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Honda Fit: Prices Paid & Buying Experiences

2634 messages,  Last post on Apr 29, 2013 at 10:37 PM

You are in the Honda Fit Forum.

What is this discussion about? Honda Fit, Hatchback, Wagon

Messages Page 3 of 264

#21 of 2634 Deposits, YIKES by fdanna

Jan 20, 2006 (9:57 am)

Let me just warn you all that the dealer can and will make your life hell if you try to get your deposit back. Most dealers are scum (and I can say this well plenty of assuredness) and will try to strong-arm you into a buying.
 
I would NOT put a deposit down unless you ABSOLUTELY MUST have this car the DAY it arrives on the lot. Don't let them fool you into thinking that if you don't buy the car ASAP you'll never get it. We're not going to see Miata-esque or VW New Beatle-esque backlogs for this car.
 
The second they smell any kind of desperation on your part, they're going to take you to the cleaners. And make no mistake about it, there WILL be glitches in the initial product. They may not be severe, but they will make mistakes as they did with the 2006 Civic (check the board).
 
Granted if you're strong of will and enjoy a good tete-a-tete with a sleezeball dealer, you will not be disappointed.

#22 of 2634 Re: Deposits, YIKES [fdanna] by jonniedee

Jan 20, 2006 (11:07 am)

Replying to: fdanna (Jan 20, 2006 9:57 am)
And make no mistake about it, there WILL be glitches in the initial product.
 
But Fit is NOT an all new car like the 06 civic... it is going on 4 years production in Japan and that's where my car is coming from...

#23 of 2634 Re: Deposits, YIKES [fdanna] by hungarian83

Jan 20, 2006 (11:13 am)

Replying to: fdanna (Jan 20, 2006 9:57 am)
"And make no mistake about it, there WILL be glitches in the initial product. They may not be severe, but they will make mistakes as they did with the 2006 Civic"
 
You're forgetting something though. The Civic is an ALL-NEW product for the 2006 model year. The Fit was introduced in Japan in June of 2001. It has been refined every year since. This will almost be a 5-year old product when it arrives in the United States. I can't say there won't be any problems, but I would have to think the chances are extremely slim. Most of the issues have already been worked out. In fact a magazine in Hungary did a survey of 10 000+ car owners back in December. Which car won the "Most Reliable" title? The Honda Jazz, and that's basically the car the US is getting.
 
There might be some "glitches" with the 5 speed automatics, being that Honda has had some trouble with the in the past and they are all new on the Fit, but the 5-speed manual is the exact same. OK, some of the ratios are different on the US market Fit, but mechanically it is identical to the one sold in Europe and Japan.
 
Also, most (if not all?) US Civics are made in the US and while I don't want to get into a geopolitical discussion on car manufacturing, I have found the Japanese products to be of superior quality.
 
When you are comparing the 2006 Civic to the 2007 Fit, you are comparing brand new US manufacturing to a nearly 5-year old Japanese product. The first year of a new generation always has problems. When was the last time a fifth year Japanese-built Honda had issues?
This car should be bulletproof.

#24 of 2634 To make a better deal on Fit! by texas_jazz

Jan 20, 2006 (11:40 am)

Everyone here reading the post and message board should tell friend and family to stop place deposites at the dealership. This gives the dealer an advantage of dealer to ask high price, "The car is in high demand" we have to charge $5K over sticker. So everyone lose except Honda dealer wins.
The truth is this car will not "FIT" many American since the tiny size, may be 20 to 30 % of the people in the U.S. will fit comfortably.
This is the main reason Honda and others delay introduce econo box to the U.S. Now they have been force to. But due to the size constraint to many people in the U.S. People will feel stupid later who over paid the car and regret. It is a nice car, but many people will not "FIT" in, then the market will be limited to the "FIT" people.
So please don't help dealer on price! Dealer is going to milk out as much as it can with every new model.

#25 of 2634 Re: To make a better deal on Fit! [texas_jazz] by jonniedee

Jan 20, 2006 (12:02 pm)

Replying to: texas_jazz (Jan 20, 2006 11:40 am)
You need to sit in this car before you can say only 20 to 30% of people will Fit - I am large and fit in the fit (jazz) NO problem. In fact I sat in a newer Pontiac mid-sized entry at the NAIAS and found it to be cramped feeling in comparison.
Also sorry but if someone wants to make a deposit now I don't see any issue. If you don't want to fork out the $ for a certain car just don't buy it.

#26 of 2634 Re: To make a better deal on Fit! [texas_jazz] by shneor

Jan 20, 2006 (2:49 pm)

Replying to: texas_jazz (Jan 20, 2006 11:40 am)
The external dimensions of the Fit are almost identical to thoe of the Scion XA. Here in Northern California, there are plenty of XAs on the streets. I think the Fit is a much better buy.
 
Shneor

#27 of 2634 Re: To make a better deal on Fit! [texas_jazz] by mauicedar

Jan 21, 2006 (1:27 am)

Replying to: texas_jazz (Jan 20, 2006 11:40 am)
let's see, your trying to get the few hundred people who have posted on this site(And the few thousand who read the posts) who are interested and the best informed about the Fit to not place deposits. That'll mean that everybody else can step in and have first shot at a new model(for America) built and imported from Japan (where they sell very very well) so they won't be on the list of people who have first crack at buying one. Not a very good plan if you ask me. Let me know where you are and if I'm in the area in my new Fit, I'll be sure to honk as I pass.
 
I placed my deposit today from a Dealer who told me he got his allocation today and it was exactly one. The good news was he could order any style and color he wanted. That's going to be mine.
I've heard that Honda plans for 33,000 to 50,000 in the first year. That means about four thousand a month or less. It won't take much to cover that. In my State we have about one Honda Dealership for every 250,000 people. If Honda has 1000 dealerships that means four cars per month, on average. Sometimes you can be to tight for your own good. Buy some junk from Detroit, you'll make a hell of a deal. The lots are overflowing, take your pick.

#28 of 2634 Number 1 by hungarian83

Jan 20, 2006 (4:37 pm)

I ordered my Fit today. Number 1 on the list. In fact, the manager was doing the orders today. They had 3 cars being ordered for April. One of them was a base model with 5 speed manual in Lunar Mist. They changed that one to the Storm Silver I requested.
 
$1000 fully refundable deposit.
I can't wait to be number one off the lot in April !

#29 of 2634 Re: Number 1 [hungarian83] by bostonjazz

Jan 20, 2006 (5:27 pm)

Replying to: hungarian83 (Jan 20, 2006 4:37 pm)
Hey everyone - pleased to report that I too (or more exactly, my wife) put down a deposit on a Fit today, here in Boston! Indeed, that along with everyone else's posts confirm that the wheels are in motion and dealers are now generally aware of the car and able to take orders. It was a $500 fully refundable deposit.
 
Similarly, this dealership was in the process of putting their orders in today. They are receiving 2 models - 1 base and 1 sport. Apparently each dealership (not sure the region this applies to, but it came from a Honda memo) is being allotted 3 Fits, with certain combinations - 1 manual, 2 auto, or 2 sport, 1 base, etc. They also suggested the car would be available in APRIL.
 
Thanks for the recommendation on putting down a deposit ASAP, on my earlier post about how this would affect bargaining position. The assumption I needed to make was that I would not be bargaining - we want this car, and we do not want to wait for it, so that means we're willing to and will expect to pay the "market" price for the first buyer - MSRP.
 
It could be that I know nothing about buying cars (the Fit will be my first new vehicle, so Honda's strategy is working) - but for some reason I guess I assumed Fits would be available on a J.I.T. basis; the car comes out and people go to the dealer and order them. If one city needs 7 Fits, 7 are shipped there.
 
Of course, when I recalled based on the posts that there are only 50,000 units to go around for the year, across the whole country, and I want one right away... well, that led to the deposit.
 
I do wonder though if we could get any sort of a break on dealer-installed options by noting we're not eating into the dealer's profit on the car itself by haggling. That's a minor point...
 
We're going for the base and hoping to add keyless entry, the ipod thing, maybe cruise control or fog lights.
 
So, to all of our Fit-watching bretheren here, this is a very happy day for me and many of us. We are "in line" and have taken the first step to buying a Fit! We started out wishing for this car to be imported; suffered through months of mystery and speculation... and plenty still more to learn, not to mention when we get to drive it (I had a chance to in Europe over the summer).

#30 of 2634 Re: Number 1 [bostonjazz] by mauicedar

Jan 21, 2006 (12:27 pm)

Replying to: bostonjazz (Jan 20, 2006 5:27 pm)
Good move on securing an option.
 
The difference between the Sport and Base is reported to be under 2,000. It's not going to be possible to just choose any options for the Dealers to add on at the Dealerships. Examples are cruise control. The steering wheel on the Sport have the cruise control built in. They won't have that option. If you want automatic, only the Sport has the shift paddles located at the steering wheel. On the Ipod radio there is a booster and two extra speakers. I don't think the Dealers will change that out either.
 
The bundled option choices are usually a good value. The Sport has, the remote, fog lights, cruise control, alloy wheels, bigger tires, radio upgrades and the skirt package.
I would usually order the upgraded package every time. This time I plan to haul the fit behind my motor home. I need the manual to pull it four wheels down and the fit's ground clearance is effected by the skirt kits and where I'm going I would damage them. If I take the lower ones off I'm afraid I would have to do some filling and repaint so I'll pass on them, If I were you, I'd look very hard at the upgraded package in the Sport. Buy the Best and only cry once.
 
 

Messages Page 3 of 264

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