Over the past week I've been to three dealerships to ask about the Honda Fit. One was in California and two were in Utah.
Weir Canyon Honda - Anaheim Hills, CA
On Wednesday night my mother and I went to a Honda Dealership and the guy who talked to us was very helpful. I can't remember his name, but I do believe that his nickname, printed on the card, was "Mr. Ed." It was a good experience, as he found out the answers to my questions and wasn't pushy. If I was buying a Honda I would buy one from him. Too bad he's in California.
Ken Garff Honda - Downtown Salt Lake City, UT
This is the Honda Dealership close to my house. I walk around the lot for a few minutes waiting to be tackled by salespeople. They are nowhere to be seen.
I go inside and walk around the showroom. I look at the 1980 Honda Accord (automatic) in almost mint condition for a few seconds. I then walk around more waiting for the salespeople to attack me.
They must have had the day off. No one talked to me for 30 minutes. I finally ask the receptionist where a salesperson is, and she points me to a man in a corner office. I can see heis on the phone, so I waited for him to get off of the phone. After 4-5 minutes of more standing, his phone call ends. He asks if I need anything while eating his sandwich. Normally i wouldn't care if people eat while talking to me, but I would like to get the impression that I was more important than the sandwich. In this instance I did not get that feeling.
I asked about the Honda Fit, and he told me that I was pretty much out of luck for getting one. He never asked if I was interested in ordering one, if I had any questions about it, if I wanted to look at the civics, etc. I was just the guy slowing down his inhilation of the sandwich.
Sick of not being helped and being ignored, I walked to the parts department as I know they are friendly there. I asked them where the next closest Honda Dealership is. Then I went.
Larry H. Miller Honda - Murray, UT
Right away I was greeted by a salesperson. He mentions right away that he's new and that he doesn't know the answer to all of my questions. He asks his boss though and gets back to me with the answers.
According to him the Honda Fits are sold before they are even made, or as soon as they are made. He is quick to point out that the new Civic gets 30/40 MPG, which isn't really that bad. It's exactly the same as the Fit, if not better... too bad I like the Fit for it's look and it's versatility. They have one Fit scheduled to arrive in the end of November that I could buy now if i wanted an automatic red Fit. I prefer manual transmission and I dont want a red car. This guy didn't really know anything about Hondas, engines, or the Fit itself... but at least he was friendly and willing to get the answers for me. I took his card and gave him my number in the event that he hears about any used Fits in the area.
And the moral of this story is this: If you want to get a Honda Fit, don't expect to get one for the next few months. All three dealerships told me that the typical waiting period is 12 weeks. I personally have no desire to put a deposit on a car I won't be able to drive for 3 months.
I have no idea why Honda advertises the hell out of the Fit and then makes it impossible to own one. I understand the relationship between scarcity and demand, but this is just ridiculous. Every dealership has "The Fit is GO!" posters in their showrooms, but no Honda Fit is next to it, or near it, or within 1000 miles of the dealership.
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