I just got back a few minutes ago from the local Honda dealer and came within the width of an atom from buying a 2011 Sport Fit. The guy was laying the pressure on 'cause he knew how much I REALLY liked the car that was sitting right there in beautiful rust-orange.

But at the last moment I got a bit scared and told him I wanted to check some things out on the Internet first, hence I'm now here.

The deal would have been for me to have put down 4-grand and then pick it up in the early part of May, around the 6th. I wanted VERY MUCH to buy the car and make the deal, as it was to be mine for $20,800 OTD (I'd be paying cash). But what made me so nervous about it was due to a little too much pushiness but even more than that it's because the reviews I read of the dealership are less than stellar. In fact, they're pretty horrible.

Sooo my questions for you kind folks are as follows:

1) Do you think the OTD price was fair? I'm not interested in trying to not let a salesman make a fair profit, but I just don't want to discover that I'd been hosed. (On their website they list the car for $18,800, I think. But in the dealership room is was $20,400, fwiw.)

I just emailed another Honda dealer that's in a town not too far away to see what OTD price he could give me. So that will be interesting.

2) I read that thread in this place about what people don't like about their Fit a couple of weeks ago and a lot of people were saying the car comes with horrible carpet and that the paint chips too easily and that it has a weak air-conditioner and on and on it went, though nearly everyone said they still loved their Fits. Sooooo can you tell me if any or most of those issues have been taken care of by Honda (as the thread was started back in '06 if I'm not mistaken).

3) This one that I looked at had some type of paddle shifter to go with the automatic gear shifter, is that a good thing to have one of these on a Fit (so as to put it in the "sport" mode and get better performance)?

4) Can these cars really almost get 40-miles to a gallon on the interstate if not driven like a mad man?

5) The salesman told me I could expect to pay the DMV around $400 to get it registered and licensed. Would you say that sounds about right? (My dough is gonna be a little tight, so I must ask.)

6) They have a "tire for life" plan at this dealership in which if you get your car serviced there they'll give you new tires for as long as you own it. However, some of those reviewer of the place said it's more of a scam, that if you make one mistake (like not having them rotate the tires every year) then the whole deal becomes null and void. Is this type of incentive common among Honda dealers? And is it a great deal if it is common?

7) For $5,000 less I can get a nice 2010 Ford Focus than this Honda. Is the Sport Fit in your estimation easily a way better car (making the extra money spent worth it)?

I thank all of you profusely for any thoughts or comments you might care to share regarding my long-winded post. (I am thinking about heading in there tomorrow and finishing the deal, but I'm insecure for reasons stated and don't want to pull the trigger until I get *some* friendly feedback.)

Btw, even though the reviews are mostly horrid of said dealership, my thinking is that it might be okay to buy from them anyway just on account that it's Honda. So mechanical issues should be few if any, right?

 

Oooh this is so wonderful! 23 people read my post and now I'm about to get cramps in my hand from writing all the notes down, yippee!

 

Hi Alvin...Glad to meet you and welcome to FitFreak.I'm new around here too.I see that you are planning to buy a new car and the Honda Fit Sport is in your list.First...buying a car is a very important step.You must love and like the car to buy it....BUT out there they are many options.First... you must have a test drive.Drive the car and see how you feel driving it.I found the Honda Fit a fun to drive car.I think that you had made a wise step to read things about the Fit.I found the Fit that is a good car.Many here will tell you that.Consumer Report has said that the Fit is a best buy.But that is the part you must believe only by having one for some time.I just have my car for one month and I believe that the Fit will be a good car for me.I enjoy this car everyday.MPG are good.The car looks great with the factory look but you can make mods to make your ride more "sick".Just remember...out there many cars can be better or not.Price will be a factor too.You have many questions about the Fit but here reading you will find the answers to all of them.Here people will help you....but the final step or pulling the trigger is only yours.It will be your car and I know for sure you will buy the Fit.You will not be regret.The Fit is making history.People love the car.See you around my friend.....

 

Alvin ole buddy if the dealership already has a bad reputation I would avoid them like a skank ass ugly crack whore.... I'd shop elsewhere and not announce that I was going to pay cash and get a quote... Get a Fit with Manual transmission too, It is faster more economical and cost less to purchase... Car dealerships are the biggest thieves there are so you can almost guarantee you will get screwed so look for one that will give you a better deal than the others. Be patient and don't be afraid to walk away when they start up with crazy deals on extended warranties or service contracts.. At the very best you will get screwed but not nearly as badly as if dealing with the finance manager at the dealership. Good Luck.

 

Dayum TC,,,,I hope ya didn't scare'm away from all Honda dealerships!!!

 

Sooo my questions for you kind folks are as follows:

1) Do you think the OTD price was fair? I'm not interested in trying to not let a salesman make a fair profit, but I just don't want to discover that I'd been hosed. (On their website they list the car for $18,800, I think. But in the dealership room is was $20,400, fwiw.)

I THINK $17,000 IS AS HIGH AS i WOULD GO

I just emailed another Honda dealer that's in a town not too far away to see what OTD price he could give me. So that will be interesting.

2) I read that thread in this place about what people don't like about their Fit a couple of weeks ago and a lot of people were saying the car comes with horrible carpet and that the paint chips too easily and that it has a weak air-conditioner and on and on it went, though nearly everyone said they still loved their Fits. Sooooo can you tell me if any or most of those issues have been taken care of by Honda (as the thread was started back in '06 if I'm not mistaken).

I HAVE NO ISSUES WITH THE CARPET (GET THE ALL SEASON WEATHER MATS) AND THE AC WORKS GOOD. THE PAINT IS THIN THOUGH AND WOULD SUGGEST AN INVISIBLE BRA.


3) This one that I looked at had some type of paddle shifter to go with the automatic gear shifter, is that a good thing to have one of these on a Fit (so as to put it in the "sport" mode and get better performance)?

IT'S MORE OF A FUN FEATURE AND I USE IT FREQUENTLY. MORE AND MORE CARS ARE COMING WITH THEM.

4) Can these cars really almost get 40-miles to a gallon on the interstate if not driven like a mad man?

I JUST COMPLETED A 325 MILE TRIP AND GOT 43 MPG WITH MY SPEEDS BETWEEN 60-80MPH

5) The salesman told me I could expect to pay the DMV around $400 to get it registered and licensed. Would you say that sounds about right? (My dough is gonna be a little tight, so I must ask.)

NO CLUE

6) They have a "tire for life" plan at this dealership in which if you get your car serviced there they'll give you new tires for as long as you own it. However, some of those reviewer of the place said it's more of a scam, that if you make one mistake (like not having them rotate the tires every year) then the whole deal becomes null and void. Is this type of incentive common among Honda dealers? And is it a great deal if it is common?

I'D WALK AWAY FROM THAT OFFER.

7) For $5,000 less I can get a nice 2010 Ford Focus than this Honda. Is the Sport Fit in your estimation easily a way better car (making the extra money spent worth it)?

IT'S MUCH BETTER AND WORTH THE EXTRA $$. NOW GO GET THE FIT.....YOU'LL LOVE IT!!

 

Hey AlvinTostig, I just wanted to give you a welcome. I am new here too. This is a great forum with very good information, and folks here. I love my 2011 fit.

 

1) Do you think the OTD price was fair? I'm not interested in trying to not let a salesman make a fair profit, but I just don't want to discover that I'd been hosed. (On their website they list the car for $18,800, I think. But in the dealership room is was $20,400, fwiw.)

20,400 seems awfully high for a Fit, even the top level one with Nav. I don't like that they quote a much better price on the web, awful close to bait and switch, I'd hold them to the web price at least. With the recent disaster in Japan supplies might be tight resulting in dealers charging a premium, but his still seems high. Also with high gas prices people are flocking to more fuel efficient cars which will also drive up prices. Now is not the best time to buy an economy car. If you can wait till the supply shortage is over you probably should.

Also 20 grand pushes the car in to a higher price bracket. For that amount of money you can get a VW Golf, Civic, Mazda 3 etc all pretty well equipped.

7) For $5,000 less I can get a nice 2010 Ford Focus than this Honda. Is the Sport Fit in your estimation easily a way better car (making the extra money spent worth it)?

I'd check it out. The focus is a nice car. It is not as dependable as the Fit (few cars are) but it is still above average. Also since the 2011 focus is going to be completely new model you can probably get a good deal on the 2010s. I much prefer the Fit but you might like the Focus better, depends on your needs and taste. Also if the Ford dealer has a better rep then the Honda dealer that should be considered. Test drive both of them.

The fit is a great car, but there are other good cars out there. I'd at least check them out before I paid a premium on the Fit.

I'd be very skeptical about the "tires for life" deal. Read the fine print and do the math. It probably isn't a very good deal.

Edit: Here is another discussion on this topic you may find useful:
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...t-new-fit.html

 

I just bought a 2011 Fit Sport AT last Friday. OTD prices are hard to compare, since tax rates are so different from state to state. I'm in San Diego, and the MSRP was $18,460. That included the $750 destination and handling fee.

My price was $17,351 before almost $700 worth of security upgrade features. that was not including tax, tags, doc prep, etc. It did include the $750 destination fee. My OTD price after the upgrades, taxes, and DMV fees was $19,963. CA has 8.75% sales tax, and our DMV fees are high, but about the same as yours.

Here is a website that will show you the average price paid locally and across the country for whichever model Fit you choose. If you look at the graph (click history at the top) it does indicate that prices are increasing somewhat. I've been told that there will be no more Fits shipped until the 2012 ones are out. I don't know how true that is.

Honda Fit Prices: What Others Paid - U.S. News Rankings and Reviews

 

Thanks so much for sharing all that!

I'm familiar with the link but I have to wonder how much one should add to those numbers to get an idea of about what the OTD price should be? From what I can tell, it seems like the dealer here is trying to charge me about $2,000 more for the same car than what you paid for yours.

He got a little frustrated with me and got the owner of the joint to come over and talk with me. He told me that on these Fits they only make about $400. I don't know if that's true but it makes me wish these car dealerships would do like the defunct Saturn company did and skip the negotiation part of car buying and just have set prices and be done with it (though maybe there are some downsides to that too, not sure).

Does the heater and air conditioning work well in your car? On that "What don't you like about your Fit?" thread, I recall someone saying s/he thought their Fit was a bit anemic in those areas. (The idea of being toasty warm on a cold day inside a Fit is appealing, but being cold and not getting the windows to defrost doesn't sound so good.)

I must say (again) that I sure thought the car was rather gorgeous and worth every dime they were asking. But still, $2,000 more......

Again, thanks for being a Sport and sharing so much info with this old boy!

 

Thanks Much for the link and the great advice!

I test drove a 2010 Focus several weeks ago and I thought it was a very nice car. The guy said I could have it for $15,503 OTD, and as far as I know the car is still there. But with the Fit I was so jazzed up seeing it in glorious rust-orange that I came oh-so close to giving the salesman a big fat down payment. I also am enamored with how the front windshield looks, so flat with plenty of visibility; just looks cool! (Never understood how dudes like those muscle cars that make you feel like you're inside a tank looking out of slots for windows.)

I also liked the stereo better than the Focus. However, one thing that concerns me a lot (besides the paint chipping too easily) is that someone advised another person on another thread to think twice about getting a Fit if they're a little on the large side. I'm 6'2" 235lbs and so I'd hate like heck to think that as the guy said that there's a real good possibility that I'd be uncomfortable driving in the Fit for any length of time due to the seats not being so great. (The Ford Focus, incidentally, is said to be solid in that department. One owner even said it was by far the most comfortable car he'd ever owned as far as driving for long distances.) Anyway, I'd greatly appreciate whatever thoughts you might have on this particular question should you care to take the time.

I told the salesman I'd likely be in today to test-drive a Fit but I'm afraid he'll pick up where he left off yesterday and try and shove it down my throat. There's so much I like about the car but if it's not going to be comfortable for a guy my size to spend some time behind the wheel then I may have to pass.

I think you have a point about the "tires for life" program, as it sounds like it's a sweet lure that could well have some hidden aspects that are wanting.

 

Thanks Much for the friendly Welcome!!

I'm glad you love your Fit.

 

First and foremost, I personally HATE the Ford Focus. My ex had one, and I felt like I could not see a thing from the driver seat. The back window was TINY, and the side windows were poorly laid out. He got all offended when I turned to him about ten minutes into my drive, and told him I was never driving his car again.

I absolutely love the visibility on my Fit, especially since I learned how to correctly set my mirrors (see this thread: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/gene...lind-spot.html) However, some others in that thread complain about a blind spot in the Fit.

Due to the differences between people, I can't stress enough test driving whatever you're going to buy BEFORE you buy it.

As for the dealership, I certainly agree with Texas Coyote, RUN AWAY! Any dealership that sounds that bad just from your experience (especially the pulling in the owner to tell you how little they make on the cars), and then also has purely craptastic reviews online, AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE. When I was ready to buy, I went to a dealership in the area that had a good reputation, test drove one day, went home to think on it and sort out my financing options, then went back when I was well rested and ready to deal with the dealership.

Do all the research you can before you go in. My sales critter was impressed as hell with me because I did things like write down the VIN number of the car I was interested in, so I could do my own research online before buying. Also, INSIST on a carfax report. Good dealerships will include that when you buy.

Fit or no, good luck with your purchase. I know it scared the living daylights out of me to go in and buy my car alone, but now I have a sweet little dependable ride that I absolutely love and one more notch on my belt of things I have done. It's a pretty satisfying feeling once you're done with it.

 

Alvin, re: adding to those numbers--I think it would be pretty cut and dried, if you could nail down the fees. For example, On my contract, i have doc prep fee, $55, DMV and CA tire fee, $302. (Tire fee was $8.75) That plus my sales tax ($1581) and the price I negotiated for the car plus the security system upgrades added up to the OTD price.

If you belong to Consumers Reports on-line, you can buy a car report for $14 that list all the hidden dealer fees except local tax and DMV. You can get the online version of CR for $19. It might be worth it. The report helped me a lot. What I wound up doing was printing out the bar chart from the US news site and taking it in. I told them that I wasn't going to pay more than the average sales price that people in my zip code were paying. I wrote my offer on a separate sheet of paper. Then that started things going.

If he is asking $2000 more, possibly the car has some (big) upgrades on it that were dealer installed. They pulled that out of the hat during my negotiations and said they had "Phantom Footprints" and locking lug nuts, and not every dealer puts those on their cars. Those were not big upgrades though.

Are you sure it is not a Sport with navigation? Because that might account for the extra $2000. When you are involved in these negotiations, knowledge is power.

I haven't had my car long enough to make a judgment on the air and heat. I have only used the air, and it seemed fine. I had a 2009 Fit that I was quite happy with.

Yeah, they will try and bring in a second closer. What a bunch of BS.

 

Gosh, the advice I'm getting from you folks is fantastic!!

I will soon be talking to another salesman at another dealership and will tell him that I'd be willing to give $17,000 (as you said) though I fear he'll laugh and hang up the phone.

I look forward to hearing what that OTD price will be when the dealer gets back with you. And I thank you profusely for taking the time to do that! (If I actually get one of these cars we should all meet some place so I can buy you folks lunch.)

At the moment, besides getting a fair deal, my main concerns with the Fit based on what I've learned so far is that the car's seat may not be comfortable for a guy my size and, too, the paint chipping so easily bothers me a bit. One would think Honda would jump on that and get it taken care of.

That's so cool that you got that kind of mileage! And, too, it's good to hear that that paddle shifter gizmo is fun. A lot of people are into manuals but I don't really care that much one way or another as long as neither have any issues as it seems like more than a few models of cars out there do for some reason.

 

Muchos gracieous!

I'll definitely avoid this outfit and see about doing business with that outfit in the other town, since you put it that way!

I'll also see about getting a manual shifter while I'm at it (though that paddle gizmo sounds intriguing on the autos).

Yes; I must be patient. Thanks!!

 

Thanks my Friend for the kind and friendly comments, I do appreciate them!

I love many things about the Fit. The looks are great, the dash is nice, the windshield is cool, the folding seats and all that room is wonderful, the stereo is sweet, ... and on and on it goes!

Btw, can you please tell me if these Fits have temperature gauges (and not a mere light that goes on when it's over-heating)? And do they come with real-time gas consumption indicators?

Thanks for your time!!

 

I forgot to mention that this car I'm looking at (though now I'm gonna drop 'em and go to another dealership) doesn't have the navigation system, but does have that anti-theft feature.

 

Thank so much for the great comments and advice! I'm a mere babe in the woods with this car purchasing business. And so getting all of this solid advice from you generous, knowledgeable folks makes me feel like when I have to face those big, bad wolves known as salesman, I stand a much better chance of not getting too molested. Gotta watch out with those clever rascals!

I didn't know one needed to get a carfax report for a new car. Hmm I sometimes wonder if by insinuating that one feels a dealer can't be trusted, that one runs the risk of having 'em think, "Fine. If you're going to insult me like that, then I'll burn you for sure on something in this little transaction, you prick"?

Interesting to hear your remarks about the Focus. When I test drove one a while back I really thought from an overall standpoint that it was a nice car and I didn't think the visibility was an issue. One thing I harp on is how much I like the visibility of the Fit, and especially the big, flat windshield. For some reason I think it would be great fun to go for a joy ride in it when the rains coming down pretty good and to just watch those big wipes tackle that big windshield ... while I sit nice and cozy listening to the radio. Silly, I suppose.

Well, I reckon it's time for me to call that other dealer and ask if he'll take $17,000 OTD for a Sport with manual. Let's hope he doesn't get testy about my offer.

 

I'm about the same size as you are and I generally don't have a problem with the seats, but I haven't driven it for long periods of time that much. Shortly after I got the car I did get a little sore where my butt hit the side bolsters at times, but it hasn't been a problem recently. Maybe the seat breaks in after awhile. On long trips after a couple of hours or so I don't know if it would be a problem for you or not because I haven't really driven it for long periods much yet. I can say if it came down to it I would would be willing to go for after market seats because over all I like the car that much.

I also 2nd the suggestion to get consumerreports online. Get the basic subscription then get the new car prices feature (forget what they actually call it) as well. Its about $14 dollars more but it gives you a lot of information like invoice cost, dealer incentives, customer incentives etc. And they give their estimate of what the best price you can hope for in your area. As said before, knowledge is power. You can use it to get info on as many cars as you like. It helped me a lot when I was car shopping.

invoice for Fit Sport AT: $17,077
invoice for Fit Sport MT:$16,261

These numbers represent the cost of the the car only; before the destination charges etc

Plan on spending somewhere between the invoice and the MSRP unless there is a special deal going on. Consumer reports will tell you if there is.

Good Luck!