I'm about to put my order in to lease a new TL and was reconciled to a high lease rate based on the full value of the car. I've just put my request into Auto Revolution and will see what they come up with. I've been told by an independent leasing organisation that they can only acquire the car at list as well, so their lease rates aren't anything to write home about.
Which model and colour did you choose Vinny and were you restricted in any way by dealing with Auto Revolution?
Any more info on your buying experience would be great to hear. What model did you get, how long did it take through the broker? If they don't deliver you the price you want are still obligated to pay them their fee?
Drove by last night and bought a TL (w/o Nav). I have been looking at them for 3 weeks. My preferance was for the Black Camel but came home with the Black Parchment. Cannot think of any car for the money that is as well equiped as the TL. While I wish it was RWD, I'm very pleased. The best part, Paid $32k on the nose. $1,200 under invoice on a Monday. They had about 15 on the lot and one Nav. Large supply produces the better deals. Since they would not come off MSRP on the Nav the true Nav upgraed price would have been $3,200. Not worth it since Nav has no value in 3 years but a flat plasma for the house does! Good Luck
While I paid retail, I received thousands more on my trade in NY than I would have received from dealers in CT and NY. Well worth a buitiful 2 hour drive last Sat. Also got lots of goodies included with the option to get any parts at 10 over cost.
I am very happy with my deal and the car. Now I need those color matched side moldings to protect the doors.
In N. Carolina, S. Carolina & Florida I was unable to work a deal for less than MSRP for a 6MT TL. That's quite a few dealers who were unwilling to budge! So I bought for MSRP, but I still believe I got a value based on prices for other cars in the TL's class.
But I don't think I've ever been so happy to add more debt!! Just drove home with my 04 TL/Nav, White Diamond Pearl / Parchment. Did this through a 3rd party leasing company....ended up w/a 4yr lease, 0 money down, TTL rolled in for $520 a month. Not the world's best deal, but certainly not the world's worst either....but substantially better than what I was originally quoted. Also talked with 3 different Acura dealers down here and none would budge off of MSRP. Guess those of you who are getting $1200 below invoice are INCREDIBLY fortunate to live where you live. Texas dealers don't seem to be budging a bit. Even talked with a fleet manager buddy who tried to work a deal w/an Acura dealer and no go.
I think that you guys are getting caught up in the fact that 'aaking' said $1200 under invoice. If you look at the price he paid it looks more like $1200 under MSRP (i.e. paid $32K). Still a great deal, though.
I recently bought a Silver/Quartz '04 with only a few hundred dollars discounted. I think that I worked pretty hard for that, but I didn't have a car and had to buy that day, so I took what I could get. Great car for the price.
A dealer in so. Ct told me a month ago that we would need to get on a list to get a gray/camel auto with no nav. We would also need a second color choice as they had no inventory and all units were presold. Went to the same dealer last night. Had 14 units in stock, waiting for buyers. Still a great car, but discounting is definitely in the short term future!
Don't even waste your time with any of the CT dealers, I shopped them all. I ended up going to NJ for the best deal. Yes, I did drive 2 hours but got a much better trade, lots of extras included and a better loan rate with a great 2 hour ride home in my new TL. If interested eamil me and I will give you the details
Forsaking my continuing desire to own a BMW, I ordered an '04 TL (Anthracite/Ebony/6M) last night. I just could not justify paying a little less for a lot less (325i) or a lot more for arguably comparable (330i). $500.00 off MSRP, plus had to purchase the protection package at $295.00 and got body side molding thrown in for an additional $55.00. I argued about the "required" protection package, but the salesman did a fairly good job of convincing me that, mandatory or not, the wheel locks, splash guards and trunk tray were desirable. Anyway, I still managed to get the car plus all of the accessories at $150.00 under MSRP. Not a great deal from a negotiating standpoint, but the car appears to be a solid value even at sticker. Will take delivery in January.
I just gave the dealer the go/no-go on a 2004 TL with nav and, although I (like everyone else) am not in any hurry to sink the new few years into a car payment, it was definitely time for me to do it. I managed to get the vehicle for $33,445 (trade-in + pro-pack, does not include TTL or any of those other fees). I was asking higher for my trade-in initially ($2K for a '96 Concorde LXi) but also inquired about the pro-pack that everyone seems to say you can get with a minimum of fuss from the dealer. The way they ended up doing it was to only give me $1,750 and throw in the pro-pack (a $350 value, they tell me).
So anyway, I honestly don't think I got screwed (unless you consider paying as much for a car as I'm going to, in which case you're probably on the wrong message board). I specifically wanted the nav package so that's my treat (the trade-in basically pays for that).
I'm purchasing mine in upstate NY, where the LOVELY sales tax is now 8.25%. I considered going to north PA since I'm not far from the border and while they do "work" with NY laws, dealers, etc. the bottom line is, you are still going to pay hefty taxes, no matter what. (I mean, I'm not going to register the car in PA when I live here.) Plus, in the area I'm in, there are no Acura dealers, so there's not a lot of choice in the state to work with unless you like driving a few hours to go to a dealer.
Overall, so far (and probably for the rest of the transaction), the guy I worked with at the dealer has been extremely friendly, helpful, and fairly free of the BS that a lot of dealerships have (moreso I've noticed with domestic dealers). I can't complain. I am not the type to go in storming away bitching about this cost and that cost and generally making an [non-permissible content removed] of myself (I heard one end of a phone conversation last weekend where you could tell the guy on the other line was doing just that, and the Acura rep was basically telling him he apparently wasn't ready to commit to a figure, etc. etc.) So, my dealer experience has been so far about as good as you can get, in my opinion.
I think everyone always takes some heat from friends and family about how much you pay for a car, and the notion that they can go in and just bluster their way into a rock-bottom deal, but it just ain't happening. So, I'm happy with my decision.
Hello, all. Any of you purchase a TL in Cleveland, Columbus or Youngstown, OH? I am curious as to your experience. I also posted this message on the "2004 Acura TL" board.
Has anyone gotten backup sensors (Park Distance Control)? I am curious to see how much they will cost. On Acura site MSRP is about $500 but does not include installation.
I'm rather annoyed at my local Acura dealer. I finally decided to get an '04 TL, which I wanted without the protection package. They wouldn't sell it without the protection package. I asked them to throw in the prot. pack. but they were only willing to come down to $297 for that. And they acted like they were doing me a favor to give me $18,500 for my 2001 TL (35,500 mi). That didn't seem like a very good deal, so I sadly walked. What do you think?
maybe i'm wrong here, but that sounds like a real strong offer on your '01. Its 3 years old. So they are basically giving you more than 60% of its original value, right? sounds pretty good to me, but what do i know.
have you run your car past Terry over on the real-world trade-in values board?
as far as buying the new TL, I wouldn't put up with that garbage about buying add-ons you don't want. Just look elsewhere.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Maybe I shouldn't place so much weight on Kelly Blue Book; they say that an excellent 2001 TL with premium wheels such as mine (chrome)has a trade in value of $19,200. None-the-less, I'd take my dealer's offer of $18,500 if they'd drop the protection package.
Philip, it looks to like 18500 is very reasonable offer, at the end of the day dealer will make their profits anyway, they give you more for your TL that's why wont go down on the price of the new one much.
We're actually very close to making a deal. If I hadn't just paid my $500 registration renewal fee on my 2001 TL I might be more willing to pay what the dealer's asking!
Regardless of what you paid new, you have to realise that a brand new '03, with zero miles, can be purchashed for around $25K. $18.5K sounds fair for a trade.
Fredvh, I've been very happy with my 2001 TL. The only reason I'm looking to get a new car is that I need(want) more headroom. I'm 6'1" and my hair actually rubs the ceiling of my TL! I've only had little problems: there is a subtle intermittent squeaking noise somewhere in the vicinity of the sunroof. Service applied some silicon impregnated tape with some improvement. Also the brakes seemed to need replacing sooner than I expected. Transmission and everything else has been great. If I were two inches shorter I'd keep it indefinitely.
I went to test drive a 2004 TL a few days ago, and I'd like to see if my experience was typical. A very professional salesperson came out, took about 20 minutes to explain the features of the car. I wanted to test drive the car, and I planned on taking it home to show my wife - by myself (I live about 6 minutes away). The salesperson said she would have to ask her manager. Surprisingly, the manager said that the salesperson would have to go with me. Now keep in mind, I am not some teenager on a joyride. I am 38 year-old man who was ready to possibly make a deal, but at this rate, if all Acura dealerships are like this, I'll stay with Lexus and Infiniti. I've gone to both dealerships in the area and have driven the LS430, Q45, M45, GS300, RX300 - before my wife and I bought our cars - and they made a copy of my driver's license and told us to bring it back when we were done. Is this the way the Acura dealerships in your area do business? I'm just trying to see if this was a dealership thing or corporate attitude. Thanks!
Not true. I live in Queens and when I went to Valley Stream Acura last year to test drive the TL, I was given a set of keys by the salesman who told me which car in the lot was the test car and that I could drive it by myself. He only asked for a copy of my driver's license. Like you,I was a bit surprised also. The only catch was that the test car was not a new car, but a loaner car with more than 8k miles on it :-)
Two Infinity dealers gave me the keys and I went for a test drive alone in a G35. Two Acura dealers had the salesperson come with me. No big deal for me. I bought an '04 TL and am very happy with the Acura dealer. Maybe it's a corporate policy.
At the So. Cal. dealers where I've recently test driven cars, including BMW (530 & 545), Infiniti (G35), and Acura (TL) a salesman has gone with me. I presumed this was standard practice and it never bothered me. I bought a TL tonight. Although the 545 performs better, I don't think I'll be pushing my car to the limits where that additional performance is necessary enough to justify the significant difference in price. And I like the audio and electronics in the TL better.
This always seems to be a crapshoot. The only consistent pattern I found was test driving Volvos. At all 3 dealerships I visited, they let me take it out myself. But during my test drives of non-luxo vehicles like Chevy, Dodge, Mazda, Oldsmobile, Subaru, GMC, etc, etc, the salesman has always gone with. Go figure.
On my recent TL test drive, the salesman went with. As a matter of fact, he insisted that he had to drive the car off the lot before letting me take over! Not sure what all that was about, but as far as him coming along, I can't really blame them for doing so. They don't know me from a hole in the wall. Yeah, its annoying to have the salesperson there, but, again, if I was in their shoes, I'd do the same thing.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
My reason for wanting to take the car out is that I wanted to take it home so my wife could check it out in our garage. We have a 7 month-old baby who requires a car seat and space is always a consideration. It was rather cool outside and my wife was not "dressed for the day" if you know what I mean. Acura is the only dealership I've dealt with that has this policy. I loved the interior of the car, but it doesn't sit well with me when one luxury car dealership gives me the keys to a $55K car without a fuss and another one won't let me take out a $35K car by myself. I'm from Dayton, OH, and I'll probably try one in Cincy and Columbus, but if they have the same policy, the TL is off my list (as much as I like it).
The copying of the driver's license is normal- every dealership does that- yeah Infiniti and Lexus included.
As for test drives, dealers have their own policy. As stated by RMOORES, Devan Acura in Norwalk also gave me the keys and told me to have fun. I had the car for almost an hour and it was not a problem for them.
Curtiss Ryan Honda in Shelton CT gave me an Accord for almost half of a day to take home and show my wife.
Bottom Line- it depends on the dealer, nothing is etched in stone when it comes to test drive.
That is kind of a stupid reason to cross a car off your list. Yes I love it when car dealers let me take a car out by myself but i am not buying the dealer i am buying the car. If i have to put up with a pain in the butt sitting next to me for a little while in order to get a great car so be it. Good luck
That is kind of a stupid reason to cross a car off your list. Yes I love it when car dealers let me take a car out by myself but i am not buying the dealer i am buying the car. If i have to put up with a pain in the butt sitting next to me for a little while in order to get a great car so be it. Good luck
I would fully expect a dealership to get a copy of one's license. As crazy as people are, it makes total sense and I don't have a problem with it whatsoever. But don't you both think that dealership treatment is a part of your car buying experience? I would prefer not to take the TL off my list - that's why I plan on checking out other dealerships and see if my experience will be better. The bottom line - you pay for that dealership experience one way or the other. Technically you are buying that dealership if there are no others around to service your car. Would you buy a great car from a place that was known for lame service if they were the only dealer in town?
I agree that service is important. I just don't see how their policy on test drives will have anything to do with how you will be treated, either as you negotiate and buy the car, or later for service.
I have had the full gamut of experiences, everything from toss me the keys with a "have fun", to salesman on board that has to drive it off the lot. Didn't seem to have any correlation to how I was treated later.
Your post reminded me of something I've often wondered about (and probably has been discussed by others): Is it an advantage to service your car at the same dealer you bought it from? Only during the 1st 12-month "adjustment period"? At anytime during the life of the car? Another way of asking the question would be if a service department would "go the extra yard" for a car bought from the same dealer whereas they may not for a car bought from a competing dealer?
The answer to all of your questions is a resounding NO. Unless you have some kind of free service deal, there is no reason to take your car to a dealer for routine maintenance.
Also, if you do take your car to a dealer, it wouldn't matter where you bought it.
Live in LA area. Want 2004 TL/w nav. Dealers not willing to "bargain" Do you think waiting until end of December would be beneficial? What would be "fair" price?
It seems that the DMV was totally surprised that the vehicle registration tax fee increase would be eliminated so quickly. I have heard it may take until Friday for them to decide how to handle it. I wonder what Acura dealers are going to do for the next few days when they sell the cars?
They service the car the same and do the warranty repairs at any dealer, but some dealers give you service perks if you bought the car from them.
You may get free car washes or they may only give out loaners if you bought from them or at least give priority on the loaners if you bought from them and so on.
I think it's a good idea to wait till the end of December. For non-Navi TL you may be able to get about $1,000 off MSRP; for Navi perhaps $500. You should contact all dealers in a 50 mile radius and pick the best offer. If time is no issue, you can even wait till end of January!
Comments
Which model and colour did you choose Vinny and were you restricted in any way by dealing with Auto Revolution?
While I paid retail, I received thousands more on my trade in NY than I would have received from dealers in CT and NY. Well worth a buitiful 2 hour drive last Sat. Also got lots of goodies included with the option to get any parts at 10 over cost.
I am very happy with my deal and the car. Now I need those color matched side moldings to protect the doors.
Enjoy the driving experience.
You should check in the Members section.
I recently bought a Silver/Quartz '04 with only a few hundred dollars discounted. I think that I worked pretty hard for that, but I didn't have a car and had to buy that day, so I took what I could get. Great car for the price.
Thanks.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
So anyway, I honestly don't think I got screwed (unless you consider paying as much for a car as I'm going to, in which case you're probably on the wrong message board). I specifically wanted the nav package so that's my treat (the trade-in basically pays for that).
I'm purchasing mine in upstate NY, where the LOVELY sales tax is now 8.25%. I considered going to north PA since I'm not far from the border and while they do "work" with NY laws, dealers, etc. the bottom line is, you are still going to pay hefty taxes, no matter what. (I mean, I'm not going to register the car in PA when I live here.) Plus, in the area I'm in, there are no Acura dealers, so there's not a lot of choice in the state to work with unless you like driving a few hours to go to a dealer.
Overall, so far (and probably for the rest of the transaction), the guy I worked with at the dealer has been extremely friendly, helpful, and fairly free of the BS that a lot of dealerships have (moreso I've noticed with domestic dealers). I can't complain. I am not the type to go in storming away bitching about this cost and that cost and generally making an [non-permissible content removed] of myself (I heard one end of a phone conversation last weekend where you could tell the guy on the other line was doing just that, and the Acura rep was basically telling him he apparently wasn't ready to commit to a figure, etc. etc.) So, my dealer experience has been so far about as good as you can get, in my opinion.
I think everyone always takes some heat from friends and family about how much you pay for a car, and the notion that they can go in and just bluster their way into a rock-bottom deal, but it just ain't happening. So, I'm happy with my decision.
have you run your car past Terry over on the real-world trade-in values board?
as far as buying the new TL, I wouldn't put up with that garbage about buying add-ons you don't want. Just look elsewhere.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Fredvh, I've been very happy with my 2001 TL. The only reason I'm looking to get a new car is that I need(want) more headroom. I'm 6'1" and my hair actually rubs the ceiling of my TL! I've only had little problems: there is a subtle intermittent squeaking noise somewhere in the vicinity of the sunroof. Service applied some silicon impregnated tape with some improvement. Also the brakes seemed to need replacing sooner than I expected. Transmission and everything else has been great. If I were two inches shorter I'd keep it indefinitely.
On my recent TL test drive, the salesman went with. As a matter of fact, he insisted that he had to drive the car off the lot before letting me take over! Not sure what all that was about, but as far as him coming along, I can't really blame them for doing so. They don't know me from a hole in the wall. Yeah, its annoying to have the salesperson there, but, again, if I was in their shoes, I'd do the same thing.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
As for test drives, dealers have their own policy.
As stated by RMOORES, Devan Acura in Norwalk also gave me the keys and told me to have fun.
I had the car for almost an hour and it was not a problem for them.
Curtiss Ryan Honda in Shelton CT gave me an Accord for almost half of a day to take home and show my wife.
Bottom Line- it depends on the dealer, nothing is etched in stone when it comes to test drive.
If the salesguy wants to take a ride to your house, let him. Leave him out in the driveway while you test fit the car seat and baby, etc.
I promise, you won't have to adopt the salesman if you get the car ;-)
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The Dealerships that pampered me I ended up NOT buying the car from them.
I went else where to purchase my Acura and my wife's Honda.
But I do service them at the pampered Dealerships.
Bottom line- PRICE.
I have had the full gamut of experiences, everything from toss me the keys with a "have fun", to salesman on board that has to drive it off the lot. Didn't seem to have any correlation to how I was treated later.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Also, if you do take your car to a dealer, it wouldn't matter where you bought it.
Dealers not willing to "bargain"
Do you think waiting until end of December would
be beneficial? What would be "fair" price?
I have heard it may take until Friday for them to decide how to handle it.
I wonder what Acura dealers are going to do for the next few days when they sell the cars?
You may get free car washes or they may only give out loaners if you bought from them or at least give priority on the loaners if you bought from them and so on.