The salesperson, Stanley Moe did a fantastic job. The other personnel involved (3 finance/accounting reps) were nice as well.
My experience started with doing some homework online on my own, to figure out where I would be ($ wise), on a 2024 Accord EX. The one recommendation I would give to Honda, is to remove the repetitive pop-ups from chat bots, etc. They actually caused the pre-sale research to be more of a hassle than it needed to be. While I am a big fan of advancing technologies, I am only a fan of the kind that make whatever you are trying to accomplish, easier (if those bots actually help Honda with sales volume, then I guess it makes sense to leave them in, but I didn't enjoy that part of the experience).
With my homework completed, I figured to just go to the dealership, and talk to a salesperson. Stanley saw me looking around, and asked me if I needed help with anything.
So I told him what I was looking for, and he immediately looked to see what they had on the lot. While I already knew the exact VIN that I was looking for, I figured to see what Stanley came up with. He said that they did have 1 unit that matched what I was looking for, but it was on a different lot (nearby the dealership). So far, so good - everything was adding up.
The main thing with that first interaction, was, I was getting a sense of what kind of a salesperson Stanley is - paying attention to his tone in answering questions, how knowledgeable he was, and how organized he was, in keeping that potential sale on track. I could tell that he wasn't trying to pull the wool over my eyes, that he knew the product well. He was also very helpful in helping me setup the overall scenario that would result in me driving the new car that I wanted, off the lot (which included the return of a non-Honda lease, which was maturing).
While the exact car that I wanted to buy wasn't right outside the building, Stanley suggested test driving a similar model. I actually planning to do a test drive, but he convinced me (I trusted his judgement), and the car performed even better than what I was expecting, during the test drive - so I am glad he suggested to do that.
During the test drive, I explained that I had done some homework online, and I told him where I expected to be, monthly payment wise, for the lease (taking into consideration the lease length, miles, etc.). I also explained my situation with my existing lease, and how I was planning on handling it.
When the test drive was over, Stanley got in touch with a finance rep, who ran the numbers. Stanley went over the quote with me which, was a little higher than I was expecting (about $50/month higher). When I pointed that out, he didn't put any pressure on me - he let me just read the quote slowly, and think it through. I noticed that there was an option package added, that increased the overall MSRP, and asked him if that is what caused the overage vs what I was expecting to pay - and he said it was. So I was good with that. We were already in the ballpark anyway - and I did not get the sense at all that he was trying to play any games, etc.
After that, he had the financial rep run my credit, and I paid for my 1st month (no money down other than that). I paid that as a deposit, both to ensure that the car would not be sold between the day I visited the dealership (and the day I would pick up the car, and return the lease) - which was 3 days apart. I set things up purposely that way, because I do not enjoy the general environment of buying/leasing new cars, as you finalizing making decisions that will last multiple years, all within an hour or so. So I used the first trip, to work out the numbers (including a deposit), and made a plan to come back on the weekend, to do the actual pickup / contract signing.
With part 1 out of the way, I felt like Stanley had my best interests in mind.
He had given me a copy of the quote, so I could setup my insurance myself. I actually found this to be very useful, as it reduced the car buying experience pressure even more. I just spoke with my own insurance rep, and emailed the binder to Stanley.
So, for part 2, when I went back for the pickup, my deposit and insurance was already complete, so it was just a matter of seeing the literal car that I would be driving off the lot, and signing the contract. Stanley did an excellent job going over the features (repeating a few of the things that he had covered during the test drive as well - which was helpful as well).
There was a woman in one of the accounting offices, who handled my contract. She was very pleasant, and made getting through the contract a breeze.
Lastly, as for my existing non-Honda lease that was maturing: Stanley drove my new Honda to the non-Honda dealer, while I drove the car whose lease was expiring (so that I could return the lease). He didn't have to do that, but it definitely made things that much easier.
Thanks for everything! read more