Ok so C4C is fantastic for all but those who do not have a clunker trade in, or in my case a trade in at all.

Dealers are acting like sharks with blood in the water. You request an internet sale price and when you try to negotiate via email, they don't respond. It is MSRP or nothin.

C4C ends Nov. 1 and with a trend that sales are softening out, the money will not run out by Nov. 1. This leaves the options of Congress extending until the money runs out or that some shoppers are frankly now waiting for 2010 models because they know they will be on the lot before Nov. 1. Lastly, Congress is considering extending the program for pre-orders because Focuses, Civic Hybrids and Prius Hybrids are sold out across the US. Dealers will be cash rich for at least 6 months and probably won't be dealing too hard for the first few months of 2010s.

So, do the insiders or those that think they have the inside scoop believe it is better to deal now for a savings of $200-$400 off MSRP or wait it out past Nov. 1, and deal for a 2010, knowing that the base MSRP will go up roughly $300 and there won't be any changes of note on the Fit.

Thanks in advance.

 

I've been wondering about this too, though my 1996 beater is not clunker qualified (rated at 21 mpg combined).

My feeling (and this is an opinion) is that if you can wait, you should. I don't say this because of any belief about the market in the future, but because if you don't need to buy a new car right now, then you don't need to buy!

Wait until you need to buy, then shop carefully and negotiate hard.

 

You may be in a fairly good position because crazy enough, there will be 250K cars or more taken out of the potential used car arena so used car dealers may actually want your non clunker for a few more dollars than you would have gotten pre C4C.