Have 09 build v6 Luxury Accord's arrived in Oz yet?

[alienbeef]

I have negotiated to purchase a brand new Accord v6 L. I have been called to say that my new car will be ready to pick up on Monday 29/6. I don't think the dealer has managed the negotiation process very well but have been told that mine will be a 09 model.

Does this mean that it will have a 09 compliance plate but still be 08 build or should I expect (and insist) that it be a 09 build ? I went to the dealer based on a large add in the paper with a special offer on 08 Accord's but was told there were none left in my preferred colour (black with ivory interior). I want to be ready if the dealer tries to pass of a 08 build as a 09 model simply because the compliance plate was stuck to the car this year.

Thanks for any replies.

[dc]

u better ask him if its 08/09 or 09/09.....built/compliance
if u got the 08 special price, i doubt ur gonna be getting an 09 car...would be interesting to see, though.

fyi the eta on my 09/09 vti-l is mid july cos apparently 08 builds are still coming in....so lemme know if hes giving u an 09/09 in case im the one being jerked around.

out of curiosity, how did he not handle the 'negotiation process very well'?

[alienbeef]

I went into a Honda dealer due to a large add in the weekend paper advertising the 08 Accord v6 luxury with bluetooth and on roads for $48990 (currently still on their website). The salesperson I delt with seemed to be unaware of the add and insisted the price of these vehicles was $49990.

I thought I may have been the one to make the mistake and left. When I got home I found the add and gave her a call. She asked me to fax a copy of the add to her dealership fax. (True story)

After thinking about what had happened I wrote a note to the state manager and suggested that Honda needed to step up a bit if they want to sell me a car. He was very good and came back with a price I was happy with. He did however say all the 08 Accord's in my preferred colour combination were gone and the car I would be getting would be a 09. The price I would have agreed to on a 08 would be different to the price I agreed to on the 09.

As my confidence with Honda is at an all time low I just wanted to be prepared if the car they wheel out to me is a 08 build and they are calling it a 09 model simply because the compliance plate was riveted this year. I know when the time comes to sell the car or trade-in nobody is going to care less what the compliance plate says, everyone will value this car based on the build date.

[aaronng]

Look at your contract. It should state the vehicle VIN number. Check the 10th digit. If it says "9", then it is a 2009 model. If it says "8", then it is 2008.

[alienbeef]

I also understand the build date is recorded under the passanger side wiper blade.

This issue for me is the availability of the 09 build Accord's. If nobody else has received a 09 build Accord v6 L I don't expect to get one either but if they are readily available I just want to make sure the dealer is not trying to pass off a 08 as a 09.

The gist of my negotiation is that they will be doing the 09 accord for the 08 price (and couple of optional extras), but having been burnt with car dealers before I just want to be as prepared as I can be.

If they do the right thing and present a 09 build Accord I will happily hand over the bank cheque and drive it away (after making sure everything works and no dings or scratches).

Also.... I DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT.

The negotiation took place over the phone (with the state manager) and I paid the deposit by credit card over the phone but I am not bound by any formal contract. This means there is still room for me to refuse the car presented to me if it is not to our agreement. But I am not looking to be a problem customer, I just want to make sure that a 09 model means 09 build before I dig my heals in. Hopefully this will be a non-issue.

[alienbeef]

Just for fun a called a couple of different interstate dealers to see what they had to say about 09 build Honda Accord availability. Nobody was able to give me a straight answer. All they wanted to tell me was that they had available stock for immediate delievery. I mentioned the current offer which features on the Honda.com.au website (08 Accord v6 L for $48990) and he too thought the price of these cars was $49990. I have to say I am amazed at how unprepared these sales people are (?). I wonder if this is a professional con. Advertise a car for a certain price. Tell the customer the price is actually $1000 more but say the advertised price will be honoured and in doing so chop the customer off at the legs, preventing the customer negotiating to an even lower price.

Anyway, I decided to call Honda Australia to get a straight answer. Yes, 09 build Honda Accords have arrived. They also said the way to dermine the model for which nobody can argue is the 10th digit of the VIN as stated above in the reply from Aaronng.

[rahp]

If it helps I negotiated for mine 3 weeks ago.
They agreed to 46000 with tint, bluetooth, rear sensors, boot liner, mudflaps, spare mats. The price included a trade in of a 10yr old worn out holden car for $1500. So I guess 47500 was the price I paid.
08 build 09 compliance.

If I got a good deal then tell me.
If it is a crap deal then Lie to me (gently)!

[dc]

so in the course of your crusade, did you ever interrogate the person that actually sold/is selling u the car?
i'd think the sensible thing to do is to ask them, and not everyone else, if you've been negotiating for an 08 or 09 build.

sure u can look at the vin, but that aint gonna happen until u inspect it at pickup or if you get it on contract, verbal or otherwise. Even if you have a paper contract, you don't necessarily get a vin. Call your sales to confirm uve got an 09 and maybe even get a vin!

...and let us know the result yeh

[aaronng]

When I bought my car, I picked one that was in the holding lot at Honda Australia and I had the VIN and everything on the contract that was given to me. I even got the current odometer reading while it was on the holding lot.

[alienbeef]

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I suppose it has turned into a bit of a crusade. Something I didn't mention is that the dealer debited my credit card for double the amount that we agreed to when I placed my deposit. Combined with the fact the dealer wasn't aware of a 1/2 page add in the paper and didn't know the advertised price. As you can tell I don't have much confidence in this dealer.

So now I have to check, re-check and check again everything they do or say. As far as negotiations go it was very clear that this would be a 09 model. I repeated it back to the manager over the phone and got him to say it again so this would be clear. I am just trying to make sure I know what that means. The dealer has been waiting for the car to arive from interstate but I had a call on the answering machine last night to say the car was here. I will call and ask for the VIN and let you know what happens.

[blackv6luxury]

If it helps I negotiated for mine 3 weeks ago.
They agreed to 46000 with tint, bluetooth, rear sensors, boot liner, mudflaps, spare mats. The price included a trade in of a 10yr old worn out holden car for $1500. So I guess 47500 was the price I paid.
08 build 09 compliance.

If I got a good deal then tell me.
If it is a crap deal then Lie to me (gently)!

You've got a pretty decent deal... I paid 45900 for my V6L in February with tint and boot liner.

[alienbeef]

Looks like the dealer is back on track. Car is a 09 model, 09 build and VIN number is consistent with this. For anybody interested, price is $48450 with bluetooth, dedicated ipod dock, mats, boot protector, CTP/onroads and 12 month registration ($48000 without ipod dock) The ipod dock was part of the peace negotiations. Unfortunately we don't have the competition here. I reckon a much better price can be got in Sydney or Melbourne.

I have been told that the ipod dock is an upgrade on the previous one which is not very highly regarded. I'll post a report and hope it adds significantly more functionality than the aux plug which already exists in these cars.

[ximo]

Recently bought a Vti-L, and i reckon its one of those 08/09 models. Got it for $38,600 as apparently the colour I wanted had to be shipped over from Adelaide as there were none left in Victoria. I got the Nighthawk Black, and also got a black interior. Not a fan of ivory as they get dirty easily and you can leave a blue stain from jeans. Extras included were Reverse sensors and floor mats. Traded in my RX8. Sigh...but i'll be happy with my choice.

Getting the car coming Thursday. When I signed my contract, the dealer didnt promise me a full tank of gas and premium plates etc. Can I still negotiate ?