Boy is this frustrating! I have been to 4 Honda Dealers near Buffalo to buy the new Insight. They all want sticker price because it's an in demand car. What really gets me is the trade-in offers. My '06 HCH is in very good condition. I have the all -weather floor mats, splash guards, full nose bra, fog lights, interior blue lights, bass boost, and studded snows on extra wheels. I averaged the NADA, Kelly Blue Book, and Edmunds True Market Value trade in prices for my car. It's around $13,100. This does not include any of the extras which have kept the car in great condition. I did put in the zip code and mileage figures. I also had good seat covers on the front seats (back was seldom used). So I did my homework and the trade in values I received varied from $8,500 to $11,000.

When pressed, none of the sales people could explain why such a poor trade in. Two of them mentioned the Mannheim Auto Auction price, which I can't access and is a wholesale price. I'm sure they will sell the car for dealer retail which is around $16,800. I would think that the profit above their factory price plus the $3,700 differential in trade-in and retail values of my HCH would be a good deal for them. I had the car detailed both inside and out. They are offering me below what the NADA book calls a "rough" trade in. This is a car with mechanical problems, visable dents/rust, and poor interior condition. I know that the dealers want to make a profit, but this really sucks as to how greedy they all are.

Does anyone have any suggestions to help me get a better deal?

 

As I see it, you have two options.
1. try to sell your HCH privately, as that should get you a more fair price for a car that you have taken great care of. You almost always get ripped off with a trade-in, especially if the dealer won't negotiate on the new car price. Which brings me to the next option.
2. Wait to buy the Insight. Perhaps after it's available for a few months, the demand will cool a bit, and the negotiating can begin. The car has a lot of buzz right now and, I'm sure the dealers are feeling extra cocky about this new vehicle. Let things chill a while & see what happens. Recall the Prius market in 2004. Dealers were adding markup (sometimes thousands of $$) over the sticker because demand was so much over the supply. Don't get into that mess. Patience may pay off here.

 

Dealers don't want used car inventory right now, and that is reflected by their low trade-in offers.

 

Here is the Current Manheim results:

 

Chuck is right, the best negoation tool is to show them your backside as you walk out the door. Give them your phone #, tell them to call you when are willing to talk and need to make a sale and walk. Wait a bit, they willl get hungry soon when they figure out that there is a limited supply of people with $20,000+ in hand just waiting to buy a brand new model of hybrid (the fit is cheaper, right?)...Your other bargining tool and, it kind of depends how much of an A** you want to make of yourself & you might get bounced is to say, in a crowded showroom (if there is such a thing anymore) IS SO YOU ARE SAYING HONDA DOESNT RETAIN A GOOD RESALE VALUE they HATE that (the ploy I used to get my trade from 1,800 to 5,000).

 

Hi,

I would recommend going to Ebay and looking at the "Completed" sales of Honda Hybrid Civics to see what sold and didn't sell at different prices. This will be more current data than the other services.

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson

 

You also might want to go to CarMax and see what they are offering. It will be more than the dealer, but still probably less than the KBB or Edmunds price.

I agree that selling it private party is the way to go. It is more hassle, but will net you about $2500 extra when all is said and done.