Well, after sitting on the fence for the last couple of weeks regarding whether or not to buy a Civic Hybrid, I decided today to go ahead and pull the trigger. Went to a couple of local dealers for a discussion on what they had in transit, with the expectation that I'd leave a deposit for one.

Both dealers I went to quoted higher than normal MSRP's. Upon inquiring, it became clear that both were throwing in an "Appearance Package". I know the HCH is in great demand (there are none to be seen or test driven at any of the D.C. area dealers I've checked with) and so I'm resigned to having to pay full MSRP. I'm also resigned to buying the NAV option, since it seems most models being shipped now also include that. I have a real problem, though, with having to pay for a bunch of yet-to-be-installed bells and whistles that I have no use for. The sales guy at one of the dealers tried unsuccessfully to get approval from his manager to let me buy a vehicle without the package. The best the manager was willing to do was knock off the 150-dollar "mud flaps", still leaving 4-500 dollars of other stuff I'd have to pony up for. Nah, I think not.

Just wondering what other's experiences have been. Are dealers universally loading stuff on this much-desired vehicle? Or are there some out there willing to let them go for Honda's MSRP?

I'm going to keep looking, but it definitely was a disappointing experience.


As an aside, I decided to buy an HCH not entirely because of the frugality it offers - I'm fairly convinced that, for me, there's likely to be little cost savings over the life of the vehicle compared to a standard Civic or similar compact car (I'm fully expecting to have to pay for at least one battery pack replacement). What finally sold me was that you guys that already have one make it almost sound like a game, every time you drive it, to maximize your MPG. I do 70-80 freeway miles every day and, as foolish as such a reason might sound, the idea of having that kind of constructive entertainment to help pass the time seems oddly beguiling.

Now if only I can find one...

Jeff

 

There are a lot of factors that determine the final cost of a car.

I paid $1000 under MSRP, $250 dealer fees, and that was it. Got a good finance rate from Honda. When they printed the invoice and I checked it, there was a $400 charge for 'ETCH". I refused to pay it and they took it off.

I have heard here that many have pad over MSRP, as well as many that have paid under MSRP.

Best time, apparantly, is to buy is very late in the month, late in the evening. Be prepared to walk if they don't give you the deal you want. You can always turn around and walk back in the showroom. If the deal is workable, they will come after you.

There are many books you can buy that teach how to save money on a new car. As the hybrids are in demand, not all of them work. But there are still good deals to be had.

I bought a Prius 3 months ago. We were ready to buy but really only went to the dealer to test drive it. I had shopped a little bit and had been told by several local dealers they would sell at MSRP (most are going for $3000 or more over MSRP). I told them I would not pay over MSRP. They said they would not do the deal at MSRP. We walked out of the showroom and before we got to our car, they were running after us trying to make a deal. We still said no. I was then buckling my son into his car seat and they came after us again and offered us the car at MSRP and 1/2 of their dealer fees. The car was in stock and we bought it. They told us that that was the lowest price they had ever sold a Prius (who knows...).

I considered buying a 2nd Prius for myself (the car was for my wife) and they would not do the same deal. I test drove the HCHII, really liked it, and was able to work out a great deal.

Here is a quick tip... most dealerships now have internet departements where you can work out a deal in advance without having to haggle with salesmen. I made a deal at MSRP prior to going into the showroom. I went in but told him I did not like the color he had and was not going to take the car. They came down $1000 to make the deal.

Most people have an interesting story to tell about their purchase. Hopefully you will make a great deal and have one to tell yourself. Good luck.

 

Just buy it somewhere else; in Virginia for instance. I paid the OLd MSRP of 21850 and 200 bucks for required options related more to the relationship between John Eagle Honda and a thrid party warranty company than of any real customer value. I put 5000 on a credit card that gives me 1%, or 50 bucks back in cash, so MSRP + 150. The problem was I knew the MSRP was going up ( it already had on the stickers of the cars coming into port in California at the time I purchased mine off of the truck at the old sticker), and my then Volvo, although reliable, really was a source of expensive repair bills, even at independent garages.

You dont have to get the navi; most do not have them FYI. The car is awesome and a real step forward in automotive engineering.

 

That sound bogus that they're adding those extras. One thing that you may try to do is ask if you can choose the extra stuff. Then ask for the extened warranty and have some comparison quotes so they don't stiff you. You may just have to go along with it if you want one.

 

I told my dealer NO and they did not charge me for them. While he was unaware, it was not a deal breaker but I sure was going to try my darndest not to pay anything over MSRP but TT&L and that is exactly what I did.

Good luck.

 

The manager at my dealer would not sell me mine without trying to add another $800+ of mudflaps, scotch-guard and truck liner as we sealed the deal. I wouldn't budge either and told him no way. This went on for about five minutes and I finally said good-bye and walked out.

As I was walking to my car, my salesman ran to me and said the manager changed his mind. I almost left anyways but decided to go back and accept the original deal as promised.

This was a deal through the fleet department and I couldn't believe they were haggling for more after agreeing over the phone.

Matt

 

The latest.... the manager of one of the dealerships called me today to thank me for my visit yesterday and to inquire as to my satisfaction. I'm quite certain he was aware that there hadn't been a deal, but I quietly repeated the discussion I had had with his sales guy and the sales manager - and reiterated that I was unwilling to pay more than MSRP. He apologized and asked if I could come back by this evening. I said no, but made an appointment for tomorrow evening.

The reason I can't go back this evening is because I'll be dropping by another dealer who, if they will work with me, will get my business.

Jeff

 

And the last addendum... the dealer I went to last night was willing to sell me one of their in-transit vehicles at MSRP (they didn't have any in stock). So I did all the paperwork, wrote a check, and will pick my new Civic Hybrid when it arrives in a week or so. A very pleasant experience, all around.

I'll call the manager of the dealership that wanted me to come back tonight and give him the good news that there's no need for me to stop by.

Jeff

 

Good! I'm glad that worked out. It pains me that you've gotten such a run-around from dealers; my dealer was great. I didn't get any sales pressure for extra stuff, no pressure to finance with the dealers, and I paid $700 under the MSRP. I couldn't be happier. (If you're in the Boston area and in the market for an HCHII, I suggest you go to Majestic Honda in Lincoln, RI. They were really very nice to me there.)

 

IMO trying to force unwanted expensive add-ons as a condition of purpose is the same as claiming "We're out of what you want, but we have something else for just a few bucks more." That's called bait-and-switch -- also known as "fraud." If this tactic is endemic in your area, perhaps your state AG should be informed.

Never put up with that kind of BS. Elliot has the right answer -- deal strictly with the Internet dept. That's how I got my '05 HCH.