"The Search".. not what i expected.

[dminus]

Yes I agree with this. You (OP) have to be ready to commit to buy "now." So pre-decide on what you can commit to, whether it's MSRP only or +2000 or whatever, and then you can tell them, "I'm willing to pay MSRP + xxxx. If you do that, I'm willing to buy right now." That's pretty powerful and they'll still try to work you higher than that, but if you are firm and only budge a tiny bit, then they'll eventually have to tell you yes or no.

If they don't, just remember the market is slowly cooling and you're not going to die without the car so just wait longer if you have to. I basically told them that I'm willing to wait until the market cools down, I've already got an FK8 and I have no problem waiting. And they came back with only +200 on my offer and that was good enough for me.

wow! $200 over is a great deal! love it, thanks for info. can't wait to put all this information to use!!

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[dminus]

Cali is a huge state, let’s say you decide to buy an FL5 4 hours from you. You may have to close up shop anyways due to commute, getting the trade in price, getting financing, and doing the paperwork. If you don't have a trade it'll speed up the process and you will have more transparency. I got my FL5 for 4K over MSRP more than a year ago. I had no trade, had financing ready to go, and was willing to drop everything I was doing at a moment's notice. I got to the dealership as soon as the Type R came off the truck.

If you don't have a trade, get your financing in order, try to do as much of the paperwork as possible via Fed-Ex, and fly out to an out of state dealership. I'd close up shop on a Sat and use the weekend to come back. Put up a sign in the window "Closed due to an emergency"

i love this! i don't think closing one day on the weekend with a emergency sign is a bad idea at all, hahahah! 4k a year ago is also a very good deal considering i've heard the dreaded 20k over a year ago. i don't have a trade, and i'll make sure to have all my finances in order and be ready to go! thanks for your advice and suggestion!

 

[Gansan]

wow! $200 over is a great deal! love it, thanks for info. can't wait to put all this information to use!!

Nono, sorry for the confusion. I went in willing to pay $1000 over, and eventually we settled on $1200 over.

 

[TypeRD]

What people don't understand about CA is that we don't really neighbor states where you an find the car cheaper/msrp. Shipping to/from CA is also more expensive because of location - we're on one side of the coast, unlike KS which is closer to middle of the country--which can be a stop gap for carriers.

The whole fly and drive thing is also an issue; if you live in any metro area in CA, you're pretty far from any neighboring state that may want to sell MSRP. I've seen tons of deals in TX. That's a 1,700+ mile drive back to any metropolitan area in CA. I get that some may see that as fun, but to me, thats a 2+ day drive with hotel, wear and tear, etc..

A friend of mine bought his 2004 NSX in FL and drove it home to CA. It was his dream car and the drive home was all part of the experience. To each their own, but putting “restrictions” on a deal could also cause you to miss out on a fun experience with the car and memories. But if you think you’ll sell the car in a few years, well, that’s a bit different. My friend will never sell his NSX.

 

[TypeRD]

this statement is so true. pay to play.
but i'm sick of paying all the time. i want to play without paying for once.
or at least paying msrp, HAHAHA!!

thanks for the warm wishes!

I feel this and if I were to get another new car anytime soon, I’d definitely be less willing to “pay-to-play.” I paid a reasonable markup (Feb 2023 when I got mine) because I really wanted the car AND the last time I bought a car that was just for me (not a vehicle for my wife/family) was 2009. I was definitely due for an update / upgrade and I had the cash, so it was a done deal in my mind.

Stick to your guns and keep looking and calling around! You’ll find the right car and you’ll be happy you put in the work to find it. It’ll pay off. More cars are consistently coming and I think the momentum is in your favor. You just have to keep searching and look beyond the west side of the Rockies.

 

[Stan23]

A friend of mine bought his 2004 NSX in FL and drove it home to CA. It was his dream car and the drive home was all part of the experience. To each their own, but putting “restrictions” on a deal could also cause you to miss out on a fun experience with the car and memories. But if you think you’ll sell the car in a few years, well, that’s a bit different. My friend will never sell his NSX.

That's not the same. An NSX isn't exactly readily available and if he found the one he wanted across the country and planned out a trip for it, I could definitely understand why he would do that.

A few years ago, I did drive 9 hours up to Oregon to buy a motorcycle from a dealer that sold it $1,500 less than the local dealer here. I would never do that again. It just wasn't worth the time and hassle.

To me, the fl5 is readily available at dealers near me. I paid 4k over msrp, but was able to negotiate over the phone, agreed on the price and from initial contact with the dealer and to the car in my garage was only a few hours. To me, had I found an msrp deal, paid shipping and buying a car sight unseen, I may have saved $2,000 but to me, it wasn't worth the hassle.

 

[TypeRD]

That's not the same. An NSX isn't exactly readily available and if he found the one he wanted across the country and planned out a trip for it, I could definitely understand why he would do that.

A few years ago, I did drive 9 hours up to Oregon to buy a motorcycle from a dealer that sold it $1,500 less than the local dealer here. I would never do that again. It just wasn't worth the time and hassle.

To me, the fl5 is readily available at dealers near me. I paid 4k over msrp, but was able to negotiate over the phone, agreed on the price and from initial contact with the dealer and to the car in my garage was only a few hours. To me, had I found an msrp deal, paid shipping and buying a car sight unseen, I may have saved $2,000 but to me, it wasn't worth the hassle.

Yes, I get that I’m not exactly comparing apples to apples. That’s why I explained that the NSX was his dream car and that he will never sell it. That kind of changes the game a bit. I have no idea if the FL5 is a dream car for the OP or anyone else here. It could be. Note my buddy got his NSX back in like 2012, before prices and scarcity were out of control, like today. But yeah, you’re right, FL5’s are not “rare” HOWEVER it seems that getting one at a reasonable price, let alone MSRP, may be nearly impossible in some areas. So, if you look at it that way and you’re absolutely dead set on paying MSRP, then you might have to make an adventure out of it and go about it the same way my friend did with his NSX. It always boils down to each individual’s time vs money. How much folks are willing to give up of each will vary. For you, $2000 wasn’t worth the time / hassle. I get that. But someone else might look at that and say, “Hell, for $2000 I could take a mini-vacation while driving the car back home over the course of a couple of days. That’d be fun!” If wear and tear are an issue (with driving the car home), well, then you’ve painted yourself into a corner and have to get a car shipped. Just have to weigh the pros and cons and figure it out.

 

[Stan23]

For you, $2000 wasn’t worth the time / hassle. I get that. But someone else might look at that and say, “Hell, for $2000 I could take a mini-vacation while driving the car back home over the course of a couple of days. That’d be fun!” If wear and tear are an issue (with driving the car home), well, then you’ve painted yourself into a corner and have to get a car shipped. Just have to weigh the pros and cons and figure it out.

Yeah, I totally understand that too! I just think i'm at the point in life where I don't have the time, but I definitely see the appeal of making some memories of a road trip to pickup a car--saving money is just icing on the cake!

 

[Taimaishuuyo]

Check out Santa Barbara Honda. I was able to get them to MSRP + 3K accessories.

 

[superporpoise]

I bought one in OK and had it shipped for $1,200. This was three months ago and I still haven't been able to find one for less than $5K over in Oregon.

If you want one now, I think out of state is the move.

 

[Clark_Kent]

What people don't understand about CA is that we don't really neighbor states where you an find the car cheaper/msrp. Shipping to/from CA is also more expensive because of location - we're on one side of the coast, unlike KS which is closer to middle of the country--which can be a stop gap for carriers.

The whole fly and drive thing is also an issue; if you live in any metro area in CA, you're pretty far from any neighboring state that may want to sell MSRP. I've seen tons of deals in TX. That's a 1,700+ mile drive back to any metropolitan area in CA. I get that some may see that as fun, but to me, thats a 2+ day drive with hotel, wear and tear, etc..

I understand the geography of this country perfectly. As I've stated many times, you buy the car out of state and ship it. It doesn't matter if you buy from ID, IA, TX, AL, or MS. People make it sound like you have to overcome insurmountable odds or hardships to make that happen and it's simply not true. Just say you don't have the appetite to ship the car and prefer to buy local, end of story. That's completely fine. But if that's the position, the complaining about greedy dealerships in CA and how unfair this is doesn't hold water.

And I'm with you on driving great distance back with the car. I don't have time for that.

I bought fl5 last month. My first email was told 20k over. Then I made a phone call and got them to go to 5k over. Wasn't about to pay that so I went down to the dealership.
Once there sat with the salesman for 20 minutes. Literally got msrp plus doc fee.
Don't hesitate to hammer them on getting a deal worked.

It's great that you got the car for a price you were comfortable with. I've heard you tell permutations of this story several times in the last month. You're not a negotiator extraordinaire. Your deal is a function of a change in market conditions. I promise you those negotiating tactics would not have worked 12-15 months ago. You would've paid a markup like >95% of the people on the forums who purchased around that time. Or you just wouldn't have a car.

 

[Bbfl5]

I understand the geography of this country perfectly. As I've stated many times, you buy the car out of state and ship it. It doesn't matter if you buy from ID, IA, TX, AL, or MS. People make it sound like you have to overcome insurmountable odds or hardships to make that happen and it's simply not true. Just say you don't have the appetite to ship the car and prefer to buy local, end of story. That's completely fine. But if that's the position, the complaining about greedy dealerships in CA and how unfair this is doesn't hold water.

And I'm with you on driving great distance back with the car. I don't have time for that.

It's great that you got the car for a price you were comfortable with. I've heard you tell permutations of this story several times in the last month. You're not a negotiator extraordinaire. Your deal is a function of a change in market conditions. I promise you those negotiating tactics would not have worked 12-15 months ago. You would've paid a markup like >95% of the people on the forums who purchased around that time. Or you just wouldn't have a car.

I'm your huckleberry. Here's the facts. The business that I own is literally run through negotiating in the world of logistics. So yes my understanding is different from the general public.
Secondly having a network of dealership Gm/GSM and owners including a honda store built up over the years. Getting msrp or invoice is and hasn't ever been a issue. Including during the pandemic.
So before you make yourself look stupid. I'd suggest slowing your roll.

 

[Clark_Kent]

I'm your huckleberry. Here's the facts. The business that I own is literally run through negotiating in the world of logistics. So yes my understanding is different from the general public.
Secondly having a network of dealership Gm/GSM and owners including a honda store built up over the years. Getting msrp or invoice is and hasn't ever been a issue. Including during the pandemic.
So before you make yourself look stupid. I'd suggest slowing your roll.

*Here are the facts.

And the plot thickens. If you have all these connections then you need to preface your "advice" with that declaration or keep quiet because it's irrelevant. How is your negotiation advice helpful if you have advantages or privileges not available to the masses? How much sense does that make? The subtext from your posts is as follows: All you have to do is x,y,z and MSRP is there for the taking. Do what I did! This really isn't that hard fellas!

It's bad advice. It's really not that simple for most which is why you're still seeing people fight for MSRP. We're closer to MSRP than we were 6 months ago, but not there wholesale.

But let me guess, you didn't use your connections on this deal, you're just really that good at negotiating? Riiiight! It's a bogus talk track and it's not helpful.

 

[Bbfl5]

*Here are the facts.

And the plot thickens. If you have all these connections then you need to preface your "advice" with that declaration or keep quiet because it's irrelevant. How is your negotiation advice helpful if you have advantages or privileges not available to the masses? How much sense does that make? The subtext from your posts is as follows: All you have to do is x,y,z and MSRP is there for the taking. Do what I did! This really isn't that hard fellas!

It's bad advice. It's really not that simple for most which is why you're still seeing people fight for MSRP. We're closer to MSRP than we were 6 months ago, but not there wholesale.

But let me guess, you didn't use your connections on this deal, you're just really that good at negotiating? Riiiight! It's a bogus talk track and it's not helpful.

Apparently you were never thought about what assuming makes you.
Here is more facts lol
Was on vacation in Florida. Never did business with the dealership.
Seen the car got the data I needed and negotiate what I wanted.
It's really not a hard concept.
And in truth I wouldn't reach out to anyone in my network for a sub 50k vehicle. I'd just cut the check.
Didn't want to say that because it's irrelevant to the subject.

 

[hhkb]

*Here are the facts.

And the plot thickens. If you have all these connections then you need to preface your "advice" with that declaration or keep quiet because it's irrelevant. How is your negotiation advice helpful if you have advantages or privileges not available to the masses? How much sense does that make? The subtext from your posts is as follows: All you have to do is x,y,z and MSRP is there for the taking. Do what I did! This really isn't that hard fellas!

It's bad advice. It's really not that simple for most which is why you're still seeing people fight for MSRP. We're closer to MSRP than we were 6 months ago, but not there wholesale.

But let me guess, you didn't use your connections on this deal, you're just really that good at negotiating? Riiiight! It's a bogus talk track and it's not helpful.

I’d stop arguing with this user. They posted similar arguments in a different thread.

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