[z06dustin]

Hello!

I have a 2013 Volt, and got note this weekend that come March we'll no longer be able to transfer the blue plates to new PHEV.

I'd like to upgrade prior to that, and I'm considering a Clarity. However... there are none for sale (wild, right?) in the Phoenix area.

Would anyone in the valley area be willing to meet up and show off your car? I'll buy you a coffee, or whatever for the hassle.

 

[2002]

Hello!

I have a 2013 Volt, and got note this weekend that come March we'll no longer be able to transfer the blue plates to new PHEV.

I'd like to upgrade prior to that, and I'm considering a Clarity. However... there are none for sale (wild, right?) in the Phoenix area.

Would anyone in the valley area be willing to meet up and show off your car? I'll buy you a coffee, or whatever for the hassle.

Currently Honda is only shipping Clarity to California, and we expect little if any change to that in 2020. So if buying new you would most likely need to purchase one in California.

One thing to keep in mind is if you take delivery in California you have to pay California sales tax, the rate depends on what city/county the dealer is located but it can be as high as 9%. I looked into Phoenix sales tax awhile back and it seems the tax rates there are a little lower but not much better, and they waive most but not quite all of the tax paid in California. State of Arizona has a pretty good online calculator at https://azdor.gov/e-services/vehicle-use-tax-calculator, you can pick a random zip code from Southern California and enter that into the calculator to get an idea of the net sales tax you will pay. Prior to using the Arizona calculator you need to first go onto the California sales tax website and determine what the sales tax paid would be for the zip code in California, you then enter that amount into the Arizona calculator along with your address and the zip code of the dealer in California. A random zip code that I did on the calculator for a 35,000 sales price showed you would wind up paying about $700 more in sales tax by purchasing in California than if you purchased in Phoenix. But it very much depends on the exact location of the dealer in California as well as what city in Arizona that you live in, so you will want to use the calculator using your address to get a more accurate picture.

The alternative to avoid any additional sales tax is to do the test drive and handle the paperwork in California but don't take delivery there, instead have the car shipped back to Arizona, which should only cost a few hundred dollars for that short distance. That way you don't have to pay California sales tax and will only pay Arizona tax. But it seems like it would be a wash and wouldn't be worth the hassle, so probably might as well just take delivery in California and drive it back to Arizona.

 

[z06dustin]

thanks for the heads-up, definitely planning on buying a used one and shipping.

 

[Ashevillian]

FYI,

You can get a pretty food deal on a new one right now. I am in the process of buying one in the LA area and shipping to North Carolina. You can not get the SoCAl rebate from Honda, but you can expect to get out the door for about $2800 under MSRP, and you get the tax credit. If you have the car trucked out of California, you do not have to pay sales tax in California. You have to work to convince the dealers to work with you, but there are some. Once I close my deal I am going to post a review of who in SoCAl were good to deal with, and who was not.

Regards,


Jeff

 

[2002]

FYI,

You can get a pretty food deal on a new one right now. I am in the process of buying one in the LA area and shipping to North Carolina. You can not get the SoCAl rebate from Honda, but you can expect to get out the door for about $2800 under MSRP, and you get the tax credit. If you have the car trucked out of California, you do not have to pay sales tax in California. You have to work to convince the dealers to work with you, but there are some. Once I close my deal I am going to post a review of who in SoCAl were good to deal with, and who was not.

Regards,


Jeff

I think your experience will provide valuable information for others outside of California who might consider going the same route.

As for Arizona the sales tax difference is not as great as with other states, thus shipping costs would probably wash out most of the tax savings. Combined with the close proximity which makes picking up the car and driving it home a lot less daunting than say someone in the midwest or southeast.

What I was wondering from your experience, dealers who were not open to selling out of state, was a big part of their objection because of the idea of the transaction being handled remotely and the car being shipped? I know dealers don't get the Honda incentive if the car is purchased by a non-resident and that is probably part of it also, but I was just wondering if someone in Arizona who plans to drive the car home themselves would find more dealers willing to sell to them if it will be handled like a normal transaction where it all takes place at the dealership.

 

[Ashevillian]

Some did not want to help you avoid California taxes...thought you were being shady, even if you sent them the form you helped me with.

One dealer insisted you had to sign the paperwork in person. They were one of the better priced options, and I could have had my son sign for me (he lived in San Diego). But if you lived thousands of miles away it would not be very effective, especially since you can not then drive your car home if you want to avoid the taxes.

Also, you need to be careful about the sales tax. I know NC will not give you credit for sales tax paid somewhere else.

I would say most if not all dealers are not set up to sell to you online. Thy only want to use it as a tool to get you in the showroom. They don't understand negotiating by email. Most don't read what you tell them and you have to repeat yourself over and over.

One dealer told me their was a bulletin from Honda telling them not to sell a car to someone outside CA.

 

[2002]

Some did not want to help you avoid California taxes...thought you were being shady, even if you sent them the form you helped me with.

One dealer insisted you had to sign the paperwork in person. They were one of the better priced options, and I could have had my son sign for me (he lived in San Diego). But if you lived thousands of miles away it would not be very effective, especially since you can not then drive your car home if you want to avoid the taxes.

Also, you need to be careful about the sales tax. I know NC will not give you credit for sales tax paid somewhere else.

I would say most if not all dealers are not set up to sell to you online. Thy only want to use it as a tool to get you in the showroom. They don't understand negotiating by email. Most don't read what you tell them and you have to repeat yourself over and over.

One dealer told me their was a bulletin from Honda telling them not to sell a car to someone outside CA.

That is good information, and confirms what I suspected which is why I asked. Too bad more dealers are not willing to handle the entire transaction out of state, but at least some are, which is good for those for whom distance or sales tax reasons make it the only viable option. But it's encouraging that for those who live in states where the tax situation makes taking delivery in California a possibility, it sounds like a lot more dealers will likely be willing to sell to them, and they could also maybe get better deals also.

Also, you need to be careful about the sales tax. I know NC will not give you credit for sales tax paid somewhere else.

Yes for sure it is important to check with the local state vehicle registration office. For states like Arizona where the tax hit isn't too bad, the possible additional discounts available when taking delivery in California could more than offset the additional taxes. If you found $2,800 discounts available from dealers willing to ship out of state, which is pretty close to my original estimate of $3,000 in another thread, then I would think a $4,000 discount is not out of the question for a non-resident who takes delivery in California. Especially for a 2019 once the 2020's come out. And if they live far from California they can still ship the car back home even if they take delivery in California. Subtracting the expense of round trip airfare to California, shipping cost as well as additional sales tax, they could still come out netting below MSRP, which is better than their current option in their state which is no cars at any price.

 

[Miles777]

I saw that AutoNation had a used Touring Clarity with 16,600 miles listed for sale a few days back, but a quick glance at Craig's List showed that while it's still posted, it is marked as sold. This was the ad's title:

"2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid Touring SKU:JC002900 Sedan - $25998 (AutoNation)"

and its URL in case the deal doesn't go through and it's reposted.

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/ctd/d/chandler-2018-honda-clarity-plug-in/7046923335.html

I live in the NW edge of Peoria near Lake Pleasant and Jomax and own a white 2018 base model Clarity I bought in Nov 2018 and have happily driven for nearly 20,000 miles. I'd be willing to show it to you if you can travel out this direction. What part of the valley do you live in?

By the way, my son, who lives near me, just landed a job in Mesa, and is looking for a used Volt for commuting across the valley. He'd probably pay extra for a blue plate special.