"Thunder" (Thunder)
10/30/2014 at 09:07 • Filed to: None
10
13|
"Thunder" (Thunder)
10/30/2014 at 09:07 • Filed to: None | 10
| 13 |
I was asked for info on the dealership in Alexandria, VA from which I purchased my Si in reply to this thread:
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
As documenting that was something I intended to do from the start, here it is.
My '14 Si purchase started when my wife and daughter accompanied me on a test drive here in Raleigh, and pronounced it acceptable. The Focus ST Recaros were not.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
My wife has 8 herniated discs; the Si had seats she could at least endure for local driving. She can't drive stick (I taught her back when we were dating... roughly 20 years ago... but the later disc herniations from an accident in 1999 mean she can't modulate her left leg to work the clutch), so the car is exclusively mine to drive.
I had made initial contact with that local dealership through their internet department, and received a quote of $24K. After the test drive, I asked if they could do any better than that quote, and was told flat "no".
So I went home, went on cars.com, and entered a search for Civic Si sedans with navigation, either in white or silver, two of the "old fart's" colors for the car (I'm turning 39 tomorrow). I emailed three dealerships with matching listings, I think one was Virginia Beach, one might have been out around Charlotte, and the winner was Landmark Honda in Alexandria. My salesperson was Mielad (pronounced 'Mill-Odd') Abebe.
I had a reply to my email, with a $21K quote, within maybe an hour or so. We worked out all the details by email and phone, and on Saturday 8/23 I drove a rental Focus up to Alexandria.
I got there right around 9:30, so timed for the end of their morning meeting. I checked out the car, took a drive, did the initial paperwork, and headed up to drop off the rental at DCA. Milead then picked me up there in a CNG-powered Civic, actually coming into the rental-car-only parking garage - I walked perhaps 100 feet from where I dropped the rental off to get picked back up.
On the way back, we talked a bit - he's from Ethiopia, very well-spoken, and working towards a degree in computer science / computer systems. I offered some suggestions as to what courses had served me best in my career. Those are Programming Methodology (learn a new language every couple weeks or so - teaches you to dive in and be productive quickly), and SQL, short for Structured Query Language, or how to talk to most databases.
We got back to the dealership, where I met with the finance guy. He tried very hard to sell me on all sorts of add-ons, extended warranty, etc. I have Geico, and had already put their mechanical breakdown coverage on it (7 years 100K miles, for something like $50 every 6 months, $250 deductible); they countered with something like "but will they pay when you need it". I was able to say definitively 'yes', as my wife's Mercedes had just come back from $5K of repairs performed under that warranty. That quieted them down on that quickly.
By perhaps 2 PM I was on my way back to Raleigh. First, though, I had to stop in Tyson's Corners for an American Girl doll for my daughter.
I left that stop back into the deluge that had started right when I left the dealership, continuing on to the north side of Richmond to meet a coworker. I work from home, other than my first three days of employment, and I hadn't met any of my teammates in my three plus years with the company. Making it more interesting, I was advised on the following Monday that I had won the promotion and was going to be overseeing the team I had been a member of, along with two others. So, we met as coworkers, and next talked as supervisor and direct report.
Final interesting note: he of course had to check out the car; now he's interested in one, or possibly a WRX.
My salesman's info:
Mielad Abebe
Landmark Honda
5125 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22304
703-823-8000 (w)
mabebe@landmarkhonda.dealspace.com
P.S. Follow-through.
Post-sale follow-through shows one's true colors. There was one thing missing from the deal we had made: a cargo net. They didn't have one in stock when I came to get the car. Solution: they mailed me one, along with a check for installation, after calling my local Cary, NC dealer for that installation cost. Full follow-through - as it should be.
sellphones2493
> Thunder
10/30/2014 at 09:28 |
|
You're from a 1-Plate State! Get that $hit off!
cazzyodo
> Thunder
10/30/2014 at 09:34 |
|
It's always nice to hear when things work out well. And because I'll likely be busy tomorrow, happy early birthday!
|
Thunder
> sellphones2493
10/30/2014 at 09:36 |
|
Long since done. Old pic. Still need to fix the hole from the plate frame, though. :-(
|
Thunder
> cazzyodo
10/30/2014 at 09:36 |
|
Thanks!
jsn081
> Thunder
10/30/2014 at 10:21 |
|
Couldn't agree more about the post sale follow through. After recently purchasing a new Fiat Abarth, the dealer was a bit slow on sending me the plates/registration so I only received them the day before my temp expired. Not a big deal but I failed to look at the temp inspection sticker closely, not realizing that it had already expired (dealership sent me plates 13 days after DMV issued them - a full 3 days after the temp inspection sticker expired). Normally this wouldn't be much of a concern, but the car is street parked in NYC and of course I received a ticket. I called to complain to the dealer and after a little back and forth, they agreed to pay for the ticket. Not only did I get a great deal on the car, I also couldn't be happier with the dealer follow through.
Rico
> Thunder
10/30/2014 at 11:06 |
|
Nice car and nice color!
gabdere
> Thunder
10/30/2014 at 11:27 |
|
Wow, that's the right price for a Civic SI and that makes the car much more interesting to americans than canadians. Hope you'll enjoy yours more than i enjoy mine. BTW, sweet color! Not available in Canada....
ThePro
> Thunder
10/30/2014 at 15:52 |
|
Thanks for the post! I had emailed landmark honda a few days back, they just came back with a very low price (for the DC area), about $16k + taxes. That's about Focus territory, and the Focus has way less resale value.
I could probably get it slightly lower if I try
JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
> Thunder
01/09/2015 at 18:07 |
|
Nice Si! I test drove an ILX 2.4 which is pretty much an Si with an Acura badge and it was excellent. Such a nice revvy engine; you don't find enough NA cars anymore. I live right across the street from Landmark Honda and that CVS in the townhouse community right there, by the way!
|
Thunder
> JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
01/13/2015 at 10:39 |
|
I would have considered the ILX 2.4... in fact, I'm probably the ideal candidate for 'graduation' from Honda to Acura. However, the ILX lacks the limited-slip diff that's standard in the Si, and does not have the tech package coupled with the manual transmission.
I'd like the seat heaters (oh, so much), the leather, and maybe even the slightly softer suspension in the ILX. But it's a heck of a lot easier to get aftermarket projector headlights and HIDs added to an Si than to add LSD and navigation to the ILX.
I'm 39, father of two, manage a team of 25 extremely capable data architects and related disciplines in a work from home position, and am a private pilot. I could easily have stretched to an ILX... but not when it's decontented relative to my Si.
liquid_popcorn
> Thunder
01/20/2015 at 12:40 |
|
Excellent writeup!
As a sales consultant for VW, the experience you describe is exactly what I and my coworkers aim to accomplish as well - a straightforward, low pressure, and easy transaction, with the hope that you will love your new car and tell plenty of others to come our way!
That Honda dealer is local to me, too, haha.
Congrats on the SI, and the promotion!
dogisbadob
> Thunder
02/07/2015 at 13:25 |
|
this generation Accord is awesome
|
dogisbadob
> Thunder
02/07/2015 at 18:38 |
|
nice Protege