2013 and earlier-Honda CR-V Prices Paid and Buying Experience

chewick · July 2003

Autofair Honda was the third Honda dealership I visited during the past week in NH. I do not recommend Honda of Keene or Peter's Honda of Nashua--they like to play tricky sales games. Autofair was a no-hassle buying experience, they were very foward in providing information and they have fixed pricing on all of their vehicles. I also received a good price for my trade-in.

I signed a deal yesterday for a Silver CR-V EX. Fixed price $22,450. Interest rate 4.49/60 months. The price is $300 more than the other dealers' offers, but the no-haggle experience was well worth it.

It's great going to a dealership not having to worry about fighting a battle in order to get a fair deal. It's even greater leaving a dealership feeling good about your purchase...

rlewis7653 · July 2003

I've seen a couple of references to Grand Honda and have seen their website prices. Their price for an EX($20,941) is about $900 below what I'm being quoted in the Cincinnati area. Anyone have first hand experience purchasing from Grand? Are they OK to buy from? I don't want to travel to Chicago to find an unexpected surprise, but for $900 that is a legitimate savings, I will travel.

deanv · July 2003

I had a great experience buying my 2003 Honda CR-V EX Automatic at Grand Honda in Chicago (Elmhurst). As previously posted a couple of weeks ago, I bought it by phone at their web published price of $20,941 plus less than $100 in doc fees. No taxes as I'm not an Illinois resident. No options, as I didn't want any. I flew into O'Hare airport and took a 15 minute cab ride to the dealership. The car and all the paperwork were ready to go. The salesman I had talked to on the phone was a first-rate professional. The Honda accessory book was available to look at, but they didn't push anything. They offered an extended warranty, which I declined. No sales pressure at all. After a short car orientation from the salesman, I was on the road back to Alaska in my freshly washed, gas tank filled, CR-V. The whole transaction took less than one hour. 3,200 miles later, I've arrived home and I am 100% satisfied with my CR-V and the purchase experience.

I had a great car purchasing experience - lowest price, professional sales staff, beautiful dealership. When I got home, I had a phone message from the sales manager asking me if I was satisfied with the purchase. I just wish they were my hometown Honda dealership.

alpine53 · July 2003

Went to an old posting by "Safetrip" in April '03 about a seemingly good CRV EX deal at Commonwealth Motors. Was this with auto. trans.? Has anyone else had recent, decent buying experiences (include price paid) for EX/auto. around the Boston?

mi_chopper · July 2003

I purchased a 2003 Honda CRV (EX) - Automatic with front mudguards on Saturday. I paid $23,040 'out the door' including all taxes, fees, etc.

snoopy33 · July 2003

I am trying to decide on the CR-V or the Accord. Kids will be coming along within 18 months, so how would the CR-V be with kids? Does a 4 cyl engine in an SUV hold up over time? I keep my vehicles for about 7-8yrs at a time.

kyfdx · July 2003

Both cars have the same engine, and similar weight, so reliability and durability should be similar. The CRV is particularly easy to get in and out of. Especially the rear seats. Also, there is a path between the front seats to access the rear, which is also an advantage with kids.
I'm on my second CRV, and currently we have our 4th Accord, although we don't have the current model. I would recommend either car without reservation, but if you like the CRV, there aren't any negatives with regard to your concerns.

regards,
kyfdx

Karen_S · July 2003

Beep-beep-beep! The moving truck is here to take this discussion to our new What Did You Pay? board.

If you have subscribed to this discussion, the move should not interfere with your subscriptions.

Sorry for any confusion or inconvenience! Any questions can be emailed to me.

Thanks!

darkroom · July 2003

Does anyone have any info on how much are the dealers willing to negotiate in/around the Denver/Aurora areas in Colorado? Any inputs will be highly appreciated...

icvci · July 2003

Check out carsdirect.com

Check out all of your online purchasing options first. That way you'll go in having a pretty good idea of the bottom line.

donjude2 · July 2003

We just bought our silver CR-V EX July 7th, right when they started advertising their 2003 clearance. We paid $21,850.00. That was their firm price. I love the car so much that I'd pay full price if I had to!! We have ordered the cargo cover and all season floor mats from midlandshondaparts.com out of So. Carolina for $54.80 less than our dealer would sell them for (free UPS shipping also). I don't know if the prices will go much lower as the clearance season goes on but I didn't want to miss out on getting stuck with a color I didn't like.

ambetkatindig1 · August 2003

Anyone from Pennsylvania who recently bought a CRV-EX?

Thanks!

haiqpham · August 2003

I just bought the Honda CRV-EX auto at Keenan Honda in Doylestown
for 21,800 including free state inspection and 9 times free oil change plus road hazard.

ambetkatindig1 · August 2003

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I know Keenan Honda. I'm from Allentown. You got a good deal. I'll try to shop there. I'm buying in 1-2 months.

hondawannabe · August 2003

I've asked my dealer to locate an '03 EX with the 5 speed manual transmission. He tells me that the EX/manual tranny is really hard to find and keeps trying to steer me to an automatic, which I definitely don't want......I know that some of you are driving this combination. How hard did you have to look?.....thanks for your comments....

jd7112 · August 2003

I am in the process of buying a new Car and would like to know any ones opinion on the CRV compared to the Toyota Highlander besides the price.

stevedebi · August 2003

I looked at the Highlander, but I wanted a 4 cyl, and the Highlander uses the old Camry 4 cyl. I had a couple of Camrys with 4 cyl in the 90's, and every one of them went bad within a year - mileage went down to about 22 MPG. It appears that this engine accumulates sludge...

The 6 cyl is OK, but the mileage and rear seat room wern't enough for me.

In fact, the CR-V has more rear seat room than just about anything else - I discovered that only the Sequoia was slightly larger. Even the Toyota Land Cruiser has a smaller back legroom number.

isellhondas · August 2003

Sorry, but four cylinder Toyotas are VERY reliable. Near bulletproof. a FEW of the V-6's had a sludge problem if the owners didn't change their oil often enough.

This, from a guy who respects his worthy competition.

kyfdx · August 2003

Don't have any direct experience, but I would think the Highlander would be a load for a 4-cylinder.. The Honda is pretty torquey and enjoyable to drive, but I'd go for the six, if I was getting a Highlander.

regards,
kyfdx

stevedebi · August 2003

isellhondas:

I speak from personal experience.

Sorry to inform you, but I had 3 Toyota Camry 4 cylinders, each with the same engine. Every single one of them went from about 29 MPG to about 22 MPG within 18 months. The last Camry blew the engine seals at 48K miles (just after the engine warranty expired), and started belching white smoke. That's when I traded it for a Civic. So I don't recommend that particular 4 cylinder engine, which is used in the Highlander.

And believe me, I changed my oil every 3500 miles, without fail. IN MY EXPERIENCE, there is a design fault with that engine. They have a new engine for the latest Camry; hopefully with the next update of the Highlander they will use the new engine from the Camry.

dagpotter · August 2003

I was quoted 21,479 on a CR-V EX with A/T by Fairfax Honda this morning. I don't know if that includes destination or not. If it doesn't that puts it around 21,939 + TTL. I hope it includes freight as that would be @ TMV.

isellhondas · August 2003

Well, I don't understand, especially the gas mileage part.

Your experiences are far from normal with these.

dagpotter · August 2003

Paid 21,479+tax+330 in fees at Fairfax Honda in Fairfax, VA. Quoted 21,576 from other dealership later after I bought first. Price was ok. Bought Cargo Tray and Cross Rails. Didn't haggle on price for those.

stevedebi · August 2003

isellhondas-
Sorry, I unloaded a bit, out of frustration with the Camrys. What I meant was that my 4 cylinder engines all started out with very good mileage, and then within a year went to very poor mileage. In my mind, this is not a good engine to have. I would have gone for the 6 cyl if I'd bought another.

I realize that most of the press coverage has related to the V6, but I find a lot of people on the various forums also had trouble with sludge on the V4.

No doubt about it though, Toyota makes some smooth riding cars...

firsttimer5 · August 2003

Hi,

I live in S. California and about to buy a new CR-V by the end of September. It would be a double first time for me: Never owned a new car and never owned a Honda, but my mind is set on the CR-V LX model, which bears a $19,360 sticker price.

I have researched the subject in the last 6 months and came up with the following:

A couple of dealers in my area advertised the LX model for between $17,948 & $17,998. The dealer invoice is $17,923, including freight.

In mid September, the 2004 CR-V's are coming in, so the dealers will be very motivated to dump the remaining 2003 models. Also, September 30th is the last day of the financial quarter, so usually dealers tend to bend over backwards to sell another unit and rack up the number of units sold. Since I am not in a rush to buy, I expect to be able to buy a CR-V below dealer's invoice. Anyone with experience in that department?

I went to one of the dealers yesterday and they were very nice (Power Honda in Valencia), but were not willing to take off even one penny from the ad price of $17,948.

Any info would be appreciated with thanks.

rc1 · August 2003

FYI - I just purchased the above vehicle for $18,300 + TT&L at Cleo Bay Honda in Killeen, Texas. I live in Austin, and scoured all Austin dealerships, as well as many San Antonio and Dallas dealerships by phone. None were ultimately willing to beat this price. None were even close to the level of service or honest dealing as Cleo Bay was. I was not pressured or presented with "optional" treatments to buy. I was able to negotiate virtually everything on the telephone, and didn't get the, "Well, you'll just have to come down here . . . we don't discuss price on the telephone" spiel. This is my third Honda purchased from Cleo Bay. In each case, they were the lowest price, and didn't give me the Honda "attitude" sold at most Honda dealerships.

isellhondas · August 2003

I think you will become very frustrated in your attempt to buy a CRV for below invoice.

They are in short supply and high demand.

Sounds like you walked on a great deal.

And...as a former So. Calif guy, I sure wouldn't like working in that cutthroat marketplace!

jjsb31 · August 2003

Last month,I bought my ex, silver crv in Marlton, NJ. Options included, auto,roof rack,splash guards, wheel locks,metal panel kit, and pinstripe for 22,476.This dealership was head and shoulders above the other local dealers, especially the one in Turnersville, N.J. Very happy with the purchase and the buying experience. I purchased a cargo tray at H and A-Accessories.com for 83.20 delivered.

haiqpham · August 2003

ambetkatindig1,

If you are going to buy in 1-2 months go to Edmunds and request dealer quote.
You should start a little bit lower than what I paid and if you don't want to get the free package, you can cut down another $200. I think they have 3 choices: one I got, the other for exterior and I forget about the third one.

firsttimer5 · August 2003

isellhondas,

There are plenty of CR-V's in S. California. They are excellent sellers and many dealers don't even feature them in their weekly specials.

However, for the past 6 months, at least three dealers are selling them consistently for between $25 to $75 above invoice, and I'm not talking "2 at this price" deal. It is "All in stock" deal. So my gut feeling is to be patient, wait for the 2004 model to roll in in mid-september and try to get a great deal on the last day of the quarter (9/30). I am patient, so I will stick to my plan and report later.

Keep cool!

ljc21 · August 2003

I have been looking since June of this year for a 2003 CRV, either an EX or an LX with side air bags. They are in short supply here in Bergen Co. NJ. I haven't even been able to test drive one because the local dealers have none on the lot. Any suggestions other than waiting until the end of Sept?

isellhondas · September 2003

Well, I wish we had some of those CRV's to sell!

Just watch out for tricks...

ct_lama · September 2003

I just bought a CRV LX AWD automatic w/o side airbags for $19900 from the dealer at Brewster, NY. MSRP-$20560, invoice-$19100
Called up around 12+ dealers across CT and NY for a price of $19500, but they wouldn't budge from about $20K or MSRP. Most dealers either didn't have any inventory or had a few coming in. I waited a week for mine to come in. The dealer was good, no hassles.
When I'm in a good mood, I think about having paid $600 below MSRP and when in a bad mood about having paid $900 above invoice :-) Either way, got a good vehicle.

isellhondas · September 2003

Has nothing to do with the **value** of a car. The prevailing market will always determine that.

You should be in a good mood. You got a great car at a great price! Enjoy!

ambetkatindig1 · September 2003

I got this offer for a 2003 CRV-EX Automatic, $21,500+tax+tags @ 3.99% APR for 36 months with $5K down. Is this a good buy? Let me know.

kentkmok · September 2003

Just got mine CRV LX 2WD for $20K out-the-door with Keyless entry, splash guard and cargo net in West Los Angeles.

Got another offer for $19.8K OTD hours after I signed the paperwork.

firsttimer5 is right. They still got many CRVs here in So. Cal. and they are willing to negotiate. Good luck, Firsttimer5

isellhondas · September 2003

It's very confusing in these forums to state OTD pricing.

It's a lot more accurate to state what you paid for the car instead of including taxes, license and other fees since these will vary so much from area to area.

kentkmok · September 2003

The price of the vehicle is $18,264 (the fees + taxes here in Los Angeles is about 10% of the vehicle price).

shabnm · September 2003

I have just closed a deal with one of the dealers here in NJ for 22200. I had a very nice experience with this dealer. My friends had referred me to him as we had bought a total of about 15-20 cars from him.. I can tell you one thing.. if you stick to your stand and if you are ready to walk out I think you will win the deal.

catrina · September 2003

I live in Houston and bought my LX two months ago. I paid $18,407.75 including destination charge and the dreaded VIN etching ($300) that I did not want but could not get my salesman to waive. The best I could manage in exchange was to get $150 worth of dark tint put on at no add'l charge. My sales tax was $1150 and title, license and fees were $220.47. The dealer was Goodson Honda North. Watch out for that VIN etching that they put on all the cars -- I think it just helps them with their own insurance and jacks up the price by $300. As far as my car-buying experience: always use the Internet sales person rather than the showroom guys. Internet sales people seem to be a little bit lower key, but I still found all of them to exert sales pressure when they wanted to. And even with Internet salespeople, I experienced the hated "good cop/bad cop" show that salespeople and their managers put on -- your salesman will tell you he would make that great concession on something you asked for IF his manager agrees. Of course, his manager says no to it, so you fume and get angry with the manager while the "nice guy" sales person keeps trying to win your sympathy and get you to continue negotiations with him. For me, it was exhausting and not at all fun. Eventually I realized that all the dealerships, one way or another, have the negotiating system worked out to their utter advantage from beginning to end. If it weren't for Edmunds.com, I would not even have been on the same playing field! My advice to someone who is about to embark on this experience: get as educated as you can through this webcite, know that it is perfectly ok to tell the dealer what you will and will not pay for, get a full breakdown from the Internet sales person of the salesprice, tax, title, license and miscellaneous fees so that you know EXACTLY what that "drive out" price REALLY entails. Give yourself plenty of time to deal (several weeks at least), get some financing pre-arranged BEFORE you contact the dealership so that you do not have to depend on them -- but do let them try to beat the finance plan you pre-arranged. You might be happily surprised. When you do eventually go to the dealership to talk face-to-face, take a book or magazine since even the Internet sales people love the psychological game of making you wait for ages while they go talk to their manager. Stay calm, don't feel intimated, and eventually you will settle on a price that you either like or at least can live with. Good luck!

firsttimer5 · September 2003

Hi Fellows,

The 2004 models are not yet here and as I predicted earlier, the prices of the 2003 models have started to decline, at least in Southern California.

Honda of Hollywood started it last week, selling 2 LX lost leaders ("2 at that exact price") at $1 dollar above invoice = $17,924. This week they offer the same exact deal for "ALL IN STOCK" with the $19,360 sticker price.

My gut feeling: It's gonna get even better when the 2004 models arrive next week. And if you come in to purchase on the last day of the quarter (i.e. Tuesday September 30th), you will probably find the best deal around. At least this is my plan.

I will keep you guys posted on my successful or usuccessful purchase.

Good luck to you all!

andrelaplume · September 2003

I need info on Honda Extended Warranties. If I can not get this info I won't buy a Honda so I am counting on you Guys! (Hondas have a only a 3/36 base warranty and I know they are suppose to be great cars, nevertheless I want to protect it for at least 7/75K with bumper to bumper protection) This cost me $675 on my Camry. I am replacing my RAV with either a Liberty, Sante Fe or CRV...obviously the CRV is the way to go but the warranty stuff needs to be made clear before I go to a dealer...

1) Is a 7/75 BUMPER TO BUMPER available?
2) What is a fair price to pay?
3) Must it be purchased at the time the car is purchased? Can it be purchased any time during the first 3 years?
4) Must it be purchsed at the dealer where the CRV is purchased?

I hope I have not come off as harsh, I was told if blunt answers to these questions exist, then this is the place to find them!

tidester · September 2003

There are several discussion of them in the Finance, Warranty & Insurance area.

These might help get you started:

Extended Warranties

Comparing extended "warranties"

and When to buy an extended warranty?

Hope that helps!

tidester, host

ambetkatindig1 · September 2003

I just purchased last Sat a Clover Green for $21.5K + tax + tags.

I did everything through email and then went to the dealership for sign-offs and pick-up the SUV.

Thanks for all the help.

isellhondas · September 2003

Remember this...the best warranty is the one you never have to use.

You might want to check out the reliability stats on those others you are looking at.

Since I don't sell warranties I can't answer your questions with total accuracy but a call to your local Honda dealer should do the trick!

rachel88 · September 2003

I started CR-V buying last week. I got an offer for 2003 CR-V LX AWD auto at below invoice ($19,000) with Roof Rack! (plus tax, lic, documentation ~$50) What do you guys think? Is it a good deal? Or do I rather wait a few weeks for the 2004 model?

BTW, what is documentation fee, is it normal?

stever · September 2003

Is what the dealer charges you to have an $8 an hour clerk get all the registration info to DMV every day or week. $50 isn't bad actually; often the dealer tries to charge a couple of hundred dollars for this profit center.

Sometimes a bank fee for obtaining financing is called a document fee too, but I don't think that's what you are referring to here.

Steve, Host

kplmercury · September 2003

Hi all,

I just purchased a silver 2003 EX. I paid 20,940 including the destination charge. I had a great buying experience after researching on the internet for the lowest price. I walked in showed the price and they said they would accept that price plus destination charge which was 460. I think I got a great car at a great price.

cbr600 · September 2003

Is there anyone that has bought their CRV 4wd EX in the bay area? If so, what was your out-the-door price? Do you know what invoice price is? Menlo Honda tried to sell it to me for 22,300 plus tax, liscence, etc. Not a good deal, I don't think. One more thing... what dealership/salesman? Thank you!

bill_in_phx · September 2003

rachel88 said she was offered $19K plus tax, lic, and doc fee of $50. Steve, you said $50 is reasonable. I haven't seen any posts regarding other fees such as advertising. I thought I read on Edmunds web site that adv. fees on the dealer invoice are typically paid by consumer.

Using Edmunds i can figure out a reasonable price to pay for the car. It's all the other fees I might get asked to pay. All I know is tax, lic., and doc.
Apologize if it's clear to others but I'd like to know everything that's reasonable, i.e. what the dealer has to pay for.
Thx - Bill

2013 and earlier-Honda CR-V Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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