So I've been really wanting a blue EX manual 2015 Fit and have been calling all the local dealers about them. The only one that would even give me an estimate said 2-3 months. I said eff that, went on cars.com and looked up every blue EX manual within 500 miles of me. There were four. I called all four dealerships, and only one actually had the car on the lot: Tameron Honda in Birmingham Alabama. I explained to them that I wanted to trade my 09 in, but didn't know how that would work because I'm a 6.5 hour drive away and am not going to drive down unless I know for sure they can give me a good deal on the trade in.

Well, the guy took the info on my trade in, and said he could give me an *estimate*. I've been doing some research on how much my trade in is worth and figuring out payments, and I figured out that if I can get $11,500-12,000 for my 09 Fit Navi with 32,000 miles, then I would only be paying about $325-330 a month for 2 years (same monthly payment as my old Fit, which I paid off in April) with paying around MSRP for the new one. I told him that if he could do around $325 a month for 2 years with my trade in (and put it in writing) then we would have a deal. I know it's not good to negotiate on monthly payment price, but in this case, I know exactly how those numbers correspond to the purchase price. He agreed to do between $321 and $331 a month, depending on how my trade in looked when I got down there, which I think is fair, especially since Alabama's tax rate is 2.65% higher than Kentucky's. He said they if they couldn't pay that much on the trade in, then he would take money off the price of the new one to keep within the monthly payment that we agreed on. I may not save much off the MSRP, which I'm fine with, but I would at least be getting a decent value for my trade in, so I'm very happy. I put a refundable deposit down, and he's making sure it stays off the lot and nobody test drives it. I go to pick it up early next week, and can't me more excited!

 

Congratulations! You'll get a good chance to get familiar with it on the drive home. Be sure and post your thoughts and observations when you get back. Along with pictures of course!

 

Do you think you can make it back on one tank of gas?

 

X2

 

We are watching.......

 

Challenge accepted (but I seriously doubt it)! It may depend on how full the dealer actually fills the tank. I'm kind of worried that the first 462 miles are all going to be highway (bad for breaking it in), but I have no other option because I'm driving home that day and need to get back at a decent hour. I'd love to spend an entire day taking back roads home, but that's just not in the cards.

 

Nice catch! Good luck with your deal!

 

In the same boat, I just got one 266 miles away, white lx manual. Just got the call today, it's ready for pick up! I'm going to do my best to break it in well on the way home, with no steady rpms/highway drone. We will see. Congrats! I share your excitement.

 

Another FF with impeccable taste!!! Post pics after you take delivery. Give it variable mid-revs and shift often on the drive home. Enjoy the drive!!!

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Have fun!

By the way: in general, at least, you should only be paying sales/use tax for your home state, not for the state that the dealership is in. You'll probably have to pay it when you do the paperwork with the DMV to transfer your plates or get a new registration if you aren't transferring the plates. There's a reasonable chance that the quote from the dealer doesn't include the sales/use tax.

Buying a car out of state isn't that big of a deal, but do make sure you understand the process; a call to your DMV should clear up the questions pretty easily if you can't figure it out any other way.

 

Great to hear Sheep! I think you can make it. I think honda fills them up at the factory because it said right on my sticker "Full tank of gas" you may be running close but I bet you could almost do it.
Dont run out of gas though. Lol just the actual figured mileage would be sufficent

 

I doubt it. The gas tank is only 10.6 gallons, so I would have to average 43.6 MPG and that's if the gas tank is completely full and I pull into my driveway on the last drop of gas. I think the full tank of gas on the sticker comes from the dealerships, because the last Fit I bought, the dealer mentioned that he only drove it to fill up the gas. They probably ship them with a quarter of a tank or something to save weight and for safety reasons.

 

Weird. When I bought my last Fit in Ohio, my taxes were rolled into my financing. I think they might have estimated KY sales tax and rolled it into the cost, then cut me a check for that, I'm not sure. I'll clear it up tomorrow.

 

I sent you a private message. Please read it.

 

Regardless, it stated specifically on the spec sheet on window "comes with full tank of gas" Not like either of them is gonna go broke on 10 gallons of gas :-/

 

At every dealership I have ever dealt with, no matter what brand, it was common practice to fill up the tank for the new owner. They never did it until the car was sold because many their vehicles get traded off to other dealers or occasionally to the auction. Also that is money tied up just sitting on the lot. Why fill them up for some other dealership or organization?

Many dealerships also can not finance the vehicles they have just sitting on their lots. So the manufacturer or local bank holds titles. So why tie up additional money for gas in vehicles parked on their lot.

At one time many years ago, a Ford assembly plant in Chicago was my client. As the new cars came off of the assembly line, each vehicle got 1.5 gallons of gas. The car was started and driven out the door and down the street to a shipping company. That company stored them and eventually loaded them on rail cars and trucks for delivery. That was an interesting, but boring, job for about 10 guys driving hundreds of new cars 2 blocks down the street all day.

 

Since he said he would keep it off the lot maybe you should ask what the mileage is to keep him honest. If it ends up with more than he told you, you may have some bargaining power.

PS: Not that a salesman would lie.......:-/

 

Seems like a good chance to re-create one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes.....462 miles...just about right.....

 

He already told me without my asking. It has 29 miles on it now and it'll have 32 miles on it after he fills it up with gas.

 

he keeps himself in check without realizing it