Due to the economy and the huge drop in the total number of car sales, do you think it's possible to negotiate a lower than MSRP on the Fit Sport? I'm in the Los Angeles area and every dealer I've contacted has markups on the Fits. Granted, I haven't talked to them in the past few days but two weeks ago, no one wanted to haggle prices.

 

You can only try. I doubt if they will go lower than MSRP, but you might be able to get it for MSRP. You could also try dealers outside your area, as in a neighboring state. Sometimes the savings are worth the drive or a plane flight to get your car.

 

i doubt you can get below MSRP... and getting MSRP is a good deal, yes sales are down over all, but cars that are selling are cars like the Fit... not too much wiggle room, if you were in the market for a giant planet killing SUV i bet you could go way below MSRP because dealers cant sell them, but your looking at quite possible the most in-demand car, so you wont do any better than MSRP and MSRP is a gift... i actualy found a dealer out here that is selling at MSRP, i was amazed, I talked to the salesman and he even thought they should be marking them up like everyone else!

 

While sales overall may be down Fit sales are up alot, and there really isn't much markup anyway. Honda sales are basically flat for the year which isn't really cause for panic.

 

I'd guess your chances are slim getting below MSRP. Inventory is very tight for all dealers, few have many cars , if any, unsold. Even if they have a couple, it's not like they've been on their lots for any meaningful amount of time to cause them to try to get rid of the car. If they do have them, I would suspect they're putting them to some use with test drives securing future sales.

Many (like me) are waiting for months for the car of their choice. What motivation would a dealer have to go below MSRP when the market is telling them there is no need to and they'll sell all their cars at the price listed, or above.

As stated above, it's always worth a shot, no harm trying, you may get lucky near the end of the month when a guy, or dealer wants to make their numbers.

Good luck, will be interested in your strategy if you make it happen.

 

2 words you need to know.......

ROCK HONDA

Thats were you need to go if you live in the LA area

 

better yet... CHRIS @ ROCK HONDA!

 

DOH!!

 

so when i was getting ready to pay for my fit i asked the finance guy, "is there a discount for cash vs credit?"
because it cost them a few bucks to run the credit card, so i figured i would just write him a check, rather than put the balance on my CC> (it was only $3000, dont freak out guys that i was going to put $17500 on my CC.)
so the guy says "discount for cash?"
and i explained to him that visa or whoever charges them a percentage to run a CC.
he goes "i've never heard of that"
i said "well get ready to hear a lot more as this economy is going to hell and no one can get credit"
but alas, my Jew roots did not work. he did not break down under the jew bargaining power.

good luck guys

 

Go into the dealer on the 27th or 28th of the month, talk with a salesman, and take a test drive. Make sure they have your number before you leave. They will call *you* on the 30th/31st to close a sale by the end of the month.

I bought my Fit at Honda of Pasadena. $500 over MSRP for an 08 Sport on April 1st.

--Barry

 

tell them the other dealer gave you "blank" price, and keep going back and forth. I for my fit for a sweet deal. Just because I like to stretch my dollar. And when your paying more than half up front.

 

You don't have an orange or red fit do you? You might live down the street from me

Also I got my '08 for invoice back in May. I r teh 1337 haggler.

 

Heh heh, nope! BBP. There are a ton of Fits in my neighborhood, though. I'm on Park Place (near the Marshalls on Verdugo) There's a guy around the corner with a BOM, one up the street on Crescent with an SSM, and a TW and VBP that park on Ocean View below the freeway. And you and KoolKev in La Crescenta.

ObOnTopic: Where did you buy your Fit?

--Barry

 

paid MSRP in Upstate NY... did get some level of satisfaction refusing $40 wheel locks (always end up rusting / shearing - I change my winters/summer wheels in my driveway)... of couse I knew the dealer wouldn't go through the trouble of removing them prior to dely ... I was right

 

no matter how the economy is doing it is always very easy to get the price way below msrp. let me teach you the scenario.

You: Im a little low on cash and i would like the fit a few grand below msrp.

Dealer: ha ha ha. afraid i dont think i can give you that price.

You: Thats too bad. good thing i brought my friend Mr.Smith&Wesson with me to help you "Find" a way to match my price.

Dealer: oh....(gulp) well let me check my computer here and see what i can do.

You: Hope your feeling lucky punk.

Dealer: um... well the computer says here that i can match your price. Here are the keys. have a nice day.

Mission accomplished! Mr. Smith&Wesson gets you a cheaper fit. Fit is go.
(try this strategy at your own risk)

 

i think its almost impossible to get the fit under msrp, probably best to wait at the end of the year or until the fit isn't so much in demand.
I tried to haggle and all i did was waste 3 hours of my time.
I walked away with msrp plus tax and license; but the fit was well worth it.
I usually pay invoice price on my previous brand new vehicles.

 

I wish that had made things easier... but I don't think they're worried about selling Fit's. They know they're gonna go sooner or later.

 

Nor should they.
Almost all cars sold now have very good mpg and the Fit tucks in that nicely. And while Detroit's big vehicles only build up interest on dealer floor plans, even Honda, Toyota, and Nissan have the same problem with their bigger vehicles. So if the most economical cars you have to sell is the only ones buyers want, why discount? The dealer has to stay in business and right now a large number are hanging by a thread.

 

When I was shopping for the Fit I had a trade alone with it and was negociating the trade in value alone with the Fit price.

Before I started I told them if you are not going to sell at least MSRP then please do not waste my time. Let me tell you, I went to a total of 5 dealers before I got MSRP and the trade in value before I signed.

Keep in mind when you say no they will make you offers. This is not a fun game but just be reasonable when you make the offer.

GL

 

On October 1st I bought the only two '09 Fits that the first dealer I went to had. An Orange Sport A/T and a Tidewater Blue Base A/T. Both at MSRP. They stated that they'd spare me the markup people get when they buy 1. I did not pay "prep". Just tax and tags. And I got them to throw in the Genuine Honda keyless entry and security system for the base model. I was told floor mats came with the car, when in fact they do not, so I'm pressing them to give me what they told me I'd be getting... if not for free, than at dealer cost.

I used to be a make-ready manager at a Honda dealer back in the late '80s early 90s. I remember when Accords were $11K and Civics were $8900. So I made the dealer comfortable with me with all the familiar jargon. They took personal checks, no problem. They came and got my wife and I from home so we could pick up the cars the same day. And the finance guy had no luck with the hard sell of a warranty or other un-needed packages because we were too busy talking about where we both used to work (about 15 years apart). I made it easy for them to move two cars on the first of the month, and maybe even tack those on to Septembers numbers or start the current month off right. The other sales people were jealous of my salesgirl, and pissed they had no more fits to sell.

I put 5K down on each, and financed the rest through AHFC at 5.49% x 60 to keep my total monthly low. $511 per month covers both cars.