2013 and earlier-Acura MDX Prices Paid and Buying Experience

dishwash42

search for some of my previous posts on Acura RDX board about my experiences with Houston area Acura dealers. It wasn't pretty.

ll318

I just purchased an MDX today in the Pacific Northwest. It is a new 2008 with the Sport (which includes Tech) and the Entertainment Packages. I received a $4800 discount from MSRP: $2200 manufacturer money and $2600 dealer discount.

dsatwoods

I bought a 2006 Acura MDX in 2006 with navigation and touring at 2,000 under invoice, yes under invoice with no haggeling at all.

dakineguy

fargo1, are you saying that you still need to pay taxes and title when you register the MDX in Florida? Was the $40,000 plus the $499 for doc fee inclusive of the destination charge that is typically $715?

fargo1

The $40,000 + 499 doc fee included everything except Florida tags, taxes and title. They gave me a temporary tag while they process the paper work and send it to me. That way I did not have to pay any Georgia taxes or fees. So, yes the destination
charge was already included in the $40,000+499 doc fee. It really was a great deal.

dishwash42

thanks, but it's 2008

jmpage2

You got that pricing because that was the old model being replaced. It's not uncommon at all to get below invoice pricing on a model that's on its way out the door. You can still get the original body style Nissan Murano for thousands under invoice as there are plenty still on the dealer ots.

jmpage2

A little late to the party here but wanted to chime in regarding your buy/lease comments. I agree with you completely, the high prices of gas and softening economy have the possibility of robbing these cars of all resale value in a relatively short period of time.

Originally I planned on purchasing our '08 MDX but ultimately opted to lease it and let American Honda Finance bear the brunt of the risk if the resale of the value tanked 3 years down the road.

jedi70

does any one know if the incentives on MDX of $2000 and 0.9% would continue for the month of june?

hpowders

I am in complete agreement with you.

With so many dealers refusing to buy SUV's on trade-ins, why risk being stuck with a vehicle that could prove difficult to unload?

I would avoid the tempting $2000 market support or 0.9% financing and instead would pay a bit more interest to get an MDX lease, with the security of knowing that returning the vehicle at the end of the lease period is a sure thing. When the music stops, you don't want to be the one guy left standing without a chair.
Another thing, if you check out the different sites calculating 5-8 year ownership costs, the MDX becomes one expensive vehicle!

You definitely made the smart move.

hpowders

The $2000 marketing support runs out on June 30th. The 0.9% financing ends July 7th.
It is anybody's guess whether Acura will extend these incentives.

josephd05

It all depends on your driving habits. For me, I drive 18-20k miles a year. A three year lease is very expensive, not just because of miles, but because of the major maintanece expenses I would have to pay for like tires and brakes, to then give the car back to Acura? Doesn't make sense for me.

jmpage2

Definitely leasing is not a good option for drivers who will put a lot of miles on a vehicle.

The best option in such cases is to hopefully be able to do a five year depreciation on the vehicle if it's a business asset and then simply replace it after it has depreciated completely.

I would actually argue that an MDX is a bad choice for someone who puts 20K miles a year on a car. The gas and maintenance costs will make it an extremely expensive proposition.

josephd05

Well,

I am not worried about gas not one bit. It's all pleasure driving, and my wife has a new accord which gers 25-30mpg. Also being 6'4", comfort was a big reason I am getting rid of my 4runner and into the MDX. The thigh support was brutal on the V8 Limited 4runner, the MDX is pure bliss for my lanky frame. Also, the MDX is a pretty reliable vehicle and very good resale compared to other CUVs. This is a vehicle we are going to keep for 7+ years. I disagee with maintanence being expensive. Maintenence is expenseive on german cars, not really so much on japanese cars. As a former BMW owner, I couldn't keep up with 200 bucks every time i needed a new headlight or 1000 dollar brake jobs because BMWs need new rotors for every brake job, ridiculous.

josephd05

also note, you can find 5 year old MDX with 100+ k miles for near 10K asking price, so even if you drop 3 K from that. TOTAL deprication on this vehicle in 5 years is just not possible.

dishwash42

When you say: "When the music stops, you don't want to be the one guy left standing without a chair", what are you referring to? What is the music and what is the chair?

hpowders

In the possible future day of $5 to $8 gasoline, you don't want to be the one guy at the dealer attempting to trade a gas-guzzling SUV amidst a group of fuel-efficient car owners, also looking to trade. You will be the one left "standing".

ingvar

On a new BMW it cost $0.00 to do a brake job or replace a headlight for first 4 years:-) My GF drives her 335i very hard. She already replaced fron rotors twice ....$0.00 charge:-)

jmpage2

Yes, the included factory maintenance is nice but normally doesn't cover replaceables like clutches, rotors, etc. They will usually do one such replacement during the maintenance period.

Try maintaining a German car for 7-10 years and feel the pinch in your wallet and you'll realize why many long time German car owners are returning to Japan for their next car purchase.

kyfdx

Clutches.. no.. But, brake rotors? They are included, along with any other maintenance item..

josephd05

for only 4 years or 50k miles, thats good for what...2-3 years for me. Then what...stuck with a money pit? No thanks. LOVE bimmers, just hate the $$ they cost to maintain. We're talking owning a car 7-10 years.

jmpage2

That has not been my experience, at least with Audi's included factory maintenance for 4 years 50K miles. They will replace one "consumable" during the maintenance period, be that a set of brake pads, clutch, etc. They will also replace all of the normal service parts during that period of time including filters, etc.

I have owned two Audis that I paid for outright and the service with both has been marginal at best. I don't know that BMW is any better. My current 2004 Audi A4 only has 23K miles on the clock and suffered a coil pack failure 5 weeks out of warranty which both Audi and the dealer refused to cover. The failure melted part of the ignition system and left me stranded with a four mile walk to my home. Apparently the coil packs on older 1.8T A4s are prone to premature failure and yet Audi has done no recall, etc, on them even though they have issued a new version of the part.

In any event, I still feel that in the current economy and with gas prices shooting steadily higher it is a much smarter move to lease vs. buy pretty much anything that gets an average of less than 20mpg. While some of us could afford to spend $100 or more per week fueling the MDX in the event of $5-$6 premium gas that is far more than the average family can afford, many of whom are MDX owners themselves!!

Instead of seeing a 3 year residual value on the MDX of 55-60% it could turn out to have residual as bad as 40% or WORSE.

I'm not willing to take that risk so I pay a bit more to lease the car and see what the situation is in three years. If fuel prices are in check and the car has been reliable we might opt to write a check and drive it for another 5-7 years. If gas prices continue to climb into the stratosphere we will be looking for something more fuel efficient. Just because I can afford to fuel up a gas guzzler doesn't mean I enjoy doing it.

JBaumgart

jmpage, just a small correction: Audi no longer has the free maintenance program beginning with the 2006 model year. I owned two of them before that, and enjoyed the program a great deal, and my dealer provided excellent service as well.

Getting back to the MDX, I think you make a good point about leasing, or at least seriously considering leasing after you run the numbers and make a projection on depreciation. I've never leased before but will do this with my next vehicle.

familyauto

Hi, I just got this on-line quote in Maryland.

2.9% Financing:
2008 MDX with Technology package $39,200.00; Installed Accessories $926.75 (Roof rails 374.60, Cross Bars 289.60, Moon roof visor 168.05, Wheel locks 94.50); 6% Tax $2,407.61; Registration $247; Processing $100.

Final On The Road Total: $42,881.36

What do you guys think?

nice_whips

Having been working on this for a few weeks and this seems to be the best I can do. I would be curious if anyone has gotten anything better.

MSRP $45,895
Negotiated Purch Price $41,485 + destination $715 + docs $199 + TTL with 2.9% financing. The same deal was also offered $2,000 lower without the 2.9% financing.

Anyone have any comment?

dakineguy

nice whips, I am about the start the negotiations process either this weekend, but before the end of May...

Questions, what was your out-the-door price?

Here is what I'm thinking:

$41,485 MDX Tech and Entertainment base
$ 715 Destination
$ 199 Document Fees
$ 340 Title and License (assume S. California)
$ 3,157 Sales Tax (assumes 7.75%)

-$2,000 Marketing Support to dealer

$43,896 Total "out-the-door"

Is this accurate? Can you share the name of the dealer where you received this pricing? I am not interested in the 2.9% financing. I have my own and prefer the lower price.

Thanks...

dakineguy

All, this may sound a bit odd, but I wanted to know how you get the process started for the dealers to bid against each other for your business.

Do you fax, email, phone the Internet or Fleet Dept for a quote? If you're just starting, do you provide a letter stating that you can get a specific model with options for a specific price and wanted to know what deal they are willing to make? Any suggestions on what to say or write?

I'm ready to get the ball rolling this weekend. Appreciate your feedback.

hodog16

Went to the dealer today to test drive the 08 MDX base model. They had plenty on the lot of course, I'd estimate at least 12-14 out in front, one in the showroom, and more "in storage" in the back according to the salesperson.

Too early to talk strict numbers for me, but since this was the first time I had seriously looked at the MDX and with the incentive out there I was curious, so I asked for some figures. Their initial offer was not much of an offer, only $1,000 or so off MSRP. After basically cutting to the chase and pointing out the dealer incentive, surplus inventory, and $4 premium gas, the number quickly became $36750 if I opted for the special financing.

I do not know if the financing and incentive are exclusive of one another, and I did not try to haggle further as I am in the initial planning stages, but if I had my checkbook out and ready to deal I imagine I could have gotten a few hundred off further.

Anybody out there recently buy the base model? I am fairly interested in it, and I imagine with the summer months, raising gas prices, and stagnant inventories I may be able to get a nicer deal in 2-3 months when I'll be closer to buying.

hpowders

I am also thinking of getting the base MDX. I have a BMW lease expiring on July 31st.

The financing and incentive are exclusive of each other. I do believe taking the financing for 36 months at 0.9% is a better deal for me. That's as close to free money as you are going to get. My loan figures would come out to only $300 or so in interest over the 3 years.

The only problem for me is that I would have to make a deal a month early, by June 30th, since that is the last day both incentives are still in play. Acura will probably renew the incentives, but I wouldn't take the chance of betting on it.

With all those 18 mpg MDX's piling up, I wouldn't be surprised that with a little patience, one can find some dealers who will offer you close to the incentive AND the special financing. Don't forget the added pressure of the 2009 MDX's coming out soon.

I live in a golf cart community so I can use the cart for visits to the local supermarket, bank and post office. I would use the MDX pretty much exclusively for highway driving, so I would expect to achieve close to 21 mpg which isn't bad. I will be relying on my portable Garmin GPS nav. system to alert me of highway traffic problems and give me alternate routes.

This may be the best buyer's market we will ever see for SUV's. Sooner or later the Fed will start raising interest rates again and oil prices will correct sending gas prices back below $4. Of course, I don't know for sure, but it sounds likely.

gracieb

We have been dealing with two Acura dealers for the past two weeks in trying to get the best possible deal. We were thinking about leasing but we drive 18-20K per year. We started thinking about buying and this is the current offer that's on the table.

Base model MDX with side boards
Negotiated price $36,100
$1400 out of pocket
2.9% financing
$680 per month for 60 months.

Deal or no deal?

hodog16

Does the $36,100 include extra fees like destination, doc fee, etc, and do the two dealers seem to have a lot of stock on hand? The $36,100 seems like a good deal with the special financing, but I just wonder if either dealer would go any lower before signing on the line.

As for the rebates, I am not going to buy until after June 30/July 7, so I guess I'll have to press my luck about Acura renewing the incentives/financing respectively after they expire. I can't imagine they would expect the MDX's to move in July/August just by themselves though but I guess we'll see.

Good luck! I like the steel blue myself, looks very sharp in person.

nice_whips

MDX tech, power liftgate, wheel locks, dealer installed dual headrest DVD. I chose the $2,000 cash back instead of 2.9% financing. $40,050 out the door. If you choose the 2.9% financing (or 0.9% if you finance over 36 months) just add $2,000. The dealership was fantastic to deal with. Negotiated the deal over the phone and spent 15 minutes at the dealer signing the paperwork. Would absolutely recommend Acura of Wayne NJ. I spoke with Michael.

jammike

nice_whips,
The invoice price for MDX tech model is $40200 inc dest roughly. The power liftgate, wheel locks and dealer installed dual dVD must have cost you another $1000. Even with a 2K cash back, how did you get this for $40050 out of the door when the tax + registration + doc fee is like 3K in NJ.

nrb856

We have been dealing with a VA. Acura dealer for the past month in trying to get the best possible deal.

$42,000 MDX Tech and Entertainment
incl Sport running boards
incl All season mats
incl Roof rail
incl Destination
incl Processing Fees
+ Tax
Deal or no deal?

dakineguy

nrb856, that sounds like a great deal. Does it include license and registration too? Please share with me the name of the dealer and sales person who you worked with.

dakineguy

I've been talking with several dealers about the purchase price for a new 2008 MDX Tech/Entertainment. At what point during the conversation should I tell them that the deal is contingent upon them taking my Ford SUV as a trade-in? Any suggestions in how to handle the question "are you trading in a car?". So far, I just say that I haven't decided upon a trade-in.

Thanks!

hodog16

My understanding is that you introduce the trade-in after you have the set price on the new car, otherwise it gives them too many variables to trick you so to speak. Edmunds has a good article about buying a new car that explains this process.

valone1966

My latest purchase (about a month ago) was the first time I used Carmax for a trade in. I went there, they gave me an offer for my car that was good for a week. I went to the dealer and the dealer offered me $3k less than Carmax. I didn't have to buy a car from them and it was really easy.With nothing to lose I would strongly advise that you give carmax a shot.

dexterbot

I got mine for $40K + small change out the door price on the following:

2008 MDX Tech Package
Power Liftgate

I also opted for the $2000 disc up front which got the price down to $47,900 (dest included)

I got the fin for 4.9% instead over 5 years but no penalty for early payoff.

foogle

dexterbot, $40k out the door is great price! Did it include tax, title, and doc fees? And which state are you from? Thanks!

tygger

Was wondering if anyone recently purchased a last generation MDX? What kind of deal were you able to get off the asking price? I searched the usual online sites for 2004-2005s and have seen the same vehicles listed for over 3 months.

Thanks

josheel

o8 mdx tech/ent. all weather mats ,wheel locks, 43350 o t d total tax license everything.

dakineguy

For the Acura MDX Tech/Entertainment, does anyone know if the TMV includes the $2,000 Marketing Support. I'm looking at the TMV and it shows it at $41,180 for the National Base Price. Would I be able to get $2,000 off the $41,180?

burgermac

Purchased an MDX Tech/PTG... car has yet to be delivered- some delay in production related to the PTG wiring harness. Dealer suggested that I come in to sign the purchase contract this weekend before the end of the month in case the $2000 cash to dealer incentive goes away... said that if the terms improve I would obviously be elligible to get the better deal, but they want to protect me incase the incentive is reduced. Anyone else hearing similar rumblings? Do we think this is simply the dealer trying to book an additional sale in May as opposed to letting it slip to June?

kyfdx

It sounds to me like the dealer is looking out for you... Plus, getting you to commit to the sale..

The dealer won't know in advance about new or continued incentives.. If the incentive goes away, you'll be covered.

I'd just make sure that they are willing to improve your deal, if the incentives improve...

regards,
kyfdx

hpowders

At the very least, Acura will most likely maintain the current MDX incentives until the 2009's show up. There is a possibility that the incentives may actually improve.

Take a ride past an Acura lot. The 2008 MDX's are piling up. The 2009's will be arriving soon. Does this appear to be the climate for discontinuing incentives?

Any dealer who claims one should sign NOW before the incentive is rescinded is just trying to close a desperately needed sale.

Anybody in the market for an SUV at this time, should be able to pretty much call the shots on pricing and financing. I would insist on the $2000 dealer cash discount from invoice price PLUS the 0.9% financing.

Buy now before the incentives are rescinded? Yeah.... right. :shades:

sanjaysdca

I was at Acura dealer last weekend (Southern CA area) to test drive MDX. My salesman mentioned that

1) The incentives are good through June end.
2) The incentives will probably continue beyond June
3) MDX (SUV's) are not selling that well
4) He has had few 2007 MDX's traded in for a TL/RL..if I am interested.

Very good no nonsense salesman. He know what Carsdirect.com and overstock.com is quoting for MDX. He was well aware of competitions internet pricing. I came out impressed with the car and the salesman.

I digress....he suggested that I wait and take my time to decide if I really want a SUV.

kyfdx

In the past... Cash incentives have disappeared, only to be replaced by lease incentives... If leasing is an option for you, then no problem.. But, if you are a cash buyer, then you might get left holding the bag..

Most times, it goes the other way... As the model year goes along, cheap leases are replaced by purchase incentives..

Also.. even though there is an expiration date for incentives, that won't keep them from pulling them early, if conditions warrant.

Incentives likely to end? Probably not, but there are no guarantees...

regards,
kyfdx

chiragmp

I used the donkeypunch method to contact 10 dealers in the 50 mile radius yesterday. I got quotes from 9 dealers. Then I told most of them the best quote I had seen so far. They all said that I should take that deal. The only problem is that the lowest quote I got was from a dealer for the memorial day weekend whom I did not include in the above 10 dealers that I contacted yesterday. The email from the dealer said that the quote was valid only until 5/26. Since no dealer is willing to match that price I am thinking that I hit the bottom as far as quote goes. Now, how should I approach the dealer who gave me the lowest quote that expired on 5/26 and get him to sell me at that price? His natural response is going to be "Oh, that quote is not valid anymore! But if you want to buy from us today, here's the price." Any thoughts?

Kirstie_H

A reporter would like to consumers who are looking to purchase an SUV right now. Please respond to ctalati@edmunds.com with your daytime contact information along with the vehicle(s) you are researching or looking to purchase no later than Tuesday, June 3rd.