I am "thinking" about trading in my wife's Suzuki XL-7 suv. 18 to 19 mpg's is not cutting it with the sky rocketing gas prices. So, I searched around and found a leftover...it's a brand new '07 Accord sedan EX-L 4-cyl auto in graphite pearl with a gray interior. MSRP is $25,645. What do you guys think the dealer would let the car go for? I purchased my '05 new for $4000 under MSRP. I bought it when the '06 model was coming out so I guess the dealer wanted to roll out the '05 models. The '07 is not at the same dealer I purchased my '05 from so I don't know how this other dealer does things. Any chance I could get a comparable deal on the '07? I was thinking of offering a little under $21,000 for it. What do you guys think?

I have been very happy with my '05 and I would gladly add another Accord to the family!:D

When I bought my car, they offered me a deal of 20k and change for the 4 cyl ex-l, so I would say somewhere around there, but it couldn't hurt to ask for less since they want it gone!

I looked up that car on Edmunds.com, unfortunately, I had to look at used and I put in 20 miles.

Retail Total = $20,938
Certified Used Vehicle = $22,020

I would approach the dealer and tell that, you feel the 07 is inferior to the 08 (even if not true), but that if they give you a deal on the 07 you might be interested...

I would probably go in, drive an 08, then ask about the 07...

I would approach the dealer and tell that, you feel the 07 is inferior to the 08 (even if not true), but that if they give you a deal on the 07 you might be interested...

I would probably go in, drive an 08, then ask about the 07...


I like this approach...very nice.:thmsup:

I bought a leftover '07 Montego a couple of months ago - sticker was about $31,500 and I paid $23,000 even. The value was calculated as retail for a used '07 with 100 miles, with an added value for the fact it had a full factory warranty. I think we agreed to tack on $500 for that fact. The dealer I worked with was pretty open to negotiate, and I based my offer on these pieces of info.....

andy

When I purchase a car, I always negotiate the out-the-door price so that the dealer cannot tack on misc fees to up the price. I calculate the tax and then go to my state's DMV website to find out how much the registration fee should be.

I am "thinking" about trading in my wife's Suzuki XL-7 suv. 18 to 19 mpg's is not cutting it with the sky rocketing gas prices. So, I searched around and found a leftover...it's a brand new '07 Accord sedan EX-L 4-cyl auto in graphite pearl with a gray interior. MSRP is $25,645. What do you guys think the dealer would let the car go for? I purchased my '05 new for $4000 under MSRP. I bought it when the '06 model was coming out so I guess the dealer wanted to roll out the '05 models. The '07 is not at the same dealer I purchased my '05 from so I don't know how this other dealer does things. Any chance I could get a comparable deal on the '07? I was thinking of offering a little under $21,000 for it. What do you guys think?

I have been very happy with my '05 and I would gladly add another Accord to the family!:D

I purchased one with the same sticker brand new in Southern California in December for $21,200 plus fees.

I bought a leftover '07 Montego a couple of months ago - sticker was about $31,500 and I paid $23,000 even. The value was calculated as retail for a used '07 with 100 miles, with an added value for the fact it had a full factory warranty. I think we agreed to tack on $500 for that fact. The dealer I worked with was pretty open to negotiate, and I based my offer on these pieces of info.....andy

Of course they were willing to negotiate, it's a MERCURY!! Is it really that hard to believe one can buy a domestic car for less than an import?? You one funny guy........:lmao::lmao:

You got a great deal, I think we can agree on that. However, the reliability on your Mercury is an UNKNOWN commodity at this time, while with Honda we KNOW they are reliable.............:yes:

Of course they were willing to negotiate, it's a MERCURY!! Is it really that hard to believe one can buy a domestic car for less than an import?? You one funny guy........:lmao::lmao:

You got a great deal, I think we can agree on that. However, the reliability on your Mercury is an UNKNOWN commodity at this time, while with Honda we KNOW they are reliable.............:yes:

I disagree. The 500/Freestyle/Taurus/TaurusX/Montego/Sable have been reliable to date, as is the old 70 series Volvo that the chassis is based on. The engine (updated in the '08 Taurus/Sable versions) may be underpowered, but it is also reliable. Plus, this gives Andy a reason to stare at the cars (yeah, the cars ;) ) in the Mercury ads for hours on end ;)

I disagree. The 500/Freestyle/Taurus/TaurusX/Montego/Sable have been reliable to date, as is the old 70 series Volvo that the chassis is based on. The engine (updated in the '08 Taurus/Sable versions) may be underpowered, but it is also reliable. Plus, this gives Andy a reason to stare at the cars (yeah, the cars ;) ) in the Mercury ads for hours on end ;)

How long have these models BEEN OUT on the marketplace? I don't care if they're reworked whatever, there's a new engine and tranny, and we DON'T HAVE long-term results to compare to...........:yes:

Bottom line, Ford MAY have something, but it's TOO EARLY to know if LONG-TERM reliability is BETTER than Honda or Toyota. Thus, when they claim "Our reliability is better than Toyota", and they base that on NINE MONTH reliability studies, don't expect me jump up and down.............:lmao:

How long have these models BEEN OUT on the marketplace? I don't care if they're reworked whatever, there's a new engine and tranny, and we DON'T HAVE long-term results to compare to...........:yes:

Bottom line, Ford MAY have something, but it's TOO EARLY to know if LONG-TERM reliability is BETTER than Honda or Toyota. Thus, when they claim "Our reliability is better than Toyota", and they base that on NINE MONTH reliability studies, don't expect me jump up and down.............:lmao:

Dude, do you have any friends, you are so rude. I mean seriously the engines and trannys have been around since about 1996. The 3.0L duratech is very reliable, gets reasonable mileage. That engine/tranny combo in my GF's Mercury Mariner has been bulletproof, uses no oil, and shifts nice. Easy to maintain. The only trip to the dealer was for a oil change /tire rotation for $34.95. Try that at a Honda dealer.

How long have these models BEEN OUT on the marketplace? I don't care if they're reworked whatever, there's a new engine and tranny, and we DON'T HAVE long-term results to compare to...........:yes:

Bottom line, Ford MAY have something, but it's TOO EARLY to know if LONG-TERM reliability is BETTER than Honda or Toyota. Thus, when they claim "Our reliability is better than Toyota", and they base that on NINE MONTH reliability studies, don't expect me jump up and down.............:lmao:

I had one of these for a company car. I put 45,000 miles on it. My first observation are that the seats are uncomfortable (especially on long trips). They don't compare to the Honda's seats. Also, the car broke down on me with 34,000 miles. It was a "air sensor" of some sort. It went in to "limp mode" and I barely made it to the dealership. The CVT transmssion is literally a piece of garbage. It had an rough shift (and they are supposed to be seamless) or whatever you call a "supposedly shift free" tranny) and it felt like the transmission was going to come through the floor boards. I understand they now went with six speed transmissions. I think that says something. The "asking" prices for these cars are not that far from Honda Accord prices and you get a bigger car...bigger, not better by any stretch.

I am "thinking" about trading in my wife's Suzuki XL-7 suv. 18 to 19 mpg's is not cutting it with the sky rocketing gas prices. So, I searched around and found a leftover...it's a brand new '07 Accord sedan EX-L 4-cyl auto in graphite pearl with a gray interior. MSRP is $25,645. What do you guys think the dealer would let the car go for? I purchased my '05 new for $4000 under MSRP. I bought it when the '06 model was coming out so I guess the dealer wanted to roll out the '05 models. The '07 is not at the same dealer I purchased my '05 from so I don't know how this other dealer does things. Any chance I could get a comparable deal on the '07? I was thinking of offering a little under $21,000 for it. What do you guys think?

I have been very happy with my '05 and I would gladly add another Accord to the family!:D

Here's my experience, though since it was over six months ago it may not apply to finding a new 2007 now.

I bought my 2007 Coupe EX in late October last year. I grabbed the last Coupe EX Nighthawk Black Pearl in the area, and there were only two or three other Coupe EXs out there at all by that point. The 2008 Coupes were just then starting to slowly trickle in, but it was enough of a trickle that the dealers were itching to unload the 2007s. The dealer mentioned a few times while I was looking that they had to get the 2007s out of there so they could bring some more 2008s in.

The sticker price was $24,045 and after three rounds of negotiating I was able to get them down to just over $20k, or essentially $4k off sticker. I added a wing spoiler, and after taxes/fees/etc. my out-the-door price was just over $22,200.

While there were only a couple 2007 Coupe EXs remaining, I still did have the luxury of forcing a few dealers to bid against each other. I even called dealers in other markets up to two hours away and got them in the bidding as well. I wasn't really wanting to drive out of market to buy a car (I'd have done it if I landed a spectacular deal), but I wanted extra figures in the pot to work with.

The dealer I purchased the vehicle from would only budge about $1k in the first offer, then only another $1k in the second offer. I told them it still wasn't good enough and that I had other dealers offering a better deal. I even threw in a comment that if they make an offer I really like that I'd be down there that night to buy the car and that'd help them get another 2008 on their lot. They came back with an additional $2k off their previous offer, which was $4k total, and I told them I'd be there that night to buy the car, and that's exactly what I did.

How long have these models BEEN OUT on the marketplace? I don't care if they're reworked whatever, there's a new engine and tranny, and we DON'T HAVE long-term results to compare to...........:yes:

Bottom line, Ford MAY have something, but it's TOO EARLY to know if LONG-TERM reliability is BETTER than Honda or Toyota. Thus, when they claim "Our reliability is better than Toyota", and they base that on NINE MONTH reliability studies, don't expect me jump up and down.............:lmao:
Well, I'll let you have your opinion, and can offer you a couple of Acura horror stories in our 90 Integra and 93 Legend that both had to be bought back due to engineering errors, but alas you've drank the Honda kool-aid one too many times. I'm more than happy with the 4 Hondas we've owned over the last 4 years (2 still in the driveway), but your blind belief that any other manufacturer (especially domestic in this case) has bad reliability (or not enough data to prove it) is just something you'll have to get over. You ragged on me when I first got this, and you continue - and that's your issue, not mine. If Honda would have offered an AWD sedan with the features and size I wanted for a price under $30k I'd have been all over it. But, alas, they don't.

And if you paid attention to my cost, it was based on the already depreciated value, taking into account the big drop. I'd never expect an accord to drop in value as quickly, but also if you use the same logic as to average resale for that particular car, you'd come up with a ballpark value to offer the dealer.

andy

I had one of these for a company car. I put 45,000 miles on it. My first observation are that the seats are uncomfortable (especially on long trips). They don't compare to the Honda's seats. Also, the car broke down on me with 34,000 miles. It was a "air sensor" of some sort. It went in to "limp mode" and I barely made it to the dealership. The CVT transmssion is literally a piece of garbage. It had an rough shift (and they are supposed to be seamless) or whatever you call a "supposedly shift free" tranny) and it felt like the transmission was going to come through the floor boards. I understand they now went with six speed transmissions. I think that says something. The "asking" prices for these cars are not that far from Honda Accord prices and you get a bigger car...bigger, not better by any stretch.

Not sure why you got a "stinker", but your experience isn't common with the many owners in the Freestyle and 500/Montego forums that I participate in. I'd say the issues you saw could also be seen in an Accord as well. If you had a rough shift in the CVT, then you're likely one in a million, since the CVT doesn't shift - I've never even FELT the tranny change in either of my CVT-equipped vehicles. The bigger issues on the 500/Montego line were with the FWD variants, which had the 6-speed tranny imported from Japan - those were pretty problematic (and also different than the current 6-speed that Ford offers in the redesigned vehicle). My only complaint with the current setup is that the 3.0L Duratec isn't the quietest motor on the planet (the composite intake certainly makes interesting sounds) - and I'll agree that Honda makes a smoother engine. But in terms of the overall package, my '07 Freestyle and Montego have been outstanding, and the AWD is just jaw-dropping to drive in the winter.

andy

I am "thinking" about trading in my wife's Suzuki XL-7 suv. 18 to 19 mpg's is not cutting it with the sky rocketing gas prices. So, I searched around and found a leftover...it's a brand new '07 Accord sedan EX-L 4-cyl auto in graphite pearl with a gray interior. MSRP is $25,645. What do you guys think the dealer would let the car go for? I purchased my '05 new for $4000 under MSRP. I bought it when the '06 model was coming out so I guess the dealer wanted to roll out the '05 models. The '07 is not at the same dealer I purchased my '05 from so I don't know how this other dealer does things. Any chance I could get a comparable deal on the '07? I was thinking of offering a little under $21,000 for it. What do you guys think?

I have been very happy with my '05 and I would gladly add another Accord to the family!:D

Cordi2005- Not to talk you out of trading up to an Accord, but I have some questions. First, how much does the suzuki get driven per month? How old is the Suzuki?

If it gets driven a lot, the gas savings could be fairly substantial. In my case, I drive approximately 2,000 highway miles per month. I made some calculations based on gas mileage with the gas price at $3.69.

Suzuki: 19mpg = 105.26 gallons = $388.42
Accord: 30 mpg = 66.66 gallons = $246.00

So in my situation, I would save $142.42 per month in gas, driving 2,000 miles per month. The idea only gets more complicated when you consider the value of your Suzuki versus the price of a new car, and the depreciation that will come with it (especially on an 07). Right now, an SUV is the least desired vehicle on the road. Nobody is buying them (well, except for luxo-barges, and 25mpg "cute-ute" rav-4s and CR-Vs), and your trade value will reflect that.

You need to figure out how long it will take for the Accord to save you the money that you're looking for.

Cordi2005- Not to talk you out of trading up to an Accord, but I have some questions. First, how much does the suzuki get driven per month? How old is the Suzuki?

If it gets driven a lot, the gas savings could be fairly substantial. In my case, I drive approximately 2,000 highway miles per month. I made some calculations based on gas mileage with the gas price at $3.69.

Suzuki: 19mpg = 105.26 gallons = $388.42
Accord: 30 mpg = 66.66 gallons = $246.00

So in my situation, I would save $142.42 per month in gas, driving 2,000 miles per month. The idea only gets more complicated when you consider the value of your Suzuki versus the price of a new car, and the depreciation that will come with it (especially on an 07). Right now, an SUV is the least desired vehicle on the road. Nobody is buying them (well, except for luxo-barges, and 25mpg "cute-ute" rav-4s and CR-Vs), and your trade value will reflect that.

You need to figure out how long it will take for the Accord to save you the money that you're looking for.

If his Suzuki is one that can be "towed flat" then he may want to advertise it on RV forums. People that have class "A" RVs have a little more coin and don't care about fuel prices as much. I have seen many Suzuki XL-7s towed behind RV's. Apparently, there are not that many vehicles that can be towed with all 4 wheels down with out doing damage to the powertrain. Just an idea....

Not sure why you got a "stinker", but your experience isn't common with the many owners in the Freestyle and 500/Montego forums that I participate in. I'd say the issues you saw could also be seen in an Accord as well. If you had a rough shift in the CVT, then you're likely one in a million, since the CVT doesn't shift - I've never even FELT the tranny change in either of my CVT-equipped vehicles. The bigger issues on the 500/Montego line were with the FWD variants, which had the 6-speed tranny imported from Japan - those were pretty problematic (and also different than the current 6-speed that Ford offers in the redesigned vehicle). My only complaint with the current setup is that the 3.0L Duratec isn't the quietest motor on the planet (the composite intake certainly makes interesting sounds) - and I'll agree that Honda makes a smoother engine. But in terms of the overall package, my '07 Freestyle and Montego have been outstanding, and the AWD is just jaw-dropping to drive in the winter.

andy

How many people put 45,000 miles in a year and a half? At least with my last "old school" style Taurus (company car) the alternator didn't go out until 60K. Not that an alternator should go out at 60K. I had an '02 Mazda 626 w/the V6 and it was running great at 100K when I traded it in on the Accord. Only one issue in 7 years....radiator replacement.

Dude, do you have any friends, you are so rude. I mean seriously the engines and trannys have been around since about 1996. The 3.0L duratech is very reliable, gets reasonable mileage. That engine/tranny combo in my GF's Mercury Mariner has been bulletproof, uses no oil, and shifts nice. Easy to maintain. The only trip to the dealer was for a oil change /tire rotation for $34.95. Try that at a Honda dealer.

How am I rude? I am merely stating that a NINE MONTH SURVEY is a little "early" for Ford to claim that "our quality is now better than Toyota's"...........you guys seem to be drinking the Kool-Aid if you believe that Ford's quality is better than Toyota, if they say their quality is better than Honda next year are you going to believe that too??:dunno:

Well, I'll let you have your opinion, and can offer you a couple of Acura horror stories in our 90 Integra and 93 Legend that both had to be bought back due to engineering errors, but alas you've drank the Honda kool-aid one too many times. I'm more than happy with the 4 Hondas we've owned over the last 4 years (2 still in the driveway), but your blind belief that any other manufacturer (especially domestic in this case) has bad reliability (or not enough data to prove it) is just something you'll have to get over.

So you're comparing mechanical faults on 15 and 18 year old cars to today? I worked at domestic dealerships for 7 years, so it's not like I'm just spouting off garbage. Our dealership carried the Big 3, along with VW and Nissan. So the sample size of things I saw was massive.

Ford, GM, and Chrysler's reliability had BETTER be on the upswing, or they will be out of business.........

I've paid my dues, I've purchased 9 new and 14 used Big 3 cars in the past 27 years. However, for the first time in my life, I own two imports, and they are Hondas. And my repair bills have NEVER been lower. I've got a $3500 GM card rebate just sitting there, waiting to be used. Problem is, I can't find a GM car that's fuel efficient and as reliable than my Honda Accord. If you know of such an animal let me know. The new Malibu looks promising, but you know what they say about "first year models"..........:)

Don't know about the accord based on MPGs. I only get 23 MPG mixed out of mine, though I think it's just a tad less than average.

If you want to NOT be disappointed with your purchase you should anticipate getting right around the "City" MPG rating.
Cordi2005- Not to talk you out of trading up to an Accord, but I have some questions. First, how much does the suzuki get driven per month? How old is the Suzuki?

If it gets driven a lot, the gas savings could be fairly substantial. In my case, I drive approximately 2,000 highway miles per month. I made some calculations based on gas mileage with the gas price at $3.69.

Suzuki: 19mpg = 105.26 gallons = $388.42
Accord: 30 mpg = 66.66 gallons = $246.00

So in my situation, I would save $142.42 per month in gas, driving 2,000 miles per month. The idea only gets more complicated when you consider the value of your Suzuki versus the price of a new car, and the depreciation that will come with it (especially on an 07). Right now, an SUV is the least desired vehicle on the road. Nobody is buying them (well, except for luxo-barges, and 25mpg "cute-ute" rav-4s and CR-Vs), and your trade value will reflect that.

You need to figure out how long it will take for the Accord to save you the money that you're looking for.

Don't know about the accord based on MPGs. I only get 23 MPG mixed out of mine, though I think it's just a tad less than average.

He did a calculation of highway mileage, which if you ask me is modest seeing as the Accord (even in V6 form) is capable of 30+mpg hwy.

Cordi2005- Not to talk you out of trading up to an Accord, but I have some questions. First, how much does the suzuki get driven per month? How old is the Suzuki?

If it gets driven a lot, the gas savings could be fairly substantial. In my case, I drive approximately 2,000 highway miles per month. I made some calculations based on gas mileage with the gas price at $3.69.

Suzuki: 19mpg = 105.26 gallons = $388.42
Accord: 30 mpg = 66.66 gallons = $246.00

So in my situation, I would save $142.42 per month in gas, driving 2,000 miles per month. The idea only gets more complicated when you consider the value of your Suzuki versus the price of a new car, and the depreciation that will come with it (especially on an 07). Right now, an SUV is the least desired vehicle on the road. Nobody is buying them (well, except for luxo-barges, and 25mpg "cute-ute" rav-4s and CR-Vs), and your trade value will reflect that.

You need to figure out how long it will take for the Accord to save you the money that you're looking for.

You make a very good point and it was something I was also thinking about since I posted this message. The Suzuki gets driven about 1,000 miles a month and will be paid for by August. I think it makes more sense to keep it and just put gas in it. Maintain it, drive it until it stops and have no car payment until then. I would take a beating on the Suzuki money wise and it would take me a while to make it up.

Thanks for all the replies!!!

He did a calculation of highway mileage, which if you ask me is modest seeing as the Accord (even in V6 form) is capable of 30+mpg hwy.


I agree - 10,700 miles on my '07 V6 auto and an average of 29.88 so far in mixed driving (60/40 Highway) :thmsup: