2013 and earlier-Acura TL Prices Paid and Buying Experience

jrock65 · January 2004

Most people have said that the NAV is a matter of personal preference. I certainly didn't get the feeling from most posters that "Geez, your stupid if you pay $2k for that worthless Nav" or, "Geez, your stupid & cheap if you don't get the Nav." The posts have been helpful in pointing out how the NAV helped the drivers in certain situations. It is especially helpful to those who have never had a NAV system to hear from those who have one. Just my two cents.

dulnev · January 2004

There's no standard protection package, but it USUALLY means wheel locks, mud guards and trunk tray. Some dealers (probably in the North East and other bad-weather regions) also include all-weather mats in the package.

Door edge trip or body side moldings are never part of Protection Package according to all the reports I've seen on various TL boards.

kyfdx · January 2004

The Acura dealer's actually have a little flip chart (like they do for color choices) that shows the protection package. The one I saw for the TSX had three different groupings of options including three of five different accessories. They even had a suggested price, depending on which of the three groupings you chose, with $155 being the most prevalent one.

regards,
kyfdx

dulnev · January 2004

"The posts have been helpful in pointing out how the NAV helped the drivers in certain situations. It is especially helpful to those who have never had a NAV system to hear from those who have one."

Exactly! These discussions should also be useful for people that have used navigation systems on other brands of cars, or previous generations of Honda system. If they never see the new TL NAVI in action, they might not know how great it is without reading these discussions. They might then later regret their decision to get a car without one.

I speak from experience because my first two test drives were in the non-NAVI TL and I put a deposit on non-NAVI TL. That's because I was basing my choice on past information about other navigation systems. Then my salesman suggested we check out the NAVI car and, after we did, I almost gave him a big sloppy kiss! I loved the system so much that I didn't consider the extra cost even for a second. I wanted the one with NAVI and it really didn't matter how much less I would pay for the one without the NAVI.

bodble2 · January 2004

You know, the stupid thing about Honda is that they used to offer a dealer-installed alarm (we had one for our '97 CR-V) that had siren, hood and glass-break protection, user-selectable passive lock/arm, plus a diagnostic system that tells you which zone was violated if someone had broken in. I loved that system. I don't think they offer this anymore, not the siren anyway I don't think. In comparison, the factory system on even the more expensive models such as the TL, MDX, etc. are fairly basic.

jp3000 · January 2004

"The posts have been helpful in pointing out how the NAV helped the drivers in certain situations. It is especially helpful to those who have never had a NAV system to hear from those who have one."

That wasn't what I was crabbing about at all. Objective feedback on the NAV system or any other option (5AT vs 6MA is another doozy)is great and much appreciated. What isn't appreciated is hearing that its not worth it and/or that its not going to get you much in resale value and/or that you won't use it much ....etc. That's what is bothersome.

pat · January 2004

This discussion is where we can list the price paid and a specific buying experience. Let's move this more general conversation to our, um, more general Acura TL discussion.

See you there!

jakeoh · January 2004

I just bought Tl /no NAV Out the door for 33,3550.36 in twenty Minutes ,no hassle.
MSRP 32,650.00
invoice 29,754.54
- 3% holdback -892.64
Total Dealer Cost28,862.00
Destination 545.00
+ 3 % holdback +892.00
PROFIT 750.00
Subtotal 31,049.64
&% Ohio Sales Tax 2,173.47
Total 33,223.11 Presented to Dealer On My PDA Along with their phone # and The #s of other Nearby Dealers. I think it helped.
They added a 100.00 document fee and a 25.25 fo transfer fees for out the door of $33,355.36 for delivery in three weeks or 33,534.80 if I wanted a dealer trade.I took the low price.
Columbia Acura @ Montgomery Rd and I-275

igiban · January 2004

It seems that the true profit for them is 750 + the 3% holdback of 892 = about 1650 (+28,862+545= about what you paid b4 tax etc.)?

kyfdx · January 2004

They will tell you that holdback is not profit. It pays for the dealer's overhead. Either way, you got a good deal, jakeoh. I've never bought from Columbia, but I've shopped there and always found them easy to deal with. My wife had a '94 Acura Vigor that she used to take there for service, and their service department is excellent. Enjoy your new car.

regards,
kyfdx

uvamarkg1 · January 2004

Just completed my deal for a silver/ebony 6MT with Nav at the Metro Acura dealer in Philly.

Deal came out to:
2000 off MSRP
+PP
---
33195

+Front, side, rear unerbody, body side molding installed at near invoice plus minor labor charges.

+TTG
-------
~37,200 out of the door.

I was surprised to get the 6MT Nav down to 2000 off based on what I've read on here.

bodble2 · January 2004

"...holdback is not profit. It pays for the dealer's overhead".

To me, it's just extra profit, however they want to separate it, or whatever they want to call it. I mean, for any other business, your gross margin covers your overhead. Why should a car dealer be any different? Holdback is just an industry term to denote a credit they get from the manufacturer. Basically it reduces their cost of goods sold. Why they don't consider it to increase their gross margin is beyond me.

kyfdx · January 2004

You cut off my quote.. I believe that began with "dealers in these forums will tell you... that holdback is not profit, it pays for the dealer's overhead.

I agree..it is all part of their gross margins.. but of course, gross margins aren't profit, either.

regards,
kyfdx

igiban · January 2004

should not be even in the equation for us since if we do we are trying to eat their lunches by bringing that up on the table? This means that we'd not expect anything under invoice?

danny1878 · January 2004

I know nothing about holdback but trying to eat their lunches is really funny lol. I just hope that they still have money for gas to go home. lol.

pat · January 2004

Lots of holdback conversation on our Smart Shopper board.

dulnev · January 2004

"I was surprised to get the 6MT Nav down to 2000 off based on what I've read on here."

It doesn't sound like you did get that much off. Your out-the-door price sounds awfully high so you might've been charged a LOT for the accessories.

trosketj · January 2004

Using carsdirect.com on 1/25, they found me a car in about 3 hrs. I received a 34,730 (32,095 base/dest + 2,635 tax/lic/doc) quote for a 04 TL, 5AT, no Nav, Anthracite/Camel in Southern CA. This is about 1,100 under sticker here. Have a VIN and expect delivery 7 Feb. I live in Ventura, will pick up the car 70 mi away in Santa Monica, though they offered delivery. This way I can verify the car on their lot, then fly/drive Pacific Coast Highway home!

Tried the Costco buying service via local dealer, best they would do was $100 under MSRP. I presented the carsdirect quote, they said they could not meet them on price unless the car was already on the lot.

Seems to me the TL dealers should have marketing agreements with the cell phone companies. I bet the majority of TL buyers will now be in the market for Bluetooth phones to go with their cool new cars-I know I sure am! The dealers could provide a service to change your phone as part of the car purchase. Assuming they didn't try charging their usual huge markups, it would help buyers, dealers, and cell phone providers.

uvamarkg1 · January 2004

I paid ~1250 (including labor) for

body side molding (MSRP 175)
side under body spoiler (415)
rear under spoiler (329)
front under spoiler (329)
total MSRP:
Haven't taken delivery on the car yet - but do you really think this is too much? I'm not familiar with the invoice prices on these parts, but the dealer showed me the invoice/msrp sheet on them and said he was already giving me them at practically invoice. The rest is labor charges.

The 7% sales tax then accounted for the bump up to 37 total for the car. Before tax, it was 34,700

qbrozen · January 2004

sounds like a good deal to me.

igiban · January 2004

You got a good deal on the car itself already, let them make a little bit on the add-ons if that's really the case! Let us know how the body side molding looks on yours. Is your PP wheel locks, mud guards and trunk tray?

uvamarkg1 · January 2004

yes - The PP is the locks, mud guards, and trunk tray.

njlaw · January 2004

Looking to buy an Acura TL- Can I get more info on dealer in Philli? Other dealerships say "no deal" on TL w/Nav.

Thanks

boneyardjelly · January 2004

I have a couple of questions for you:

Was the $100 Costco discount you mention correct? I was led to believe by a local dealer that I would get $1000 off MSRP through Costco.

Will you please break out the Tax, license, and doc fees for me? I've looked on the the DMV site and can't get a formula for figuring out the new license fee here in California. I'm really close to having the money I need for the non-Nav TL but I want to be sure I can cover the Tax/title/license. I need to get it for $35K out-the-door.

Thanks

dulnev · January 2004

"Was the $100 Costco discount you mention correct? I was led to believe by a local dealer that I would get $1000 off MSRP through Costco."

There is no standard Costco discount. They all vary from area to area.

billherrmann · January 2004

Just picked up new "04 TL from Sussman Acura, Maple Shade, NJ anthracite/ebony. Great deal on this fabulous car. They have a HUGE inventory of TLs in stock.

4cubes · January 2004

Just a couple of things about my experience that might be helpful. I bought a NEW TL on 12/20. I went with 6% financing as offered through the dealer. I must have asked them 20 times about any special deals & worked to get my rate lowered. I was aware that this was a source for profit, and had patiently got my rate lowered in the past. (great article about this in the Washington Post last week)

Acura was running tons of ads for the car. A week later, Acura added something at the end - see your dealer for special financing incentives.

I went to Acura's web-site and found special financing 3.9%. I was pretty mad & I called the dealer (Rosenthal Acura - Gaithersburg MD). They re wrote the contract & lowered my rate to 3.7%, which I appreciated.

If you bought in this time period I would suggest you run back to your dealer and throw a stink!! I think they'll change it.

This was a dealership & sales rep I truly loved. They had treated me special for both service & when buying cars. I loved my sales rep as well. It was nice to have a car dealer I felt good about. My family has bought collectively 10 cars from them. They told me they only offer things like that to people who ask. (well of course - I did ask - but didn't get it).

Question: Am I going overboard here?

As the captain on Hill street blues used to say: Be Careful out there!

carguy58 · January 2004

I don't think you went overboard at all. The 3.9% lowers your monthly payments doesn't it? So its your right to save as much money as you can.

blerner2 · January 2004

I went to my local Acura dealer today here in NC. I should say that it is the only dealer within 100 miles, so I knew that I would not necessarily get as good as a deal as those with multiple dealers in their metropolitan area. But, it's the last day of the month, so I figured I'd get a desperate salesperson.

I was looking for a Non-Nav unit (they had no Navs in stock), and they have about 30 units in Inventory. MSRP for this unit is $33,195, with $30,300 as invoice.

I started the negotiations by throwing out $31,000 on the table, including any junk fees (ie. Doc fees). The saleperson said not possible and he then offered $32,200 including their doc fee (a ridculous $398). I balked at this and told him I was going to the Infiniti dealer to purchase my car. He said calmly, "that's fine, this is the best I'll be able to do". I sensed he was not bluffing.

We agreed to his price. What really got me going is when I mentioned that I wanted to lease. I already knew the residual and money factor based on the Lease Board discussion. The MF from AFHC is .00215. They calculated based on .00245, which I know is pure profit. When challenged, they gave some BS response and tried to pass it off.

I eventually relented (it amounted to $15 more per month). I had forgotten about the Acquisition fee that AFHC charges which is $550/month. This was also rolled into the cap cost.

Bottom line:

My cap cost was $32,712 (including the $550k Acquisition fee. Pre tax lease rate of $501.15/month for 3 yr/36 months.

This is a terrible deal in other parts of the country, but here in NC with few dealers around, I was ok with it.

uvamarkg1 · January 2004

your best bet is to negotiate this through multiple dealers. I had Metro Philly and Precision (Princeton, NJ) Acura going back and forth. Finally - the internet dealer at Metro sent me a quote for a mistakenly low price (like 200 over invoice). So after initially agreeing to 1500 off sticker for 6MT/Navi, I was able to get him to 2000 off b/c of his mess up in the e-mail quote.

igiban · January 2004

$31K with tax? What's the purchase price vs. sticker or invoice. Sounds like yours is below invoice ($30,300)?

bodble2 · February 2004

Anyone in Canada trading in a TL or CL for the new TL? If you are, there is bad news. I'm looking to trade a 2001 CL-S and it looks like I'm going to get hammered on the trade-in value. The reason is that with a $4,000 factory rebate on all remaining new 2003 TLs & CLs, my dealer ( and Im sure others too) is selling brand spanking new CL-S, auto or 6-speed for under $35K. There are similar savings for TLs. That's almost $7K off MSRP! I shudder to think what they will quote me for my CL-S as a trade. I'm even considering waiting it out until all the new '03 CLs and TLs are sold.

carguy58 · February 2004

The reason resale on CL's isn't good is because there is not big a big demmad for Coupes so I guess afterall thats why Honda pulled the plug on the CL. The previous generation TL has good resale value. 01-03 CL's the resale value isn't very good.

lobito17 · February 2004

Leased a 2004 TL no/navi yesterday (last day of month). No down payment (cap cost reduction), no security deposit.

42 month lease
15 k per year
54% residual
Invoice plus 1000 gross cap cost
Money Factor of .00215

Out the door I paid 1300 (inc first month rent).

Monthly payments are $456, including tax (TN tax rate is 7%).

boneyardjelly · February 2004

Does anyone know where/if there a place on this site that shows current TMV of remaining NEW 2003 TL's?

kahunah · February 2004

... I'd sell the car privately. I'm not one of them but there's still many buyers out there that prefer only coupes and wouldn't me caught dead in a four door. Considering the limited supply of coupes you may be pleasantly surprised at the response you get from an Auto Trader and/or newspaper ad.

billherrmann · February 2004

$31,000. PLUS T & T. NJ sales tax on 31,ooo was
$1,860. plus tags & 'doc' fees $260.= $33,120. total.

dulnev · February 2004

I sold my 2003 TL-S with 10,000 for US$4,500 less than what I paid for it (which was $200 over invoice in January of 2003). Yes, you will unquestionably be offered a lot less than you'd hope for.

dulnev · February 2004

Selling expensive cars privatelly is a loosing proposition. You have to be prepared to spend couple of hundred dollars on ads, wait for many weeks to get even a single response, and then put up with several tire kickers who will not buy your car.

woozer · February 2004

For those of you in So. Cal., here is my TL buying saga. I received quotes from 7 local dealors. They range from a low of $30,950 to a high of $31,695 for an auto, non-navi. Got the runaround from some that no one could match the lower figure, or that I simply couldn't get a silver car for that price. They were wrong because I ultimately purchased the car from Tustin Acura for the $30,950 price on a silver/quartz, auto, non-navi, excludes taxes, license, tire fee. See John M. at Tustin, he was great. My price included the protection package, but I only wanted the wheel locks since I didn't like the look of the mud flaps on silver. But I did get chrome license plate frames instead. Also, if you're looking to buy, try Pentagon Credit Union. My interest rate for 5 years was 3.49%. Although I've only had the car for a day, it drives better than my three previous older 911s.

boneyardjelly · February 2004

Tustin Acura quoted me $31,450 + dest which makes it about $32,000. That was their first offer. I'm in Sacramento, and I've had two Bay Area dealers offer $31,500 including destination. Can you tell me what you paid in License fee? I can't figure out what the new fee structure is... it used to be 2%. Thanks.

igiban · February 2004

Did Tustin Acura the one that quoted you $30,950 to begin with.

eddiemac · February 2004

You could try to list your car online with www.cars.com. a single photo ad is $40, while a multiple ad is $45(up to 12 pictures). You can renew your ad without charge as mch as you like until you sell the vehicle. I sold a 1990 Integra in two days back in 2001. I have a co-worker who sold a 1992 Legend in 1 day a few weeks after me(we live in Wash. DC and he sold the car to a guy in Philadelphia). another co-worker sold a 2002 ford Excursion in 2 weeks to a person in connecticut. The ads are cheaper than the newspapers, and you can reach more people.

trosketj · February 2004

First answer-local Costco deal was $100 under MSRP. If you can get $1,000 under in Sacramento area, have at it.

04 TL 5AT/No Nav, Antracite/Camel:

Start with 32,140, which includes destination, mudflaps, wheel locks, and 45.00 doc fee.

Sales tax was 2330.15 (Ventura Coonty is 7.25%)

CA License fee is 253.00 (Thank you Arnold! it isn't 2%, more like 0.8%--I checked the DMV website, they do not provide a formula--more searching may uncover it)
CA Tire tax 5.00

34,728.00 total out the door.

Woozer did get a good deal.

I bought through Carsdirect.com and Santa Monica Acura. I had a very good experience throughout-I contacted carsdirect through the web on 1/25, same time I checked through Costco website for a local referral.

Carsdirect contacted me Monday morning, took down my preferences, quoted me the same price as their web site, and called me back 4 hrs later with a 2/7 delivery date and VIN. I agreed and went back to work.

Thursday 1/29 got a call saying my car was in. SM Acura sent a driver 70 mi from Santa Monica to Ventura to drive me down-very nice. Bought through their fleet dealer-no hassles at all. left 1 hr later and flew/drove my new car home.

Timing worked out great-we left next day for a weekend skiing at Mammoth Mountain. So excited about the new car we took it instead of the trusty 99 Odyssey. Just got home, drove over 600 miles. The car drove great. Didn't notice any of the rough ride problems others noted. Great acceleration, handling, and passing. Stereo sounds great. heated seats are great. Access to the two storage compartments in the dash is poor.

I am a happy owner.

scott31 · February 2004

You got ripped off. Even though your closest dealer is 100 miles away, you are paying about $50 to $75 a month higher than you should be.

pat · February 2004

There's a "Sell Your Car" link right over there in the Partners box on the left side of the page.

twjunior · February 2004

I think the CA license fee is now 0.65% of current value

http://www.igs.berkeley.edu/library/htCAVehicleLicense2003.html

What S.F. Bay Area dealers gave you the $31,500 quote?

boneyardjelly · February 2004

$31,500 + TTL came from Pleasanton Acura. They responded to my request through cars.com for a dealer quote.

Two weeks ago, the Fleet/Internet manager at Stevens Creek Acura in Santa Clara gave me a first offer of $32,150 + TTL.

Concord Acura blew me off when I told them I could buy for $31,450 (the price quoted me by Tustin).

Fortunately, my local salesman told me that he's almost positive the sales manager will beat by $50 any legit written offer ... he tells me to bring in their email so he can take it to the boss.

Thanks to you, TrosketJ and Woozer for the info.

melt55 · February 2004

I was able to purchase a TL automatic w/o navigation for 31,500 here in Atlanta from Baranco Acura. Tried several dealers here and they all are sticking pretty close to the MSRP. However, the salesman at Baranco was very knowledgeable and polite and we agreed on a price almost immediately. Car was 31,500 including trunk tray, wheel locks, and mud guards, tax@7%-2232.65, documentation fee 395, and title-42.00. Total drive out price of 34,169.65. Had some problems with their documentation fee of $395 but they threw in free oil change every 3750 miles for as long as I own the car. Thanks again for everyone sharing their buying experiences.

bodble2 · February 2004

who offered advice on my trade-in plight.

kahunah, regarding selling on my own, I think, as dulnev pointed out, it'd be a pain in the backside selling privately. For an older, less expensive car I might try it. But with the savings in PST and GST on a trade, I don't think I would be too far ahead even if I do manage to sell privately. And I think the low trade-in value will also be mirrored in the private sale market. I mean, there are right now at least 2 or 3 brand new CL-S (auto and manual) sitting on my dealer's lot that can be had for less than $35K. (No doubt the situation is similar at other dealers). Anyone who may be in the market for a used CL-S would think long and hard about spending a bit more and get a brand new one instead. I guess my other option is to wait until all the new ones are gone!
But that's going to be a painful wait 'cause I really want a new TL <sigh>

2013 and earlier-Acura TL Prices Paid and Buying Experience

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles