ElanC, the car will definitely arrive in December. What I would do is consider letting someone else have that car and wait for a car built in very early December. This way the car will hit the dealer in early January and you can pick it up immediately. Of course this assumes there aren't tons of people that will snatch the car once it shows up on the build sheet... but many dealers would probably let people test-drive your car if it's just sitting there a while, which is a concern if it arrives several weeks earlier than when you actually pick it up. Plus the dealer has incentives to sell the car before the end of December, especially being as it's the end of the year as well.

Yes, I think that's all true. I'll wait a week or two, check on the build and shipping status, and if indeed the car is arriving in December I'll swap for a later delivery.

In contrast to some other Bay Area dealers, this one (Honda of Hayward), isn't trying to create an artificial frenzy by putting all comers on a waiting list, telling people there are 30 others ahead of them, and then actually selling them when they arrive to whoever will pay $2000 over MSRP. He only takes solid orders with a deposit on vehicles that are pre-allocated to him. He had eight HCHs on the list for the Dec./Jan. delivery and my impression was that most are still available. And they're selling for MSRP.

2006 HCH Alabaster Silver w/Navi
2003 Honda Accord LX

Hi CGameProgrammer; You know I think now that you are hooking up us less fortunate individuals that do not and will not have our 06 HCH's until next year with (Pictures) your alright, I don't care what the rest of them say. JOKE !!!

Terry

PICS ARE GOOD: thank-you

Sorry for the delay in answering your post but we had a severe storm here last evening and I just now read your post.

Here is some Matter Of Fact Insight For You:

Answer in brief, You need a signed contract that (States) your 06 HCH will not be Driven By "Dealership Personel; or The Public Period". All you have to do to confirm this is to tell the Dealer that you want to see your 06 HCH when it arrives on the Transport and you want to (LOG-IN-THE-MILES) at that time and that will (Stop-Anyone-Driving-It).

Your right I do work at a dealership and I am The fellow that checks in "Every-New" vehicle that comes to us and I record the Delivery-Miles-On-Every-Vehicle-That-Arrives to the dealership.

Like I said in the above Post I am in the exact same situation that you are and believe me I do not want anyone driving my new 06 HCH for any reason Period. I'm paying for it and I will put the miles on it, and to be Honest with you I really do not want the Public crawing in and out of my 06 HCH until I take delivery. It will be locked and (NO-ONE) is driving it or sitting in it.

HTH;

Terry

BTW: If this sounds harsh, Sorry, Thats what dealer Demos are for:

Terry...

Thank you again! I'll get with my salesman to document as you mention. It may sound "harsh", but it's our money! I fully agree with you.

2005 Honda Odyssey EX-L RES & NAV - Desert Rock Metallic

2006 Honda Civic Hybrid NAV - Magnetic Pearl

2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser - Black Cherry (First Toyota, Third non-Honda)

I LIKE your post! I think the important thing for folks who live in a not-quite-so urban area (one that doesn't have a Honda dealer on every street corner, next to the Starbucks) that there's a point to be made (on the dealer side) for building a good relationship with a new car customer. Especially since, over the life of the car, they're going to (in theory) make more money on servicing the car, than they make on selling it. So it's a good idea not to tick off the customer by delivering a "New" car with 100 or so miles on it

We have the odd fortune of having a VERY good dealer here (this will be our second HCH bought from them) Not tons of hard pressure sales tactics, no "Salesman Dance" between the sales rep and the Sales Manager (I spent a day of my life I'll never get back doing that dance with a Volkswagen dealer and it was HOURS pf passing written notes to the sales manager of written bids and counterbids, with the S.M. putting little frownie faces and smiley faces next to my bids. I think that's the point I demanded the keys to my car, and left. No pretty-sparkly Diesel Jetta was worth taking a trip to the Ding-Dong Skool of Car Salemanship.)

I'm anxious to see how this NEW car purchase goes with "my" Honda dealer, since the 03 was a Certified Used model - just walked in, and it was sitting on the showroom floor, and said "I want to buy THAT" without even driving it, and 2 hours later, the Mercedes 300 (aka "Bondo Bob") was gone, the Hybrid was in. So far, the New Car "Purchase" seems to have gone very well (but I have 6 or so weeks of "hurry up and wait" while the car arrives) - no horrendous up-charging like the west coast dealers. And they even let me hold the up-front money for the car in MY account to earn that extra $.12 interest, while the thing is on order.


Meanwhile, one of my co-workers has a White one "on the way" from another dealer about 40 miles away, but the car is stuck in Baltimore, because they only have ONE car coming down to the dealer, and it's not worth putting the one car on a truck to come to them, so he has to wait until they get a load.

I pointed out to him that the dealer I bought from has a Mag Pearl "in stock" on their website as of last night, and wondered if he could get his deposit back from Dealer #1 - he'd be "Electrified" by the weekend

It is definitely worth getting in writing that no one will drive OR get inside your car while it sits for a few weeks. However, in my observations of our local Honda and Toyota dealerships, they seem to be pretty used to this drill. When I looked at the Prius at the Toyota dealerships a couple of months ago, both dealers offered exterior views of presold customer cars, but not even an opened door, let alone a drive. I was shown the interior of one of the salesmen's personal car, but that was his choice.

Best of luck in the wait. I was short a car and renting while waiting for my HCH so I picked it up yesterday.

Terry

I called my salesman today to see if there was a car to drive yet. He told me he had it, but he would have to have it brought up from the storage lot. When I asked if it was mine, he said yes. I asked him if there was a demo to drive so that they wouldn't have to bring it from storage, once again he said yes, but without NAV. I mentioned that I only wanted to test drive an HCH and didn't want them to bring up my car. He agreed saying that he didn't want people sitting in it or driving it around.

He knows when I want to pick up the car, so he is going to leave it in storage until the last pickup of the year. I am going to test drive the Hybrid tomorrow (probably), but it looks like I'm safe as far as nobody having access to it.

Thanks again for the advice...

2005 Honda Odyssey EX-L RES & NAV - Desert Rock Metallic

2006 Honda Civic Hybrid NAV - Magnetic Pearl

2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser - Black Cherry (First Toyota, Third non-Honda)

Your-Welcome !!!! and I hope everything goes just (Fine) in the delivery.

Regards;

Terry

BTW; I'm really trying to think of a (Separate-Post) to see how many people are waiting for the 1st of the year to take delivery of their HCH ll's.

Mochisushi,

I've test driven both the HCH and Prius. I have ordered a Opal Blue '06 HCH. The dealer is getting one from another dealer. Supposed to be in in a week. I did not have to make a deposit. I negotiated a deal on the car with several accessories. The total price was about $900.00 below MSRP. I really don't care if other folks drive the car. My dealer has only had one on the lot. It sold in three days. I want the tax credit, and I don't mind if other buyers test drive the car. Good luck with your car. Go green.

Don