Not an ordeal...yet, but I am posting this in case it helps someone in the future. Maybe this is common knowledge to some, but we’ve been pretty surprised, a little perplexed, and a little frustrated by our recent attempts to buy a new vehicle. If anyone has any suggestions, we’re all ears!
My wife wants a Honda Odyssey. So, we set out to learn about them, figure out the color and trim and price range and all that. We just so happened to start shopping right at the time the 2019’s came out, but also right before the end of the month and end of the second quarter. The model my wife wants is the EX-L with navigation and rear entertainment. We were quoted $39,000 drive out by SEVERAL dealers around June 25-28. MSRP is $40,455.
We did the TrueCar thing and were bombarded by offers, which based on our previous experience buying Fords, we assumed to be the STARTING point for negotiation. Ive always been able to get Ford to deal further than the internet price, so I expected the same for my wife’s van. I called around separately from TrueCar offers, and I also quickly realized that anyone calling or walking in to a Honda dealership was offered the TrueCar price. Therefore, TrueCar wasn’t anything special, but just another advertising method...and it certainly wasn’t going to be the price I accepted.
Here’s where it gets weird.
(1) Not only, does Honda apparently NOT budge off the internet price, but ALL of the supposed “drive out” prices we’ve been quoted do not include the $900-$2200 in bull**** dealer add on crap. This is 100% across the board at every single Honda dealer we’ve spoken with or called. They basically jack the price back up to MSRP. For example, Keating Honda in Conroe put on three different protection packages and a SECOND GPS. Instead of $40,455 they wanted $43,625. I told the guy up front that the $3,000 they added were of zero value to us and that we would not consider it in our negotiations. It was a very short discussion that resulted in politely walking out.
(2) Not a single Honda dealership has followed up with us, called back, or inquired in any way, and this is both on 2019’s AND 2018’s. I woulda thought they’d at least halfway try to deal on 2018’s.
(3) The TruceCar price we were offered June 28 is $1,800-$2,500 less than the price we are now being quoted. I assume this is end of the month and quarter vs beginning of the month pricing strategy. Yesterday I called the sales manager out on it while trying to come to a deal, and he basically shrugged his shoulders and said they weren’t considering our offer ($39,000 drive out) and good luck. He did slip up and say they try to average 5% markup on new car sales for the month, but that 5% profit is over $1,000 less than the price they wouldn’t budge from. This tells me that buying a car at the beginning of the month is front-loaded with more than 5% profit and that we are done car shopping for three weeks.
Maybe it’s Honda, maybe it’s missing the opportunity for end of the quarter sales goals, but now is apparently not the time to be shopping for a Honda Odyssey. Fortunately, we’re not in a bind. We are going to check prices and dealer flexibility at the end of this month, and I’ll report back. If I don’t get the deal I know I can get, we’ll wait until the end of this quarter and report back. Heck, if it takes until the end of the year, I will do that, but one thing I will not do is pay the **** MSRP.
My wife wants a Honda Odyssey. So, we set out to learn about them, figure out the color and trim and price range and all that. We just so happened to start shopping right at the time the 2019’s came out, but also right before the end of the month and end of the second quarter. The model my wife wants is the EX-L with navigation and rear entertainment. We were quoted $39,000 drive out by SEVERAL dealers around June 25-28. MSRP is $40,455.
We did the TrueCar thing and were bombarded by offers, which based on our previous experience buying Fords, we assumed to be the STARTING point for negotiation. Ive always been able to get Ford to deal further than the internet price, so I expected the same for my wife’s van. I called around separately from TrueCar offers, and I also quickly realized that anyone calling or walking in to a Honda dealership was offered the TrueCar price. Therefore, TrueCar wasn’t anything special, but just another advertising method...and it certainly wasn’t going to be the price I accepted.
Here’s where it gets weird.
(1) Not only, does Honda apparently NOT budge off the internet price, but ALL of the supposed “drive out” prices we’ve been quoted do not include the $900-$2200 in bull**** dealer add on crap. This is 100% across the board at every single Honda dealer we’ve spoken with or called. They basically jack the price back up to MSRP. For example, Keating Honda in Conroe put on three different protection packages and a SECOND GPS. Instead of $40,455 they wanted $43,625. I told the guy up front that the $3,000 they added were of zero value to us and that we would not consider it in our negotiations. It was a very short discussion that resulted in politely walking out.
(2) Not a single Honda dealership has followed up with us, called back, or inquired in any way, and this is both on 2019’s AND 2018’s. I woulda thought they’d at least halfway try to deal on 2018’s.
(3) The TruceCar price we were offered June 28 is $1,800-$2,500 less than the price we are now being quoted. I assume this is end of the month and quarter vs beginning of the month pricing strategy. Yesterday I called the sales manager out on it while trying to come to a deal, and he basically shrugged his shoulders and said they weren’t considering our offer ($39,000 drive out) and good luck. He did slip up and say they try to average 5% markup on new car sales for the month, but that 5% profit is over $1,000 less than the price they wouldn’t budge from. This tells me that buying a car at the beginning of the month is front-loaded with more than 5% profit and that we are done car shopping for three weeks.
Maybe it’s Honda, maybe it’s missing the opportunity for end of the quarter sales goals, but now is apparently not the time to be shopping for a Honda Odyssey. Fortunately, we’re not in a bind. We are going to check prices and dealer flexibility at the end of this month, and I’ll report back. If I don’t get the deal I know I can get, we’ll wait until the end of this quarter and report back. Heck, if it takes until the end of the year, I will do that, but one thing I will not do is pay the **** MSRP.
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