2013 and earlier-Honda Accord Prices Paid and Buying Experience

jaxs1 · June 2013

Yes, they "take in account" the airbag locations. That is not the same as the manufacturer approved seat covers.
It is only a "maybe" that the airbags will deploy exactly the way the manufacturer intended with the OEM seats. If the airbags deploy slightly slower or slightly faster, it could make a difference.
It's dangerous to have these third party upholstery vendors mess with the seats and airbags.

It only took a few seconds on Google to find reference to auto manufacturers warning against this. Most likely, these are not the only ones.

http://restylingmag.com/news/nissan-says-no-to-changing-out-factory-front-seat-t- - rim

Here is a much older link:
http://www.hondasuv.com/members/showpost.php?p=141237&postcount=1

jaxs1 · June 2013

This happens with the auto manufacturer leases also. The auto manufacturer lease company has a rate that goes with the credit tier, but the dealer finance department is free to offer the lessee a higher rate and the dealership gets a bigger commission if they get them to accept it. The dealer sales person just says "The lease rate for you is X" and the lessee takes their word for it unless they know differently.
BMW finance has done this. They have a minimum lease money factor they cannot go below, but they will take more if they can get it. Maybe Honda Finance is different.

jatan · June 2013

Car manufacturers cant guarantee quality of aftermarket products or if they'll be properly installed so they'll always recommend OEM

If you buy quality aftermarket leather seats (like the ones I mentioned before) then those are fine if they install it correctly -- they use similar weak stitching near airbags as OEM so the airbags will blow through during an accident

Dealers will not use cheap leather or crappy installers due to liability issues and also to avoid voiding the warranty (if you google/yelp installers in your area then you can also find some good independent shops). During installation they remove the seats and take them apart so they have to be careful with seat sensors to avoid damaging them and they have to remember to reconnect all wiring during reinstall

That article you linked to mentioned that the installer put in too much padding which was installer error. Katzkin was mentioned later in the article and they passed Chrysler and Ford testing -- Nissan hasn't tested them, but Katzkin was open to having their products tested (not sure if Nissan has tested them since the article or not). Even the Nissan dealer in the article said they never had any problems using quality aftermarket leather seats -- the only problem they had was with aftermarket heated leather seats so they don't install those

jaxs1 · June 2013

It doesn't matter if the Nissan dealer quoted in the article says they never had any problems reported to them. That means very little.

The manufacturers don't want the seats because the quality is not consistent and the independent installers are not approved or authorized by the manufacturer to modify the car seats.
Most likely the installer adding extra padding assumed there would be no problem with it and that they had thought of "everything" related to the air bags because they had breakaway stitching that is supposed to allow the airbags to deploy.

If there is an issue, your warranty on related parts is void and warranty coverage on the air bags or seats will be the least of your problems if there is a major issue that makes your injuries worse during an accident (whether caused by improper padding, other installation errors or defects in or just plain improper design of the materials.)

Third parties installing replacing the seat covers is not going to be as safe as having the manufacturer installing all the seats identically on a factory assembly line using only manufacturer specified parts.

At best, it is "probably" not going to be a problem and they probably will not ever be in a collision in that car where the seat-mounted airbags are needed. If that's good enough, then the buyer just has to decide if they want the aftermarket leather seats that badly and are willing to take some additional risk to get it.

frisbee12 · June 2013

Did you end up buying LX CVT in PHX?
Would appreciate prices and dealer location.

buyer157 · June 2013

1) Thx for everyone who replied on the taxing of the flex cash. Helpful. I guess the dealer was in his right. Another person I met through this forum bought the same car I did in Jersey and was NOT taxed on the flex cash, even though NY and NJ are supposed to have the same tax treatment of incentives.

Quite frankly, I think my local dealer felt that they were selling the car below what they wanted to and simply didn't want to do anything further in my favor..

2) To the person who likes the LX but hates the cloth interior - you may want to check out the Sport. Besides the improved exterior performance (wheels, spoiler, fog lights, front end, dual exhaust) and tighter driving dynamics, the black fabric inside is much improved. One of the key attractions for me...after all you live on the inside of your vehicle. I liked the white car, and the tan interior on the LX just would not do.

Wife is a big animal rights person so leather was never an option, but the fabric on the sport is really nice. Going with aftermarket leather could be an issue down the road if not dealer installed.

3)Anyhow, I've been stalking these forums for a while, and received a great deal of value. Brought home my new white sport today. Fantastic car....very pleased. Don't know how they did it, but it feels like the engine is mounted on a cloud of cotton candy. Can't even hear it running when the car is stopped. And when you give it gas, the thing springs forward with no hesitation. Stop and go traffic home from the dealer and still averaged around 30 miles to the gallon....on FIRST drive.

4)One thing I should mention - strongly suggest when negotiating you plan for the mudflaps, cargo tray (trunk liner) and all weather mats. High quality, thick material, perfect, custom fit. Especially for those of us in states that get ice and snow - these items are essential for preserving the beauty (and value!) of your vehicle.

Yes, you can buy them all on ebay, but expect to pay about 100 for the mats, 100 for the cargo tray and 60-70 for the mudflaps...but you either have to install them yourself or pay some one to do it. All in all about 350 in value.... try to get it thrown in, or added for 250 at the dealer. You will thank me.

mjewje · June 2013

I just read your message re:mud flaps,cargo tray & all weather mats. I live in the Pacific Northwest where we get a lot of rain/ snow during the winter and the more i think about it i probably should have purchased those items during my negotiations when I bought my Honda Sport in March. Do you think I can negotiate those items now with the Honda dealer or will I have to Pay whatever the market Price is?
Thanks

MJE

thomasr1950 · June 2013

Save yourself the trouble, buy WeatherTech. The Honda floor mats are cheap. I have them, I won't buy them again. I'd rather spend a little more money to get a better quality. Or if you are set on Honda then if the dealer wants mfg for them go on line to buy them, you will save money!

thawda · June 2013

I just picked up my EXL 4 door sedan with OTD 25,500. I am wondering where I should buy wing spoiler and rear underbody spoiler. Should I just directly pay that expensive dealer price or anybody knows trusted online honda OEM accessory seller that would ship those to me and installed it at the dealer? Any suggestion?

suydam · June 2013

You'll have to pay for them now. Best time is after negotiating a price and then asking them to be included. The all weather mats are really nice. I got the cargo net instead of the tray but that's my preference.

rossm1 · June 2013

OTD 25,500, does that include tax, or there is no tax where you live?
Thanks

mjewje · June 2013

Thanks thomasr. I'll try Weather- Tech as I hear their advertisements all the time.

MJE

jiac · June 2013

Hi,
Did you mean you bought the Sport CVT with $21800 in total, including all the tax and registration, licence, title fees,etc?

thawda · June 2013

Yes. I live in VA. OTD 25,500.

mjewje · June 2013

No, that was another poster. mje

a321 · June 2013

Which dealer did you go to? I am looking for for the same car by getting 26300

nwh505 · June 2013

I can help you get a better price if interested. Like others have said, I think that price is too high. Maybe I'm bias. Contact me in my profile.

Nate

13accordexl · June 2013

Deal was on a 2013 Honda Accord EXL I4 just taken into delivery with 2.1 miles on it in GA

MSRP: $28,785
Destination: $790
Invoice: $25,604
Dealer hold back: $560
Dealer cost: $25,834 (inv-hold+dest)

Here is how I slowly negotiated a killer deal...

1) Got them to sell me the car $186 below dealer cost for $25,649
2) Had them include nitro in the tires, cargo tray, mud flaps, pin stripe, etc. ($649 value) which brought the deal to an even $25,000
3) Was able to negotiate a trade in bonus of $2,500 more than what my trade-ins where really worth (carmax, private sale, etc.). I did this by hiding the defects and making sure the two cars demo'd very well (this is a post in itself). They'll figure it out when then do a better inspection of the cars and take the hit on resale. This brought the sale price of the car down to $22,500
4) I allowed them to charge a $599 "customer service fee" to cover for the fill up, detailing, etc. So the final sale price of the car was $23,099

TTL: $451.70

OTD: $23,550.70 which is 18.2% off MSRP

13accordexl · June 2013

Good price...

I got my 2013 EXL I4 for $23,099 + $451.70 TTL for a total OTD of $23,550.70

nyccarguy · June 2013

What were your 2 trades? What defects did you hide?

brian125 · June 2013

Thats no No killer deal..

Your so called value pck is worth about 150 dollars in dealers costs if even that. Nitro in tires ? paper pin stripe? cost nothing. Mud guards $60 etc.
Line 4 is the best I allowed them to charge me $599. WHY???? Dealer took back 599

A killer deal is 1000 or more below invoice price on new accord.
And Not paying a $599 service fee.

Dealer raised your trade value but got you on the other end.

gene103 · June 2013

My, we're humble. You have no idea what the dealer cost was, it's more than just adjusting for the holdback. And paying $26,248, even with the equipment you got, is not even close to a killer deal, at least based on numerous posts. Perhaps you did do well on the trades or maybe you didn't. Frankly, since you seem proud of your lack of ethics, I would take your response to nyccarguy with a grain of salt.

gmanusmc · June 2013

This is why I love reading these boards - I get to learn things, keep up to date, and be entertained all at the same time!! Great post Gene!

Bill G

billy3554 · June 2013

Nice you think you got the deal of the century because you pulled a fast one on the dealer by being deceitful. Of course, the dealer likely has a very different perspective on your "killer deal." The only thing we know is the dealer did not lose, they never do.

The reality is you did not hide anything. Do you really think a dealer who employees specialists in the art of evaluating a trade vehicle was deceived by someone who thinks they hid defects in a trade vehicle?

The dealer knew exactly what its costs were, you did not. The dealers knew the real value of your vehicles, you did not.

In truth what this dealer did was allow you to think you got the deal of the century. That is a smart selling strategy. The reality is any time we buyers believe we succeeded via deception we most likely left money on the table.

And of course allowing them a generous $599 for things all dealers provide as part of the selling process simply allowed the dealer to increase the selling price of the vehicle, which was all part of its overall selling strategy.

The truth is there are good sales people and bad sales people. There are good buyers and bad buyers. I am unsure deceit is emblamatic of a good buyer nor something to brag about.

13accordexl · June 2013

Brian,

I guess we'll have to disagree that OTD: $23,549 for an EXL I4 with extras is a killer deal. I've not seen any deals at this price

13accordexl · June 2013

Gene,

I allowed the dealers to do a full inspection (due diligence) of the vehicles to determine value and answered any of their ?s TRUTHFULLY. There is no legal disclosure statement that is required as say with a house. Carmax did find some of the flaws. Another asked me ?s and I answered them TRUTHFULLY. Both of these organizations reduced the trade-in by $2500+ as a result.

It speaks to what the principal of this thread is all about that new cars never sell for the same price even though they are the same product. Is the car dealer being deceitful to when they charge uninformed buyers more for cars?

Perhaps the final dealer felt they could get more for the cars. I did not ask them why they willing to give me more than far market value.

We can disagree that an OTD: $23,550.70 price for an EXL I4 is not a killer deal.

brian125 · June 2013

This is how i'm reading your deal that you posted. Maybe i'm missing something here.

Your agreed price was $26,049 for a EXL/4. You gave back to dealer 2 cars that dealer gave you $2500 for.... Bringing down sale price of the Accord to $23,549
Then paid additional $599..... svc fee

Where is this killer deal.......... I dont see it.
What is your sales tax rate 4 %

brian125 · June 2013

Vadc

Price is before 2 trade backs.

Invoice w dest charge is $26,399. What numbers are you working off????

Are you trying for a killer deal to!!!!!!!!!!!!!

$26,399 - 1200= $25,199 plus TTL

13accordexl · June 2013

Let's take the add-ons out of the deal and work just with the car...

Agreed price was $25,000
Trade in bonus was $2500
Cash Price: $22,500
Dealer Fee: $599
Price before TTL: $23,099

The trades accounted for most of the purchase price so the taxed amount resulted in a TTL of only $450.

The details of the deal are not that important for me personally because I purchase cars for the business and are 100% tax deductible. I would encourage everyone so be self employed and deduct their cars as well (different thread for a different board).

Be aggressive Brian, you'll get a great deal!

vadc · June 2013

$26,399 - 1200 + 185 Processing fees
+ TAX/TTL (whatever to be paid to govt.)

Is it aggresive offer by me?

13accordexl · June 2013

Billy,

As I replied to Gene there was no deception  at least on my part. All the dealers took possession of the vehicle and were allowed whatever time was needed to perform due diligence. Each dealer was free to determine their own trade in allowance. Each gave me different figures. The dealership I dealt with felt they could get $2500 more than far market trade-in others gave me black-book.

In truth what this dealer did was allow you to think you got the deal of the century. Now that sounds like deception but I'll accept the fact that the dealer pulled a fast one on me with OTD: $23,549 for an EXL I4 with extras...

pjl52 · June 2013

I wonder if the gurus in the forum could reply to the following questions.

Do all auto maker sponsored financing plans come with some sort of profit making incentive to the dealer?
Last night I went to see a Camry. Toyota is offering 0% APR. I am in the happy situation that I will certainly qualify for the rate, and I do not really need financing. But I would take it if this helped me to get a better deal on the car (and pay it off right away).

I know from discussions here that Honda's financing plans do give you some more money to play with as far as the dealer, even beyond Flex Cash.

But I asked the salesman at Toyota if (hypothetically) if I financed got the 0%APR rate, would that help get a better deal on the car. He said: No, (but what else did I expect him to say?).

Can someone comment?

Also, does the financial reward from, say, Honda to the dealer depend on the amount borrowed or the term?

Thanks in advance for the free education.

Phil

mjewje · June 2013

Billy3534, you have mistaken me for another poster. I asked about floor mats for my new Accord sport.

pjl52 · June 2013

The general advice by brian125 and other wisepersons here is that a price 500-1000 below invoice for an Accord is a good deal. I wonder if someone could guesstimate how much a dealership makes on such a deal? As I understand it, the dealer will get 2% on MSRP plus financing incentives. What other sources of profit are there in a simple deal (no accessories, no warranty plans, no insurance, etc.)

Thanks to all.

Phil

13accordexl · June 2013

Phil,

There are a few variables that will play into your deal.

1) Prices set by Honda
2) Prices set by the dealership on things
3) Prices negotiated with your sales person, sales manager, service manager, and finance manager (each make money differently)
4) Which trim level are you getting? What is the dealer's inventory?
5) The details of your specific deal

First item: what we all see on the internet. MSRP, Invoice, etc.

Second item: The same car in the same state sells for different prices. Dealers will have a fee baked into their forms... "documentation", "customer service fee" etc. It's important to understand how the dealership get's paid and there are different ways they do this.

Third item: is why the same car in the same dealership sells for different prices. Key is to understand how each person from the dealership gets paid.

Forth item: The Sports in my area are going for closer to MSRP then the LX, EXL, or Touring. Given the packaging of the Sport I can see why. In my case I got more value shopping the EXL trim level.

Fifth item: what are your trades, decide to finance, and qualify for intensives.

I would not focus as much attention on what the deal is to the dealership or its employees but focus on getting the best price in relation to the general buying market for the car you are getting...

Best prices are had by:

- shop your trade in via consignment lots, carmax, dealerships and get the best price possible
- negotiating the price of the car to $500-$1000 of invoice
- get all the extras you want at COST: floor mats, splash guards, sill trim, wheel locks, homelink kit , body moldings, etc.
- negotiate services included in the deal: free loaner cars, free first maintenance, etc.

Best of luck!

13accordexl · June 2013

mjewje,

Go with the http://www.weathertech.com floor mats they are hands down much better then OEM winter mats.

gene103 · June 2013

Ok, you are a better person than the way you portrayed yourself earlier. I want to point out though that any deal that includes a trade-in is not really helpful to others. If I see someone posts that they paid $25,000 pre TTL (OTD prices arent helpful since they vary by location) but it involved a trade-in, I generally will ignore the post since there is no way I can determine how the agreed upon trade-in value influenced the $25,000 price. In your case, your price is even more meaningless. You took the difference in your trade-in offers and decided that this should be netted against the purchase price. btw, Carmax would probably had upped their offer if you agreed to buy a car from Carmax just as you did from the Honda dealer so even your $2,500 difference is not really apples to apples. The important thing is that you feel that you got a killer deal, we just dont have all the knowledge to confirm it..

13accordexl · June 2013

Gene,

My mistake was in using the word "hide" in my first post. It was not that I was trying to hide defects from the dealer, but more conditioning the car to market it as best possible.

I agree it is difficult to objectively evaluate the deal without assessing the trade-ins. My evaluation on the $2500 bonus is based on:

- researching book value via NADA, KBB, Black Book etc.
- determining street price via autotrader.com, ebay, cars.com, craigs list, etc.
- trying to sell the cars private party
- trying to sell on a consignment lot (this is when I started to think trade-in)
- trade-in quotes from Carmax (good barometer) and two other dealerships.

The dealership I ended up working with net me $2500 more than any other attempt to move the cars (see above).

If we were to remove the $2500 bonus that I am accounting for the deal looks like this:

base price: $25,000
fees: $599
sale price: $25,599

To me $25,599 is just an ok deal

But, had I not gotten what I did for the trades I would had negotiated the fees be dropped making the deal $25k even which to me is a good deal

PS: the $25k was paid for with trades + cash. No financing, warranties, etc. evolved

luk4nucar · June 2013

Hi, I live in Northern VA and shopping for a new 2013 Accord EX car. Can you please share the dealer's name in MD that you have purchased your car with OTD 23250.

Thanks !

luk4nucar · June 2013

Hi,

I live in Northen VA and shopping for a new Accord EX-L. Could you please share the dealer's name from whom you purchased the car with 25500 OTD price. Thanks !

pjl52 · June 2013

Thanks for your detailed message!
I am trying to learn as much as I can for my end-of-month negotiations coming up this weekend. The more I understand the dealer's perspective, the better deal I can strike. Back to my question.....

I understand all of what you have said. But I intend

Not to buy warranties or service plans
Not to buy accessories
Not to trade-in a vehicle.

However, I will be shooting for the flex cash, and if it is available I will ask for .9% financing.

So there seems to be little profit opportunity for the dealer. Is it still realistic to aim for as much as 1000$ off. ?

(To be specific, I seek an EX which seem plentiful but not as numerous as LXs.)

The only way possible seems to me that dealer cost is much below invoice. I do not want to stick to, say $800 off invoice (after adjusting for any spurious add-ons) when that is not possibile.

Can anyone enlighten me?

Thanks in advance,

Phil

brian125 · June 2013

Finally,
This last post put your deal in English without all those curves you were throwing at us.. If your numbers are true.

You paid 800 below invoice on the new Accord. Sale price of $25,599.

Your trade in of 2 vehicles netted you another 2500 which you believe you recieved a good deal............... That i dont doubt.... This in return lowered your sales tax paid on agreed sale price of $25,559

Gene, was correct about people who post on these boards and Include there trade in prices with there sale price deal. You could mention it but not like you worded it. Means nothing in a post to a buyer.

The 2 most important pieces of info in any post in this forum are.

1- Agreed Sale price of vehicle with dest/ charge included

2- Dealers doc fee's and Service fee charge

Posts that include Trade in prices, OTD prices etc. are meaningless to folks reading them..

Enjoy your new Accord

13accordexl · June 2013

Phil,

When we purchased our 2008 Odyssey the deal was similar to yours. The only thing you have to offer is convenience to the dealership.

What we did was to call the internet sales manager of the largest volume dealer in the state and explained we wanted a Gray EXL for $3#,### OTD and could put $500 CC deposit over the phone and would be down with a bank check for the balance. He called me back in 20 min and said we had a deal.

Best of luck!

happymanmen · June 2013

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi everyone,

I will buy 2013 Honda Accord Coupe I-4 CVT EX or EX-L in this week. I live in Los Angeles. Does anyone know which dealer or anyone already get the good price (OTD price)?

Recently, I got the internet rate below, but don't know it's good price or not.

EX internet price is $23,300.00. The OTD for the EX coupe would be $25,876

EX-L internet price is $25,300.00. The OTD for the EX-L coupe would be $28,088.

Even the internet price is below invoice $1k, but OTD still higher.

Please give me some advice and help

Thanks

brian125 · June 2013

I would concentrate on getting the best price you can below dealers invoice price. Your OTD pricing consists of your states tax rate, dmv fee's and the dealerships documentation fee's.

When you call or visit each dealership and make your initial offer to buy that day ask each dealership what there doc fee's are.

Ask if they will remove them for your business that day. If dealerships wont remove there doc fee's simply add them onto your asking price.

last 2 days/ last day of this month is when you have the dealers full attention and can make your best deal with them.

Work on getting lowest price for your model. Every one in your state, L.A. is paying same tax rate and dmv charges. High doc fee's are your only concern.

good luck

siu_yuen · June 2013

I just purchased an EXL I4 black yesterday in MD.

Here is the deal:
MSRP: 28785(including mud guards, wheel lock nitrofill and etc.)
agreed selling price: 24785
6% sale tax: 1487
other fees: 499
OTD: 26771

I think I got a pretty good deal so I want to share it.

thawda · June 2013

I am thinking about buying Honda Accessories for my Accord EXL sedan from online. http://www.hondasuperstoreparts.com/ Has anybody known this website and is it trusted? Any advice?

luk4nucar · June 2013

Thanks for sharing, can you please post the dealer's name in MD where you purchased your EX-L with 26771 OTD.

siu_yuen · June 2013

You are welcome. I purchased it from Honda dealership in Clarksville, MD. Look forward to here your good news.

jatan · June 2013

That site should be fine -- its a dealer in IL

There's also
http://www.handa-accessories.com/
http://www.hondapartsunlimited.com
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/
http://www.hondapartsnow.com/
http://www.dchautomotiveparts.com/
http://www.bernardiparts.com/

Check price + shipping costs when comparing prices b/w online dealers -- you can also search for accessories on eBay since there's usually a few dealers on there and its easier to find prices with shipping

2013 and earlier-Honda Accord Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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