graham@orca.UUCP (Graham Bromley) (12/04/84)
I recently bought a new Honda Accord (85 4 door LX) in the Portland, Orygun area and thought others might be interested in my experiences while shopping for the car. Due to demand outpacing supply, a dealer will typically mark up a new Accord LX by around $800-$1000, and will also add all kinds of junk you really don't want at inflated prices - striping, door edge guards, fabric protection etc. The manufacturer's list for this model is currently $10474. The typical price on the dealer's sticker is $11500-$12000. I visited several dealers in the Portland area and received some pretty harsh treatment. Dealers tried to make me believe that I was priveleged to be able to give them $12000 for a car, that I coudln't possibly get one cheaper than that anywhere, if I could get one at all. This was followed up by a work-over by several salesmen characterized by a weird combination of traits from Johnny Carson and your archetypal Gestapo agent. Unfortunately many buyers are really taken in by this and pay what they think is the necessary price. It isn't. To get a reasonable deal, you have to visit several dealers and get yourself known. You must know what you are willing to pay, and make it clear that you won't pay any more. Get the best offer from a dealer, then call another dealer in front of them and ask if they can beat that price. Go to that dealer and do the same again. Say that you have cash available (even if you don't) and that you will buy one right now if you can get a really good deal. When they let you walk out the door more than once you know you are getting close to a reasonable price. Don't be impatient. Put down a deposit (refundable) at a dealer, then take the bill to another dealer and ask them to beat the price. Etc. I kept this kind of thing up for three weeks and finally got a fair deal. I paid $10569 for an Accord LX 4 door 5 speed, including floor mats, right side mirror, undercoat, paint sealer and lifetime oil card. That's list for the car and dealer cost (at most) for the add ons, all of which I asked for. A common asking price for this package would be around $11500. Also the car hadn't been driven or even sat in by other customers. It came straight from the Honda lot with 11 miles on it. The moral is, be firm and patient and you CAN get a good deal on a new Honda. I imagine the same applies to Toyotas, particularly the Camry. Give in to dealer pressure and you will be suckered out of $1000 (or even more). Hope this helps someone. If anyone in the Portland area is in this predicament, I can recommend a good salesman. He gave me a straight deal with no cow cookies. gbgb aka the longjmp artist