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Taffeta White
No extras, just tint.
$16529.14 Selling Price includes the destination charge
+$1033.07 Sales tax (TX)
+$39.24 Dealer's Inventory Tax (Reimburses the dealer for ad valorem taxes on its motor vehicle inventory. Paid from dealer to the tax assessor-collector. Some BS that isn't technically required to be charged to the customer...)
+$33.00 Title
+$75.80 License/Reg
+$23.75 Inspection sticker
+$50.00 Dealer Doc fee/processing fee
=$17784.00 OTD
Dealership is north of Houston (Kingwood) - Sterling McCall Honda
I did a lot of internet shopping and read a lot on these forums and it was very very helpful. I'm extremely happy about my purchase. Most of the dealers here told me a deal for under $18k was ridiculous, but I made it somehow. I had almost every dealer in Houston quote me via email first and went to go see the 4 that had the lowest prices quoted. Make sure to have them disclose if the price they're quoting you includes all fees and list out all the extras that they have added (OTD pricing). I told them over the phone that I was prepared to walk away if I got to the dealership and the prices were above what we discussed for OTD pricing. I got to a couple dealerships and they pulled the "Oops, sorry that's without TT&L..." etc) before and got sick of it. My car had been on the lot for a while, so I guess it was worth it for them to move inventory.
Happy Fit hunting!
$14995(include destination charge $670)
$220 Keyless Remote Entry
Total Out the Door Price is $16K with Tag and Tax and Doc fee.
I got mine in Sunnyvale, CA at Larry Hopkins Honda but I only got such a good deal because they matched (and beat by $100) a price I got from Anderson Honda.
Good luck!, Susan
I am looking for advice regarding the purchase of a 2009 Fit, base model, manual transmission, without any extras, in either blue or red and have read a number of websites to inform myself about holdbacks and other hidden dealer incentives when possible. Have looked at and briefly test driven a Fit with automatic transmission.
1) What would be a reasonable price in the Minnesota area?
2) I have used the services of "Fighting Chance" for my ' 99 Ford Ranger but wondered if others were familiar with it and if I still need Fighting Chance now, ten years later. They supply information on holdbacks and other dealer incentives for most autos but now in the age of the internet, I am uncertain if they or any other car information service is still necessary to solicit multiple email bids from dealers or to deal successfully with a fleet manager.
3) Do you have any tips in writing up an email bid solicitation from Honda dealers?
4) Which of the extra fees (ie dealer's prep) are legitimate and which are not?
From past research, it seems that timing in purchasing a car can help, especially at the end of a sales month, model year, or manufacturer' promotion. I'm in no hurry to buy as my current autos work well.
Any thoughts?
Thank you.
My questions are:
How much of the purchase price do you need to finance to qualify?
and
Can you finance through them, then immediately pay off without penalty?
I would rather pay cash, but 500 bucks is 500 bucks.
I could just finance 1000 and then pay it off. Or I could do the whole amount.
I just don't want to pay a lot of interest to save a few bucks.
Anyone know? Or should I just call a dealership and ask?
Is that so?
Can you hook up a thumb drive via USB and control it on the stereo? Or is it only an Apple friendly appliance?
srimp.
Colin
Palo Alto, CA
price $15888 (thanks susan175)
doc prep fee $55
tax (9.25%) $1474.73
license fee $183
reg/transfer fee $67
CA tire fees $8
Smog Abatement Fee $20.75
Total OTD = $17696.48
The last 3 fees seem like a bunch of BS.
I of course don't have any more info on silver's deal since I do not know him/her, but we did buy a similar Fit from that same dealer (Anderson's, correct?) in October and paid $2,200 more. Oh well. The difference is the economy. When we bought ours the '09s had just come out and did not remain at dealers for more than two hours. Now when I drive by my nearest dealer (Redwood City Honda) I keep seeing the same Fits just sitting there. That being said it's a great car and perfect for our 18 year old daughter (who we bought it for). It now has about 4500 miles on it. Thanks to break in, the power has increased a fair amount and the ride has softened a bit, since it was new.
$18947 vehicle price
$25 electronic vehicle registration
$151.65 doc fee
$1195.23 illinois sales tax (6.25%)
$143.43 city tax (.75%)
$143 license and title
$20605.31 out-the-door total
It was a clean deal with no financing, no accessories, no extended warranty, etc.
I've seen quite a few posts on here claiming that they got the Fit for thousands below invoice. However, you cannot compare 2 deals unless you know everything about every aspect of the deals. For example, maybe the price of the vehicle was $1000 below invoice, but if you bought an extended warranty for $1750, financed at 25% interest, overpaid for some accessories and let the dealer steal your trade-in, then you probably got ripped off. The dealers are geniuses when it comes to hiding the true costs from you but making you feel like you got a good deal.
Anyway, we love the car and are very happy with it. We had considered waiting for a few months, but decided to go ahead and buy since they had what we wanted and agreed to a good price. I've been watching for a few months and no new Fits have come into the local dealer's inventory. I think Honda is running down the inventory here in the USA and diverting these vehicles to other markets where they are more popular. If gas hits 3 bucks per gallon, the Fits will start selling at a premium again like last summer (that is if you can find one).
It includes what might represent Holdovers, calculated into the price.
I used this website for: searching used cars, ceritified cars, new cars, TMV pricing rocks! How to negotiate: PERFECT information. Everyone MUST read the artcle of the "under-cover" salesman. It changed my whole perception of the purchasing/negoitating process. Car salesmen; although fully trained to take advantage of customers, actually deserve a lot of sympathy and respect for what they do. Be nice when they approach you. You can handle them if you study here at Edmunds.com.
I was always amazed at how little bits of advice spared me from making a deal I didn't want. I am a young adult woman- 40ish- who had never purchased a new car by herself. I did all shopping, test-driving and negoiating by myself. I only called my husband once on the cell phone.
I was torn between the 2009 Matrix Sport Level and the Honda Fit 2009 Sport Trim. Although I was completely sincere in my struggle, it made a great negotiating tool for motivating the sales folk in my favor.
I got one saleman to offer me a Toyota Matrix 2009 manual for the match price of a Sport Trim level Honda Fit! ( $3000 discount from INVOICE!!!) I ended up not taking that offer because it demanded I purchase that day. I was hungry and tired, but had brought food(a tip was never negotiate when hungry.)
I ate the food in my car and felt more clear-headed. I turned around and turned that offer down, much to the shock of the salesman. The car he offered did not have a sunroof and it wasn't right. I felt a bit too clostrophobic without the sunroof and the salesman said he couldn't get the Matrix I was looking at with a sunroof. I turned down this amazing offer because it was worth a $3000 loss to be able to just go home and think about things. You should have seen his face! Even though he said the offer was only good that day guess who called me the very next day to try and work it out...........I have learned to never, EVER settle if an offer is "only if you buy today!"
The next day I went to the local Honda agency and was able to test drive the manual Honda Fit 2009. Incredible difference!! I was shocked. I had tested the automatic Fit initially and didn't like the cheapness of the interior, but the ride of the vehicle was also not as smooth as the manual!!. So that day I got a price quote for the manual 2009 Honda Fit. The salesman knew I did research already(I kept making a big show and discussion of all my Edmunds knowledge about prices and features), and that I knew what invoice vs MSRP pricing was, so he didn't pull any tricks. My quote was $273 above invoice, but $400 below the TMV pricing! This price was also $1,500 below MSRP! Then I went home and promptly contacted the Edmunds-recommended premier agency that was 155 miles away to see what they could do(I had been interacting with them all along via the Internet-another tip from the "undercover salesman author.") The premier agency could not beat that price, but only equal it. I knew I had the best deal!!
The one new piece of advice I would add to this wonderful website is about this whole phenomeneon of "building" the new car you want online.
Watch out! For example, I thought I could buy the manual Honda Fit 2009 Sport Trim, in any of the snazzy colors featured on the website. It turns out it is all based on actual production. Sometimes customers create cars that can't be built too. I will have to wait 3-4 weeks for
a RED Honda Fit manual to be built and arrive...thus causing the expense of renting a car for several weeks to be incurred.
I can not describe the thrill of negotiating successfully! I have learned why people do not do research, nor struggle with making comparisons. It was a lot of work and it required doing some math problems. Having the figures handy, figuring the costs, researching the value of products requires time investment, and can make a person's brain hurt. There were times when I had to call local mechanics, auto body shops and other professional experts to get their opinions about
features that salesmen try to put in the deals. It also takes self-discipline to not get swept up into the emotionality and high-pressure some of these sales folk use. I hope this share has helped those who have read. Thank you Edmunds.com!!!
I enjoyed your post very much! Since I am short on time, I want to make a couple of quick responses.
I agree that everyone should read the undercover salesman article. It is completely empowering and puts you in the driver's seat once you understand how the dealershp and salesman are viewing you, what they are thinking about you, and what they are saying about you etc. etc, You might want to post the link for others if you have it handy.
Second, while I am glad you are happy with your deal, I can tell you that the majority of the dealerships used to laugh in your face when you mentioned Edmunds. It is a place that us laypeople go and it really does not give the total picture of the costs of the car, just an illusion so really when you talk about Edmunds, a lot of times it shows how little you know about the industry, not how much you know. Instead, I keep the info in my head by never bring papers or quote Edmunds. They make money I believe from car company ads and so they are not really giving away any secrets. Now, as you can see, Honda is using Edmunds as a tool in the "true cost to own a Fit" ad on TV...
Third, your experience with the Matrix dealer is exactly the positive result from when you are truly in the frame of mind of not being desperate for that one particular make or model (they smell it on buyers when they walk in)...Being open to various makes and models is always good advice as a way to get the best deal in terms of actually seeing who offers the best deal, but it also keeps you from feeling desperate when you are really test driving and sincerely just looking so to speak. It is very liberating to walk in and out of dealerships not feeling like "Oh i have to get a deal on this make and model, I wonder what price i can get" This way it is in your hands...gee i am not sure what I want, I will think about and decide etc, etc...So the big rule is NEVER FEEL DESPERATE when car shopping or it will SHOW!
Fourth, your idea about having food with you is very good too because hunger can mess everything up!
Fifth, I would never try to build a car from scratch since you get your best deals from current inventory, good point!
Sixth, I think a same day deal can be ok if it is your suggestion. I have done that in the past. I tell them I will buy that day if they can give me the price I want...It worked two times for the last two FITS. There were other factors involved but the key element was that they KNEW I was READY and that I was not playing with them...they know when they have a serious buyer. If they sense the buyer is not ready to buy that day, they tend to not offer very good deals sometimes (I am no expert so if I am wrong, i am only speaking from my perspective)
Seventh I agree with your last point about self discipline and not getting caught up in the emotion. It is important to be friendly to make it an enjoyable phone call, email, or visit but it is also important to tell yourself you will not get caught up in emotion which is why I have said in past postings that it helps me to know what the car is worth to me and have a number that they need to get to and if they do not get to that number, I try again somewhere else but by standing your ground and setting a rule for yourself, you cannot get caught up in something that you are sorry for later.
Finally, there is an overstock of FITS so while you did a great job and i hate to even dampen your celebration, you have to understand that your research combined with the current high inventory is what allowed you to get a deal you are pleased with. This situation could not be replicated if we were not a recession.
I got out for 17000 for my 09 sport Auto...pure LUCK!!!! timing is everything.
The main thing is that you are now comfortable and know how to buy a car and so next time if we are not in a recession, your skills will serve you well b/c you will need to find the person who wants to sell you a car that month more than someone else!
thanks for the post!
sue
The 5-7% number is listed in Edmunds.com website under "Tips for Buying a New Car." The number $5000 is approximate( a knowledgable friend of mine tossed it at me one day in conversation) and as I stated in my post, I wasn't claiming it was accurate. I was inviting others who might know for absolute certainty to share. I do think it is a GREAT question to ask and consider. Just exactly how much profit are these corporations making off of consumers? I think it is obsecene that car salesmen often work 50-60 hours per week , not even receiving an hourly wage and get small "bonuses" when the corporation is making a killing on each sale. And buyers should be intensely aware about this whole "holdback" issue when negotiating for the purchase of a new car. Don't ever feel guilty about asking for $500 below invoice as a starting point for negotiations.
If you want to vent your anger or frustration about corporations making obscene profits start with big oil companies like Exxon Mobil and go from there. American Honda either directly or indirectly employs a lot of people in this country and we need Honda and car companies like it to stay profitable for a better U.S. economy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/business/global/29honda.html
For some reason you are invested in protecting Honda. I think it is totally fair to ask the questions I am asking. Don't think I haven't noticed the obsenity of oil companies, AIG, etc. All corporations employ people as it pleases them. At any moment they could bail and go abroad. Usually it happens when profits are at a premium. Corporations are fair-weather friends. Also consider all the dirty low-down tricks sales departments do to get people to spend more than they can afford, or trick them into buying cars just because it needs to get off the lot. Ther is a lot of pressure at many agencies on sales staff to MAKE THAT SALE..customer be darned.
My ultimate goal is to use the car as little as possible. Or not even at all. Fossil fuel won't last much longer. Our generation will get through...probably around 2100 no more fossil fuel. The world will really be in a pickle then and we will have destoryed a great deal of the paradise we have been given.
This is my final comment on the subject. I never really meant to get off on a tangent like this given the subject matter of this forum but you seem to reject our free market system and it just provoked this type of response from me. My comments are not meant to offend you in any personal way but I simply do not share your views on how our free enterprise system should work. As an educated consumer, you always have the option of not buying a particular product or going to a competitor if it pleases you. Don't begrudge people and corporations who make a lot of money. Hard working people and their enterprises are what has helped make this country great.
Hey I came here to see about the fit and I see these crazy writings that forced me to have to register and log in.
And the oil companies are not rolling in the dough, they make 8 cents on the dollar. Wal-mart by comparison makes 4, although last year, 3.3. A well run auto company probably makes about 10 cents on the dollar. If you want evil, look no farther than Credit card companies, 20 cents on the dollar, of course, they also are not putting a gun to your head to use their product.
So yes when oil prices and gas prices spike, Oil companies make more total money, yet their profit margin stays at around 8%. If last year they spiked their profit margin to 20%, then I would join you in protest.
And as far as fossil fuel, while we may not be using gas as we know it today, our cars will be running on something very much like gas, be it bio-diesel or some other manufactured product, for a very long time. The energy punch of gas and diesel just blows everything else out of the water at the moment.
Anyway, please people tell us the deals you got, because I see used fits going for what some of your are paying new and that is important information in my book.
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$16,264 vehicle price (including destination charges)
$569 tax (2.5 % AL state tax, 0.75 % city tax, 0.75 % county tax = 3.5 % total)
$16.50 title fee
$149.50 documentation fee
$16,989 out-the-door total
I did not finance through the dealership and no extended warranty or service was added to the price. I contacted 4 dealers in the region through the Edmund's quote system. Fortunately, my local dealer gave the best price. They found the exact car that I wanted (even color) from another dealership in the state and got it for me.
That's very close to the Edmund's TMV price. I'm pleased considering that I didn't haggle and the salesperson was very friendly and low pressure.
I ended up with Grainger Honda. I would recommend Hughes Honda, which Edmunds.com lists as a premiere agency. I interacted with them via internet and phone calls. They are about 155 miles away and they could only match my best offer from Grainger, not better it, so I ended up with Grainger Honda. Hughes has excellent customer service and prices.
Price; $15,500
Gov't fees: 276.15
Tax: 1298.18 (8.25%)
Doc: $55
Accessories: $180.51 - wheel locks, bumper applique
OTD Price $17,310.44
Thanks, K
Anyone know when it starts?
Any speculation on whether they will discount fits?
Now thats nice... all I need is to get an OTD of 17,500 to make the total sale 13K.
Anybody getting these deals in the Boston area?
Out the door at $15,200. Sales tax here is 7.75%.
Now thats nice... all I need is to get an OTD of 17,500 to make the total sale 13K.
Anybody getting these deals in the Boston are
Does a 00 Jeep Cherokee (clunker) have an epa rating of less than 18mpg? Is that supposed to be from the epa sticker (city) that came originally from it? Is the gov't going to release a list of the (approved) models?, or will just websites like edmunds (that go back some years for info ) apply?
Since they are only expecting 250,000 cars to be junked and a subsidy released, (out of perhaps 5 million new cars sold the next 6 mo), many may find their clunker unqualified. I believe the old EPA stickers that gave unrealistically high mileage estimates apply.
Good luck
--jjf
I looked up the EPA website for the new gas mileage standards & my 00 Jeep gets a combined 16 MPG... sad but makes it a qualifier... the Fit combines for 30 so its a go most likely
The trade in value per KBB of my car would be $1,300...
So a 3K subsidy to buy a fit would be very handy
I have read some interesting posts in this thread. I am about to purchase my first ever new car and have been thoroughly impressed with the Fit.
Has anyone here, made a purchase in North Carolina (Raleigh/Durham) area?
I did a test drive on this Sport Automatic Blackberry Pearl yesterday and loved it. I went to Crown Honda for that and they quoted me a price of $17,990 OTD price (incl. 99$ pinstripe price??, 3% sales tax, $399 doc fees, $75 tag fees, $250 rebate on preferred employer and $500 rebate if I chose Honda financing). I do not recall the exact invoice price, since I did not get a printed itemized list. But I recall it to be $16,550.
Does a price of $17,000 OTD sound reasonable to start the negotiation? Any experience with this would be great. Since I do not want to low ball or get duped either.
Thanks a lot:)
In MA its unlikely to get 17K OTD though
This one dealer mentioned that Honda is a car with limited mark-up. What does this mean?
He said that "I am selling you the car for our cost. The only profit for the dealership is a portion of the documentation fee after we pay the ladies who handle titling and registering your vehicle. I will save you additional $75 and sell you the vehicle for $17,850otd"
One dealer gave me the pricing as follows:
Price: 16944
Sales tax-3%--508.32
$398 dealer documentation fee
$74 for a new tag
Total OTD-17,924.32
With another dealer close to the city, I received the following quote:
Discounted Selling Price: $16,116
Freight $670 (Honda's Destination Charge, Not Ours)
Tax $483.48 (if you are trading you will pay less taxes due to the tax credit difference)
Tags $188 (we take care of your hard plates, reg, title)
Processing $399
= ON THE ROAD = $18,354
Looks like none is coming below 18,000 OTD. So far, all my attempts at asking price of 17,000$ is going in vain. Anyone can guide me how much should I begin to offer them?
I'm going to hold a very firm line at 17,500K OTD...
Keep us posted, Thanks for writing