Bought my last Honda.

Harvey wrote

I'm pretty sure it's the VIN number they etch. Your VIN is in a lot of places in the car isn't it?

I was reading about it it sounds like a five minute job. I would total rather risked theft and have the 5 hunge. Seven hunge.

I email the next closest dealer last night:

Mr Dealer,

I’m wondering if I can buy a car with no:
 
Wheel Locks
Window Etching
Mandatory Options

He responded this am and said yes so I asked for a price.

If the price is within 500 bucks I'll buy it from the kid. He deserves the sale. I just want to know.

 

I'm glad to know there are dealers down there that don't do that sort of thing.

If the price comes the same without those options I'll buy from the kid.  Just trying to figure out if it is on top of (what another dealer considers) a legit markup.

Window etching kit on Amazon for 17.95
https://www.amazon.com/Vehicle-Etching-Security-Blue-Planet/dp/B004EMC1CK
https://vinetcher.com/ - 17.95
Here is a dremel engraver for 24.15
https://www.amazon.com/Dremel-290-01-Stroke-Engraver-Template/dp/B0000302YN/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_236_bs_tr_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Q3A6C17YR2PVWNZQ9C57

Honda OEM wheel locks 36.16 for the set
https://www.oempartsource.com/oem-parts/honda-wheel-locks-chrome-08w42scv101?origin=pla&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgb3OBRDNARIsAOyZbxDLDiURGsqaQZxPM1vrajwSZWVMwf4QoHYoohVVM3p4WnfqZAY94SAaAqemEALw_wcB
another OEM wheel locks 33.99 for the set
http://www.bernardiparts.com/products/08W42-SNA-100.aspx?gclid=Cj0KCQjwgb3OBRDNARIsAOyZbxDN-R0uwl_gd5bs-WtP8WGg8z67wSqH_7AwLwH_qEV1n7Rg1AST54EaAqiHEALw_wcB

So you can spend $700 or less than $60 for the same items. Some dealerships suck.

So I emailed the other dealer and he got right back to me with a price. The cost difference is $930. Not etching or wheel locks. That's real money to me.

I agree ---- now go get the thing ---- have they looked at your trade?

Looks like I may sell the 2012 to my mechanic. He was the guy who said basically "they can't force you to buy etching."

He wants it for his daughter and is giving me what the dealer offered plus the difference in the sales tax.

Good deal!!! Your mechanic sounds like straight shooter

A guy I knew who sold cars said there was about 8 points in it.  He said that if you offer 4+ points, the dealer will bite.  End of the month this time of year (for a '17 model) or end of January are the best times to buy....from what I've heard.

So did you cement the deal and actually save the 930?  This is interesting to watch.  Wouldn't it be funny if they go over to the kids lot and pull the car to sell to you.   Happened to dealer in Albany with me.  left over Audi I was buying for my wife.  Latham guy was busy talking to a 20 year old that was trying to decide between the Audi and like a supra or something. Was not giving me the time of day and I was In a hurry after work with my wife.  I went over to Schenectady the next morning and bought the car(took if off just to get that car), while we were signing papers the salesman walked by and did a double take when he saw me.  I was like dude I told you lets make a deal. I buy cars in a couple hours cause I cant stand spending the money I just want to get it over with plus I will forget the numbers if I wait to long.

I put $500 down to hold the car.

The guy who responded to my email isn't a salesman.  He gave me a written quote this morning and told me that the next car he'll have in the color we wanted would be built by 10/6 and will be at the at the dealership by 10/15 or so.  I had no idea they had that much info on inventory.

The original dealer told me initially that they weren't getting any more 2017s and then told me the next day that they got another one in green.

That kid will text me any minute now to push me and I'm telling him I've moved on.

I'm not really in a rush which seem to fluster him. Would like get it by Nov 1 so I can figure out the rack setup before opening day at Gore.

Done deal. They're giving me fair value on the trade, same price as the other dealer. saving 930 bucks total.  Should take delivery in about 10 days.

Saying goodbye to the original NYSB mobile.

And welcome to the next...



Lots of chrome, not a big fan of it.

The CVT remains weird to me.  When I was test driving (and flogging it) I was getting into boost range on the turbo it seemed ok.  Now that I'm driving my own vehicle, it seems a bit limp.

MPG looks very solid if the computer can be trusted.

Couple of short drives around town it looks like the CVT does pretty good on suburb mileage.

I wouldn't count on that number.  The only way to get the true mpg is to fill your tank to full, reset your trip, then divide mileage by gallons replaced on the next tank.  My car has a readout similar to that and it is consistently 3.5 mpg higher than what it really is.  It probably exists to make you feel good about your purchase.

Not counting on it. Was skeptical (how can they do that?) with my new 2012 and I checked the first two full tanks and they matched exactly with the tank fill method, so I never checked it again.

That photo above was from two trips of about 10 miles, not easy or worth it to check those numbers.  If my around town actuals are 15% lower than reported I'll be happy enough.

I've also seen with all our Hondas that in the first month you get some insane mileage that never gets repeated.  My first highway trip with the 2012 I got 35 and I checked that with fillup. Never got much above 31 after that.

You were right.  Calculation gave me 29.74 mpg while digital gave me 31.3.

Like I said I did the first two tanks on my 2012 and they were both within .1 MPG and I never did it again, just assuming it was right. I'll check it one more time, if it comes out the same I'll assume the digital is 2 mpg high and probably never do the math again.

Still seems to me like 1.5 liters is a small engine for this car. I wonder how well it will wear. The engine is noisey for a Honda too.

On the plus side it seems like there is no lag to get into the turbo. Press hard and you get it. If you don't get into the turbo the RPM never goes above about 2200 maybe 2500. The whole system works nicely in the scenario I will be using it most 65-80 mph on the highway.

3 tank lifetime digital mpg is 30.2. Pretty much all suburban driving.  If that is 2 or even 5 mpg high, I'll take it.

First highway tank will be Thursday, I'll top it off and do the math to compare to the digital number.

Pretty accurate on the first highway test.

Digital showed 30.2 mpg.

Math problem gives:

236.1 miles on 7.83 gallons = 30.14 mpg