First time buyer. I'm looking to purchase a Honda Rancher, either 06 or 07 from a dealer. Just need some advice on: When the best time of the year to purchase? And for anyone that has purchased new, How much were you able to talk the dealer down in price on a new quad? Any information would be helpful, Thanks

 

Just to be sure you aren't confused....if you are talking the Rancher with the manual transmission (not the auto tranny Rancher 400AT), the 06 and 07 models are radically different! The 06 is a 350, carburated, and air cooled. The 07 is a 420, fuel injected, water cooled...and a much different beast than the older 350.

So, if you are looking to save real big, you should be able to pick up a new leftover 350 right now dirt cheap...if there are any left. The 08 get announced in early September and released in the late fall, so that makes the 06 almost two model years old.

The 350 is a sweet little machine, but I highly recommend spending the extra money for the 420! And just for the record, there is speculation that Honda will be making some updates to the 420, becasue it is not listed on the Honda web site as a carryover from 07. Might want to wait and see what happens there......

Season makes a difference as well! Here in So. Calif., the winter is the big desert riding season. Sport quad sales will go up in the early fall as folks anticipate the coming cooler weather...bad time to try to bargain with a dealer....early summer would be better.

As fall approaches around here, utility sales go up as hunter wanabees flock to get the latest cammo clad oversize/overweight utility monsters. Again...a bad time to try to cut a deal on a ute......

 

If you are out east, this is the worst time of year to buy. Everyone is riding now, and will be until about October or so, when hunting season starts.

In the northeast the best time to get a deal on a quad is in the winter. In February or so they aren't moving ANYTHING.

 

In Michigan the best time to buy is the fall. Most of the stores that sell ATVs also sell snowmobiles. They are anxious to get rid of the ATVs to make room for the snow mobiles. 2 years ago I purchased 3 Rallys that were also a full model year old (not used). I payed $1,000 under sticker for each.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: qvfd153

First time buyer. I'm looking to purchase a Honda Rancher, either 06 or 07 from a dealer. Just need some advice on: When the best time of the year to purchase? And for anyone that has purchased new, How much were you able to talk the dealer down in price on a new quad? Any information would be helpful, Thanks</end quote></div>

To start, you should probably mention your state or area of the country. That makes a huge difference...I live in Illinois and just bought a 07 Rancher 4x4 for $4893 OTD. I could have bought the 07 Rancher 4x4 ES for $5002 OTD, but wanted the manual shift...

 

Thanks everyone for replying so far. Well for my area, I live in Arizona

 

Being Arizona, similar riding seasons will apply as in So. Calif. I would act now, as quad sales are probably slow this time of year.

Are you thinking of an 06 or 07 or even 08????

 

Also remember this.... When a quad first arrives at a Dealer.. they are making the MOST money on that machine.. hence the best chance for you to have them shave a few bucks off of it..

The 2008 Models are due into Yamaha dealers starting sometime in Sept/Oct... At that point say a quad arrives at dealear on Oct 1st. and MSRP's for $6000, the dealer probably paid $4,000. So after Oct 1st, is when he starts paying interest on the cash he most likely borrowed to buy his machines... So you should be able to get it for less than MSRP, as the dealer knows he gets a sale and moves inventory.. now say you want that same quad in April... Still MSRP's for $6,000 but he has paid 6 months worth of interest on that machine... so he would be less likely to budge on the price... Got it? Also too when the 2008's arrive.. you will most likely get a good deal on any leftover 2007's if he has any left.. I know a dealer sitting on a 2007 Grizzly 700FI been collecting dust since I bought my ATV in December... I am sure that will go cheap! cheaper than a 2008 that is for sure!