I have a little problem.
I found the dealer who has the only yellow '05 S2000 within 50 miles from here. He is willing to sell it for $29.5k + tax. The problem is, the car is an "unwanted vehicle." It has 400 miles on the odometer, first registered in early July. Carfax history is clean. I have no idea why it has been returned. The dealer is trying to pitch it as new ( there is a standard new-car sticker on the window ).
The same dealer has a couple of red S2K's, he would sell me one for 30k, but I prefer to have yellow.
Do you think it is safe to buy a car that has been driven for 400 miles and returned to the dealership?
Is it a reasonable price for such a car?
Is there anything I should pay special attention during the test drive?
Thanks

 

If it's been registered, it is no longer a new vehicle. It is a used vehicle. 500 bucks off for a used vehicle? I don't think so, Tim.
But the decision must be yours. If you want it that bad, then is it worth it to you?

 

I'm sure it is safe. Insist he sell it as a certified pre-owned. that way you get a nice long warranty.

you can get a new one for 29.5K. I would pay no more than 27.5-28K.

Since this car is titled, it is USED. no ifs, ands, or buts.

Many S2000s are returned. usually it is because it is too harsh or because the kid who bought it was in over his head.

 

Dealers don't "take back" cars if the owner decides he just doesn't want it. They BUY it back and usually at black book prices. If this is a "buy back", they are trying to make a profit on it TWICE! The first owner most likely lost THOUSANDS.

It is NOT unlike the lottery win cars around here. The dealer gets a small profit when they sell the car to the lottery foundation. If the winner doesn't want the car, the dealer low balls him/her with a cash offer. Most winner's will just take the money because it's more money than they've ever seen in one place. The dealer then turns around and sells it at the usual price and makes a profit AGAIN.

 

Right now I'm thinking to offer them $30k if they get me a yellow one delivered straight from the factory. Is it possible? Does Honda still manufacture the '05 model?

Buying it as certified pre-owned is certainly a very good idea. 4 more years of powertrain warranty, option to finance with 4.49% APR, and I could get the price down somewhat. I doubt it's going to fly, though.

What does this mean?

 

payments, insurance, etc. not too many kids and afford a 30k car by themselves

 

Maybe your dealer can work a dealer swap for you.

 

No, they're now producing 2006 models.

 

They probably worked a deal and let the customer take the car home "pending financing approval." Then when the financing fell through, they tried to resign the guy to a different deal, which he didn't want to do. If the financing was never done, then the whole deal is just washed, including the pending new car registration. Thus, it's still technically a new car, unregistered.

That's the most likely scenario, but it is also possible that they rolled a customer out of a deal before the registration for other reasons too. Some dealers do care about customer satisfaction (oh my!) and they will roll somebody out into another car to make them happy. Some people really think they want an S2K until they take it home and try to fit the kids and their golf clubs in it. Trade em into a nice Accord and resell the S2K...no harm, no foul.

 

This is definitely not the case here. The car already has the license plates. Carfax report indicates that the title has been issued by California DMV on 07/06/2005.

I talked to the salesman over the phone, he agreed to sell it as a certified preowned vehicle, I will go and test drive it this evening.