Acura TSX Prices Paid and Buying Experience

midnightcowboy · June 2003

There will not be a discontented TSX. The Acura philosophy is to have a fully loaded vehicle with no options, that is except NAV. And in probably a couple of years that won't be an option either.

Pretty soon there will not be a color option, black will be the only color.

And Acura will become the affordable Luxury car for the masses and it will be renamed with a new model moniker , Model "T".

akal50 · June 2003

leather is not it is all cracked up to be. It is finniky, it is hot in summer, cold in winter, need constant attention or it will crack. The only thing leather is better at is when you have kids and they spill stuff on your seats.

Well I've had cars with and without leather and I much prefer the leather, not because it gives the appearance of luxury, but because I feel it's more comfortable, easier to clean, and looks better. I will never go back to cloth seats.

TSX is a better compromize than Accord V6, if you driven one, you will soon feel the "nose heavy" characteristics. Besides, the new Accord is about the size of my grandma's Buick park avenue. Way too big for my liking.

Well I've driven both. I did not find the Accord too nose heavy and I don't think it's too big. In fact, I think it's the perfect size. The TSX on the other hand is too small. I feel like I'm driving a Civic.

I hope Honda is listening and does bring over a decontented TSX for about $20K. (no leather, no xenon, no climate control, just plain A/c, power windows and locks, optional sunroof, and 16 inch wheels instead of useless 17)

Why don't you just get a Civic instead?

midnightcowboy · June 2003

leather in IS300. It is kind of a suede-like and is cool in the summer, not cold in the winter and is easy to clean and does not show wear.

dudka · June 2003

TSX is not Civic, I already have one. I want a slightly bigger car, but not as big as accord. TSX is what the rest of the world enjoys as Accord.
I guess I understand about bridging the gap between the RSX (Intergra) and TL (Legend). what about bridging the gap between Civic and the New accord. There used to be Nissan Altima, but it too gone the steroidal injection and overgrew.

"Dukda #133 "I just feel like I'm not getting my money's worth if I don't get a V6."

M3, IS300 they are not V6s but inline 6s"

I was just qouting previous poster.

"Well I've had cars with and without leather and I much prefer the leather, not because it gives the appearance of luxury, but because I feel it's more comfortable, easier to clean, and looks better. I will never go back to cloth seats."

I have had cars with leather, and would never go back to leather. To each is his own.
I don't like the burning hot leather against my skin in summer, and stiff ice cold in winter. And if you are wearing anyhting, most people do when they drive, you will most defenately slide in the seat. At least I do, in turns.

fernhill · June 2003

People, people - while your chatter about the TSX is fascinating (not really) isn't the discussion on this thread suppose to be what someone paid for their TSX and not about the chartacteristics of the car, (leather, 4 cyl vs. 6 cyl, etc.)?

Karen_S · June 2003

fernhill is right. If you wish to discuss the various features of the TSX, please do so in the general discussion in Sedans.

Thanks!

redkey1 · July 2003

How long will it take before TSX sells close to invoice like the RSX-S? Friend of mine just got one for below invoice.

aggie1995 · July 2003

Probably a long long time ..... maybe never.

At 15,000 units a year they don't have to come off the price very much at all. However if demand for this vehicle is only about 7000 then you'll see some discounts.

But my guess is that there are at least 10,000 Honda/Acura loyalists who will flock to this car and maybe another 5000 who are just won over by the overall goodness and balance of this vehicle especially considering it's price range.

damormino · July 2003

I doesn't hurt to make an offer. My neighbor offer $3160 below MSRP for the brand new Lexus RX330 SUV and they accepted. He just happened to wander in on a Wednesday night. The sales manager was gone and they hadn't sold one car all afternoon. Just be prepared to get the run around - counter offers, maybe you'll be pushed toward a lease. Just look tell them, "No. I made you an offer. If you don't want to accept it, just say so and I'll leave." (Then you leave.)
The TSX has a very disappointing radio and is a little underpowered - especially at full load. Tell then you don't think it's worth what they want and you'll only pay what it's worth. Let us know what happens - and be prepared to buy.

mikearlma · July 2003

I bought a Carbon Gray TSX 6spd without Nav last month. I emailed 5 Eastern Massachusetts dealers and told them I was going to order this car that week and could wait for delivery (didn't care what was on their lot), no trade, no finance, no lease. I also wanted the mud guards, cargo net and all weather mats. Here's what happened: 1 dealer offered list, 1 $200 under list, 1 did not reply, 1 offered $500 under list and 5 free oil changes, and the one I bought it from offered $500 under list and the accessories for free (about $500 in list value). Total bottom line (taxes, dealer fees, new plates) was $28,048.

By the way. I LOVE this car. Sold my crappy 99 A4 1.8t to get it. The TSX is fun to drive, feels great, plenty enough torque and pep, corners well - sits very flat, but with very comfortable highway ride, perfectly designed inside, everything works well. Only complaint is that the speakers are lousy (but that is easy to fix). If you like smaller, fun, comfortable, reliable cars but want better performance and luxury than the family sedans, I can't imagine a better value than this (I realize this is probably an argument for a different message board....)

bwoolley1 · July 2003

I have close ties to the local acura dealer and they will not sell TSXs under invoice except in 2 special circumstances, where the car was supposed to arrive one month but was delayed over 2 weeks.

They are also one of those dealerships where they include Mud Guards, Truck Tray, Wheel Locks and an Environmental Protection Package, at the buyers expense and put them on every car. I have seen them give those items away for free but they haven't gone under MSRP except for the 2 above cars.

They had 15 TSXs last month and sold them all. This month they only have 4 that are not already spoken for, which is crazy.

As for performance, I do agree they are under powered. I don't mind driving them but if I was to buy I would want a little more. The Type S model will more then likely get a super charger since I was told they want to save the V-6 for the TL.

blane · July 2003

mikearlma:

Your post #176 implies that you purchased your car for "$500 under invoice". Don't you mean $500 under MSRP? The two are VERY different. Invoice, including $500 destination charge, is $24,647. Add the three accessories, that you could buy from any number of websites for $200, and total "invoice" would be about $24,847.

It's great that you are satisfied with your deal though. $500 bucks off MSRP for a TSX is fine at this point in the model run. The dealer made up $300 of it in the three accessories though.

cusafr · July 2003

Sorry to hear of your bad experience. I am located in Lubbock, Texas and the closest Acura dealers for me are in D/FW. I heard Gunn has a no-haggle price on the TSX, but don't know what it is? It may be worth it for you and me to travel to San Antonio, if the price is right! Have you tried Arlington or Fort Worth? I would like to buy a TSX, but MSRP--WOW! When my car sells, I will buy something. Hope it is an Acura!

Best of Luck,

CUSAFR

jcampod · July 2003

samirrathod--

Sorry they weren't budging. If you e-mail me at jcampod@hotmail.com, I will send you the name of the salespeople in OKC I worked with. If you want, I will photocopy my sales paperwork and you can use that for bargaining in Dallas!

The price in San Antonio at Gunn is $1k off MSRP, both nav and non-nav. I know they have a few black ones and 1 white one on the lot (I drive by them everyday to work). I also have a point of contact there if you are interested, but forum rules won't allow me to post that info on the site. They are a great dealer, and the no-haggle makes working with them pleasant (I did have to squeeze the salespeople at Bob Howard, but did get a great car there!).

Hope this helps!

samirrathod · July 2003

cusafr: I tried all the Dallas area dealers referencing the deal in a "nearby state". I didn't deal too much with Vandegriff and MacChurchill...just called them up and asked if they would come close to what I wanted to pay. They said no, so I moved on.

jcampod: Thanks. If it doesn't work out for me at Bob Howard, I'll get the info from you and fax it to the sales manager at Goodson. Since they thought I was lying, it would be nice to throw that in their face. If they won't match, even with proof, I'll go to Gunn. I would rather spend a little more $$$ to be treated like a customer should be treated. BTW, did they give you any accessories or was the car bare? Thanks again!

cusafr · July 2003

I really like the looks of this car and want to buy one. I hate paying anywhere near MSRP, especially when I can get an accord with essentially the same engine for Invoice! That would make the difference around $5,000-$6,000. Someone please tell me this car is worth the money difference!

Thanks,

CUSAFR

eneg5 · July 2003

Isn't that where Buddy Holly was from????

Eneg

cusafr · July 2003

Yes. We have a small museum and a few other little things dedicated to him.

eneg5 · July 2003

Thanks!

I'd love to see the museum!

Eneg (The Day The Music Died!)

cusafr · July 2003

Get in your Honda/or new TSX, and drive to beautiful West Texas. Mostly friendly people and a nice place to live. Except, there is not an Acura Dealer within 300 Miles!

CUSAFR

samirrathod · July 2003

Well, it's a tough choice to make. Acura has a longer warranty and premium service because you're dealing with a luxury brand.

Also, the EX with Leather 2.4L has a TMV of 21,929 and is the closest thing to a TSX that the Accord line has. So, say you go to Gunn and get the TSX w/o Nav for 25,990, there's a $4K diff in price.

Other things I noticed - the Accord packs 160 HP, does not have tiptronic, is not made to be a sport-luxury car. I have not done all the feature comparisons between models, and do realize $4K might be a little much to pay for the extras you get, but I can tell you this - I have a 01 Accord 3.0L V-6 EX, paid $22,900 for it...if the TSX was available back then, I would have bought that instead in a heartbeat. The extra $$ would have been worth it to me. It's all personal preference.

mikearlma · July 2003

Blane -

Regarding your post #178

Sorry, you are right, I erred. It was not invoice but rather msrp. For clarity though, it was $500 under msrp + they threw in $500 (list price) worth of accessories. Total then was 1000 under msrp of the car + accessories. I realize that the dealer has a much higher margin and flexibility on the accessories, so it is not really $1000 under base msrp, but for anyone looking to get a "deal", they might also want to go this route. I got the mud guards (which look great), all weather mats, luggage net (handy).

gburton · July 2003

Here in Australia I had to pay FULL retail price. NO discounting because they cant get enough of them. They were released here on June 10th and sold out instantly. All the cars are going to the US apparently. I am waiting eight weeks for mine and paid $50000 (australian dollars) $30000 US. (Auto Transmission & spoiler)
Here we only get 16" crappy mags but apart from that its the same as the US model. We call it the Honda Accord EURO here.

tturedraider · July 2003

Howdy. I'm from Lubbock. Live in "Cowtown" now. It's always irritated me that Lubbock has no Acura dealer. My understanding, from many years ago, is that Frank Brown has first rights and he won't put one in. There used to be one in Amarillo, but no longer.

Same situation with Infiniti, of course. My mom got an Infiniti I35 last October. Local Nissan dealer can do warranty work, but without the loaner car benefit. I imagine there's a good chance the same is true for Acura and Honda.

MacChurchill Acura has never been a very big player in the metroplex. But, they have a big new fancy dealership now, so that might change. I stopped by there a couple of months ago and they had only one 6-speed and no automatics. Salesman said he'd call when they got an auto for me to drive. I've never heard from him! Imagine that; a car salesman who doesn't call every other day! :-)

Personally, I'd pay the difference between the Accord and the TSX. I've driven an auto TSX now; at Vandergriff. It was great and it's the right size for me and it has style. I think the new Accord is just butt ugly. To me it looks like a Peugeot.

btw - the 4 in the TSX and Accord has a timing chain instead of a belt. that's a good thing imho.

cusafr · July 2003

How funny! I own a 2001 Infiniti-I-30 and I moved to Lubbock from Fort Worth! I agree with everything you said, I am just trying to convince myself. I have not driven a TSX yet as there are none here. I am going to Austin on business in two weeks and plan to drive one there. Hopefully, that will put me over the top. I also think the new accord is butt ugly, but for the price/engine/5-speed/etc, it's the next best thing if I don't like the TSX. My biggest concerns are the vehicle size (too small) and the power (or lack there of).

I also have a 2002 Honda Accord (wife's car) which I like the body style much better than the 2003. I talked to the sales manager there and he said he would love to get an Acura dealership! Forgot now why he said they could not, or would not. I'll ask him again next time I see him.

Thanks for your comments!

CUSAFR

gtown312 · July 2003

Has anyone bought a TSX in New Jersey and gotten any discount off of MSRP?

I went to Ocean and they would not budge off of MSRP, they were willing to give me a fair value on my trade though. However, I still don't think that is enough of a discount.

I wanted to hear from anyone who has been to any other dealerships in the area and done better. I need some more leverage.
I appreciate the help.

kinnamon · July 2003

I want to get a TSX in the Houston area in the next few weeks or so. I haven't really started going around to dealerships yet to get a decent deal (just recently decided on the TSX over other choices).

I'm really looking at the AT with silver or smoke exterior and the NAV system (fog lights if possible too).

My question, as this is the first car I've ever bought, is that is it possible for me to get a better deal if I pay for the car all up front?

This is the method I'm using since I have access to the money and want to avoid any interest over the years. Basically I want to get it to under $30k (including tax) which makes it about $27,500 (before tax).

Is this sort of payment a possible bargaining tool or does method of payment really mean anything to them?

Thanks for your help.

bobshiftright · July 2003

Sussman offered me $500 off sticker, I also believe that Princeton Acura is offering small discounts. I'd try the internet sales department of both.

It's still the summer of 2003 and the car is a 2004. The novelty of driving a 2004 car in 2003 hasn't worn off yet. I'm not even going to try for serious bidding until other 2004s start filling the showrooms. I'd expect that to be in the fall.

TSX dealer inventories seem to remain fairly tight at this point although they also appear to have climbed about 50% in the last 2-3 weeks.

kyfdx · July 2003

The dealers don't care.. They either get cash from you, or cash from the bank if you get a loan. Bargain on the price of the car. Don't even bring up financing, until after you make the deal.

regards,
kyfdx

robr2 · July 2003

Paying cash can be a detriment to the deal. If the dealer arranges financing for you he makes some money off of that from the source. Paying cash eliminates that revenue.

parker19 · July 2003

I just bought a carbon grey tsx and love it. Got a fair deal ($500 off). Like many of you, I shopped around to get the price I could. Initially, after reading some posts, I was trying to get the car for $1200-1700 off sticker like some other posts claimed. Quickly, I discovered that wasnt going anywhere close to that. After a while, I started to wonder what was I fighting for in terms of looking and waiting and saving money. Is it really worth it to wait a few extra months to get a car a few hundred dollars cheaper? It seems if you want the car, get the car.

xplorx4 · July 2003

I'm in no hurry to buy a new car, but I really like the TSX. My wife and I will be giving our current car to a relative in a few months, so we have at least 60 days before we must replace it.

I'd like to know if you think this is a fair offer:

Desired vehicle:
arctic blue TSX AT (no NAV)
spoiler
fog lights
cargo net
cargo tray

Desired Sale Price: $26,500 plus $500 destination charge.

I'm willing to go up to $26,800, but I'd try to negotiate for some kind of limited free service agreement for that.

This would be in the San Jose/Bay Area, CA region. Do you think my offer is reasonable, too high, or too low?

cusafr · July 2003

Full MSRP is only 26,990 including destination. Why would you want to pay more? Most are getting between 500-1000 off MSRP.

CUSAFR

xplorx4 · July 2003

I figure I'm adding roughly $850 in accessories (parts cost only, no labor cost added to install said accessories) to the vehicle, and I've heard that most bay-area buyers aren't getting that much below MSRP.
MSRP (incl dest.) plus cost of accessories (without installation charge) = $27840.

Are you suggesting that I should offer an even lower price?

parker19 · July 2003

there's nothing wrong with trying to get a lower price if your current offer is sticker ... granted some people on this site will have you believe that unless u get the tsx for free you got ripped off .... it seems $500 off is a "fair price" based on what many people, including myself have gotten .... but that doesnt mean you should bag the deal if you can't get that, it depends on what something is worth to you ... in the scheme of it all a few bucks shouldnt be the difference between a car or not but you should be able to get a few bucks off

bobshiftright · July 2003

When you compare the TSX to the IS300, the C-Class Mercedes, the Saab 9-3 and the base 325i, (vinyl seats, halogen lights, skinny tires and all), I don't think that even the TSX sticker price is "unfair". It's just my guess that the prices will be a little better once the other 2004s start appearing in the showrooms.

Or, maybe not. Maybe there is going to be a surprising national trend away from slushboxes and to nifty short-throw 6-speed manual trannies. One can always hope! However, I suspect the car is aimed at a small niche market. A very passionate niche, but a small one.

FWIW, there are countless Acura dealers' parts departments who sell the accessories like the fog lights and the trunk mat at deep discount over the internet.

My wife bought a Honda Odyssey a couple of years ago, we paid sticker, with no add-ons, and the dealer threw in the window etching for free. While I would have liked it better at $3000 under the sticker price like the domestic vans, I didn't think that was "unfair" because the deeply discounted minivans from the "Big Three" were still priced about the same as the Oddy.

redkey1 · July 2003

I think that when the new TL comes out we will see prices on the TSX move away from sticker. The TL will have the 6cyl that many desire and obviously more room. Styling on both is very similar.

xplorx4 · July 2003

FWIW, there are countless Acura dealers' parts departments who sell the accessories like the fog lights and the trunk mat at deep discount over the internet.

I believe I got obtained very steeply discounted prices for the accessories I desire from an internet dealer I found by searching google for "TSX wing spoiler"

Their prices were the ones I used to calculate a total "offer" price:

Spoiler: 466.70
Fog Lights: 279.50
Cargo Net: 24.70
Cargo Tray: 76.70

I have to assume that the markup on these parts (for the particular dealer) is very low, since I've seen the same parts at other dealers for up to 40% more.

Does anyone know if dealer-installed accessories like those mentioned above are covered under the 48 mo/50K mi Acura warranty? (I assume that if you buy them and install them yourself you aren't covered by any kind of warranty, so the only real benefit of paying for dealer labor is warranty coverage.)

dudka · July 2003

I know that Honda dealer have 100% mark up from what they buy parts for. The reason I know, is that I "accidentally" peeked into the computer when I was buying "Hard shell painted spare tire cover" for my CR-V, the "official" price was $560 or something, I was paying $350, while the dealer cost was $275. Even at 50% "discount" from list on-line dealers make a good profit.
Parts themselves carry 1 year warranty from Honda, even if it is self installed. You just not covered for labor, in other words you would have to remove it to get warranty serice on it.

ineedle · July 2003

Bought my 6 speed manual for $600 off MSRP in early June. I was happy with the price considering all of the options included and the quality of the car.

midnightcowboy · July 2003

Acura installs them.

minizx3 · July 2003

Hi all I got my new Milano Red TSX on Wednesday. I'm loving this car! I leased it, I got about 1,250 over the value of my trade in. They were not budging on the sticker if I was to buy it. Happy driving all!

bszeto · July 2003

To all folks in Canada:

What was the best price that you could get in Toronto for a TSX in automatic?

B

jimshade · July 2003

minizx3,

Can you share the details of your lease? How much did you have to pay upfront and how much are your monthly payments? I'm trying to figure out what a good deal is for leasing this car.

Thanks.

fernhill · July 2003

I recently leased a TSX (Silver/Quartz) auto no-navi 36 month, 15,000 miles

Paid $1,125 up front (1st month, bank fee, tags, no security deposit returning customer).

Monthly payment is $398 (which includes 9% tax in Phila suburbs).

Dealer added wheel locks and mud gaurds at no charge.

minizx3 · July 2003

Hi

I traded in a Civic...net they gave me $1,092.

Here are the details TSX auto, no navi 48 month lease, 12,000 miles a year (the warranty is 4 fours/50,000 miles)

$1,500 down
$550 bank fees
$319.62 first months payment
$130 registration and plates
$200 in some other BS fees

Total $2,7XX. I took the trade in value and out of pocket was $1,633.00. I bought in the car at Acura of Ocean, in Ocean NJ. Deal was smooth. I did paper work on Wednesday night, delivered car Early Thursday morning!

Hope this helps! I went with the 48 month lease because of the warranty. I figure I'm covered for the term of the lease under the warranty. If I love the car, I'll keep it....

jimshade · July 2003

Fernhill/minizx3,

Thanks for the information. Now I have a better understanding of where my numbers fall.

aaaaaq · July 2003

For the TSX Auto, w/out NAv (msrp $26,990 which includes destination)

Edmunds lists invoice at $24,147 + 500 destination
Kelly BBook lists invoice at $22,956 + 500 destination

Anyone have knowledge at where dealer cost is for the car...maybe even including a 3% holdback

thanks

xplorx4 · July 2003

I'm more inclined to believe the $24,147 invoice price, listed both here and on another new vehicle research site. At least 2 different Acura internet managers I've contacted have told me that Acura vehicles have an 8% markup above invoice. (Checking edmunds' pricing for the 04 TSX, 03 MDX, 03 TL, and 03 RSX, the range is roughly between 9% and 11%. )

The kbb price indicates a 15% markup! And this doesn't factor in the 3% holdback.

samirrathod · July 2003

Can you explain what you mean by the markup? Are you saying dealers get the cars for 8% above the actual invoice price? Anyone know what edmunds and other car sites post as invoice? Is it dealer cost or is it true invoice?

Thanks!

Acura TSX Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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