You should definitely try the Costco option if this is how you feel about buying a car from a dealer the "normal" way. It's worth the cost of a basic membership. We saved a good amount on our Prius plus the pain of buying a car and having to haggle.

 

Maybe the one you looked at has honda sensing which is $1000 more than regular ex cvt.
And when people ask how much is your car, people do not include all the fee and tax.
For example my 2017 ex-l with navi. If you ask me how much, I would just say the price before all the fee and tax which is 21800. but after the fee, gap insurance and tax. it reach 26500.

 

Standard means mandatory, not free. It comes with all EX's and they would have raised the base price to include the cost of it.

 

Do NOT pay that documentation fee. It is just additional dealer profit. I have never seen a dealer try to charge that much. Usually they try to add 100 to 200. I always refuse to pay it and they always drop it if they want the sale. On the last one I walked out and they stopped me in the parking lot to say they would drop it. They knew I would not be back as I was 160 miles from home.

 

Wow. Saving thousands is a waste of your time.

Go to CarMax and spend more than MSRP for a used car, that sounds more to your speed.

 

you have to put in the effort as mike stated if youre willing to save money on your car.

but looking for a great deal on a 2018 while there is much inventory of 2017 out there is a bad plan to start with. i can tell you that. timing and market price plays a big role too in car price.

 

Here is comparison between 2018 (shipping and handling included) vs 2017 MSRP. There are many websites that will give you and idea what to expect to pay in your local area. When I shopped for 2017 LX CVT. I held firm at that expected price, and I told them I didn't want any dealer added features. When the sales manager figured out you are serious, you will get that price, plus tax and licence, can't get away from those two. Stay firm, email different dealers. Let the electrons do the walking for you. It is a fun game to play. Walk (slowly) to your car if you can't get the price you want. They will chase after you! You got the money, they want to sell you a car. You are not buy something expensive or unique. Don't let your emotion get to you. Get your own insurance and financing (if needed) as well.

LX manual: $17,065 $16,090+875
LX CVT: $17,865 $16,790+875
LX CVT w/Honda Sensing: $18,865
Sport manual: $18,375
Sport CVT: $19,175
Sport CVT w/Honda Sensing: $20,175
EX manual: $19,035 $17,900+875

 

I'll have to pay SOME documentation fee. I'm seeing on Edmunds that the average around my area for dealerships to charge is $799, and this place wants me to pay $699 which is already less. I'll have to see how much I can talk them down. I also need to see how much I can talk them down in the vehicle price, it's so much higher than MSRP.

 

No, like I said I will negotiate prices with them and if we don't arrive to a good number I'm leaving. Wasting my time is asking to see cars I don't want to see and playing this game with them.

 

The internet is your friend when it comes to negotiating a price. Most dealers have an employee devoted just to internet sales.

When my GD3 was totaled a year and a half ago, I needed a vehicle quickly, and in the middle of winter, no less. Here's what I did.

Got a baseline starting price from the Costco buying program. That gave me an idea of a price that was easily attainable with no more haggling. But haggle I did.

I emailed all the Honda dealers within a 50 mi. radius and told them: I need a '16 LX, CVT, Aegean Blue, no options. Best price gets my business.

The dealer that gave me the lowest quote was 50 mi. away. But then that dealer pulled a fast one on me - insisted I purchase a set of Honda floor mats for an additional $150. They actually told me no one had ever refused a sale because of the additional floor mats (yeah, right). I told them, first time for everything, and that I wouldn't sign an offer that included the floor mats. They said no, you must include the mats, and I said no thanks, time to consider the next best offer. So that's exactly what I did. Even negotiated below the next dealer's offer in person.

In the end, I saved roughly $1500 off list. A little leg work, and I bet you can do the same.

 

What?

Reading comprehension > You.

I'm saying you should make it clear you're not set on buying that car today. I use the looking at other cars excuse because there's a kernel of truth, before every purchase I try to drive between 5 & 10 alternatives to what I end up buying.

If you're buying a car without test driving anything else, you're just short sighted.

Not saying that you should ask them to show you the Accord, Civic & Ridgeline while you mull the Fit over.

 

It is $800 over. They are probably adding in some accessories, this is why you look at window stickers.

Everything else is going to be present on a new car.

You really need to do a lot of research. This has all been covered ad nauseam on the internet & elsewhere, there's no excuse to be an uninformed consumer in 2017.

 

I seem to recall some previous posts where the documentation fee was noted as particularly stiff in that Florida area.

You also don't want (overpriced dealer scams):

Dealer paint protection. (worthless)
Dealer undercoating. (get it afterwards from a third party if you want it)
Theft protection serial number etching on glass (this scam seems to have faded now).
Nitrogen gas in the tires (also less common now).
Documentation charge (as discussed, the current favorite of dealers everywhere).

 

Trying to do this but on the Costco site I keep getting "Currently, we have not located a dealership in your area that has met our strict pricing criteria for the manufacturer you selected".

 

As far as True Car, yes, they can't create a data base for prices paid for a vehicle in your area if that vehicle is not been sold or for sale yet. But getting prices on a 2017 similarly equipped, is at least a starting point.

Given your apparent inexperience in buying a new car, I might suggest using an auto broker or buying service. In my observation, my Dad buys his cars through a broker, he doesn't get the absolute best price possible, if he fought a week long battle, armed with every bit of information possible, BUT...at least he get's a fair price, and what he wants.

For a Broker, through an auto buying service you have to pay a fee. But if you have no experience or inclination to go through the whole dealership buying experience it might be worth it.

Some Banks, Credit Unions actually have brokers or buyers services they recommend.
You could use a "Costco" like buying service, but that's just a service that get's you to a price. You still have to go to the dealership. But at least it outlines certain steps, and might protect you from getting a severely over inflated price.

If you insist on being one of the very first, with the very first 2018's, you may indeed pay for that luxury. The only thing you want to avoid is overpaying for that luxury.

 

wow.. car broker. lol

negotiating a price is part of the fun of car buying. some (a lot?) of u folks think car buying is an annoying experience but i actually enjoy buying cars. it's real simple actually.

 

Thanks for the advice. In the past I did consider using an Auto Broker, but everyone I know talked me out of it saying how buying a car is so easy and that I won't get a good price because the Broker needs to make money too.

It's not really that I insist on being one of the first people with a 2018 Fit, it's just that I desperately need a car right now. I was actually going to get a 2017 until I realized that if I waited just a few months I would be able to get a 2018 with all these better safety features once they came out, and not to mention I couldn't find any dealerships that carried the color I wanted anymore so it was just best to wait.

I went on the Costco site to learn up on their buying service but I'm getting "Currently, we have not located a dealership in your area that has met our strict pricing criteria for the manufacturer you selected".

At this point I'm just really confused about what I should be paying for this car and what a good price is. When I look on TrueCar for 2017's they are giving me an average price these are selling for at around $19,178, and Honda told me the price of 2018's would probably be around 600-800 more than that. So the quoted price they gave me doesn't seem far off, so I'm confused about how much lower I can make this go and what I should actually be paying. As you can tell I'm very inexperienced with this.

 

This is actually my literal nightmare. I thought for BRAND NEW cars you can't negotiate price at all because you have no leverage, like why would they sell you the car for cheaper when someone else can just come in and buy it full price? Like it's Honda, they aren't desperate for my business. If I don't buy this car someone else will. But now I am being told, yes you can negotiate. Now I am just confused at what this car is actually worth and what is a reasonable price I can get it down to.

 

Some people enjoy it..have the time and patience.
And some don't.

I've never used a broker or buying service, I use the "know" then hang on tight approach.
That is, I try to know exactly what I want, and exactly how much that should cost me. Then I go in to a dealership, or find it in their inventory, and then hold on tight. If they can't or won't sell it to me at that price? Then I don't buy.

Do I enjoy it? No.
I think a lot of people would rather not go through the haggle and shell game that happens at way too many dealerships. Including last second add ons and fee's.

I think since for many people their automobiles are often the 2nd most expensive thing they buy, the fact that we haggle and negotiate on price like we are trading camels in the desert is IMO ridiculous.

I think with the internet, and the availability of knowledge this reality in terms of how we buy automobiles is thankfully dying.

Yeah, I know some people think of it as a game, or challenge and actually enjoy it. They either get a good deal or think they got a good deal. But I think for every 1 of those people, there are 2 or 3, just not equipped or prepared for that type of battle, that usually overpay.

 

wow, might want to take your mind off of this for a month or so unless you really NEED to buy a new car. it's suppose to be fun owning a new car, not stressful.

as for brand new cars yes they will give you a price lower than MSRP *if* the market forces them to do it. as i mentioned earlier, buying a 18' refresh model while there are a bunch of 17's out at the dealer lots will not get u much of a discount.

if you must get a 18' i suggest you wait 6-7months if you need to get it at a lower price. if not, just pay watever makes sense to you.

if you want to save money on a 17' then you should be able to knock down a good amount off MSPR..

if i was looking to buy a fit right now, i would either just push for a good deal on a 17 or wait until next summer on a 18' and buy it when the 19's are about to roll out.