I have a 2007 Fit Sport AT, Vivid Blue Pearl less than 22,000 Miles. Perfect condition. Wifes car. Saw the 2009 and thinking maybe trade in. Never did that so how do you get the best deal? Do you tell them right off the bat you want to trade in or do you negotiate best deal then say "I have this wonderful trade in"? What are the schools of thought out there?

Thanks,

Blue Dogg

 

you deal the final price. your trade-in and your new car's price together.

that's all that matters...unless you want to just sell the car.

 

To REALLY get the best deal, buy your new Fit without trading in the old one, then sell the old Fit yourself. You'll net ~ $1k or more additional than if you trade it in.

 

I traded in my 07 Fit Sport for an 09. Here's what I did:

I told them right away that I was just curious about trading in 07 for the 09. I took the 09 out for a test drive and told them how much I liked it.

When it came down to pricing, they tried giving me their "best deal" but I kept turning it down saying that it just wasn't worth it for me. Then, I left.

The next day, the sales person called me and said that he talked to his manager and was able to work something out since I was such a loyal customer (same dealership where I got my 07 and did a lot of my services). The deal still wasn't that great, and I told him how much I was willing to finance (basically the same price as what I paid for my 07) and if I didn't get that then it just wasn't worth it and I didn't need the car. He said that it just wasn't possible and I left it at that.

The next day... the sales manager called me and said that they could get within $500 OTD of what I asked. That's when I finally agreed.

Keep in mind, they need your business a lot more than you need theirs.

 

What all the experts say is that you first negotiate the price and then tell them you have a trade. To me, either way, the price can and will change. Like say you want $3500 for your trade in. They will only give you $3000. So they say, okay, we will give you $3500 but in turn mark up, or don't discount, the price of the car by $500. It's hard to go in and not mention a trade cuz that's the first thing they ask. Good luck!

 

You'll get the best deal by selling your 07 privately and negotiating the purchase price on the new car.

 

In my opinion, it will be VERY difficult to sell an 07 Fit privately. Your asking price will be so near those of the 09s that they will most likely just get a brand new one with a full warranty.

While some people do pay cash for new or almost new vehicles, most do not and it's also easier to get financing on a car from a dealership than one from a private party.

With that said, to get the best deal, take your time and visit a number of Honda dealers and just work them all for the best deal. Take your time, if they sense that you are in a hurry, you will end up paying more.

 

You won't have trouble selling it. Somewhere out there is a GE hater (really a GD lover) who wants your particular generation car and will pay fair money based on its condition.

I'd let Carmax give you a quote the day before you purchase the new Fit.

 

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing. Very true they need your business more than you need theirs...now more than ever!

OP: This site is pretty informative:CarBuyingTips.com new car buying guide, avoiding dealer scams, new cars, used car buying, selling. One of the areas I like most about the site is all of the free spreadsheets they offer for download. These make it easy to play with numbers before you begin negotiating with a trained salesperson. The more ammunition you have going in the better. Knowledge is power!

 

Generally yes. Blue Dogg has usa for a location, doh, not helpful!
In Illinois when you trade in, you only pay tax on the difference in price.
Blue Doggs trade in is prolly worth around $12,500 +/- $500

so in Illinois he'd have to get around $13,500 privately to equal that.

Finally I traded in my 07 for an 09, had it on cars.com for 2 months to sell privately, didnt sell.
One night I emailed 8 dealers saying I wanted $12,500 (would have to get $13,500 to equal that in a private sale)

5 dealers scoffed, 3 emailed back that they could do it!

 

Tork is right. If you save on tax from your trade in then what you could save on selling it privately could be lost on paying additional tax on the new car.
I traded in my 07 Dodge Ram Quad Cab Hemi with 27,000 miles because in New Jersey they deducted the sales tax from the new car. They gave me $15,728 for my truck so I only paid tax on $1,800 ($17,528-$15,728) and got them to throw in All season mats, rear cargo tray, door sills, and the rear applique. The installation of my all season mats is another story all together.
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...y-old-car.html

 

Wow great stuff. I am in no hurry to do this so I will use all this advice. I and my SO, haven't drove the 09 yet so I guess that is the first step.

I'm from West Michigan

Thanks!

BD

 

I am at IL/WI border on the Lake Michigan shores, you are straight across the lake from me. I studied a 200 mile circle on cars.com and on autotrader.com for dealer inventory for a couple of months.
Michigan had a great supply of Fits, even the more rare manuals and manual/navi possibly because overall Michigan has been hit pretty hard economically.
Cars.com and autotrader.com is mainly what I used to email dealers. I highly recommend emailing a bunch of them.
On driving an 09 I was like WOW. Don't get me wrong, my 07 Fit S was a great car. Just loved all the improvements, like not removing the head rests to fold down the rear seats, the sound of the engine, the extra torque at a lower RPM, the looks that appear to be more aerodynamic (even the underbody looks to be more aerodynamic) the usb port where you can plug in a flash drive and on and on

 

Recommend you sell your car privately (craigslist, cars.com, autotrader) for close to the private party value on kbb or edmunds.

You will get a much better deal than a trade in.

Demand for the fuel efficient car is probably lower now than last summer, but the Honda's always have a nice resale value.

 

If I sold privately, I would then have to pay sales tax on entire amount of the new car purchase.

Does anyone know if MI does not charge the sales tax on the trade in portion of the '09 purchase?

If trade in were $12500 then tax saved would be $750 (@6%). Selling privately at say $13500 (found similar car on autotrader.com) and have someone beat me down a couple hundred from that - it wouldn't be worth it.

BD

 

Tork, you say the sound of the engine is better. How? and does it get similar gas mileage?

Another thing I am curious about is the paint. The 07 has soft paint. Has that been improved in the 09?

Don't mean to get too off topic, just a couple questions.

Thanks,

BD

 

Sales people always deal as though any car you come in is a trade-in. Regardless of what you say.
A proper deal is to deduct the wholesakle value of your Fit adjusted for condition and miles (be honest)from BlueBook, NADA, or others averaged, from the invoice value of the intended vehicle (from Edmunds or better ConsumerReports) and add $500 for dealer profit. He may take less so start at $200..
Any add-ons for warranty, protection,insurance, or documentation or prepping are negotiable goodies for dealer benefit.
Tax, tags, license, and title are legit unless dealer charges more than the state charges.
And of course, since Fits are plentiful now you can be a tough negotiator.
Starting low (difference between wholesale trade and invoice is acceptable; the dealer sales is going to start high.
The key is having your information and SOURCES presentable. The good salesman will recognize the reasonable buyer and will move quickly to conclude the deal. The unreasonable one simply wants to compete with you to 'beat' you and you should leave. That attitude spreads quickly throughout a dealership from sales to shop to parts.

 

hey Dogg, this is your thread, take it anywhere you would like it to go!

Just my humble $.02, but to me the motor sounds more muscular at all but the highest revs. Gas mileage I think is about the same +/- 3%
Truth is, going to be hard to tell on MPG. they're only out what 3 months.
We need a number of people with 4K + miles, with nicer weather to post up!
Personally dont know as we have had so much freaking snow (breaking a 20-30 year record) that the Fit has been setting in the garage all polished up, been driving the murano or the 08 civic.
My guess is it will be a bit better than GD, only a few lbs heavier and to me the 09 looks more aerodynamic including underneath the car.

Oh I threw out the $12,500, that was for my 07 manual stick with 37K, but it was 6 weeks ago and also before these rock bottom fuel prices took hold.
Still your 07 is auto + only in the 20K mile range so you should be ok. You gotta stand firm with these dealers, tell em what you want and be prepared to walk out. I would guess that if you try 8 dealers, it may not fly the first try, but what will happen is one or more will call you or email you back in a couple of days to do the deal.

Oh and your tax question, google Michigan sales tax or Michigan auto sales tax.....or call a dealer, any dealer Ford, Chevy or whatever.

 

hey Dogg, this is your thread, take it anywhere you would like it to go!

Just my humble $.02, but to me the motor sounds more muscular at all but the highest revs. Gas mileage I think is about the same +/- 3%
Truth is, going to be hard to tell on MPG. they're only out what 3 months.
We need a number of people with 4K + miles, with nicer weather to post up!
Personally dont know as we have had so much freaking snow (breaking a 20-30 year record) that the Fit has been setting in the garage all polished up, been driving the murano or the 08 civic.
My guess is it will be a bit better than GD, only a few lbs heavier and to me the 09 looks more aerodynamic including underneath the car.

Oh I threw out the $12,500, that was for my 07 manual stick with 37K, but it was 6 weeks ago and also before these rock bottom fuel prices took hold.
Still your 07 is auto + only in the 20K mile range so you should be ok. You gotta stand firm with these dealers, tell em what you want and be prepared to walk out. I would guess that if you try 8 dealers, it may not fly the first try, but what will happen is one or more will call you or email you back in a couple of days to do the deal (especially near the end of a month when they are dying to make quota).

Oh and your tax question, google Michigan sales tax or Michigan auto sales tax.....or call a dealer, any dealer Ford, Chevy or whatever.