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Hey everyone. I just had my first drive in the s2000.
I went to Crown Honda in St. Petersburg. Spoke to a really nice guy, Mike, the GM of the store. I waited around a half hour getting myself familiar with the layout of the car and all its features while he handled a previous customer.
Once he was done I went into his office and started to talk about the car. He started off stating that the s2000 was a special car and they don't let anyone of the street come and drive them. I immediately started thinking he was going to want a deposit or something to that affect before I could drive it. He then asked my occupation and some other general questions to get a feel for me (I'm 22). Then, the best thing happened. He says he will pull the car off the showroom floor, tell me some of it's features to get me going, and let me take her out alone. I was holding back the huge grin I was feeling so I didn't appear immature.
He pulls her out in front of the dealership, says some quick tips, and hands me the keys. I start her up, set the mirrors, set the seat, hit up some nice tunes, and lastly feel through the gears once to just test them out (Never drove a 6spd and wanted to see how close the gate was before actually driving it). I can see in the corner of my eye all the dealers up at the window watching me. I'm sure just waiting to see if I stall the car, haha.
I slowly pull her out to and exit onto Route 19, take her for a while down that road, up onto 275, then back on 19 to the dealership. It was a nice 11 mile trip, which seemed to last only seconds.
Impressions: This car is the real deal. Everything all of you have said on this site is true. She fits like a glove, moves in such a fluid motion, and accelerates at an amazing pace. Every button was in an easy to reach location and very intuitive. The seats were amazingly grippy and kept my body nice and snug. I seriously could feel little or no body roll in the car as I took turns. Coming from my Integra, this car feels like a world of difference. I felt like I was one with the car, having the top down on a super sunny day, and hearing the sweet music of the engine. I also loved the visibility you get with the top down.
Once back, I then entered his office to talk turkey. I was looking for 2003 silver/red. He said he was unsure when they would come in, but guessed I would need to order by the end of August to get one sooner than later (Does this sound right?). We also talked price. When looking at the tag on the car, they had the MSRP + Market Adjustment = 38g's. I'm definitely not going to pay that much. He then stated they would sell the car for 3000 over MSRP. He openly said that he wishes he didn't have to sell it over MSRP, but "has" too. He wouldn't give me a straight answer to why, but I can come up with a few reasons. I would be willing to pay this much if I got some options thrown in to offset the price, but that was a no go. I also brought up other dealers offering the car for cheaper and said if I could get a dealer to offer me a lower price would they match it. He reluctantly said yes, but I would have to bring him a sales order, not just some email w/ a quote in it. So, now I have some decisions to make.
I hear there a couple of dealers in the Miami area selling for MSRP. Now that I am positive I want this car, I can then call them and see if this is even possible to happen. Or, I could try a lot harder to get him to lower the price a bit and get more than I previously wanted for my Integra. The NADA on my car is 10g's. If I got more like 12, which seems highly unlikely, it would be more worth it to get it there. Any opinions on this matter? You guys think I should drive 300 miles to Miami and buy the car there, or make an offer to Crown and go with that? I know 3000 dollars is a lot to pay over MSRP and it's like, is 300 miles worth 3000 dollars to me. I'm still not sure I want to make the trek to Miami, do all the dealing, and have something happen where I would have to go back there. Also, do you guys think if I bought the car from another dealer and then brought the car to Crown, they'd be pissed at me and possibly treat me less than others? Or am I just getting paranoid.
Thanks for all opinions in advance. Looking forward to joining the Florida crew in a few months.
ok,
3000.00 over MSRP is insane. I bought mine (Suzuka Blue which is very hard to get) for 32K even, plus the taxes. etc. Hugh jackson Maroone Honda 954-893-1258 Great salesman, Tell him I sent you, (blue S2k in march)
I have mine serviced at Rick Case. they don't care where you buy it, they get paid good money for warranty work.
So make the deal over the phone, Tell them if the car isn't 100% perfect when you see it, that you won't take it. Sell your car outrite you will probably get more money, and fly down I think it's less than 100.00 one way
John, I don't think you have to go as far as Miami to get the best price. Orlando is quite close or you can try Germain Honda in Naples - I got mine there. Last I talked to the salesperson, she seemed more than willing to do at least MSRP if I sent anyone her way - granted that was on '02 models. Bottom line they still make ++ dollars selling at MSRP, so if you start playing them off against each other you come out the winner. Never get upset with the hometown guy, say " Man, I really want to buy local and keep my business here but I can get the same car for X amount in X city" Also, there is other places you can get it seviced, Germain will tell you the rating Honda gives Florida dealerships, they will because they like to brag about their number 1 ranking in Florida. Even better is finding out from the other owners on the board, they are a wealth of information. Definitely, save the 3K this will help pay for some of the nice mods available (A drive to Margate to see RJ is well worth the drive). Anyway, best of luck!!
With a little work, you should be able to pick up a '03 for MSRP or less. It should be pretty easy to get an '02 at a good price. Like Mitch and troylmer mentioned, stay polite and firm in your dealing with salespeople. It's your money and they want it . Tell the salesman at Crown that you were very happy that he helped you with the test drive and you want to buy the car there, but you won't pay more than $X. If they can't meet that price, say thank you, but I'll have to buy elsewhere and walk out. Be sure to get any promise of an '03 in writing making sure the color and all dealer add-ons are listed.
I ordered my '02 in October of '01 and told the dealer I did not want to take delivery until April because I was not going to drive the car in the snow. My deal started out at MSRP because I, like you, found out from this forum where to go and where to avoid.
On December 31st I was able to drop the deal price by almost a $1,000 below MSRP because I spent the day on the phone-calling dealers no more than 2 hours from where I live. I used the oldest car salesman's line backward against them. "What are you going to do to sell a car today?" Once I got the lower price I just asked my first dealer if I could get my $500 deposit back. When he found out I wanted the money because I had a lower price he went even lower.
Good luck with the deal and remember, making the deal can be a fun ordeal. Always be polite, always be respectful, always be firm, never have fear of getting up and walking out, that drives salespeople crazy when you can be that emotionally detached and focused on your objective. And get the deal down on paper, no matter what, they don't like paper, get up and walk out! I bought a car a number of years ago and walked out of the dealership three times. And you know, each time I did, there was a message for me by the time I got back to my office, asking me to call because they had come up with a better price. It is a stupid game, but often you do have to play.
Good luck and don't let the sleazy salespeople out there get to you. You will love this car!
Thanks to everyone. All of you have given me such great insight on how to direct my efforts now. I definitely need to be more firm in the negotiating aspects, as I know this is my true weak point. I'm always considerate and polite also. I'm going to follow Mitch's and troylmer's advice and contact the dealers in their respective areas and see what I can get down on paper. Looks like I'll be making another trip this weekend.
08-04-2002, 05:11 PM
Test Drive / Impressions / Questions
. Tell the salesman at Crown that you were very happy that he helped you with the test drive and you want to buy the car there, but you won't pay more than $X. If they can't meet that price, say thank you, but I'll have to buy elsewhere and walk out. Be sure to get any promise of an '03 in writing making sure the color and all dealer add-ons are listed.
