Help me buy a new CRV

My wife and I live just outside of New York City. The roads here are really
terrible. Just driving over the George Washington Bridge, which has enormous
potholes at the entrances and exits has cost me two tires and two aluminum
wheels.

We drive a Ford Focus right now. It has low ground clearance and ridiculous
low profile tires on 16" aluminum wheels. It otherwise pretty much meets our
needs...except that it also doesn't have Honda's quality. There's always
something going wrong with the vehicle, including the clutch failing at
10,000 miles. At 26,000 miles we have a head gasket leak. So my wife is very
ready to ditch the Ford.

I read many glowing user reports of the CRV on Autoreview.com. It seems to
be a super vehicle. And it would have high ground clearance and rugged
enough tires/wheels to survive the mammoth potholes around here.

I wasn't considering 4WD except that once in a blue moon things get pretty
icy around here. Last month we had a storm that froze the highway and then
laid down a layer of snow over a thin layer of ice. Traction was hard to
come by.

Wouldn't the CRV's "Real time" (whatever that is) 4WD help in situations
like this? I live at the bottom of a very steep hill and it's actually
pretty hilly in general around here on the western banks of the Hudson
River.

Can you advise me as to whether the CRV is actually the vehicle we should be
considering, and, if so, which model and which options?

Also, is there any bargaining to be done with Honda dealers? Way back when I
had my first Honda they were so in demand that they were actually getting
over list for Accords. I would hope the situation has changed. What's the
best way to get a deal on a CRV?

Thanks much.

 

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One benefit: When everybody else is polishing the intersection with
their front wheels, you'll be polishing it with all four. Traction is
great for getting out of the way of bad drivers (sliding towards you,
sideways).

Just don't become one of those SUV wierdos we see on the evening news,
OK?

'Curly'

========================

 

dont know about the other stuff, but in my area you can write your own
ticket for a honda.. toyota, nissan.. it has changed alot since the old
days... i remember when a $2,000 toyota sold for about $3,000 with the
added on sticker they put on the car.. like the real good seat cover
cleaner/sealer... the locking wheel lug nuts at $45. and the other junk
they put on to jack up the price.. i was in the market in 2001 for a
honda civic... went to one dealer and they tried that with the plastic
tray in the trunk, the wheel locks and the carpet sealer/cleaner stuff
and it jacked up the car about $600 or so... all junk and add ons.. i
went to another honda dealer and told him what i wanted, he showed me
what he had and started telling me what i can expect to spend for the
car.. i asked about the typical $495 get ready fee for the car.. he said
that his dealership charged $75 and added that he does not know why the
do as they only wash the car...... two hours later i was driving out of
the dealership with the car i wanted... had to think about that later...
Was wondering, did i get such a good deal or did i get taken and dont
even know it.......??????? oh, the first honda place tried to get me to
go with their Bank one Financing.... salesman said it was like 12 per
cent... thought that was kinda high.. contaced my local bank and was
quoted a 11 percent loan.... the last honda dealer told me that they can
get and did deliver 3 percent throught honda financing................
i think since then i came down to zero financing.... now you know that
the first honda place must have been some real crooks??????
\

 

I have 03 CR-V EX and love it. In middle Ohio the winters can get bad but
usually don't get to where you need 4WD, but it's nice to have if needed.

As for dealing, we bought in late winter last year and had less room to deal
due to last year being severe (and CR-V's where hard to come by in central
Ohio then, as where most 4WD's). But, I brought in a copy of CR car info
with invoice princing and all that and worked out a good deal. We had dealt
with the dealer and salesman on a Civic in 2000 and they knew we wanted a
CR-V, but we did OK price wise and the dealer threw in the rear cargo cover
also. So we're happy.

 

The best, time-saving, no-haggle approach to buying a CR-V (and in fact, any
car) these days is:

1. Check out the price at carsdirect.com (and decide on which
model/features you want)
2. Go to edmunds.com and submit your email address for price quotes (you
can put in a fake phone number if you don't want the dealers to call you)
3. Send an email to the second lowest price quote you get, telling them
about the lowest price quote and asking them if they can beat the deal.
4. Go to 3.
5. Iterate a number of times until you reach steady state (i.e. every
dealer tells you they cannot beat the lowest price).
6. Compare the lowest price you get from 5 with the price at
carsdirect.com. Go for the lower price offer.

Doing somthing similar, I was able to get my '04 CR-V EX automatic (chianti
pearl red) at invoice price ($21320). But then, I'm in California where
CR-V's sell at a lower price, probably because there's no snow here.

Good luck,
Dave

 

Couple of other things to keep in mind, if you want the absolute best deal:

1. Pay cash or shop for a car loan elsewhere, ahead of time. Don't go for
a car loan at the dealership.
2. Sell the old car yourself. Never negotiate a new car's price together
with a trade-in deal. You'll lose money on either end.
3. Turn down all the "extended warranty" and things like that they offer
you. You can shop around yourself for those warranties and get the best
deal elsewhere.

Basically, you want to shop for the lowest price quote on the car, go to the
dealership, pay exactly that amount, sign all the paperwork, decline
everything else offered, and drive away in the new car.

Also, try to put as much of the deposit / car-price on your credit card so
you can get the 1% cash back or whatever incentive you have for your credit
card.

- Dave

 

You received some great advice. If you really want a good deal on a 2004
CR-V, wait until the new 2005 models arrive. The dealers give great
bargains on the 2004 vehicles just to clear the lot so they will have room
for the 2005 models. Another trick is to go to about 3 or more Honda
dealerships. Ask the sales manager at each dealership to give you his or
her best price for the exact model CR-V that you want and write the price
on the back of his or her business card. Play the dealers against each
other and buy from the one that gives you the best price,

 

I used to live on Staten Island, and I feel your pain.....CRVs have
"real time 4wd", meaning it'll supply power to all 4 tires "when
needed". What you're worried about is handling on icy roads, so perhaps
you'd want the ABS system, standard on the EX. In my opinion, putting
70lbs in the cargo area and driving safely are ALL that's needed; the
ABs system is expensive, and doesnt compensate for good driving.
Just bought a 2004 LX, and it is FANTASTIC!! The dealer took over
$1800 off sticker!! And threw in mud flaps! I say the EX is NOT worth
the extra $3000........this car will do all you ever want and need, and
more!