SOLD — 2009 Honda Civic DX-G

What $4,689 actually costs you

Ontario dealers advertise an all-in price: everything except HST and licensing has to be in the number you see. So there is nothing else coming. Here is the arithmetic, in full:

If you are trading a car in, the trade comes off before tax is calculated in Ontario — so a $12,000 trade against this car does not just reduce the balance by $12,000, it also cuts about $1,560 off the HST. That is the single most misunderstood number in a Canadian car deal, and it is the first thing Henry will show you on paper.

For a bi-weekly finance or lease figure on this exact stock number, text Henry. He will quote you the rate that is actually live this month on approved credit rather than a made-up teaser payment — rates move with Honda Canada's program and anything published on a web page is out of date the week it changes.

This one is sold as-is — read this before you come out

Stock #145826LA is advertised as-is. Under Ontario law that means exactly what the bill of sale will say: the vehicle is being sold as-is, is not represented as being in road-worthy condition, mechanically sound or maintained at any guaranteed level of quality. It may not be fit for use as a means of transportation and may require substantial repairs at your expense. It has not passed a safety inspection, and it cannot be plated until it does.

Henry is not going to talk around that. An as-is car is priced the way it is because the risk moved to you. It can still be the right buy — a second car, a first car for a new driver on a tight budget, a winter beater, or a project — but only if you go in with your eyes open.

What Henry will tell you to do

• Get the Carfax first. Text him and he will send it before you drive out. If the history is bad, he will say so and save you the trip.
• Budget for a safety certificate. You cannot plate it without one. Ask your own mechanic what that is likely to cost on this year and model before you commit.
• Take it to your own mechanic. On an as-is car this is not optional, and Henry will not be offended.
• Assume no warranty. There is no manufacturer coverage and no dealership coverage on this unit.

If after reading that you would rather have a car with a warranty attached, say so — Henry will show you what the certified side of the lot has near your budget instead. He would rather move you to the right car than sell you this one.

Who this sedan is right for — and who it isn't

Henry's job here is to tell you when a car is wrong for you, because a customer who buys the wrong car does not come back and does not send their family.

It fits if

• You want a 2009 Honda with a real service history and a warranty still attached, rather than the cheapest example on the internet.
• You are driving GTA distances — the 400, the 407, Vaughan to downtown — and want something that will still be worth money in four years. Hondas hold value here better than almost anything else in the segment, which matters more than the sticker.
• You would rather see the Carfax and the numbers before you spend an afternoon at a dealership.

Look at something else if

• You do very low annual mileage and plan to keep the car ten years — at 198,060 km this one has already done real work, and a lower-kilometre example is worth the extra money for you.
• Your budget is genuinely under $4,000. Say so. There is almost always something else on the lot, and stretching for a payment you resent is how people end up hating a perfectly good car.

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Questions people actually ask about this car