Acura RL Prices Paid and Buying Experience

taitando · August 2005

I also used leaseguide.com's calculator. It was a great help in figuring out the figures. And yes, the only item that I rolled into the cap cost was the acquisition fee. Which I think is standard everywhere, bringing my total cap cost to $42,095 ($41,500 + $595). My sales tax is 7.25%. I live in the Sacramento area, but I have an address in zip 95340 :P . Otherwise my tax would be 7.75%.

Jeremy, you mentioned attempting a deal of $600 or less per month w/ total out of pocket not being more than $1500. I think you can do it, but it might involve using some of that $1500 as a cap cost reduction. My out of pocket is almost $1000 (TTL, and 1st month), while you have about $500 more to play with. Anyhow, they were pretty firm about the money factor, and I researched Car_man's lease forum for sometime before negotiating.

I also researched some of the car's you mentioned, and was leaning a lot towards the A6. I wanted AWD, but I guess the thing that tipped the scales for me was all the gadgets and technology on the RL. I realize that such tech is more prone to issues, but I'll take my chances. The performance isn't too shabby either, as the RL has had many favorable reviews in comparison tests. Edmunds comparo being the latest

That plus the discount being offered seemed to be the clincher for me. It was either a base A6, or a fully loaded RL. Euro appeal aside, I decided to go Japanese.

Anyhow, I pitted two dealerships in a bidding war here in Sacramento. Niello Acura versus Elk Grove Acura. Guess what? They both went down to the $41,500 mark. Niello had the dealer demo, while Elk Grove offered a brand new car with only 14 miles. The only reason why I decided to go with the dealer demo from Niello was because it was optioned with a rear spoiler, all season mats, wood shift knob, and chrome wheels. Elk Grove didn't have one with such options. Added together these options retail for $2000+. So, in sacrificing some mileage, I ended up with a car loaded to the gills. I'll be taking delivery today, impressions of the vehicle to come later. Thanks for the feedback in this forum. And folks, please post your deals to help others! Details, details, details...

jsmaz1 · August 2005

Thanks for that post! Did your final negotiated price include any Acura Manufacturer money? I read that there was $2500 available through July---is that when you purchased?

I guess what I am getting at is trying to determine if the $41,500 was really $44,000 minus the money from Acura. So could that $41,500 be repeated now? I am, at this point, really wanting to go with the RL for the same reasons as you.

Thanks for your response!

taitando · August 2005

I can't actually say that the deal included the $2500 manufacturer money, since I never really brought it up.

I came to the $41,500 figure by looking at some of the prices on this forum and by taking a chance by just pitching it to the dealers. I thought to myself, "So what if they say no? If I don't ask, it's automatically a no isn't it?" So, I began negotiating on 8/1/05, realizing it was the last day of Acura's RL lease special. Then it was back and forth between the 2 dealerships until Wednesday. Mind you this all took place by e-mail, so there really was no inconvenience to me. At first, Elk Grove Acura was surprised and asked where I got the figure from, citing that the vehicle was invoiced at $44k. When I told them that Niello Acura had accepted my offer, they immediately matched it, but wanted me to come in that very night to take delivery. Anyhow, $41,500 is still very possible for the month August. For folks wanting to lease, remember, that as model year winds down, money factors usually increase, while residuals decrease.

sgl1 · August 2005

"Update from PA. I have the DC dealership down to $44,000. Dealer closer to home has bottomed out at $44,500. Now, is it worth a 4 hour drive to DC to save the $500?"

I personally don't think it's worth the $500 to make the trip. It's probably not a good idea to put that many highway miles on the car right off the bat. Most car manufactures want you to break the car in with variable speeds - in city driving, not highway. Plus, usually your local dealer will offer a free oil change or two. . .

Good luck, you'll love the car!

vas2 · August 2005

stevens creek acura in San Jose

steven9179 · August 2005

I just have to tell you how happy I am with the Ryan Auto Group. I bought my RL from the wayne store, and have only GREAT things to say about it. My second acura; my wife is on her third--I've referred about 10 deals to them and all are happy people

Rod Ryan and his auto group have done well and my thinking is they will have a great future.

best of luck with your RL--I truly love mine

Steve

jsakabuck · August 2005

I stopped at the dealership this afternoon to check out the serial numbers on the remaining RL's on the lot. Of the nine remaining, six have serial numbers above 18,000; two are between 10,000 and 11,000; and one is 5402. Wouldn't you know it, number 5,402 is the color combo I want (black with parchment). My question is, how concerned should I be about buying such an early model? Build date looks to be last fall, perhaps September or October. I did notice that the other eight cars all have color-matched wheel splash guards, while the one I want, number nine, does not. Were wheel splash guards added later on as factory equipment? If the dealer adds the splash guards, won't it look obvious as an add-on? Are the dealer ones color-matched? UGH....so much for controling my anal retentiveness.
TIA

birdbird · August 2005

Can anyone else say what the cost of their Acura RL lease has been in August? Or, any quotes from dealers and location? I mean including tax and everything? There is apparently 2,500.00 dealer cash available from acura to reduce the capitalized cost of a lease.

birdbird · August 2005

jsmaz1 · August 2005

It took me less than 24 hours to close on my '05 RL from my local dealership. Read the last couple of months posts as they are pretty accurate and you should be able to get close to your desired amount. I would shoot for $600 per month with as little out of pocket as possible up front, 15k, 36 mo. etc.

steven9179 · August 2005

I bought my RL in Dec; the dealer included the splash guards---they were perfect in color match and functionality. My advice is ---don't sweat this stuff

Steve

shs111 · August 2005

May I ask a dumb question? Where is the serial number? Trailing numbers of the VIN?

jsakabuck · August 2005

As I posted earlier, the trailing serial number of my first choice is 05402. The newer cars on the lot range from 10724 through 21202.

mrblue · August 2005

Last week I closed on a lease in Mission Viejo, CA. I negotiated the cap cost (purchase price) to $42,700 on a fresh-off-the-boat carbon gray/taupe RL (6 miles on it). Residual was 59%, money factor was .00240, and drive-offs were around $1640 (I forget the precise number). Total payment, including 7.75% tax, is $587 per month on a 12K per year, 36 mo. lease. It's a great car, and I'm very happy with this deal.

sms5 · August 2005

I have noted some postings telling about lease deals on new (05) RLs, but what about outright purchase prices? One dealer (Chicago area) told me that I can probably get about $3500 off the list -- making the price about $46,000. Can I expect to get closer to the $44,000 (invoice) or even lower, or is that just open for lease plans? Can anyone give information about recent actual purchase prices?

Thanks.

mrblue · August 2005

The purchase price for the car should not differ as between a lease and a purchase. Just as in a purchase, a leasing customer must negotiate a purchase price for the car, which becomes the "capitalized cost." The method of payment operates independently from the price the dealer receives for the vehicle, and those payment terms should be negotiated separately from the purchase price. In a lease, the leasing company, be it Honda Financial or an independent bank, is the entity that ultimately "purchases" the car from the dealer, whereas in a customer purchase, it is the customer, or the customer's financing bank, that purchases the car. In both cases, the dealer is receiving a purchase price for the vehicle, so it really does not matter whether you are leasing or buying as far as the purchase price goes.

The only thing that might make a difference in the selling price in a lease vs. an outright purchase is if the manufacturer is offering a cash incentive to the customer to buy or lease. If I'm not mistaken, Acura's $2500 dealer cash is available whether or not you buy or lease. Make sure you let the dealer know it is available, however. My dealer's leading offer was only $1000 below sticker. When I mentioned the dealer cash issue and the fact that prices are widely being reported on forums like this one that are at or below invoice, my dealer quickly dropped their asking price to below invoice. And, as I mentioned in my prior post, my final price was well below invoice.

Bottom line is that you should be able to get invoice or below, and $46K is way too much to pay. I suspect that price will fluctuate by market, but there are a lot of dealers out there who are willing to apply some hefty discounts to these great cars.

birdbird · August 2005

I'm still seeing a total rolled in payment of $650.00 per month on leasing a 2005 Acura RL, tax included, but not licensing, 12,000 miles. 36 months. How are you guys getting the 15,000 miles thrown in? Are you paying extra for them?

Also, anybody know when the 2006s are arriving at the dealerships and will that make a difference on 2005 lease prices?

birdbird · August 2005

Oops, I meant to make this a new posts.

I'm still seeing a total rolled in payment of $650.00 per month on leasing a 2005 Acura RL, tax included, but not licensing, 12,000 miles. 36 months. How are you guys getting the 15,000 miles thrown in? Are you paying extra for them?

Also, anybody know when the 2006s are arriving at the dealerships and will that make a difference on 2005 lease prices?

acura4 · August 2005

Hi,

Not sure what part of the country you are in.... but in NJ I was able to pick up a lease for 36 months, 18000 miles per year for 619 per month. That number includes tax, etc. I only paid out of pocket first month, acquistion fee, and license fee. Total out of pocket was 1470. I had a great experience at Clinton Acura in Clinton NJ. I know one other person on this forum mentioned them also.... and they got a 25k per year lease for a great price also, I think.

:shades:

msoni · August 2005

I live in Central NJ, and was able to get the following lease price on a '05 RL:

$539/month (taxes included), 15k miles, 36 months, $2450 down (includes inceptions and an extra $800 or so).

I didn't take the plunge yet, since I was trying to get the extra 800 off on the down payment. Does this sound like a good deal as is, or should I insist on getting that 800 off too?

Thanks.

birdbird · August 2005

Does anyone have any new deals to report?

On the incentives page of this web site it shows a lease price deal or incenstive from Acura that is WAY ABOVE what anybody on this forum is reporting. How can that be? Can anybody explain that?

How could that be an incentive when so many on this forum are reporting getting their cars so much cheaper and with more mileage included????????

Could it be that those on this board are leasing there cars through a different finance company than Honda financial?

randyl712 · August 2005

Ready to get something with good (or better than my SUV) fuel economy, but I think I'll be better off waiting 30-60 days to buy my RL. Right now, I'm not seeing purchase prices much better than $44-46 and I think that'll drop to $40-42 when the '06's are on the lots. A few used RL's are out there across the country, all going for around $42k with almost no miles on them.

I'm not happy to see the new options on the '06, I would want gadgets like that (especially the adaptive cruise control!) but I can live without if I get a great deal. I'm not happy that the wood accents are such an expensive dealer-installed add-on.

taitando · August 2005

Edmund's is a good starting point for your negotiations, but I wouldn't count on it solely. Listings (TMV) tend to be higher than what's listed with Kelly Bluebook and NADA. Similarly, your market/location may determine what deals can be had as well. There are about 4 Acura dealerships within a 50mi radius of where I live (CA), so dealers were much more eager to get cars off their lots. I leased my car for $608/month including tax (36mos & 15k mi/year) basing the purchase price off of the deals I've seen here. This was done at the beginning of August after their "lease special" had expired. It was also directly through Honda Financial and not with a 3rd party finance company.

birdbird · August 2005

That is very interesting information, taitando. Sounds like your deal was a bit better than the fellow in New Jersey. And I can see that having four dealerships in your area would help.

Can you say what the cap cost was of your vehicle. I mean the amount they agreed to sell or lease it for? And did you have to put anything down or was it all rolled into the monthly payment?

sms5 · August 2005

Thanks for the info you gave mrblue; I do appreciate it. And thank you too dry1 for the clarification about the $2500 incentive only applying to lease options. I guess my target for an outright purchase is the dealer invoice price. If I can swing that I will be happy.

pds1 · August 2005

MSoni-
I too am in Central Jersey - what dealer quoted you that deal? Was it Montclair Acura? They seem to be aggressive. I would take those numbers if I could get them. Mickey

msoni · August 2005

No, it was Ryan's Open Road Acura in East Brunswick.

acusacto · August 2005

This forum is great, and helped me lease an RL in Sacramento for a good price in 24 hours. Thank you Californians for sharing your experiences.

My deal at was:
-cap cost: $42,641 (including acquisition fee of $595)
-monthly payment: $620.02 ($575 plus 7.75% tax)
: $1014 (first month plus reg, no security deposit)
-15,000 miles

I did a little bargaining between Elk Grove and Niello via e-mail and phone. Elk Grove internet sales was at first was not responsive to my offer (insulting my intelligence), but Niello internet sales got it right away

I did have a very unpleasant experience with the delivery. Unbelievably, the dealer "lost" the radio code, so radio was for 24 hours after I took delivery while they were researching issue with Acura. I sent a very pointed e-mail threatening to escalate the issue unless they solved the problem the next day. I asked them to switch out the radio with another one that had a code, and they did. Lesson learned: make sure everything in the car is operational and to your satisfaction before signing the lease or purchase agreement.

Very happy with car. Lakeshore silver, ebony interior. Sound system was worth waiting for. I was going back and forth between Acura and Lexus GS 300. Lexus performed better on test drive, but Acura is more spacious and a much better overall value.

birdbird · August 2005

Leasing price for the RL 2005 seems all over the place. The 2006s should be at dealers soon.

Is now the best time to buy and has anybody gotten an especially attractive lease deal lately? If so what did you pay including payment, down payment (if any) tax, miles, etc.?

Also, what has been the most popular color, inside and out, for this car? Probably white or celectial silver with taupe interior?

cstiles · August 2005

I would say that the most popular color for the RL is in some shade of silver, considering Acura offers 3 silver options. I have seen relatively few white ones, which is what we own. Most of the RLs I have seen on the road have been silver, black, or the carbon gray.

randyl712 · August 2005

Good

I'm hoping to pick up a carbon grey with taupe interior. I agree with you - I'm seeing mostly silver, black and grey out there. I do the blue looks pretty sharp though.

Any concrete data on the 2006, specifically dates, pricing, changes, etc?

taitando · August 2005

I had a similar experience with Niello as well. See post #405 for my deal. Anyhow, I took delivery of the car but they couldn't find the 2nd key. When they mailed it to me, the key consisted of only the remote and the spare was missing. So I'll have to take the car back to have them program the 2nd key and see if they can find the spare. Other than that, I also found that Niello was more willing to deal versus Elk Grove. So I recommend them when shopping, but just as the prior post stated, thoroughly inspect the car upon delivery.

anijhaw · August 2005

Can anyone post residual values for the Acura RL based on the following terms?

42 or 48 month lease, 12,000 mi per year
60 month lease, 15,000 mi per year

-Akshay

Bushwack · August 2005

Go here: <<a href="/direct/view/.ee9394d/23211" target=_blank>tommy2600, "Lease Questions - Ask Here" #23212, 21 Aug 2005 9:22 am> I hope this link worked. If not, your answer (and variations of your answer) can be found in the 'Lease Questions - Ask Here' forum.

It seems a MF of .00235 and a residual of 47 - 49%. On the other hand, I was quoted by an Acura dealer the same 48 month term at a residual of 58%. Need to do more research before I commit.

Bushwack · August 2005

OOOPS! :mad: I may have linked the wrong message in my previous post. But help with your question is +/- a few posts from that link. Also, I recommed whenyou go to that forum perform a search containing "RL". Many posts on the subject of leasing an RL within the past 2-3 weeks.

kssod1 · August 2005

Anyone get a good deal in the NE ohio area?

khc · August 2005

Just purchased a new (10 mi on odometer) 2005 RL last week at Valencia Acura...fast, friendly, no hidden fees...paid a Doc fee of $45, and rest was tax and license.

Did everything via email...Santa Monica Acura quoted me $42,795 (includes dest) and Valencia matched it (I live in the area). My first Acura (but have owned Honda's) and I love it.

norcalsean · August 2005

I just leased a new 2005 RL, Carbon Gray/Taupe from Stevens Creek Automall in San Jose California.

Total Cap Cost: $41,000
Residual Value: 57% or $28,311.90
Money Factor: 0.0024
Sales Tax: 8.25%
Term: 36mo/15k miles
Total Payment including tax: $547.00 per month
Out the door Cost: $2100.00

I paid a little more than I could have on the out the door costs, but the deals are out there for the taken right now.

lair · August 2005

I had look around NC and the eastern US for RL deals and thought I would be OK to ask a fe hundred $ under invoice for RL w/mats and trunk tray. I was told there was no dealer incentive for straight purchases (but $2500 for leases). I was a straight purchase scenario.

The dealer quickly said "OK" to my $43,800 offer. Did I leave too much on the table or is there something I have overlooked? The other local dealer didn't want to go below $46,000.

Thoughts/feedback/info???

vince11 · August 2005

Would you mind sharing what area of NC and maybe the name of the dealer? Thanks.

fritz4 · August 2005

I have been to 2 different dealers from Youngstown Ohio to Pittsburgh...I have gotten 2 entire different invoice prices from both of these dealers...can anybody help me on the invoice price of a 2005 RL?...I've been checking on the internet..and feel I'm being lied to...what is a good price to pay for this car...it is unbelievable what the dealerships are telling me....thank you

kyfdx · August 2005

Check KBB.com and Edmunds.com...

Be sure to add the $695 destination charge to the invoice price..

Just curious... why are you talking to dealers about their invoice price? I find that is counter-productive.. Figure out a fair price, then make an offer... Discussing the dealer's costs is a no-win situation..

regards,
kyfdx

fritz4 · August 2005

I didnt ask the invoice..they both told me they're losing money on these..they gave me what their invoice was..I got from 47k to 49k...the one dealer told me I was getting a price below employee discount..and I know I wasnt..I did check edmunds.com...I just feel they're not being fair..I offered 46k out the door on the last..but they wont take less than 48....so I may be looking for another car...I've been reading on this forum..and people have gotten them for 43800..which I feel is a fair price..I guess I'll just go to more dealers...my problem is I dont have the time..and it takes a while for responses on the interent..but thank you...

kyfdx · August 2005

No problem...

Don't listen to the explanations... Offer a fair price.. they either take it, or they don't... Why they won't take it is irrelevant..

You might try the telephone... There are a lot of dealers within 2-3 hours of Cleveland... Acura of Dublin has a good reputation...

Call a few up... ask for a salesperson... Tell them you are interested in buying an Acura RL for $4X,XXX, and ask if they would be interested... you should be able to gauge the market fairly quickly..

But, $43,800 + tax will be more than $46K out the door... If you try to match the lowest price you've seen here on the boards, you will likely be disappointed.

Good luck!
kyfdx

fritz4 · August 2005

thank you...I'll try them...I havent bought a car in years..always had an SUV..drove this car and loved it...I'd pay 46-47k..but no more..just think this is a great car..

appreciate your reply

birdbird · August 2005

I'd bet that the best lease deals on an RL are still to come -- October or November! It's still only August and the new RLs won't be reaching the dealers 'till October or November, right? Then you might expect they'll be needing to unload the glut that may then exist nation wide! I've only seen two white Acura's out on the road in my area, period, which makes me wonder how they are moving?

lair · August 2005

It took a bit of work, but I ended up with my local dealer after all.

New white/tan RL w/ wheel locks and truck tray. Buy price of $43,800 plus $400 doc, plus NC 3% tax, plus $62 tags. Lease price with $2050 out the door (includes 1st month pmt and no security) then 35 pmts of $561 with 12K miles.

I took the lease deal as it had a lower net present value for me. The lease assumed a residual of $29,305, but I think the real end of 3 yr value will be closer to $24000 (which is what the non-American Honda leasors use.

jweaver1 · August 2005

Here is a copy of a post I just made under the Acura RL discussion. I think that it also fits here in the buying experience discussion.
Here is an update on my search for a RL with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires instead of the OE Michelin Pilot HXMXM4 tires. I told the dealer that if he swapped the tires, I would buy the car, but he refused! He tried to get me to buy the car as equipped, and then swap the tires out myself. I checked with a few tire shops, but none of them would give me credit for the HXMXM4s. They said that after the car was sold and registered, they couldnt sell the tires as new tires with a new warranty. This dealer didnt even offer to change them for me if I bought them from Tire Rack. This would in effect increase my price by nearly $1000. I spoke to another dealer, and asked him to match the price and trade in that the first dealer had given me, and also substitute the Pilot Sport A/S tires for the HXMXM4s, and he agreed, that is until I arrived at the dealership. After about an hour of driving and examining the RL we discussed pricing. Since we already talked about it on the phone, I thought it would be a quick discussion. It was, but not the way I envisioned it. This dealer offered me $2500 less for my trade! As I began to ask why the big drop in trade in value, and he began to give me some BS answers I got so pissed off that I just walked out. So both dealers lost a sure sale, and it is all because of GREED. It is bad enough that they cry that they dont make any money on the trade (it just goes to auction) and the purchase price of $44.3k is such a great deal for a $50k car. They were knocking $5k off the MSRP. Hell, Subaru is reducing the prices on their leftover 2005 Outbacks by $5k. Percentage-wise that is a much better deal. Now if I only wanted an Outback
Since I dont need a new car, Ill just keep my 3-year-old Audi for another 4 years or so before passing it down to a family member. When I go shopping again at that time I wont be trading anything in, so the process should be much smoother. If any of these dealers try to get too greedy again, Ill walk (again). The RL is a nice car, but so are the M35x and A6, to name two. Enjoy your RLs guys (and gals). Who knows, in 4 or 5 short years I may have one too.

randyl712 · August 2005

"So both dealers lost a sure sale, and it is all because of GREED"

Well, you can attribute any uncompleted transaction to that then. Perhaps you just asked for too much? They're in business to make money. You didn't want to spend that much, so you walked. Maybe you lost out on a car because of GREED

Obviously you're not serious about buying right now if you're quick to keep your current car for 4 more years.

reuel3 · August 2005

Let's keep this board focused on discussions specific to prices and buying experiences for the Acura RL and not post messages about general sales tactics or our opinions of car salesmen in general. Thank you for the cooperation.

Acura RL Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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