I second the motion. Might be shopping for my father who lives in the Space Coast area and would appreciate any and all experience folks have had in the Sunshine State.
Can anyone on Long Island,NY, post their best deal for an EXL with RES and name the dealership of purchase. As well, indicate date of purchase with price. Thanks for your time.
Sorry I can't help with Long Island but I do have a San Jose in California purchase I'd like to share.
About a month ago, my brother-in-law tried to buy the Odessy EX-L, the best quote we got was 29,500 before tax but does included destination charged of about $500(well, this is california and silicon valley where honda and toyota are very hot).
And for those in the Bay Area, don't even try to go to the Fremont Honda Automall. My brother got a quote for 29,500 for the Honda EX-L. He called me to go there to pick-up the car with him. We got there, and the internet sales guy which I can't name because Edmunds won't allow, tried to add an extra $500 on top of the 29,5000.
We asked him why the extra cost and he said the car had extra accessory of roof-rack. We told him when we emailed him and talked with him over the phone, we only asked for a white HOnda Odessy EX-L without any other items. But this Sale guy said this car had extra roof-rack and it would cost an extra $500 and there was nothing else he could do. I then politely told him that this is bait-and-switch and i'm going to talk to the general manager.
We stood up and went to the management office where we were met by an assistant general manager. The guy, again, I can't state his name, kept on insisting that nothing is for free and if we want to buy the car it would be an extra five hundreds. I told him that we had a deal with his sales guy for 29,500 for a HOnda Odessy EX-L and that's what we wanted to buy. And if he's going to charge us extra that it would be bait-and-switch. He then got flustered and demand that we need to go outside of the dealer to see the roof-rack on the Odessy.
At this point, we told him it didn't matter that there was a roof-rack on the Odessy because we didn't asked for a roof-rack and we only wanted a White HOnda Odessy for 29,500. He reply by saying that it didn't included the roof-rack.
The conversation attracted everyone else in the dealer, and the assisant general manager got scared and call security. He said that either we go outside to see the roof-rack or the security guard will assisted us out because they give anything away free.
We got so disgusted with their ways so we left. I think my brother-in-law would have bought the car from them had they admit they made the mistake of quoting the car without the roof-rack and give him half-price on the roof-rack or even a hundred bucks or so because sometime mistake happens to the best of us. But it seem those guys were so hostile and weasels that we would rather not do any business with them. Oh, also, this Internet Sales guy is the same guy that send me a reply to my inquiring to buy the Honda Pilot of "bring in your best offer for the HOnda Pilot and we can talk." huh? I thought the point of me doing this over the internet is so when I come into the dealer, everything is agreed and I don't have to haggle or be bother.
So my brother-in-law and I end up buying 2 Hondas from Capital Honda -- a 2005 Honda Pilot Lx for me and a Honda Odessy EX for him. Oh yeah, my brother-in-law just had a girl and my wife and I just had a boy. So say good bye to my mustang and say hello to the Honda Pilot for me and say hello to the Odessy for my brother-in-law.
cincoletra, I am from Central Florida too, I am having same experience as you...no deals here at all. I might have to travel few hundred miles up north to get good deals. Do you think situation might improve in few months when there is more supply ?
Hello, Two weeks back I gave deposit of $500 to a dealer in southern Oregon. The deal is $750 above invoice for EX with Leather. What do you think? Is this a reasonable deal in NW?
The catch is, the van was supposed to arrive yesterday, but hasn't. At the time of puting deposit down the sales guy did say that it is always +- 2 days for the delivery... I am thinking of waiting till coming Tuesday or Wednesday and if the car doesn't arrive, ask the deposit back.
Any suggestions.... It is really frustrating to wait and keep calling the dealer :-(
Ok, I guess since we are all in the same boat, we should just all caravan up north and get a good deal together. I actually printed a good price on a cloth EX from AutoFair Honda near Boston I believe. Classic Honda says they will price match, but will they price match another state? Hey, why don't we all just go to one of the FL dealers together, maybe they will work a deal with us as a group. Imagine the buying power of many!!!
Stop calling the dealer, it will arrive when it arrives and the store will call you then. They usually come in within a couple of days of the projected date.
From what I've seen here, how good your price is really depends on exactly where you are in Oregon. Prices seem to be generally high on the West Coast, especially in the metro areas.
odygal, please send me the name of the salesperson that you're dealing with in these dealership. I'm looking for the same model and the salesperson that I talk with doesn't seem to offer the same deal. My email is in my member profile.
$32,800 does seem high but a couple of those add-ons are pricey. Check accessory prices at the websites for H and A Accessories or College Hill Honda (in Wooster, OH). The latter also has their Odyssey inventory listed on their home page - all at invoice plus 1 cent during February.
I made a deal just today on a Touring R&N at invoice in Central Ohio and will post further details when the transaction is concluded.
As I promised before I am posting my done deal of an EX-L.
I got my EX-L from Walnut Creek Honda's Fleet & Internet team. $29300, i.e., $32024 out-the-door.
The beauty is in the smooth transaction:
1. it takes just a couple of emails. I contact her late friday afternoon and Saturday morning the deal was done.
2. about the delivery. Taking the advantage of my paying cash, I did not even show-up in the dealership. The dealer offered a free delivery from Walnut Creek to my home at South San Jose.
3. When the car is delivered I sign the contract and the delivery guys took the check.
That's it.
Oh, I did made a phone call giving my credit card # for a $500 deposit to lock the deal. (I was already given the VIN and the car was scheduled to arrive at dealership in 3 days).
So if you think its a good deal, go ahead and feel free to mention Mu(my name). Good luck!
Sister in Baltimore area wanted a good deal on a new EX-L and had little luck locally. Utilizing this forum, I first suggested Willis Honda in NJ. They were insulting to say the least, quoting a price $1,800 higher than that cited in post #8333 and arrogant - denying they would ever sell at $150 over invoice. I then suggested College Hills Honda, as Ohio is about a 6 hour drive and she was willing to go there to save $$$.
College Hills was upfront, but did not have the desired black color. Did a regional dealer search on hondacars.com, thinking other area dealers might also deal, and recognized Jay Honda of Bedford from previous forum posts. The Jay website indicated a black EX-L in stock.
An email request to the Jay Internet Manager was replied to within 3 hours - they matched the College Hills price without hesitation and, because the black one had been sold, gladly did a dealer trade for another. $500 deposit via credit card to move the deal forward.
Sister flew to Cleveland this morning (for under $100) and picked up the new Ody. Excellent hassle-free experience, and Jay Honda even paid for the $38 cab ride from the airport!
Total was $27,549 + $100 doc fee + $25.25 for a 30 day Ohio temporary drive-away tag. No taxes as they will be paid in Maryland upon registration.
After months of shopping and a lot of disappointment from interactions with unscrupulous dealers, I finally purchased an Oddy in Southern California.
Yesterday I took delivery of my Ocean Mist EX-L R/N. The dealership, Spreen Honda in Loma Linda, CA was great to work with. They kept to their word and did not try any shenanigans.
The deal was done entirely via the internet and phone. When I got to the dealership the car they promised was waitng for me, ready to go. I completed the paperwork and happily drove home. Spent about an hour and a half in the dealship.
Given the So CA market I feel my price was fair; $32,700 plus customary fees. Out the door I paid $35,565.49.
Oh, they also threw in an extra wireless headset and a $25.00 gift card to a local restaurant. I recommend this dealership to any local cyber shoppers. It took me months to find this deal.
I will end with this quote from my eleven-year-old son, "this car rocks, mom".
Why is the inventory of LX's so incredibly low in Maryland? I surveyed 9 dealers and found only 3 LX's and almost a hundred EX's. I also noticed no one on this forum is posting re: LX. Its all EX. Am I missing something??
demaximis, thanks for the input with regards to Jasper. I've heard one other story like yours dealing with them. The others all ended happily though. I'm still 3 months out before I even want to order so I don't care who takes my money -I just want it to be painless and as close to invoice as possible. The dealer can still enjoy their holdback from Honda. Whoever you are dealing with can't be more than a few hours out of Atlanta which makes no difference to me since Ive been looking at a 400-500 mile radius anyway. I'll be watching for your post. Good luck and pave a wide path for all us Floridians looking for a good deal.
Dsmith1381: Sorry for the delay, I haven't checked this board in a while. Well I'm still searching around. I've called dealers in Austin, Houston, College Station and Waco. Nobody's budging much (if any) off of MSRP. About the best deal so far is from David McDavid in Houston and their over the phone deal is $500 below MSRP. I am going to try and go by there soon in person. BTW-I am searching for a touring w/res & Nav. I haven't checked with that Lake Jackson dealer yet. I'll try to give them a call this next week.
Something else to consider: Different cities have different new car sales tax rate. For example Houston's tax rate is 8.25, in College Station it is 6.25 and I think its 6.25 in Conroe area. This don't sound like much but could affect your bottom line by about $800 on a loaded touring model!
My wife is from the Tyler/Longview area so we thought about checking with some dealers up there as well. Let me know if you find some good deals and likewise! Slyk
Just took delivery on a 2005 Odyssey EX-Leather with Entertainment from Marin Honda, $1K over invoice internet fleet manager was great. A perfect place to buy a car.
Try Carr Honda in Chicago. I was quoted $30,174 for an EX-L RES with leather (i.e., leather and DVD) plus fog lights and Roof rack cross bars. Without the roof rack and crossbars it was $29,500. I didn't have time to fly so choose a Ody in Minnesota for $30,700 (w/o fogs or crossbars).
Help. I'm confused. The EX is about $3,000 more than the LX. Is it worth the extra money? or will the extras (power doors, power drivers seat, etc.) be more trouble than they're worth? Which is the better value? Any help would be appreciated. P.S. I'm not interested in NAV, DVD or leather.
I just bought our EX-L from Weymouth Honda. 27,899 + won free doc fee (119). A pleasure to deal with. All the price negotiations over email, and then test drive and demo of feaures.
Now just waiting for color and financing details. I told the finance guy I had 3.99% and said he could probably beat that.
Just completed a purchase in El Paso, TX. While I had to ultimately purchase from another dealer here in El Paso due to model and color availability, I highly recommend the Internet Sales over at El Paso Honda. His quotes on EX-Ls with or without Res/Nav were so tempting I almost went for it. They were just a bit over invoice, plus TTL, with a good selection and no BS sales nonsense. Straightforward talk. I am sure even these prices will become more negotiable as time goes on and production catches up with demand.
I ended up with a Touring that they did not have in stock at the time and which I needed to purchase for a deluge of family visits. Otherwise, the sale would have gone to Mr. H. over at El Paso Honda. You won't be disappointed sending him an email with your requirements.
His info is:
Internet Sales Consultant El Paso Honda El Paso, Texas www.elpasohonda.com
If anyone wants further info, email me at the profile address or hit the dealership website. I had intended to post the Internet Sales Consultant's specific information, but reread the policy prohibiting such details.
Hondajoe, I was not soliciting. I was posting my buying and pricing experience with a particluar dealership, which was positive and warranted a mention here. I limited my post to include only permissible information per the forum rule, which states:
You may include the dealership name, city and state in your post. Please do not post names of salespeople, telephone numbers, email addresses, or other contact information.
Take it easy, its Sunday. Go enjoy a nice brunch. No one is trying to sell you.
With all the bad sales people out there, I thought this guy did a good job, offerred a competitive price, and presents a buying option for those interested. All relevant information to this board.
West - the post from robr2 was to hondajoe - not to you. Hondajoe's email was soliciting business. Please reread who/from and subject line and you will see the post was not directed at you - enjoy your brunch.
We were thrilled to find your chatroom and used all of the advice we found here to send out e-mails and find the best deal. We started on Monday and on Friday we had our new EX Silver Pearl Odyssey. Our out the door price from Miller Honda in Winchester, VA was $26,512!!! We were thrilled with the price as no other dealer in the area even came close. We had to drive an hour to get it but it was well worth it. The best car buying experience EVER!!!
I've just started reading this forum today and feel like it is going to be very helpful. When you say that you sent out emails, what exactly did you do? Did you send out inquiries to various dealers with offers, or ask for the best quote? I know what I want now, and am a little confused about how to get the best price in my area.
I've had mulitple quotes for a Touring R&N at invoice in Ohio this month. While NE Ohio is perhaps a bit more than your specified distance, it's worth the trip.
If the dealer's website allows you to do so, yes, ask for each store's best price for whatever model you desire. Do not, initially, make an offer. Also, do not give out your phone number at first if you can avoid it. If possible, indicate you will be buying in X days from whomever offers the best price.
Send lots of emails (minimum of 10 but 20 would be better) because you may not get a response from some. You will quickly get an idea as to which stores are serious for your business as well as get a feel for your market.
I agree with post #8700 - I also live in the Chicagoland area and based on my post #8680 yesterday, buying in Ohio proved to be pleasant and hassle-free - and definitely worth the minimum $2K saved. FYI, Southwest has reasonable one-way fares from Midway.
No, no - not "above invoice." You should be able to buy any model Odyssey in NE Ohio right now (except, perhaps, an EX-L R&N just because there are so few around), for invoice. Try College Hills Honda in Wooster, Park Honda in Akron, or Jay Honda in Cleveland to start.
By "out the door" do you mean tax, title, and license included? I don't know what tax is in VA, but if it includes all of that it would be an amazing price!
hello i live in hampton roads (norfolk, portsmouth,vabeach,suffolk) virginia. my husband and i have been doing lots of research on the honda ody and have visted some dealers.we have also done online quotes and they all want us to pay the msrp $30,810. does anyone know of any dealership in hampton roads or in any part of virginia that we negotiate at or near the invoice price. i would also like to know how to get online price quotes from areas outside of hampton roads. the websites that i have visted always ask for our zip and we are pretty much limited to dealerships in our area. thank you
The few recent posts of late seem to suggest that prices in Tennessee are all over the board. A few weeks ago I saw a Memphis dealer offering a black/black Touring R&N on ebay for a "buy-now" price of $2000 over MSRP. Shortly thereafter, someone posted here about buying an Odyssey (EX-L, I think) for about $500 over invoice at a store in Memphis.
Best thing to do is just send emails to all stores within whatever radius you are comfortable with and get an idea of what prices are.
Just plug in the zipcode for whatever area you want to check, whether it's 20202 for Washington, 90210 for LA, or whatever and, boom, you can look at inventory or contact dealers anywhere in the U.S.
"demaximis, thanks for the input with regards to Jasper. I've heard one other story like yours dealing with them. The others all ended happily though."
I thought it was only fair to post that I DID receive a prompt refund of my deposit from Jasper Honda. So, while they were unable to timely deliver my vehicle, they were honorable about returning my deposit. Maybe you'll be lucky and be able to finalize the $900 over invoice price there (after doc fee).
Another dealer warning from my research - be wary of Gwinnett Place Honda in Atlanta. One of their internet managers had the gall to respond to my initial email shopping the deal from Jasper Honda (above) with statements (cut and pasted directly from his email) such as "I am straight forward telling you that probably somebody is lying to you giving you that price. The way these vans are selling now, there is no way [any dealer] will give it to you for $1400 over the invoice. I assume it's a way of keeping you out of market." He then offered $38,145 for the Touring R/N. He also apparently had a little trouble adding, as my deal was $900 over invoice, not $1400, as stated above.
I have no problem with dealers unwilling to compete on price - let them sell their higher priced cars to somebody else. What I have a problem with is use of "scare tactics" like this. Particularly troubling was the fact that I JUST received a "blast e-mail" from another Honda dealer in the Hendrick Automotive Group (the SAME group Gwinnett Place Honda belongs to), offering to sell any 2005 Odyssey for $1300 above invoice. So, even if MY $35,250 deal was too much for him to swallow, a dealer in his own Automotive Group made HIM the liar!
The moral is: ignore what the salesman tells you. Use these boards to see what people are paying in your local area, and keep soliciting dealers until you find one that meets your price. If you're willing to travel a little bit, these deals can be had. It's amazing to me to see how quickly sources like Edmunds have leveled the playing field for informed buyers. As promised, I will post the final details of my deal as soon as possible for other GA, FL, SC, NC bargain hunters out there.
sandy4..Thak you so much for the information. I was amazed when the dealer honored the price. I took the car in 30 Minutes.... It is a NO brainer! Thanks again.
I'm on my way to pick up our new van. Paid $37,700 out the door in Northern Virginia at Bill Page Honda. This represents about $2500 off sticker. My only complaint so far is that I made the deal, drove home to get the wife and when I returned the owner said "I could have sold this 3 times since you left for full sticker". May or may not have been true but it doesn't make the buying experience very pleasant when the owner acts like he gave the car away.
P.S. My salesman pointed out to me the new Ferrari that the owner was driving. If he can afford that, maybe I should have held out for a better deal.
"Different cities have different new car sales tax rate."
Don't waste time checking out city sales taxes. In Texas everyone pays 6.25%. Cities don't get any money from new car sales.
Did you check Jack O Diamonds in Tyler? That dealer offered me a great price (2955x) on an EXL-RES and would do a dealer trade for the car. Small town dealers readily do dealer trades to get your business. Offcourse you are looking at a high end model so don't know what prices you would get.
Longview dealer was sitting on MSRP. Shreveport dealer was pestering me with e-mails and phone calls but wouldn't beat/match the price.
Comments
About a month ago, my brother-in-law tried to buy the Odessy EX-L, the best quote we got was 29,500 before tax but does included destination charged of about $500(well, this is california and silicon valley where honda and toyota are very hot).
And for those in the Bay Area, don't even try to go to the Fremont Honda Automall. My brother got a quote for 29,500 for the Honda EX-L. He called me to go there to pick-up the car with him. We got there, and the internet sales guy which I can't name because Edmunds won't allow, tried to add an extra $500 on top of the 29,5000.
We asked him why the extra cost and he said the car had extra accessory of roof-rack. We told him when we emailed him and talked with him over the phone, we only asked for a white HOnda Odessy EX-L without any other items. But this Sale guy said this car had extra roof-rack and it would cost an extra $500 and there was nothing else he could do. I then politely told him that this is bait-and-switch and i'm going to talk to the general manager.
We stood up and went to the management office where we were met by an assistant general manager. The guy, again, I can't state his name, kept on insisting that nothing is for free and if we want to buy the car it would be an extra five hundreds. I told him that we had a deal with his sales guy for 29,500 for a HOnda Odessy EX-L and that's what we wanted to buy. And if he's going to charge us
extra that it would be bait-and-switch. He then got flustered and demand that we need to go outside of the dealer to see the roof-rack on the Odessy.
At this point, we told him it didn't matter that there was a roof-rack on the Odessy because we didn't asked for a roof-rack and we only wanted a White HOnda Odessy for 29,500. He reply by saying that it didn't included the roof-rack.
The conversation attracted everyone else in the dealer, and the assisant general manager got scared and call security. He said that either we go outside to see the roof-rack or the security guard will assisted us out because they give anything away free.
We got so disgusted with their ways so we left. I think my brother-in-law would have bought the car
from them had they admit they made the mistake of quoting the car without the roof-rack and give him half-price on the roof-rack or even a hundred bucks or so because sometime mistake happens to the best of us. But it seem those guys were so hostile and weasels that we would rather
not do any business with them. Oh, also, this Internet Sales guy is the same guy that send me a reply to my inquiring to buy the Honda Pilot of
"bring in your best offer for the HOnda Pilot and we can talk." huh? I thought the point of me doing this over the internet is so when I come into the dealer, everything is agreed and I don't have to haggle or be bother.
So my brother-in-law and I end up buying 2 Hondas from Capital Honda -- a 2005 Honda Pilot Lx for me and a Honda Odessy EX for him. Oh yeah, my brother-in-law just had a girl and my wife and I just had a boy. So say good bye to my mustang and say hello to the Honda Pilot for me and say hello to the Odessy for my brother-in-law.
I am from Central Florida too, I am having same experience as you...no deals here at all.
I might have to travel few hundred miles up north to get good deals. Do you think situation might improve in few months when there is more supply ?
Two weeks back I gave deposit of $500 to a dealer in southern Oregon. The deal is $750 above invoice for EX with Leather. What do you think? Is this a reasonable deal in NW?
The catch is, the van was supposed to arrive yesterday, but hasn't. At the time of puting deposit down the sales guy did say that it is always +- 2 days for the delivery... I am thinking of waiting till coming Tuesday or Wednesday and if the car doesn't arrive, ask the deposit back.
Any suggestions.... It is really frustrating to wait and keep calling the dealer :-(
-R
From what I've seen here, how good your price is really depends on exactly where you are in Oregon. Prices seem to be generally high on the West Coast, especially in the metro areas.
$1000 over invoice on a base Touring with 3000 miles on it is no deal. You can buy them brand new all day long in Ohio for invoice.
I am looking to purchase a 2005 Honda Odyssey EXL with DVD with the following options:
Roof Rack Cross Bars
Fog Lights
Auto Day/Night Mirror (w/attach kit)
Cargo Mat
Leather Steering Wheel Cover
XM Satellite Radio (Radio, Antenna, Attach Kit)
Tow Package
What would you consider a fair price for the Dayton, Ohio area? The best I have gotten is $32800 plus tax and tags. This seems high.
Thanks,
I made a deal just today on a Touring R&N at invoice in Central Ohio and will post further details when the transaction is concluded.
I got my EX-L from Walnut Creek Honda's Fleet & Internet team. $29300, i.e., $32024 out-the-door.
The beauty is in the smooth transaction:
1. it takes just a couple of emails. I contact her late friday afternoon and Saturday morning the deal was done.
2. about the delivery. Taking the advantage of my paying cash, I did not even show-up in the dealership. The dealer offered a free delivery from Walnut Creek to my home at South San Jose.
3. When the car is delivered I sign the contract and the delivery guys took the check.
That's it.
Oh, I did made a phone call giving my credit card # for a $500 deposit to lock the deal. (I was already given the VIN and the car was scheduled to arrive at dealership in 3 days).
So if you think its a good deal, go ahead and feel free to mention Mu(my name). Good luck!
Anybody get anything better or have a recommendation.
Thanks!
College Hills was upfront, but did not have the desired black color. Did a regional dealer search on hondacars.com, thinking other area dealers might also deal, and recognized Jay Honda of Bedford from previous forum posts. The Jay website indicated a black EX-L in stock.
An email request to the Jay Internet Manager was replied to within 3 hours - they matched the College Hills price without hesitation and, because the black one had been sold, gladly did a dealer trade for another. $500 deposit via credit card to move the deal forward.
Sister flew to Cleveland this morning (for under $100) and picked up the new Ody. Excellent hassle-free experience, and Jay Honda even paid for the $38 cab ride from the airport!
Total was $27,549 + $100 doc fee + $25.25 for a 30 day Ohio temporary drive-away tag. No taxes as they will be paid in Maryland upon registration.
Yesterday I took delivery of my Ocean Mist EX-L R/N. The dealership, Spreen Honda in Loma Linda, CA was great to work with. They kept to their word and did not try any shenanigans.
The deal was done entirely via the internet and phone. When I got to the dealership the car they promised was waitng for me, ready to go. I completed the paperwork and happily drove home. Spent about an hour and a half in the dealship.
Given the So CA market I feel my price was fair; $32,700 plus customary fees. Out the door I paid $35,565.49.
Oh, they also threw in an extra wireless headset and a $25.00 gift card to a local restaurant.
I recommend this dealership to any local cyber shoppers. It took me months to find this deal.
I will end with this quote from my eleven-year-old son, "this car rocks, mom".
It should not be surprising that there is little discussion of the LX model here since there are so few owners.
I read posts of folks still paying prices in the vicinty of MSRP and just shake my head.
Sorry for the delay, I haven't checked this board in a while. Well I'm still searching around. I've called dealers in Austin, Houston, College Station and Waco. Nobody's budging much (if any) off of MSRP. About the best deal so far is from David McDavid in Houston and their over the phone deal is $500 below MSRP. I am going to try and go by there soon in person. BTW-I am searching for a touring w/res & Nav.
I haven't checked with that Lake Jackson dealer yet. I'll try to give them a call this next week.
Something else to consider: Different cities have different new car sales tax rate. For example Houston's tax rate is 8.25, in College Station it is 6.25 and I think its 6.25 in Conroe area. This don't sound like much but could affect your bottom line by about $800 on a loaded touring model!
My wife is from the Tyler/Longview area so we thought about checking with some dealers up there as well.
Let me know if you find some good deals and likewise!
Slyk
Now just waiting for color and financing details. I told the finance guy I had 3.99% and said he could probably beat that.
I ended up with a Touring that they did not have in stock at the time and which I needed to purchase for a deluge of family visits. Otherwise, the sale would have gone to Mr. H. over at El Paso Honda. You won't be disappointed sending him an email with your requirements.
His info is:
Internet Sales Consultant
El Paso Honda
El Paso, Texas
www.elpasohonda.com
If anyone wants further info, email me at the profile address or hit the dealership website. I had intended to post the Internet Sales Consultant's specific information, but reread the policy prohibiting such details.
Best of luck.
Hosts, please fire the warning shot across his bow.
I was not soliciting. I was posting my buying and pricing experience with a particluar dealership, which was positive and warranted a mention here. I limited my post to include only permissible information per the forum rule, which states:
You may include the dealership name, city and state in your post. Please do not post names of salespeople, telephone numbers, email addresses, or other contact information.
Take it easy, its Sunday. Go enjoy a nice brunch. No one is trying to sell you.
With all the bad sales people out there, I thought this guy did a good job, offerred a competitive price, and presents a buying option for those interested. All relevant information to this board.
Send lots of emails (minimum of 10 but 20 would be better) because you may not get a response from some. You will quickly get an idea as to which stores are serious for your business as well as get a feel for your market.
thank you
Best thing to do is just send emails to all stores within whatever radius you are comfortable with and get an idea of what prices are.
I thought it was only fair to post that I DID receive a prompt refund of my deposit from Jasper Honda. So, while they were unable to timely deliver my vehicle, they were honorable about returning my deposit. Maybe you'll be lucky and be able to finalize the $900 over invoice price there (after doc fee).
Another dealer warning from my research - be wary of Gwinnett Place Honda in Atlanta. One of their internet managers had the gall to respond to my initial email shopping the deal from Jasper Honda (above) with statements (cut and pasted directly from his email) such as "I am straight forward telling you that probably somebody is lying to you giving you that price. The way these vans are selling now, there is no way [any dealer] will give it to you for $1400 over the invoice. I assume it's a way of keeping you out of market." He then offered $38,145 for the Touring R/N. He also apparently had a little trouble adding, as my deal was $900 over invoice, not $1400, as stated above.
I have no problem with dealers unwilling to compete on price - let them sell their higher priced cars to somebody else. What I have a problem with is use of "scare tactics" like this. Particularly troubling was the fact that I JUST received a "blast e-mail" from another Honda dealer in the Hendrick Automotive Group (the SAME group Gwinnett Place Honda belongs to), offering to sell any 2005 Odyssey for $1300 above invoice. So, even if MY $35,250 deal was too much for him to swallow, a dealer in his own Automotive Group made HIM the liar!
The moral is: ignore what the salesman tells you. Use these boards to see what people are paying in your local area, and keep soliciting dealers until you find one that meets your price. If you're willing to travel a little bit, these deals can be had. It's amazing to me to see how quickly sources like Edmunds have leveled the playing field for informed buyers. As promised, I will post the final details of my deal as soon as possible for other GA, FL, SC, NC bargain hunters out there.
P.S. My salesman pointed out to me the new Ferrari that the owner was driving. If he can afford that, maybe I should have held out for a better deal.
Don't waste time checking out city sales taxes. In Texas everyone pays 6.25%. Cities don't get any money from new car sales.
Did you check Jack O Diamonds in Tyler? That dealer offered me a great price (2955x) on an EXL-RES and would do a dealer trade for the car. Small town dealers readily do dealer trades to get your business. Offcourse you are looking at a high end model so don't know what prices you would get.
Longview dealer was sitting on MSRP. Shreveport dealer was pestering me with e-mails and phone calls but wouldn't beat/match the price.