Honda Element Prices Paid and Buying Experience

easyrider5 · March 2005

Bought an 05 EX AWD Auto in Black today. After emailing 5 dealers ( I told them the two best prices is where I would visit), I got two to bid a decent price (around invoice or $20,584). Then visited both twice. Final answer from one was $19,923 plus $100 Doc fees. So, it ended up at just over $20,000 plus tax. They basically ate the destination charge ($515) and the holdback ($652 or 3% of MSRP) and had to trade with another dealer to get my color. Being the end of the month was mentioned several times as well. The current Honda financing of 1.9% was a great edge against other brands too. For 60 months my loan ($19K) will only cost about $900. Total cost with tax and financing for 5 years will be around $22350.

daft_punk · March 2005

T'was very good ! Would you mind telling us where you landed that deal ?

The daft one

easyrider5 · March 2005

Yes, the deal was with Brown Honda, Toledo, Ohio

jschaffer180 · March 2005

autoextcab,

Vehicles are transported by freight when they come from the factory to the dealership, but having been a car salesman not too long ago, I know for a fact that when doing a dealertrade the cars are typically driven from one dealership to the other and it's not completely uncommon for someone to reject the vehicle afterwards. Honestly, if you like the car, I say go for it.

punkrockpaul · March 2005

i traded in an '01 vw jetta wolfsburg edition, i didnt like it, edmunds true market value gave trade in value at $10,050.00; dealer gave me $10,400.00 for trade in and final purchase price of the element was $18,700.00! Silver EX AWD, 120 miles on it! I'd like to see that deal beat!

lumbar · April 2005

I only checked this for an EX AWD auto, but it looks to me like Edmunds has incorrectly cited a $22,240 MSRP for the vehicle before adding destination, when that number should include destination. I suspect the same mistake may have been made for the invoice price as well, but I'm not positive about that yet. Haven't checked the other trims but it couldn't hurt..

mickjazz · April 2005

hi

my wife and i are going to look at an element, same model as yours, also at west hills honda in bremerton. same price. we are looking for a sunset orange and they have two in stock right now plus the low financing.

everything worked out well - just two phone calls from the east side of the sound where we live.

only glitch which couldn't be helped was we had planned (hoped, thought) that maybe we could register and license the car in utah where we also have residence and thereby get a lower sales tax of 6.25% instead of seattle area of 8.9% - 9.3%.

but they said the state wouldn't let someone pay the tax in another state even if they have residence there - IF they have a residence in washington too.

we are purchasing another vehicle from dave smith in kellog, idaho and there it's no problem i guess since we have no residence in idaho.

but it's still a good deal and convenient for us since the only other dealers that offered similar price were in salem/beaverton or salt lake city which would involve a lot more driving and time too.

and the west hills dealership is very professional unlike the other dealers i talked with in the seattle area proper.

mike

mike

madison26 · April 2005

anyone know of any dealers in FLA that have an 05 Element EX manual, extremely important for the manual. i can't seem to find any that have anymore than 1 or 2 on the lot. please let me know and your experience with the dealer if you have purchased from them. thanks in advance

goofycat1 · April 2005

I plan to purchase an Element (manual transmission EX) in early 2006. The AWD is about $1,500 or so more than the 2WD EX. Anyone have any advice as to which driveline is demonstrably better, gets better mileage, etc. I may get into snow in the winter, but I live in California near the coast and have not really had problems with previous front-wheel-only drive cars in slushy conditions. Any comments?

Barry in Santa Rosa, CA

andyman1970 · April 2005

Barry, if you can wait, then I recommend you pursue a 2006 EX AWD as they should be available in very late 2005. IThe AWD is well worth it, and if you're a shrewd negotiator you can get the car for the same $ as the 2WD. I was able to do this recently with my purchase of a 2005 EX AWD. Check prior posts for my rock bottom pricing.

More importantly, if you're comfortable following OEM instructions, I recommend these options from handaaccessories.com:

Side Rails - 8 bolts per side
Roof Rack - 6 bolts per side
Carpeted Mats - 3 screws
Cargo Mat - no additional parts
Bumper Guard
Wheel Locks

It would've cost 2-3x more if I had my dealer put these on. I had all of the above installed on my car within an hour.

Happy Shopping!

Andy

goofycat · April 2005

Andy, thanks for the info, but why do you recommend waiting for the 2006? Are they upgrading the Element model in any way? BTW, I didn't plan on a purchase until early 2006 anyway. Also, thanks for the accessories website. I will check it out. Someone recommended that accessories could be purchased on e-Bay for far less than the prices offered by the Honda Corporation. Is this true? If so, I will be certain to wait until then.

As far as the 2WD vs. the 4WD: Why do you recommend the 4WD (or.."all wheel drive") over the 2WD? Since I live in California and don't drive in the snow, save for a possible occasional trip to ski in the Sierra, how would I benefit from the 4WD option. It costs more, and the brochure states that the gas mileage drops off by 2 miles per gallon. I could see adding the 4WD option if I lived in wet/snowy weather all the time, or if I planned to do some off-roading, but such is not the case. Also, is it possible that if I ever sell the vehicle, I would get a better price because more people want the 4WD option? Or, does the 4WD just handle better?

Thanks, Barry in California

mobigd · April 2005

I am due to pick up our 05 Element tomorrow. Here is the deal; I wanted a 5 speed but they couldn't find a cargo khaki one but they could get an automatic. With a roof rack, rear air deflector and splash guards it was 21,200.00 out the door. Now with an automatic they are saying add 800.00 and I figured 737.00 is invoice. Also they said they would sell me a Extended Warranty for 1,050.00 but I have since found where I can get the exact same thing for 940.00 from a dealer in OH. So I am looking at 21,960.00 options included out the door plus the warranty. I am military so I don't pay sales tax. They are giving me the options for 648.00 installed. What do you think, good deal or not?

shnappy4 · May 2005

Hi, all. I'm glad I found this...

For some reason it seems like everyone's invoice price across the US is different. I know the invoice in and around Metro Detroit is about $20,585 including destination. Add to that the $170 doc fee, tax, title and plate, and you're looking at a little over $22,000 - IF you get an invoice price. My question is whether or not it's actually fair to ask for less than invoice. Yeah, we know the dealer is making money regardless, but I feel bad asking for less than invoice. The markup on Honda vehicles is only about $2,000, which doesn't seem unreasonable. What's the "hold back" that you guys are talking about?

I hope I don't sound like an idiot, but I guess I'm just really in the dark about what's fair, to everyone involved. Thanks for the info in advance.

lumbar · May 2005

Invoice, MSRP, and destination charges on the Element should be consistent. There may be other fees that are variable, including "doc fees" which will almost always have some dealer profit in them. What you end up paying should be the product of supply and demand in a given area and also will vary across the country. I think you can rest assured that if a dealer agrees to sell you a vehicle for a particular price, there is something in it for the dealer, if only meeting certain sales goals or getting a car off the lot. As a result, I would not feel bad about a particular price, although reasonable people can differ on how much effort you should put in to attain the "best" price. Assuming the truth of other postings, Elements can be had for somewhat below invoice in some places, but may not be in your area. It's a fairly low demand vehicle anywhere, and I certainly don't think invoice price on up to a couple of hundred over invoice is unfair to either party if its the vehicle you want. Personally, I would not pay much more than that.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, while the Element doesn't have many options, it does have "accessories" that, especially when installation is taken into account, can vary a lot in price from dealer to dealer. For example, if you're considering buying fog lamps or a roof rack--two fairly common accessories--when you purchase the vehicle, you have to be sure you're not overpaying for those (and their installation) in order to subsidize a lower purchase price. Good luck.

loconyc · May 2005

Where is this dealer that you got such a great offer? you have name of who helped you also?

loconyc · May 2005

I have been internet shopping and lowest price 2005 Black Element EX 4wd Automatic.
so far the lowest price i got was $20,485.00 that includes Destination charges($515.00)
at Mt. Kisco honda, here in New York.
The Tax, doc, and dmv fees are not included. IM sure the Tax is going to be like $1,600.00. tax here in NY is a killer!
Anyways that price i got from them im going to show it to my Local Dealer and see if they could beat it and get a better price, which im sure they will.

I just have a Question for you all...... Does the 05 E , EX come with the alarm?? if not im going to haggle for that too. and later on ill buy the accessories online either from ebay or handa-accessories.com

reuel3 · May 2005

While memebers are allowed to post the name of the dealership, names and/or contact information for salespeople is prohibited. Please do not ask for or provide such information as those posts will be deleted.

Thanks!

valemon · May 2005

Hey, where in the US are you? I am just starting to haggle and don't know where to go. I was offered an LX 2 AWD for what you paid out the door. YUCK!

frankrip · May 2005

I'm a happy camper with my new Rallye Red EX 2WD manual. Couldn't be happier. Best car buying experience of my life with the folks at Woodland Hills Honda in CA. Price before taxes and license $18300. Never want to park it.

sib715 · May 2005

Shopped on internet and used Sam's Club, Costco and CarsDirect. First 2 were a waste , CarsDirect led me to local dealer who agreed over phone to Carsdirect price, which was invoice plus destination plus dealer doc fee of $499. I refused and would buy at $20000 plus tax and title and 1.9% finance rate, it took him 2 minutes to agree, it is the end of the month and I pick up Sunburst Orange tomorrow. It also had accessories of $750 and they waived that as well, although I'm not sure they add those until after the deal is made, I'll know tomorrow. Honda Mall of Georgia, northside of Atlanta

andyman1970 · May 2005

I am in the Chicagoland area and would recommend doing business with McGrath Honda in Elgin.

Keep haggling - you'll get your price.

Andy

andyman1970 · May 2005

Short answer is no.

bluewolf · June 2005

Are any of you Element owners having problems with chronic broken/cracked windshields? I guess it's extremely common on Elements (do a Google and see all the hits). It's a big reason I'm hesitant to buy one, otherwise looks like a very useful vehicle!

lumbar · June 2005

IMO, the angle of the windshield probably has something to do with this, but I'd check any reports you see to find out what year vehicle is being discussed. It's my impression that the problems were significant in '03 but have lessened (presumably due to an alteration ?) to the point where it's close to a non-issue in '05.

Kirstie_H · June 2005

Hi bluewolf,
In this discussion, most members are seeking pricing information or which dealerships are good. To ask those who already own the vehicle what kind of experience they're having, visit our regular Honda Element discussion, and owners will be happy to give you feedback.

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Host, Future Vehicles & Smart Shopper discussions

mortomozoid · June 2005

3 days ago I was in Grand Forks , North Dakota and in the middle of the mall was a brand new Element automatic AWD with $ 19,900 written on the windshield. About a month previously I went to look at an identically equipped Element here in Winnipeg, Canada and the sticker was 31,000 and change.(Canadian). According to my calculation with the Canadian dollar being worth 80 cents U.S. the multiplier of the American price should be 1.25 which translates to a Canadian equivalent value of $24,875, so therefore Honda rips off Canadians to the tune of about 6,000 dollars per vehicle.Is the Element built in the U.S., and if it is the excuse that Canada has a 6.1% duty on non NAFTA cars cannot be used to explain away some of this ripoff, or am I all wet?

atlgaxt · June 2005

For one thing, $19,900 is not the MSRP, it was some type of a sale price, so you are not comparing apples to apples.

jimmr · June 2005

I just bought a new 2005 Element LX 4WD w/ AT in Cargo Khaki.
I paid $17,995 including destination fee. No trade-in.

csmith6 · June 2005

Honda doesn't rip off Canadains. Automakers have very large FX exposures that they hedge years in advance. The simple fact is that the US dollar is back down to historical lows (3 years ago was 1.64 now 1.235). As a result Canadians can and should be buying Honda Elements in the USA to save money.

purduealum91 · June 2005

$19,933 with dest from Wilde Honda in Milwaukee. Thats what they quoted me. If you look at this, the manual should be $19,200 or thereabouts. Prolly the best deal out there right now.

Kirstie_H · July 2005

A reporter is hoping to talk with someone who purchased a European, Japanese or Korean crossover vehicle since January 2005. Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com before July 2, 2005 with your daytime contact info, the make and model of your crossover and a few words describing why you chose it.

kah4 · July 2005

18,700 including all fees/taxes/etc... out the door. Decent price? No options were added to the car-basic LX. Help please!

chris_altec · July 2005

I am in Dallas, TX.

The qoute for a 2005 Element LX 2WD Auto is $18,227 drive out qoute (includes TT&L and other fees). Dealer says that it is $17,000 and the fees are $1227.

Is this a good deal?

If anyone recently bought one in Dallas, please email me and share with me your experiences

K.

tdiblues · July 2005

Just got an e-quote from a dealership here: "sale price" for one they have on the lot (the one I've been test driving... have an ethical question too) 2005 EX Manual $20,178, including fees.

Of course I plan to negotiate for better, but I am curious about reactions from others here...

Also - I've met with a rep at this same dealership twice & test drove this & the CR-V. I then used an internet pricing service & this dealership was one of the 4 that responded. What are the ethics of this? I now have 2 reps at the dealership.

Thoughts appreciated!

TDI Blues

tdiblues · July 2005

$19,846 for the vehicle - including destination & document fees (cost of dealer invoice). Added security system installed & managed to get carpet mats for free as part of my trade in agreement. Total price was $20,240. Nice experience with Honda Cars of Bellevue. I pick it up on Monday!

ksra · July 2005

I just bought my first Honda, 2004 Element EXS AWD, and I LOVE it. I paid $20,200 (not including tax title, etc) which was about $100 less than dealer invoice. Lorenz Honda in Greenfield MA also gave me $300 above book on my trade (2003 Neon with almost 60,000 miles).

I had shopped other SUVs and went in to test the CRV. I went in on Thursday night to test drive and brought my car in at 8:30 a.m. on Friday for an appraisal. They gave me good numbers but I told them I had to leave on a trip by 10:30-11:00 and I would add about 800 mile to the odometer by Monday. The dealer got the paper work finished, let me borrow a service car to go home and finish packing and I had everything signed and was drivng my new car, washed, tire shine, full tank, out of the lot at 10:45 a.m.!! Absolutely the BEST car buying experience I have ever had.

rollon37 · July 2005

I'm ready to buy a 2005 Element EX AWD with automatic by this Saturday. Best quote so far is $21,800 including over $5,300 in options. I was concerned that the deal I've been negotiating was almost a thousand dollars more than your price. I don't have the money to burn, so can you give me some details on your Element options?

curt3 · July 2005

My brother recently made a deal on a 2005 Honda Element EX AWD in the St. Louis area. He was able to purchase the vehicle at invoice plus a very reasonable document fee (well below $200). Additionally, he had no trade. He was able to do so by dealing directly with the internet sales manager who supposedly makes money based on sheer volume and getting the dealership the end-of-year holdback. Do like a previous post said and check out the inventories at honda.com and then offer invoice plus document fee (but find out what the doc fee is, first since it can vary by several hundreds of dollars). All HONDA dealerships can sell the ELEMENT at invoice plus doc, but many choose not to do so and lose the sale. They simply are not in as much demand as salesmen will lead you to believe.

bug_mobile · July 2005

To my friends at Edmunds.com,

Today (7/30/2005), I went to a Honda dealership in Massachusetts (a big one in Norwood) and bought my new 2005 Honda Element EX AWD model with automatic transmission. After the negociation, my final price was $20,200 + state sales tax (at 5%) + $198 doc fee + $65 some fee. For your information, the list price (MSRP) of the 2005 Element EX AWD w/ auto trans is $22,240. It has just about every thing usesful.

I didn't get any free floor mat or other freebies, though. I did get the 3.9%, 60 months auto loan rate from Honda. Honda offers this rate till Sept 1st.

Now please tell me did I pay too much on the doc fee? How much should it be? I told the dealer I could get the any necessory doc from the government next Monday. So I could save this fee. But, he insisted that it must be done at their dealership. I knew it was a way they to make extra money on me, but I was too tired and just paid them. Thanks for listening.

p.s. on the way home (about 25 miles distance), my first driving impression of this vehicle is good.

However, the front windsheld bins did have blocked some front view (having a blind spot in the front each side). So be careful about this problem, and see if you can get used to it when you consider buying the Element.

moteel · August 2005

Bought one this weekend at Rock Honda in Fontana, CA for $19,992.00 plus T&L.
No pressure, just nice people. good selection for clearance sale, but get internet
quote first.

tdiblues · August 2005

I did not get ANY options other than the security system. I did get them to give me the carpet floor mats as part of my trade-in deal. I plan to acquire accessories from generous family members over several upcoming holidays (birthdays, graduate school graduation, and the regular holidays in December). That helped to save a bundle. Don't forget that an automatic transmission lists at about $800 more than manual - so now I am thinking you are getting a far better deal than what I got! Part of what I ran into is that there isn't that big of a demand for them in my area. Less volume = less room to negotiate.

Good luck! I love driving it!

paulginaz · August 2005

I bought my 2005 EX AWD Automatic at a local dealership in Mesa, Arizona by going through the Sam's Club buying service. My vehicle is Nighthawk Black Pearl and had no options other than what came standard (i.e. no floormats, mud guards, etc..) I paid 19,700 including destination plus a standard $290 documentation fee plus taxes and tags.

folkster · August 2005

i just got mine over the weekend at Norm Reeves Honda in Cerritos. they gave me a pretty good deal (the best i've seen yet) - $19540 + TL, which is about $2700 below msrp. it took a little bit of negotiating, but it was worth it. make sure you get quotes from ALL of your local dealers! this helps your negotiation a whole lot. this website was very helpful for me, and i hope it is for you as well. good luck!! so far, i killed a tank of gas and i got about 18 mpg. not great, but could be worse i guess. be wary of this car's mpg!! other than that, i love it!

hili · August 2005

Hi -

I'm looking for the best deal on an Element in either Mass, New Hampshire, or Vermont- which dealer did you use and where is he? Does anyone else have an invoice-or-better deal? If so, where?

ksra · August 2005

As I posted before I got (new) 2004 Element from Lorenz Honda in Greenfield, MA (close to VT and NH) about a month ago. I paid below invoice b/c it was 2004 and got a VERY generous trade allowance (I had shopped around). All-in-all I got a great deal and had a superior buying experience.

There is a larger volume dealership in Northampton (Lia) but I couldn't even get a dealer to take enough time to let me test drive when I went in. They were having a sale and were very busy on the day I was there, but even so . . .

I believe that their sale is over now, though.

diego4 · August 2005

Hi all- great forum, thanks for all the info. I'm in the market for a new EX AWD, preferably in Cargo Khaki (will also consider black or magnesium). Some of you have posted prices that are really rock bottom- good job negotiating! Can you please offer some advice for negotiating the deal? What -exactly- did you say/do to get these deals? Did you also have a trade in vehicle or something? I'm located in Western PA, and "will travel for a good deal"- anyone willing to post their best deals with Dealership name for me? I'm a recently-graduated-former-student who has more time than money, a brand new job, and is looking for a great deal with cheap financing. I'd love to be able to walk into a dealer and say "My friend .... got their E here for ...$, I want the same deal!".
Thanks in advance!
-Diego

pjkdog · August 2005

Hey all! I'm in Pittsburgh. So, diego4, I have been hunting for the same model as you have although, different colors. I have a quote right now of around 21,000. from one dealership (I belive it was Honda Village), but I think it could be had for less. Let me know what you come up with, and I'll keep hunting around too.

ralphwiggum · August 2005

Just started looking for the 2005 Element LX model in the bay area. What's the best price anyone has gotten? Should I wait for the 2006 model? Thanks for all responses.

diego4 · August 2005

Hi all- I finalized my deal this Saturday at a local Pittsburgh Honda dealer (Shadyside). The experience was "OK"- pretty much went as expected. I paid 1% over invoice on a Magnesium 5spd EX AWD (19332 x 1.01) which is about 19.5 plus fees and taxes. Destination fee is $515, taxes are 7% here, and I paid 132$ for combined docs (a new plate, title and license fees). I have (much) less than perfect credit, but was able to get 4.9% financing at 60mos through Honda Financial with 10% down. Overall, I considered it a very "fair" deal for both parties. Car came with splash guards and a subtle grey pinstripe, but otherwise no extras.

In retrospect there were 2 things that hit me: 1) The dealer was able to get me better financing than I was able to get independently. I initially went through HFS online and got a "pre-approval". I would NOT recommend this to anyone else. The dealer got me a better deal by calling HFS directly. 2) I did a LOT of research on different vehicles before I bought. While the Element fit all my criteria, I wasn't convinced that it was THE vehicle that I wanted. After this weekend of mountain-biking and running errands, I couldn't be happier! If you are looking but on the fence as I was, ask your dealer to let you drive one for a weekend.

Final thought: the 5spd is a lot of fun- very peppy compared to the auto, and has excellent gear spacing/ratios so you're never having to push the car to get power. 21mpg so far, and loving it!

Currently looking for accessories at Handa Automotive.com... anyone getting things cheaper elsewhere?

chapman37 · August 2005

I am looking to test drive a honda element, however I am 6'5" and I am concerned the vehicle will not offer ample leg room. CAn anyone tell me if the honda Element offers ample legroom for the driver???

Honda Element Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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