Hello all,
We have an '08 SSM Sport AT with 27K on the clock. The warranty is going out in Feb. '11. With .90 financing from Honda now I could trade her for a '10 and either keep the same monthly payment for 48 months or drop it considerably by going 60 months. We have had zero problems with the car but I always wanted a white car. This seems an easy decision and maybe I'm just overthinking it. I would have to add all the little things to a new Fit that our's has. Gentex Mirror, sport grille, armrest, xm radio, weathertech mats etc. The dealer wants to trade for $6,700 + TT&L. Any thoughts?
Thanks

 

My only suggestion would be to trade it to Carmax or Autoland (if you have these in your area). I sold my Mitsubishi Evo X with only 15500 miles on it to Autoland and they gave me 4K more than the trade in at Honda.

If the price they are giving you is around trade in value according to KBB then I guess it's a no brainer but if they are offering you less than I'd say sell it privately or go through the above mentioned car dealerships.

 

Personally, I'm waiting at least until the '11s (for VSA) or the Minor Model Change for '12. I have an 09 and though I love it I relish driving the GD3s like your 08 so I may be a bit jaded. Unless you already have, I'd make sure I put a good hour or so and at least a few miles in the GE8 before you pull the trigger.

Just my two cents, there is a whole forum about this, flame wars and all.

Ben

 

The dealer wants to trade for $6700 + TT&L. No matter what kind of allowance is shown 6700 is the difference amount. That is what is important. I owe a little less than $8500 on the '08 so total financing would be under $16K on the new car.

 

I have driven the new car although not for an hour. Main thing I did was make sure my mother's portable wheelchair fit in the rear. It does ....just like in the '08. I do like our '08. I just thought if I could get a new vehicle for no monies out of pocket, same monthly expense or less (48 months or 60) and have new warranty etc. it might make since to do so. Also, would not have to buy some tires come next year or pay for a 30K mile service.

 

You owe more on the car than it's worth but you want to go further in debt because you want a different color car??? What you're considering is very foolish.

 

No buy kraftwerks supercharger for gd instead. I'd rather have sc gd than na ge. You'd probably be ahead money wise too. Shit, the depreciation you would take on a new car would pay for the sc.

 

How do you figure I owe more than it's worth? $8,500 is the payoff.

 

My suggestion... just pay it off and keep it. Nothing like driving a newer car that is completely paid off. I have 17K miles on my 09 Sport and its completely paid off...but that's just my .02 cents.

 

I'd say keep it, you wont gain much moving to a GE. If you want a white car have your car wrapped in vinyl.

 

I hear and understand your want to upgrade. However, fight that urge. The car will run great for years to come with scheduled maintenance. Keep on making payments on it.

 

I agree with all those telling you to stay with your car (except that guy who said to SC...)

Also, you say you aren't paying more out of pocket....ugh I'd say paying for a few more years is money out of pocket

 

I'm trying to break the cycle with this car. Since 2001, I've bought 7 cars (5 of them new) because I get the stupid urge to drive something else (and all over the board). I can afford it, just rolling from one payment to the next, but it's not smart. I plan to pay this one off within the next two years, and stoke my drive-somethin'-different urges with an old fun beater once I leave Cali (something cheap I can sell on a whim hen I'm tired of it). The new car smell just doesn't last long enough, and it's very easy to convince yourself that there's some characteristic to your car that you just can't live with.

Ever notice that after driving a rental for an extended period, your car feels almost foreign at first? That's because you adapt to whatever car you own and it becomes the default "car" in your mind.

Changing to a car that feels different is exciting - it breaks up the monotony of driving the same roads each day. I think the modding bug some folks on here get is largely the same thing - once they stop modding, they end up buying a different car. Whether this is because they suddenly grow bored of the car, or because they were modding to fend off those new car desires is your call.

 

That makes all kinds of sense. The rate that cars change/improve is kind of crazy, as soon as I bought my fit I'd found at least 3 other cars that I would have loved to have had instead. Now that I'm out of a Fit I look for every chance to drive the S I can get.

 

I agree with Resist the Urge. I vote for keep the car you have & pay it off.
AFTER you pay it off, then look and see what is available at that time.
By then the Fit could be a hybrid or have more options such as a sunroof, leather seats or fly.

 

I also agree with keeping your car and paying in off.. Like sooznd said, wait till it's paid off and then see what's available because it might be much more worth your money and waiting for those options.

 

It's always tempting to upgrade when the new thing is the new thing, and your car slowly goes from being new and pristine to jet another semi-late-model on the road.

But think of it this way - in 1995, someone saw the new Accord and couldn't wait to trade his '93. Someone in 1996 saw the new Civic and couldn't wait to ditch his '95. In the grand scheme of things, a GE isn't that much grander than a GD. Wait until the next generation if you want a new Fit... I'm guessing 3-4 years. You'll have a greater appreciation for the improvements, as your car will have that much more wear*, and the evolutionary changes will be greater.

*if Hondas didn't age so gracefully, this would be a bigger factor - My '92 still felt new at 8 years old. I have a buddy with a 14 year old civic, closing in on 200,000 miles, and it still feels like a relatively new car. A friend here in Cali drives a '01 civic, and aside from the cosmetic wear (it looks rough,) the car feels like it's just a few years old.

 

Just for the change of color, I wouldn't swap. The urge will pass.

 

Your reasoning is all valid; I would not fault you for springing for the upgrade. Most everything about the GE is nicer than the GD, I only feel some of the "fun" factor has been refined out.

Also, don't let your dealer talk you into a 30k service; if you follow your maintenance minder system it will tell you when to service your trans, filters, plugs, rotations and oil changes and coolant services. Save your money, read up in your owners manual about your service codes (A, B, 1-5), follow them. Insist on only genuine Honda fluids for any services, no flushes.

FWIW,

Ben