The main reason I got the NAV was that I hated the interior of the TL without it. The display they throw in there on the non-nav is atrocious IMHO. I also do a bit of driving in and around Boston and don't know my way around all that well, so the nav should come in handy for that. Oh yeah, and the cool toys it comes with aren't bad either :-)
When I first started looking at the TL, I was only casually interested in the nav, but once I took my first test drive in a non-nav car, I knew I had to get it.
At the new price point of the non-nav TL, adding the nav in is not a huge deal either which is why I thnk you're seeing the demand for it be higher than what it was in past years. I don't think Acura anticipated the demand for it.
My sister's TL purchase was finally completed with her taking American Honda's 60-month financing @3.9% APR.
On last wrinkle was a suggestion by F&I about a 42-month lease. She'd get her $5000 down back with only her trade-in as a cap reduction. The monthly lease would save her another $12.50/mo.
From my perspective, the lease didn't make sense for several reasons. The money factor was equal to an interest rate of 8.4% vs. 3.9% on the loan. The residual at the lease end was $19,535 vs. the 18 remaining loan payments to own the car totaling $8,550, the monthly payment savings of $525, and the $5000 down. That still leaves nearly $5,500 difference.
The choice between leasing and buying will often come down to the numbers in the deals. Her past ownership of vehicles were 9 years ('78 280ZX), 7 years ('87 Legend L coupe), and 6-1/2 years ('97 Avalon XLS). The only car held for less time was her '95 Millenia on a three-year lease: the money factor on that was equal to 3.6% APR. That time, the buy rate involve 8.0% APR.
I'm looking for a '04 TL in Anth/Ebony/AT/Nav with the full body kit...in the Dallas area. Nobody seems to want to deal all stating 2 month waits and because its a nav...no deals.
Both dealers who've returned my internet request both give $37076 (drive out) non negotiable.
Will trying a bigger dealer in Houston help? Any suggestions on path to take?
Washington Consumer Checkbook in their 12/30 edition of "Cardeals" say Acura has a $1500 incentive to dealers on a 2003 TL. Could this be what you saw?
Which dealership did you buy your TL from? I have not been able to find your price. The lowest that I have been able to find was 32,546 and that was from a car broker here in San Diego.
Toothdude and to whoever else is in the Dallas area, I have a word advice. Go to Bob Howard's Acura dealership in Oklahoma City and purchase your Acura TL from there. I'm from Austin, TX, and drove up there on Dec. 22nd and got mine for a really good price. Of course, I worked the whole deal out with the dealership manager, who's a really nice guy, before I got there. I purchased a Silver/MT/Navi w/Summer Tires for $1600 off the MSRP. He was really easy guy to work with. My original deal was actually on the non-Navi, which was close to $2500 off MSRP, but he let me switch to the Navi after I got to experience the MT. I wasn't sure if I'd like having MT in a traffic intensive city, but this thing is as smooth as butter on the road, couldn't resist.
Not sure if there is a need to drive all the way to Oklahoma City, especially for a non-nav 2004 TL. I bought mine (5AT, Black/ebony, non-nav) from David Mcdavid Acura for $2700 off MSRP.
Yeah, but the difference with this dealership was that they offered to take that much money off the MSRP to begin with. They allowed me to bring the price down even more. The other good thing is their selection/combination of cars is quite extensive.
Yeah, I told my dealer here in Dallas about buying my car from Bob Howard and it caused him to lower the price ($1500 off MSRP for NAV/Auto). Bob Howard is in an unfortunate position (good for us).... Oklahomans mostly drive trucks and standard of living is lower; hence, less demand for Acuras. They have been this way for more than a decade. My father and I would go drive Legends at B.H. and Acura of Moore (before they got blown away by the tornado)...they were always willing to negotiate...
Date bought: 1/3/04 Location/Area: Winston Salem, NC Dealer Name: Flow Acura Price (before any taxes):$31,693 Options: Protection package, wood knob Color Combo: Redondo Red/Parchment Notes: 10 to 15 cars available with more on the way. Retail for car plus accessories $33,739 I traded a car that had a wholesale of $15,000 and will probably take the 3.9 as I can do better with the money in the market
I am looking for a certified pre-owned car. I missed out on the late 2003 models as there were good discounts on them. But I am not willing to pay premium price on the new cars and would be content with certified TL. My biggest concern is transmission problems reported, even though there is 100k miles warranty on it. I got an offer on 2002 TL-S with 36000 miles on it for $21000. 1) Will CarFax show any tranmission work done on this car? 2) How do I find out if the car had any major repairs done or transmission replaced? 3) Can anyone tell me if 2002 models are safe to buy. I do know that there were lots of problems for 2001 models transmission. I guess same holds true for 2002 also? 4) Is the price okay? Or am I being quoted higher number, given very high mileage on the car - 36k in just 2 years..
Please help based on your experience.
There is a 2003 TL also available if you think 2002 is a risky proposition. thanks!
Besides expanding your geographic search area to adjoining cities or states, you might consider the virtue of patience. The TL is the basic bread and butter car for Acura. There is no way that will shift to the TSX, even though they are cheaper, because they can't make enough of them (20-25k maybe). That leaves the TL and MDX. The Acura dealers have taken advantage of the fact that the '04 TL is new, in short supply and in great demand with the navi option. They are never going to give the navi away since they are usually installed in a small % of cars. However, as the supply of TL's with navi improves to normal levels, dealers will start to deal. If you can wait another month or two you might be surprised at how agreeable the dealers have grown.
"I am looking for a certified pre-owned car. I missed out on the late 2003 models as there were good discounts on them. But I am not willing to pay premium price on the new cars and would be content with certified TL."
I hope you're right. I got a 2003 TL-S and 12 months later I couldn't resist buying a 2004 TL. It's a completelly different car; they should've started a whole new model name for it.
"My biggest concern is transmission problems reported, even though there is 100k miles warranty on it."
Having experienced a transmission failure on my 03 TL-S, I sympathize with your concern. I can tell you that having warranty is not enough. After the first failure I found myself listening to every shift for signs of another failure. Basically, I have lost ANY joy in driving that car.
"I got an offer on 2002 TL-S with 36000 miles on it for $21000."
That's a bad price, unless this is one of those "certified" cars you are referring to. I couldn't sell my 2003 TL-S with 10,000 miles for $24,000. If the car is under warranty and your mechanic checks it out to confirm that it hadn't been in an accident, why would you want to pay the dealer extra $3,000-$5,000 for the "certified" sticker.
"1) Will CarFax show any tranmission work done on this car?"
NO. Mechanical repair work is not shown on any such reports.
"2) How do I find out if the car had any major repairs done or transmission replaced?"
You can't! The record is only kept by the dealership that performed the repair. If, by any chance, you know which dealership performed all service on this car, you may have a small chance of finding out. But there's no guarantee the previous owner didn't take the car to a different dealership for transmission repair.
"3) Can anyone tell me if 2002 models are safe to buy. I do know that there were lots of problems for 2001 models transmission. I guess same holds true for 2002 also?"
Yes, and for many 2003 models as well. Other than transmission issues, these are all highly reliable model years.
"4) Is the price okay? Or am I being quoted higher number, given very high mileage on the car - 36k in just 2 years."
As I said above, it's way too high. Have you checked E-bay Motors and other on-line auto sales sites. Edmunds also has used car listings.
Please comment on the prices paid for recent 2004 TL purchases in N.C. I plan to visit Asheville and Winston-Salem (Flow Acura), and Charlotte, and would prefer to be able to negotiate aggressively in order to purchase by end of month. Thanks in advance.
thanks for your tips. I checked the CarFax report. There is not a single bad thing there.
The Edmunds price for this car is 22000$ plus. Also, when I saw used cars listing, this was the best quote out there. Initial quote was 24k and I brought it down to 21k.
I can probably negotiate 500$ more. But, the main concern is transmission. It is a very good car and it is sad to learn that Acura faltered in such a crucial thing in a car. Tranmission is a big deal and uncertainty there is probably not worth it even with the driving and total experience of TL. In that case, I think 2004 Honda Accord might be a better choice for that amount of money. What do you think?
I am getting quotes of Invoice minus 500$ on new Honda Accords.
Since I benefited from reading the posting here, I wanted to share the price I received at a San Diego area dealer. I purchased a '04 TL, no NAV, for an out the door price of 35,190.
The breakdown was: $32,375 for the car, $45 doc fee, $2,512 Sales Tax, $253 License Fee, $5 tire fee.
Having a verbal price quote of $32,500 from another dealer providing a good benchmark for my negotiations. That was started by an internet price request.
To help the others on this forum that have helped me so much, I just purchased my TL 1/3/2004:
6 MT, SSM/Ebony, Navi, HPT
$34295 + Body side molding, protection package, rear deck spoiler at cost ($700) = $35095 + fees, taxes,etc.
Dealer: Mike Harvey Acura (Burlingame)-- Doesn't have any Navi's left in stock.
Notes: Painless experience, there are about 6-7 other 6 MT SSM/Ebony or Quartz in the bay area. Just call around. 60% of the dealers won't go below MSRP, the rest will -- YMMV
I just bought a silver/ebony acura TL04, auto non navi for $ 31000, exluded sales tax, doc fee, license etc. Do you think its a good deal? Thanks for you opinion I just need to know whether i got a good deal or not.
Thanks to everybody in this discussion board, you've been very helpful. I bought a black/graphite non-nav 6-speed '04 TL last night (securing the 3.9% financing for 60 months) with the "protection package" (mats, trunk tray, mud guards, wheel locks) and all-season tires. The MSRP of the car was as Edmunds states, plus some for the pro-package etc, so the final sticker was $34,200. Doing all the haggling over the phone, I started by offering $30,800. We finally got it down as follows: Car and pro pack $32,000; TN state sales tax $2260.59 (7%); county tax $80.00; Local tax $96.59; Lic/title/reg $67.00; "Customer Service Fee" $197.50. Total $34,701.68 OTD. Found out you can put up to $3000 of your down-payment on your credit card. Also, this entire deal was pure, no trade-in involved. Gary Force Acura in Nashville is the only dealer within about 150 miles. They were very nice, and had much less paperwork than when I bought my '02 Odyssey. Again, thanks to all on this site.
Your experience provides a good example for people in an area with less-than-competitive number of Acura dealership. You basically got about $1,200 off MSRP whereas someone in an area with a lot of dealerships can get up to $2,500 off MSRP.
Picked up a green one Saturday. No navigation, auto trans. $31,000 cash plus tags and tax. Thought it was a good deal. I like this car better than my Infiniti M45, which cost ten grand more
I have 6speed Anthracite\Ebony w/ no nav. I lov it to death xm is excellent as is DVD-A. why did you guys not get the navigation? I don't think it is worth the 2k for me because I do not drive out of the area enough and have lived in the dc area all my life...thanks
anyone get a great deal for '04 TL w/no NAVI in Northern California. The best I can get is $1000 off MSRP. MRTECH --- where did you get your deal in Nor Cal?
please e-mail ucinugget32@yahoo.com is they have a dealer name for me. Thanks
I had to have the 6-speed. Known in Canada as the "Dynamic" package, it includes Brembos brakes, bigger stabilizer bars and summer performance tires. Unfortunately, you cannot get the navigation system with this package. The "Navi" package is only available with auto and all seasons. Go figure...
yeah the 6speed with navigation here is a rare commodity have to pay msrp for it here how much did you pay for it? i got 2k off of msrp 31200 plus taxes tags etc
Thanks for all the posts...thought I'd share my purchase to help out. Signed papers today for a 2004 TL Auto w/o Navigation, silver ext. / ebony int.
Paid $31,400 incl. destination ($1,800 below MSRP) in cash. No add-ons / no trade-in. Only additional fees were doc fee / license fee / sales tax.
To negotiate, I started with a carsdirect.com specialist and was quoted $31,600 in SoCal. Called the internet manager for each dealer in the Bay Area / SF and said I was ready to buy immediately if they beat the price.
Thank you for your posts. I would like to highly suggest two Acura dealers in NC. My highest recommendation goes to Appletree Acura in Fletcher, NC (South of Asheville, NC). A very professional sales representative and manager work there. Also, I also highly recommend Flow Acura in Winston-Salem, NC. Another very professional sales represnetative and manager work there. Either dealer will find the car to meet your needs at a competitive price. All of the dealers that I contacted in 4 states were professional and helpful. The above two dealers are outstanding in their explanations and patience.
Hello Everyone! I am in the market for a new TL. I have been eyeing this car for sometime now and it seems that everyone on this board is extremely satisfied with their purchase. I was wondering if anybody had any advice on pricing (besides MSRP) and buying experience in either the D.C, northern VA or Maryland area. Thanks
I recently purchased a 6speed non nav anthracite/ebony TL from pohanka. I purchased before the new year so they were willing to deal to get the numbers up. On the website inventory there were 40 cars. When I got there there only about 10. I test drove a silver which I liked. Came back the next day it was gone. In the 3 hours I was there 7 were out the door. I think there was one navigation on the lot and that went at 300 off msrp. I got mine down to 31200 including destination but before taxes and tags...that is about 2195 off. 6speeds with Navigation are just to hard to find as there are not too many made. I don't mind cause I would never pay for navigation on a brand new car would rather get one on a used one where your only paying a couple hundred more. the wait to order navigation TL's was 3-6 weeks..thanks
Thanks for the info. I appreciate your help! Question for you since you seem to be in tune with the TL's that were moving prior to year end. I was looking for a automatic with the nav. Were there a lot of those available when you were looking?
There were 2 on the lot ,but they were already spoken for the only other one there was the demo which is not for sale...might wanna try radley seems like they have more tl's on the lot not sure about nav one's...the only way to get a navigation one is if someone that ordered one decided not too buy...
All you have to do is scroll back several pages for posts of several people from DC area. I had to buy my NAVI/AT from New Jersey to get $1,500 off MSRP. Local dealers don't drop more than $500 on these.
I don't see any value from buying a "certified" 3-year old TL under warranty vs. a non-certified. Also, a lot depends on whether you're willing to buy from a private party instead of a dealer. Personally I wouldn't pay more than $19,000.
I have used the following in the past and it worked well: http://www.carcostcanada.com/en/ Unfortunately, you'll have to pay for the info but may be well worth it.
Ok, talking to a dealer in Texas. The best price I've gotten is $35,694 as the sell price before TTL for a... '04 TL Auto/Navigation with the full body kit.
Comments
When I first started looking at the TL, I was only casually interested in the nav, but once I took my first test drive in a non-nav car, I knew I had to get it.
At the new price point of the non-nav TL, adding the nav in is not a huge deal either which is why I thnk you're seeing the demand for it be higher than what it was in past years. I don't think Acura anticipated the demand for it.
On last wrinkle was a suggestion by F&I about a 42-month lease. She'd get her $5000 down back with only her trade-in as a cap reduction. The monthly lease would save her another $12.50/mo.
From my perspective, the lease didn't make sense for several reasons. The money factor was equal to an interest rate of 8.4% vs. 3.9% on the loan. The residual at the lease end was $19,535 vs. the 18 remaining loan payments to own the car totaling $8,550, the monthly payment savings of $525, and the $5000 down. That still leaves nearly $5,500 difference.
The choice between leasing and buying will often come down to the numbers in the deals. Her past ownership of vehicles were 9 years ('78 280ZX), 7 years ('87 Legend L coupe), and 6-1/2 years ('97 Avalon XLS). The only car held for less time was her '95 Millenia on a three-year lease: the money factor on that was equal to 3.6% APR. That time, the buy rate involve 8.0% APR.
with the full body kit...in the Dallas area.
Nobody seems to want to deal all stating 2 month waits and because its a nav...no deals.
Both dealers who've returned my internet request both give $37076 (drive out) non negotiable.
Will trying a bigger dealer in Houston help?
Any suggestions on path to take?
Thanks.
Washington Consumer Checkbook in their 12/30 edition of "Cardeals" say Acura has a $1500 incentive to dealers on a 2003 TL. Could this be what you saw?
Peace
Location/Area: Winston Salem, NC
Dealer Name: Flow Acura
Price (before any taxes):$31,693
Options: Protection package, wood knob
Color Combo: Redondo Red/Parchment
Notes: 10 to 15 cars available with more on the way. Retail for car plus accessories $33,739
I traded a car that had a wholesale of $15,000 and will probably take the 3.9 as I can do better with the money in the market
1) Will CarFax show any tranmission work done on this car?
2) How do I find out if the car had any major repairs done or transmission replaced?
3) Can anyone tell me if 2002 models are safe to buy. I do know that there were lots of problems for 2001 models transmission. I guess same holds true for 2002 also?
4) Is the price okay? Or am I being quoted higher number, given very high mileage on the car - 36k in just 2 years..
Please help based on your experience.
There is a 2003 TL also available if you think 2002 is a risky proposition.
thanks!
I hope you're right. I got a 2003 TL-S and 12 months later I couldn't resist buying a 2004 TL. It's a completelly different car; they should've started a whole new model name for it.
"My biggest concern is transmission problems reported, even though there is 100k miles warranty on it."
Having experienced a transmission failure on my 03 TL-S, I sympathize with your concern. I can tell you that having warranty is not enough. After the first failure I found myself listening to every shift for signs of another failure. Basically, I have lost ANY joy in driving that car.
"I got an offer on 2002 TL-S with 36000 miles on it for $21000."
That's a bad price, unless this is one of those "certified" cars you are referring to. I couldn't sell my 2003 TL-S with 10,000 miles for $24,000. If the car is under warranty and your mechanic checks it out to confirm that it hadn't been in an accident, why would you want to pay the dealer extra $3,000-$5,000 for the "certified" sticker.
"1) Will CarFax show any tranmission work done on this car?"
NO. Mechanical repair work is not shown on any such reports.
"2) How do I find out if the car had any major repairs done or transmission replaced?"
You can't! The record is only kept by the dealership that performed the repair. If, by any chance, you know which dealership performed all service on this car, you may have a small chance of finding out. But there's no guarantee the previous owner didn't take the car to a different dealership for transmission repair.
"3) Can anyone tell me if 2002 models are safe to buy. I do know that there were lots of problems for 2001 models transmission. I guess same holds true for 2002 also?"
Yes, and for many 2003 models as well. Other than transmission issues, these are all highly reliable model years.
"4) Is the price okay? Or am I being quoted higher number, given very high mileage on the car - 36k in just 2 years."
As I said above, it's way too high. Have you checked E-bay Motors and other on-line auto sales sites. Edmunds also has used car listings.
thanks for your tips.
I checked the CarFax report. There is not a single bad thing there.
The Edmunds price for this car is 22000$ plus. Also, when I saw used cars listing, this was the best quote out there. Initial quote was 24k and I brought it down to 21k.
I can probably negotiate 500$ more. But, the main concern is transmission. It is a very good car and it is sad to learn that Acura faltered in such a crucial thing in a car. Tranmission is a big deal and uncertainty there is probably not worth it even with the driving and total experience of TL. In that case, I think 2004 Honda Accord might be a better choice for that amount of money. What do you think?
I am getting quotes of Invoice minus 500$ on new Honda Accords.
thanks
The breakdown was: $32,375 for the car, $45 doc fee, $2,512 Sales Tax, $253 License Fee, $5 tire fee.
Having a verbal price quote of $32,500 from another dealer providing a good benchmark for my negotiations. That was started by an internet price request.
Thanks.
Thanks.
6 MT, SSM/Ebony, Navi, HPT
$34295 + Body side molding, protection package, rear deck spoiler at cost ($700) = $35095 + fees, taxes,etc.
Dealer: Mike Harvey Acura (Burlingame)-- Doesn't have any Navi's left in stock.
Notes: Painless experience, there are about 6-7 other 6 MT SSM/Ebony or Quartz in the bay area. Just call around. 60% of the dealers won't go below MSRP, the rest will -- YMMV
thanks for you help.
Thanks for you opinion I just need to know whether i got a good deal or not.
Car and pro pack $32,000; TN state sales tax $2260.59 (7%); county tax $80.00; Local tax $96.59; Lic/title/reg $67.00; "Customer Service Fee" $197.50. Total $34,701.68 OTD. Found out you can put up to $3000 of your down-payment on your credit card. Also, this entire deal was pure, no trade-in involved. Gary Force Acura in Nashville is the only dealer within about 150 miles. They were very nice, and had much less paperwork than when I bought my '02 Odyssey.
Again, thanks to all on this site.
MRTECH --- where did you get your deal in Nor Cal?
please e-mail ucinugget32@yahoo.com is they have a dealer name for me. Thanks
I received the first 6-speed at my dealership and paid sticker for the privilege. And, no regrets!
Paid $31,400 incl. destination ($1,800 below MSRP) in cash. No add-ons / no trade-in. Only additional fees were doc fee / license fee / sales tax.
To negotiate, I started with a carsdirect.com specialist and was quoted $31,600 in SoCal. Called the internet manager for each dealer in the Bay Area / SF and said I was ready to buy immediately if they beat the price.
My highest recommendation goes to Appletree Acura in Fletcher, NC (South of Asheville, NC). A very professional sales representative and manager work there.
Also, I also highly recommend Flow Acura in Winston-Salem, NC. Another very professional sales represnetative and manager work there.
Either dealer will find the car to meet your needs at a competitive price.
All of the dealers that I contacted in 4 states were professional and helpful. The above two dealers are outstanding in their explanations and patience.
Unfortunately, you'll have to pay for the info but may be well worth it.
The best price I've gotten is $35,694 as the sell price before TTL for a...
'04 TL Auto/Navigation with the full body kit.
Should I go for it, or can I do better?
Thanks for your help.
'04 TL Anthracite/Ebony/Auto/Nav - $35,195
front/rear/body/decklid spoilers - $1499 install.
Dealer is offering $1000 off, so total is $35,694
Added to this will be 6.25% Tax and $300 misc fee. So drive out total is $38,290
I am in Texas.
Thanks.