i was wondering when the event is gonna happen because i wanna sell my EK and get an 08 civic SI sedan

 

at the end of the year

haha jk. i think i remember them usually doing it in november. but maybe december. or maybe not at all this year cause of the crappy economy. they should already being willing to sell cars for really cheap

 

the si is not included in that event.

 

Yeah...the Civic is the best selling car in America. They have no trouble selling them. And "sporty" cars are hardly ever included in special sales.

 

But it's easier to get a bargain on an 08 when they have a couple of 09's on the lot, right? Though that has nothing to do with a Factory promotion, the time a vehicle spends on a lot can sway them to discount a vehicle. They are paying non recoverable interest on every vehicle on their lot but Honda gives every dealer 2% of base MSRP (dealer holdback) to pay for the first 90 days of interest.

 

That's true.

But also (for the most part) brand new SIs don't sit on the lot. Many are spoken for before they even arrived and most of the rest are gobbled up within days of their arrival. If an Si is sitting on the lot, it is most likely used.

 

Not at our dealership. We still have a silver and a galaxy grey Si sedan that rolled off the transport mid-summer. We don't have any coupes right now tho.

 

that may have been true two years ago....

 

It still is...especially in California.

 

You have to realize that people tend to buy cars according to the season. In the winter, it's SUVs and big sedans. In the summer, coupes, convertibles, and otherwise "sporty" cars.

SIs definitely do not sell as well in November as they do in May and June.

 

Ok Sir Knowitall. In the end...its still a Civic and it's great on gas. The Civic is still the best selling car in America, since it (along with the Accord, Camry, and Corolla) passed the F-150. I reserved my car in October (received in November).The day I went for my test drive, there was a "line" waiting behind me to test drive the only Si my dealer had on the lot (Mugen in the showroom). I followed my sister to the dealer in March to drop off her car for a TBS fix and I talked to my salesmen. He said there hadn't been a brand new unclaimed Si at their dealership since before I bought mine.

 

I don't know what dealership you go to but planet honda on 22 had si sitting on the lot 2 months after they came out. In fact, thier inventory states they have many si available.

 

I just called and they have one 08 sadan available

 

Alot of Louisiana dealers right now have a handful of Si sedans and coupes on the lot.
I work for a Nissan dealership (tech of 3+ years), and we have 2 used coupes with LOW miles (07coupe with 4,400 and 08 Sedan with 9,000).
The Honda dealer about 10mins away has atleast 10-15 Sedans and Coupes... atleast, when I passed by last night they did.
But thats all besides the point...
The biggest thing that effects the sale is obviously region and demand.
California has a much larger "tuner" market than Louisiana, for sure.

 

that is very true. i got my 08 back in February of this year and i never saw any si's until april. then during the summer they were just everywhere.

 

I'm not being a know-it-all. Go talk to your local Honda sales manager. He'll know what I'm talking about.

 

it must depend on your location. my dealership has 1/2 a dozen si's brand spankin new sitting on the lot. 08 and 09.

 

I know what you're saying, and in the past it's been true. There are some stupid people that buy SUVs just because it's winter. But SUV and truck sales are going down, while small car sales are going up, whether it be the winter or not. With the economy in shambles, people want reliable, efficient cars. Almost every dealer I see (not just Honda) has a ridiculous amount of SUVs and trucks just sitting on their lot, many of them in the same spot they were last winter.

The funny thing about SUVs and people's need to buy them for the winter is that 75+% of the vehicles I see in ditches, flipped over, or otherwise involved in accidents in winter are SUVs. A big vehicle with 4(A)WD provides a false sense of security. It's sickening how people think they can go faster in the snow in a 4WD vehicle. In February 2006 my stupid a$$ friend got a brand new '06 STi and then 2 weeks later proceeded to wrap it around a telephone pole trying to be Colin McRae in the snow.

 

so the new civic si wont be for sale for the honda clearance event =[ dam i really wanted one

 

Wtf? Go find one and talk money if you want one.

 

What kind of price were you looking to get? Be reasonable, dealers sell cars to make a profit. Some sell at a loss hoping to earn referral or repeat customers and to earn your business when it comes to service. Dealers will sometimes sell their car for what it costs them hoping to get you to sell them your trade for thousands under what you could have gotten so they can turn around and sell it for big profit. The biggest profits dealers make are in service and the sale of cars traded in.

Base Si Sedan with no options
MSRP is 21,310
The price the dealer pays is $19,606
The price Honda charges to deliver the car to the lot $670
Advertising $xxx.xx
Honda charges the dealer advertising fee but I don't know how much on this vehicle.

Honda gives the dealer 2% of base MSRP to help reduce the costs involved to put that car on their lot. For example finance charges from their lender, sales commissions, etc. This amount is $392.12. This can be a bargaining tool depending how long the car has been on their lot. Sales will rarely reveal that info or will say "oh, not long."

Knowing that the dealer paid $20,276 and they received $392.12 means they paid $19,883.88, plus any advertising fees charged by the factory.

What is a reasonable amount of profit they should be entitled to in your opinion considering their is no factory to dealer incentive on this vehicle?

The dealer doesn't make any money from Tax, Tag or Titling. Though when I sold cars I had a customer say that TTL was all dealer profit. I showed him the door and thanked him for his time. Coincidentally he wanted us to sell the van to him for less than half of invoice out the door simply because the car had been on our lot of 180 days.

The state where you live is making 6-8% on the deal for doing nothing at all. What should the dealer be entitled to?

The only incentives offered currently are financing offers from AHFC and you usually have to have like a 740 to qualify.

Beware when trading your car in. Be sure its squeaky clean (including the engine bay) and blemish free, pay for a pro detail if you can. Be sure you have any maintenance records if any. Be sure that all the spare tire components are present. If you have the original tires the car came with they will take $400-1000 right off the top. Generally the dealer is looking to give you $2000-$3000 under KBB trade or the "wholesale" amount. The closer your vehicle resembles the day it left the showroom the easier time you will have in standing your ground on it's value.

Sometimes a dealer will tell you they are selling you a vehicle for invoice and say they aren't making any money on the deal. They get the hold back and most of the people who buy pay for the DOC fee, an exuberant amount usually $300-$600.

I had 1 very arrogant sales guy say "and the doc fee, well thats how the ladies up stairs get paid." My rebuttal was "so the ladies get $399 in pay to send my titling and licensing documents and submit my deal to the finance company, where do I apply for that job?" All but about $50 of the doc fee is pure profit!

Good luck

 

^^^

Well said.
I've been in the dealership game for about 5 years, but thankfully as a technician, so I don't deal with any of the headaches of buying a car...
But its good to find out ALOT about how it all works, and the games played.

 

When going into a dealer there are things you do in a certain order, they will try to get you to play their game. They try to find out what "payment" you you are looking for, unless you already did your math don't go for that.

1. Negotiate price of vehicle and accessories 1st

Never mention that you have a trade or down payment. The dealer will try to get these things out of you 1st but it's to your advantage not keep these things out of the conversation until much later. Don't agree to a payment price either. Negotiate price of vehicle and the APR and that will determine the payment. Some buyers will say yeah I want a payment of not more than $400. This is music to their ears!!! What if you could get the car for $350 payment, so why would you agree to the same car for $400 a month?

2. Negotiate your APR

Unless you bring your own financing, which would be the best thing to do, you will have to fill out a credit application so the dealer can secure a loan for you. Banks will tell dealers that if their buyers meet certain criteria they will guarantee a loan at a certain APR. Let's say this APR is 10.99 for argument sake, this would be called the buy rate. The dealer then pulls your credit and finds you meet that banks criteria and qualify for the 10.99 but the dealer wants to make some extra cash so they write the loan for 11.99. This is called the sell rate. The rates may different then what I mentioned so be sure to ask "is this the buy or sell rate" and always negotiate the APR because this is where your payment will change and ultimately make your 22k car 32k over the life of the loan.

3. Negotiate your trade if you have one.

Know what your car is worth! Get KBB, Edmunds.com, and NADA book values for your vehicle. Pay for a professional appraisal if you can. Find out what your car is selling for at other dealers. All these things will help you get max dollar for your trade. Often the dealer will try to get you to trade your car for $2000-$3000 under trade value, or what they call cash value. This is usually what it sells for at the auction. The reason for this is it will allow them to make the most money off your car when they sell it, if they don't they can take it to auction and make a couple hundred buck or break even. The last thing a dealer wants to do is lose money on a trade. If you are trading a Honda the song and a dance about them not being able to sell it and they have to sell it at the auction is a huge load of crap. They will wholesale it to network dealer or another lot before it goes to auction.

Be sure your car is as squeaky clean as possible, the closer your car resembles the day it left the dealer the better. Pay for a professional bumper to bumper detail, $250 can save you $1,000 or more.

Don't disclose any accidents unless required by law. Would they do the same if they are selling a car thats been in one? I doubt it. Make them play detective.

Be sure all the fluids are fresh and topped off, be sure to bring any maintenance records with you. Check your tread depth and if it's questionable go and get the cheapest tires you can buy. This can save you $400 or more. All of these things will show the dealer they won't be able to budge you on your car.

4. Inform them you have a down payment

Would you ever show your hand in a card game? Why would you do that when buying a car? If you can help it only reveal you have a down payment when signing your paper work.

5. negotiate add ons

A lot of people spend half their day at the dealer negotiating everything getting the best payment, price of car, free auto butler, etc. Then when they sign paper work the finance clerk (their not managers) gets you for $2000-$5000 more for gap, extended warranty, tire protection, paint care, life insurance. Those prices are negotiable too, why pay retail? All you really need is the GAP if applicable. It's an insurance policy that is rarely used so try to negotiate for 50% off or better or call another insurance company.

6. READ EVERYTHING BEFORE SIGNING

Why would you negotiate the deal of a lifetime only to undo everything by not reading what you are signing. Seriously take your time and read. Don't rush or allow yourself to be rushed. They are hoping you'll be in such a huge hurry and just skim through everything. If you don't understand something make them explain it until you do. If you still don't understand come back with someone who can help. Often they will become so frustrated and will break it down and shoot you straight. They would rather sell you the car than chance it with you leaving and changing your mind.

If you have never every bought a car on your own please take someone who has been around the block more than a few times.

Additionally once you drive off the lot you may be stuck with the vehicle, so research your states right of rescission laws.

Also some dealers will get you to sign a documentation of estimated tax, tag and title fees. REFUSE! This is how they can offer a remarkable payment and get you to sign the paper work sometimes. Then you will get a bill in the mail for an additional $2000. They know very well how much these fees are.

I really don't know what else to say. Research the dealer you plan on buying from. The chamber of commerce, the Better Business Bureau, ripoffreport.com, etc

The better prepared you are and the more you know the better you will be. It's YOUR money, don't give it away.