OT: Car dealership RANT!!!!

[ASH]

So I'm looking for a new car. I've did a lot of research the last month and had a lot of cars in mind but have now decided to get a VW Jetta. Any other car I would have to get used but I can get a jetta brand new for pretty cheap (or so I thought) I have a 06 honda accord SE now. I apsolutly love my honda and don't want to get rid of it but I need a cheaper car payment. Me and my mom go to look at VW's today. I tell the man what I want and what I want my payments to be and he comes back with a paper. He tries to get me to lease a car for only $25 cheaper than what I'm paying for my honda now. I'm wanting to FINANCE a car at, at least, $80 cheaper a month. And then on top of all that their only wanting to give 13,000 for my 2yr old honda. I don't think so!! I know I could sell my car myself and at least get the pay off for it (16,000). My honda has been wrecked but everything that was damaged was replaced.

Sorry this is so long......I'm just pissed. They see two women walk in the door and think "Oh she's a woman this will be easy".....That's what they thought when I bought my honda and they did "get me". But I'm smarter this time. Thanks for listening....

[BigAl07]

Good for you Ash! VERY Good for you!! Don't let them run over you.... just keep looking... the "Right" deal will come along!! You know it you drop down into the 1 year old area you'll avoid that HUGE depreciation factor. Try selling your car outright and then go buy the newer one. That's a WIN-WIN !!!

[BoomerD]

I have a 2003 Jetta and while it's an ok car, I'm not impressed. My wife bought the car for my adult daughter, who, of course, promised to make the payments and insurance...after 2 months of US making the payments, it became ours. I would not have bought the car if I had been involved with the deal. (heck, I wouldn't have bought her a car PERIOD, but that's a different fight completely!)
The Jetta is a more-or-less bare-bones GL model without any of the upgrades that I've become used to over the years, but it gets decent mileage and is in very good condition, so we keep it for me to use as a "school car."

If you're absolutely sold on a Jetta, then buy one...they're not terrible, just not great IMO.

How much damage was done to your Honda? You know that the accident will show on a CarFax report unless there was no insurance claim, right?

What the dealer tried to do to you is very normal. Try going to KBB.com and see what the book values for your car actually are. Payoff amount and actual value are usually VERY different.

[ASH]

Thanks Al and BoomerD


I didn't want the jetta it was just something brand new that I could afford. Any other car I'm gonna have to get used.

I was hit on the drivers side front tire area. everything on that front side had to be replaced maybe even my drivers side door too. But that means that it's all brand new parts on that side. I'm sure that doesn't help the fact that it's been wrecked. I beged my insurance to just total the car but they wouldn't....At then end when they finished fixing the car the total damage was $10,000. My insurance adjuster told me that if they did total it that I would get 19,000 for the car. I'll go to kkb.com. thanks boomerd

[BoomerD]

Be brutally honest when you evaluate your car on KBB. VERY FEW actually meet the standards of "Excellent condition" and as such, are lower in value than most of us want to admit. The wholesale or trade-in value should be about what the dealer offered you. If not, they're definitely trying to screw you, and you should find a different dealer.

[ASH]

Since it's been wrecked it put it as fair condition. Do you think that's right....The car looks like it did the day I bought it. You can't tell it's been wrecked. But I still put fair.

Trade in value was about right. But retail value was like 18,000 so I guess I'm gonna try to sell it.

[Stacef]

Just a note--

Very very few dealerships use kelly anymore.
I have not spoken with dealers/ins agents in about a little over a year that use KBB.

So, use N.A.D.A. Official Used Car Guide Company that will help you out more than KBB will these days, it's more accurate!

[BoomerD]

Actually, here many dealers DO use the KBB as well as the NADA guides, but most use the "Black Book" for most of their valuations. It's become the standard of the business.

[ASH]

Thanks everyone for all your help.

[sebastian]

hey, i work for Honda dealer .... kbb is dead.... and belive or not we are not taking advant. of woman.... but some suckers do ... everywere same... want to buy new Civic from me??? hehehehe btw...honda has special lease for civic ($199/m). if you want some answers.... i can help you as best as i can

[Varga]

there is no way you could just keep the car?

sure you save $80/mo but you'll lose thousands everytime you sell/buy a car.

[BoomerD]

Originally Posted by sebastian

hey, i work for Honda dealer .... kbb is dead.... and belive or not we are not taking advant. of woman.... but some suckers do ... everywere same... want to buy new Civic from me??? hehehehe btw...honda has special lease for civic ($199/m). if you want some answers.... i can help you as best as i can

Too bad you're so far away...we're starting to consider a hybrid, and I don't fit in a Prius very well...(however, my wife REFUSES to consider a Honda...just another obstacle for me to overcome) It'd take a significant gas savings to justify buying a new car because of the fuel economy, especially since we don't drive a lot of miles annually anyway.

[goldenmean]

Sell your car.
buy a smartfortwo car smart fortwo pure, passion, and passion cabriolet
You might even have some money left over for gas.

[sebastian]

as a Honda sale consultant .... do not buy hybrid of any kind unless you driving like 30-40.000 miles/year.
hybrid is usually like $4000 more than car that is close to it(equipment wise) so ... with $4.00/gal gas you have to drive about 90,000 miles to burn that difference ... so for people driving 12k/year it's like 7-8 years of driving
corolla and civic are so fuel effic that like 35miles/gal highway and hybrids are 45 -48 miles/gal ... so buy regular 4 cylinder car... at least thats my point of view as a sales person ---- reef addict hehehehe

[BoomerD]

Originally Posted by sebastian

as a Honda sale consultant .... do not buy hybrid of any kind unless you driving like 30-40.000 miles/year.
hybrid is usually like $4000 more than car that is close to it(equipment wise) so ... with $4.00/gal gas you have to drive about 90,000 miles to burn that difference ... so for people driving 12k/year it's like 7-8 years of driving
corolla and civic are so fuel effic that like 35miles/gal highway and hybrids are 45 -48 miles/gal ... so buy regular 4 cylinder car... at least thats my point of view as a sales person ---- reef addict hehehehe

All the reasons you list are why we haven't bought one yet.