I’m going to buy a Honda civic DX coupe soon. The best price I can get
for it (with AC) is 12,850 in my area. I’ve heard you can get a pretty
good deal through a car buying service with a nominal fee. Just wondering
anybody has experience with this kind of service. Any info and suggestion
will be appreciated.
Ronnie
Ronnie Yuan (CRY…@psuvm.psu.edu) wrote:
: I’m going to buy a Honda civic DX coupe soon. The best price I can get
: for it (with AC) is 12,850 in my area. I’ve heard you can get a pretty
: good deal through a car buying service with a nominal fee. Just wondering
: anybody has experience with this kind of service. Any info and suggestion
: will be appreciated.
Two dealers in Philadelphia were advertising the Civic DX coupe
(with 5-speed, air, AM/FM/Cassette) for $12500 about a month or
so ago, and that was before Honda started running the "year-end
clearance sale" ads on network TV. The Sunday Philly Inquirer
usually carries some Honda ads with prices — not terribly good
prices, but better than you’ve gotten so far.
Early this year, the dealer invoice (incl. destination charges)
was $9999; adding about $700 for A/C and $300 markup gives an
estimated "very good street-price" of just about $11k. Although
the $300 markup is a little low for a Civic, I’d *guess* Honda’s
supplying around $500 in "hidden rebates" as part of the "sale".
BTW, the $9999 invoice corresponded to a list price of $11570;
if the *OFFICIAL FACTORY STICKER* shows a higher price, you’ll
have to adjust the above prices to compensate for the increase.
As a reasonable guesstimate: invoice = 86% of factory_sticker;
but, do NOT pay more than $700 for the A/C — even though the
*dealer-scum* is probably asking anywhere from $1100 to $1500.
For a *free* car-buying service, call Keystone AAA if you’re
a member — or find a friend to do it for you if you’re not.
(Sometimes their prices are *great* — sometimes they suck.)
Also check-out the following "how-to-buy-a-new-car" book for
some good info on other buying/pricing services — and some
*vital* info on "how to play the game".
"In The Drivers Seat" by W. James Bragg
Copyright 1993 by Fighting Chance
Random House, N.Y.
ISBN: 0-679-74633-1 (pbk.)
$12.00 US / $16.00 CDN
happy haggling, …GO LIONS!
Mark