Orlando Florida dealer recommendation needed

2246 Views 14 Replies 10 Participants Last post by keastman, Sep 8, 2007

Sparks

Discussion Starter · Jul 20, 2005

I am looking for a ROC members first hand experience and recommendation for the best Honda dealer in the Orlando Florida area. Any suggestions Zero? Integrity and a trustworthy (is that redundant?) service department are of the utmost importance. My daughter lives in Brevard County and just had her third child. We will be visiting her next month and want to get a late model Odyssey for them since her Ford Focus is now too small.

Also, does anyone know if Honda made an Odyssey within the last two or three years that has both on-board DVD player and cloth seats? Leather seats will not work with kids.

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JaxRidge

· #2 · Jul 20, 2005

Ultra-HOG said:
I am looking for a ROC members first hand experience and recommendation for the best Honda dealer in the Orlando Florida area. Any suggestions Zero? Integrity and a trustworthy (is that redundant?) service department are of the utmost importance. My daughter lives in Brevard County and just had her third child. We will be visiting her next month and want to get a late model Odyssey for them since her Ford Focus is now too small.

Also, does anyone know if Honda made an Odyssey within the last two or three years that has both on-board DVD player and cloth seats? Leather seats will not work with kids.

I just bought my truck from a Daytona Beach dealer that I thought did a real good job. Last time I checked, you guys have AutoNation there in Orlando. Here in Jacksonville, the AutoNation dealers are not highly thought of. Too greedy. Jon Hall Honda in Daytona, and ask for Frank if you should call.

I disagree about the leather seats with kids. I used to think that way, until I got the wife an Odyssey with leather. We have two small children and it is much easier to clean up the spills off the leather than the cloth. After having the leather now for close to a year, I'd say if you have kids make sure to get leather.

Good luck, and congrats!

Sparks

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 20, 2005

Thanks JaxRidge. The leather issue is more about climbing in to a hot vehicle and sitting down with short pants. We have had both cloth and leather while the kids were small and with the leather seats we had to put a towel down for them to sit on when it was hot. On long trips I usually put a towel on my own seat. Otherwise, leather is great. Thanks for the tip on the daytona dealer.

JaxRidge

· #4 · Jul 20, 2005

Ultra-HOG said:
Thanks JaxRidge. The leather issue is more about climbing in to a hot vehicle and sitting down with short pants. We have had both cloth and leather while the kids were small and with the leather seats we had to put a towel down for them to sit on when it was hot. On long trips I usually put a towel on my own seat. Otherwise, leather is great. Thanks for the tip on the daytona dealer.

I understand what your saying about hot seats. Both of my kids are still in car seats so that is not an issue, yet.

Although I do have towels under their seats to try and "catch" the spills before they go too much further.

Older

· #5 · Jul 20, 2005

We have an 02 Odyssey with DVD & Leather. We also have two kids

. Your worry about hot leather seats for kids is unfounded if you buy an Odyssey. While certainly the front seats will get hot if exposed to direct sunlight, the back seats will not due to the significant factory window tint. So, if you want a Odyssey with the DVD, you will probably only find leather seats with it. A cheaper alternative, which is what I'm going to do with my RTL Ridgelne, is to buy a portable DVD player from Sams. On our Ridgeline, I think the little hangars beside the rear HVAC ducts are there for that reason. Hope this helps.

SCMSwBkRn

· #6 · Jul 20, 2005

I got my RL at Classic Honda. It is on the south side SR 50 just west of John Young Parkway. My wife got her Civic there and my sister-in-law got her Accord there. First rate sales staff and an excellent service center. They just started the free tires for life on the vehicle (provided that you do 100% of scheduled maintenance there). My sales person for the RL was Angie Russell.

zero

· #7 · Jul 20, 2005

I got my '05 Ody at Space Coast Honda in Cocoa, FL. They played games with me concerning my Ridgeline purchase and lost my business. I went back to them when I had a PAX tire system failure and they are crooks. According to Michelin, I should have not been charged for any repair costs for this tire. They were going to charge me $129.99!! They ended up charging me $29.99 and I am currently fighting to get that back. Someone at Michelin is actually fighting for me.

I went to the other local dealer, Southeastern Honda in Palm Bay, FL to buy my Ridgeline. So far I am pleased with them and will be taking BOTH of my Hondas to them for service. Hope this helps.

Sparks

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jul 21, 2005

Wow, this is great! Thank you all for the heads up. Good points about the window tint and the DVD hiPSI. SCMSwBKRN, based on your experience we will be sure to visit Classic Honda and ask for Angie. They sound like the kind of dealer that I could do business with. I will tell them that you sent me. Zero. I will also visit Southeastern Honda and tell them that you sent me. I have no problem stopping at Space Coast Honda in whatever new vehicle we buy just to let them know that the $30 that they have of yours cost them quite a bit more than it cost you. I will suggest that they take that $30 and buy a copy of Joe Girrard's book and read it outloud.

For those that don't know who Joe Girrard is, he is the Guiness Book of World Records number one automobile sales person. Back in the 70s he wrote that every person has a sphere of influence of 250 people. I suggest that our good Dr. Zero has a substantially larger sphere than the average joe. I also suggest that the number needs to be updated due to the internet, as we just witnessed here on this thread. A good recommendation can reach as many as 30 to 40 people within that sphere of influence. A negative report can quickly reach beyond the outer limits of the the sphere and can have much longer lasting effects.

They played games with an existing customer and it cost them the sale of their most expensive product to you Zero. They then tried to gouge their customer out of a substantial amount of money for providing a service that the manufacturer would have paid them to do. Possibly getting paid twice for the same service. Now that little episode has cost them a potential sale (to me) and they have some explaining to do to Michelin, one of Honda's suppliers. All that for $30 ? Sheesh! Fortunately both mother nature and business have ways of taking care of these kinds of problems on their own. It just takes time, but it will happen - if they don't change their ways before it is too late.

Thanks for the heads up about where NOTto buy!

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zero

· #9 · Jul 21, 2005

Anytime. Let me know how things turn out with your purchase.

jrebot

· #10 · Jul 21, 2005

My name is Joe, I live in CT and am new to this forum. I will be bought an 06 Ridge:

34900.00 includes vehicle, accessories and labor installing all accessories and $515 destination fee. If Honda should add any incentives by the time my car is delivered, then I receive those as well (for example, a rebate).

2006 Amazon Green / Olive Leather Ridgeline RTL with XM, Moonroof and Navigation and all standard options.

Honda OEM Dealer Options / Accessories, All Installed Where applicable

Back Up Camera for Nav screen
Front & Rear Black Splashguards
Running Boards
Fog Lights
Wheel Locks
Night / Day Mirror with compass
Towing Package
In-Bed Trunk Carpet
In-Bed Cargo Net
Floor Carpets - In addition to rubber mats
Rear Seat Underseat Cargo Tray
One Touch Up Paint Kit for Amazon Green
6 Free Synthetic Mobil One Oil Changes
10% off all future services, 20% on future Honda accessories purchases
Full Tank of Gas
4 year 50k mile warranty for servicing at their dealership

Just providing this for a guide on what I just bought for...

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Sparks

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jul 22, 2005

Welcome aboard Jrebot! What is the ETA on your Ridgeline? I remember counting the days all too well. Good things come to thee who wait. How about posting some pictures - of your 69 Firebird. They are great cars. We once had a 71 Firebird but when the kids started to appear it had to go away. I would love to have it back.

06RTLNAVBlue

· #12 · Jul 22, 2005

A little out of your way, but I highly recommend giving "Tim" (the internet dealer) a call at Wade Raulerson Honda in Gainesville. I was very impressed with their dealership. I drove 4 hours to buy my truck at a much better price than Sarasota or Bradenton.

paulinfl

· #13 · Sep 6, 2007

You might check with Love Honda in Homosassa FL as their dealer fee was $299 vs $599 at all the other dealerships I checked in Orlando and Ocala. I would shop them online and go from there with an email.

Loki2191

· #14 · Sep 6, 2007

I bought my 06 Ridgeline at Brandon Honda of Tampa. I was helped by Hassan Slim internet sales manager. My experience there was one of the best experiences buying a vehicle. No hassle, No pressure, and best of all they were very flexible as far as working numbers on the truck. The sales number is 813-664-1234.

keastman

· #15 · Sep 8, 2007

This is probably too late but I traveled from St. Augustine to Orlando to deal with Coggin of Orlando. Internet sales people only. I had no dealer fees, was given all added options that were installed for N/C because I didn't want them, also over 1K lower than Coggin of St. Augustine with out the options for the same vehicle. I even called the St. Aug dealer on my way out of town to give them a last shot and they wouldn't budge. I told them what I wanted to buy the RTX for and they wrote it up. Seemed too easy and I probably should have haggled for a lower price but at the time it was about the lowest that they were selling on this site so I figured I did all right.

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