[sidan]

Im 21 but still a new-comer to the whole car buying world. What would you guys think is a MUST when SERIOUSLY thinking about buying a specific car ( from dealerships/private dealers etc. )??

I know CARFAX is a must, what else? Maintenance record maybe?

Sorry for double threading this, but also what are good ways to negotiate prices? Say for an instance, 2008 Honda Civic Si Sedan,Black,36,xxx, 17,998.

What would you do in this case?

 

[TONY_08Si]

use the mileage against them and if your not satisfied with the price then just tell them

if they cant cut it down a bit more then forget about it..it worked for my dad who cut down 2gs

 

[Kwando]

I'd say pre-purchase inspection from another dealer or private mechanic who specializes in foreign/import cars.

 

[MattyLX]

Are the Rims big?

Do it Ride good?






Lean back right hand on the pine wood.

 

[ItzRegardie]

I don't know what the limitiations are on mileage requirements, but if you're buying from a Honda dealership, look into if that Si is certified pre-owned. If not, ask why.

 

[mccarthyrobert8]

Be honest, tell them if you're not comfortable with the price and tell them why. Also, bring someone who's bought cars before, helps with confidence. I'm also 21 and recently got an SI, while I did most of the talking, it helped to have my dad there just for support.

hope that helps

 

[sidan]

^i mean whats the most that dealers would cut down? and also whats a REASONABLE amount of cutdown? i want to just talk about OUT-THE-DOOR prices also. Would OTD negotiations be less than MSRP cutdowns??

 

[AllShowNoGo]

As far as a "checklist", there are alot of factors to consider, but basically, the more you know the better off you will be negotiating.

-take a look at the condition of the car: dings/dents, scratches, etc. etc. Also, take a good look at the undercarriage and the bottom part of the bumper (look for any damage). you dont wanna car in which the previous owner drove over dips and curbs.

-get a carfax. HOWEVER, a carfax will not show all. for example, the car you are currently looking at is owned by the dealer. if something happens to it, say a customer backst up into it, if it does not equal/exceed a certain dollar amount, it will not reflect on carfax (there was an article regarding on this site).

-go in and know what you want. if you give you an offer, try to deduct from it. find all and any excuses for them to cut the price. for example, when i bought my Si, i told them that there was a pissload of fingerprints on the car (it was in the showroom), i didn't like the color, etc. etc.

-if you have a decent down payment, you will be much better off (buyer's market).

 

[sidan]

^how would i be able to look at the undercarriage? would i ask them to put the car on the lift and show me? im buying the car cash upfront. Im looking at si sedans that are around the 17-18, hoping to deduct atleast 1.5 or higher if possible. My primary choice is white but no luck so far other than the Arizona area which is a DRIVEEEEEEEEEE from los angeles CA. So maybe i can use that im looking for white and if for example i find black, i can use the "color choice" to my advantage?

 

[trufflesaremoney]

you can def use the color choice as a price change.. but seeing as how most SIs are in demand right now, it may/may not work for you. i picked up my asm non-si back august, but i wanted a different color (tw or pmm) and they only had the asm then. they bumped off 1g because i was so "i think we should go somewhere else to buy my car".

edit =

make sure you bring in someone who is both good at negotiating and good at checking out cars.. good friend, family, or your family's mechanic (if you have one).

 

[AllShowNoGo]

^how would i be able to look at the undercarriage? would i ask them to put the car on the lift and show me? im buying the car cash upfront. Im looking at si sedans that are around the 17-18, hoping to deduct atleast 1.5 or higher if possible. My primary choice is white but no luck so far other than the Arizona area which is a DRIVEEEEEEEEEE from los angeles CA. So maybe i can use that im looking for white and if for example i find black, i can use the "color choice" to my advantage?

honestly, the sales people work for YOU. so yes, you could ask them to put the car on a lift. but what i did was lay on the floor in the middle of the sales floor and looked under carefully, as well as taking a mirror and looking at every angle. call me weird or laugh at me, but i will take extreme measures if needed, even if i look like an idiot.

since you are buying the cash up front, you are in a better position to negotiate.

you can use ANYTHING to your advantage. originally, when i bought my Si, i didn't really know what habi red was, as i was only looking at getting black or white. the color did grow on me as soon as i saw it, but i didnt let them know that, but rather told me that the color was hideous. the sales guy asked "If I take off 1 grand, will you go color blind?" - no joke.

remember, it is NOT rude to just get up and walk out. it's your money. use it wisely. i ended up getting my 07 Si w/ navi w/ 2.2 miles on the odo for 22k OTD

 

[GeezerSi]

Do research, and come up with a final number, then stick to it. Be cool about everything. When they give you a number you don't like, or tell you something that is BS, just tell them you understand, thank them for their time, and get up to leave.

If they want to sell the car, they won't let you leave. Be prepared to spend a fair amount of time with them negotiating.

Good luck. :wavey:

 

[AllShowNoGo]

Do research, and come up with a final number, then stick to it. Be cool about everything. When they give you a number you don't like, or tell you something that is BS, just tell them you understand, thank them for their time, and get up to leave.

If they want to sell the car, they won't let you leave. Be prepared to spend a fair amount of time with them negotiating.

Good luck. :wavey:

so true lol. i remember i went to my honda dealer right after lunch. when i left with the car, we were headed for dinner

 

[sidan]

honestly, the sales people work for YOU. so yes, you could ask them to put the car on a lift. but what i did was lay on the floor in the middle of the sales floor and looked under carefully, as well as taking a mirror and looking at every angle. call me weird or laugh at me, but i will take extreme measures if needed, even if i look like an idiot.

since you are buying the cash up front, you are in a better position to negotiate.

you can use ANYTHING to your advantage. originally, when i bought my Si, i didn't really know what habi red was, as i was only looking at getting black or white. the color did grow on me as soon as i saw it, but i didnt let them know that, but rather told me that the color was hideous. the sales guy asked "If I take off 1 grand, will you go color blind?" - no joke.

remember, it is NOT rude to just get up and walk out. it's your money. use it wisely. i ended up getting my 07 Si w/ navi w/ 2.2 miles on the odo for 22k OTD

yeah i def. know what you mean. i would do idiotic looking acts:deadhorse:,just to ensure that this car does not have problems or has not been tampered with ( to the naked eye ) before the sale. but with that said, when i look under the carriage, WHERE and WHAT am i looking for/at? scrapes and dents? i remember having a CL 3.2 type s, and i did not know this but when i went to get an oil change from my mechanic, he told me that the transmission has been busted open and put back together ( he saw black goo along the transmission openings when he was under the car ). so what should i be aware of and look for?

 

[AllShowNoGo]

yeah i def. know what you mean. i would do idiotic looking acts:deadhorse:,just to ensure that this car does not have problems or has not been tampered with ( to the naked eye ) before the sale. but with that said, when i look under the carriage, WHERE and WHAT am i looking for/at? scrapes and dents? i remember having a CL 3.2 type s, and i did not know this but when i went to get an oil change from my mechanic, he told me that the transmission has been busted open and put back together ( he saw black goo along the transmission openings when he was under the car ). so what should i be aware of and look for?

there is no specific spot of the bottom you should look at. just look everywhere you can underneath. anywhere from the bottom of the front bumper to the bottom of the catback/exhaust. take your hand and actually run it across the bottom of the bumper. i recently went to a honda dealership looking at an s2k and when i looked under, they didn't take the time to clean the bottom, as i saw a bunch of dead grass stuck in little crevices. just take your time looking.

lol you should do what my best friend did. he actually went up to a car, opened the hood and requested that one of their mechanics take out a spark plug, since obviously they wouldn't let him do it. a spark plug can tell you alot about the car, whether it was abused or not.

but yeah, just take your time researching the car. you can always request the dealer to have the car inspected by another mechanic of your choosing at your expense.

as far as the tranny being opened, i'm not sure how you would be able to tell, because even on a tranny case that's never been opened, you will see dried up goo along the linings......

 

[AllShowNoGo]

also, ask for maintainence records. they should have this.

if anyone bought my car, they would know exactly when/what was done to the car. i keep EVERY receipt, including gas receipts, as well as documenting what mileage it was done.

 

[miniaznkid]

should we let them checked our credit first our negotiated the price first

 

[adamway]

should we let them checked our credit first our negotiated the price first

Negtiate first.....They don't need to know how you are paying for the car. Even though they will insist that they do.

 

[24boosted]

My magic... it calls out all BS'ers who say the car has never been repainted or in any accidents.

 

[AllShowNoGo]

-get a carfax. HOWEVER, a carfax will not show all. for example, the car you are currently looking at is owned by the dealer. if something happens to it, say a customer backst up into it, if it does not equal/exceed a certain dollar amount, it will not reflect on carfax (there was an article regarding on this site).

image


My magic... it calls out all BS'ers who say the car has never been repainted or in any accidents.

yep exactly what i was talking about!