Element owners...

[pooks]

Some advice when car shopping. Get an internet quote!!! It will save you hours of dealing with car salesmen. Once you have the quote - you just go in and buy it. It's painless. That's how I purchased my last 2 hondas.

I took various bits of advice I'd read on the Internet and did the same, with a twist. On the day we were ready to buy -- I mean, seriously ready -- I emailed all the local Honda dealerships' internet sales depts. I said, "Tomorrow I am going to buy a Honda Element. I want Orange, 2WD, automatic. I don't want a lot of extras and don't want to pay for them. Please give me your best price, and if it's the best price I get, I'll be at your place tomorrow morning!"

NOTE: One thing I read is don't expect to get a good price when you're "just looking." Only if you're serious will they really bring out the good prices, so don't bother talking money until you're ready to spend it, and then you'll get a better deal because they won't have already dug their heels in on a higher price.

BTW -- the two things I'd do different are 1) get sidesteps -- not necessary for the front seats but the back seats are easier to get in with them, and 2) probably a rooftop rack, although a lot of people claim the aftermarket from Thule and Yakima are superior to the Honda racks, so I'm not sure about that.

Anyway, I sent that email on Thursday evening. I woke up Friday morning to find one response already waiting. A couple of other places responded, and they were higher than the first. When I emailed them back and told them that I'd already gotten a price of "XXXXX" they both said they couldn't beat it. But they also asked me, "Does that include ..." and "Be sure that they don't .... " In other words, they were coaching me against the competition. Very fun.

I heard back from some other places; they didn't have what I wanted or wanted too much money, and weren't as friendly.

As it turned out, the first price WAS the best offer we got, and we bought the E that afternoon!