The one rule that moved the needle: negotiate on the ex-showroom price, never on the on-road price. Over almost 15 days and four Honda dealers, that single rule took the discount from ₹80,000 (the first showroom’s offer) to ₹1,82,898 — on a car with an ex-showroom of ₹16,32,990.
After test driving multiple cars we decided to go with Honda Elevate.
Price negotiation took almost 15 days I believe.
Dealer 1 — the first walk-in (2026-05-08)
On 2026-05-08 I walked in to the showroom near my place. As usual we checked all the cars on display, though we had already decided to go with the Honda Elevate.
I met the executive. After all the explanations, features, offers and discounts — to cut it short — they offered ₹80,000 on the ex-showroom price, plus a bonus of ₹30,000 if I booked immediately (taking it to ₹1,10,000). They were clear: if I walked out without booking, the offer expires. I just smiled and walked out.
I did my research before deciding to walk in to the dealership and learned that they had large room for discounts on Honda Elevate
Working the phones
I listed the other Honda dealers in town, sorted them by distance from my place, and started calling them to get the best price. Most of them asked me to walk in to get a better price. I mentioned I already had a ₹1,10,000 offer on the ex-showroom, and that I wanted to negotiate discount only on the ex-showroom — not on the on-road price. Still they insisted I visit the showroom.
IMP: ALWAYS NEGOTIATE ON EXSHOWROOM TO GET BEST DEAL
Only then can you get the best price. Sales executives will be disappointed — that’s expected. They might also claim it’s against dealership policy, or that their price structure is non-negotiable. None of it is true; it’s a negotiation tactic.
Spoiler Alert: Don’t assume they’ll give a better price once you walk in. They might take you for granted once you visit with your family, and try to convince you it’s a better deal — pressuring you to book the car right away.
The four phone calls:
- Dealer 2 — explained their legacy and mentioned they would come in person to discuss and finalise the deal. But it didn’t work as expected. The executive said he would talk to his manager and confirm by evening. Later that day I received a call from the sales manager asking me to visit the dealership, promising I’d get a better price.
- Dealer 3 — I didn’t want to stretch the conversation and went straight to the point, asking the executive for the best deal on the ex-showroom price. At the beginning he said it’s not possible to negotiate on the ex-showroom and that they’d discount on insurance and all the store. He still didn’t know that I wouldn’t be buying insurance from the dealer. After multiple calls they offered a discount of ₹1,30,000 (so far the best deal I have).
- Dealer 4 — call didn’t go through for some reason.
Day 2 — visiting the dealerships (2026-05-09)
On 2026-05-09 we decided to visit Dealership 2 to finalise the deal. They had the same model car available for display, so I could see the exact one I was buying. Reached around the first half and met the sales manager.
Started the discussion about a discount on the ex-showroom — usual story, not possible, we can get discount on insurance, free accessories etc. I kept insisting on a discount on the ex-showroom. He wanted to discuss with his manager. After 20-odd minutes he came back and said they could match ₹1,10,000 (I was expecting more, as usual). We walked out without booking the car.
We had lunch and started towards Dealership 3. After a long drive we reached, and my family was excited seeing the Adventure edition as they presented the ADV variant well and tried to convince me to go with the ADV variant. By now the only thing on my mind was how much discount they’d be offering.
Same thing repeated here. I asked for the discount; the executive said he wanted to discuss with his manager. After 30 minutes I had a discount of ₹1,30,000 on the ex-showroom, with more cash discount if I opted out of the free accessories (Ambient Light, 360 camera). The dashcam was mandatory. I had almost decided to book the car with this dealer, but I wanted to talk to Dealership 4 before I book the car.
Later that day I got a call from Dealership 4 and they said they can match the offer. The sales manager said he’ll come and meet me the next day to discuss further — no showroom visits, no other negotiation. I was surprised by this offer.
After all this, I thought to check with all the dealers again and finalise which one to book with.
Checking back with everyone (2026-05-10)
On 2026-05-10, by the time I checked with all the dealers:
| Dealer | Final offer on ex-showroom | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dealer 1 | Not responded | — |
| Dealer 2 | ₹1,10,000 | matched the first showroom’s offer |
| Dealer 3 | ₹1,50,000 | cash discount, no accessories |
| Dealer 4 | ₹1,60,000 | includes ₹12,500 Basic kit |
The shocker from Dealer 1 (2026-05-12)
On 2026-05-12 I got a call from the Dealership 1 sales manager. He said he can give a final price of ₹14,50,000 ex-showroom — that’s a ₹1,82,898 discount. This is a shocking discount for sure. No basic kit included, only dashcam, ambient light and 360 camera.
Decided to book the car with Dealership 1 the next day — full story in the booking-day sequel.
Booking day (2026-05-13)
On 2026-05-13 the day had come to book the car. We visited the showroom and, after lots of drama, booked the car for ₹10,000. I called Dealership 4 again and said I had an ex-showroom offer for ₹14,50,000 — possible to match? He said impossible. Then he called me post lunch and said he can make ₹14,56,742 (includes Basic kit, Teflon coating, 360 camera, ambient light, dashcam). Booked the car with Dealer 4 by paying ₹5,000.
Final offers (2026-05-13):
| Dealer | Final ex-showroom | Inclusions | Booking advance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dealer 1 | ₹14,50,000 | dashcam, ambient light, 360 camera | ₹10,000 |
| Dealer 4 | ₹14,56,742 (+₹6,742) | Basic kit, Teflon coating, 360 camera, ambient light, dashcam | ₹5,000 |
The lesson: the lowest sticker isn’t always the best price. Dealer 4 was ₹6,742 costlier than Dealer 1, but the inclusions (Basic kit + Teflon coating) more than offset the difference. The “best price” was Dealer 4’s, by value.
Honda Elevate ZX CVT R - ₹16,32,990 ex-showroom