Where did I get it?
I bought a silver CR-V EX in February 1998 from Mary Reeves at Ralph Schomp's Honda in Denver. That's a picture of my CR-V just minutes after the "sold" sticker was placed in the window.
The CR-V is popular in Colorado, and in early 1998 (I waited for the 5-speed) the supply was rather lean. Most of the Honda dealers would take a few hundred off the sticker, but add a $300-$350 "dealer-prep" fee. One exception I found was Ralph Schomp's Honda. They offered a "haggle-free" price and no "dealer-prep" or "dealer-handling" fees. Nice.
The salesperson, Mary Reeves, was unlike any car salesperson I had met before. She was very patient, helpful, and had done her homework, so was also very knowledgeable about the CR-V. Over the course of about 2 weeks, and about 4-5 test drives, Mary never once high-pressured me to buy. You know the standard lines, "You could drive this baby home today" or "This one's already sold, but we could write something up just-in-case their loan isn't approved."
I always wondered why car purchases had to be both expensive and painful. I figured if I was going to spend that much money, it should at least be fun. Mary Reeves made the experience of buying my CR-V both simple and (can you believe it?) fun.
One year later, my CR-V has 18,000 miles on it and has been back to Ralph Schomp's for every scheduled service (zero warranty problems thus far). I would rate both the CR-V and Ralph Schomp's Honda as excellent. I know my experience isn't an exception since I have a friend who bought their Accord at Schomps over 5 years ago and also rates the dealership as excellent.
New Owner Get-together
I don't know if it is common for Honda dealerships, or unique to Ralph Schomp's, but they have get-togethers for new Honda owners. If one is offered, I'd recommend going. At mine, there were about 50-60 other new Honda owners in attendance.
The night started with sipping cokes and eating pizza while listing to a local cop talk about not "how to keep that new car new," but rather "how to keep that new car."
An interesting statistic--50% of the cars stolen in the Denver area have the keys in the ignition. Someone I know had the not-so-wonderful experience of coming out of the gas station in time to see their Firebird burning-rubber down the street. The thief not only got the car, but a cell phone and portable computer, and, what my friend said really hurt, was the knowledge he had also just bought them a full tank of gas. Pay at the pump, or take those keys with you!
We also learned that although statistics show airbag theft is low in this area, one way to keep the rate low is, if your airbags do have to be replaced, insure they are from a certified repair center. Do you want to risk your life with a black-market airbag that might not work?
The group split into small groups and went to meet mechanics who would familiarize us with our particular model of car. Our mechanic started with the engine compartment, identifying components and service areas. He even showed how to change the headlight bulbs. The mechanic then raised the CR-V on the rack and showed us what is on a CR-V underside. Looks pretty tidy under there. He did mention the oil filer location was a problem. "If you touch a hot catalytic converter with bare skin, some of it is gonna be left behind since the converter can run as hot as 1500F." While getting the jack out for a tire change demo, he mentioned the compartment in the rear door. He stated, "In Japan a fire extinguisher is required on the CR-V and this is where it's mounted." It certainly looks to be the right size and shape.
Once we had "exhausted" the mechanics with our questions, the groups went back for prize drawings and a trivia bowl. We had all received a tire gauge and auto mug, but about 30 more items were handed out including free oil change certificates, key chains, car care kits, t-shirts, hats, and gym bags. I won three items, but missed out on a Leatherman with CRV printed on the side.
See you on the road...I'm the one with a silver CR-V and a big smile.
