You recieved a lot of good advice here but always remember every deal is
different. Like if you are buying a hot car in beginning of year, like the
2004 TL when it first came out, expect less flex on sticker. I have seen
cars such as the S2000 and the original Miati that actually sound thousands
over sticker in thier initial year. That is, of course the exception rather
than the rule.

I trade every two years and have two cars in family so basically I buy a new
car every year. Yes my neighbors think I am nuts. Works for me though.

First I always use same dealer and they are always a big dealer who has
lot's of cars on their inventory. Volume dealers have to move them. I own my
cars so after the initial car purchase everything is cost judged by what I
wrote a check for.

This years deal. traded Acura 04 TL non Nav 22k for Accord 06 EX 6cyl w/Nav.
Bottom line was my car and $3500 ( all costs included ). Hence it cost me
$145 a month to drive the TL, can't get a lease deal on a Civic for that
hardly. Buying the first one outright is the hard part but after that you
always drive a new car. You never put a dime into maintainence except oil
change ( TL needed tires would have been 900 ) new car comes with new Tires

condition and is also still under warranty so any work the new buyer may
want done is usually handled under warranty. Being from NY the tax dollar
savings is nothing to sneeze at. 24k on trade = $1836 real money saved.
So honestly, if one can buy that initial car cash and then trade every two
or so years I don't know what could be better. Always driving a new car
works for me better than driving an older depreciating car that may or may
not need major work only the way.

So pick out a dealer with lot's of cars.

Research and decide what you believe is a good deal. ($500 over invoice is a
good point to look at but remember a hot car it won't happen, a overstocked
or not hot car you can do better )

Always deal on a car already on lot or one already on truck and scheduled to
arrive in 48 hours or so. Nothing better for a dealer who is paying for
everycar on lot than selling inventory. Yes they can locate a car for you,
or order a car for you but the better deal is always what is sitting right
in front of them that has to be moved.

If you are financing know what is out there and what real deal is. Shop your
local bank rates, incentive rates and remember that many rates are pure bull
for many. In example went to a dealer offering ZERO Percent financing. Of
course you knows, he says, that I can only give you ZERO financing on first
10,000 and naturally I can't discount the car at all if you have ZERO
financing. My answer short and sweet. You are a deceptive and probably
crooked dealership. That's what you tell me when you have huge ZERO
financing ads and immediately go to back away from same. Even legit deals
usually apply only to TOP score borrowers. Makes sense after all that no
lender is going to loan at best rate to someone with a horrid credit rating.
So Honda was offering 4.9% but, and much to their credit most ads mentioned
it albeit in small print, only to those with credit scores of something like
740 and above.

Finally and most important go in to salesman and make it clear, you are not
price shopping, you are not testing waters, you are there to have a deal
inked on the table in the next 15 minutes. YOU are there to buy a car. I
walk in and make it cleare that I expect to own a new car in the 15 minutes.
I make it clear I know what going rate is and that I want better ( usually
taken in add on's with big numbers but dealer cost relatively inexpensive ).
In recent case with 06 Accord I said your sticker is 29,850, I want it for
27,400 and I want electronic day/night mirror and fog lights on it. My trade
is 24K and I have the title in hand and can make the deal and take delivery
right now. Advised him that he had two cars listed in his inventory that met
my equipment need but were wrong color. I told him the color I preferred
but that I was not totally locked to it although the two inventory vehicles
were totally not acceptable for any deal price. This allowed for him to go
check and see if he could produce the preferred color easily, he could not.
He said he could do a deal for the color I wanted but it would be $500
higher ( having already researched I know that Nav's were not flowing into
dealers locally, out of 89 Accords only 3 in his inventory were Nav and one
of those was an 05, another dealer had none and a third had 1 scheduled for
delivery right color also whihc I knew ). So I believed that he would want
that extra $500 to close on that color. BUT he says, I have a charcoal with
a light interior coming in next day or so. I can do the deal on that. Have
exact color without Nav sitting right here. So I checked it out decided I
could live with it and the deal was done.

Did the business manager sit down, never buy or add anything that would
raise the price.

The very last thing, be happy with the deal you made! There will always be
someone that tells you that you could have done better, you have waited, you
should have gone to their sales guy, whatever. Know what you are willing to
spend, understand that a couple of months down the road there may be a
better deal, better incentive, but you are buying now so be happy with your
own where and when.

In my case could there have been a better deal made, who can ever really
know. I went in expecting to pay more simply because of the limited
availablilty locally of the vehicle I wanted with Nav and was surprised to
do as well as I did. I traded down, TL to Accord, in most eyes and which
always helps on the numbers but I am happier with Accord than I was with TL.
I truly like the Accord better! And other than losing blue tooth phone which
I found over-rated, memory seats, and tilt down mirrors I lost no extras and
gained Nav extra all at a considerable savings.

George in NY

Keep the 01 Accord - that was the last normal looking sedan Honda
build; new Accords and Civics are fugly! I had 00 Accord which I sold
myself for asking price (above KBB) within few hours  on inserting a
free classified on internet. I doubt new Accords holds their value as
good.