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Honda Fit Prices Paid and Buying Experiences

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Comments

  • daveskisdaveskis Member Posts: 2
    MD has a sales tax of 6%. Dealer fees, probably close to yours, tags, title> Dang. How in the world do some of you get OTD for <$18K? I'm thinking I will be lucky to get the salesman to agree to $17, 400. Am I way off base? All the dealers here have 20 or 30 on the lot, and it's the dreaded end of the month AND soon end of the model year. I should be in the drivers seat, literally. ;)
  • jojobarjojobar Member Posts: 12
    I summarized my experience here: http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0a848d/2273#MSG2273.

    I got the OTD at $17996 (or something close). I think it is a matter of finding the right dealer. It might be easier now because of the end of the month.
  • cruiserbruisercruiserbruiser Member Posts: 14
    I know we've been asked to supply the OTD price, but absent the details (tax, fees, etc.), I find it misleading as these extra costs vary greatly from state to state.

    As for Honda's "clearance prices", I think the gov should charge them with false advertising. Honda is using their ads to create the impression they are discounting their vehicles. The dealers aren't dealing because Honda's "Operation Conquest" is all about taking advantage of the consumer during the CARS program. I went to a dealer that had three Fits (twb color, base model, auto) side -by-side. Best offer was $200 off MSRP. At this point in the model year, this is not a clearance price. It stinks!
  • deadsignsdeadsigns Member Posts: 10
    I've been keeping track of FIT Sport Autos for 3 months and this month is the most expensive because they don't have the $500 dollar dealer incentive. The prices i got all over was about 18200 otd 15800+670+taxes+title+docs in may and june.

    I didn't budge on the 18200 and i'm not gonna budge on a higher 18700 this month in this economy.

    There's no reason we shouldn't be getting deals in this economy especially on cars that have been sitting around for a year.
    We just need to hold out as there are ton's of fits left.
  • bikeguy64bikeguy64 Member Posts: 5
    Totally agree OTD means nothing, especially without researching different states sales tax.

    If you really want a cheap price, you'll never get it while in the dealership. You'd need to email and say you are going with the cheapest quote. If the local dealers are too much, you need to consider driving or flying in if you don't have a clunker.

    Just for piece of mind, email Hennessey in Atlanta about a quote on the car you want and see what they say.
  • jojobarjojobar Member Posts: 12
    While asking for the price quote, I selected a color and trim and I specifically asked them to line item each component of the price.

    In the email I mentioned that I want to buy it in this week and have no time to negotiate so I will go with the cheapest.

    When you get the quote ask them (if needed call) to find out what are the manufacturer installed options already put by the dealer. Otherwise get ready for a surprise when you get to the dealership! I think honest dealership will not install their own options (relatively honest that is! because no dealer is completely honest IMHO)
  • mudhouseholdmudhousehold Member Posts: 22
    If I were you, I would not have taken the key. Yes, your car is as clunker qualified as it can be, but still, nobody knows exactly what kind of hurdles are there in this whole process. I don't think it's reasonable to expect the dealers to eat the loss if for any reason, the C4C application cannot be approved.

    I'm in a very similar situation as you -- we have a qualified clunker and we are purchasing a 2009 Honda Fit Sport that will give us an improvement way beyond 10mpg. We went through all the paperwork. Now, we are just waiting for the C4C to go through to write out the check and get the key from our dealer. If the C4C does not go through, we can pull out of the deal without any obligation. I think our dealer is doing the right thing by holding on to the car.
  • brickbradfordbrickbradford Member Posts: 14
    Yes, I shouldn't have but I did. They should have explained in detail about the possible problems. They didn't. It occurred to me two days after leaving the dealership that I may have been the victim of misinformation, and on purpose at that. They wanted whatever deal at whatever cost, including keeping my check so I couldn't back track. They cashed the main check with my payment, but did not cash the check with the $4500 that my trade in brought with the Cash for Clunkers program. They haven't attempted to, so far. I put a stop to it anyway. If something goes wrong with the voucher approval I guess there'll be hell to pay, but if they want their car back and to undo the deal they have to give me my old clunker back just as it was, and all the money I've already put into the new car, including insurance, gasoline for trips back to the dealership, and additional equipment (like front end bra/bug deflector and car seat covers). It's unfortunate that they chose to act stealthily. In Florida we have laws to protect seniors, and I am a senior. I, in good will, went to buy a car and, according to all the paperwork signed by the dealer and by me (I even transferred the title of my clonker to the dealer), I bought a new Fit, in good faith, whether they acted in good faith or not.
  • brickbradfordbrickbradford Member Posts: 14
    At least you know that the form is called C4C. My dealer wouldn't explain anything, even when, after the original transaction, I kept calling them for explanations of what might go wrong. They kept evading the question. They just won't talk about it. So to hell with them: if something goes wrong they're going to have to respond for their misleading way of transacting the deal: I get my old car back, they get their new car back, and they return all the moneys to me. They should have been up front. They were not, and are still not.
  • jojobarjojobar Member Posts: 12
    Maybe you need to tell the dealer about the stop payment. That way they will be more motivated to get your CFC through asap.

    Just a thought!
  • ruziruzi Member Posts: 2
    I went in to Niel Huffman Honda in Indiana, a dealer that had treated me well before and offered good pricing in the past. I intended to buy a Fit and an Odyssey today. They were not the same dealer as in the past. The sales manager told me that his cost on the Fit Sport was over $19K, and the only way to break even after the rebate was to charge 1500 for floor mats and wheel locks.

    They never would disclose what all the tax license etc fees where and why the payments were way over what it should have been for a loan on the amount they were charging. They also expected a thousand cash down payment, but never showed where that went into the calculation. Watch out for crooks like this who are taking advantage of the junker program.

    He was too stupid to think about the deal on the Odyssey and all of my service business on my current business they lost. They are greedy because they are busy this week and don't think they need my business. There are other dealers out there and other brands with much more agressive pricing.
  • jojobarjojobar Member Posts: 12
    Yes they not only lost your business but also from those who are in Indiana and reading this thread!
  • brickbradfordbrickbradford Member Posts: 14
    Several of the dealers I worked with when looking for my Fit kept trying to charge FL sales tax on the $4500 cash for clunkers part. This dealer I closed the deal with did not charge it, so those others kept jacking up the OTD price by collecting sales tax that was unnecessary. By the way, on the cash for clunkers deal where they asked me for the $4500 extra check in case the dealer didn't get the money from the government, I put a stop to that check. A lawyer advised me that since I have all the signed paper work completing the deal, that extra check was unnecessary as hell, and I own the car. How the dealer gets their money is up to them. I sent the dealer a certified letter recapping how I even offered to undo the deal, how they never told me the alternatives and concerns, and if my trade in would be returned to me or not. they just evaded answering. I think the deal will go through any way, but I will never do business with that dealer (although I got the car for $18300 OTD, in spite of the $600 plus dealer admin fee they charge here in FL), which is what I wanted. The deceptive tactics on closing, actually after the closing had been consummated, are not good. When they delivered the car it was missing the floor mats they had told us came with the car. The salesman tried to sneak out of providing them, but we made them find floor mats and install them. The price of floor mats something over $100. I don't remember the exact price. They want, at that dealership, over $500 to order and install a center consoler with arm rests for both driver and passenger. That's not a good way to do business. I'll never go back there to buy any cars in the future. The dealership is located near Lakeland, in Wesley Chapel.
  • scottc3scottc3 Member Posts: 137
    I've posted a few comments on pricing in the San Jose, CA area. Some have posted $15,888 as the base price for a FIT sport - and I have confirmed this, and it's a one of a kind, Purple / Orange car that has been on the lot over 120 days - the dealer is just dumping this. All other cars are $1000 more for the base price (approx). I have been to every dealer now, twice. Most are now holding the MSRP as the base price if you use Cash for Clunkers. This makes no sense to me, but that's what's being done. The good news, I don' t need the car right away and I will wait until I get at least $16,200 as the base price, or start looking at a Toyota Matrix - which I have now test driven, and it's a nice car too.

    Anderson, Palo Alto, is not doing C for C (as of this date) as they are not sure they will get paid - their loss I guess.

    This is a frustrating experience.. I go in, offer Cash, and no one takes me up on the offer.. they all want $1000 more than others on this forum have paid.

    Good luck on your purchase.. mine is going difficult.

    Scott
  • brickbradfordbrickbradford Member Posts: 14
    Was reading today that dealers are in near panic in a lot of places: they've allowed--as in my case--customers to complete a deal for a Fit and delivered the new car, kept the old trade in, and now they're sweating (and so are owners, in case of surprises) the government paying them the $4500 or $3500 trade in allowances. In some cases, they fear having to undo deals. Some buyers do not have a clause for undoing the transaction, from the dealers, and in some cases such clauses have been put in.

    I noticed in my area the orange Fits have a minus $62 discount built into the price (Edmunds.com). I guess people don't like that color.

    What a mess with the clonker transactions, but as usual dealers try not to lose the deal and end up pushing it through and thus mislead customers with good will into something that may become totally unraveled.
  • scottc3scottc3 Member Posts: 137
    Can you even imagine if the government did not pay the dealers on the C for C deals? It would hit the news instantly, never again allowing any such govenrment program - so it's going to happen as planned. Let's not put the fear of speculation in the thinking here, scaring more people away from things like this.

    I dealers will get paid so there is no reason, other than they want more profit, for them to charge more for a car using the C for C deal, than a regular deal.

    sc
  • wballwball Member Posts: 2
    Count me as one of the luckier ones. For 10 days or so I had negotiated via the internet with multiple dealers and received several OTD quotes of 18,200 for a Sport Automatic. On July 23rd I accepted an offer via the internet from one of the few dealers willing to hold an existing car for me until I could get home and use the C4C program the following week. They charged 16,775 for the car and destination transportation. Added $250 document fees and subtracted $100 scrap credit (they used a standard $150 scrap value of which the dealer keeps $50). I had to pay the 7% Ohio sales tax on the resulting $16,925 (Ohio is one of the states that makes you pay sales tax prior to deducting the C4C rebate). Then they added a $25.50 title fee for an OTD price of $18,135. After applying the $4500 C4C rebate I wrote a check for $13,635. I believed when I made the deal I could have gotten a lower price but I went with a dealer I was comfortable with and who would hold a specific car till the program started and I got back in town. On July 29th I walked in, processed the paperwork, paid, and drove away in my new Fit. No arguments to get some scrap value and no contract conditions regarding C4C working. No pressure for add-on options or extended warranty. Most pleasant buying experience ever. I count myself as lucky given some of the posts I have been seeing lately.
  • brickbradfordbrickbradford Member Posts: 14
    Happy for you it went well.
  • brickbradfordbrickbradford Member Posts: 14
    Granted---that's the thing most likely to happen, but to CYA by asking to hold my check indefinitely, without explaining alternatives, what would happen if they didn't get paid, etc., was unethical at least, and possibly grounds for legal action if it comes to where they cashed that check while still holding my trade in (which was not a real clunker: it ran super well, had 110,000 miles, was forever kept garaged, and I traded it in simply because after 110,000 miles repairs were going to begin being needed, and the difference in mileage 18 mpg vs 35 mpg) financially warranted the trade; my old car would have never been worth $4500 in a trade in---so the only reason I went ahead with a new car was to take advantage of that fact). Dealers will be paid, I agree with the qualifier "most likely." There is no reason for ANY dealer to invent ways of holding on to money from a customer they're not entitled to. The least they can do is inform the consumer, withhold the delivery of the new car, and wait for the deal to be consummated then. But no, as usual, some of them--many of them--have to resort to trickery and misleading ways.
  • 07_ls46007_ls460 Member Posts: 4
    hi Scott,
    sorry to hear about your frustrations. we got a silver Fit Sport AT for $15888 base price (i posted the details on a previous post). it was on the lot for less than a day and had 3 miles on it when we drove off the lot. i guess timing is everything. good luck.
  • scottc3scottc3 Member Posts: 137
    Has anyone else purchased a FIT SPORT for a base price of $15,888?

    $16,775 seems to be a pretty good deal these days.

    sc
  • garyokegaryoke Member Posts: 7
    best i've gotten in chicago area is 16,779 including destination for fit sport AT. online i havent gottten anyone to budge from that price...
  • bottlefreakbottlefreak Member Posts: 4
    I don't understand why anyone would ever go for the sport package at almost three thousand above base. I did a quick search online and you can add almost every feature for a total of 1000 dollars by going through other channels. I bought a five speed fit base today. The dealer had already added splash guards and pin striping, it came with the ipod jack and abs package. We drove it off the lot for 16,500, after having them remove the pinstripes. I didn't even haggle that hard. He first shot me an out the door price of 17,700, I went home, called several dealerships, within a sixty mile radius and had a 16,800 out the door quote in twenty minutes. I called my dealer back and said I had a quote of 16,500 out the door. He put me on hold for two minutes and came back saying, we'll do that. I probably could have haggled another 500 out but I figured heck with it. I lucked out that they had the color we wanted. We took it for a fifty mile drive tonight and averaged 34.8, that was on curvy hilly roads with lots of small towns in between, so by no means strictly highway. I LOVE IT. I'm going to get a spoiler put on this week for 150 bucks. Any new car buying advice site will tell you right off the bat, ALWAYS BUY THE BASE MODEL and create your own "sport" package later..
  • tapetape Member Posts: 1
    I just got my Fit Sport automatic in the best car color ever, Orange Revolution Metallic, for $17200 including destination and doc fees, about $18350 including Massachusetts sales tax and registration.
  • chas0215chas0215 Member Posts: 40
    How do you add a safety feature like vehicle stability assist (VSA) and other features like paddle shifters for AT, navigation system, 16" alloy wheels, rear spoiler, fog lights, exhaust finisher, etc. for a mere $1000? There is more than an insignificant difference between the two models. While the Sport model may not be to everyone's liking or budget, the differences between the two should not be understated.
  • garyokegaryoke Member Posts: 7
    I could care less about the spoiler, fog ligts b.s. but what i want is the cruise control feature and the keyless entry. from what i read install the cruise control on a car is almost impossible ? with the electronic timing.
  • Sandman6472Sandman6472 Member Posts: 6,971
    Personally prefer the Sport model with the extra stuff I'd gladly pay for. Stretched over the many years of driving the car...it's a no brainer for me and many others. Some like the base...good for them. Like someone in here used to say..."buy what you like". So what some might consider "bs", many others don't...end of story. The orange color looks nice and see many of them here in South Florida actually. Glad I chose the Civic just for the slightly bigger size...just fits me better...lol...only kidding. Drove with my daughter in her Versa today and even it feels bigger than the Fit...more like the Civic.

    If I ever do kick it up a notch, the Sonata Ltd. is the car I'd buy at this point. My test drive last month showed me that it fit "like a glove" to me. Felt a bit smaller than the Camcord twins but that could be an optical illusion for me. But who knows, the next time I buy a car, I'll be retired and could probably share one with the other half. When we go out now, she does 95% of the driving anyways because of my worsening spinal problems. We'll see in about 4 or so years.

    The Sandman :sick: :shades:

    2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)

  • scottc3scottc3 Member Posts: 137
    Seems the $15,900 for a Sport Fit is a gone deal - and those few who got this price can be proud of your negotiating abilities. For the rest of us, the Base model, as shown above is costing more than this.. don't waste your time trying for the $15,900 - it's not to be had any longer.. (now as soon as I write this, someone will post they got the Sport for that price.. OK, you did good too).

    sc
  • bottlefreakbottlefreak Member Posts: 4
    The paddle shifters are standard on all of the automatics as far as I understood. The navigation system sucks and they charge you 700 for it when you can get the top of the line Garmin or Tom Tom for 200. Fog lights cost 250 and can be installed for 100. The exhaust "finisher" (ie chrome tip) costs 25 dollars at auto zone. The spoiler is a little high after market right now at 150. 16" allow wheels, custom mind you not Honda's generic alloy wheels, cost only 250 dollars. Always, always, buy the base model and accessorize yourself, its the number one tip on cartalk.com and I just assumed it was common buyer knowledge. I mean if you have money to blow why not, but everyone knows about 200% dealer/maker markup on these features. By the way the base standard come with vehicle stability assist at least two days ago when I bought mine it did. Your not the type that also goes for the "interior and exterior protection package" at 700 dollars are you. If you don't know this equals a can of was 15 and a bottle of scotch guard 10.
  • bottlefreakbottlefreak Member Posts: 4
    Should read "can of wax". sorry
  • garyokegaryoke Member Posts: 7
    what about cruise control adding it on w/ the drive wire throttle system?
  • garyokegaryoke Member Posts: 7
    The paddle shifters are NOT on the fit base according to the honda site. also add in the price for keyless entry to that under 1,000 target. honda's website says only the top sport model / navigation has the VSA feature.
  • cruiserbruisercruiserbruiser Member Posts: 14
    Although I bought the base model, the Sport would be hard to duplicate for $1500. I liked the base interior color, the mpg and the price. I can do w/o the cruise, fog lights, and paddle shifter, but I wish I had the keyless entry and usb connection.
  • gatortom1gatortom1 Member Posts: 25
    It is interesting to me how much the "document fees" appear to vary through the messages in this stream. That sounds like a place to watch for rip-offs. I bought my 2009 Base AT back in September. The dealerships were getting very few Fits at that time and my local dealer just happened to have exactly what I wanted so I didn't really attempt to negotiate. Apple Tree Honda here in Asheville offered the car at MSRP which was $16,020 at the time while all other dealers I contacted had various mark-ups above MSRP--and most could only "look" for the specific car I wanted. The point of this message is that my out-the-door price was $16,819--meaning tax, license, and all documents were $800 --roughly $500 of which would have been tax at 3%. Others are citing document fees alone of $300+ dollars. (A friend, who was paying cash, said a dealer still attempted to add in $150 for "financing" fees.) It is clear that every aspect of the deal needs to be watched.
  • ds61761ds61761 Member Posts: 3
    i bought my fit a couple of months ago and have been watching prices just out of curiosity to see if i should have waited. it is obvious that dealers are raising prices as a result of the cash for clunkers program. dealer inventories of fits are way down.

    i was a cash buyer with no clunker. if i had waited, i would now have to pay a higher price due to this government giveaway program, and i would have been furious. i am sure there are folks out there in that position, and i feel bad for them.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Paddle shifters which are no big deal 9to me) come only on Sport models.

    The navigation syster does not "suck" it blows every other NAVI system on the market away.

    No way can you add the stuff you mention for anywhere near 1000.00 even if you are capable of doing the work yourself!

    And you'll still have a base model Fit when you are done.
  • zdogzdog Member Posts: 6
    I'm happy as well. $16,650 base price, including destination charge for a Fit Sport automatic, no nav. I got some online quotes, brought the lowest one to the nearest dealer and got them to come very close to matching it. No explicit credit for the scrap value, them keeping it was just part of the deal. Negotiations took about 15 minutes. It was a CFC deal but there were no complications. The dealer assumed the full risk of getting paid by the govt.

    The dealer was Honda of San Francisco.
  • zdogzdog Member Posts: 6
    To 1234abc,

    There are two types of document fees; the costs that go directly to the state (registration, plates) and the fee paid to the dealer to do the paperwork for you (actually they do it online, so there's no paperwork). I don't know if it's California law or just the way the dealer does it, but my price quote showed "Fees paid to state and local government" separate from the $70 or so that the dealer added. I expect that $70 is about $60 profit for them, but it's not much of a rip off. As for the govt's slice, contact your mayor, governor, etc, if you think it's too much.

    On the other hand, you should never pay a fee to dealer to let him finance your car. That is pure rip off. The best defense: never sit down to make a deal unless you have already been pre-approved for a loan. People screw up by thinking that financing is the last thing to negotiate. It's really the first thing to negotiate (when you don't have your heart set on driving that new car home RIGHT NOW). It costs nothing to be pre-approved for a loan, and you lose nothing if you end up not buying the car.

    Some lenders will send you a blank check that only the dealer can deposit after certifying a deal has been made, so you can make your deal and drive home the same day. Capital One is who I went with, but there must be others. And don't tell the salesperson you already have financing arranged when you are negotiating the price of the car. They assume most folks will finance with them, so they might go easier on the price if you don't tell them otherwise. If they ask something like "what's the monthly payment that fits your budget?", just tell them once the price is right, the payments will be right.
  • garyokegaryoke Member Posts: 7
    Just bought a slightly used (1851k ) miles 09 fit sport AT today.

    15,995 invoice
    150 IL doc
    144 plates/license
    1308.96 IL taxes

    17597.96 OTD
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    That must be a record for miles on a '09 car. It must have been driven constantly to rack up 1.85 million miles already.

    ;)
  • mishapmishap Member Posts: 1
    It's been rough going trying to pick up a Silver or Black '09 Sport Auto in Atlanta, GA w/ C4C.

    Curry - Low Inventory. Did a test drive on a white one which wasn't a top color choice but it was that or Orange or Blue. Dealer had the gall to start at $18,300 before adding on pinstripes/appearance($500?), window etching($200), and dealer fees. OTD was ~20k b/c they charged tax on everything which was incorrect but 19.7k would have still been too high. For some reason they really wanted to see the clunker title and put it into their system. Salesman called but I haven't responded since they never had the exact car I wanted. My family bought 3 Hondas from them too...won't be going back after that experience.

    Hennessy - Using info from the forum, I got an internet quote for 16.6k + TTL but w/ a disclaimer no C4C which worked out to 18k OTD. I asked for the C4C price and they went up to 17.8k+TTL w/ a higher than avg $587 dealer fees on top which = 19.4k OTD.

    Gwinnett Place - Gave us a price of 16.2k on a base auto including Dest(17.5k OTD) but wouldn't divulge a OTD price on a Sport Auto unless we brought in the clunker. Wouldn't even tell us if we could do better or worse than a Civic LX that was coming in under 18k OTD.

    Mall of Georgia - Asking MSRP+. Stopped answering their calls.

    Carey Paul - Forgot to write it down but wasn't compelled to drive out there so I think it wasn't too impressive.

    Cross shopping Yaris 5-door (Out of stock at Atlanta Toy, World, and Roswell), Nissan Versa (No SL's at Gwinnett Place = no $4,500 when trade in is a 18mpg Aerostar), and virtually anything else I can find in that price range at this point.

    The car is for my g/f and she values cuteness over practicality since I can get a well equipped Civic OTD for less. She's on a budget too which confounds things as well. Honestly the perfect car would be a base Fit (don't think she uses cruise at all) but paying 17.5k OTD on one is simply ridiculous. Traction control is a non-issue given its got ABS and I've never seen her overcook a corner. I don't think she even understood how the paddle shifters work given I can't convince her to learn to drive my manual G35 so the difference is simply cosmetic/convenience. I can add the spoiler and keyless for under $500 later.

    So if anyone knows a good dealer in the ATL area willing to to do under 17k OTD on a base Fit auto at this point would be greatly appreciated.
  • absconfusedabsconfused Member Posts: 73
    I recommend Conyers Honda. It is an easy, pleasant drive with little traffic. This is where I bought my Fit and got a great deal. The sales manager did change though and I do not know the new guy but if I were you, I would try to contact the sales manager directly. I went in for my free oil change last week and things were still very pleasant over there. My guy is Larry Perry, a very nice fellow who tries to help people get a deal, he closes a lot of deals. He made me a deal for a used Fit before I ended up with the new one (changed mind in store) and he was honest and the deal we agreed to on the phone was the deal that was offered to me. New car deal was presented by GM who I negotiated with when I was in the store and changed mind for black 09 Sport. I continue to recommend NOT going into the store without making a deal on the phone. I believe the people over there are honest. It is a pleasant dealership. They all try to sell the warranty so if you do not want to get it from them, know that upfront and let them know so you are not swayed or pushed etc. Same with GAP insurance..know what you want. Have your financing worked out...they like cash and also take credit cards for about 2500-3000 worth of down payment etc. you can email me offline at suesue@mindspring.com with any questions.
  • twicebittwicebit Member Posts: 3
    Bought my new '09 White Sport Fit MT for $16530, $400 below MSRP. Received $250 trade allowance (scrap value) for my 15 year old 226k mile worn out clunker which I drove 193k miles over almost 13 years. The Finance Mgr tried to get me to come down to $150 as that would be all they'd receive for it, he said, but I told him my salesman had told me I'd get $250 scrap value and I stuck to that price like glue. He relented. After $4500 CFC credit, 7.72% taxes and state filing fee pd, we completed the deal for $13,054 OTD. Obviously, will still pay for plate and registration in less than 60 days. Bought floor mats from collegehillshonda website for $72 plus ship. Got it tinted for $200, one shade lighter than limo tint to keep it cool and give much privacy. I like to camp and can lay down in the back. And does it look sharp - black windows with black tires and contrasting beautiful white paint! :). Have appt to get sunroof installed for $1200 and get clear bra "Venture Sheild" (far better than 3M as it has lifetime warranty against yellowing) installed on hood, front quarter panels, head lights and mirrors, along with door edge guards (clear) all for $280.

    Generally respectful salesman - wanted to have me get tinting, clear bra and sunroof through dealership as I'd shown interest in those items. After nailing down the final price of the car and getting his prices on these three items, before the day of the final deal, I did my own research and found I would save substantially, having these items installed by seperate businesses. On the day of the deal, he approached me about each of the three and I kindly informed him that I could get each of them done for far less not going through the dealership. His response after the third item was "you're killin' me!" I smiled and thought to myself later "yep, on those extras is where they were hoping to make their money." He had told me that he'd only receive a "mini" commission on the Fit of about $120 due to the low profit margin. I took his word for it. One example of savings is on the sunroof. Thirteen years ago when I bought my then 'non-clunker', I had a company here in Denver by the name of Denver Auto Trim, install a sunroof. It was the classic design that tilted and slid back. They did a very professional job installing it and replacing the entire headliner. I enjoyed it for all that time and it never broke or gave me any problems. I will save $300 not having it installed by the dealer but having it installed by this same company, again.

    One thing, and I didn't even see this coming. The Finance Mgr put pretty heavy pressure on me to buy an extended warranty for $1800 to take me from 36k to 100k mi over a period of six years, saying if I don't use it, once I hit 100k mi they'll return the whole $1800. (Thought to myself a few things, mostly later on (delayed intelligence is something I suffer from most frequently :) : the vast majority of people probably don't keep their new car 100k mi so the dealership knows they won't be giving much money back. And since Hondas are such good cars, and for someone like me who will keep the car till it nearly drops dead, they don't expect me to use the warranty through that 100k mi is why they'd make an offer like that. But contadicting that, he said though the mechanics of the car are very sound, all the electronics are made in Korea with not nearly the quality as if made in Japan. And if your electronics have a problem, that will cost you major dough. He said the average non-warranty repair on Honda vehicles is now $1200! I scoffed at that. I do not believe it! That was pure bull, in my opinion. Was he trying to say Hondas aren't as good overall as they tout? I did come up with a firm response to his manipulation but it wasn't nearly what I wished it would have been. I said, "I'm cheap and I'll take my chances." He really pushed me and I really held my ground, kindly enough though. I am so glad I stood my ground and didn't cave to his pressure or manipulation. I would feel so bad now, had I caved! Those limited warranties are almost pure profit to the dealers and almost pure rip-off to the consumers, in my opinion! Then when I got out of there, and sat down with my salesman to go over the final packet, with keys and manuals..., I felt like he almost shamed me or let me know subtely that my decision to refuse the warranty was foolish. In kind of a quizitive way without even looking at me and in a very quiet voice (like he was deep in thought), he posed a question something very close to this: "hmm, I just can't understand why you wouldn't have gone for the extended warranty, I mean, they'll give you all your money back if you don't use it?!" Wow, I believe he was hoping I'd finally cave and see the error of my decision, AND rework the deal. By that point I was more than slightly irritated and not thinking clearly enough to respond really intelligently, I repeated to him again, exactly what I'd told the FM. (I've known for a long time that I'm not quick on my feet and I'm sure people can see this. I believe I'm a 'mark' at times, especially in a place like a new car showroom, but I'm thankful this time that I had enough presence of mind not to succumb to such manipulation.)

    Read on please; this is important: After I took possession, on my own initiative, I immediately went over to the Service Dept, in a seperate building. I got talking with the Service Mgr who gave me a little booklet called their 'Maintenance Guide', which was not provided to me by anyone in the Sales building. It is specific to this dealer though probably dealers that you all have dealt with, have something similar. He and the Communications Administrator there, who I got chatting with as well, outlined exactly what all the service visit intervals would cost me to keep the vehicle in basic warranty... Their literature covers through 110,000 miles, listing specifically what services would be performed, with a total cost over that time frame of approx $2100. Here's the kicker though. Once I got home, and as I'm now reading through the literature I received, I read inside the front cover, this information: "Welcome and Thankyou... _________fidence (the name of the dealer with fidence tacked on at the end) is the result of our "confidence" in the products we sell and the _________ staff. With __________fidence, our customers enjoy a unique opportunity to receive 7 years or 100,000 miles of limited mechanical protection. This protection is extended only to purchasers of new retail automobiles from __________________ Honda. The performance of all regularly scheduled factory maintenance and lubrication services, as outlined in this booklet, is required to keep your automobile in proper operating condition and is essential to keep your __________fidence protection." Then near the back of the booklet, it lists a "Chart of Covered Components", incl Electrical with a breakd
  • twicebittwicebit Member Posts: 3
    It cut off the bottom of my post. Bottom line is that Sales didn't provide me this Maintenance Guide which basically gives me that 100k mi Ext Warr at no charge. I believe they didn't do this because had they given it to me, I'd have read that I already had that warranty without needing to pay them $1800 for it. I may not have all the facts but am going to go back to my salesman and ask for a printed document showing what the Ext Warr covers. If its the same things or many of the same things their ____________fidence covers for free, I'm going to let someone know they're ripping people off. If its not the same stuff, then its only my erroneous suspicion and I'll let it go.

    Overall I am very pleased with my FIT. I was going to pay cash but found that I qualified to finance it for 72 mo @ 3.99% simple interest with payments of only $204.50, and I can pay it off at any time with no penaly (standard in this industry).
  • garyokegaryoke Member Posts: 7
    :)
  • plektoplekto Member Posts: 3,738
    The car is for my g/f and she values cuteness over practicality since I can get a well equipped Civic OTD for less. She's on a budget too which confounds things as well....

    *****
    I'd get a base model Mini. It's cute, it's fun, and it depreciates like $500 a year, tops. Just get the base model with no bling or accessories on it other than maybe traction control or other mechanical options.
  • zen09zen09 Member Posts: 2
    Sorry Mason 2009 i havent been on here for months so I missed your question. I got the base fit auto transmission for 14,762 (with taxes $1444.66 and license/title/etc fees $295 the total cost was $16557) but that was end of may and I am not sure if you will still get a base under 15K now that cash for clunkers is happening but my car was purchased in the bay area at honda san leandro. It was a good deal for the price of the car but alameda county taxes here at pretty much 10% kills the great deal on the cost. Try internet sales department at the dealers I found them to be cheaper and nicer to work with. Good luck
  • captain_eric1captain_eric1 Member Posts: 1
    In my humble opinion, the service department can't be trusted. Instead, look at the Honda (manufacturer) maintenance schedule in the book in the glove compartment.

    Yes, the dealer/service department will come up with all sorts of "official looking" documents, but ignore them. They just want your cash.

    Use the Honda (manufacturer) maintenance schedule.
  • psgame2kpsgame2k Member Posts: 36
    Hi zgog,

    I live in Bay Area too. Will you mind sharing more about the OTD price breakdown?did you add any options to your FIT?
  • ianshiansh Member Posts: 1
    That would be the best price I've ever seen in Houston!! Could you please give us the dealer's name?
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