Doooooogie?

 

vinnie?!

 

I'm also still in the Fit Buying camp after almost a year. I had originally intended to buy at the end of summer, end of the model year, but now with the C4C driving prices up (and the program not helping my own clunker at all), I will be waiting a little longer. Dealers are feeling greedy right now with all the sales they are getting, why sell a Fit to me for less when they can sucker someone using C4C? If my prediction holds true, car sales will drop back to terrible levels despite this spike in buying.

I think the next best chance to buy will be end of the year, when dealers will be really desperate to boost sales during the holiday season (which will be as terrible as last year). If I have to wait longer, I will probably end up getting a used 09 to save a few grand, let some sucker take the depreciation.

 

I would not wait much longer...............the supposedly passed a bill last Friday that you can order a car from the dealer, if they have none in stock.

 

I did hours of research before buying my Fit last Saturday. Checked into 4 dealers within driving range and they were all pretty much MSRP on the Fit. They offered a couple hundred bucks leeway on some of the Civics and Accords. I stayed local as the little bit some of them offered off MSRP was not worth driving for.

Most of the Honda dealers around the country seem to be doing the same, with some exceptions. My dealer was having no problem moving any of the models out the door, although since then they dropped C4C ..........they claimed they had not received a payment yet and did not want to tie up any more of their funds. I actually heard them telling customers that on Saturday, so it was not salesman BS.

 

Since C4C the Fit has become a low supply/high demand car. I remember checking autotrader.com a couple months ago and there were over 500 new Fits within 25 miles of my ZIP Code (NOVA inside the beltway). Now it shows 144. As others have pointed out on this thread, the inventory numbers tend to be generously overstated.

I recommend coughing up the extra change and just buying one from a conveniently located dealer. If they are still playing hard ball, it sometimes helps to buy a couple of dealer-added options which are high profit for the dealer but no so much for Honda. This motivates the sales staff to work with you.

 

yep. ALL the dealerships i've talked to that were actually participating in the program said the same. they've gotten no money, yet. i'd say that only 1/4 of the honda dealerships in the bay area, CA are participating since they're scared of the goverment screwing them over.

i don't think anyone should mind paying close to MSRP if they have a clunker that's worth way less than the $4500 rebate.

 

Except jgaepi isn't doing a clunker deal. That is what sucks. Hondas are hot, the Fit is an excellent choice for the CARS program and for any time. So when the dealers think they can hold out for the MSRP, they probably can.

Any dealer that is dealing and participating and no shenanigans are involved (contingency paperwork, holding cars), that might be hard to find right now. Even harder is to find one that will just deal, without doing a clunker trade-in.

 

In Ohio, we went with the Costco program. We were looking at a base Fit with automatic transmission. The Costco program was invoice, so our price was $15,713.62. I tried two other dealers in our area and they wouldn't budge from MSRP ($16,260.00). CARS pretty much killed any dealing for the Fit.

 

It's weird to see this, because I bought my Fit with Cash for Clunkers on August 6th, for 15,363 (base automatic). There was also a $159 admin fee.

I did start collecting quotes the week before C4C officially started, and was fully prepared to walk out if they tried to pull any funny stuff.

It sucks that the dealers are being so firm on prices right now, though. Good luck to everyone!

 

Remember everyone, don't wait past Dec. 31 because that is when the tax deduction ends. That is why I have to buy before Dec. 31.

My local dealers are now raising their prices above MSRP. So I guess I am not as frustrated as before and have my prices out there. If someone bites, great, if not, I guess I will proudly say I own a 2010 when I buy post C4C.

Costco program here in NOVA is $200 below MSRP w/ an approximate $385 processing fee. So it really ends up being $185 above MSRP with Costco.

Baltimore dealership is still an option. So lots of options and obviously I have time on my side.

 

"$159 admin fee" was for what? Where is it notated on your paperwork?

 

Hi everyone, this is my first post and I would like to say hi to everyone here. I just bought a 09 Sport AT on 08/16/09 and I paid the MSRP price. Before my purchased I did a lot of homework but I guess now most of the Honda dealers they will not sell less and some dealers even mark up more from the MSRP. The Fit market is hot now and I suggest if you don't need to buy the car now just wait.

 

I bought mine last week and picked it up this past Saturday 8/15. It took four days for them to find a Sport Fit A-T in the color I wanted- silver. It stickered at 17,800 and I got it for 17,200. Perhaps a week can make a difference, but I suggest that if you really want one keep trying. The two dealers I first went to that wouldn't budge on sticker price were smaller dealers. The dealer who gave me this deal was a much larger dealer. I think a larger dealer may work in our favor. They make better total sales numbers and perhaps can afford to be more open to dealing. Good luck to you!

Dan

 

Wow, makes me realize that for once I timed something just right - never happens with my attempts on the stock market. Picked the car up on "clunker day" 7/24 after negotiating clunker deal the weekend prior. Car was $17,820 sticker and got it for $16,650 + $100 processing fee with pin-stripe, door edge guards, and wheel locks thrown in.

 

Hey Guys and Gals, a little light reading for you all.

'Cash for Clunkers' running out of gas -- fast - Drive On: A conversation about the cars and trucks we drive - USATODAY.com

washingtonpost.com

How to Avoid the ?Cash for Clunkers? Snarl - Rick Newman (usnews.com)

 

Have you tried one of the Zag car buying sites? (One example is American Express: http://amexnetwork.zag.com/main.html ... but they power other sites as well, like the AAA car buying service).

I took a guess at your zip code, and there's at least one quote for a Fit Sport A/T for a few hundred under MSRP, and the price is supposed to include all manufacturer's fees (but not tax/title/doc fees).

 

a month ago I had a dealer quote me a new 09 Sport at $15,500 on there year end sale weekend. I waited thinking I could get it after the sale, and I went on Monday to buy.. They wouldnt budge much from sticker. I am still kicking myself.

I bought a Base for $15,200.

 

She Ain't Beautiful But She's All Mine!

TaffetaWhite, you will appreciate this. I haven't contacted my usual 4 dealers the past 3 days but I said hey, I feel lucky today. I wrote my usual email and attached the WashPost, USAToday articles, etc. Baited my hook and waited. I got a call from one saying that they figured it was time to sell me my car at my asking price plus reduced by $20. So $220 under MSRP and NO Processing Fee. That works to be about $600 under MSRP. I am going to pick it up tonight. Fit Sport Automatic in Black.

See you all in the "Bought in the last 30 days" forum page.

 

HOT DIGGITY DOG! Congratulations! That is SO COOL! So glad to hear the good news! Proud of you too, for sticking to what you really wanted. I would've caved.

What do you mean "she's not beautiful"??? I love our Fits.

Today, for the first time, I went up to look close at the Crystal Black Pearl, as someone had mentioned the "rainbow" and I didn't know what they meant.

It has magic dust sprinkled all over it. Rainbow holographic multi-color sparkles. They're really small, but they're beautiful.

One of the salesmen came over to see what I was doing since I practically had my face against the bumper moving my head back and forth while muttering "Oooh, ahhh".

I must have looked like a complete idiot.