After spending a few weeks narrowing down the exact car I wanted, right down to the specific features, I did a lot of research to find out what I could reasonbly expect to pay. I then took what I learned online and went to SIX dealers in the Austin area. I had financing in place and was ready to buy. Every one of them told me I was crazy, and the best they could do was about $1300 higher than my target price. So, I contacted Gunn Honda in San Antonio. They had the exact car I wanted, and their "no hassle" price was $300 better than what I was offering to pay the dealers in the Austin area.
So, we went to Gunn. Frankly, I went armed for battle, because I was purely worn out from dealing with the Austin area Honda dealers. I expected a similar hassle from Gunn. However, within minutes, we were test driving the car we came to see. Since we were ready to close the deal, we sat down and started discussing options. Of course, the salesperson tried to sell us a bunch of accessories we didn't want, but he didn't seem bothered when I said "no thanks."
Next came the "Finance Manager." Since we already had financing in place, I expected this to be a lot of arm twisting, but it didn't happen. He offered us some additional warranty coverage for the car (we ended up buying the Honda warranty), and wrapped up the deal. We got the paperwork taken care of while they prepped the car and off we went.
Overall, my Gunn experience was so much easier than I expected. Of course, I was prepared for a battle that never came. I'm sure coming prepared knowing exactly what I wanted and how much I wanted to pay for it made it easier, but I'm still much happier that I drove the 2 hours to Gunn than dealing with any of these slick outfits up here in the Austin area who can't give you a straight answer about anything. This is my fourth Honda, and I'll definitely drive back to Gunn for the fifth, considering they saved me about $2000 overall on the purchase!
more