[zyft02]

Just before my wife and I went to order our 2001 Silver EX Odyssey, we came across this site and it has really cleared up a lot of questions for us. We had to order one because we couldn't find a dealer here in Houston that had any on the lot. Our Honda is coming in towards the end of the month. David McDavid on the Gulf Freeway is selling the Odyssey's for $500 off the MSRP to anyone. I would like to thank you people for the contact person in KY regarding the extended warranty. My dealer wanted close to $1400! Thanks again! One question I do have is that the dealer is charging us a $299 "Protection Plus" fee, something to do with the serial numbers on the glass. I couldn't get them to take it off. Anyone has any similar experiences?

 

[bluesramsrock]

"David McDavid on the Gulf Freeway is selling the Odyssey's for $500 off the MSRP to anyone." ... "One question I do have is that the dealer is charging us a $299 "Protection Plus" fee, something to do with the serial numbers on the glass. I couldn't get them to take it off."

I have no information on what this "Protection Plus" plan is, however if it is just "etching" AAA does that for around $50?

Sounds like you paid about $201 under MSRP if you got something you don't want/need. (Still not bad in these parts!) but I'd be real careful with this dealer in terms of what is "invoice."

The practice of accessorizing Honda's is real common here in St. Louis. Pretty common for dealers here to add mud flaps and stuff and pretty soon it's another $500. The MSRP on the 01' EX in St. Louis is $26,840 most dealers charge a document fee $65 - $75.

 

[mikester]

I had a similar problem with John Eagle Honda. They quoted me MSRP to order one, and after checking around, I figured I wouldn't do much better. Then, when we started filling out the paperwork, they said they had a mandatory sealant package all their vehicles required - for $499.

I argued with the salesman, and he said that they required it on every vehicle for "extra protection". I had just bought an Acura at John Eagle Acura, and they include the paint sealant at no charge. So, I told him that it's great if they want to offer extra protection for their customers, and they are welcome to throw it in like the Acura dealer did, but I am not paying for it. They finally relented and took it off.

The way I see it, you're not really getting a good deal on the car if they force you to buy options that you don't want. Paying MSRP for a car was a big enough psychological barrier to get past, there was no way I was going to pay another $500 for options I didn't want. These Honda dealers better watch the cockiness, because it won't be too long before other vans catch up to the Odyssey.

BTW, my wife and I were also looking at the Toyota Sienna, and this is one of the things that turned me off about the Toyota. We were looking at an XLE with the luxury package and the video system - not exactly a stripped vehicle. However, every Sienna we found in town also had the towing package (an extra $300, not too big a deal), and something they call the "Extra Mile" package, which was a bunch of useless crap like window etching, wheel locks, and a tire warranty. They were charging $1300 for that package. I found out that this is something that the Gulf States distributor always adds on, and that it would be nearly impossible to locate one without the extra $1600 in options we didn't want.