Hi all,

Looking to buy a Honda Fit EX tonight. We've already been around pricing and already know where we're probably going to get it, but I wanted to ask a few questions:

1. Should we get the Remote Start offered by the dealership? They are asking $599 for it, which is well above Honda MSRP, and I've heard that they aren't very good anyways. Is there an aftermarket setup that is better quality/lower price that works with the 2015 EX?

2. They added on a $599 'Honda Pro Pack' which was not in my original quote, saying that it was 'pre-installed'. As best as I can tell, the only part that is pre-installed is the splash guards (which MSRP around $100) - wheel locks, etc are trivial to remove.

Thoughts and advice? I will be returning there in a few hours and wanted to get input from people.

 

The Honda Pro Pack is 100% dealer-installed add-ons after delivery. They're jerking you around.

 

Oldest trick in the Honda dealer arsenal. Some of them add this stuff just as soon as the cars roll on the lot, so "pre-installed" may well be true if the car has been on the lot more than an hour or two. Pro in this case is short for Profit. Only way to prevent it at these kinds of dealers is to make a deal on a car they don't yet have, or on a car they just got and haven't yet touched, and make it explicit/clear in the deal you aren't paying for/don't want this stuff added. Even this isn't foolproof--at least as to keeping them from putting the stuff on the car, anyway--since some of them have such a well tuned and efficient process for putting this stuff on absolutely every car as they do the PDI stuff that there's almost no way to keep the stuff off. Charge the salesperson with sitting in the car from the moment it gets there as soon as you get the call that it's on the truck to the dealership. I bought an '88 Accord that was fresh off the truck and made them tape a sign in the Driver's window, "NO PRO PACK," before they did the PDI. Still, I was down watching the PDI while waiting for paperwork and had to stop the guy from sandblasting the "Theft Recovery" code in the windows.

This is one thing that just makes me crazy about many Honda dealers. With Honda's desire to present their best foot via their dealers, I'm surprised Honda still tolerates this. But they must. Dealer here does it too.

Oh, and from where you are your best option is to tell the dealer to suck it up and give you the stuff for free since it wasn't part of the deal. Threaten to walk if need be. If you are prepared to do it, that is. The mud flaps do require drilled holes--now that they are there, best to leave them alone.

 

Well, I did walk, though so far after sending quote requests to almost every dealer in the area, I still don't have a quote that's lower.

This is frustrating.

 

The sad corollary, from the buyers' PoV anyway, is that the reason they do it and get away with it is that they have cars that sell easily and they can readily replace buyers that resist with buyers who just pay the money and take it.

There can be something to be said for spending a little more with a dealer that isn't doing this kind of stuff.

 

Out of curiosity, what would be considered a good sale price for this vehicle? Most quotes I'm getting come out to between $19,000 to $19,500, before taxes and fees (though destination is usually included). The lowest I've seen so far is about $18,500 (after taxes and fees, about $20,500).

 

Assuming you are talking a 2015 EX CVT, the sticker on a late build is $19,180 including destination.

In 8 tries buying new Acuras/Hondas between 1986 and 2007 I never paid sticker. But local market conditions and demand vs. supply for the specific model/color play a huge role. Somebody from Chicago area will have to tell you what to expect there.

Dealer here is asking a $3,790 premium for that car including the Profit Pack accessories. I don't yet know what they are taking, but that's what they are asking. Visiting another Honda dealer involves a half hour ride on a 717. So the competitive scene is pretty bleak and the dealer probably has a lot of pricing power. OTOH, they are sitting on an inventory of 28 2015 Fits. That's 28 2015 Fits out of 124 new Hondas of all flavors. Sadly, I want a 2016 for expected production/quality improvements.

 

I would go with the 2016 not the 2015.

 

Also don't be afraid to drive a distance to a good dealer. The dealer here was jerking me around, saying things like, "you want a manual? That's like finding a needle in a haystack., etc..." I found a dealer that was an hour away out of state and they had five manuals and they gave me a great deal. Good for you walking out. If you are not comfortable don't do it.

 

Me too, but they've got to burn down that 2015 inventory before they will get many 2016s allocated, or be at all interested in dealing on them. Their oldest 2015 has a VIN …722310, so some of these have been there a surprisingly long time. Tacoma trucks sell incredibly well here.

 

Does the 2016 have any significant advantages over the 2015? My fiancee unfortunately needs a car now, and I haven't seen any dealers with 2016s in stock.

 

Truecar today is quoting $850+ off MSRP for an EX CVT in Chicagoland zipcodes. I had been tracking prices closely in the spring and that's not bad. Truecar discounts averaged more in the $300 to $600 range, the same neighborhood as the Costco price. If you go through the threads here you'll see better prices than that but not a lot.

 

No real changes as far as I've read. People are holding out for the 2016 in the hope that some of the problems you read about here will be resolved. Plus there will be some coming from Japan and there's a thinking that the quality will be superior to the Mexican build.

 

The only change Honda has announced for 2016 Fits is a small price increase. ($200, IIRC.) Nobody here has reported seeing one yet. Honda historically has made minor changes in programming, parts, materials, and processes at first to second model year breaks based on quality, cost, warranty, and similar feedback. Probably very subtle stuff.

 

Out of curiosity, is the Honda Remote Start the best one to get, or is there a superior aftermarket one?

 

I have zero experience with it, but:

1) It's engineered by Honda to integrate with the vehicle, and they know the vehicle side best.
2) If you get it installed at time of purchase, Honda will cover the whole shebang under the regular warranty. No aftermarket unit can say that and installing aftermarket can also negatively affect what Honda will cover.

 

The lowest price I found after searching all dealerships in like a 50 mile radius was $18,100 retail. Higher than many people on here, though.

 

Honestly, it's just a bad time to buy. I was quoted $1000 less three months ago than my coworker was quoted last week. Don't worry about the price too much-- it's a great car for whatever deal you can get. If you need a car now, get the car now and don't feel bad for paying $500 more than some others on here. $500 is nothing to lose sleep over.

 

What he said. Give the time of year, time of month, the short supply of 2016s, and the dwindling supplies of 2015s, that seems like a number that's probably "good enough". There will always be somebody who got it for less. At this point, your $500 is 2.5% or so of the price and their $500 is probably more than 50% of the profit they have left.

 

They had to do a dealer transfer so the car will be ready Monday/Tuesday.

Is there anything I should look out for in this case?