Clunker for FIT buying experiences
#161
08-04-2009, 07:24 PM
Looking for NJ scrappage allowance
MY DEALER CONTINUES TO JERK ME AROUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Now he doesn't know when he'll get gov't approval, maybe Thursday and fauns ignorance re giving me credit for scrappage -$50. Has anyone in NJ gotten a scrap value yet?( wher/how much?) I need all the ammo I can get. I'm in Ocean County but would welcome any NJ values. BTW vehicle is 99 Rodeo with VG body.
Thanks
Ted
Thanks
Ted
#162
08-04-2009, 07:37 PM
Hey, I'm in NJ and only got $1 scrap value for my 96 Ford Explorer. Yup, only one dollar scrap value. I was already getting the Fit at a great deal ($13,499 with clunker OTD) that I didn't even bother bringing the scrap value subject up.
#163
08-04-2009, 07:57 PM
First, congrats on your new Fit!
Second:
Never, ever, ever, apply for a loan at this person's bank!!
Second:
Never, ever, ever, apply for a loan at this person's bank!!
#165
08-04-2009, 09:00 PM
Traded in a 1993 Ford Ranger. Count me as one of the luckier ones. For 10 days or so I had negotiated via the internet with multiple dealers and received several OTD quotes of 18,200 for a Sport Automatic. On July 23rd I accepted an offer via the internet from one of the few dealers willing to hold an existing car for me until I could get home and use the C4C program the following week. They charged 16,775 for the car and destination transportation. Added $250 document fees and subtracted $100 scrap credit (they used a standard $150 scrap value of which the dealer keeps $50). I had to pay the 7% Ohio sales tax on the resulting $16,925 (Ohio is one of the states that makes you pay sales tax prior to deducting the C4C rebate). Then they added a $25.50 title fee for an OTD price of $18,135. After applying the $4500 C4C rebate I wrote a check for $13,635. I believed when I made the deal I could have gotten a lower price but I went with a dealer I was comfortable with and who would hold a specific car till the program started and I got back in town. On July 29th I walked in, processed the paperwork, paid, and drove away in my new Fit. No arguments to get some scrap value and no contract conditions regarding C4C working. No pressure for add-on options or extended warranty. Most pleasant buying experience ever. I count myself as lucky given some of the posts I have been seeing lately.
#166
08-04-2009, 09:01 PM
Trade: 93 Lincoln Mark VIII
New: 09 Fit Sport AT
Last friday, five hours at dealership, no problems. No scrap value because that is going to the company picking up the vehicles.
NOW: where is the audio forum around here?
New: 09 Fit Sport AT
Last friday, five hours at dealership, no problems. No scrap value because that is going to the company picking up the vehicles.
NOW: where is the audio forum around here?
Last edited by COTU; 08-04-2009 at 09:06 PM.
#167
08-04-2009, 09:25 PM
Traded in a 1993 Ford Ranger. Count me as one of the luckier ones. For 10 days or so I had negotiated via the internet with multiple dealers and received several OTD quotes of 18,200 for a Sport Automatic. On July 23rd I accepted an offer via the internet from one of the few dealers willing to hold an existing car for me until I could get home and use the C4C program the following week. They charged 16,775 for the car and destination transportation. Added $250 document fees and subtracted $100 scrap credit (they used a standard $150 scrap value of which the dealer keeps $50). I had to pay the 7% Ohio sales tax on the resulting $16,925 (Ohio is one of the states that makes you pay sales tax prior to deducting the C4C rebate). Then they added a $25.50 title fee for an OTD price of $18,135. After applying the $4500 C4C rebate I wrote a check for $13,635. I believed when I made the deal I could have gotten a lower price but I went with a dealer I was comfortable with and who would hold a specific car till the program started and I got back in town. On July 29th I walked in, processed the paperwork, paid, and drove away in my new Fit. No arguments to get some scrap value and no contract conditions regarding C4C working. No pressure for add-on options or extended warranty. Most pleasant buying experience ever. I count myself as lucky given some of the posts I have been seeing lately.
Keep in mind one thing though, now that uyou've paid all that tax money to the state, keep track of all your reciepts for the rest of the year.
On your state income tax FY2009, you can write off the amount of sales tax you paid in 2009, instead of taking the standard deduction. In most years, the standard deduction would be higher, but buying the car alone should put you near the standard deduct.
Keep all your reciepts for the rest of the year, add up the sales tax from those.
Back figure what you've paid up to this point.
Add it all up, and you'll be able to take a MUCH better deduction for FY2009 state income taxes.
Fortunately, I pay for most everything with my debit card, so that will make back figuring my sales tax alittle easier.
Also, remember, as part of the stimulus package, you can write off the sales tax on your federal income tax, another small bonus.
Good luck with the taxes.
Last edited by Krizz; 08-04-2009 at 09:50 PM.
#168
08-04-2009, 11:42 PM
Hi all. New to the site, new to Fit, new to Honda. But CFC reeled me in like a cracked-out fisherman: after trading in my 93 Jeep Cherokee sport that was just about falling apart, I got a $11,xxx base Fit w/ manual transmission (ok, after taxes etc it was a little more, but still). Thanks Obama!
The Fit is pretty great, really enjoying it. And the dealership was really good: Honda of Fort Myers. Really simple transaction, straightforward deal. I'd been planning on taking advantage of CFC later on this summer, but after they seemed to be running out of money last week, I went in on Sunday just in case. The place was pretty busy, but no problems.
The Fit is pretty great, really enjoying it. And the dealership was really good: Honda of Fort Myers. Really simple transaction, straightforward deal. I'd been planning on taking advantage of CFC later on this summer, but after they seemed to be running out of money last week, I went in on Sunday just in case. The place was pretty busy, but no problems.
#169
08-04-2009, 11:43 PM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 1,448
Hi, I'm a new member and a first time poster.
I purchased my Fit with the Cash for Clunkers program, and let me tell you what a chaotic and hectic experience it was. I started shopping on about June 25th.
I was driving a 1992 Jeep Cherokee Sport. It was my BABY, and I will never never stop missing or loving that thing, but it was on the skids. The transmission was starting to give me a hard time, it had rust holes in the side of the car, the A/C didn't work, it had 192,000 miles on it, and it was just time for it to go. I was in the market for a used car. With a little help from my grandmother, I was hoping to drive away with at least a decent used car.
My family and I had decided that the Jeep was worth too much to us to sell, as we wouldn't even receive $500 bucks for it. It was worth more to us than it was to anyone else. I was hesitent, and I thought it was a long shot, but I let my mom know about the CARS bill, and she said to do it up. That there was no way we were ever going to see that much money for my car, and considering we spent $6000 on it about 8 or 9 years ago, that it was too good of a deal to pass up.
So I started shopping. I saw the Fit and was IMMEDIATELY smitten. I went to Walser Honda in Burnsville, MN, test drove the car and decided that this was THE car...the perfect transition from the world of SUV's to the world of efficient, reliable cars.
I work for a bank and did a loan application through my work. It took over a month to get approved. I had made a deposit on my Fit a week or so earlier, and finally, check in hand, called up my dealership to say that I was ready. This was a Monday.
They were booked through Thursday. Reluctantly, as I was hearing rumours that the program would be out of money before that, I made my appointment for 6:30pm on Thursday of last week.
I'm signing all the paperwork and I am about 10 minutes away from driving off in my new car when my salesman gets told he can't sell the car, that the program has been suspended and that they were accepting no more deals.
I was devestated, to say the least. It had taken me weeks to get used to the idea that my Jeep was going to become a cube and that I was going to have a car payment. Finally I was ready to let go and I was told that I couldn't.
However, on Friday morning, I received a phone call from two of the three people I had been working with to tell me that all systems were go, that the government was going to honor everything at least through the weekend.
I arrived at the dealership at 6:20 or so, and they said that there were so many deals they were trying to squeeze in that it was gonna be a 3 hour wait or so. At that point, what's an extra three hours? So I waited. They were very accomodating to all of their customers. They ordered pizza and had soda for the kids that were stuck there with their parents, they had computers and a satellite equipped TV available, and we waited.
Finally, they called my name. It was like a huge party at my car dealership. Everyone there had been working so much at that point that they decided to just have fun with their customers and loosen their ties. I am so glad they did because they eased my anxiety and stress so much by just being normal people, not scary car salesmen. I don't think I smiled and laughed as much in years as I did on Friday night. Not because I was getting a new car, but because these people were hilarious, friendly and understanding to my frustrations. They actually turned people away for being rude and impatient. I love these people.
Anyway, at 9:50 pm, almost 4 hours after they normally close on Fridays, I drove off in my Black Fit Base. I love it. LOVE IT.
The experience was arduous and painful, but the people I worked with took a lot of the sting out of it. I went from stressed to excited to nervous to disheartened to excited to complete disappointment back to excitement. Now I just hope I don't get a phone call saying "Your deal wasn't approved." as someone will be choked.
Haha, and that's my loooooooong journey to my short Fit.
I purchased my Fit with the Cash for Clunkers program, and let me tell you what a chaotic and hectic experience it was. I started shopping on about June 25th.
I was driving a 1992 Jeep Cherokee Sport. It was my BABY, and I will never never stop missing or loving that thing, but it was on the skids. The transmission was starting to give me a hard time, it had rust holes in the side of the car, the A/C didn't work, it had 192,000 miles on it, and it was just time for it to go. I was in the market for a used car. With a little help from my grandmother, I was hoping to drive away with at least a decent used car.
My family and I had decided that the Jeep was worth too much to us to sell, as we wouldn't even receive $500 bucks for it. It was worth more to us than it was to anyone else. I was hesitent, and I thought it was a long shot, but I let my mom know about the CARS bill, and she said to do it up. That there was no way we were ever going to see that much money for my car, and considering we spent $6000 on it about 8 or 9 years ago, that it was too good of a deal to pass up.
So I started shopping. I saw the Fit and was IMMEDIATELY smitten. I went to Walser Honda in Burnsville, MN, test drove the car and decided that this was THE car...the perfect transition from the world of SUV's to the world of efficient, reliable cars.
I work for a bank and did a loan application through my work. It took over a month to get approved. I had made a deposit on my Fit a week or so earlier, and finally, check in hand, called up my dealership to say that I was ready. This was a Monday.
They were booked through Thursday. Reluctantly, as I was hearing rumours that the program would be out of money before that, I made my appointment for 6:30pm on Thursday of last week.
I'm signing all the paperwork and I am about 10 minutes away from driving off in my new car when my salesman gets told he can't sell the car, that the program has been suspended and that they were accepting no more deals.
I was devestated, to say the least. It had taken me weeks to get used to the idea that my Jeep was going to become a cube and that I was going to have a car payment. Finally I was ready to let go and I was told that I couldn't.
However, on Friday morning, I received a phone call from two of the three people I had been working with to tell me that all systems were go, that the government was going to honor everything at least through the weekend.
I arrived at the dealership at 6:20 or so, and they said that there were so many deals they were trying to squeeze in that it was gonna be a 3 hour wait or so. At that point, what's an extra three hours? So I waited. They were very accomodating to all of their customers. They ordered pizza and had soda for the kids that were stuck there with their parents, they had computers and a satellite equipped TV available, and we waited.
Finally, they called my name. It was like a huge party at my car dealership. Everyone there had been working so much at that point that they decided to just have fun with their customers and loosen their ties. I am so glad they did because they eased my anxiety and stress so much by just being normal people, not scary car salesmen. I don't think I smiled and laughed as much in years as I did on Friday night. Not because I was getting a new car, but because these people were hilarious, friendly and understanding to my frustrations. They actually turned people away for being rude and impatient. I love these people.
Anyway, at 9:50 pm, almost 4 hours after they normally close on Fridays, I drove off in my Black Fit Base. I love it. LOVE IT.
The experience was arduous and painful, but the people I worked with took a lot of the sting out of it. I went from stressed to excited to nervous to disheartened to excited to complete disappointment back to excitement. Now I just hope I don't get a phone call saying "Your deal wasn't approved." as someone will be choked.
Haha, and that's my loooooooong journey to my short Fit.
Favorite quote from your story:
"I saw the Fit and was IMMEDIATELY smitten. I went to Walser Honda in Burnsville, MN, test drove the car and decided that this was THE car...the perfect transition from the world of SUV's to the world of efficient, reliable cars."
Sounds like the salespeople were really good too. Making the best out of a difficult situation. You can see from the stories, that not everyone is having the best of times.
Being a good customer means as much to the dealership as them being a good dealership means to a customer.
You said:
"They actually turned people away for being rude and impatient."
We all have only so much time, and the time doesn't bend and warp to accommodate someone who is rude and impatient. It takes time to do the deals. It takes time to do the paperwork. To deliver the car.
It's not like the salespeople can start in on paperwork before they have a customer.
And since the salespeople are commission, if there was a way to speed things up and process five times as many people, they'd be doing it. Their income depends on processing a sale.
The dealerships income depends on good salespeople, because that's the original point of contact. If your experience sucks, you won't go back to that dealership for things in future. Like scheduled maintenance. Or add-on parts, like the mud-guards (they come in black so they would totally blend in with your car too).
The dealership makes money on those parts, and on that labor. So it makes a lot of sense to have good salespeople, good service, good parts departments and good repair facilities, with a friendly atmosphere.
One ranting customer can disturb that equilibrium. Puts everyone on edge. Same way a really bad salesperson or inept mechanic can ruin it for a lot of people.
I hope you enjoy your new car and that your dealership continues to be successful.
#170
08-04-2009, 11:54 PM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 1,448
Hi all. New to the site, new to Fit, new to Honda. But CFC reeled me in like a cracked-out fisherman: after trading in my 93 Jeep Cherokee sport that was just about falling apart, I got a $11,xxx base Fit w/ manual transmission (ok, after taxes etc it was a little more, but still). Thanks Obama!
The Fit is pretty great, really enjoying it. And the dealership was really good: Honda of Fort Myers. Really simple transaction, straightforward deal. I'd been planning on taking advantage of CFC later on this summer, but after they seemed to be running out of money last week, I went in on Sunday just in case. The place was pretty busy, but no problems.
The Fit is pretty great, really enjoying it. And the dealership was really good: Honda of Fort Myers. Really simple transaction, straightforward deal. I'd been planning on taking advantage of CFC later on this summer, but after they seemed to be running out of money last week, I went in on Sunday just in case. The place was pretty busy, but no problems.
But I get absolutely GIDDY from hearing other people's good fortune with this wonderful program. Because I KNOW what a difference it would have made to me, to have had that kind of discount.
I KNOW what a difference having a Fit has made in my life. No matter what the price is. It's such a joy to save so much gas, even though I don't drive much. It should make a huge difference to so many people, like yourself.
Remember "Road Rage"?
I wonder if there will now be something called "Road Joy"?
Last edited by TaffetaWhite; 08-04-2009 at 11:55 PM. Reason: I left out a word or two
#171
08-05-2009, 12:01 AM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 1,448
Scamper over to the audio forum here:
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-ice/
Pages of info and D.I.Y. If it can be done, someone has probably already done it, or has tried to.
#172
08-05-2009, 12:05 AM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 1,448
Lots of forums here, lots of people with knowledge, so if you have questions, even questions about where to post a specific question, post it. Someone will be able to help!
And if you know answers to other questions, chime right in! The more, the merrier!
#173
08-05-2009, 12:09 AM
And of course, it really helps that I DO like the Fit a lot. Funny, I probably never would have looked at Honda if it wasn't for CFC. Never really paid attention to Japanese cars. But I figured that if I was going for fuel economy plus dollar economy with this program, I'd take a look at the Fit. And they've done it right: it's quite a basic car minus all the bells and whistles, but the things it has (really, all I need) are just done RIGHT. I was sold on it basically as soon as I saw the interior, touched the clutch, put it in gear, and drove out of the lot for a test.
#174
08-05-2009, 12:18 AM
I just clunkered my 2000 Ford Ranger. Although it says it gets 15 combined, I was probably getting about 10. The difference between them is night and day. I picked up a blue fit and it sure is perrrty. Since all cars were selling like hot cakes, I almost got a Yaris since it was cheaper before I test drove the Fit. I wanted a manual and the Yaris' don't even come with a tach. Although the Yaris is like 2k cheaper, the 2 thousand dollar difference is well worth upgrading to the Fit. The Fit has been an extremely awesome vehicle with tons of cool stuff. The only complaints I have are that it has little to no tint and the manuals don't come with an arm rest. Overall, this car deserves any top ratings it gets.
#175
08-05-2009, 12:36 AM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 1,448
I can vouch for that. Every time I start it up and go, all that I can think about is how much of a great deal this was. Honestly, best feeling I've gotten from a car purchase, ever.
And of course, it really helps that I DO like the Fit a lot. Funny, I probably never would have looked at Honda if it wasn't for CFC. Never really paid attention to Japanese cars. But I figured that if I was going for fuel economy plus dollar economy with this program, I'd take a look at the Fit. And they've done it right: it's quite a basic car minus all the bells and whistles, but the things it has (really, all I need) are just done RIGHT. I was sold on it basically as soon as I saw the interior, touched the clutch, put it in gear, and drove out of the lot for a test.
And of course, it really helps that I DO like the Fit a lot. Funny, I probably never would have looked at Honda if it wasn't for CFC. Never really paid attention to Japanese cars. But I figured that if I was going for fuel economy plus dollar economy with this program, I'd take a look at the Fit. And they've done it right: it's quite a basic car minus all the bells and whistles, but the things it has (really, all I need) are just done RIGHT. I was sold on it basically as soon as I saw the interior, touched the clutch, put it in gear, and drove out of the lot for a test.
How did you hear about the Fit? Advertising? Online or magazine reviews? A friend, neighbor, co-worker?
And did you feel like you HAD to get something extra economical because of the CARS program? I mean, you sort of did, they had requirements, LOL. But there are several vehicles that would have met the fuel efficiency requirement, what led you to the Fit?
I kind of felt that my Base Fit had WAY MORE than what I really needed. NEEDED. I don't use things like the stereo. And while I haven't used the A/C yet for cooling, that does help with defrost (and windows that fog up in winter), as well as being a necessity for inland areas that get so hot.
Power windows, that's awesome. The daytime running lamps, a wonderful safety feature. Being older and having been around "strippy cars", all those things I mentioned were UPSCALE items. I think my first car had an AM/FM radio with one tinny speaker. Oooh. Ahhh.
I feel like I am in a concert hall with what the Fit has, compared to my last vehicle, an old VW Cabriolet. So what folks now might consider as basic, those things were options when I was younger. The Fit has all the bells and whistles for me. And I have a base model.
#176
08-05-2009, 12:48 AM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 1,448
I just clunkered my 2000 Ford Ranger. Although it says it gets 15 combined, I was probably getting about 10. The difference between them is night and day. I picked up a blue fit and it sure is perrrty. Since all cars were selling like hot cakes, I almost got a Yaris since it was cheaper before I test drove the Fit. I wanted a manual and the Yaris' don't even come with a tach. Although the Yaris is like 2k cheaper, the 2 thousand dollar difference is well worth upgrading to the Fit. The Fit has been an extremely awesome vehicle with tons of cool stuff. The only complaints I have are that it has little to no tint and the manuals don't come with an arm rest. Overall, this car deserves any top ratings it gets.
With the U.S. Senate considering a vote on putting more money into the government's "Cash for Clunkers" program, some auto dealers are raising concerns about a new threat to the incentive program: tight inventories.
The clunker program, which offers subsidies of as much as $4,500 to consumers who trade in older vehicles and buy new, more fuel-efficient models, sparked a surge in sales in late July, leaving many dealers with lean stocks of cars and trucks on their lots.
Lean Inventories Imperil Car Sales - WSJ.com
-------
It's looking like the Senate will pass the additional $2B, that may or may not have some kind of amendment to it. But that doesn't help anyone if there are no cars on the lot.
The sales will probably take a dive briefly, while inventories dwindle, and then rise as restocking occurs. Providing the Senate approves.
I still think it will be pretty fast and furious with the buying. And I still encourage everyone who can qualify to get down and get their car ASAP.
Let's picture the worst case scenario...that the pace of sales continues as it has been. That means the next $2B will last about 2-3 weeks. There won't be the backlog of people doing the deposits waiting for the program to start, as there was initially.
But it will still be hectic. People that couldn't find their title or needed to clear off an old lien, those people will be coming in.
People that were unsure, they may be swayed and come in.
This kind of incentive has NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.
#177
08-05-2009, 01:04 AM
Good questions. Lets see:
I'm generally attracted to the design sensibilities of European cars. And I'm also a sucker for Jeeps (especially their legendary inline 6 cylinder). So I never really considered anything else. But I thought that in the spirit of this program, I wanted something small. Plus, my budget was tight: not so tight that I couldn't get a car, but tight enough that the CFC program was the only impetus for me to actually go and buy something.
I initially thought about the VW Rabbit, knowing nothing about the class, but knowing that I like VW. So a google search turned up a ton of lists of small cars/subcompacts/fuel efficient cars/economy cars/etc, and the Fit was at the top of pretty much every list. And after some research, it really seemed like the best choice. Which was confirmed by my test drive.
Yeah, that's a good point. My clunker had nothing (except AC, but in Florida, I consider that necessary), and I got along just fine. But that being said, I wouldn't even consider rolling off of a lot in a NEW car without AC, power windows, power locks, airbags, running lights, and so on. I know a thing or two about stripped down cars: one of the best cars I've ever owned was an old Wrangler with no roof or doors (believe it or not, that was my everyday driver). An insulated rain jacket was the fanciest bell and whistle for me in those days, LOL
What I meant is that the Fit (at least the base model) doesn't have the stuff that I don't care about. No aluminum wheels, no fancy trim (which is of course fine, and I think the sport model looks really nice with all of those things, but I just didn't need them myself). And I don't need a usb port, or a nav system, or any of those things. Four wheels moving me along is fine.
My point, I suppose, is that the Fit does those things that I consider to be basic and necessary for a new car, and does them really well without needing to make it too fancy. I believe in the Bauhaus creed "Form Follows Function," and I certainly found that in the Fit.
That's interesting. That you wouldn't have looked at Honda otherwise. So what led you to the Honda and specifically the Fit? Questions that would be interesting to know the answers to would be like:
How did you hear about the Fit? Advertising? Online or magazine reviews? A friend, neighbor, co-worker?
And did you feel like you HAD to get something extra economical because of the CARS program? I mean, you sort of did, they had requirements, LOL. But there are several vehicles that would have met the fuel efficiency requirement, what led you to the Fit?
How did you hear about the Fit? Advertising? Online or magazine reviews? A friend, neighbor, co-worker?
And did you feel like you HAD to get something extra economical because of the CARS program? I mean, you sort of did, they had requirements, LOL. But there are several vehicles that would have met the fuel efficiency requirement, what led you to the Fit?
I initially thought about the VW Rabbit, knowing nothing about the class, but knowing that I like VW. So a google search turned up a ton of lists of small cars/subcompacts/fuel efficient cars/economy cars/etc, and the Fit was at the top of pretty much every list. And after some research, it really seemed like the best choice. Which was confirmed by my test drive.
I kind of felt that my Base Fit had WAY MORE than what I really needed. NEEDED. I don't use things like the stereo. And while I haven't used the A/C yet for cooling, that does help with defrost (and windows that fog up in winter), as well as being a necessity for inland areas that get so hot.
Power windows, that's awesome. The daytime running lamps, a wonderful safety feature. Being older and having been around "strippy cars", all those things I mentioned were UPSCALE items. I think my first car had an AM/FM radio with one tinny speaker. Oooh. Ahhh.
I feel like I am in a concert hall with what the Fit has, compared to my last vehicle, an old VW Cabriolet. So what folks now might consider as basic, those things were options when I was younger. The Fit has all the bells and whistles for me. And I have a base model.
Power windows, that's awesome. The daytime running lamps, a wonderful safety feature. Being older and having been around "strippy cars", all those things I mentioned were UPSCALE items. I think my first car had an AM/FM radio with one tinny speaker. Oooh. Ahhh.
I feel like I am in a concert hall with what the Fit has, compared to my last vehicle, an old VW Cabriolet. So what folks now might consider as basic, those things were options when I was younger. The Fit has all the bells and whistles for me. And I have a base model.
What I meant is that the Fit (at least the base model) doesn't have the stuff that I don't care about. No aluminum wheels, no fancy trim (which is of course fine, and I think the sport model looks really nice with all of those things, but I just didn't need them myself). And I don't need a usb port, or a nav system, or any of those things. Four wheels moving me along is fine.
My point, I suppose, is that the Fit does those things that I consider to be basic and necessary for a new car, and does them really well without needing to make it too fancy. I believe in the Bauhaus creed "Form Follows Function," and I certainly found that in the Fit.
#178
08-05-2009, 07:04 AM
Traded in a 1993 Ford Ranger. Count me as one of the luckier ones. For 10 days or so I had negotiated via the internet with multiple dealers and received several OTD quotes of 18,200 for a Sport Automatic.... On July 23rd I accepted an offer via the internet from one of the few dealers willing to hold an existing car for me until I could get home and use the C4C program the following week. On July 29th I walked in, processed the paperwork, paid, and drove away in my new Fit. No arguments to get some scrap value and no contract conditions regarding C4C working. No pressure for add-on options or extended warranty. Most pleasant buying experience ever. I count myself as lucky given some of the posts I have been seeing lately.
"Luck" is largely a matter of preparation. I rode a motorcycle to Alaska in the summer of 2006, after planning the trip for 2 years. Everything went as I had planned, and I finished the trip on time, within 10% of estimated mileage and expenses. The only part where luck came into play was the weather (only 3 days of rain in 11,000 miles and 42 days on the road).
Last edited by Selden; 08-05-2009 at 07:11 AM.
#179
08-05-2009, 02:12 PM
YAY to grandparents! They totally rock!
Lots of forums here, lots of people with knowledge, so if you have questions, even questions about where to post a specific question, post it. Someone will be able to help!
And if you know answers to other questions, chime right in! The more, the merrier!
Lots of forums here, lots of people with knowledge, so if you have questions, even questions about where to post a specific question, post it. Someone will be able to help!
And if you know answers to other questions, chime right in! The more, the merrier!
i love the positive attitude =]
even though some of these stories are sad and frustrating (to the people who are going through it or went through it) just keep your heads up. the fit is definately worth it!
#180
08-05-2009, 02:17 PM
Except for the difference in trade-in vehicle, I could have written this -- including the same dates. I arrived at Martin Honda in Newark at 9:30 on July 29, saw a Tidewater Blue Sport AT with a "Sold" sign on the windshield, and drove it off the lot 2 hours later.
"Luck" is largely a matter of preparation. I rode a motorcycle to Alaska in the summer of 2006, after planning the trip for 2 years. Everything went as I had planned, and I finished the trip on time, within 10% of estimated mileage and expenses. The only part where luck came into play was the weather (only 3 days of rain in 11,000 miles and 42 days on the road).
"Luck" is largely a matter of preparation. I rode a motorcycle to Alaska in the summer of 2006, after planning the trip for 2 years. Everything went as I had planned, and I finished the trip on time, within 10% of estimated mileage and expenses. The only part where luck came into play was the weather (only 3 days of rain in 11,000 miles and 42 days on the road).