Honda Salesperson Recommendation?

[Mitsu3000gt]

My Versa thread was no longer really relevant, and I couldn't find any other recent threads on this. Can anyone please recommend me a specific salesperson at at Honda dealer? Or do any Beyonder's sell Hondas? I am 95% sure we are going to be buying a new Honda Fit LX in the near future. I'm happy to go to Airdrie or High River if I can avoid the BS.

All I want is a fair, no BS deal without $850 money-grab admin fees and without the ridiculous back-and-forth with the sales manager. Especially on a $17K car that is crazy haha.

Only other condition is it cannot be Honda West - I can't stand that place anymore.

Thanks!

[Disoblige]

Good job on you guys deciding on a Fit :thumbsup:

Thought it was going to turn into a Mar thread.

[Tik-Tok]

Sorath recommended Patrick Li @ Airdrie Honda to me, he is the New Sales Manager there, and was good to deal with when I leased my Civic.

[Mitsu3000gt]

^^ I will shoot him an email, thanks.

In short, I am pretty much entirely just trying to avoid the $850 admin fees + get a fair deal. I don't want to listen to any more sales people try and tell me why they are charging me for that BS. Or, they can make the paperwork look like however they want, with an $850 discount on top of whatever price we agreed upon (that's what has happened the last few times I've bought cars).

Are finance rates negotiable at all? I would think not since they come from Honda Canada, but I am not 100% sure on that one.

[jwslam]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
Are finance rates negotiable at all? I would think not since they come from Honda Canada, but I am not 100% sure on that one.
My buddy told me he got 0% on his 2014 Civic Si @ Airdrie Honda.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by jwslam

My buddy told me he got 0% on his 2014 Civic Si @ Airdrie Honda.

Thanks! - Would you happen to know the starting rate?

[jwslam]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
Thanks! - Would you happen to know the starting rate?
No clue. I don't even know who he could've got that through since my understanding was always that Honda Canada doesn't go lower than 0.9%

[Zetsu]

I used to work at T and T Honda, if you ask for Johnny Ngo and tell him Kian sent you he will take great care of you!
Let him know you aren't wanting any fees and he'll do his best to help you out.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by jwslam

No clue. I don't even know who he could've got that through since my understanding was always that Honda Canada doesn't go lower than 0.9%

Fair enough, thanks anyways. I was just curious if he got like a 3% reduction or more like a 0.9% reduction.

[gkAeris]

You can try Wayne Luong at Airdire Honda too, he is also the sales manager there.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Zetsu
I used to work at T and T Honda, if you ask for Johnny Ngo and tell him Kian sent you he will take great care of you!
Let him know you aren't wanting any fees and he'll do his best to help you out.

Thanks - I will shoot him an email for a quote as well.


Originally posted by gkAeris
You can try Wayne Luong at Airdire Honda too, he is also the sales manager there.

Thanks - emailed Peter already, but if I don't hear back I will try Wayne.

[guessboi]

Buying a Honda in Calgary = Airdrie Honda :thumbsup:

[Sorath]

yup, talk to wayne luong(general sales manager) or patrick li(sales manager)

Tell him Kasem sent you

[muse017]

Originally posted by Sorath
yup, talk to wayne luong(general sales manager) or patrick li(sales manager)

Tell him Kasem sent you

Patrick is awsome.

[Sorath]

^

worked with those guys for years when i was working at honda. awesome awesome people

[CanmoreOrLess]

Everything extra beyond the car, buy from the USA, much cheaper. Things like the floor mats, etc. I'd avoid Honda floor mats on the whole and go for the custom mats sold online. Honda mats are rubbish. Get the front end, etc 3M protected, the hood is a magnet for rocks. See if you can get a deal on winter rims and tires, they'll want to move those at this time of year. You'll need'em come December. I have a Fit if it matters and I'd head out to Okotoks Honda for a deal.

[Mitsu3000gt]

We drove the Yaris tonight, even though we were pretty set on the Fit we just wanted to make sure we've driven all the options. Went to Henninger, and the salesperson we got was awesome, however it's just not really much of a comparison to the Fit. It costs the same, and there is not nearly as much room, no fancy seats, no backup camera, no heated seats, ~30 less HP, and a 4-speed transmission. Pretty much a no-brainer to go with the Fit vs. the Yaris, at least in our opinion. Seemed like a solid little car, but just not much value there beyond the Toyota badge.

I was hoping to basically get the Fit for a small discount (and/or a percent or two off the financing??), no BS fees ($850 at Honda West, not sure about others), thrown in trunk liner and/or mats, and maybe a good deal on winter tires & steel rims. Not sure if that is asking too much or not, but we will see.

If we don't get free mats, I'll order some WeatherTech ones or something a bit better. I'll also call Shadow tint and get a 3M quote, but I want to also look into that other stuff that is supposed to be even better than 3M. By the looks of the car, I think the hood would be in rough shape in Calgary without 3M. My GF doesn't care about how good the mats are haha, so that might be a struggle. Obviously won't be getting any kind of protection package or anything like that.

I will also send Okotoks Honda an email, thanks for the suggestion. Sounds like she wants to buy as soon as we're back from vacation around the 20th.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Fired off emails to Airdrie, Okotoks, and T&T. We'll see who ends up with the best quote :thumbsup:

[HiSpec]

From my past experience, Fit typically has a slightly higher rate than Civic or Accord. But that was when Fit was released. Not sure if it still applies. Good luck!!

BTW, I also had great experience with Wayne at Airdrie Honda.

[locust]

Hit up airdrie Honda and by pass the sales guy and go right to sales manager Patrick.
I got 9k off a new ridgeline last year at the end of the year clearance

[Mitsu3000gt]

I emailed Calgary Honda, Airdrie Honda, T&T Honda, and Okotoks Honda 2 days ago to either the sales manager or the people recommended to me in this thread. I let them know exactly what I wanted, purchase timeline, not looking to waste anyone's time, etc. The only one who has even bothered to get back to me so far is Airdrie Honda, and they quoted me above MSRP, but with winter mats, mud flaps, block heater (which IMO is not considered an extra but whatever) and partial 3M. Their 3M also costs double what Shadow charges. The deal is basically full MSRP and a couple hundred off some high margin accessories :dunno: Not going great so far.

[JVR1]

i would guess part of it is they want you to come in. dealership mindset still needs 'formal' face-to-face introduction to show you're committed to purchasing before they provide a discounted price so they can try to work you.

anyone can blast off emails at a whim but actually spending time to be there takes effort.

i think i have a couple carcostcanada reports. if you want, pm me with specs and i'll run one for you on that vehicle. then we can see what recommended dealership comes back

[Mitsu3000gt]

^^ PM'd, thank you very much.

I know it's just an email, but usually I can't get salespeople to leave me alone - you would think for the 5 minutes it takes to reply to an email, they would be more than willing to reply.

Maybe I should email the dealership managers instead and say that I am having trouble getting a reply to my question? I don't want to be a dick though, but I also don't want to drive to all the dealers out of the city just to get the usual runarounds.

[redblack]

Are these cars hot sellers right now? I see that it's been redesigned recently, they probly won't be giving out deals if that's the case.

[elmo909]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
^^ PM'd, thank you very much.

I know it's just an email, but usually I can't get salespeople to leave me alone - you would think for the 5 minutes it takes to reply to an email, they would be more than willing to reply.

Maybe I should email the dealership managers instead and say that I am having trouble getting a reply to my question? I don't want to be a dick though, but I also don't want to drive to all the dealers out of the city just to get the usual runarounds.
Try emailing the fleet manager or internet manager of a dealership.

Basically tell them that you want, the price you want to pay (excluding legit taxes), and that you're willing to buy right away.

Failing that, phone those people with the offer you have. There's no reason to go into a dealership. They just want you there to play games.

I'm willing to bet there's next to no profit on the vehicle you want, and they can sense the fact you're not willing to fall for their extended warranty, rust proofing, vin etching, financing insurance, etc nonsense.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by elmo909

Try emailing the fleet manager or internet manager of a dealership.

Basically tell them that you want, the price you want to pay (excluding legit taxes), and that you're willing to buy right away.

Failing that, phone those people with the offer you have. There's no reason to go into a dealership. They just want you there to play games.

I'm willing to bet there's next to no profit on the vehicle you want, and they can sense the fact you're not willing to fall for their extended warranty, rust proofing, vin etching, financing insurance, etc nonsense.

I emailed all the sales managers, who you would think at the very least would forward me on to the internet sales person if the dealership had one. If the sales managers can't even be bothered to reply to an email, it certainly makes me wonder what getting service there would be like. I will probably end up having to do what you say though.

Patrick at Airdrie Honda is still the only one who has bothered to reply to me out of Calgary Honda, Okotoks Honda, and T&T Honda.

The one time I approach a dealer knowing exactly what I want including a purchase timeline, nobody will even reply to a simple email :rofl: Every other time I have had the exact opposite problem, they won't leave me alone.

The thing is though that I don't want to come to them with an offer, I want them all to give me offers, in case they are better, but I may have to take a different approach.

What do you guys think about dealer invoice + 3% + as many high dealer margin extras I can get them to throw in? Dealer invoice on the car is only about $1000 under MSRP, so I figure I need to try get as much as I can on the accessory side rather than straight discount.

I know their margins might be low, but they also for sure get volume kickbacks from Honda.

[CanmoreOrLess]

I believe Okotoks Honda tosses in free oil changes for life, that's worth $100 a year. The "carpet" in the Fit is rubbish, salt collectors in the winter. I paid $200 for a block heater to be installed when I returned to Calgary from Victoria. I've never used it, parked outside for a year and never used it. The block heater has no value.

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by CanmoreOrLess
I believe Okotoks Honda tosses in free oil changes for life, that's worth $100 a year. The "carpet" in the Fit is rubbish, salt collectors in the winter.
Is it the same thing as T&T where you have to go in to service your car for other things too, or else the free oil changes stop?

Total gimmick.

[CanmoreOrLess]

Originally posted by Disoblige

Is it the same thing as T&T where you have to go in to service your car for other things too, or else the free oil changes stop?

Total gimmick.

I'm not sure. I only switched my Honda service to Okotoks last oil change. The service manager said all my oil changes going forward are for free as is the loaner car if I want one.

My Fit has only had a brakes (weak on the 2008), windshield, oxygen sensor and battery (thought it was time, not a need) replaced since 2007 and 180,000 kms. I've replaced the wiper blades and headlight bulbs every year as they are aftermarket German bulbs and have a shorter life, oh and a tail light bulb. Just follow the maintenance schedule and switched the transmission over to synthetic fluid at 40,000 kms for smoother shifting in the winter.

Dead boring and reliable these Hondas and I'm not a fanboy. I gravitate more to the German cars.


WireCutter has a well thought out article on the 2015 Fit and why it is the best overall. It is worth a look:

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-subcompact-hatchback/

[Strider]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
The one time I approach a dealer knowing exactly what I want including a purchase timeline, nobody will even reply to a simple email :rofl: Every other time I have had the exact opposite problem, they won't leave me alone.

The thing is though that I don't want to come to them with an offer, I want them all to give me offers, in case they are better, but I may have to take a different approach.

What do you guys think about dealer invoice + 3% + as many high dealer margin extras I can get them to throw in? Dealer invoice on the car is only about $1000 under MSRP, so I figure I need to try get as much as I can on the accessory side rather than straight discount.

I know their margins might be low, but they also for sure get volume kickbacks from Honda.

I'm sure the dealerships get tons of time wasters who think they know what they want with an idea of a purchase timeline as well. Then as soon as they get an offer, they take it to other dealerships and dick around back and forth before switching to something completely different. There's no way for a sales manager to tell these apart from just an email.

I think this strategy really only works if you make a firm, fair offer backed up with a credit card ready to leave a deposit if it's accepted.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Strider


I'm sure the dealerships get tons of time wasters who think they know what they want with an idea of a purchase timeline as well. Then as soon as they get an offer, they take it to other dealerships and dick around back and forth before switching to something completely different. There's no way for a sales manager to tell these apart from just an email.

I think this strategy really only works if you make a firm, fair offer backed up with a credit card ready to leave a deposit if it's accepted.

Yeah good point, I guess for all I know I am one of 10 identical e-mails sitting in their inbox. Maybe I should try come up with a proposal. I'm still disappointed they don't even send a 1-liner reply to at least acknowledge my email and contact them further if I'm serious. I wrote a pretty long, specific, and thorough email though.

What do you guys think about this:

Dealer Cost ($17,648) + 3%
Freight/PDI/AC tax/AMVIC fee/Tire tax (sunk costs, $1621)
Throw-ins: block heater, trunk liner, winter mats, 3M
+ GST

Am I asking for too much? I've got to believe all those throw-ins barely cost the dealer $100-200 combined, but I wouldn't know for sure.

Also the dealers all want $600 for the same 3M shadow tint charges $340 for, so I don't see that as a $600 "bonus" if they were to throw it in, but rather a $340 one.

[zipdoa]

Just do the 3M elsewhere, you won't get 3M thrown in at a dealer. Also don't ask for throw-ins, just ask for Cost + $500 (not percentages) and then get your accessories online.

Your giving them $529 above cost. If they gave you all those throw-ins, they wouldn't even make a profit. Block heater, trunk liner, winter mats and 3M are a lot more than $100-200 cost. :)

I don't mean to be a dick, but I wouldn't respond to that e-mail.

[Mitsu3000gt]

^^ Thanks I appreciate the feedback. I probably will scratch the 3M from the list - Shadow will likely do a better job anyway.

[gogreen]

Originally posted by Disoblige

Is it the same thing as T&T where you have to go in to service your car for other things too, or else the free oil changes stop?

Total gimmick.

Airdrie Honda offers the same. If you bring it in to them for regular service the oil changes are free. I didn't get charged for the first one on my Fit.

[riander5]

"Just tell me what kind of monthly payments you are looking for"

[Aleks]

Originally posted by gogreen


Airdrie Honda offers the same. If you bring it in to them for regular service the oil changes are free. I didn't get charged for the first one on my Fit.

Airdrie and T&T are under same group of companies so that's why.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Signed the papers on a 2015 Fit LX CVT this weekend for the GF. Thanks again for everyone's input.

After everything, this was my experience with the dealers we tried:

Honda West - By far the worst quote from their "no haggle" policy, highest money-grab fees, and worst sales experience. Sales person literally told us he did not care if he sold us a car (that is not a paraphrase), among several other things that I have never heard come out of a salesperson's mouth.

T&T Honda - Emailed a salesperson directly through a referral, and they didn't reply so I did not pursue further.

Calgary Honda - Sales Manager did not reply to my email. Emailed the General Manager a bit later (gave them another chance since the dealership is so close to where my GF lives), and a random salesperson replied to me without even saying hello, just attached a really high quote to the email with nothing even in the body of the email haha. I said no thanks, and the General Manager called me back with an average quote, claimed they were losing money on the deal, price was "today only" etc. - all the usual BS tactics. Did not pursue further.

Airdrie Honda - Patrick Li was awesome, and very patient with me, but couldn't get to the price I wanted. He's also the only person to immediately reply to my initial email, and was never pushy. I would certainly recommend anyone shopping for a Honda give him a chance to quote you at least, since I'm sure the buying experience there would have been pleasant.

Village Honda - Very patient with me, and provided a strong initial quote, but couldn't quite get to the price I was after. Zero complaints. I would give them another chance if I was buying another Honda.

Okotoks Honda - Sales Manager did not reply to my initial email. I emailed the General Manager later since I had heard so many good things about that dealership, and not only did he get back to me immediately on his day off, but he blew everyone else's price out of the water (including Calgary Honda's "losing money on the deal" price) without any BS negotiations or greasy sales tactics. So, overall they were very easy to deal with throughout the process, and didn't try to play any games. Haven't taken delivery just yet but I don't anticipate any issues.


Obviously I am going to turn down the protection packages, but do you guys go get undercoating done at a third party, or just leave it alone? Honda's rust warranty is 3 years surface, 5 years perforation. I'm thinking it probably isn't a big deal since my GF always goes through the car washes that spray the underside as well, but I'm open to other opinions.

Thanks again for all the comments.

[Hallowed_point]

Originally posted by gogreen
Airdrie Honda offers the same. If you bring it in to them for regular service the oil changes are free. I didn't get charged for the first one on my Fit.

Do you happen to know if that includes synthetic oil? I got the same deal from T&T. If not, I guess I'll pay the difference.

[TomcoPDR]

Great reviews, comments. Hope everything goes smooth.

[88CRX]

All my dealings with Okotoks Honda service/parts department has been amazing.

What was the final price out the door (PM if you want)... might be time to ditch the old Element.

[G-ZUS]

Originally posted by 88CRX
All my dealings with Okotoks Honda service/parts department has been amazing.

What was the final price out the door (PM if you want)... might be time to ditch the old Element.

Selling the Element? Might be interested in it

[jwslam]

Originally posted by 88CRX
might be time to ditch the old Element.
I'm interested in that =P
And then I'll rant about you in the People don't know how to sell their cars thread :rofl:

But seriously, I'm interested

[HiSpec]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
Honda's rust warranty is 3 years surface, 5 years perforation.

How often does a dealership honor their rust warranty?

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by HiSpec


How often does a dealership honor their rust warranty?

Not a clue, but I imagine it's probably difficult to claim, since they will just say you didn't take care of your car well enough. There is no way it would rust out in 5 years anyway even in Calgary, so it's probably a moot point.

[G-ZUS]

Originally posted by G-ZUS


Selling the Element? Might be interested in it



Originally posted by jwslam

I'm interested in that =P
And then I'll rant about you in the People don't know how to sell their cars thread :rofl:

But seriously, I'm interested




:whipped:

[jwslam]

Originally posted by G-ZUS
:whipped:
My Jeep is still up for sale ;)

[bigbadboss101]

When I went to Airdire Honda Patrick basically went straight to the point and gave me a price very close to CCC price. This was back in 2013 BTW. And since I live in the North it was good going to that dealership rather than ones in the South. My friend had good experience with Okotoks Honda.

I must say the pricing on the new Fit is great. More options and accessories and better prices.

[Hallowed_point]

T&T Honda were awesome to me. Rick Brar was a pleasure to deal with. Actually I think he's a member here haha. Everyone was great, Eve the financing lady as well as Jessica? the sales woman. Best experience I've had at a dealer to date.

[bourge73]

Rick was who we bought our CRV from in
airdrie he was awesome agreed.

[Mitsu3000gt]

T&T didn't even bother returning my email or call me back even after I basically told them I was ready to buy :dunno:

Probably wouldn't bother with them next time.

[redblack]

How's the fit been so far?

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by redblack
How's the fit been so far?

The GF loves it, and I'm a little jealous. I would trade the Civic for one if I was looking to buy a new car in that class. Drives great, amazing on gas, ridiculously practical, tons of space for cargo or even for 4 adults, etc. The magic seats are really useful. The 30% power bump from previous years was much needed, and is now perfectly adequate for most normal driving scenarios. The CVT seems to work great. She loves the back up camera, bluetooth, and heated seats haha but none of those are out of the ordinary. No creaks or rattles. I don't have one negative thing to say about it really, it's easy to see why they are so popular in the category.

[Hallowed_point]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
T&T didn't even bother returning my email or call me back even after I basically told them I was ready to buy :dunno:

Probably wouldn't bother with them next time.

Most dealerships are old school approach. I would skip emailing and phoning. Head on down to the lot and talk in person. I'm sure they have tons of time wasters who just want to play internet chat all day. Not saying that's you, but that's probably why you didn't get what you wanted.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Hallowed_point


Most dealerships are old school approach. I would skip emailing and phoning. Head on down to the lot and talk in person. I'm sure they have tons of time wasters who just want to play internet chat all day. Not saying that's you, but that's probably why you didn't get what you wanted.

I hear what you're saying, and you could be right, but flat out ignoring people is a bad way to do business IMO. Why even bother publishing emails and phone numbers on the website if everyone has to come down in person for the most basic of requests? I had no interest in driving across the city for a quote when other dealers were willing to accommodate via phone and email. Especially when comparing prices, I want to do so from home and not at a dealership. My approach wastes far less of both of our time, so you'd think a commission based salesperson would be all over that. I've been lured into the "come on down for the best price" bullshit too many times haha, and have no interest in the exhausting "this is our lowest price" charade with a finance manager. It takes 30 seconds to bang out an email, or 2 minutes to call me and give me a price. No excuse IMO. At least reply to me once to see if I'm a tire kicker, it takes no time at all. It's not like I sent them a kijiji 1-liner email or left them a rude phone message. The dealers I did not buy from wasted no more than 2 minutes on me as well, and I'm sure they preferred that over an hour long visit in person where they could have been selling a car to someone else.

Okotoks Honda replied to my email within minutes, blew everyone else's "OMG I'm losing so much money on this deal" quote out of the water, and did it all over 2-3 emails. I don't think I used more than 5 minutes of the salesperson's time, and they got a sale out of it for WAY less time and effort than if I had come down there in person. Win-win. Not sure why some dealers aren't interested in such hassle free sales opportunities when it takes so little time to follow up once. Just assuming everyone is inquiring via phone & email for the fun of it is bad for business IMO.