The one huge advantage of financing a brand new car is the very low to zero interest rates. 5.5 is worse than a used car rate from my local bank.
The 2018 Accord Hybrid Touring just came outā¦like just started being shipped to dealers a few weeks ago. So I can understand supply of this particular model being low at this particular time. In a few months they will be piled up at dealers. But still, thatās not an excuse or a reason. Example:
I really, really wanted a white Sport 2.0T 6MT in February. It had only been out for a couple months. Only one dealer in Michigan had exactly what I wanted. But I paid $4,000 under MSRP by practicing the best buying tactic anyone can use - NOT TIPPING MY HAND. There were like 10 Sport 2.0T 6MTās in Michigan but only one in white, so I negotiated with them all via email in several stages to drive the price down until I got a written offer that I was happy with and believed to be close enough to āunbeatableā, then told the sales manager at the dealer with the one I wanted to match it and Iād be in the next day to sign the paperwork. He acted upset and gave me the āIād be losing money and they canāt offer that priceā BS, so I told him thanks for all the help but Iāll be purchasing elsewhere so please delete my contact info from your system. 3 hours later at 1130PM he sends me a text agreeing to the price I wanted. Iām sure many, many others on this forum have similar if not the same experiences. The buyer has 100% of the power in a vehicle negotiation until you give it to the dealer, and he gave it to the dealer immediately. Not much we could do once that happened, I think they just gave him a lower price to make him feel better. He admitted on DriveAccord that he recognizes that the sales manager lied about only making $500 on him the first time, yet he continued to see their words as the gospel.
Regarding the time aspect - It took me 3 days to negotiate my car purchase and aside from when I test drove vehicles to decide what I wanted, I never stepped foot into a dealer until I came to sign paperwork and pick my car up. He started posting on DriveAccord April 26thā¦I replied the same dayā¦itās just an excuse.
http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/241-10th-generation/522010-honda-finance-calculator.html
This guy was a lost cause because he didnāt already have the skills to negotiate and, as someone else said, was much more interested in being validated than learning how to do better. Thereās a lot of good lessons in all of this for a potential new car buyer, and thatās why this thread is important.
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How to handle the test drives? There are several cars across brands I want to drive, but I am leery of getting stuck in the hard sell database once I set foot in the dealership. Do you call ahead and make an appointment, or just roll up to the lot?
From my experience salespeople tend to prefer that kind of thing to be done by appointment when itās not really busy, if possible. If you show up on a Saturday afternoon at the end of the month, donāt be surprised if they donāt have a lot of time to accommodate you, and youāre also opening yourself up to be bum rushed and pressured too.
Learning how to do better is important, and it takes the desire to do so, as well as practice and time. Iām sure everyone here has a story about getting burned or outfoxed at a dealership over the years.
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I always make appointments with a random new car salesman, I find that the more āseriousā you seem the more they leave you alone and donāt go with you on the drive.
I come back with the car and give keys back, I say thanks for your time REALLY appreciate it (big smile), shake the hand and ask for a business card if I donāt already have one. Then I just say āI really have to go to an appointment now, sorry that I donāt have more time, but I liked the car and Iāll be in touch very soonā. Donāt sit down, just hand keys back, say a couple lines, and walk back out the door.
Most sales guys are smart/experienced enough to be courteous and understanding of this approach and will let you go with a smile and some gentle sales tactics. Some are ignorant/new/annoying/rude and will try to bum rush you with questions or BS. Just walk the f awayā¦I have walked out the door of a dealer many, many times with a salesman talking to my back. It feels nice. Iāve also stayed and shot the crap with some sales guys that I really liked, but itās pretty rare. I never, ever, ever talk numbers inside of a dealership unless Iām buying a used car which for some reason I feel is better to play the game in person than over email. I guess because I can get a better feel in person for what theyāll take on a used car, and the āwalk outā is much more powerful, whereas a new car I already know roughly what I want to pay based in invoice/incentives/forum research.
TBH, I usually bring one of my kids (and plenty of snacks) along with me when I want to look at cars. Iāve never had a salesman be pushy or rude to me when Iām juggling a toddler. They enjoy it, and I have to know how a car seat goes in anywayā¦
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Thanks! The only time I bought a new car, I already knew what I wanted so the test drive was more of a formality. I set it up by appointment and (luckily, in retrospect) the salesman was very laid back and experienced. We did the entire deal over email a few days later.
I like the idea of bringing a kid along.
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Give them a Google voice number, you can filter the calls that way
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So itās DCH Kay Honda in Eatontown, NJ.
Now all you NJ hackers would know where to get your next Honda 
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Do as much of your research at a āneutralā 3rd party, e.g. Carmax, where you can sit in the vehicle you want and its competitors and even drive them if you need to. Obviously wont work if you need the newest model year after a refresh, but if a vehicle has a 4-5 yr refresh cycle, there is a good chance they will have a 2016 version of the model you want to buy which is similar/identical to the 2018 version.
Did we ever find out what he did for a living? I am wondering if he is of the generation (or has developed the practice through years of experience) that has the ātrust the professionalsā mentality. They believe everything their doctor/lawyer/HVAC guy says at face value because they are the one trained to operate in that space. My dad was like that, even when the professional was lying through his teeth to him. So the OP believed the car salesman over the āhackrsā on this board because the salesman reaffirmed his beliefs (for which he paid dearly).
I see the Black Label trim starts at $54K. I can see with some options or packages added, it can be $60K
I donāt think that was disclosed, however, heās planning on dumping his āretirement vehicleā in 3 years already even before the new car break in period is over.
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After reading through all of this, thereās several things I have deduced. The gentleman that purchased the Honda, is probably of an older age, who finds that the internet is more of a supplemental help, not a resource. He probably values whatās there in front of him in person (physically) then what is said online on a screen. There really isnt much you can do about such person. The most that could be done is someone meeting him or talking to him in person or over the phone to help guide but I think the damage has already been done.
Few other points of contention -
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I have noticed when people post and the responses, some can beā¦ edgy, or rude, or hostile in some ways. Iām sure not all of us mean to be but itās hard to read/understand tone when typed. This can also fall on both ways as people that post sometimes dont do their due diligence.
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I think it would be a good idea to have a sticky that would include all the basic information of leasing, perhaps a guideline, or a āhomework for leasingā, something that a new user can read and then follow. I know some of the instructions here arenāt clear so, maybe that might help?
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I think we all might need to relax and tone it down a notch at times, at one time, everyone was a noob and didnāt have the knowledge they have today. Letās remember that and try to be civil. Itās not easy but thatās what makes this forum helpful and useful today. Think of it this way, if itās not for new users, forums will die sooner or later.
Mods/Admins - A sticky of a āall questions relating to Leasing, i.e. what is MF, RV, terms, etc.ā might be helpful. Please let me know or others so we can build one, hopefully itāll provide help and understanding for new members. Maybe also making it a must read when one registers?
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Are you saying we should have a Leasing 101 or similar, like in the upper right hand somewhere?
It is funny how some people donāt believe anything they are told online, yet at the same time believe every fake BS on Facebook.
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No, I dont think many users actually click the Leasing 101. What I was referring to was an actually thread that is locked and editable only by a mod/admin that will contain all your verbiage, meanings, an example of a good lease vs a bad lease. This way, a new user can actually see what words mean and see examples.
I think it is more useful, since it is stationary, instead of being stickied in a single category like āAsk the Hackrsā. However, the more the better, post in a suggestion thread.
The counterpoint to this is every forum should have perspective members read and review for some time period before being able to post, that way they can absorb and learn and not ask Iāll informed questions.
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Another stealership to avoid 
Right now Toyotaās lease a lot better but his heart was set on that accord.
You pay to play
I paid less for a 2017 540xi with M Sports Packageā¦
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