Acura TSX Prices Paid and Buying Experience

jcampod · September 2003

I'm glad I could help. Like I said before, I'm pretty sure I got mine for such a good deal because it was already on a truck to the dealer (no trade or ordering involved). But to get your total choice of color, transmission, and NAVI, I'm sure it was worth the little extra $$$.

I am, however, disappointed that you got poor service. Oh well--its not like you will be driving 3 hrs to utilize their service department!

sdradioguy · September 2003

I'm still shopping for a TSX. But it now looks like I may have to delay my purchase until October, which is when I plan to go home to TX to see my parents.

I had this crazy idea of getting a one-way plane ticket to Texas, buying the TSX, and driving it back to San Diego.

Of course, I'd only do this if I could work out a good deal on a TSX in Austin or Dallas. Anyone in those two cities care to tell me who's making deals there?

Also, has anyone bought a new car in another state, then take it straight to CA? I've brought a USED car here, but never one that was brand new. What do I need to keep in mind if I want to buy in TX, and live with it in CA, besides, of course, the staggering difference in registration fees.

And, yes, I am taking into account the cost of driving vs. flying. If I can find a sweet deal on a RT plane ticket, then I won't buy the car out of state. I just thought doing so would make the vacation that much more of an adventure, because it would come with a built-in road trip.

blueguydotcom · September 2003

What do I need to keep in mind if I want to buy in TX, and live with it in CA, besides, of course, the staggering difference in registration fees.

Usually you'd set it up so you'd only pay CA taxes.

http://www.re-pro.com/DMV.html

I know TX has some weird car taxes though, so look into it carefully.

sdradioguy · September 2003

Thanks for the link. When I bought my 96 Civic in TX, I don't recall any weird taxes. It seemed pretty straightforward -- sales tax and license fees, along with the nickel-and-dime admin. stuff, just like CA charges. I'm getting the impression I wouldn't necessarily have to pay sales tax in TX, if I'm taking it to CA right away. And, just in case I do, it appears CA will take that into account when I register it here. At least the emissions thing will be a non-issue.

sdradioguy · September 2003

So, I'm calling off the buying out-of-state plan. Here's what I learned in a 5 minute call to the DMV:

1. I'd have to get the car smog tested, even though pretty much every new Honda/Acura product sold in the US is already certified as LEV, ULEV, or, in some cases, SULEV. So there's an extra 30 to 60 bucks, depending on where I go to get that done.

2. I'd have to pay the difference in sales tax between CA and TX, which would amount to a few hundred dollars, since (according to my memory) sales tax on cars in TX is somewhat lower than the "general" sales tax. If this is no longer the case, then I'll stand corrected.

3. After October 1, the registration fees in CA will take a big jump. Assuming I'm able to get a non-NAVI TSX in the low $26K range (a big assumption, I know), I would pay $206 in license fees if I bought it before the end of September. If I wait until October, that fee shoots to $556. I'm sure this fact is not lost upon the dealers.

Based on what I've read in this forum, it's highly unlikely that I would get such a great deal in Austin or Dallas during my October vacation to cover the $350 difference in registration, the couple of hundred in sales tax, and the few dozen bucks for smog testing. And that's not including the $250-300 I'd spend on gas, food, and lodging on the 1,350 mile drive home.

Thanks for allowing me to think this through out loud. We now return to our regularly scheduled topic.

tsxtom22 · September 2003

I bought a TSX last week for my wife at Performance Acura in Chapel Hill. Best car buying experience ever. Dealership really knows how to treat their clients. Paid $ 750.00 below sticker and got wheel locks,trunk mat,pin stripe and mud flaps thrown in, but I assume everyone is getting these. So far, love the car!!! We have had 5 Accords, and while this is somewhat the same, it seems much more upscale. 2.4 is ok, especially when it gets going.

blueguydotcom · September 2003

It's only the auto version that feels a little slow. And yes the gearing would make a huge difference.

northwesttsx1 · September 2003

Have seen lots of info for CA and TX TSX deals...anyone in NW getting deals off of MSRP? Dealers I have dealt with all want MSRP....and not much negotiation on my trade in...

Advice...?

fdefulvio · September 2003

Although they didn't have any in stock, my local Acura dealer in South NJ is offering $1000 off of the TSX. They also said that when the new TLs come out next month, they will probably not be discounting them at all.

accord03 · September 2003

in NJ fdefulvio? I live in South Jersey and am debating between 04 accord and tsx. If I can get the tsx that much under invoice, might make it a go.

fdefulvio · September 2003

Acura of Turnersville. www.acuraofturnersville.com
I would first go to their web site and request a quote. That will establish you as an internet customer. They don't have any TSXs in stock but expect a shipment in about 4 weeks.

tsos · September 2003

What's a good current price w/o Nav (inc. the dest. charge) for the Chicago area?

If your reply is relative to the MSRP (e.g. 500$ under MSRP), please specify whether that includes the $500 dest. charge, or should that be added on.

Generally, when someone posts that they got a TSX for 26,000, or for 1000$ below MSRP, does that figure include the $500 dest. charge?

How hard is it to find a carbon gray/quartz or Meteor Silver/quartz?

jreed012 · September 2003

When someone says they got the car for $xxxx below MSRP, they should be talking about the TOTAL price, including shipping, dealer doc fee's, etc. I paid $26,303 for my non-Navi TSX including the $500 delivery charge (total of almost $700 off). The $3 charge was for some state mandated lemon law charge. I bought out of state, so there were no taxes involved (I paid those when I registered it here in TN).

As for color, dealers might have to do some hunting for both dealer stock, AND inbound cars to other dealerships. My dealer was able to snag an incoming TSX and have it delivered to his dealership. Just as an FYI, my car was purchased in Atl, GA.

Also, some dealers charge a Dealer Doc fee. This can range anywhere from $80 - $300. Something worth asking. I did not get charged this.

I agree, there are a few questionable posts here regarding what people paid. I wonder how many have left 'the rest of the story' out.

inky · September 2003

WE all should remember to post total drive out price before taxes. That way we compare apples to apples. No one wants to hear about anyone elses tax rate--other than of interest. OK is 3.25% of actual sales price new or used. No trade difference allowed. Overall that seems pretty low. I paid $26,900 total for black on black with spoiler, muds, wheel locks and doc fee.

INKY

sdradioguy · September 2003

Yesterday, I took my first serious stab at trying to make a deal on a TSX in San Diego. I drove home in my old Civic, which may not be such a bad thing. Here's what happened:

Dealer #1 (Cush Kearny Mesa) - Had the right car (Satin/quartz 6sp./no NAVI). But the best the sales manager would do was about $330 off MSRP. He said "several other dealers" in the area have been hounding him for that car. I asked him if that's the case, then why has that particular car been sitting on his lot for the last two weeks? He didn't have an answer.

Dealer #2 (Ball) - The salesman couldn't have been nicer, or more uninformed about the car. This was a different salesman at the same dealership where I have met other salespeople who aren't that familiar with the products they sell. They had the configuration I wanted, but it was in Meteor, instead of Satin. The salesman said he'd be willing to make me a better deal, since Meteor's my second choice.

We went inside just in time to see the GM start a screaming match with one of the other salespeople. They had it out behind a closed door, but they were in a poorly insulated all-glass booth, so everyone in the showroom could see and hear what was going on. I told the salesman that I don't negotiate with screamers, and walked out. I was kinda surprised neither the salesman nor someone else didn't chase me down in the parking lot. To me, that's a sign the GM loses his cool often.

Dealer #3 (Cush Escondido) - This is owned by the same group that owns Dealer #1, but it's about 20 miles north of the first dealership. The sales-dude said they had four TSXs come off a truck that morning, and all were spoken for. I told him what I wanted. He said they had a 6sp./non-NAVI, in a color combo I didn't care for (white/parchment).. but it could be mine so long as I was willing to pay MSRP plus $350 (wheel locks, trunk tray, mud flaps). I told him if he wasn't willing to bend on the price, then I wouldn't bend on my color choices.

Believe it or not, I had a great time. I thought it was excellent practice. I was able to stay emotionally detached through all three visits. I didn't spend more than 20 minutes at any dealership (that's not counting the test drives I took at the first two). I'll make one more try to buy next weekend, which will be the last weekend before the registration fee in CA triples.

sdradioguy · September 2003

Today, I got a call from Dealer #1 asking me if I'd still be interested in the car if they came down another $800 on the price. That would make it about $1,100 or so off MSRP. And that's pretty good, especially for southern California.

I asked him what happened with the other dealers he said were lining up to buy/trade the car with him. He said, yes, there had been a lot of interest in the car, but it was still available for me if I wanted it.

I told him I was starting to shift toward wanting an A4, and that Audi dealers seemed to be more willing to come down on the price. He said Audi can afford to because there's more profit built into an Audi MSRP than an Acura MSRP. I told him how that's not necessarily so, after factoring in Acura's holdback and Acura's accessories. Audi has no holdback, and its dealers in this area aren't in the habit of trying to charging for mundane stuff, like trunk liners and wheel locks.

Anyway, the Acura guy said he'd see if his manager would go for the latest offer of $1,100 off MSRP. He says he'll call me by the end of business today to let me know.

blueguydotcom · September 2003

Nice way to play them.

Of course, the salesguy may read this board!

sdradioguy · September 2003

Shoot, let him read it. Even if he calls back with a bargain price on the TSX, I still don't think it would be enough to get the A4 out of my head.

So I guess I get to start the whole haggling thing all over again with one or more Audi dealers. Yay!

blueguydotcom · September 2003

I'd strongly suggest you talk with A4 owners and look at the stats on Audi. I owned a VW with a 1.8T. electrical problems, rattles, brake problems, engine issues, AC bugaboos plagued that car.

Acura is listed in the top five for initial quality and I'm sure in the top five for longterm reliability. Audi is right in the middle to below average on those.

sdradioguy · September 2003

Audi reliability, or the lack thereof, has been a big concern of mine. Two of my friends say their VW/Audi products have more electrical problems than the average car. But they rave about how everything else has held up.

I have also read several tales about rattles in VW/Audi cars. That's really surprising, given how tight and well-put-together these cars feel when I test drive them.

But back to "prices paid and buying experience". The Acura dealer who said he would call me yesterday evening didn't, so I guess his manager wasn't cool with the counteroffer. C'est la vie. If I don't find the deal I want on either the TSX or (preferably) the A4 by October 1 (when the car tax in CA triples), I'll probably wait to see IF we get a new governor, and IF that new governor can roll back the tax.

In the meantime, with the jump in the car tax, and gas in San Diego continuing to hover around $2.00 a gallon, the old Civic is starting to look better and better each day.

tturedraider · September 2003

hey - I too am a big fan of the A4 and the TSX. And Audi reliability is a concern for me, too.

But, that's not why I'm writing this post. If you would be happily satisfied with and want that TSX, I think you should go for it. Here are my ideas. First, a question. Do you have your own financing? I just checked Acura.com and see they are not advertising any special financing. Anyway, if you do, that helps. If you don't, you might want to arrange it before you go in. Pentagon Federal Credit Union is currently offering 3.9% up to 60 months. This is the best rate I have seen. Anyone can join. Here's a link. If you don't fit any of the categories at the top of the page go to the bottom. There is a link there to join a military support organization for $20 or $25 that makes you eligible for membership in the credit union. http://www.penfed.org/join/eligible.html (dear moderator, I hope this is ok to share. if not, i guess you'll just delete it. my only affiliation with PenFed is as a member.)

Anyway, on to the main purpose of my post. That previous little tidbit was free. :-) This is assuming the $1100 off MSRP is a deal maker for you. Go in with your checkbook in hand. Have a check already written for a deposit. I would make it substantial (around $1000, just a suggestion) so the salesman and manager will know you are serious. And let them know the method of payment is arranged and ready to go. This will absolutely get them salivating. ;-) And my bet is, if your price is anywhere near a deal the manager can live with, he'll take it. You probably ought to write out exactly the deal you propose. Especially if you're looking for any extras like wheel locks or splash guards, etc.

I did this several years ago on a car where they wouldn't come down to my price. One difference, it was a used car for which I paid cash. But, you should have seen their change in attitude!! I had two checks prepared - one for the deposit and and one for the balance. They met my price with no further negotiation. I only left the deposit check, but when they saw the check for the balance already written that was more than they could pass up.

Hope you (or anyone else) find this helpful.

ciao

btw, fwiw - I was in car sales for a while. Got out because of all the less than "everything on the table" dealing that is involved.

sdradioguy · September 2003

Thanks for the tips. There are a number of credit unions in SD who are willing to sign up anyone who walks in off the street. And they advertise 60-month notes that are pretty much in same ballpark as the Pentagon folks.

I'm still too torn between the A4 and the TSX to make a decision. I'm waiting to hear back from at least one Audi dealer on whether he can track down the color/trans./equipment combination I want.

You said you got out of car sales because of "all the less than 'everything on the table' dealing that it involved". Could you please give some examples?

blueguydotcom · September 2003

snakes.

sdradioguy · September 2003

I am totally keeping my distance from Miramar Audi/VW. Every time I go there, I feel like I have indeed entered a snake pit. That's too bad, because Miramar is less than 2 miles from where I live (Scripps Ranch). Every other Audi dealer is a haul to get to, esp. Hohen.

On Saturday, I stopped by to see if Miramar had any manual A4 quattros. They had one -- black on black, with a $2,400 markup over MSRP. Very snakey. (Metro and Hohen are not marking up their 6 speeds).

I milled around in the lot for what seemed like a long time before a salesman decided he wanted to brave the elements (it was sunny and 85 that day) to say hello.

I was accosted by this young man with a heavy Russian accent who was very abrupt and loud. After a couple of terse, high-pressure exchanges, I told him I had a salesman at Metro who was keeping an eye out for the right A4. He bellowed "YOU NO WANT LOANER CAR WHEN YOU BRINK YOURS IN FOR SERVICE?" Now there's how you win customers -- make them feel stupid.

I was so tempted to respond "Who'll have time for bringink car for service when I'm out lookink for moose and squirrell?" But I bit my tongue.

Okay, back to the Acura part. Still haven't heard back from Cush, and I don't expect to. I haven't called, nor have I driven by to see if the TSX is still there.

Oh, and I remembered after I put up my post #296 that I'm not as torn between TSX and A4 as I might have let on. When I move the seat down far enough in the TSX to clear the sunroof, I can't see the hood or the fenders. That's not a problem in the A4. So, yeah the pendulum is still on the A4's side, for now. I think what I'm still feeling "torn" over is whether this is the right time for me to get a car. I feel WAY too much pressure to do something before the license fee (aka "car tax") in CA triples on October 1.

blueguydotcom · September 2003

My family and I have had many bad experiences with Miramar. A salesguy once told me if I didn't buy that day, he'd lose his job! They took my sister's deposit on an A4 and never ordered the car. That place oozes deception and evil.

Cush, in my experience, are aloof Acura dealers.

If you're not enamored with buying right now...don't!

sdradioguy · September 2003

Both Cush houses are fairly aloof. But at least I didn't feel any pressure when I went to either. Ball Acura in National City is pretty folksy, but I don't think their salespeople are that knowledgeable. And after witnessing the scene the GM started with one of his salespeople the other day, I don't think I'll go back.

So how did your sister's story end? Did she get her deposit back so she could buy somewhere else?

Just to clarify -- I'm "enamored" with the idea of getting another car. It just doesn't look like I'm going to find exactly what I want before the end of the month. And if I don't, then oh well.

blueguydotcom · September 2003

Got her dough back and bought a whole different kinda car.

tturedraider · September 2003

sdradioguy - I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this. If you've already posted them, just give me an idea of where to look.

I love the A4.....but, I just built one at their website to the tune of $40K. I built a quattro and added rear seat airbags and rear sunshade....the only extras the TSX doesn't have. That's quite a price difference!! But, man the Audi is so gorgeous and so much car! I'm absolutely nuts over their blue leather. Oh well, I'm not in the market at the moment, but if I was.....I don't think I could settle for a non-quattro A4 and I'm not sure I'd be mentally prepared to spend over $40K. Given the price difference, I think I could "settle" for the TSX knowing I was saving over $10-large.

Just thinking out loud.....can you think "out loud" when you're typing?

tturedraider · September 2003

LOL!!!! "I milled around in the lot for what seemed like a long time before a salesman decided he wanted to brave the elements (it was sunny and 85 that day) to say hello." Now I know why you're waiting until October to come back to Texas!! ;-) I guess that guy wouldn't have sold a car all summer out here.....10, 15, 20 days over 100 degrees! And it's not a "dry heat". San Diego makes you soft! I'm just teasing.....completely out of envy. :-) I spent a week in San Diego in July about three years ago. Temp never got over 77 or below 67. Man, I was looking everywhere trying to figure out where I could get a job.....that I could make enough to live on! I told the folks I was with if I could, I'd just stay and have my stuff shipped out! However, on the flight in I sat next to a woman on her way home from visiting her son in the DFW metro. She said he told her he didn't want to come back to San Diego because the weather is too boring. I'd like to try dealing with that boredom for a while! He likes the "variety" we have in Texas; which is pretty much Oh my God Hot, Really Hot, Not as Hot and Not quite as Hot.

In answer to your earlier question - why did I get out of the car business? The dealer I worked for had a no-haggle price policy when I started, which is why I went to work there. Not too long after I started, he announced they were going to have to go back to the traditional way of selling, because they were getting killed by the competition. "Customers" would take our price, go down the road and the competeing dealer would beat it by $100 and make the sale.

But, even before the change there were things I didn't like. The finance office would take advantage (there's another word I could use) of customers as much as they could, i.e. higher interest rates than deserved, loading them up with add-ons, etc.

After the change the philosophy was sell 'em everything you possibly can to make a bigger commission. And they started doing the "let me ask my manager" thing. We didn't have to do that before. It was all the stuff I hate about car dealers. So, I left.

sdradioguy · September 2003

Thanks for the story. Once upon a time I thought selling cars would be fun, until I realized it was all about the selling, and not about the car.

For an answer to your question in post #302, you can go to A4 v. TSX.

tturedraider · September 2003

boy, you certainly got that right!!

juliardsux · September 2003

For TSX auto trans w/ Nav is 28,490 MSRP plus $500 destination. The invoice is 25,967. The 3% of MSRP holdback would be 854.70 Therefore, the baseline of what a dealer shells out for the car at 0 profit would be $25,612.30

Based on that, the MSRP is set at 11.23% dealer profit. The following figures showing dealer profit and corresponding prices are based on that info as well:
10%= 28,173.53
9% = 27,917.41
8% = 27,661.26
7% = 27,149.04
6% = 27,149.04
5% = 26,892.30
4% = 26,636.80
3% = 26,380.67
2% = 26,124.55
1% = 25,868.42
0 profit = 25,612.30

Seems to me it would be reasonable to get the TSX w/Nav for around 26,750-27,100. That basically would be a 4-6% profit to dealer ($1,100-$1,500), so you'd be splitting the MSRP profit in half.

I'm hoping to get one at the end of March 2004.

kman12 · September 2003

I feel like I'm getting the run around from Acura. I'm set to get a TSX'04 6sp, no NAV, carbon grey ext/ebony int. I need the car in 4 wks. The salesman tells me he's done with his allotment and he's out of what I want. Maybe he'll have it in 6 wks-no guarantees. This is after he told me he'd need no more than 4 wks to get me my car when I first came in the beginning of this month. Then he tells me bank has raised the interest rate (on the balloon payment I'm interested in) although when he quoted me the rate 3 wks ago he told me it would be fixed until the end of Oct. His price before this latest news beat all competitors so I want to stay with him but now I feel like a yo-yo on a string. Am I being naive or is ths what I should expect from Acura? Plus this guy doesn't reurn my phone calls for several days, if at all. Do you think he's looking for $$ under the table? I'm tempted to call the sales manager and complain. I went to Honda once to test drive the Accord 6 cyl and they've already called me more than Acura even though I told the Acura guy I want to do the deal.

tturedraider · September 2003

I doubt your salesman is trying to "get money under the table". But, it definitely sounds like he's a jerk. Which is probably a reflection of the dealership. Especially with the interest rate mis-information (aka, lies) and the lack of ability to get you the car you want. It surely isn't often you find a salesman who isn't interested in making a sale for six weeks. He must be living fat and happy. If you live in an area where there is little choice in Acura dealers it is very likely they are taking advantage of that situation.

From what I've seen at my local dealers (there are at least three) supply should not be a big problem. Though TSX's have never been in abundant supply. If you can travel a little to other dealerships that might be a good option. Generally, balloon notes do carry higher rates. I know of 60 month rates of 3.9%.

On Acura's website you can build your TSX and then check dealer inventories. You can check them anywhere in the country, if you're willing to make repeated changes to your geographic parameters. Any relatives in other areas you might go visit?

btw - Don't feel beholden to a salesman. If he can't (or won't) do the job, ask one of the other salesmen if they can do a better job than Joe Blow.

asleepy · September 2003

I don't think your experience at the Acura dealership is unique to Acura -- every manufacturer has dealerships and salespeople like that.

It seems like this salesman told you things you wanted to hear in the hopes of you buying a car he has on the lot, rather than getting the exact car you want.

The bottom line is that if you don't have anything in writing from the dealership, I would not believe anything the salesperson says to me, unless you personally know the salesperson. Too often, you get the "my manager won't let me do this" routine after the salesman "agreed" to a certain price or financing, etc., if you don't have it in writing from the manager.

Good luck.

ghulet · September 2003

I know this is the end of the model year and all, but a couple of weeks ago, I e-mailed several Acura dealers to find an RSX (not even the 'hot new product' the TSX is) for a friend....a base, silver with black leather and automatic. Nobody had one, and nobody seemed interested or willing to do a dealer trade; the best I could get was an '04 in 'four to six weeks'. I don't get it. I'd think Acura could sell more cars if they'd build enough and stock their dealers a bit more thoroughly. I know Acura is a luxury brand and thus perhaps seek a bit more 'exclusivity' than your average Toyota dealer, but still it strikes me as strange that dealers would essentially be out of product for a month or two.

lumbar · September 2003

A bit of a (mindless) poll.

Does anybody think the 04--either transmission with/without nav--will sell for invoice plus, say, 3% at any point before the 05s appear. How about by early summer next year?

deanvit · September 2003

While having my CL serviced looked at 1 of 2 Acura Dealerships in Columbus, Ohio I spoke with a sales person regarding the TSX. The dealership only had 2 TSX's on the lot (none in the show room) and both were already spoken for. Perhaps "sales speech" but apparently all or most TSX's at this dealership are pre-purchased. Obliviously, the sales person wouldn't discuss anything less than sticker. If anybody can negotiate a deal at anything else than sticker in this area you have my upmost respect. Please advise of your experiences in the Columbus area.

On another note, the sales person wasn't interested in pushing the TSX. The upcoming TL was mentioned on at least 10 times without me asking or showing any interest. For once, I left a dealership without a sales person asking "What can I do to get you in the car today". At least that part was a refreshing change.

inky4 · October 2003

Interesting expericence. Why TL pushed? Easy answer USA will get total of 17-19,000 units of TSX for 2004 model year. TL can be produced up to 80,000 units per year so that is where the money will be. I will use low volume TSX to my advantage in about 8 months when I look to trade my TSX for a TL. I do a lot of car swapping and that has nothing to do with my TSX which is nice ride. I get 30-32 mpg in all conditions and fun to shift. I managed $600 off (free spoiler and muds actually). But only since in showroom and a manual and I bought 4 Acuras from them in 3 years.
So I can imagine MSRP is the rule--hard to strike a deal on a car that is unavailable most places!
INKY

blueguydotcom · October 2003

Well my bro-in-law really dug the tsx so he test drove one at Cush in San Diego. They only had three and only one 6 speed (red unfortunately).

After driving the car my Bro-in-law decided to buy the car if they had a decent deal and a color he liked. so we followed the salesguy into the building.

He returned after we explained my sister's family wanted one of three colors. He told us he found the color in the bay area. $600 to transport. Were we sure the red 6 speed with the useless 2k navi wouldn't do? He could "cut us a nice deal."

We stood firm, asking for the final price on a tsx. He left. time passed. A manager returned and asked if we would like that red TSX in the lot. Again, the group declined (i was around to help avoid a screwing by dealerguys). The manager asked what we do want.

Once more we explained exactly what kind of car(one of three colors, 6 speed, no navi). He left. The salesguy returned with a print out for the red navi equipped TSX. He had a "special" price on it. How much below MSRP?

$250 above MSRP. Yep. See, he "gave" us a $500 discount from the MSRP but the car "comes with" a protection package that's nearly $500.

A protection package? oh sure, a rubber tray in the trunk, wheel locks and mud flaps. What a bargain at $500.

we said a) we don't want the red car. b) that garbage is not worth $100, let alone $500. c) you have horrible customer service, bu-bye.

Much to my chagrin, my bro-in-law ended up buying a 325i today. He did get it for almost $4k below MSRP though... And the salesguy listen to everything we said. How refreshing.

fedlawman · October 2003

You should have visited Ball Acura in National City, I hear they drop $1000 off MSRP before you even begin negotiations...

sdradioguy · October 2003

blueguy - Your experience at Cush reminds me a lot of what I went through when I stopped by there three weeks ago. Now, granted, they had the exact one I wanted (Silver 6 sp. no NAVI), but they acted like it was so very precious -- spun of gold, or something. The salesman, who apparently assumed he was dealing with some sort of moron, started off with the whole MSRP + $450 for the 'protection package'. I was able to talk him down to about $330 off MSRP, but that was still about $500-$700 more than I wanted to pay, so I left. They called back a couple of days later, saying they were still working on getting me a deal. I never heard from them after that.

fedlaw -- If you want to risk going to Ball in National City, be prepared for an old-school, fast-talking, no-nothing salesperson who, yes, will offer you $1,000 off MSRP -- but, based on the screaming match I saw the day I tried to buy a TSX there, I'm sure negotiations would quickly degenerate into a game of "good cop, bad cop". There's a reason why the South Bay in general (and the Mile of Cars, in particular) has an icky reputation.

blueguy -- I'm glad your bro-in-law got the 325i. I decided to go with an Audi A4 1.8T 6 sp. Picked it up 9 days ago. Best car money I've ever spent. And much better treatment during the buying process. We'll see if the service department will turn out to be a bunch of jerks.

akumapc · October 2003

BlueGuy.. HAHA thats funny I was actually at CUSH Acura TODAY, 1 day later, and saw the RED manual TSX with NAV. I actually test drove the Graphite AUTO which was the only other TSX they had left on the lot! I dealt with a Micheal Gagan and he was a real slick fella and sure wanted to get that TSX into my hands. It was funny because he told me that they had 20 people on a waiting list, that graphite was the most in demand color, and somehow I could take it off the lot that day

Little wierd no?

They actually quoted MSRP for us at: 26,990 + Protection Package $469... First their MSRP is a little inflated, and their protection package is not necessary! I mean the guy was nice, but honestly they weren't ready to budge in terms of pricing. The car was nice, put about 10 miles on it and scared the salesman a bit taking a corner near the limit.. but otherwise I'm sure you could find a better deal elsewhere. I'm contacting National City Acura to see what they can swing! Thanks for the info.

azstan · October 2003

Most dealers in Arizona gouge you for a $299
"documentation fee". The Acura salesman (in Tucson) says that this fee is "not negotiable". I am sure they do this in California and elsewhere. How much do they gouge in CA.

Also...TSX is still selling for MSRP in Tucson(the salesman says) and they want $1000 up front to order one.

blueguydotcom · October 2003

Good luck with ball. if you're tenacious, you should get some dough off the sale.

My bro-in-law ended up with a 325i unfortunately. I got 4k off the sticker but in my opinion, it's not worth the 27k he paid for the car.

tturedraider · October 2003

Texas limits documentation fee to $50. They raised the limit to $100 for a while, but there must have been a backlash, 'cause now it's back to $50.

dudka · October 2003

I was wondering if you can register a car out of state. In CT we have to pay property tax on the cars, and alot of people register their cars in NY. Either at friend's house or relatives. The insurance company is notified that the car is registered in NY, but parked in CT. All you have do is have a valid NY licence and save your self $500-$3000 a year in property taxes. If you are ever in NYC you will see tons of cars with out of state plates, it is not because they are turists. People register cars out side of NYC because of high insurance premiums. Why can't people in CA do the same? I realize it may be illegal and considered insurance/tax evasion. But I have not heard of anyone charged with that, yet.

blueguydotcom · October 2003

In CA if you get pulled over by a cop and you've got a license from another state, expect some questions. i was on a ride along with a cop who pulled over a girl from oregon. turned out she'd been hauled over 3 weeks earlier by his buddy who happened to cruise by while we had her over. Long story short - she got more tickets, her car was impounded and her friends had warrants so they went to county processing.

Check the CA DMV. There's some requirement that based on how long the car is driven in california whether or not it needs to be registered here. CA wants its cash and wants to make sure your car is smogged.

kyfdx · October 2003

I live right across the state line from Ohio, and we have personal property taxes on cars, and they don't. A lot of small business owners (lawyers, doctors, etc.) title their car at their business address to avoid the taxes. But, if your car is used mainly for personal use this is ILLEGAL. The local police usually spend about a week, twice a year, pulling over Ohio plated luxury cars between 0630 and 0830 in the morning. If you have a local address on your drivers license, and Ohio plates on your car, you are BUSTED!! You owe the tax, plus fines.. There is no free lunch.

regards,
kyfdx

trickydick · October 2003

I know I won't be able to negotiate much, if at all, with respect to a new TSX. But I plan to turn in my current car (a '96 Accord) and take the value the dealer gives me off the price of the TSX, which I plan to lease. As a result, the value I get for the Accord is extremely important to me as it will greatly affect my monthly lease payments.

Do you recommend that I negotiate the value of the Accord up front even though the dealer may not be able to get the TSX in for several weeks/months? Or should I put down a cash deposit, have the dealer get the TSX, and then negotiate the value of my car? It seems that the second option would be risky as I could lose the deposit if the dealer doesn't give me what I want for the Accord.

Any negotiation tips/strategies would be greatly appreciated.

TrickyDick

Acura TSX Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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