Considering the average new car depreciates over half its value in 4 years I think it would be realistic to state that buying a new car is in fact a rip off. Say what you want DTRDRIVER but most Certified Financial Planners agree.

I bet you think that leasing a car is not a rip off either.

 

No problem. One other thing I thought about why they might have been higher than you thought is that options installation aren't priced at the Honda site. There is usualy a footnote or something that says "dealer installation not included or something like that". The dealer cost on a bunch of those things is HIGH (sometimes too high). Tigerhonakers post goes into that in good detail.

I hope it all works out in your situation. There is no reason not to buy a new civic at the price you want. It just takes some shopping around. It's just a mater of time before you find the car you want. I hope you don't sour off the hch II before then.

Oh, as for the depreciation of new cars, you will be happy to find out that if I sold my civic today I could expect to get 75% of the price back on it. Apparantly these cars have great resale value. Civic Hybrids are great values all around. I look forward to hearing what happens as you go though the purchase process and if you get one your experience with it.

 

tbaleno said it exactly. Dealer installation costs. They didn't budge from MSRP, they just charged x dollars for y hours of labor. I do think if you show them you did your research and make your bottom line with the willingness to walk out, they will sell you the car. A little profit is better than none.

I am not trying to defend, but when I read it, it seemed that you called them, and you may have not had blood in your eyes when you went there, but your fustration certainly showed in the post, and your return comment to nimbus ... relax a little, life is too short to get so fustrated. You can get the deal you want, for many have out here already. tigerhonaker has great information, check some of his posts about deals, info about the Honda Hybrid models, etc. I think you will be happy with the car once you get it. I have a 05, the only thing I wish I had was the extra horsepower with the same FE. I preferred the guage panel better than the HCH II but I had to decide I was willing for the sacrifices (no nav, less power, no elec. a/c, etc), although I saved money on the price compared to what I would have bought (06 fully loaded nav). I am extremely happy with it, so I am sure the 'improved' one will make you happy as well.

Good luck, and when you get it, let us all know about how you like it and the mileage you get. I would say start calculating the mileage you get in your current car now, so you can have a more accurate comparison of your current mileage to what the HCH II will give you. Take the % less than EPA, then check that against what you recieve in the HCH. I just want you to be happy with the purchase and not disappointed in case you are a more aggressive driver and don't meet the 'rated' mpg. I personally am getting over 52 mpg and the temperature has been low. Take care and keep reading/learning ... and never take anything over the internet too personally.

 

Dangerkitty-I check prices on cars-mc's on the internet .I have noticed that car dealers in La,Miss,Ala are the worst -price wise.I used to think it was my own"grass is greener"bias,but I'm pretty sure it isn't. I have bought my last 2 vehicles in TX because they were $2000+ cheaper than Louisiana even when the $150 plane ride to DFW and San Antonio and the 10 hr drive(home to New Orleans) was added in.
I've come to the conclusion that it is because dealers in those 3 states are accustomed to dealing with customers that aren't as well educated-or as financially well off-as customers in other states.There is generally less competition-fewer dealers in the metro areas- of these states. Tx on the other hand-has lots of dealers in their huge metro areas.The average income is a bit higher, and the consumer is within 50 miles of probably 3 times as many dealers.
In short dealers in poor southern states are accustomed to ripping off their customers.I don't mean "ripping off" in the legal sense, but in the same sense you meant it-they take advantage of the customer with bald faced lies"we never sell for more than MSRP" or BS exaggerations" we have a 6 month waiting list etc".Dealers in poor southern states have always operated this way.The internet is finally forcing them to change their ways-some.
I would shop the internet dept of various dealers in states you can fly to and don't mind driving home from.I think you have already gotten info about the dealer in Ky that did right by a forum member-
Good luck,Charlie
PS I'm sure Nimbus didn't mean to come off as critical;he was just giving you a slightly longwinded version of "easier to catch flies with honey than vinegar"-He is correct in pointing out that even "honest" dealers will charge you as much as possible on every deal-and on every aspect of the deal-but you already knew that-he didn't know that you had already had gone one round with this dealer and had been assured" we never charge more than MSRP"-ha,ha!!

 

Yes a car is a bad investment, but at four years you got about half the value left as you say. After an expensive airlines ticket is used, it has no value! The smart person would drive an old car and avoid airlines. Neither of us are doing that are we?


Do I think leasing is a rip off? Yes, and so are making payments!

I write a check AFTER shopping at the right time and get a price that is less than MSRP!

 

Amen!!!!!


Tigerhonaker;

Terry

BTW: Intense

 

Let's take a deep breath....

For those that still like a fight, check out when WWE is on your TV

 

Calm down DTDRIVER. No more attacks. It is very rude to attack someones profession.

 

This is bizarre logic to me because how many things hold half their value over 4 years? Especially things that degrade in quality over time? My shoes have zero resale value. My clothes have zero resale value, and they don't degrade at all. My computer is expensive and doesn't degrade but I'd have difficulty selling it.

The reason cars can be sold easily for a nice portion of the original price is because they're so expensive to buy new that there is a large market for used ones. That's really nice. So instead of paying $20000 each time you want a new car, you can just pay $5000 for example.

 

CGameProgrammer, you just proved that when one is enraged, it's not their IQ that increases - it's their blood pressure that increases, giving a false feeling of brilliance...