Help with buying a new car (Honda Element)

[Chefguy]

@Metacom

Have you heard of www.carsdirect.com? They list a base Honda Element EX 4WD for $19,946 and a 2WD for $18,654, at least in my zip code.

They’ll give you a no-haggle price on exactly what you want; they may not be the cheapest, but it’ll give you a concrete figure to have the dealer beat (and if they can’t beat it–may as well buy from them).

They’re a legit company; I bought my VW Passat station wagon from them a few years ago and was happy with the transaction. They basically find a vehicle that matches what you want at a dealer and you buy it through the dealership’s fleet sales guy.

The fleet price is a pretty good deal at most dealers.

[fluiddruid]

@Metacom

They’re a legit company; I bought my VW Passat station wagon from them a few years ago and was happy with the transaction. They basically find a vehicle that matches what you want at a dealer and you buy it through the dealership’s fleet sales guy.

Thank you for the advice. My only concern is that there is only one (count 'em, one) Honda dealership in the Des Moines metro area that sells Elements. The nearest other one is Ames which is 30 miles away. If I need it serviced, I need it to be within a reasonable area of my house! So, I’m dealing with the nearest dealership right now. If I can’t get a good price, I don’t know what I’ll do… I may not be able to get an Element at all.

However, I will definitely use that price in my negotiations!

[Metacom]

@fluiddruid

Thank you for the advice. My only concern is that there is only one (count 'em, one) Honda dealership in the Des Moines metro area that sells Elements. The nearest other one is Ames which is 30 miles away. If I need it serviced, I need it to be within a reasonable area of my house!

How does where you get it serviced have any bearing on where you buy it? Even if they don’t sell the Element, I’d be surprised if they didn’t work on them…

[Caffeine.addict]

It shouldn’t matter where you bought it. When I was rear ended, the insurance company sent me to a different dealership to get it fixed from the one I bought it at.

[fluiddruid]

But it has a warranty… I assumed that you would have to go to the Honda dealership to get it fixed. Is that not so?

[Metacom]

@fluiddruid

But it has a warranty… I assumed that you would have to go to the Honda dealership to get it fixed. Is that not so?

You can go to any Honda dealership, not just the one you bought it from.

[Caffeine.addict]

From Here

To Obtain Warranty Service
The defective part, or the car it is installed in, must be returned by the purchaser to an authorized Honda automobile dealer during normal service hours. You must provide a receipt that shows proof of purchase as well as the installation, date and mileage at time of installation, if the installation was done by an authorized Honda automobile dealer. If the car is not driveable because of a defect covered by this warranty, call the nearest authorized Honda automobile dealer for towing assistance. You will not have to pay for towing if the defect is covered by this warranty.
If you cannot get warranty service, or you are dissatisfied with the service or a warranty decision, speak with one of the dealership’s managers. Generally, problems can be solved most effectively this way. If you need further assistance, ask your dealer for the number of the Honda Customer Relations office that serves your area.

According to that website, you just have to take it to a Honda Dealership, not necessarily the one that you purchased it from. My understanding is that the dealership gets reimbursed for warranty work from Honda. Anyhow, depending on the service, you may still have to pay even at your dealership.

[xbuckeye]

@fluiddruid

But it has a warranty… I assumed that you would have to go to the Honda dealership to get it fixed. Is that not so?

When I got hit in mine, I took it to the local dealership, not the dealership where I bought it. You don’t even have to get it done at a dealership, but by a ‘Honda Certified Technician’ to keep the warranty valid. You should also take it to Honda for the oil change. There is a gasket that needs replaced when the oil filter is replaced. If not, the CRV’s have a tendency to catch on fire, but I haven’t heard of that happening with the Element. Considering you can got 10K between oil changes, I don’t think the dealership being a little more pricey is an issue. You can still call Ames and get a price from them to squeeze the Des Moines dealer.

[fluiddruid]

I think I will call around… Ames, even points farther would be OK to buy a car, just not for regular service. Thanks, everyone!

[fluiddruid]

Well, I went into the dealer and I bought my Element! 2WD EX model, Fiji Blue Pearl.

The Intellichoice website was very helpful. I ended up getting within $300 of target price, and they waived the fee to bring in a car from another dealer (they didn’t have a lot of Elements in stock), and they took my horrible trade in, too.

They should have the Element sometime this week! I’m just waiting to hear back on the financing.

Thanks very much for the help, this turned out very well.

[Chefguy]

@fluiddruid

Well, I went into the dealer and I bought my Element! 2WD EX model, Fiji Blue Pearl.

The Intellichoice website was very helpful. I ended up getting within $300 of target price, and they waived the fee to bring in a car from another dealer (they didn’t have a lot of Elements in stock), and they took my horrible trade in, too.

They should have the Element sometime this week! I’m just waiting to hear back on the financing.

Thanks very much for the help, this turned out very well.

Bottom line: if you’re happy with the deal you made, it doesn’t matter what you paid.