My new Civic Si - How to get the best deal!

morrow_si · 01-18-2007, 09:51 PM

Hey guys, I posted this specifically in the Si Thread, but I thought this post might be able to help those not so experienced in buying cars to get some advice that will apply to all car purchases, not just Si's.

"I noticed lots of posts about people not getting good deals on these Si's. In fact, most people seem to be paying about MSRP on all of them. Well here is my experience and maybe it will help you get the best deal on your Civic Si.

I got the new 2007 Civic Si Sedan with various addons. I have sales experience, have been involved in 3 car purchases and my father is a professional negotioator for Raytheon for multi-million dollar contracts. Hopefully with this story and some personal advice, it will help you make a deal on this car that is "not discounted" at all.

Some basic car shopping rules:
1) Never get excited, if you show excited, you will definatley be a target. They will say "he likes it a lot, we don't have to give him a deal". Just keep a straight face and let them know you are there for business.
2) Be firm and Be honest with the salesman. It doesn't have to be a dance. Tell them the number to hit and don't be wishy washy about it. YOU tell THEM how it is.
3) Be patient. The first "best deal" they give you will not be the best deal. I promise you that.
4) Walk out. They should not hit your numbers on your first visit. If they do, you didn't ask for enough off the vehicle. It is best to leave the dealership at least twice during the process.
5) Know your credit information before going in. If not, it gives them an opportunity to make up their money there.
6) Try to make your deal closest to the end of the month as possible. Unless they really want to make a deal and hit your desired numbers before then.

You don't have to be a 40 year old man to be taken seriously. I am only 22 and look very young as I am only 5'2". By the way you talk and the way you carry yourself, they will know you mean business.

Follow these basic rules and you too can get a good deal and not pay MSRP for the awesome Civic SI!

I first test drove my Civic a couple weeks ago and they immediatley wanted me to work a deal. Obviously I told them to go to 18k (about 2k under invoice on the car). They only got it down to 21k, which is about $25 over invoice. Keep in mind, there is about $3000 in addons (Full Spoiler kit, fog lights, chrome tipped exhaust, and the dealers "protection package" already applied) on this car which brings the price back up to about $24k at this point. They had it for about $25,500 when we started. They didn't get near my price, so I walked out (not even bringing up my trade).

So, the next day they called, I told them we will look at my trade and see what they can do there. I take my 2005 Nissan Titan SE King Cab in which I have only had for about a year and a half, has 27,000 miles on it, and has a biiiig dent in the tailgate from backing (really fast) into a shopping cart in a parking lot. Not to mention that the tires were completely bald. The trade in if the car is in good shape without any problems is about 17,200 according to blue book.

I sit there while they appraise it and they say. We will give you 15,000 for your truck and since it is low, we will give you another $500 off the car. I say, HA! Well... that is absoultley no where I want it to be. I told them that I want my money out of my truck and don't want to be too upsidedown (I owed about $18,800 still on the truck). He says "Well, what if I can get you $18,000 for it?" I say, "Sounds fairly tempting, let me go check my pay off". So, I go outside and make a phone call to see what my pay off was and to make them sweat a little. I come back in and he says, "I just checked the numbers and there is absolutely no way I can get you 18,000 for that truck, it is on the Auction right now for $14,000. I said, well fellas (keep in mind I had both the manager and salesman working on me), we could have had a car deal tonight, and immediatley shake hands and walk out, informing them that I have plenty of patience and that I can wait for my truck to sell.

The very next morning I get a phone call from the manager telling me that they can give me $18,000 and keep the original deal with the car (at about $500 under invoice before the addons). I walk in and we write up the deal (after making sure they don't screw me on my financing by getting an additional quote from my credit union). Wah La!! I have my brand new Civic Si Sedan with 80 miles on it from test drives.

Note: This transaction took place in Dallas, TX."

06Fg2 · 01-18-2007, 09:56 PM

I'm pretty sure ALL SI exhaust tips are chrome. I think that was a BS add-on, but good job working them.

asndragonboii · 01-18-2007, 10:01 PM

Are you supposed to mention the trade-in after or before you get the best "best deal?" I always thought after, so you can bring the price down further than the best "best deal"

new06Civic · 01-18-2007, 11:16 PM

Good works bud!

I own a lot of cars for the past 20 years. I have fought w/ a lot of dealerships to get my deals, and I never shy from walking out the dealership. I never like to hang around in the dealership for a long time. If I do not like their first couple offers, I walk out and live to fight another day.

It is always better to know exactly what you want, and prepared your research before entering the dealership.

After the fleet department is introduced, shopping and getting the deal is getting easier. I stayed at the dealership for less than an hour when I purchased the 06 Civic and Ody in December 2005. It is the best then. Everything is prepared through email. Everything is ready for me when I got to the dealership. I droved both vehicles and signed the documents!

new06Civic · 01-18-2007, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asndragonboii

Are you supposed to mention the trade-in after or before you get the best "best deal?" I always thought after, so you can bring the price down further than the best "best deal"

I do it after I melt down the deal on the new car!

goofygamer · 01-18-2007, 11:27 PM

your 5'2 and driving the SI? how does it feel? for me, its sort of uncomfortable..haha

AznSupastar · 01-18-2007, 11:58 PM

i really wish i had waited to get a better deal on my car. i know they were making crap loads of money off me, but i guess when u pre-order 1/2 yr before it's suppose to come out. u r bound to get raped. i got mine $200 less then MSRP, with add on at "cost". =( i guess the $1800 that i COULD have saved was worth the "look at me bitches, i have a brand new smacking car that u can't even buy till 2 months after". also, the 180 degree neck breaking turn from other ppl is PRICELESS my friend. =)

PixelStarFX · 01-19-2007, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morrow_si

I have sales experience, have been involved in 3 car purchases and my father is a professional negotioator for Raytheon for multi-million dollar contracts. "

That's cool. The company I work for, Enersys, sells batteries to Raytheon.

morrow_si · 01-19-2007, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asndragonboii

Are you supposed to mention the trade-in after or before you get the best "best deal?" I always thought after, so you can bring the price down further than the best "best deal"

Definatley wait until you have beat them up on the price before you bring trade in. On my first day I didn't even mention that I had another car.

morrow_si · 01-19-2007, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goofygamer

your 5'2 and driving the SI? how does it feel? for me, its sort of uncomfortable..haha

Its really comfortable, the only thing is if I slouch in the seat its kinda hard to see the speed because the steering wheel blocks it, but not that big of a deal.

BoneStock · 01-20-2007, 01:34 PM

so basically just hold off as much as i can until I get it for under invoice?

goofygamer · 01-20-2007, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morrow_si

Its really comfortable, the only thing is if I slouch in the seat its kinda hard to see the speed because the steering wheel blocks it, but not that big of a deal.

That's why you adjust the steering wheel to go all the way down. lol

civicsi04 · 01-21-2007, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PixelStarFX

That's cool. The company I work for, Enersys, sells batteries to Raytheon.

Hey i think ive seen your car around on whiteman! i drive a VBP EP3! where did you get your civic at? ive been looking into getting a New Sedan Si

, probably sometime in Feb...

morrow_si · 01-24-2007, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoneStock

so basically just hold off as much as i can until I get it for under invoice?

If you can get it under invoice. Pretty much, the addons allowed me to go so much under invoice because they had SOMETHING to make up on it. No dealership (unless they are close to their monthly number and just need to move some product) will lose money on a deal, and I doubt that any Honda dealership will lose money on a SI. So... get it absouletley as close to Invoice as possible and try to get them to discount the addons if they have already added those. They are making cash on those.

morrow_si · 01-24-2007, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goofygamer

That's why you adjust the steering wheel to go all the way down. lol

Yes, I played with it more during the week and finally got my seat and steering wheel in the perfect positions and now have no problem seeing anything. And I can sit comfortably and slouch :)

***ThaJazz*** · 01-24-2007, 03:24 PM

Congrats on the good deal!

I work at Northwest Honda in MD, and your advice is sound. I'm not telling anyone anything they shouldn't already know, so I'm fine telling people to do their research before buying.

I treat my customers with respect, whether they "try to get over" or not on the dealership. I know that with all the internet information out there, it's becoming more rare to find someone who knows zero about the features/price of a car. So do your best, be honest with me and I have no problem selling you a car at a cheaper price. $100 > no sale at all.

Make no mistake, even in the "I beat up the dealer!" sales, the dealership always makes money in a deal. Even if the salesman doesn't.

01-18-2007, 09:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
morrow_si Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 8 iTrader: 0 / 0%	My new Civic Si - How to get the best deal! Hey guys, I posted this specifically in the Si Thread, but I thought this post might be able to help those not so experienced in buying cars to get some advice that will apply to all car purchases, not just Si's. "I noticed lots of posts about people not getting good deals on these Si's. In fact, most people seem to be paying about MSRP on all of them. Well here is my experience and maybe it will help you get the best deal on your Civic Si. I got the new 2007 Civic Si Sedan with various addons. I have sales experience, have been involved in 3 car purchases and my father is a professional negotioator for Raytheon for multi-million dollar contracts. Hopefully with this story and some personal advice, it will help you make a deal on this car that is "not discounted" at all. Some basic car shopping rules: 1) Never get excited, if you show excited, you will definatley be a target. They will say "he likes it a lot, we don't have to give him a deal". Just keep a straight face and let them know you are there for business. 2) Be firm and Be honest with the salesman. It doesn't have to be a dance. Tell them the number to hit and don't be wishy washy about it. YOU tell THEM how it is. 3) Be patient. The first "best deal" they give you will not be the best deal. I promise you that. 4) Walk out. They should not hit your numbers on your first visit. If they do, you didn't ask for enough off the vehicle. It is best to leave the dealership at least twice during the process. 5) Know your credit information before going in. If not, it gives them an opportunity to make up their money there. 6) Try to make your deal closest to the end of the month as possible. Unless they really want to make a deal and hit your desired numbers before then. You don't have to be a 40 year old man to be taken seriously. I am only 22 and look very young as I am only 5'2". By the way you talk and the way you carry yourself, they will know you mean business. Follow these basic rules and you too can get a good deal and not pay MSRP for the awesome Civic SI! I first test drove my Civic a couple weeks ago and they immediatley wanted me to work a deal. Obviously I told them to go to 18k (about 2k under invoice on the car). They only got it down to 21k, which is about $25 over invoice. Keep in mind, there is about $3000 in addons (Full Spoiler kit, fog lights, chrome tipped exhaust, and the dealers "protection package" already applied) on this car which brings the price back up to about $24k at this point. They had it for about $25,500 when we started. They didn't get near my price, so I walked out (not even bringing up my trade). So, the next day they called, I told them we will look at my trade and see what they can do there. I take my 2005 Nissan Titan SE King Cab in which I have only had for about a year and a half, has 27,000 miles on it, and has a biiiig dent in the tailgate from backing (really fast) into a shopping cart in a parking lot. Not to mention that the tires were completely bald. The trade in if the car is in good shape without any problems is about 17,200 according to blue book. I sit there while they appraise it and they say. We will give you 15,000 for your truck and since it is low, we will give you another $500 off the car. I say, HA! Well... that is absoultley no where I want it to be. I told them that I want my money out of my truck and don't want to be too upsidedown (I owed about $18,800 still on the truck). He says "Well, what if I can get you $18,000 for it?" I say, "Sounds fairly tempting, let me go check my pay off". So, I go outside and make a phone call to see what my pay off was and to make them sweat a little. I come back in and he says, "I just checked the numbers and there is absolutely no way I can get you 18,000 for that truck, it is on the Auction right now for $14,000. I said, well fellas (keep in mind I had both the manager and salesman working on me), we could have had a car deal tonight, and immediatley shake hands and walk out, informing them that I have plenty of patience and that I can wait for my truck to sell. The very next morning I get a phone call from the manager telling me that they can give me $18,000 and keep the original deal with the car (at about $500 under invoice before the addons). I walk in and we write up the deal (after making sure they don't screw me on my financing by getting an additional quote from my credit union). Wah La!! I have my brand new Civic Si Sedan with 80 miles on it from test drives. Note: This transaction took place in Dallas, TX."

01-18-2007, 11:16 PM	#4 (permalink)
new06Civic Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 801 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Good works bud! I own a lot of cars for the past 20 years. I have fought w/ a lot of dealerships to get my deals, and I never shy from walking out the dealership. I never like to hang around in the dealership for a long time. If I do not like their first couple offers, I walk out and live to fight another day. It is always better to know exactly what you want, and prepared your research before entering the dealership. After the fleet department is introduced, shopping and getting the deal is getting easier. I stayed at the dealership for less than an hour when I purchased the 06 Civic and Ody in December 2005. It is the best then. Everything is prepared through email. Everything is ready for me when I got to the dealership. I droved both vehicles and signed the documents! Last edited by new06Civic; 01-24-2007 at 03:11 PM.

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01-18-2007, 09:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
06Fg2 Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: West Chester, PA Age: 20 Posts: 2,774 FG Squad Member #15 iTrader: 22 / 96%	I'm pretty sure ALL SI exhaust tips are chrome. I think that was a BS add-on, but good job working them.

01-18-2007, 10:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
asndragonboii Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,852 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Are you supposed to mention the trade-in after or before you get the best "best deal?" I always thought after, so you can bring the price down further than the best "best deal"

01-18-2007, 11:27 PM	#6 (permalink)
goofygamer Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 605 iTrader: 0 / 0%	your 5'2 and driving the SI? how does it feel? for me, its sort of uncomfortable..haha

01-18-2007, 11:58 PM	#7 (permalink)
AznSupastar Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,835 2007 Taffeta White Si Coupe iTrader: 5 / 100%	i really wish i had waited to get a better deal on my car. i know they were making crap loads of money off me, but i guess when u pre-order 1/2 yr before it's suppose to come out. u r bound to get raped. i got mine $200 less then MSRP, with add on at "cost". =( i guess the $1800 that i COULD have saved was worth the "look at me bitches, i have a brand new smacking car that u can't even buy till 2 months after". also, the 180 degree neck breaking turn from other ppl is PRICELESS my friend. =)

01-20-2007, 01:34 PM	#11 (permalink)
BoneStock Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sactown, CAli Posts: 463 Tomz iTrader: 0 / 0%	so basically just hold off as much as i can until I get it for under invoice?

01-24-2007, 03:24 PM	#16 (permalink)
*ThaJazz* FunkSoulSensation Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 2,826 Ninja Turntablist iTrader: 11 / 100%	Congrats on the good deal! I work at Northwest Honda in MD, and your advice is sound. I'm not telling anyone anything they shouldn't already know, so I'm fine telling people to do their research before buying. I treat my customers with respect, whether they "try to get over" or not on the dealership. I know that with all the internet information out there, it's becoming more rare to find someone who knows zero about the features/price of a car. So do your best, be honest with me and I have no problem selling you a car at a cheaper price. $100 > no sale at all. Make no mistake, even in the "I beat up the dealer!" sales, the dealership always makes money in a deal. Even if the salesman doesn't.