I drove over to Bell Honda to check out the new Honda Insight because I was already in the area. The salesmen were a little pushy, but that's understandable considering the economic climate. What was not understandable was the extra charge Bell Honda placed on the Insights based on the fact that they are "new, popular models". It was $3,000 over the $20,000 retail price of the car... for a total of $23,000.
...
UMMM, WHAT?!
That's a 15% price increase for no good reason! Should Apple charge $100 over their retail price every time they release a new iPhone because it's new and popular? Should a restaurant charge extra for a dish because it was just added to the menu? Should Disneyland double the price of admission whenever they add a new attraction?
I know Bell Honda isn't alone in this practice, but I've dealt with dealers that don't add an extra charge to popular cars. Toyota Carlsbad in California did not tack on an extra charge when Priuses were popular. Bottom line: don't deal with scummy dealerships that overcharge for their cars!