According to the 3 dealers I talked with locally Sports are more popular to stock and better pricing options are available accordingly. It's just easier if one is on the lot.

Valley Honda went as far to sy mt bases are much easier to negotiate on because they sell more frequently. If it sits on the lot the cost goes up basically to cover the on the lot costs I guess.

I will say sports are probably the better deal right now. You get more for about the same money.

Again I still think there is a premium, but ultimately it should pay for itself. Allegedly these cars do not die.

 

I am legally a SD resident, but in WA state right now. I bought a 2012 Fit Sport with auto trans for dealer invoice of $18,321 with delivery charge included, in Everett WA. $18,700 is MSRP for the auto trans Sport, with the delivery charge included.

Only other fee is $150 document charge they would not negotiate on. No add ons, no additional warrantry etc. So my total price out the door is $18,471. Car is due in between 7-11 July.

I am doing Tax title tag in my legal residence state of SD, Excise tax is 3% minus any trade in allowance, my old plates transfer over and are pro-rated. I traded in a vehicle for $9,750, so I pay the 3% excise tax for the balance of $8,721. Total cost for TTT is $275.63.

OTD plus SD TTT = $18,746.63. So here is my exmple of a Sport auto trans for less than $19,000.

Note: manual trans Sport would be less money, but I have a bad left ankle - which is why I'm trading in my current manual trans vehicle - clutch work is causing pain and swelling in the ankle I shattered back in 1984 in a motorcycle crash.

EDIT: First offer on the trade in was $7,500. After 3 hours of negotiation trade in was $9750. 2005 Subaru WRX wagon manual trans, one seat with a split on a seam, some minor paint peeling on front bumper, minor dings and scratches on paint, low mileage at 71,500. Also has tow bar brackets on front for towing behind a motorhome - which they will have to remove if buyer asks them to. Great car - I'd keep it and fix the seat upholstery if my ankle wasn't causing problems with clutch work.

 

Thanks for the post! Yeah, even at the dealer they cry how they have no wiggle room on the Fit Base, etc, etc. I don't really care and have the luxury of not needing one right now. I think we need to look at other markets like you have. We have some family in So Cal and AZ. I need to look there too..

 

A brief googling shows only 1 auto fit base in the salt lake area. It certainly isn't going to be worth a dealer's time or money to trade for a car he's going to lose money on.

 

Yeah, if you got time I'd probably wait for 2013's to arrive in any model. Fact is in the economy market segment lots of these cars are hard to get in certain areas unless you want a fiesta or sonic. You might get a deal on Korean but personally I wouldn't touch anything Kia or Hyundai. In my experience they are pretty shitty in the reliability department--better than most domestics but not perfect.

 

Look, because of the exchange rate, Honda corporate is losing money on every Fit sold. They are just holding on until the Mexican factory is built. Because of that, they are not dumping them in the US in huge numbers and giving dealers huge incentives to move them. Dealers cant be expected to take a loss. If you dont have a trade in, or take dealer financing or extended warranty or "paint and fabric protector", there is no profit in the deal.

Want a "deal" on a car you maybe wont like, shop the Koreans, or a Mexican Renault, I mean Nissan Versa.

 

Could care less if Honda is loosing money on this vehicle. I just don't get these Honda is losing money on them, so be happy to pay more than what other have paid argument. When I see MANY others on here getting Fit Sports, for what my dealer wants for the Base? yeah, I am gonna wait and find a better deal.

 

That's exactly why I bought a sport-didn't make sense to buy the base. Honestly the only other base model b-spec car I was interested in was a Mazda 2.

I don't think it's fair to compare a Mazda 2 and the Fit, the fit is just a better car with more fit and finish appeal than the Mazda 2. Honestly if I didn't buy the fit I probably would've bought a Mini Cooper or Subaru Impreza I think the fit compares pretty favorably to more expensive vehicles and that's why I bought it. Comparing it with stuff like the Kia Rio and Hyundai accent feels like comparing it with the Mazda 2 again. Basically what I'm saying is you might get more features with Kia and Hyundai but your loosing ground on suspension and engine quality and functionality--the basics that make a car good. Maybe what I mean is your getting a more solid reliable drivetrain transmission and suspension than you would from Kia and Hyundai.

Ultimately I think what I'm saying is the Fit is a better car. Than the comparably priced Korean alternatives. I think in this case you get what you pay for--not saying the fit is right for you or trying to ram it down your throat. Just saying the price reflects quality from Honda.

Sorry about grammar--on my phone.

 

I paid $15,650 (plus tax, tag, and title) for a Base auto. Of course that was 3 years ago.

 

Great post. I agree with you completely. I think after a lot of thought we will get a Fit. Just not sure when! The 2012 are still trickling in. I'll grab one eventually. 2013's sound like they will be basically the same, and we can wait until then too. I guess I am worried about 2014 when they are made in Mexico? Urg, just better get one before that.

 

Dude, you're comparing your OTD price with the price other people are paying for their sports before tax, tax, title, etc. People are paying 18-18.5k for the sport a/t before tax, tag, title, and you got a price of 16,648 for the base, which by my math is significantly less. It's not Honda's fault you have to pay 6.85% tax. That tax brings your 16,648 up to 17, 788, plus registration, which probably isn't more than $200 so I'm not sure where you are coming up with 19,000 unless the dealer is trying to rob you with a 1,000 fee.
Something doesn't add up.

 

That's the invoice. They are not selling them for invoice here, even with my best efforts. They don't need to, they sell quick. That's fine! I also don't have to buy one right now either, even though I do want one. I can wait. Your numbers look great, I would probably buy one right now if I could get it under 18K otd.

 

Check your numbers.

I found the BEST deal in SLC last November when I bought mine:

$15,750 + TTL = $17,250 OTD

That was from Willey Honda and that was for a base manual. Add about a grand for the automatic transmission.

Do yourself a favor and go to Willey. I visited every dealer along the Wasatch Front and "played stupid" to see how I got treated. Here's my ranking:

1. Willey Honda: Non-commission sales associate. Kathy Maddox, my sales associate, was the only game in town. She quoted me REAL price numbers over email and phone from day one and they didn't change a dime over 1/2 a year. (If you buy from her, she'll send me $100, so PM me! )

2. Ken Garff Downtown: The guy acted "really busy" even though it was Saturday night and the dealer was a ghost town. But quoted me prices, but only as long as I was willing to step into his office. Prices were similar to Willey -- may $100-200 higher.

3. All the rest are lousy.

Ken Garff Riverdale told me "not to shop around, because it could damage the deal."

Honda of Logan told me they never get Fits.

Ken Garff of Orem told me it's impossible to order a Fit. And it would take me over a year.

Stockton 12 Honda made me fight with the "fat manager in the glass room." They quoted me the wrong prices ($2000+ too high) and told me I didn't know what I was talking about when I argued.

Larry H. Miller Honda was the worst. The quiet but intensely high-pressure sales associate (Richard Ley) pretends to be "your advocate" with the "fat manager in the glass room," but refuses to negotiate until you write a price on a piece of paper and initial next to it. When I refused, he stood up and walked away from negotiations, saying irritatingly "I can't help you until you're willing to take this seriously."


So seriously .... go to Willey or Ken Garff Downtown. I highly recommend Willey. They treated me well and didn't glue any crap on my car. No undercoating. No secret fees (except a Key Replacement Program I chose to opt out of). And if you do buy from Kathy Maddox, PM me and I'll get $100! [FYI: My name isn't really Larry McEwin]

If you're not in a hurry, call Kathy at Willey --- order a FIT to your specificiations, find a good credit union and pre-approve the loan. It makes the process very reasonable and low pressure. Cars don't need to be bought in one weekend. It's much more relaxing to buy 'em over a month or so as you're waiting for your vehicle order to come. I think Willey only charged $500 (refundable deposit) to place the order and the $500 counts toward the price of the car, so it really doesn't cost anything to "order" the car.


Good luck! The FIT is the best car I've ever owned!

 

OP,

A lot of people really hate dealerships. It's like they feel someone is out to get them. And well they are. Until the day comes when car pricing is fixed well...we have to deal with them.

When you purchase a car from a dealership it's more than just negotiating over price. You are starting a long term relationship with them. The dealerships have lots of power when it comes to repairs and deciding about things like warranty work.

I will haggle over the price of my car for a bit. In the end my time is worth something and saving $500-$1000 spread over 5 or 6 years worth of payments means very little to me. I don't have that kind of patience to haggle over the last crumbs.

What I do is bring my service department advisor a coffee when I go for my maintenace. I also have one for my mechanic/technician. I chat with him in the bay for a bit and it lets him know that I give a shit about my car. I find that this approach leads to better service and quality of service. I noticed for example during oil changes that my tech always puts the protective little mats around the engine to protect my paint finish. No other techs were doing this. It's a very small thing. But it matters.

I treat them with respect and they return the favour by washing my car inside and out for free everytime I go for a servicing. They don't do this courtesy for everyone I noticed as well.

I can't tell you how many times they've replaced clips that busted off or there was the time they aligned my front lights for free after my tech noticed that they were off as my Fit entered the bay. (I had installed some new lightbulbs and they were off)

I'm not saying that beeing an informed consumer is bad thing as I suspect you are trying to do. But being a nice guy doesn't hurt either. Find a balance...be happy.

 

Don't worry. I am not being mean to any of my dealers whatsoever (nor do I hope I being mean to anyone on here). I am not super sad or anything either! I am a pretty happy guy. The posts on this thread have definitely altered my initial thoughts on the Fit. We think we will buy sooner than later, but until then, no harm in investigating the best price.

Cheers.

 

Thanks Larry - This helps tons! If I go to your lady, I will definitely name drop you. Cheers.

 

I just got my 2012 Base Fit (automatic) for $16,298 before TTL. OTD price was $17.6K with a 7% sales tax in Indiana and $150 doc fee. The company I work for is part of a corporate partner program at the dealer I purchased the car from, so I got employee invoice pricing. I felt like I got a good deal, and I love the car so far!

 

Just remember, my name isn't really Larry.

 

Well, I ended up with a silver base auto OTD for 18,300 with 9 miles on it. I put down 1K, so am financing 17,300 with a 3% APR for 60 months. Just wanted to pull the trigger already, wanted a Japanese fit, and in my market felt like this was the best I could do. Still feel like I over paid about 500 but oh well. To sweeten the deal, the dealer through in a 5 night Carnival cruise! I'll take it!

 

Wait, what? Is that at all common?