Your post doesn't say where in California you are and it's a big place. By the chance you are in the northern part, give Mistlin Honda in Modesto a call and ask for Henry Rodriguez.

Henry was a straight shooter with me and I was charged MSRP as promised while everyone else in the greater bay area wanted to charge me 2-3k over.

Henry Rodriguez
Internet Sales Manger
Misltin Honda
Phone: (209) 549-5000
Cellular: (209) 531-3379
hrodriguez@mistlinhonda.dealerspace.com

If posting a dealers info is a no-no here, my apologies. Let me know and I will edit it out of the post.

Dan

 

You may also want to try dealers outside of CA in nearby states like Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona etc.

They can either ship the car or else you can drive it home...

 

PJ Arnal at Right Honda in Phoenix, AZ is a totally straight up guy. If you don't mind coming to Phoenix for a quick trip, I know he can deal with you. He's working with a number of friends of mine. I know there's a wait though. He's next shipment of 9 hybrids is already spoken for (although you might be lucky if someone backs out). Let me know if you want his number.

 

why not buy it out of state like in OR or WA?

 

I have no answers for you, but let me commiserate with you. I have bought Hondas from a certain dealership since 1994, when I decided to have my wife go from American to Japanese cars. I even bought my 2005 HCH there last April.

My daughter wanted to buy a Fit, so we went to "our" dealership and saw the salesman I dealt with last year. Although he didn't have a Fit she could drive, he took down the particulars. Two days later he called me at work and said that he had a Fit Sport in her color coming in in 10 days, and if I gave him a credit card number the dealership would hold it. Two weeks later it was Memorial Day weekend, and I called; my salesman was out sick but I talked to a manager and he told me that the Fit that was coming in (the one I had given a CC number to hold) had already been promised to someone else, but that they would look for one like we wanted; in the meantime we were "on the list". I kept calling back and kept getting the runaround; we never were told where on the list we were, and they told us that they couldn't tell us exactly when a car in our color would be in.

Frustrated, we went to another Honda dealer in Frisco TX who treated us like human beings... they gave us a price less than the first dealer, and also told us when our car would start the manufacturing process - June 21st. Our salesman told us that they were selling Fits and HCHs site unseen, but at least they could tell us exactly where on "the list" we were and exactly when our car would be made. They actually said that any Honda dealer had access to the list and should be able to let you know exactly where in the process your car is. Needless to say, for my next Honda I am going back again to this dealer.

There are dealers out there who will treat you right, even if they are selling a hot model. I hope you find a dealer to sell you an HCH II soon.

 

If you don't mind taking a long trip, give Honda of Bartlesville, OK (formerly Mark Roberts Motors) a call at 800-375-5377. That's where I bought the wife's '06 HCH back in March. Totally upfront and honest, no add-ons or other big markups. They're a volume dealer that does business around the country. Spent ~$300 on the one-way airfare to Tulsa and the drive back in order to save ~$1500 on the car -- do the math yourself. When you call, ask for Adrian (the salesman I worked with) and tell him I sent you. Check the archives for the post I submitted about my experience.

 

I just purchased a 2006 Civic Hybrid a couple days ago. It is still enroute to my location, but I will have it in about a week!!! Silver Metallic with Navi!!! I love the Magnetic Peral...but can't find one of those and don't feel like waiting longer. Plus, this color should be cooler in the sun.

I,too, was looking all over California for a Civic to buy and was having bad luck. They are in such demand that dealers are gouging everybody. Pretty sad.

I searched some more, and discovered that Internet Sales is where I was having the best luck. These people get lists of Civics that are inbound to the dealers - complete with color, VIN, and with NAVI or not.

I have been happy with Mike, who works for an Internet Sales company that sells through Escondido Honda. He located a car for me about two hours after I contacted him...and the BEST part...they sell all their Civic Hybrids for the exact MSRP!!! Gotta love that!!!!

Good Luck...

 

After reading all of these, I'm really glad I live in Ohio. The dealer I went to was really nice. Paid MSRP, he told me he had a silver one coming in in mid to late August, which was the fastest of any dealer around me. Paid a deposit, the car came in over a week earlier than the earliest estimate, and I paid sticker, and he even kept my original trade-in value even though it had been two weeks and I'd put nearly 2,000 miles on my trade-in vehicle. Great to deal with (Roush Honda for any in central Ohio).

 

Forgot to add Internet Dealer info... United Auto Group (unitedauto.com)