Buying A Minivan -- Am I getting a good deal?

I have the Odyssey and love it. I don't really get the hate on minivans. I do triathlon, mountain bike, kayak, backcountry camping and a ton of my own home repairs.

My van accommodates all of those activities way better than an SUV - which generally have pretty crummy cargo room.

When I am in the city, the sliding doors are great for getting my kids in and out, and the autotailgate is sweet too.

My status based on what I do with my van, not what I pretend to do with my SUV.

If you're going to get a van get a real van.

14 seater

http://www.meridianlimo.com/?portfolio=testfolio-4#

!prettyPhoto

Final update:

We bought the 2012 Honda Odyssey EX-L.

The price was $31,700 (about $700 below dealer invoice) + $489 doc fee.

The taxes were $2400 -- yikes.

Mom is happy.

Thank to everybody for the help.

Congratulations.

I am sure you will enjoy it.

Most people that have that vehicle wind up happy with their choice.

If you are OK with the price and like your new ride then it was a good deal.

you chose the right model. my family currently owns a honda odyssey as well. except it is a 1998 or 1999, and it has 368,000 miles on it and it is still going strong, driven everyday. hondas last forever. definitely worth the money.

$489 doc fee? What state are you in? Many states have regulated the doc fee and have set a maximum on the charge.

And for others out there, EVERYTHING on a car deal except for taxes and government fees (title, registration, emmissions) is negotiable. Doc fees, extended waranties, service contracts, accessories, VIN etch, fabric guard, dent/ding, glass chip, tire, blah, blah blah. Dealer markup on these products are usually a minimum of 100%.

Point is, he paid $32,189 plus taxes and he was happy with what he got.

No need to sweat the details now.

The crazy high doc fee allowed them to "give" him $700 below invoice.

You do need to know these processing fees before agreeing to a deal and factor it in.

Don't kill yourself negotiating each step along the way.

Know your fees, know your taxes, know your financing, know any extras first, and then make one offer on the price with all of these details in consideration.

The MonBRO Doctrine wrote:

Get a used minivan. New automobiles are a scam.

That USED to be the case. However, due to "Cash For Clunkers" and a bad economy, used cars are almost at parity with new, especially if you have to finance (used cars have higher interest rates). It's crazy.

For an illustrative anecdote I tried to negotiate a purchase of a 45k mileage 2009 Honda CRV and the lowest they would go was $2000 less than invoice price of a comparable, new 2011 model. The used CRV had no warranty and financing it would cost an extra $1281 over 5-years.

Dad Now wrote:

I've settled on the Honda Odyssey EX.

MSRP is $32,828.

Dealer Invoice is $29,327.

I'm getting it for $29,624, or $297 over Invoice.

This total already includes their doc fee and a dealer accessory fee.

Is this a good deal, or should I keep shopping?

p.s. I used to be fast, now I drive a minivan.

Minivans are overpriced for the market. Crossovers are the "in" thing. You might get a good one for the same price as the minivan, but get better gas mileage.

I'm in TN, where there's no limit on doc fees. The other Honda dealer in our area charges $498. I knew that fee going in and adjusted my price accordingly.

As for the crossover, trust me, my wife pulled me, kicking and screaming, to the minivan. But I see the logic -- it's just so much more spacious, especially when we're going to have to fit 3 car seats.