Good afternoon, oh mighty and much wiser honda fit owners than I.

I have traveled from faraway lands to seek out your knowledgable and much seasoned advice for three main concerns, in which I am a blind, naive, and illiterate fool....

1. Getting through the process of buying this car. ouch.
(That's my pessimistic wallet talking. It's a struggling college student).

2. Researching car insurance quotes and picking one with full coverage for under 25...ers.
(any recommendations?)

3. Trying to figure out how a warranty with this car works (lost)


When I asked someone about the warranty this is what they said:

"The vehicle that you are looking at comes with the following free warranties from the factory so you don't need to buy one..

Basic: 3 years / 36,000 miles

Drivetrain: 5 years / 60,000 miles

Corrosion: 5 years / Unlimited miles"


Is this person telling me all of those warranties are free? .... I'm having a hard time believing this. You get all of those for free? Is it only if you buy it from the factory and not the dealer?

I've been "trying" my best with limited knowledge to try to 'haggle' a bunch of dealers only to end up with an out the door price of $20,697.

This is for a white 2009 honda fit sport, automatic, four door, with navigation.
Is that bad, good, or eh?

Any advice is appreciated.

 

I'm 21 and i bought my own Fit(08 base). I paid 5k down payment, and i pay $195 a month on a 5yr financing plan(total $18k) but i'm paying it off sooner so those bastards dont make too much of my money =]. I pay $175 a month for full coverage on my insurance(i got good driver discount so it went down from $200). Good luck buddy! =]

*edit* I have the same 3yr warranty stuff too. Also i use Bristol West Insurance.

 

You are looking at a very popular car, with all of the most popular options so haggling probably won't get you very far. Especially if the sharks at the dealer smell blood in the water (meaning they figure out that you don't really know what you are doing) Your best bet to get a fair price is research, research, research. Go to Edmunds.com and get as much info about what other people in your area are paying for a car like the one you want as you can. Or if you belong to a credit union use their buying service (most credit unions have them) As for the warranty, yes they come with the car, seeing as how you are paying for the car they aren't really free. If you drive a lot, like more than 25K per year then an extended warranty may be for you, but only if you have no mechanical ability at all. Hondas are fabulously reliable and have a well earned reputation for lasting damn near forever if well maintained so long warranties are really just a way for the dealer to make more money IMHO. Do yourself one large favor and don't buy anything in the finance office at the dealer! They will try to sell you all sorts of snake oil after you have decided to buy the car from them (extended warranties, VIN-etching on the glass, paint/fabric protection, factory accesories, etc.) These are all nothing but padding the bottom line for the dealer, so just say NO. Hope that helps a little and Welcome to the site!

 

AnlD- Yeah. I'm 21 as well and dont want to let them rip me off. Im purposely trying to give all of them a hard time and pit them against eachother to see if they'd be willing to offer to go lower. It worked once. Eh, it's possible. Doesn't hurt.

Bristol west insurance, Ill look into it. Thanks for the info!

 

LOL. Yeah when i was in the finance office they tried to sell me a bunch of shit. haha. They got me to buy the lo-jack though. But buying the lo-jack lowered my monthly payment by $30 bucks. I guess he really wanted to sell the lo jack. LOL

 

I appreciate your advice. Especially about the warranty.

I've looked at edmunds and have done my homework/research. However, Im talking about in terms of knowing nothing about buying/selling/general experience with cars...and, like you mentioned maintenance experience. So extended warranty is something Ill be looking at.

I know on Edmunds the sticker price for this is 18960. A friend from another state calculated all applicable fees, coming up with 21,118 - which is higher than the price I got -and I live in California, which is horrible on taxes.

Im just trying to be wise because Im not only young, but also a female.
And I guess that amounts to being vulnerable and stupid in their book.

Pitting them against eachother is getting the same price matches. But Im secretly hoping for lower prices. When Ive asked people on other forums, they've told me I wasnt going to get a lower out the door price than 21000, and have ended up with 20679 - so its worth a shot.

 

Never be afraid to walk out the door on a dealer, no matter how far along in negotiations you may be. Selling cars is a very competitive business and the better salesmen don't like losing a deal for any reason. If you make it clear, up front, that you know what you should be paying out the door for the car that will make the process that much easier for you. As far as extended warranties, be very careful that you don't buy more than you need. The basic engine/transmission in a Honda is more than capable of going 200,000 miles, trouble free, with little more than factory recommended services. Paying more than 1200-1800 for a warranty to protect against a failure that may never come, is kind of like buying flood insurance when you live in the Gobi Desert. And remember that if you purchase that warranty from the dealer then the price is added to your financed amount, thereby effectively increasing the price of the car by whatever it costs PLUS the interest on the loan. All that negativity aside, if the warranty helps you sleep at night and you can afford it, then go for it!

 

"Paying more than 1200-1800 for a warranty to protect against a failure that may never come, is kind of like buying flood insurance when you live in the Gobi Desert. "


LOL.
Thank you again

Im dealing with three internet managers online at the moment. The lastest one has said he's willing to go lower than 20697, so hopefully Ill be getting somewhere even closer to my goal of 20000 out the door. Eh what the hec, anywhere near 20300- 20400 might even be okay with me. Originally I was hoping for an out the door of 20000, but maybe Im just being too naive.

As for the extended warranty is that negotiable at all?
LoL

What? Im up for it!

 

How much did that lo jack cost?

When I buy this car Im going to ask the guy if he has any lo-jacks for sale, then politely inquire if he would lower my payments.

 

If you didn't already know, the Lo-Jack is an anti-theft device. They have had great success in recovering cars that have been stolen, therefore the insurance companies will often cut you a break on insurance premiums. I've never heard of a dealer lowering payments because of the Lo-Jack, but what the hell! The price on extended warranties isn't generally negotiable because the dealer will get it through a third party. You can shop around and find a better price from someone other than the dealer if you care to go to the trouble. You might swing 20K out the door, but not on a Navi equipped automatic. And if you can do it, my hats off to ya! LOL

 

My negotiating strategy, and it works. First, find what the price should be. Use Consumer Reperts, Edmunds or some reputable source. Then visit the dealers and ask the one question, "What is your best price on <fill in model>?" If they want to quibble, walk. When the dealer has one chance to close the deal he will think competitively. My price on an '09 Base was USD$14,450 plus dealer fees, etc., no tax, OTD USD$15,199. And the dealer was cool, no hassle , no pressure.

Good luck. Remember, it is you who has the money and they who have the car. If each of you wants that to change it will. ;o)

 

well i know dealerships get incentives and bonuses for selling their products(lojack) so i guess he really wnted to sell it. LOL

 

Good luck with your search - as above have all your information in hand when you walk into the dealership. I ran off the Honda site price quote that was listed for the 2007 Honda Fit Sport with no mats, cargo cover etc. Never purchase extended warranties -they are normally a waste of money. The warranty that comes with the car should be just fine. They will try to up your price by adding these items. As above if you don't like the deal don't feel bad about walking out the door - I've done it and most everytime they will call you back or try to get to your pricing level. Just make sure that you shop around - I even called Kentucky and Ohio to talk to dealership and internet salespeople before I made the deal. My Fit out the door was $17,001.00

Let us know what happens.

Cat :x