ntphan

[QUOTE]Originally posted by babygrass
[B]So even if the price difference is only about one or two grand from a new car, you would suggest buying a used?

Muz

Please take an experienced car buyer along with you. Perhaps your dad? I think you will fare better than going along alone as a young girl buying her first car. Don't mean to sound patronising but unfortunately that's the reality of it.

babygrass

Don't worry Muz, that's exactly what I'm planning to do.

Ntphan mentioned trying to haggle from the invoice price? How do you find out what the invoice price is? I've been to places like www.carcostcanada.com, but they want you to join and pay to find out the prices.

hi50

babygrass,

You are getting good advice here.

1) If you are financing, ALWAYS get a pre-approved loan from an outside source before even stepping into the dealership. The dealer will almost always have a higher finance % then what you can get on your own. It gives you the edge in financing.

I remember a few years ago, I was buying a Civic Si, and we got the price all worked out. The finance guy told me he could get me 8%, I said NOPE, I already got pre-approved for 7%. He went to talk to his boss, and I got 6% to finance with American Honda. That was a pretty weird instance, but it was nice.

2) If buying used, it is worth it to look at Honda dealerships anyway. Here in the states, Certified Pre-Owned Honda's come with a good warranty 7yr/100K mile (from original service date). So if you buy a 2-3 yr old car, you still have 4-5 yrs left on the warranty, which covers all the main stuff (engine, powertrain).

3) Dont buy a car that is outside of your price range. You'd be surprised at how a "small" $10-15K loan, will take some time to pay off =)

4) Like Muz said, always go with an experienced buyer.

5) Deal with the sales people in a calm, and professional manner. If they like you, they will help you out (most of the time).

6) And always remember that you can say NO. Some of these sales people pressure you like crazy, and make you feel guilty about asking for a decent price. A good deal is when both sides are happy. If you feel you are getting jerked around, just walk.

I did this once, when I was buying my first Civic. By the time I got home, there was a message on my machine from the sales manager. He knocked the price down to what I wanted, and apologized about the behavior of the sales guy I was working with (sales guy was trying to rip me off). I got $200 over invoice on that one =)


One more thing, it really seems like dealers will "deal" more at the end of the month. I was helping a friend buy a car, and she got a killer deal, since they needed to make the monthly quota.

Tonky

Babygrass you should be an expert on cars after all the time you've spent on this board. Muz is right, take someone who knows what to look for. You can get finance from whoever you like, the dealer the bank, various finance houses. Another big consideration is 0% finance which is sometimes offered. This is often confined to particular brands though as a marketing strategy. Depending on how much you borrow and the term involved, 0% finance can make a BIG difference to what you repay. Good luck.

babygrass

Thank you so much!! This information is really helpful. I feel as though there's so much to remember, so I'll be sure to bring along an experienced and knowledgeable friend.

Muz

[QUOTE]Originally posted by babygrass
[B]Don't worry Muz, that's exactly what I'm planning to do.

Ntphan mentioned trying to haggle from the invoice price?

jvils

Along the lines of Muz, you can wait 'til Oct/Nov and dealers will be trying to dump their 2002 models (if you decide to go new). You can sometimes get them for a few hundred over invoice (if they still have inventory). But then you may get stuck with what's left, which may be odd colors/options.

DEFINATELY get pre-approved. Sit with your bank or CU, and they'll help you figure out what you can afford, and approximate the payments for your price range. OR opt for one of the dealer 5/yr 0% financing deals, if there still are any (but still pre-approve so you aren't depending on the dealer financing).

Finally, I found several web sites that will show you Invoice, option, and destination charges for each model. Find the car you want and print out the invoice price and take it with you. If you do all your homework, you'll know if you are getting a good deal.

Lastly, most buying services get Invoice plus 2.5 - 3%, which is a decent discount from MSRP. I mentioned to a Pontiac dealer that I was going to use the USAA buying service (pick a car, USAA finances it, negociates the price, pays, and delivers the car to your door and hauls off your trade). He just gave me the Inv+2.5% (nearly 1000 below MSRP), and I had to neg. the trade value.

babygrass

Wow.. this is a lot of information for me to absorb.. The first thing on my agenda is to get financing with my bank before I even start looking I guess.

Thank you guys soo much for all your help. I'm still going to have to do a lot of research though.

What do you think about the new Civic Hatchback? I'm not too sure about the exact name of it... Do you know if it comes in auto, or is it just standard?

Otter

If you decide to go new, try emailing all the dealers you would be willing to travel to with a simple form letter saying exactly what you want and ask for their best price and availability. There is no haggling involved, and you can do it in an hour. If nothing pans out, no loss. I tried it out after getting nowhere in person and got a great deal. Even if it works, still take someone with you to pick it up.