A new Honda Fit is $16k _before_ the dealer starts playing games.
Last time I went to buy one, the local Honda dealer tried to rig up a deal where a 2-yr-old model listed at $11k would cost me $19k. They were willing to budge on one of the $2k "mandatory" upgrades that weren't in their posted price, but I walked on the deal.
I think slightly older used cars can usually be had pretty reasonably though and can be a nice way to break out of the car loan cycle (if you can budget $1k cash for the likely event where there are hidden problems). The end of that story is that I bought a 10-yr-old Honda Fit for $5k, they didn't try any manipulative sales tactics, and 20k miles later I haven't had any notable issues (ran over a couple nails and needed to plug the tire). That's still a lot of money at minimum wage, but it's a lot more manageable than a new car.
I really hate the dealer game, but if you're stubborn and persistent you can often get what you want. It sounds like the best approach is to email multiple dealerships and make it clear you're only coming in after you commit to a price--you just can't overplay your hand. I bought a new Fit a few years ago when they shifted production between countries and kind of skipped a model year. So there was a shortage, especially the 6-speed low end. When I located one I didn't have much leverage to negotiate down, but I could stand firm on extra junk they tried to add to drive up the cost.
The used car market used to be fantastic before the 2009 Cash For Clunkers system seemed to have skewed it. It doesn't look like it has "recovered" but that could be due to other factors like better reliability overall. I mostly used a new car as a worst reasonable case scenario where the price doesn't fluctuate.
Last time I went to buy one, the local Honda dealer tried to rig up a deal where a 2-yr-old model listed at $11k would cost me $19k. They were willing to budge on one of the $2k "mandatory" upgrades that weren't in their posted price, but I walked on the deal.
I think slightly older used cars can usually be had pretty reasonably though and can be a nice way to break out of the car loan cycle (if you can budget $1k cash for the likely event where there are hidden problems). The end of that story is that I bought a 10-yr-old Honda Fit for $5k, they didn't try any manipulative sales tactics, and 20k miles later I haven't had any notable issues (ran over a couple nails and needed to plug the tire). That's still a lot of money at minimum wage, but it's a lot more manageable than a new car.