art.shapiro@unisys.com (Arthur Shapiro) wrote in message news:<bgp9s7$10ba$1@si05.rsvl.unisys.com>...
> By way of introduction: I don't drive very much, and dislike driving. My '85
> Camry has 91K on it - it's main use is to transport my bicycle to the start of
> club rides, and to do shopping and the like. Unfortunately for me, the Camry
> is falling apart from age - starting to burn oil, barely passed the California
> smog check (hit the absolute limit on low-speed hydrocarbons), and everything
> is starting to crumble. Even the electric window rollers inside the door are
> disintegrating! It is not long for this world.
>
> A couple folks in my bicycle club have purchased Elements in the last month.
> I never heard of it before seeing these vehicles. It is the most god-awful
> ugly thing I've ever seen. That and the utter practicality for carrying a
> bike have whetted my interest. The poor fuel mileage and the rather
> over-the-top stereo system are turnoffs, but everything else about the vehicle
> is really appealing. I can picture an orange Element in my life.
>
> These folks told me that the local dealers (Orange County, CA) add on a
> surcharge and negotiate downward from there. Yeah, right.
>
> There's a dealer in the Los Angeles area with an interesting web site. For
> any vehicle, the computer user configures the vehicle and options
> appropriately - pretty easy on an Element given no options - and then is
> presented with what's alleged to be a wholesale and retail price. One then
> submits an offer and allegedly has it rejected or accepted.
>
> Does this seem like an intelligent way to purchase a car, as opposed to buying
> services, auto brokers, and the like? Would the fact that I'm paying cash,
> not financing, be a plus or a minus or neither? What would You offer, given
> wholesale price $X and retail price $Y.
>
> Last question: anyone know about the 2004 Element, and whether it would be
> more desireable than the 2003? I have the luxury of time for this potential
> purchase.
>
> Art

CarsDirect.com
<http://www.carsdirect.com/home>
Cardirect.com is unique in that it actually gives you a selling price.
Honda Elements seem to be selling about halfway between Invoice and
MSRP. Edmunds TMV is a joke, way high. They seemed to have stopped
adding in "typical options" that you have to back out.
CarsDirect.com annoyingly adds in the Delivery charge. You'll have to
go to Edmunds.com to find that. Always talk price without delivery.
I can guarantee you the dealer will add it in later. If your add it
in up front, it will get added in again. This makes it very easy to
make mistakes comparing prices with other websites. On my last car
purchase, the saleslady insisted over and over and over that her
Invoice and MSRP prices didn't include delivery. I made her spend 10
minutes looking it up, and guess what, they did include delivery.
That could have easily been a $500 mistake in the car dealers favor.

Cars are hot in some areas and cold in others. I'll bet Honda
Elements are real cold in areas where old people like big American
luxury cars. Use the Nada Inventory search.

Nada
Find a Vehicle or Dealer
<http://www.nadaguides.com/>
Click on Automobiles, Click on Search Local Dealer Inventory
Click on NEW, Select Honda and Element, Click on Add, Click on Search

The Finance and Insurance guy will try to "Rip Your Head Off" and give
you a completely different deal than the one you just spent 2 hours
negotiating. Be very, very careful in the F&I office. Go into a
couple dealers and refuse to go over the Carsdirect.com price. At
least this will give you experience with the process.

Happy Car Buying,
Roadie Roger