# 2013 Honda CR-V EX-L AWD



## zannej (Mar 11, 2016)

We just bought a 2013 Honda CR-V EX-L with AWD, backup camera (standard), door side molding, front bug guard, moon roof shield, and rear spoiler.






We had to leave the house around 6:15am to head out for Humble, TX. Came prepared with snacks and water.

We managed to hit gas stations that were still only charging $1.49 per gallon (some are back up to $1.79 now). The salesman we dealt with said he would honor the coupon we printed out for an additional discount. We arrived much sooner than expected and he was out for a chiropractic appointment. We had to wait 30 min for him, but they gave us "food cards" and sent us to their diner for some free food and drinks.

Salesmen pulled up to the diner with the vehicle for us to inspect. Turns out the people who I asked about any damage, missing stuff, etc lied in the e-mail because the tool kit for the jack and the entire panel inside the cargo area was missing- but it's easily replaced. 

Since we brought our mechanic friend, he inspected the car and found out how much it would cost to replace the missing part. 

We test drove the car and it runs great. Someone had pulled apart the panels in the cargo area-- we suspect to either search for drugs and/or because they needed more space to store stuff. There was some sort of insulation visible (in the photos online I thought there was a blue candy bar wrapper left in the back). Friend put some stuff back where it belonged and then insisted that we get replacement jack tools because those are necessary. Salesman pulled them from another vehicle, but didn't have a panel to put on. It's also missing the little cargo net from the other side, but that is no big deal.

Then came the dealing with a ton of bull**** part. You know the part where they use creative math and try to tack on stuff that wasn't agreed upon. So, they gave a much higher price than it would have cost for the vehicle with all fees and taxes and tried to get my mom to agree before going to the finance office. More on that later.

We decided to pay tax for our state up front and it's 8.7%. They tried to charge us 9.7% and claimed that they did it to make sure they got the right amount and didn't have less than they were supposed to have and we would get the cash back from the state. We called BS on that and said "No, we will NOT pay more than 8.7%". They were trying to charge over $600 more than it should have been. I made sure to take photos of the stickers on the car-- in particular, that said the prices of some of the extras it came with as well as the warranty agreement. It had an X next to Warranty and said it was 3 years 100k miles.

Salesman started saying that there was no warranty, it was "as is" and something about only being covered for 60k miles or something. Mom and I both said at the same time "The paper said there IS a warranty." Then the salesman gave some bull about how they just print out these things and stick them on the car and they aren't always accurate. Our mechanic friend and I pointed out that they have to honor what they advertised on the vehicle. Salesman showed Mom some paperwork and I advised her to NOT sign, initial, or agree to the price they were offering. Salesman said we would work it out the details with the finance guy. We were taken over to another building across the lot where we sat and waited for about an hour or more. I started looking around to figure out which of the finance guys in the glass-walled rooms was the one we'd be dealing with and spotted the salesman talking to someone in the room. The finance guy must have noticed me staring because the salesman turned and waved. I wish I could have overheard what they were discussing. Most of the time the salesman was sitting across the desk and they were gesturing and looking over papers. Then the salesman stood up and was leaning over the desk looking at the computer screen. Eventually he came out to tell us the finance guy was ready to talk.

As an aside, I previously read multiple articles on car buying including what fees are legitimate and which ones are not. I also read about tactics salesmen use to trick people into paying more. Whenever they brought something up that I knew wasn't legit, I called them out on it. I also took photographs of the papers stuck to the window of the vehicle to make note of what was advertised. I noticed they had some sort of DNA something or other marked as $399. It was never mentioned by the salesman nor was it mentioned that it would be added on to the advertised sale value of the car.

Anyway, we sat down and the finance guy starts saying we had agreed to this higher price and I said "No, we didn't" and said that he could note it was not signed and that we were told we would have to discuss things with him. We said we knew the tax was only 8.7% and he agreed. Mom and I both told him that the higher price he was wanting us to agree to was with 9.7% tax. I showed him my tally of what the price should have been with the tax, but then he said that there was this DNA etching that was $499 and *that* was why the price was higher. I said "No, that DNA etching is $399- it said so on the paper on the car window." He tried to argue, I showed him the photo. Then he said "Ok, I'll go with the price on the internet." I said "No, that shouldn't be added because it should have been factored in to the price already." I told him that if the missing piece from the car that was going to cost us $100 to replace was already factored in when they priced the car, then the etching stuff damn well should have been included. 

My mechanic friend was sitting outside the room and texted to tell me that if they were trying to give us any crap to let him know. I told him they were, so he came in to back us up. He demanded proof that they had done this DNA etching and asked if it was something required by state law and if it would actually do us any good back in Louisiana. Finance guy got nervous and called the salesman into the room. They started saying ALL law enforcement are linked up now and how great this DNA thing was. We were not impressed. I demanded an itemized list of the fees so I could tally them up. I put them on my phone's calculator so all of the values showed up. Finance guy tried to state a higher price again, but I showed him my calculations. He was sweating by that point and caved to the lower price. He didn't look very happy, but he seemed relieved when we were leaving. I asked the salesman to leave the papers that were on the window in the car. Watched him put the jack kit in the back. Salesman seemed rather happy and was very nice as we were leaving. Don't know if he was just putting on a friendly face to keep us happy or if he was just happy to have made a sale. I wonder if he got chewed out by his bosses later or if they just accepted that we were just the type of customers who weren't going to take any guff. They claimed they lost money on the sale, but I know they still made a profit. If we had waited to buy it, it probably would have gone down in price more, but our sales tax is increasing by 1 (possibly 2) percent soon so we wanted to get it before that happened.

We wanted to get out of there so we told them not to bother washing the car. We knew it would get filthy on the way home.

As another aside, my brother had drawn a penis in the dirt on the side of the Ridgeline. Well, he drew 2 (one on each side). I saw one and cleaned it off while getting gas. Saw it when we got to the dealership and facepalmed over it. Another customer there had a good chuckle. I wonder how many people noticed it before I washed it off.

My brother got to drive the CR-V home with our friend as his co-pilot/navigator. We paid for our friend's food and bought him some new work boots to thank him for coming with us (well, one of the reasons we brought him was so he could find some good work boots since there are more stores out there than where we live). 

Dealership photos of the exterior:
http://randomsudoisms.tumblr.com/post/140874784090/dealership-exterior-shots-of-the-new-honda-cr-v

Dealership photos of interior
http://randomsudoisms.tumblr.com/post/140882291240/dealership-photos-of-the-cr-v-we-just-bought

My photos:
http://randomsudoisms.tumblr.com/post/140883326220/my-photos-of-my-new-cr-v
http://randomsudoisms.tumblr.com/post/140883539295/my-photos-of-the-inside-of-my-new-cr-v














I'll try to get a pic of inside the spare tire compartment once the cat and dog food gets unloaded.

I'm thinking of adding some more chrome trim around the windows, some rocker trim at the bottom, some stainless steel guards over some of the plastic stuff at the bottom inside when the doors open (and inside cargo area), and will be getting some all-weather mats. Trying to decide which ones to get-- probably the Maxliner, but the Husky ones looked good. I'm also considering getting a sharkfin antenna that is painted to match the car. I don't really care for the style of the antenna that was included. Also planning to get some sort of door edge trim-- either clear or chrome (but leaning toward chrome).

My apologies for any typos or repetitions. I kept getting interrupted while typing this up.


----------



## zannej (Mar 12, 2016)

Well, turns out they slipped in a fast one. The "paperwork" was all digital on a touchscreen desk (DocuPad). Everything Mom signed was on the digital document-- which meant that they were able to make changes to it after she signed it. So, the $399 for the DNA etching that was not on the forms she signed was suddenly on the itemized printout.

To add further insult, I was checking something with the VIN and found that at least 4 websites are advertising the vehicle for $999 less than the base price. Legally, if they advertise it at a lower price than they charged me, they are supposed to honor it, even if I didn't know the price was lower. With tax, it comes to almost $1,100 difference.

So, I hit them up on Facebook, e-mailed, and am waiting to call them when they open to speak with a supervisor and demand a refund for the discrepancy. I will take the printout so of the advertisements and drive back over there with them if need be. My mechanic friend has a lawyer friend who can help out as well.

Also, I found documentation that the addons have to be included in advertised price unless we requested the addons. Only the doc fees, taxes, license fees, etc are to be excluded from the advertised price.


----------



## zannej (Mar 13, 2016)

I've been thinking of getting some accessories for the CR-V. In addition to some sort of all-weather mats (still debating what to get), here are some things I'm leaning toward getting:
Inner and outer scuff plates for the doors:





Inner scuff plates for tailgate as well as bumper sill guard





Door lock protectors





And chrome side mirror trim/rain guard visor





I want to get door edge trim as well, but I'm debating whether to get clear or chrome. My concern with clear is that if dirt gets under it somehow, it will be stuck and visible. Chrome will conceal it.


----------



## zannej (Mar 13, 2016)

(continued)
I also don't like the fugly antenna on the top rear of the car, so I was thinking of replacing it with a functional VisualGarage Mark II factory paint matched shark fin antenna. It basically functions the same as the oem antenna, but it is lower profile and I like the look.









I'm also pondering getting some chrome or stainless steel pillar trim





I'm considering other chrome accents, but I need to look at more pictures and check prices on things. I want to make sure that what I get won't interfere with function of any parts and that they are durable but not too expensive.


----------



## havasu (Mar 13, 2016)

I've never considered the antenna as an ugly appendage on a vehicle, but those sharkfin covers look pretty cool, if you ask me. Yeah, I know, you are not asking me though.


----------



## Chris (Mar 14, 2016)

I have weatherTech rubber floor mats in my new truck and love them. They are molded to fit perfect. Best 100 bucks I have spent on that thing.


----------



## havasu (Mar 14, 2016)

On smaller vehicles, the Weathertech can make the gas pedal get stuck. If I remember correctly, Toyota dealers will remove the mat and make you reinstall it after you leave.


----------



## zannej (Mar 14, 2016)

Well, I was hoping for a reply, so I'm glad you like the sharkfin, Havasu.
It sort of reminds me of the details on older vehicles when they had fins and cool shapes.
It just looks so much sleeker than the antenna-- and because it sits lower, it is less likely to get in the way of things. People who got one said it gets the same reception as the stock antenna.

Thanks for weighing in on the weathertech mats, Chris. I think for front and back it's like $180 or more (maybe over $190) for the front and rear set-- not including the cargo hatch one.
I don't know if the cargo hatch one covers up the floor tie-downs though. It might have a cutout for that.

They have specific ones that are digitally scanned and made to be exact fit. The CR-V is a mid-sized vehicle, I think.

If the weathertech one for the cargo area doesn't block the tie-downs, I will probably get it.

Mom is on board with the door sill protectors, the mirror trim, and the door lock eye covers (they are less than $1 each).

I drove into town in Reggie, picked up the keys for the CR-V from my brother and then took it to fill the tank up with gas. Popped into Walmart to get a steering wheel cover and a sunshade for the front window. It was hot as hell in there when I got in-- and it was 85degrees outside. My bro went out and put the cover on the steering wheel when he left work. I need to find the memory foam seatbelt cushion thingies to put  in there. I hate the way the seatbelts feel.

Still miffed at the dealer and am contacting the BBB about it-- I'd call, but my phonelines are down for possibly the next week due to the floods. The box with the lines out on hwy 10 is completely underwater.


----------



## havasu (Mar 14, 2016)

I got a call from the Red Cross to go to either Louisiana, Texas, or another state due to flooding. I don't see the job I like, so I will wait for a bit.


----------



## zannej (Mar 17, 2016)

So, I found out that my phoneline is back up when the car dealership called this afternoon. The lady was doing one of those checkup things to ask if we purchased a vehicle. I told her yes but that they charged more than the advertised price and that I saw it listed for $999 lower than their base price but when I called the guy laughed at me and dismissed me. So she said she was going to tell the head guy "Chuck" and that I would be hearing back from them. I won't hold my breath. 
But it would be great if they did actually call back and not treat me like an idiot.


----------



## oldognewtrick (Mar 17, 2016)

Call the Better Business Bureau.


----------



## zannej (Mar 18, 2016)

Thanks, Oldog. I was in the middle of submitting a report to the BBB online when my internet went out.
ALL of my phone service is down right now. Cellular and landline. I think AT&T shut my lines off again-- they tend to do that after a storm. The one time they admitted it, they said it was to give more bandwidth to higher priority areas. I'm pretty sure it's illegal and I'm pretty pissed off.


----------



## zannej (Apr 7, 2016)

Yay. My weathertech mats and half of the stainless steel sill guards arrived! Still have to contact amazon about the other half not arriving yet. The description said it was 8-pieces (inner and outer). The outer ones arrived. 

Gonna vacuum the old dirt off, peel off the plastic that says "dealer must remove this" and put the mats in. Also got the trim piece to replace the part that was cut in the cargo area. I thought that it was just the side piece, but it completely replaces the part that had the hole. So, that will go in and then we'll put in the cargo mat.

I need to figure out what to clean the sills off with before sticking the sill covers on. I might swing into town early and see if my buddy can help me out with that. I stuck at aligning anything with adhesive but he's pretty good at it.

I'll post pics later.

For now, here is some detail on the dash. It came with this sort or marbled look to the trim.









And the former owner added what I assume is an amp button for the speaker system. I need to get pics, but there are actually extra speakers attached next to the inside part where the side mirrors go.





I need to figure out if I can use that button to link up to the backup camera so I can see behind me even while parked or moving forward.


----------



## zannej (Apr 8, 2016)

My friend installed the rear panel. The round hole is where a hook should go. Found a pair of hooks for $25 but that is too high. I'm going to see if I can find them for cheaper.





It said the item number was 84662-T0A-A01ZA, or 84662T0AA01ZA

Edit: Found it for $1.74 on another site. Now to see what shipping would cost...


----------



## zannej (Apr 9, 2016)

Stupid vendors from China on Amazon refused to send the 2nd half of the order. Claimed I "misunderstood" that the listing that said "pack of 8" was only a pack of 4. Amazon is letting me keep the ones I got and refunding my money though. Just need to order the outer sills now though.

Anyway, I forgot to take a pic earlier of the speakers at the front of the windows on the front doors.
Only one pic turned out visible.





Installed the weathertech cargo mat. Need to vacuum out the front and back to install the mats there though. 





It will probably sit flatter once I put stuff on top of it. Only bummer is that it covers the tiedowns on the floor at the front.


----------

