2005 Honda CRV-EX Drive out price

[hello24]

Hi! I plan to buy a CRV-EX 2005. Can someone tell me the driev out price? A dealer quoted $ 23,485.06. Is this price ok to buy? I plan to pay by one check. If someone know a dealer in Houston/Austin area can give me good deal would be great. Thanks

[gbillman]

Edmunds.com. Anytime you want to know dealer cost and MSRP, with and without options, go there. For a 2005 CR-V, you can start at http://www.edmunds.com/new/2005/hond...ader..1.honda* , or just go to www.edmunds.com and work your way through the pages. EVERYONE should go in loaded with as much info as you can when working with a dealer. Looks like the base price has about $1800 pad in it from invoice to MSRP. Also, don't forget every dealer has a hold back, which they get paid for every quarter. I think most of the foreign auto dealers have a 2% holdback, and most US dealers have 3%. Edmunds has info on that, too. Good luck.

[a_d_buck]

Originally Posted by hello24

Hi! I plan to buy a CRV-EX 2005. Can someone tell me the driev out price?

I purchased a 2005 CR-V EX (Redondo Red) a couple of weeks ago and the "drive out" price was $21,800. That included 3.2% state sales tax, title and tag fees (I paid cash, no trade-in), and the dealer's "processing fee" (also called "packing").

Here are the numbers I worked with:

Invoice $21658.00
Holdback (3%) -700.00
Dealer cost before Dest. 20868.00
Destination Charge 515.00
Approx. Cost to Dealer 21383.00

I told each of the the dealers I visited (4 of them) that I would be willing to pay 21,800 out the door and how they factored in the 3.2% state sales tax, the "processing fee", the tags and title ($50.00), and their profit so as to come up with a bottom line of $21800.00 was up to them. That gave them to $417 to work with. The tax alone on $21383.00 is $684.00 so, obviously, they had to dig a little deeper into their profit to make it work. But one of the 4 did.

I made my final purchase from a high volume dealer in Northern Virigina. The CRV I bought had been delievered only a few days before and, also, I was pretty sure that this dealer is getting volume rebates from American Honda so he's getting more than just the holdback. The problem is the public does not, in general, have access to all manufacturer-to-dealer incentive and rebate programs. Some are published and some are not. Right now there are published Accord EX incentives of $500.00 to dealers (plus holdback.) Nothing published on other Honda models including CRVs, Elements, Civics, etc. In my case I would bet that the dealer is getting an additional rebate from Honda or else he would not have sold me the CRV for that price.

For gosh sakes **DO NOT** pay $23,485.06 for a 2005 Honda CRV-EX.

*You know what the Invoice is, the Holdback, and the Destination charge. Start your negotiations from the bottom line ($21383) and work up from there.

*Give the dealers a firm "Out The Door" number you're comfortable with. tGive the offer to them in writing. Don't budge. Know that number before you go to the dealership. They'll hum and haw and keep coming up with other numbers but don't give in. Out the door means just that. The total price to you that gets you the set of keys so you can drive your new CRV home.

*Forget the MSRP Price. That's a bogus number that the dealers would like you to consider as a starting point. Never ever dicuss MSRP with the dealer.

*Factor in taxes, tags, title, etc. Those do add to the cost.

* Consider that many dealers are getting addtional incentives or rebates from the manufacturer that you may not know about. And they won't tell you about them even if you ask. They also may be getting kickbacks from lenders if the car is being financed through the dealer. Not all do that and some state laws prohibit the practice but dealers, like most everyone else, want to maximize their profits. Nothing wrong or illegal about that but you don't have to one of their victims.

*Shop at several dealers. Most buying guides say three but I normally shop at 4 or 5.

* Be wary of the "processing fee". I was quoted from $150.00 to $288.00. This is also known as "packing." Don't play that game. Packing is how dealers can increase their profits. Read one of the books I've listed below or search the Internet to learn more about packing.

*Pay cash or arrange your own financing.

*Don't ever trade in a used car. If you've got one sell it yourself.

*Remember that dealers and salespeople are trained and skilled at wearing you down. They are doing it everyday. You're doing once every few years. They will do the "I'll have to check with the sales manager" shuffle as many times as they have to to get the price up. When they think they're close then the sales manager will come over and try to bump up the price a couple of hundred more. Also, they will let you sit for long periods of time, by yourself, in hopes that that you'll rethink your offer. After I give them my written offer I tell the salesperson to take it to the sales manager and that you've got exactly 5 minutes to give me a yes or no. If they're not back in 5 minutes then I get up and leave. I did that at 2 of the dealerships. They are counting on you getting emotionally involved in the shiny new CRV you've picked out. They know that you want that car and they play with your mind.

*Be nice, smile, don't be mean to dealers. They're (almost) human too. But do be firm. If you don't buy it from them then you get it somewhere else. They know that. It's all a numbers game.

There are many other bits of advice you should know and they're well documnted in the many books that have been written on the car sales business. If you're not comfortable buying a car read one them first. They include:

"Don't Get Taken Every Time: The Ultimate Guide to Buying or Leasing a Car in the Showroom or on the Internet" by Remar Sutton

"What Car Dealers Don't Want You to Know" by Mark Eskeldson

"What Car Dealers Won't Tell You: The Insider's Guide to Buying and Leasing a New or Used Car" by Bob Elliston

Finally, know that the process doesn't work any differently in Texas as it does in Virginia and the other 48 states. Good luck and let us know how you made out.

Best

A D Buck

P.S. If I could go back and rethink my purchase I should have hit up dealer #3 for a $21700 out the door price. He's probably laughing all the way to the bank with my $21800. <vBg>

[Hondaman56]

Good luck Hello24 with your new CR-V when you get it. I just purchased mine two weeks ago today. Sierra Gold Mist I think they called it, lets just say its gold. I got the EX which is a nice upgrade for a few bucks more. Love the ride, love the power, then again, its a Honda. I wished I could have gone in and done a cash deal, but I was actually a bit upside down on a dying Ford Ranger, so I had to do the best I could walking the coals. I'll never do another Ford or Chevy again. I should have known better seeing that my 1994 Honda Accord is still ticking away at 173,000 miles. You cannot beat that kind of life span in a vehicle. When she finally goes, it will be another brand new Accord that replaces her.
Dave

[Seminole]

I just bought my first 2005 CR-V. So impressed we will buy one for our daughter going away to college.
Hondaman --> you mentioned you got oversized armrest?? I didn't see that as an option. I'll post later on my price, etc.