2003 Odyssey EX with leather

looking for a good price....local dealers will only offer 500 off MSRP...any
ideas?

 

$500 off MSRP sounds good right now. They normally don't take anything
off...

 

Try a different brand, WBMA. There are plenty of new minivans on
the market today that are just as good and a lot less expensive.
Shop around, many can be had for near invoice, unless of course
you really believe that some brands are worth spending an extra
five or ten thousand to drive home.


mike hunt

 

It's total cost of ownership, dummy, not the simple purchase price.

What part of "how much per mile will this vehicle cost me to own" don't
you understand, 'kHunt?

 

More than you apparently know. The average new car buyer in the
US replaces that vehicle in three years. During that time they
are ALL covered by a warranty. The five to ten thousand dollars
one can save will buy ALL of the fuel and pay a lot of the
insurance cost as well, over those three years. From what I see
in our fleet service business, where vehicles are generally kept
in service for five years or 300K, they is very little difference
in longevity among the various brands available on the market
today when properly maintained. It is all comes down to style
and price, but it's your money spend it were you wish, I could
not care less.


mike hunt

 

I don't see you mentioning the DEPRECIATION cost anywhere here.

Save me the effort: go to Edmund's, for example, and compare a 2001
Odyssey to a 2001 Grand Caravan with respect to resale values.

 

You are forgetting the initial cost. As a percentage of the
'drive home' price the 2001 Grand Caravan is BETTER.



mike hunt

 

Not Sure what you're smoking, but it must be good. Here are TMV prices of 5
comparably equipped 2003 minivans from Edmunds. All are mid-line, nicely
equipped. Notice that the American cars are MORE expesive than the
comparably equipped japanese models.

Ford Windstar SEL $28,923
Chrysler Town & Country LX $28,715
Toyota Sienna XLE 7 passenger $28,260
Honda Odyssey EX $25,778

And now here is the TMV used value range for a 2000 model of the same
vehichles ( since that was your premise of people trading out every 3
years )

Honda Odyssey $17,387 - $18,781
Toyota Sienna $14,101 - $18,155
Chrysler Town and Country $12,723 - $17,780
Ford Windstar $10,267 - $15,655

Notice how the American models are worth LESS than the japanese ones, even
though they cost more to purchase in the first place? Even if the American
cars were as good quality wise, they would still not be the best choice from
a dollars and cents standpoint.

 

You are certainly entitled to your opinion but you haven't
actually compared real world 'drive home' prices lately have
you? By drive home price I mean the total cost of taking it
home, the amount of your check or the total amount of your
payments. My one son was looking to trade his 2001 V6 Accord in
June. He always buys top of the line loaded vehicles and trades
them in like new condition. Honda dealers were offering him
$4,000 LESS than NADA average for his car on a trade! He
decided to buy a 2003 outright and keep his for his daughter..
He had numerous brake problems and an oil seal problem with his
Accord, so he no longer believed the Honda superior reliability
myth, particularly when his wife's 2001 Sable company car had
been trouble free and has 10K more on the clock. After shopping
Honda and Camry for a no trade deal he bought a 2003 Sable. The
'drive home' price for an Accord was $8,600 more and the Camry
was $9,400 more. Since the NADA on his 2001 Accord was $4,000
more than a 2001 Taurus he will still be ahead $4,000 in two
years. I once believed as you when I was buying Lexus V8's but
I got smart and have been saving a lot of money ever since.
But hey it's your money spend it where you wish.




mike hunt

 

I'ts not my opinion, it's a statement of fact. In the case of the minivan
arena, comparable equipped American minivans are more expensive, less
reliable and lose resale value faster than Honda/Toyota.


but you haven't

What are you trying to say here? If one car costs 25,000 and the other cost
$28,000, one is cheaper than the other. You can negotiate any kind payment
you want with either one.


My one son was looking to trade his 2001 V6 Accord in

Sounds like a problem with the dealer, not with a particular brand or model
of car. And if he's worried about getting the most for his car, he'd be
selling it outright instead of trading. You're guaranteed to lose cash on
a trade.

My condolences for him. We have 2 2001 Taurus' in our vehichle fleet. On
has already have to have the front end completely replaced once at 30k
miles, and the brakes have had to be re-done twice.


The

A lexus V8 is in a whole different league than the average cars most folks
drive. I'd take an accord or a Camry ( which I've owned and currently own )
over any Ford/Chevy/Dodge piece of crap any day.

My dad is a perfect example. He maintains his vehichles Meticulously - and
keeps them a long time. Right now he has a 2002 chevy Impala LS. So far
they've had to replace the ignition computer twice, the coolant system leaks
after repeated visits, and they just got another recall notice about a
Intake manifold gasket problem. Apparently the Buick 3.8 liter in the car
has gaskets not designed for the type of coolant specified. It eats through
and makes it's way into the engine.

This car replaced a Chrysler LHS which had a laundry list of problems so
long, that I don't really feel like writing it out.

I currently have a 96 camry LE. Other than routine maintenance, I've never
had to perform a single repair.

 

Like I said you are certainly entitled to your opinion and can
believe what you choose, even though I told you what the ACTUAL
prices offered to him were. I'll say it once more.. You
actually have not compared REAL WORLD 'drive home' prices lately
have you?


mike hunt

 

So you would have us believe that he was able to buy a loaded 2003 sable for
8,600 less than an accord and $9400 less than a Camry ( that's what you say
at least )? You state that he always buys top of the line, loaded
vehichles. So.. here's invoice pricing on the 3 loaded models

2003 Camry XLE V-6 with navigation, heated leather, adjustable pedals -
Invoice $25739
2003 Honda EX V-6 with leather and navigation package - Invoce $25938
2003 Mercury Sable EX with all options - $24666

So lets say they were offering him $500 over invoice on the Camry and Sable
to be fair, you could probably even get lower than that if you tried. That
would be about $26200 for the Camry, and $26500 on the accord. A difference
of about $2000 from the invoice on a Sable. Do you really expect us to
believe that he was able to buy a brand new Sable for $6600.00 - $7400.00
under invoice? I don't think the rebates are even close to that right now,
and you can get good financing for any vehichle outside the dealer, so that
is not an argument.

 

He looked at Edmunds TMV, which *is* drive-home pricing. It's actual
selling price in a given zip code.