[25 Year Honda Owner]

Took the drive down to Murfreesboro Honda yesterday to check out the GEN 11 RTL-T in white that the sales lady called and said they had received as a demonstrator. To say the least, I was throughly impressed. The best ride and drive I have ever sat down in; the only negative being the wimpy useless arm rests. Told them to work me up a deal and we will order one just like it. Got the deal last night; $2,000 less trade in than Edmunds lists for my 2013 RTL with 12K miles, jacked up the sticker price $1,000 by adding paint sealant, pin stripes, and mudguards. Not going to happen!!!

 

[MJWayne]

I, too, took the first test drive in the new demo G2 which arrived at my dealership yesterday! Because every Ridgeline that's been delivered to this dealership has been pre sold, no one has had a test drive opportunity, till now. I was really impressed by the comfort, quietness and smoothness on the road sensation that the G2 provided! Only immediate drawback I found was that I wished that the head unit screen would have had a slight skew angle, more towards the driver, than it has. Can't wait for the next two weeks or so for delivery on my DSP RTL-T to arrive; it came off the line 36 hrs ago!

 

[Heli ATP]

....Got the deal last night; $2,000 less trade in than Edmunds lists for my 2013 RTL with 12K miles, jacked up the sticker price $1,000 by adding paint sealant, pin stripes, and mudguards. Not going to happen!!!

Put a 'For Sale' sign on yours. G1's are in demand and with only 12K on the clock I'm sure you would do well.

 

[coolbob]

Try another dealership.

I was having the radiator and brake fluid flushed on my 2012 RTL (with about 45K) at Honda 365 in Memphis. While the truck was being serviced I wandered around the lot and looked at a few Gen 2 Ridgelines. A salesman came by and did his "I can put you in one of these today' routine. I told him we just bought an Accord Touring a few months ago and I was planning on hanging on to my current RL for a few more years. But I told him feel free to hit me with an offer I couldn't refuse on a trade for a RTL-E just for the heck of it.

He and his used car buyer crawled in/over/under my truck while it was being serviced and he came to me 30-minutes later with folder. In the folder was a brochure for the Gen 2 Ridgeline, G2 accessories catalog and a proposed sales sheet. They had the RTL-E at sticker price, plus $999 worth of paint and leather sealant, minus $24k trade in for my truck with the balance financed at 2.9%. I told him thanks for the trouble, but I wasn't interested, especially with the $999 and the interest rate. He immediately scratched out the $999 and said he felt confident could do better on the interest rate if he could look up my credit info.

It was a very tempting offer, especially considering my RL will need new tires and a battery soon.

Definitely try another dealership.

 

[fraugher]

The only way to deal is to be willing to walk away. Well done. There will always be more RL2s.

 

[zroger73]

Took the drive down to Murfreesboro Honda yesterday to check out the GEN 11 RTL-T in white that the sales lady called and said they had received as a demonstrator. To say the least, I was throughly impressed. The best ride and drive I have ever sat down in; the only negative being the wimpy useless arm rests. Told them to work me up a deal and we will order one just like it. Got the deal last night; $2,000 less trade in than Edmunds lists for my 2013 RTL with 12K miles, jacked up the sticker price $1,000 by adding paint sealant, pin stripes, and mudguards. Not going to happen!!!

The quiet, smooth, "luxury-car" ride is what tipped the scales for me. I'm sure everyone here except the newbies knows how I felt about those armsticks from the moment I heard about them and saw them. After I had an opportunity to test them in a Pilot, I didn't like them. When the Ridgeline finally hit the lots, I still didn't like them. Now, I'm living with them. If I had never seen or experienced a full-size, center console-mounted armrest, I probably wouldn't dislike the seat-mounted ones as much. They provide some function, but I would much rather have a G1-style armrest.

Their -$2,000/+$1,000 offers seems very workable to me. It wouldn't take much to get the trade up to book value and the '17 down to at least to MSRP (hard to believe that's even a goal, ha!).

 

[TommyDeVito]

They are called stealers, not dealers, for a reason. It's just business. Make them the offer you want, or will do, and if they don't like it then tell them to call you when they do.

 

[sdbcerda]

You do get put off when the dealer adds "sealant" "protectant" and even worse the "market adjustment". I am willing to pay a fair price but don't want the BS. When asked about the sealant I ask is there a problem with the factory paint which they do some backpedaling and discuss extra protection.

 

[amdsupport]

Took the drive down to Murfreesboro Honda yesterday to check out the GEN 11 RTL-T in white that the sales lady called and said they had received as a demonstrator. To say the least, I was throughly impressed. The best ride and drive I have ever sat down in; the only negative being the wimpy useless arm rests. Told them to work me up a deal and we will order one just like it. Got the deal last night; $2,000 less trade in than Edmunds lists for my 2013 RTL with 12K miles, jacked up the sticker price $1,000 by adding paint sealant, pin stripes, and mudguards. Not going to happen!!!

I would highly advise against dealing with Honda of Murfreesboro. They are owned by the same guy that bought Music City Honda in Nashville (formerly trickett). Trickett was a good dealer and they have been run into the ground by that auto group. They now mark up all their cars with fake stuff like the paint protectant and sealants. We had a family friend that used to work for Trickett (left and went to another family honda dealer) and gave us the downlow on all the fake stuff they now are told to sell. Honda of Murfreesboro and Music City Honda are two very sleazy honda dealers. in the Nashville metro area. Waltrip in Franklin TN isn't much better (they pinstripe ALL their cars), but I don't have as much experience with them as I do the other two.

 

[zroger73]

I would highly advise against dealing with Honda of Murfreesboro. They are owned by the same guy that bought Music City Honda in Nashville (formerly trickett). Trickett was a good dealer and they have been run into the ground by that auto group. They now mark up all their cars with fake stuff like the paint protectant and sealants. We had a family friend that used to work for Trickett (left and went to another family honda dealer) and gave us the downlow on all the fake stuff they now are told to sell. Honda of Murfreesboro and Music City Honda are two very sleazy honda dealers. in the Nashville metro area. Waltrip in Franklin TN isn't much better (they pinstripe ALL their cars), but I don't have as much experience with them as I do the other two.

I ignore all those markups as if they're not even listed beside the Monroney sticker. It's just noise in an otherwise clear song. I generally don't care about the reputation of a particular dealer. I'm not loyal to any particular one. If the sleaziest dealer in town is the one who accepts my offer, then that's where I buy. It doesn't matter to me where it comes from - if it needs warranty service I'll take it to the nearest location with the most amenities.

 

[amdsupport]

I ignore all those markups as if they're not even listed beside the Monroney sticker. It's just noise in an otherwise clear song. I generally don't care about the reputation of a particular dealer. I'm not loyal to any particular one. If the sleaziest dealer in town is the one who accepts my offer, then that's where I buy. It doesn't matter to me where it comes from - if it needs warranty service I'll take it to the nearest location with the most amenities.

That is quite fine by me! my post was meant as a friendly warning as to their M.O. if the OP is trying to make a deal at that dealer.

I'm not going as far to say i'm 100% loyal to a specific dealer, but I will try to reward ones (when possible) with my money that are not peddling snake oil before I go to one that does...it only helps reinforce that business practice as status quo.

For what it's worth, I take my vehicle to waltrip for routine maintenance, albeit I question how competent they are at times as they were the ones that couldn't find the code in my BLK Edition when the AWD light issue cropped up (two other dealers found the codes with no issue) -- the service advisor actually said it may have been wheel slip!.

 

[Shineaholic]

jacked up the sticker price $1,000 by adding paint sealant, pin stripes, and mudguards. Not going to happen!!!

thats too bad. started out as enjoyable as can be and they had to pull that #$%^&*(

 

[Rich]

As much as I have loved the two RL's I have and had.
I also made the mistake of driving the 2G.
WOW the handling(Joe was spot on) and no road noise(first gen it's loud) was
quite impressive.
I do feel it has a few drawbacks("arm sticks",1/2 console and short bedsides).
But a few things were also fixed (wiper control,auto headlights,wipers that can
be lifted for snow fall).The extra horses aren't bad either.
Now I am hoping to get one next year.

 

[oarnold]

Any dealer is going to be drooling to get their hands on your 12K mile G1!

 

[speedlever]

They are called stealers, not dealers, for a reason. It's just business. Make them the offer you want, or will do, and if they don't like it then tell them to call you when they do.

This is so true. I consider it somewhat of a game. My goal is to buy it for the least amount possible. The dealer's goal is to sell it for the most they can get. Keep the negotiations civil (nothing personal... this is strictly business).

There has to be a meeting point somewhere in order for a sale to be made. I'm generally not happy until they make me feel like I've squeezed blood out of a turnip.

 

[25 Year Honda Owner]

Put a 'For Sale' sign on yours. G1's are in demand and with only 12K on the clock I'm sure you would do well.

$3,500
Sales tax eats you alive in Tennessee, usually better to trade if possible. 7% state tax on purchase price plus 3.5% of the 1st $3,500 for local sales tax.

 

[speedlever]

$3,500
Sales tax eats you alive in Tennessee, usually better to trade if possible. 7% state tax on purchase price plus 3.5% of the 1st $3,500 for local sales tax.

I guess that's the trade off for not having a state income tax?

I think the tax toll in NC is 3% of the trade-in difference... or 3% on the whole thing if no trade is involved. And of course 6.75% state sales tax. And state income tax too. Yay.

 

[25 Year Honda Owner]

I would highly advise against dealing with Honda of Murfreesboro. They are owned by the same guy that bought Music City Honda in Nashville (formerly trickett). Trickett was a good dealer and they have been run into the ground by that auto group. They now mark up all their cars with fake stuff like the paint protectant and sealants. We had a family friend that used to work for Trickett (left and went to another family honda dealer) and gave us the downlow on all the fake stuff they now are told to sell. Honda of Murfreesboro and Music City Honda are two very sleazy honda dealers. in the Nashville metro area. Waltrip in Franklin TN isn't much better (they pinstripe ALL their cars), but I don't have as much experience with them as I do the other two.

Exactly, I really miss Reddell Honda. Not a doubt in my mind that if John Reddell was still at the Murfreesboro store I would be in a 2017 RTL-T today. I prefer not to go over 50 miles to purchase a car/truck. That only leaves Murfreesboro, Franklin, or Huntsville, AL in that range.

 

[25 Year Honda Owner]

Any dealer is going to be drooling to get their hands on your 12K mile G1!

Does not appear that way, I trust Edmunds numbers, I am sticking with what they say.

 

[jacorob]

the only negative being the wimpy useless arm rests. Got the deal last night; $2,000 less trade in than Edmunds lists for my 2013 RTL with 12K miles, jacked up the sticker price $1,000 by adding paint sealant, pin stripes, and mudguards. Not going to happen!!!

First, what a crappy deal. I hate how they come back with some smug look thinking they're going to convince you they have some awesome deal that you'd be stupid to turn down. argh...

As for the armrests, I will say they may surprise you - maybe not. I didn't mind them (as in didn't care for, but could deal with) when I test drove, hated them after I got my G2 and drove for longer than a test drive, and then after a month or so of adjusting to them actually prefer them over the center console. I can put stuff on the console (like forms I'm taking somewhere) without knocking it off by putting my arm there so adds usable space, I'm not playing console war when my wife rides with me, and it caused me to have better posture while driving. Of course, who knows, maybe in 6 more months I'll start hating them again. I do wish they were just a tad wider and longer though and I'm only 5'10". I could see them being more annoying for taller folks.