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Just an FYI to others about to buy a Fit - The honda care warranty, which I think is totally worth the money - has a negotiable price. I was first told that it would cost $1195. In the end, I got it for $799 - 7 year, 100k mile, $0 deductible.
In my part of the Country (Oregon and SW Washington), finding a fit at all is a challenge. If I go to autotrader right now and look for all fits (any color or model) within 200 miles of my home, I find a total of 10. Of the 10, 6 show "starting at" prices that are over MSRP. One of them shows a starting price of $19396!
I'm a careful car buyer and I've never before paid over MSRP for a car. I've sat in dealerships with a laptop and spreadsheets beating the sales people into submission. I've used autobytel and carsdirect to simplify the buying process and get below MSRP prices.
The problem this time was that I decided that I wanted a fit just as they were becoming very, very hard to find in the area.
The first place I found a fit to test drive was a dealership about 30 miles away. They had one which was already sold but was still in the show room for us to be able to look at it and sit inside and stuff. I then called around the area and found one other fit that was unsold. It was a automatic, which is not what I wanted, but we went and test drove it. Now I knew for sure that I wanted a fit. The challenge was to find one.
On Wednesday morning, I found one at a dealership in a Portland suburb. I already knew that this dealership was asking over MSRP, but I figured that I needed to go see a black one anyway and there was always a chance that I could talk them down to MSRP. I got pre-approved for a loan at my credit union before I went.
I went to the dealer on my lunch hour. I told the sales guy immediately that I would not pay over MSRP and that if his manager would not let him come down to MSRP that I just needed to head back to work. We then went inside and he took down all my info and the vehicle info. At that point he went to the manager to "get the price". He came back with a price that was $2500 over MSRP! I just stared at him for a while before I said, "I told you that I wouldn't pay over MSRP. I mean that."
After several more go-arounds, the manager said that they simply could not come down to MSRP. At that point, I really did have to get back to work, so it was easy to just stand up, thank them for their time and walk out. I don't think they worried too much because they probably will sell that car this weekend for well over MSRP, if they haven't already.
Early the next morning, I re-tried another dealer and the Internet sales guy was just driving to work and said they did indeed have a black, base, 5M on the lot. He said that he would get back to me in a few minutes with his "very best deal".
When he called me back, he said that the sticker on that car had a price of $500 over MSRP. At that point, I was ready to thank him for his time and say goodbye. However, he continued on to say that the car had mud guards, floor mats, and a cargo tray installed and that he would give those to me for no charge, "to make up for the fact that it's over MSRP".
Hmmmm...now I needed to stop and think -- which is NEVER a good thing when you're in the heat of battle. I had to quickly figure out how much those accessories, all of which were the ones I wanted, were worth. Doing the approximate math quickly in my head, I saw that the total deal would be about $150 more than it should be based on MSRP and normal accessory prices. At that point, I gave in. I was late for work, tired of shopping, and just glad to have found the car I wanted. I also was thankful that he was at least trying to make a deal.
The time at the dealership went fine and everybody was very nice and helpful. The only bad part was that we had a possible trade-in with us but there was some oil seepage found around the head gasket. The dealer wasn't just trying to scam me because they didn't even want to offer me on the car after that. We just brought it back home and now we'll try to figure out what to do with it. It would have been nice to reduce my sales tax by the value of the trade-in but oh well. At least we got a new car before the old one had any serious trouble.
So, after that incredibly long story, here's my deal:
Base fit 5M: $14,900 ($500 over MSRP)
floor mats: $0 (normally something like $109)
mud guards: $0 (normally something like $130)
cargo tray: $0 (normally something like $100)
document fee: $50
trip permit: $20
sales tax: $0 (bought in Oregon, which has no sales tax, so I'll be paying my Washington sales tax when I register with the DMV)
Total: $14,970
The car so far has been great. I'll write about that in the driving experiences thread.
Probably. If you are anywhere near Chicago you might check with Grand Honda (they are on the Web and their URL is obvious if you know the name). They advertise good deals on Hondas.
They should be obtaining more soon. Grand Honda has not had the Fit in their latest print ad's.
Suggestion: Yes, wait for the hype to die down. If a car is in limited supply and hot, the dealers are free to sell for whatever the market will bear. Nobody OWES you a deal and MSRP is just that -- the suggested selling price.
No one complains when they get thousands hacked off the sticker of a slow-selling model. If people want a car that badly now, they may have to pay over sticker.
Personally, I'd wait 6 months -- by that time the Versa and 07 Aveo will be on the market and prices may stabilize (unless gas goes up to $4/gallon).
I called Grand Honda in Chicago. They are no longer giving discounts on the Fit due to high demand, but would sell them for MSRP.
For the Fit, anyone have any guess how low it can go selling from MSRP? I doubt it will go down too much. Not for the next 6 mos at least. I think as long as you get it at MSRP now, its a fair deal. I would definitely not pay over sticker.
A friend also just checked out the Fit a few days after I took delivery of mine and they told him the best they can do is $200 off MSRP.
So it seems to me the Fit is very attainable here in NYC. Initially, they were forcing me to buy the showroom car but I said I'll wait for the next shipment. 4 days later, I got the color and model I wanted. So how is that possible if the thought is they sell like hotcakes and the VINS are all already presold?
I'll sell it next year if the hybrid comes out at plus 1800 with next generation Fit. They'll fix the dead pedal and seat adjustment then.
I'm happy with the deal since the price is pretty low to begin with. I figure the MSRP is only $700 or so over the invoice. Although I recently bought Volvo XC90 about $2000 BELOW INVOICE...
$15,500 is approx $300 to $500 below invoice, which means the dealership is going into their holdback money.
A car in demand like this is not going to be sold for $15,500.
I believe what you posted, so don't take it personally. I just mean it is a typo or a hook to get people in the door. I see this all the time. I'll never forget the $199 per month lease payment on the new Chevy Blazer. It never existed. Just a hook to get you onto the showroom floor.
Rip
Some ads will even go so far as to have verbage like this: price after $1,000 down payment.
That is a terrible attitude. All through the years I have wanted a Harley Davidson, but never bought one because their institutional philosophy toward their customers is just like yours.
I realize your attitude doesn't reflect that of Honda's, which is why they need to identify you and send you down the road, to perhaps...sell new Harleys.
Rip
Let's keep the threads on track.
I came here to read about prices and experiences and I'm reading Fit vs. everything posts.
It's like we're posting about who would win in a fight: Godzilla, Rodan, King Kong....
Gheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh!
Rip
I believe what you posted, so don't take it personally. I just mean it is a typo or a hook to get people in the door.
I know from past experience that Grand Honda does indeed sell at the prices advertised.
Illinois maintains strict oversight over vehicle sales and advertising. Illinois Attorney General both past and present has prosecuted for deceptive practices such as bait and switch and currently lending practices of some dealers are being investigated.
As a result, dealers have to sell for advertised prices. Also, in IL the document fee is limited by law to $57.33.
In some other states the document fee can be as high as $399 or higher.
Bottom line, $15,500 for Fit Sport Automatic was a real price. The smoke and mirrors that is present in auto advertising is greatly diminished in Illinois due to legislative and enforcement.
Most recent experience with Grand Honda is when a friend purchased a Ridgeline and I told him about the Grand Honda price he first went to other dealers and they said Grand Honda could not sell for that price, that they would be losing money. Well, a call to Grand Honda and the Ridgeline was in stock and the advertised price was honored with no additional accessories or maint agreements or enviromental protectection etc., and the Silver Ridge' is now regularly in the company parking lot.
I don't take it personally.
Some ads will even go so far as to have verbage like this: price after $1,000 down payment.
I agree. Read the ad, read the fine print, understand what is being sold, call the dealer and verify that they have in stock the vehicle at the price you want to buy before wasteful uses of time.
New 2006 Honda Fit Sport Automatic $15,500
No added accessories. ($57.33 doc fee, taxes, license fees not included) Destination was included.
Note: As of last week, Grand Honda was out of stock of Fit and would not sell incoming Fit stock at same pricing as their original shipment.
I am in no way associated with Grand Honda or any other dealership. My motto is to buy at the best price and buy local if possible.
My point is that there are deals available on Fit, no one should pay over MSRP.
No added accessories. ($57.33 doc fee, taxes, license fees not included) Destination was included.
That is the deal of a lifetime. Congrats to you.
Enjoy that fine machine.
Rip
A month ago I was ready to trade my xB in, but after waiting 2 weeks with no opportunity to even test drive a Fit....I have cooled a bit on the purchase.....supply and demand may rule the market, but its safe to say there are a few other folks like myself who were ready for an impulse buy, but just didn't have the product in front of them to make the decision.
Here was my deal.
Vivid Blue, 5sp Man, Sport
Accessories Included:
16" HFP WHEELS
Steering Wheel Cover (BLUE)
08U98-SLN-100B
All Season Floor Mats
08P13-SLN-100
Meter Panel Trim (BLUE)
08Z03-SLN-100B
Switch Panel Trim (BLUE)
08Z03-SLN-100E
Cargo Cover
08Z07-SLN-110
Cargo Tray
08U45-SLN-100
(3)Honda Oil Filters w/Washer
15400-PLM-A02
(1) Air Cleaner
17220-PWA-J10
I traded in a 2001 Civic EX 5sp in good shape with about 70,000mi and will get a loan for $8950.
The $8950 will be my out the door with all of the above when my Fit gets here.
Can’t Wait!!
Anyone know of any at their local dealers that may be willing to trade in Oklahoma?
Congrats to those that were able to get one at $15,500
Last week I searched high and low, trying to locate a Toyota Yaris liftback, color Absolutely Red, auto trans, with All Weather Guard and Convenience packages. Couldn't find one after days of calling multiple dealerships.
I finally went to Toyota's website and clicked the 'Contact Us' hyperlink. Found the toll-free national number and called. Spoke with a guy there, explaining my situation, telling him I would drive anywhere within the region to buy this vehicle.
He absolutely would not help me locate a vehicle. Found out from a local dealer's new car sales manager that corporate will not do this as it may show favoritism toward high-volume dealerships who, by statistics, would probably have the car. So Toyota literally chose to lose the sale instead of referring the customer to the dealership who had the vehicle.
Honda: Getting a little impatient with my local dealer, thinking he was hesitating to pull the trigger on a trade.
Called Honda national customer service located in Southern California. Spoke with a guy, explaining my situation. Told him what I was looking for. He queried the database and gave me the names of the five nearest dealerships (and their telephone numbers) that held the vehicles matching the query.
Called all of them. All the Fits in question sold within the last couple of days. Turns out my local dealer was truthful. There are none for which to trade.
The national customer service rep made an attempt to turn me into a Honda owner, and my local dealer was being honest with me about the trade info.
Kudos to Honda. And goodbye to Toyota.
Rip
Read my post on the "New Honda Fit Owners..." thread:
My Experience
The bottom line is that I was ready to buy a Yaris from the Toyota dealer. Their slowness to find the car with my preferences is what led me to look at Honda just out of curiosity. I was not even interested in Honda at all at that point.
I test drove a Fit on a Friday, loved the car and wanted to make a deal on it. Unfortunately that dealer wanted $1200 OVER MSRP. On Sunday I put in a quote request at Honda's website. They turned my request over immediately to another local dealer. On Monday I was contacted by Honda dealer #2's internet salesman, internet sales manager, and dealership manager. They confirmed all my preferences and options and gave me a firm written quote. I thought that I'd be waiting about 2-3 weeks. They said they would have to trade with another dealership and would let me know when they located a blue Fit Sport m/t. They called me Thursday to get my credit card deposit to secure a vehicle they had located. Friday afternoon they called to say the car came in and they were washing and prepping it (state inspection and mechanical checklist). I picked it up Saturday morning. They worked a 3-way trade with 2 other dealerships to get my car. The vehicle was $397 over MSRP, but included floormats ($99) which I wanted anyway so $298 extra for pinstripes, paint sealant, 1st oil change. I figured I'd pay MSRP anyway, so not bad. I especially appreciated that they worked a 3-way trade to get it. I credit this experience both to Honda's responsiveness and this dealer. They worked their [non-permissible content removed] off and deserved the sale. Kudos to Honda and this dealership. Too bad Toyota - and I was a former Toyota owner too.
That's my take on the supply and demand issue. I would be happy to pay MSRP if you can find one. We love our Fit Sport.
Since I picked up my car last Saturday, It's generated lots of positive comments and interested lookers.
Because Honda is advertising but not importing many of this model, I expect there will be plenty of support to keep the prices up. The Fit seems to be the favorite of several reviewers and magazines.
After the del sol, the prospect of driving anything else seemed a bit boring. And I really wanted something small nose-to-trunk like the del sol, which makes even current-model Civics seem huge in comparison. I was half-heartedly considering a Jeep Wrangler when I learned that the Fit would debut in the States this year.
Woo hoo! A car, by Honda, the same length and width as the del sol. Good gas mileage estimates, lots of nice standard features and (gasp) back seats! It looked good on paper, but the engine was smaller than the del sol's and the car was a couple hundred pounds heavier, so I thought I might be disappointed in the test drive.
I cleared my schedule on the last weekend in April for car shopping.
After miserable customer-service experiences with two Chicagoland Honda dealers (that's another story), I was ready to give up on the Fit. I called a third local dealer (O'Hare Honda) on a lark and asked if they had the Storm Silver Sport MT in stock. Yes. Could I test-drive it? Yes.
It was a sloppy, rainy day, which was a great way to test the foul-weather handling. After handily beating out a highway-speed semi while merging, I was sold. From the del sol, it usually took me quite awhile to get accustomed to a different car, especially other manuals. But the Fit drove exceptionally well in the test.
I paid sticker ($15,720) plus $441 in options (all-season mats and Apple iTunes Music Link) plus documentary service fee ($57), Illinois taxes and title ($1309), for a total of $17,527.
After three weeks I still love it and lament every missed opportunity to drive it (i.e. the days my colleague drives the carpool).
After the del sol, the prospect of driving anything else seemed a bit boring. And I really wanted something small nose-to-trunk like the del sol, which makes even current-model Civics seem huge in comparison. I was half-heartedly considering a Jeep Wrangler when I learned that the Fit would debut in the States this year.
Woo hoo! A car, by Honda, the same length and width as the del sol. Good gas mileage estimates, lots of nice standard features and (gasp) back seats! It looked good on paper, but the engine was smaller than the del sol's and the car was a couple hundred pounds heavier, so I thought I might be disappointed in the test drive.
I cleared my schedule on the last weekend in April for car shopping.
After miserable customer-service experiences with two Chicagoland Honda dealers (that's another story), I was ready to give up on the Fit. I called a third local dealer (O'Hare Honda) on a lark and asked if they had the Storm Silver Sport MT in stock. Yes. Could I test-drive it? Yes.
It was a sloppy, rainy day, which was a great way to test the foul-weather handling. After handily beating out a highway-speed semi while merging, I was sold. From the del sol, it usually took me quite awhile to get accustomed to a different car, especially other manuals. But the Fit drove exceptionally well in the test.
I paid sticker ($15,720) plus $441 in options (all-season mats and Apple iTunes Music Link) plus documentary service fee ($57), Illinois taxes and title ($1309), for a total of $17,527.
After three weeks I still love it and lament every missed opportunity to drive it (i.e. the days my colleague drives the carpool).
------------------
Edited to read better : I paid sticker ($15,720) plus $441 in options (all-season mats and Apple iTunes Music Link) plus documentary service fee ($57), Illinois taxes and title ($1309), for a total of $17,527.
My dealer (to whom I paid MSRP...not a cent over) is now charging several hundred over MSRP. :P
Can you post pics, bwhicks? Interested in how the Blaze Orange looks like just sittin' in someone's driveway, i.e. under less than ideal lighting, etc.
I now have 60 images on my Blaze orange Sport Fit, many
regular in-usage shots in driveway, outside my 4th floor office window, etc.
Also added shots of all-weather floor mats (only 1 clip attaching
front right mat, otherwise gravity-attached), parked
next to 1) 1987 grey civic, 2) silver Element, 3) orange 2002 BMW, and 4) Silver Toyota xB
Will cross post this in the fit pics thread.
http://pnwpest.org/len/fit