My Buying Experience - DC Area

[loginva]

Due to the high markups in the MD/VA/DC area, I couldn't find any deals below MSRP. The best deal we could squeeze out was through Sam's Club and Herson Honda in Rockville, which was right at MSRP. I passed on that one.

College Park had quite a few Pilots in stock but no EXL-RES or NAV models. Of course, they said they could put a Honda OEM RES unit in but the bozos wanted to pass the higher cost of the parts & labor on to me! Yeah, they kept reminding me that they are into volume sales and they will entertain any offer, however, they balked at my offer of $500 below MSRP out-the-door. They were just too slick for me, especially with the RES scam they tried to pull. Their sales manager acted as if he was the only Pilot dealership on the east coast.

Thanks to honda-pilot.org, I read a post about Stan Baker at Faulkner Honda in Harrisburg, PA. I followed up with a phone call (717-346-0200) back in late August and we just picked up our brand new 2004 Black Pilot EXL-RES. Stan sold it to us $1000 under MSRP. Not bad considering I didn't have to haggle with him. He was thorough, up front, and honest. Believe me, this was worth the 100 mile drive.

We would've purchased much sooner but the wife wanted black and the RES. We waited for Stan to let us know when he was getting his next one in with that criteria. He originally tried an inter-dealer trade but that turned into a hassle as Pilots are fast movers.

IMHO, if the wife wasn't so picky about the RES, I would've purchased an EXL-NAV. It seems to be easier to perform a clean aftermarket RES installation on a NAV than an aftermarket NAV install on an RES (as shown in other threads & post). Yeah, we could install one of the Garmin units but I want something that's much cleaner than a bean bag on the dash. One drawback for anyone looking for a specific colored Pilot EXL-NAV, they are hard to come by as they aren't as popular. Alot of dealers are using their EXL-NAVs as demos (which may be a good way to get a decent deal if you're willing to wait up to six months for the dealer to sell it). I digressed...

All DC area prospective Pilot buyers: YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY DEALER MARK-UP just drive a few hours out and you'll most certainly make up the gas expense. Sure, you can probably work hard and get a good deal in our area but I found it a chore and exhaustive effort... Far beyond the time my wife and I spent adding a few joyous miles on our first Pilot road trip returning from Harrisburg.

[elduderino]

I agree with you assessment. But, a good deal can be found if you are willing to grind it out (it took me 2 1/2 hours) to close my deal. Lots of options are available (Costco, Autobytel, etc.) You have to be willing to work for a good deal, though.