I am ready to buy an Insight, but I'm wondering if I should buy a new one, or shop for a used one. There are pros and cons to each, of course, but I would like to hear opinions on the subject from seasoned Insight owners.
A week ago I rented a red automatic Insite for a day (from Budget EV at LAX), loved it; gave my wife a ride in it, she liked it pretty much too. She didn't want to drive it since it was raining, but she liked it!, thought it had plenty of room, nicely equipped, etc.
The rental had 47.000+ miles on it and still drove quite well, no problems except some missing interior trim pieces. So this past weekend I went to Weir Canyon Honda (Yorba Linda) to check out a used one, listed in autotrader at $13,999 with 9,200 miles on it.
You guessed it, already sold. However, they do have two 2003 Insights, both blue, automatic. They were marked $21, 500 but the salesman said he could do better. "How much better?" I asked.
"Ah, let me talk to my sales manager" . . . blah, blah, etc. A few minutes later he comes out with $17,900. I asked "Is that the best you can do? (insert best incredulous tone of voice here)."
"Well, " he added, "Our new sales manager, see, she's new here, and I think the boss really wants these Insights out of here. I'll check with him because I think we can do better for you." I took his card, he took my card. The other "new" advantage is the $1,500 CA tax credit, so that makes the "real" price $16,500 before tax/license.
That was Sat. this is Mon. I haven't called him, he hasn't called me, but I am curious as to exactly how much his boss wants to see those Insights gone. Or is that just a car salesman's trick? I've been a used car buying guy (from private owners) all my life, so I'm not hip to car sales-guy jargon.
Used Insights in the LA area are all over the board miles/price wise, but if I got one like the rental (~40 - 50 thousand miles), it's going to be about
$11,000 - $12,000.
So the question is, . . . is the fact that it's a NEW car really beneficial in terms of getting the most Insight for my dollar? Or would patience and a good hunting instinct most likely lead me to a better value in a used Insight? Are there other factors I should be considering? Please advise.
A week ago I rented a red automatic Insite for a day (from Budget EV at LAX), loved it; gave my wife a ride in it, she liked it pretty much too. She didn't want to drive it since it was raining, but she liked it!, thought it had plenty of room, nicely equipped, etc.
The rental had 47.000+ miles on it and still drove quite well, no problems except some missing interior trim pieces. So this past weekend I went to Weir Canyon Honda (Yorba Linda) to check out a used one, listed in autotrader at $13,999 with 9,200 miles on it.
You guessed it, already sold. However, they do have two 2003 Insights, both blue, automatic. They were marked $21, 500 but the salesman said he could do better. "How much better?" I asked.
"Ah, let me talk to my sales manager" . . . blah, blah, etc. A few minutes later he comes out with $17,900. I asked "Is that the best you can do? (insert best incredulous tone of voice here)."
"Well, " he added, "Our new sales manager, see, she's new here, and I think the boss really wants these Insights out of here. I'll check with him because I think we can do better for you." I took his card, he took my card. The other "new" advantage is the $1,500 CA tax credit, so that makes the "real" price $16,500 before tax/license.
That was Sat. this is Mon. I haven't called him, he hasn't called me, but I am curious as to exactly how much his boss wants to see those Insights gone. Or is that just a car salesman's trick? I've been a used car buying guy (from private owners) all my life, so I'm not hip to car sales-guy jargon.
Used Insights in the LA area are all over the board miles/price wise, but if I got one like the rental (~40 - 50 thousand miles), it's going to be about
$11,000 - $12,000.
So the question is, . . . is the fact that it's a NEW car really beneficial in terms of getting the most Insight for my dollar? Or would patience and a good hunting instinct most likely lead me to a better value in a used Insight? Are there other factors I should be considering? Please advise.