One of the many tools in a Mom’s toolkit is the right vehicle. As a mom of three – including a set of twins – I understand how much you depend on your vehicle!
My name is Jill Warren, and I am a Sales and Leasing Consultant at Zimbrick Honda. I’ve spent the last 18 years of my career helping families, just like yours, find the right vehicle. This is my third post that walks you through the road map to finding the perfect car. If you didn’t get a chance to read my first or second installments – click here for the first piece and here for the second.
Just as a reminder – here is the road map:
- Meet & Greet
- Interview
- Select a Vehicle
- Walkaround
- Demo Drive – otherwise known as a test drive
- Service Walk
- Range your trade-in
- Appraisal of your trade-in
- Write up the Contract
- Financing
- Delivery
- Follow up
Today we are picking up the discussion on step #7!
Range your trade-in
How much is your trade-in worth? We start with a range. We use Black Book trade-in values provided by national auto auctions. Based on the make, model, trim level and mileage of your vehicle we can give you a range of what other cars like yours have sold for in the last several weeks.
If the range is acceptable to you we move on to an appraisal.
Appraisal
An appraisal is when you put an actual value on your car. We look at the condition of your car – are there dings, dents or scratches? How does the upholstery look? We also look at the tires and under the hood. If you have maintenance records on the car, please bring them. Our appraiser is trying to figure out what service work and cleaning we would need to put into your vehicle before we could sell it. We don’t sell every used car we take in, so we may call to get a bid on your car from a third party.
Writing up the Contact
Now is the time we get into the numbers and how you want to pay for the car.
- Do you want to lease the vehicle? Or do you want to finance it?
- What would you like your payment to be?
- How much of a down payment are you comfortable with?
- What rebates and incentives does Honda have this month?
Let’s take a minute to talk about leasing. This can be confusing to a lot of people. Think of it as renting. When you lease – you only pay for the time you are going to be driving the vehicle – say 36 months. And your new car will be under warranty so there will be no unexpected repair bills lurking in your future.
Or maybe you’re in the car pool now… but in the next few years, your kids will be graduating. You might want to lease a bigger vehicle now, and move to a smaller vehicle as your needs change.
Leasing means you don’t need to make a decision on keeping a car and paying for it for the next 5 to 6 years. And because you’re paying for the time you’re using the car – you can get a nicer car for less money.
Let’s look at the 2017 Odyssey EXL with an MSRP of $37,440 as an example.
Let’s assume you want to spend $2,000 when you pick up the vehicle – and that $2,000 needs to include your down payment and all tax, title, license and services fees. Here is how the numbers compare.
- A 3 year loan would have monthly payments of approximately $1,030 per month.
- A 3 year, 36,000 mile lease would have monthly payments of approximately $412 per month.
That $618 a month is a big difference. Even if you financed for 5 years, your payment would still be approximately $590.
Note: These loan calculations are based on 0.9% APR offered by Honda Financial Services to qualified credit. Your individual credit score will determine what your finance rate will be. Monthly payments equal $27.81 per $1000 financed at 0.9% for 36 months and $16.71 for 60 months.
The lease calculations are also based on lease rates offered by Honda Financial Services to qualified buyers. There is no security deposit. The residual value used was $21,715. Offers expire on 6/15/2017. Rates generally change monthly.
Because everyone’s situation is different, Zimbrick will customize the lease or loan to meet your needs. Perhaps you have a trade that we can put toward a down payment, or you need a higher mileage lease, or you want to have a lower out of pocket cost when you pick up the vehicle. We can work with you to meet your needs. Once we’ve got the numbers nailed down I will write up the contract.
In this post I’ve shared the road map to finding the perfect vehicle and walked you through steps 7 thru 9. In 2 weeks, I’ll post the final installment!
Whenever you’re ready to find the vehicle that’s a perfect fit for your family, I am here to help. You can email me at [email protected] or give me a call at (608) 230-0496. My hours are listed below.
SUMMER HOURS:
Monday: 8:30am -8:00pm
Tuesday: 10:00am -6:00pm
Wednesday: Schedule Day Off
Thursday: 12:00pm-8:00pm
Friday: 8:30am – 4:30pm
Saturday: 8:30am – 4:00pm
Sunday: Closed
Appointments are greatly appreciated!
If you’d like to take a look at the current inventory, or learn more about Zimbrick Honda, check out www.ZimbrickHonda.com.
PILOT
There are 5 different trim levels of the Pilot SUV so you can get as little or as many creature comforts as you want.
- Seating for as many as 8
- All-Wheel Drive is available in all 5 trim levels
- Multi-angle review camera
The 2017 Pilot with Honda Sensing™ and LED headlights, has been awarded the coveted 2017 TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in recognition of their superior crash safety performance.
The 2017 Pilot earned top ratings with 5-Star Overall Vehicle Scores from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)..Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov). Model tested with standard side airbags (SAB).
The Pilot has been recognized by Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com 2017 Best Buy of the Year in its class. For more information, visit www.kbb.com. Kelley Blue Book is a registered trademark of Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc.
The 2016 Pilot has been named to the list of 16 Best Family Cars of 2016 by Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com. It was praised for impressive comfort, driving dynamics and family practicality. For more information, visit www.kbb.com. Kelley Blue Book is a registered trademark of Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc.
The 2016 Pilot has been recognized by U.S. News as the Best Cars for the Money in its class due to their long-term value and quality. View U.S. News Best Cars at www.usnews.com/cars.
The 2016 Honda Pilot has been names the Best Three-Row SUV of 2016 by Cars.com.
