🚀 go-pugleaf

I thank
    patrick@convex.com 
    exumrv@exu.ericsson.se
    girkin@netcom.com 
    mvenator@ponder.csci.unt.edu
    lisab@convex.com 
for their comments.  Here is my summary (each line is a summary of one
person's comments on that dealer):

Honda Cars of McKinney
- good service, best base price, put charged more per dealer option
- highly recommended, wonderful, "did everything possible to get the car
  I wanted, but it just didn't work out"

Jack Eagle
- good price
- best price; unhappy with salesman, used sales manager

Lute Riley
- substantially more expensive than minimum
- not recommended: did not want to negotiate, did not quote price but
  asked for best outside qoute and they'd "match" it, unhappy with
  Texin's required salesman.
- pretty good deal, but annoyingly high-pressure salesman

David McDavid
- very pleased with service, discounts on accessories, scratch fixed for
  just $25, salesman offered to provide lifetime supply of Honda
  recommended polish.  "They seem to do the little things right."
- reasonably pleasant experience
- With _In_the_Driver's_Seat by James Bragg, was able to negotiate a
  good deal quickly

Michelle vanSkyock <exumrv@exu.ericsson.se> writes:
    I would recommend the book _In_the_Driver's_Seat by James Bragg
    ($12.95).  I used its guidelines to negotiate a good deal on an
    Acura Integra at David McDavid: 3.75% over dealer cost.  The best
    Texins could quote me was 7% over cost.  Reasonable (beats 14% MSRP
    profit), but not great.
    
    From that book's author, you can also purchase dealer invoice price
    lists, *factory* incentives, etc.  Armed with that information and the
    willingness to wait for the price you feel is fair, you can't really go
    wrong.

    When I negotiated my deal, I happened upon a 14-year veteran.  Once
    I showed him my figures and told him that I knew *exactly* how
    dealerships work, we were able to cut down on many of the dealer
    games.  He made a profit; I got a good price and little hassle.

I got the book ... and realized I should have gotten it first, before
doing anything else.  It's a real eye-opener.

-- 
Tim McDaniel, Convex Computer Corporation, Richardson, TX (near Dallas)
If mcdaniel@convex.com fails, try mcdaniel@convex.convex.com or
   mcdaniel@mozart.convex.com