Buying a Hybrid Now & Picking it up after Jan 1st. - Page 2 - GreenHybrid

CGameProgrammer · #11 (**permalink**) 11-21-2005, 02:25 PM

Currently there is a $2000 tax deduction, which means $2000 less of your income is taxed so you save $500-600 usually. In 2006 there'll be a tax credit which means you actually get $2100. So the difference is about $1500 in real money.

Of course I bought my car already just because I'd rather not wait.

ElanC · #12 (**permalink**) 11-21-2005, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenny

I would not do or sign anything till Jan 1.

The initial frenzy may have cooled a bit and you may get a better deal too.

Right now interest in the hybrids may be cooling because gasoline prices have dropped an average of 70 cents from the September highs.

I think the newspapers and TV will be full of stories about the tax credit as the New Year rolls in, and there will be plenty of new buyers awakened by that reminder. There may be a new buying frenzy in the first month or two of the year.

nimbus2k · #13 (**permalink**) 11-21-2005, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElanC

I asked one dealer about giving a large deposit, or even paying in full for the car when it arrives, and having them hold it for me until January. He said they would not do it. They must report the sale to Honda and perform the registration at the same time. If they delay reporting the sale to Honda it means they will suffer on their next allocation of vehicles. It may also have a negative impact on the dealer himself when he gets his year-end bonus.

This might seem like an overly-simple solution, but wouldn't it just be easier to get a car from the allotment in the same month that you want to buy it? (eg: if you want a car in January, it would come out of the January shipment.) What's the point of typing up a "December" car (that the dealer could sell in December) if one is not going to take delivery until January? It's not like Honda is going to run out of cars

I just told the dealer when I wanted to write the Long Hairy Check for the car, and let him figure out the grimy details on how to get it here from Japan by that time.

kenny · #14 (**permalink**) 11-21-2005, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElanC

Right now interest in the hybrids may be cooling because gasoline prices have dropped an average of 70 cents from the September highs.

I think the newspapers and TV will be full of stories about the tax credit as the New Year rolls in, and there will be plenty of new buyers awakened by that reminder. There may be a new buying frenzy in the first month or two of the year.

Good thinking.
I may buy one next spring or summer.

ElanC · #15 (**permalink**) 11-21-2005, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nimbus2k

This might seem like an overly-simple solution, but wouldn't it just be easier to get a car from the allotment in the same month that you want to buy it? (eg: if you want a car in January, it would come out of the January shipment.) What's the point of typing up a "December" car (that the dealer could sell in December) if one is not going to take delivery until January? It's not like Honda is going to run out of cars

Sure. There's always time. In my case I'm trying to thread a proverbial needle. I have a car with a lease ending on January 19th. I'd like to get the HCH no earlier than Jan. 1 to qualify for the tax credit, but I also want it early enough that I can apply for the California HOV stickers and have a chance of getting them before January 19th. Otherwise it will cost me a one month lease extension to keep driving in the carpool lane.