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2013 and earlier-Honda Accord Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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Comments

  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    Worst mistake and waste of ime in my life. I'd take the short drive down to Gwinnett Place if I were you. They have a HUGE inventory and are much easier to deal with.
  • dust90dust90 Member Posts: 169
    Signed the deal on a new(2004) 6 speed Coupe, in Black. Great salesperson at local dealer in Charleston, WV(I've bought from him before). Price was 24,900 + state taxes and $74 in title and registration fees. NO extras tacked on and no pressure from salesman. I thought that this was a pretty good deal for a 6 speed, as most dealers are sticking pretty close to MSRP on this car. It was a very pleasant experience, but the real pleasure starts tomorrow when I pick up the car!
  • pjainpjain Member Posts: 6
    Hi

    I have been shopping around for a 2003 Honda Accord LX 4 dr, 4cyl in Atlanta. The best deal I have heard is 18000 + taxes + documentation. 18000 is very close to the invoive price. Is the 2003 going below invoice now? Is this a good deal? Thanks a lot for your input.
  • richards38richards38 Member Posts: 606
    My deal in late August for a 2004 EX-L 4 cyl. automatic sedan (PZEV) was $22,700 + tax, license, and doc fee of $45 and $5 "tire fee". That's almost identical to your deal of about $109 less, but with a higher doc fee. We both paid about $240 over invoice which is a pretty good deal. I hope "isellhondas" responds because that one post we both question makes no sense unless there are significant end of month incentives that Honda gives to dealers to give them a reason to move a car at a significant loss just to raise their numbers. Why else would such a deal be offered?......Richard
  • lelandhendrixlelandhendrix Member Posts: 240
    I think that's a pretty good deal as long as thereis not a ridiculous documentation fee. I got my LX Sedan for $18000(before tax and such) and that included the decklid spolier and tinted windows. The invoice isn't available to me at the moment, but I think my only dealer-variable fee was $99.
  • serendipserendip Member Posts: 60
    Thanks for the info, and offer to use your name. I'll report back with what happens. She had been to Klein on Sunday, and I don't know if it was finalized or not.

    Thanks!!
  • ademptionademption Member Posts: 4
    I live in the Washington DC area and am thinking about getting a 2004 Accord EX V-6 4 door sedan with navigational system sometime in late December. I've read that one of the best times to buy a car is around Christmas time when majority of buyers are out shopping for Christmas presents rather than thinking about buying a car. I would like to buy the car at the end of the year so that I can capitalize on the dealer's attempts to sell cars to make year-end quotas.

    However, after reading some of the above posts discussing the scarcity of Accord EX V-6, I'm wondering when I should start looking for the car--towards the beginning of the month b/c they are going to be so hard to find or do you think I can hold out and wait until maybe the middle of December to start my search. How much bargaining power will I have when buying the EX-V-6 NAVI?

    Is the particular car so difficult to find that I will have to order it from the factory? Anyone in the DC metro area recently buy or attempt to buy the car that I'm looking for? If you could, would you please give me advice on where to look? How to get the car that I want?

    Any help will be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!
  • gatrhumpygatrhumpy Member Posts: 126
    If you want to get a 2004 EX V6 with Navigation, I would talk to Larry Powell of Honda of Bowie. Tell him Jim sent you (I was going to get a 2003 EX V6 but financing fell through). Larry was very friendly when I talked to him and they have strict standards when it comes to dealing with people who are serious about buying a car. Also, Amy (the internet sales manager) at Landmark Honda was also very friendly and helpful, and was willing to answer any question that I had when it came to Honda cars. Hope this helps, and let me know how everything went.
  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    Take a look at this site before you go in to the dealer. www.carbuyingtips.com/

    It will give you some idea of what to expect and what to watch out for.
  • skoretskskoretsk Member Posts: 38
    Rajee1055, Where and what dealership did you buy the car for that price? I'm looking for a similiar car?
  • timmernatortimmernator Member Posts: 12
    What was your bad experience?
  • rbrrbr Member Posts: 113
    The theory about there being a buyer's market during the Christmas season (mid-November through christmas) seems to hold some weight -- people are thinking about buying presents, not cars, and many manufacturers offer special programs during that period. I'm considering the same car for late November purchase, and I haven't seen many postings here talking about much of a wait to get an EX V-6 with NAV. The cars certainly appear to be scarcer than those w/o the NAV (by checking dealer's inventory on their websites), but that's propbably because there are fewer buyers for NAV-equipped cars.
    The biggest advantage you have going is that -- I assume -- you have the whole month of December available to work with some very motivated dealers. I suggest making your first visit (or e-mail inquiry) on the 5-8th (by then the dealers should be aware of any factory programs for December), tell them what you are looking for and have them check inventory is available. If you can wait to make a final commitment, the dealer offers may drop as you approach Christmas day.
    Also, as others mentioned on this board, I wouldn't sweat out the last dollar -- close the deal when you have a price you like at a dealer you can work with.
    That's my theory, at least -- hope it helps.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    Wanted a 03 EX-L coupe. Was trading a 2000 Civic SI. Dude comes back with 24,000 for the coupe and 10500 for my Civic. And wouldn't budge. Give me a break. I won't step foot in that door again.

    I ended up geting my coupe for right around 22,500 or so and $12,000 trade at Team Honda in Lithia Springs.
  • aliasfanaliasfan Member Posts: 2
    I live in the DC area and just bought a '04 EX V6 with Navigation. I think I got a fair deal (26K + t,t,p) but it took me weeks of haggling with several dealers in the area, plus one very horrible experience with another to finally get the car I wanted at the price I was willing to pay. I ended up at Landmark Honda in Alexandria and recommend them highly, especially for their customer service.

    Had I known that my credit union offered a car buying service, I would have used them. Yesterday morning I contacted them online and gave them the specs for the car I was interested in. They contacted me in the afternoon with a price that was very close to the one I had spent hours of haggling about. I ended up buying the car from the dealer as there was little difference in price, but I will say using the car buying service would have saved me countless hours of headaches and turmoil.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    There are no end of month incentives from Honda.

    Just don't believe everything you read on the internet. I read some posts and manage to bite my tongue. Some of the numbers posted can't be true unless a dealer was planning to go out of business quickly.

    A lot of times, people simply don't remember what they paid for something. Maybe there was a trade involved which clouded things?

    I had a customer last week who swore "a friend" had bought a CRV for a price I knew was impossible. Well, I was the person who had sold his friend. The numbers were off by 1000.00.

    I called his friend, my customer, and asked permission to show the guy a copy of the purchase order. Permission was granted. As the guy squirmed, I knew he had dropped his friends price by 1000.00 in an attempt to better what his friend did.

    Sheese...people are funny!
  • richards38richards38 Member Posts: 606
    Your comments are helpful. All it took was a brief test drive in an Accord to convince me it was the best car choice. Your posts and others really helped my buying experience by giving me a realistic, maximum price to which I'd agree if/when a convenient dealer offered it. The buying experience was simple and pressure was minimal--I'd recommend San Francisco Honda along with the cars they're selling....Richard
  • drummerboy_200drummerboy_200 Member Posts: 44
    "Had I known that my credit union offered a car buying service, I would have used them."

    Beware of these Car Buying Services. In my month long search for a car I realized my credit union also had a car buying service. Well, I gave him the specs for an 04 Camry SE w/options and 3 days later he gave me a quote that listed MSRP a full $1000 OVER actual MSRP and a selling price only $100 UNDER MSRP. Now, maybe he just quoted the dealer and didn't examine the price, but maybe not. Needless to say I did my own negotiating when I bought my 04 Accord EX.
  • midnightcowboymidnightcowboy Member Posts: 1,978
    Is $25,561 a good price on a new 2003 6-speed V6 Accord Coupe with Nav ? I think that is invoice?
  • richwjennrichwjenn Member Posts: 4
    Is there really a 3% Honda dealer holdback on the Accords? This seems to be the only way that you could get the car for at or under Invoice.

    I have checked edmunds, kkb.com, etc. and can't find any reference to the holdback.
  • richwjennrichwjenn Member Posts: 4
    That is a great price IMO. Per Edmunds.com, invoice is $25562 so you got it for a buck under invoice!

    What technique did you use with the dealer?
  • jaimeparisjaimeparis Member Posts: 1
    I got a quote today from a Los Angeles dealer for $19,999 OUT THE DOOR, OUT THE DOOR(tax 7.75%, Lic and all the fees are included). Can someone tell me if this is a good deal? Thanks.
  • kendridkendrid Member Posts: 97
    Here in Chicago I have two offers for an LX 4 door auto for 18,282 + 1096 tax + 152 'fees' = $19,530. This seems to be the going price the Chicagoland dealers are offering via email.

    An EX is 20,533 + 1344 tax + 152 'fees' = 22,173
  • midnightcowboymidnightcowboy Member Posts: 1,978
    It was real interesting. I had talked to one dealer out-of-town that had a car that I liked it was black/black 6-speed with Nav and they said they would offer it a invoice with 2.9% financing.

    I checked with two local dealers in Houston and both had one 2003 6-speed with Nav available. I put in a request one evening and the guy called me back within an hour with a price about $500 over invoice. I said thanks but no thanks I had an offer for invoice. He said he would talk to his manger and send me an email. Prcing was $1 under invoice. The other dealer I had been working with cam back with the same pricing; so the going rate for 6-speed Accord in Texas and Oklahoma is invoice. I can get new 2004 6-spped right now for about $600 over invoice (plus the additional cost of 2004 over 2003 of $630) net difference right now for XM radio and year newer car is $1230, but the financing offered on the 2004 for 60 months is only 3.9%

    At least right now I am going to wait. I like the TLs but at MSRP the Honda is a much much better deal. I am going to put another 25,000 (another year) on my car before I do something! More time to look and analyze and learn from you guys!
  • richwjennrichwjenn Member Posts: 4
    Thx to all the info on this site, I just picked up my 2004 Accord EX V6 Sedan for $24444 or $200 over invoice. The deal was done with the internet sales mgr via email with the closest dealer to me here in San Diego.

    Took about 30 mins to do the paperwork and I just brought it home.

    Thanks for all the info.
  • dust90dust90 Member Posts: 169
    If you can find an 03 6 speed, yes, I have seen one for sale at invoice (Eskridge Honda in Oklahoma City). But when I went shopping for an 04 6 speed, most of dealers, even they even had one, wanted MSRP or close to it. I bought mine for $560 over invoice, plus I got a couple of accessories for cost and a couple of free oil changes.
  • timmernatortimmernator Member Posts: 12
    What was your total out-the-door price? (I live in area Atlanta area also, so tax would be comparable...)
  • gbriankgbriank Member Posts: 220
    Be glad you didn't buy from them..

    Yeah, I bought a 1999 Accord EX from them New Year's Eve of 1998 at Eskridge.... Got it at invoice, but they left out the owner's manual, jack and wrench to the spare kit. Needless to say, I called the dealership about this. They denied everything and told me to buy the parts from my local dealer. I spoke to Honda NA about this and within 3 days had the parts. Care to guess how I rated them on the survey?
  • gdotgdot Member Posts: 6
    This was my breakdown on 2004 Honda Accord EXL Navi 4 cylinder automatic in graphite gray:
    $23,664 + $490 (invoice)
    $175 window tinting (I asked for this!)
    $1060 HondaCare 7yr/100k warranty (I also asked for this!)
    $125 Floor mats (yup, I also asked for it!)
    $349 doc fee (not negotiable by law in Georgia!)
    $21 state fees
    $1711.71 (7% sales tax)
    OTD: $27,595.71
    I actually adjusted these numbers just a bit b/c I had a trade in. So I added it back to the price (which adjusted the sales tax a bit). I know what you are thinking, they screwed me on the trade. But I don't think so. I got what i needed to make it work. Also, i wanted these addons and requested them up front, stupidly or not. They didn't try to sell not a single thing more. There was a little white sticker on the car with about $700 in addons which i said before i even got there i wouldn't be paying. And it was no problem! I hope they did make a few dollars on my deal because i want them to be around next time i buy. It was worth it for the hassle less deal. Also, I am a 24 yr old and i thought they might think i was an "easy target" (i did my homework), but i was treated very well! Happy car shopping. I'm glad its over and everything is how i want!
  • kad153kad153 Member Posts: 22
    Just purchased a car at Open Road Honda in NJ. Great experience, no hassle, and honest (yes, I said honest) sales people. I was shopping for a 2004 Accord EXV6 for a little while, had done my homework, and had recently been screwed over by another NJ Honda dealer (who agreed to a price for the car and then changed it the day I was going to buy).

    Anyhow, I finally agreed to a great out the door price at Open Road on Route 1 and would recommend them to anyone buying a Honda in NJ.

    Thanks Edmunds and Thanks Open Road!
  • rarlamrarlam Member Posts: 14
    Congratulations on your new car! I had a great experience at Honda Carland as well.

    It sounds like a pretty good deal -- although I would argue that you really paid $349 over invoice because you should count the doc fee as part of the price of the car. I'm not sure who told you that a $349 doc fee was required by law in Georgia, but I have a hard time believing that's true. I bought from the same dealership and didn't pay the fee, at least not explicitly (but I was buying from out-of-state). Can anyone in Georgia confirm or deny the doc fee legal requirement?

    Also, be careful about posting names of salespeople at dealerships. That's prohibited on this forum according to the message at the top of the page.

    I've got the same car except the navigation system, so I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
  • gdotgdot Member Posts: 6
    i have "heard" that the doc fee is required to be printed on the invoice and must be charged the same to everyone in georgia. you can always negotiate a reduction in cost for the same amount, i suppose. count up my final price anyway you want. all that is important is that it was agreeable to both of us and was painless to me. and silly me about putting their names. i guess i am guilty of what i accuse others of doing--not reading!! happy driving!
  • gdotgdot Member Posts: 6
    Wow! I closed my deal yesterday for an 04 Accord ExL Navi at Honda Carland in Roswell, GA (Atlanta area) with <name witheld>. It was a fantastic experience! There wasn't a single unkind word or even a hint at a tense moment. Everything was as negotiated via email and they gave me a very fair price for my trade. I got the car at invoice. Actually, upon recalculation, they may have taken me for $38... I hope they gave it to the really nice finance manager, <name withheld>, who was also fantastic. In case you didn't get it, the $38 is a joke! Highly recommend them! I love my accord and the navi is amazing! best of luck car shopping. hope your experience is as good as mine.
  • atlantabennyatlantabenny Member Posts: 735
    This isn't a government-mandated fee according to paperwork on one of my previous vehicles, a 1998 Honda Accord (beside "doc fee" is the phrase "not a government fee"). In fact, a 2000 Toyota Solara transaction doesn't show it at all in the disclosure statement.

    My 2003 Accord coupe does show it, but the dealer reduced the vehicle price to satisfy our OTD price agreement.

    This is a primary reason to negotiate on OTD prices.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    Isn't mandated by the government. What IS mandated is that you charge EVERY customer the fee. That's why it's preprinted. Whether you negotiate the DOC fee into the deal, it HAS to be on the buyers' order. That's the law.
    Who cares what the DOC fee is anyway. As long a the bottom line is what you want it to be. If my dealership's fee was $20,000 they'd better sell my Accord EX-L for $2,000.
  • lapnorm1lapnorm1 Member Posts: 16
    Just picked up a Graphite EXL manual in San Diego last night for $21785 out the door at $24077. This included splash guards and door-edge trim (these were installed on all of their accords). Dealership was very easy to deal with. Just told them I could get this price from CarsDirect and would buy from them if they could match and they did. No pressure and finance was great. What do you think about the price?
  • coppermomcoppermom Member Posts: 2
    We are about to purchase a new 2003 Accord EX 4 cylinder for 21,115.94 out the door ($19,800 is the cash price for the car). We did not get any extras. The dealer is in Brighton Michigan. Is this a good price? It is this one or a 2002 Accord EXV6 with leather, under 20K, certified, for $18,850 (not including tax,title, license). This is our first Honda. Any comments?
    Thanks.
  • lelandhendrixlelandhendrix Member Posts: 240
    Get the 2003 if you are in a toss between it and the 2002 V6. The 2003 model is dramatically different and feels much more like a luxury car. You won't miss the V6 that much with the performance of the all-new I4-cyl.
  • coppermomcoppermom Member Posts: 2
    We thought the same thing, and are planning on buying the new 2003. What do you think of the price? $19,800, $21,115 out the door. We like the dealer, it has been a nice, no hassle experience. We are ready to move on this in the next couple of days.
  • ademptionademption Member Posts: 4
    I will definitely check out Landmark and Bowie Honda dealerships and work with the internet managers for both places!!

    I have a few more general questions:

    I applied for a Honda auto loan at Honda financial services online and got $23,500 guaranteed from them. I said that I would put $5000 down on the car. I plan to charge the $5000 on a zero percent interest credit card by the way. Anyway, I didn't realize that the offer for the loan is only good for a month--Dec 1st. I thought that it would last a lot longer . . .

    My question is will the fact that I applied for the Honda loan this month affect my ability to get credit from Honda next month? I'm hoping that my credit score won't lower and my chances for getting a decent interest rate on my car loan hasn't gone out that window since I foolishly applied for the loan too early!!

    Does anyone have suggestions on what I should do to fix this? By the way, my current credit score is 730 which from what I understand is pretty good. I'm just hoping that I won't be heavily penalized by what I did!!
  • lelandhendrixlelandhendrix Member Posts: 240
    I think the $19,800 sounds like a good deal. That's only a little over $1000 more than I think I paid for my LX.
  • gene65gene65 Member Posts: 9
    Looking for a exv6 with navigation in chicago area automatic tr. What a good price is?
    Any suggestions?
  • gobrownsgobrowns Member Posts: 1
    Jay Honda in Bedford, OH (Suburban Cleveland) advertised a great deal on leftover 2003 EX-V6's. Advertised at $22,999! Skeptical, but I made the drive to see what they had. I was ready to walk if they tried the bait and switch. Sure enough, they had the Graphite EX-V6 (no nav, didn't want it) I was looking for. They let me drive the car without the salesman riding along. They hadn't added a thing to the car, no badge kits, no undercoating or anything. Not only did I get the car for $22,999 as advertised, they threw in a 24 inch color TV, a DVD player, and a 3 day/2 night hotel stay in various locations, including Vegas! Offered me the AHFC 2.9% financing right away, didn't try to send me to their preferred bank. I don't buy extended warranties or add on options, so I doubt they made much on me. It's nice to win one! $22,999, plus local tax and $125 docs/plates fee. Very happy!
  • dust90dust90 Member Posts: 169
    Congrats, sounds like a good deal on a great car and nice dealer to do business with!!
  • k_chuik_chui Member Posts: 20
    I think the price (19800) is high for a 2003 Accord EX. Using my zipcode, carsdirect price is 19800 (manual) and 20464 (auto) for 2004 Accord EX (destination charge included). I think a 10% off from 2004 will be a reasonable price due to depreciation.

    Good luck on your purchase.
  • aristotlearistotle Member Posts: 123
    What is a fair value for a 2003 Accord LX V6 Automatic if there is one available? Which dealer in the country sells Accords for the lowest price?

    Any ideas?
  • samshemsamshem Member Posts: 5
    Is 26,400 not including tax or tags a good price for a 2004 V6 6 speed with navi? Thanks, Sam
  • 94acura94acura Member Posts: 12
    Accord EX/curtain air bags 4D auto quoted 21050 in MA. Good deal or not? Could not find exact match from carsdirect or other sources. Thanks a lot
  • richards38richards38 Member Posts: 606
    Looks like only $41 over invoice and is a very good deal if you're not forced to buy dealer-added junk and pay more than an additional $50 "document preparation" or other fee that isn't remitted to your state for tax, license, etc..........Richard
  • gatrhumpygatrhumpy Member Posts: 126
    Richard,
       Is there any realistic way to negotiate the documentation fees down from $199 to $50? When I shop around for my new 2004 Accord EX V6 with Nav I'm going to tell the dealer I'm not paying any more than $50. Is this realistic?
  • SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
    Basically, a doc fee is a charge to cover the
    dealer's preparation of the documents. Why would they want to charge $50 to fill out a document that benefits them? Well, dealers look for anywhere to make money (but doc fees are common in mortgage too). In some states the doc fee is a set fee regulated by the state. In other states it can be whatever the dealer wants to charge. Find out what the situation is in your state first. If it isn't a set fee (or if the dealer is trying to charge more than the set fee for your state) you can definately try and negotiate this.
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