes with a standard CD) -- this is a 4dr value pack sedan auto/air conditionand and (front airbags --not the side option)

So then I called another dealership who said they were having a sale (president's day weekend) and could get me in one for $12,650 -- called another dealership and they said they would match the 12,650 but no lower-- so I called back the original told them I wanted it for less than 12,650 --told them where I got the qutoe, and also said I needed the cassette radio addition thrown in. He came back and said he could give it to me for $12,650 + 150 (half off) for the cassette addition -- I said no dice, need the cassette for free at least -- he came back and said Okay, 12,650 cassette option included (this also includes the delivery charge)

So I went in to that today and they wanted to add the warranty and other stuff, I'm gonna back out of that I think--maybe not the warranty though.

bdavis32 · February 2004

You didn't mention Sedan or Coupe. I'm going to assume a 2 Door Coupe. Invoice is $13,482. I would just go buy an aftermarket stereo - not a big deal for me, but that is definitely your call, since time is money too. If they say the stereo is $300, I'm going to guess that their price is $200, so $13,682 total invoice price. If you are getting it for $12,650 that is excellent, but the chemical package is not.

I would ask all dealers the price is "Out the Door" plus TTL including delivery, all dealer fees and add-ons. You need to do this to get a apples to apples price comparison between dealers. Before going in to sign the papers, make sure they double check it is on the lot and go over the pricing (again) to ensure what it includes and doesn't include.

I would think the extended warranty could be a 7 year 100K warranty, and that is your call. Most people (including myself will say no to the warranty). Make sure the warranty is refundable based on a pro-rated basis (I think Honda started doing this), and is transferable. Check if they charge a transfer fee. Often you can buy the extended warranty if you purchase it before the existing warranty (3 years/36 months) expires. Some say don't ever buy one, but if it is refundable, and transferable then I would consider it if you know you're going to keep the car a long time and you are going to put on a lot of miles. Anyway - buying it later may be a wiser.

As for price - since you're dealing with all add-ons, it is $12,650 + 545 = $13,195. As an option you may check the other dealers for a real price (out the door-TTL). It's not that they gave you a bad deal ($13,682 - $13,195 = $487 under invoice). That is very fair to me, but I don't like them trying to add on the bogus fees. I think anything under $13K is a great deal in my opinion. We bought an LX today for $701 under invoice (or $1000 - $299 handling). No bogus fees, excellent service, and made it a pleasant experience. They (John Elway Honda) will get nothing but more referals from me, and think their business will prosper. Our local dealer (Colorado Springs) didn't ever reply to my last quote - very unprofessional I think.

Anyway - do what you want, but you didn't get a "bad" deal, I think you still got a "good" deal, I just hate them trying to pull stuff like that (bogus add-ons). For a high volume dealer, I think $450 under invoice is fair to the dealer and the customer - your both winners.

mike1456 · February 2004

Once again, I want to thank everyone for their help. I got a very good deal for my friend. She bought the 2004 Civic coupe automatic LX with leather for $16,100 Out the Door, that includes everything, tax, tag, and license. If it wasn't for this group, especially bd21 and others, I never would have known what to aim for. The salesman complained the dealer lost money on the deal, but the manager got a unit and the cashback. My friend is delighted, and she got 2.9 percent financing. The only unknown is GAP insurance, which I didn't know much about...we declined, I hope that was the right choice. Thanks again! Mike in South Florida

mike1456 · February 2004

Just for all of your information, leather costs the dealer $700 on the Civic coupe, I discovered, although some dealers charge more. In the end, we got the LX couple 2004 for a little more than $800 under invoice.

bdavis32 · February 2004

I would do 2 things before you wait until next fall.
A.) Find out what you're willing to pay.
B.) Call a few dealers to see if they can beat that price.

If no dealers can beat it (I don't like someone just meeting a price), then leave your phone number with the manager and tell them to call you if they change their mind. A dealer may give you a call before March 1st if they need a couple more sales to meet their quota. I think there is more to buying a car than just getting one quote and calling it quits based on that price.

If you buy a car now, and total it or sell it in a year vs. buying a car in the fall and total it or sell it a year later - the one you buy now is going to have a much higher book value vs the one in the fall. Ya, you'll probably keep it 5 years or more, so it doesn't matter that much.

I looked last fall and couldn't get a good enough price. I also found that the dealers having 2003's now, really like 'em and want to keep 'em, because they couldn't come close to the 2004 pricing I got relative to TMV (in reality, because they are selling used '02/'03 models for more). Wierd that in 6 months their will be 2005 models, and dealers want to hold onto the 2003 models. Anyway, now or in the fall is a good time to buy a 2004.

bd21 · February 2004

Congrats, it sounds like you did fine. I'm glad I could be of help. Gap insurance pays off your loan if you car gets totaled and the pay off on the loan is more than the cars value. If you put less than $2500 down on the car and the car is financed for more than 48 months, you will most likely upside down on the loan if the cars is totaled in the first 2 years. If you don't put much money down and you can't afford the loss, then you probably need GAP insurance.

mike1456 · February 2004

The LX coupe 2004 for $16,100 out the door did not include side airbags...I should have requested them, but otherwise we're very happy with the deal, especially the leather, which adds a lot to the feel of the car. But I wish I had paid attention to the airbags...the salesman said the LX didn't come with side airbags but I don't believe that is true. The 2.9 financing was also a dream. Besides not getting the airbags, I think we did good, thanks to the people on this board.

alpha01 · February 2004

who owns a Civic w/ side airbags, but they're pretty useless. They are the seat mounted chest only kind that do not afford the occupant any additional head protection. For a car that does well in side impact testing already, I dont think its an objectionable omission, mike1456. Many cars in this class suffer the same problem- notably, the 2004 Corolla. However, this is going to be remedied for 2005 in that model, when side curtains as well as front seat mounted side chest airbags become optional.

~alpha

mike1456 · February 2004

Thanks alpha01...now I don't feel like I made a mistake by excluding the side airbags.

bottgers · February 2004

How would an '04 Civic purchased new this spring have a much higher value than an '04 Civic purchased new this fall? If anything, it would probably have a lower value because it would have more mileage on it.

bdavis32 · February 2004

bottgers - You are correct in what you say, but that is not what I said/meant.

I said keeping each car for one year from the date of purchase. The NADA and Blue Book values change more than once a year - maybe monthly and at least quarterly. A year from now, a used 2004 is going to be worth more than from 18 months from now. If you can get it at the same price, you are better off getting it now if you total it or sell it in a short time (a year or two is short to me). Most people that buy a Honda buy it for the long run though, since they know it should last.

triathlonj · February 2004

Hi everyone,
I've been reading many of the posts here and I've seen quite a few of you have struck deals at $300, $400, and much more beneath invoice when purchasing a civic. I am planning to purchase a 2004 Civic EX manual sedan in the next few weeks. Other than stating to the sales manager that I've read about people getting below invoice pricing, is there any way I can put some credible evidence in front of him to prove my point? I have found one credit unions website from Illinois that shows a couple of dealers that have agreed to sell this credit union's customers Civics at 749 and 855 below invoice, and I plan to print this and use it. Other than that, I haven't found anything that could back me up at the table. Do you all have any tips? After my first visit to a dealership to test drive, I was told to expect about 300 to 400 over invoice. Edmunds shows about 200 over invoice. Reaching Edmunds price was my goal until I started perusing this discussion thread. As I can figure it right now, the Dealer receives 3% of $17260 which is $518, then he has $400 marketing support from Honda for a total of $918, then he stands to get another $100 to $500 if his quota is met that month / quarter?. What I am thinking is that I will shoot for is $16,265 invoice - $490, for a price of $15,775. Then add $490 for shipping / handling fees for the original invoice price of $16,265 (+TTL). Is that too conservitive, aggressive? Any help you can give me would be great. Thanks alot folks!

fay · February 2004

I hope I saw this discussion forum before I made the purchase.

The price I got is $13,145 for a 2004 civic 4 dr VP...plus $300 dealer fees, $72 title and tax...$14,500 in total.

I checked Edmunds and saw the invoice was $13,175 with $490 delivery fee. so I was satisfied with my price.

But I just found this thread and saw people are getting their cars $400-$800 under invoice....and currently there is a $400 dealer cash back on the car that I was not aware of.....sigh...how I hoped I saw this earlier. But I was in a hurry (my old car died for a few days) so it only took me half a day to buy this car...didn't have too much time to do research.

so what do you think of the $14.550 price I paid?

mike1456 · February 2004

Fay, here's the way I see it: You were in a hurry and if you wanted to get the absolute best price, you would have had to rent a car for $50 a day. Perhaps you would have saved $500 or much less if you had done the research and run to different dealers. But you're happy with the car and you thought the price was fair, and it's fair. Just remember: no matter what price you pay for a car, there always is a better deal, so you have to just move on. Many years ago, I paid thousands of dollars over invoice, and many people still do. Thanks to the Internet and cell phones, the game has gotten a lot fairer. Personally, I think you did just fine under the circumstances.

howlinrock · February 2004

I have been reading the posts here over the last 2 weeks. Thanks for the great advice. I have been shopping and researching the cost for a EX 5-speed coupe most of the Honda dealers here in Northern Ca. don't know the time on the clock, yet some are competitive here. Best prices on the internet. This is the best deal yet that I have been offered. Must be the dealer incentives until March 1st.

MSRP: 17.350
Invoice: 15.899
Cars Direct 15.349
Credit Union 14.899
plus the tax & license

All other offers have been above this!
Is the best deal for this time of year?
Should I bite the bullet...

Thanks in advance.

yahookendogg · February 2004

I recently purchased a new 2004 civic coupe LX automatic. I just wanted to find out if i got a good deal on the car.

The qoute i got on it was $14,598 plus tax, license. plus i got the 2.9 financing for 60 mths.

I realized some mysterious added fees to the car, when i read the contract.
There was a section named "accessories cash price" and it charged like $500. I was a little confused about it. does anyone know about this?
*post message or email me yahookendogg@aol.com thanks

Sylvia · February 2004

so everyone can benefit.

tooth · February 2004

Went to high volume dealership yesterday, and they immediately offered me $16,900 (before tax, title, fees) on a 2004 Civic EX Sedan with AT and no side airbags.

Edmunds lists the invoice price for this car, including destination charge, at $16,994. Invoice before destination is $16,504.

I imagine a high volume dealer like this one is getting around $800 in factory cash incentives for each Civic sold before March 04. How much lower can reasonably expect them to go? If they go $500 lower, putting me at $16,400, am I doing pretty good?

I need to buy by the end of the week, so prompt feedback is appreciated! Thanks in advance!

alpha01 · February 2004

If you pay invoice, thats still a decent deal. I do think you have some room, given the recent Honda to dealer incentives. Personally "invoice before destination" means nothing, because you're going to pay a price that in some way factors destination into it. I'd try and negotiate a flat vehicle price, and not mention "destination" in your negotitations.

I think your best bet is to use 16,900 as a bargaining chip. Go to Honda's corporate website and search for dealers in your area. Then, pick a few close by dealers and send them quote requests, which can also be done through Hondas website. Tell them a competiting dealership has offered a price of 16,800, but that you werent very happy with the treatment at that dealership. DO NOT name the dealership that gave your initial quote, but DO politely ask the dealership you are contacting if they can be any more "aggressive" with their pricing, given your strong interest in the Civic. Make sure you indicate that you are an IMMEDIATE buyer. Do not mention a trade in your quote request, even if you have one, as you dont want them working this into the price they quote.

This is how I did it when my Aunt was looking for her new Civic. We managed to get an 04 Civic LX 4 Door auto for 14,200 before tax, title, and license. We also were able to take advantage of the 2.9% for 60 months, and they even gave us $250 for her 12 year old, 174,000 mile Civic. We didnt think it was worth the tires even!

~alpha

tooth · February 2004

Thanks for the info!

Currently, my best quote is $16,650 plus tax, license, and NO DOCUMENTATION FEE for an out-the-door price of $17,194.

The dealers all seem to be holding pretty firm around this price and don't seem like they will go much lower.

spiderman · February 2004

Anybody knows if honda will extend the 400-1000 incentives after 3-1-04? How often they give these offers?

alpha01 · February 2004

Probably not, and rarely.

~alpha

tooth · February 2004

Today, I got offered $16,100. Including tax, tag, and fees...I'm going out the door at $16,842

triathlonj · February 2004

I am in the same boat as you, EX sedan, 5 speed though. My best offer is 16,745 drive out with an invoice of 16,265. Yours is 16,842 with an invoice of 16,994. You've got me beat by $632.
Wow! Congrats!

tooth · February 2004

Dealers are being very competitive with pricing. I just got another offer for $16,000. Now I'm out the door at $16,739.

Since most of my friends are out of town this weekend and I'm not trading my current car, the last thing to work out will be getting someone from the dealer to drive out (about 30 minutes) to my house to pick me up and take me back to the dealership to do the paperwork and pick up the car.

run_forrest · February 2004

Hello all...

I just wanted to share my experiences regarding a 2004 Civic Sedan that I will be purchasing this weekend. Thanks to all those that posted their experiences here, I was able to negotiate a price of $12,733 (destination charge included) plus tax, title and license, for the following vehicle:

2004 Civic Sedan VP w/AT
Decor Package (Wheel well & door guards)
Floormats
Mudguards

I didn't do quite as well as another person on this forum (they paid $12,650 with unknown options) but its pretty close. I'm getting this vehicle from Capitol City Honda in Olympia, Washington.

I wouldn't mind some feedback on what some of your thoughts on the vehicle price. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks!

psu525 · March 2004

Hi, I'm buying my first car and I'm considering the civic, especially because of the gas mileage. Although, I'm kind of worried that it's underpowered. Can anyone tell me their experience with the new civic EX and what exactly is VTECH? Also how would you compare the civic to other cars such as the nissan altima or the mazda 3 or 6?

celica115 · March 2004

It is a passenger car, not a sport car. You will need some mods if you want a fast Civic. First, what is your budget?

pat · March 2004

psu525, it'd be better for you to check some of our other Civic discussions for that information since this one is specifically about Prices Paid & Buying Experiences.

All you have to is use the Make/Model drop down box on the left side of the page to get a list of all of them.

psu525 · March 2004

i guess about 18

celica115 · March 2004

You would be better jump to another board. Check out the Si. It should be around 17K.

pocahontas "Honda Civic Si / SiR" Mar 4, 2004 6:04pm!make=Honda&model=Civic&ed_makeindex=.eec8740

blueiedgod · March 2004

VTECH is a brand of phone. VTEC is a marvel of engine technology that has only been perfected by i-VTEC in the Civic Si, CRV, TSX, and Accord.

diogenes · March 2004

I'm looking to buy a Civic DX Value Package. I submitted a quote request through this site and got a response from a dealer with a starting price of $13,100.

That seemed like a good starting point since the Edmunds TMV price is $13,400. I know people on this board got lower prices, but I think that was due to the Honda dealer incentive program, which is over.

Anyway, I went in for a test drive and to get my trade-in appraised. According to Edmunds, my 1994 Accord LX (with 124,000 miles) has a trade-in value of around $2,500. I think that's a conservative estimate for the condition that it's in.

They ended up offering me $1,200 for the trade. I got them to a price of $12,999 on the DX and $1,500 for the trade. I think they are giving me a decent price on the DX but trying to make it up by undervaluing the trade.

What do you think?

blueiedgod · March 2004

I would say sell the Accord privately. You will get much more than $2500 for a 94 accord LX in decent shape with 124,000 miles. Then go ahead and buy the DX for $12,999.

celica115 · March 2004

94 Accord LX is one of the hot cars for many people. Post it on Newspaper or Ebay, I am sure you will have much better offer than only $1,200.

pat · March 2004

You can also check out the "Sell Your Car" link on the left side of the page.

2013 and earlier-Honda Civic Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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