How did I do? (Car buying for sister) - long

[1BADLS3]

Yesterday, my sister and her husband asked me to help them pick out a "lightly used" car. I love them to pieces, but collectively, they know nothing about cars and were somewhat 'taken for a ride' on their last purchase. So, I was there for objectivity and to get them the best deal possible this time around.

My sister began the day with her heart set on a 2008 Pilot she had seen online. 29k miles, basic options including cloth seats. A piece of me died inside when she said she wanted to replace her outgoing Ford Focus with a Honda. (FYI..the Focus spun a bearing after 9 years of neglect, and 140k miles) I pasted on my smile and looked at the Honda as if I were buying it for myself. The tires were exceptionally work for only 29k, it had unresolved hail-type damage on the roof, some of the HVAC backlighting was burned out, and the original 3/36k warranty was getting ready to expire in the next couple of months. To boot, the dealer wanted $26k as a special-advertised "Presidents Day" price and the car was not Honda Certified for the 7/100k warranty. I explained the car was in the C- grade of overall condition and that I didn't feel she was getting a good value even if we negotiated the price to $23,5 or $24k. The dealer seemed uninterested.

I advised we go cool our heads on a different lot and that I think she'd really find good value, and possibly enjoy, a Ford Explorer.

I found her a 2010 Explorer (build date: 11/2010) with 2100 miles, a Ford program car (not agency rental). Eddie Bauer (leather, sync, heated seats, running boards, fog lamps, uplevel exterior trim). Paint has never been buffed, some original dealer plastic still on the car door handles and radio, blue dye still on the tire lettering, smells new, looks new, comes with the full manufacturer 3/36k warranty plus the certified pre-owned Ford 6/100k warranty.

Final selling price was $27,900 before tax/title/licensing. KBB clean retail was just a hair under $32k.

To my dismay, the dealer was unwilling to budge on price in the end. The car was marked at $27,9. I started at $26,5 and asked to see the finance manager so we could get a deal in progress. We chatted for a bit and they just weren't willing to work at all. Instead, to do 'something' for my sister, I asked that the doc fee be knocked down from $150 to $50, the first 2 oil changes be included free, as well as a set of all weather mats be thrown in. About $275 in concessions were made overall.

I had a hunch that the car was still a good deal, but was disappointed that this wasn't a typical horse-buy with a little more haggle. This is a marginal market flooded with off-lease and fleet examples of the same model year that go for low-mid 20's. Granted, most of those are ex-rental and have higher miles (20-25k).

Sure enough, (she bought the car anyway), when I came home, based on the cars posted on Seattle Craigslist as well as a nationwide search on Autotrader, the handful of Explorers she picked from (all the same car, similar mileage) were the lowest priced AND lowest mileage 2010 Explorer EB's currently available on those two venues.

But was it a good deal? Ford was the only accepting financial institution for a rate below 4% based on their "ok" credit score (sub 700). Thankfully, it also encouraged them to take a 60 month term instead of a 72 month term.

I always enjoy a bit of post-mortem discussion on this. I feel like it was an acceptable deal, but that we might have conceded a bit of negotiating room because of the busy President's Day weekend.

Thoughts? Applause? Rotten tomatoes? Discuss.

[TOMS1SS]

A V6 two wheel drive lists for $29,095 here in Phoenix with 2,100 miles according to Kelly Blue Book, seems like a good buy to me. Now if it was a V8 or even a 4x4 it would be a great buy at that price. Used Honda's are always over priced and in my opinion that Pilot wouldn't be worth it unless it was 18-19k.

[ROBOSSRS]

Honda makes good lawnmowers, I hear.

[shank0668]

Originally Posted by Sanddemon

Honda makes good lawnmowers, I hear.

That they do.

[TOMS1SS]

Originally Posted by Sanddemon

Honda makes good lawnmowers, I hear.

Too bad they put the motors in their cars also or at least thats what the ricerocket kids have going.