2013 and earlier-Acura TL Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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  • pman2005tlpman2005tl Member Posts: 3
    I just bought the car Sunday after contacting 19 differnt So. Cal dealers using the internet and spending a week working the email and telephone. Santa Monica offered the lowest deal @ $31,795 but I went with Sierra Acura in Alhambra. It was $360 more ($32,155), but closer to home and included wheel locks, mudguards, and trunk tray that was not included at Santa Monica. Some dealers were nice and some were rude when I told them the Santa Monica price.

    My Credit Union offered a shopping service, but the price they gave me was $1,500 more than what I got the car for. It was worth shopping around.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 269,486
    The doc fee looks a little high.... but, you got a killer selling price on the car.. $30,500....

    All that matters in the end, is what are you paying?

    $1500 due at signing, and $415/mo. for 42 months... is a great deal..

    You did well...

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • delmar1delmar1 Member Posts: 744
    You did very well and you will be enjoying your TL for years to come.

    Actually you came out neutral on costs by going with Sierra vs Santa Monica as the $360 went towards the 'protection package' accessories you mentioned as that would have been the cost you would have paid to add them on after the sale.

    For the others here who haven't purchased...do them a favor and post the pricing of other dealers so they have an idea of what others are willing to sell at...if you could.
  • jbdriverjbdriver Member Posts: 29
    I am going to finalize a deal on my TL soon and sufficed to say that if you are willing to put in the time with the internet dealers to get the best price, You can get a TL with Nav in So Cal (LA area) for a shade under $31,500. There are a couple dealers in particular that are very motivated to get the cars off their lot and stop paying interest on them and get ready for the 06s...much to the dismay of the other dealers who aren't yet looking to move cars below invoice...one dealership who I don't think will match the best price I have, actually has a $500 price guarantee...if they can't meet or beat the price, they'll pay you $500...I don't think they'll honor that promise though. I got an e-mail from their internet manager saying he'd "look into it" and haven't heard back yet. On the whole though, most dealers have been very nice and easy to work with...even when I tell them the price, they say that it is a great price and that they're sorry they can't match and if it falls through, give them a call.
    Anyway, all I'm saying is that if you look around, there are some deals to be had on the 05s now.
  • delmar1delmar1 Member Posts: 744
    jbdriver...pretty soon driving that TL huh? Great. I enjoy mine definitely.

    A $500 price guarantee. That is a new twist I haven't seen while I was searching in SoCalif. Which dealer would that be?

    Hope you will share with others more info after you close out your deal. And make sure to show what lousy pricing is available in San Diego.

    As you said...prices are great for the 2005s...doubt it will carry over into the 2006.
  • dukehoopsdukehoops Member Posts: 6
    Hi,

    I'd like to sell my 2001 acura cl-s and get a new tl while the 2005 ML is still available. Trying to determine whether I should trade-in (more convenient, less money), or sell to private party (more money, easier to negotiate new car price). From an edmunds.com article about trade-ins:

    "Work the tax advantage. In most states, you only pay sales tax on the difference between the new car and the trade-in. This means that, on top of what you receive for your trade-in, you are paying less sales tax. This is a net savings for you and could make you decide that trading in is worth it."

    Does anyone know whether this is true in CA? If so, sounds like i could close trade-in/sell yourself gap by about $1k, based on 8.25% sales tax rate.

    thanks
    -nikita
  • graffixxgraffixx Member Posts: 41
    That's a pretty good deal there.

    Did you do any financing? if so, and if you don't mind, thru who? and at what APR and for how long?

    -----
    Edit: I have a dumb question. When people post the price paid for their car, is that the OTD (out the door) price (incl. tax + license), or before tax and license fees? Are there any other hidden fees?

    Thanks!
  • delmar1delmar1 Member Posts: 744
    Prices posted should be 'sales price' as would be on a sales contract. That is...car plus destination.

    If they included taxes and dmv fees...it would be tough to compare as taxes and fees vary.
  • yabe1000yabe1000 Member Posts: 4
    When they say "Protection Package" it usually means a paint coating. We never do this since we have learned this is an extra that is not necessary with today's paint jobs. However, we did get the body side moldings and door guards. We were willing to pay extra for these because they prevent dings and chips in the paint - parking lots!. We have found that once the paint is chipped, then a real problem exists. We live near the ocean. Hope this helps.
  • delmar1delmar1 Member Posts: 744
    Ahhh...no...not true. NOT.

    In terms of the Acura 'Protection Package' for car buyers...they are referring to the accessories of wheel locks, trunk tray, splash guards. In some parts of the country, they throw in the all weather floor mats.

    Is the package good? Yes...I find great value as I would have already have purchased the wheel locks (don't want rims or tires stolen...even if you live and travel in good areas...it happens)...trunk tray (great invention to keep the trunk clean), splash guard (keeps your car cleaner and avoid rock throws. Also makes the car look like it is sitting lower to the ground).
  • bluenoser2bluenoser2 Member Posts: 7
    Well, after lurking here for some time now, I'm ready to pull the trigger on a new TL with auto and nav. Any info from recent purchasers in the NoVA and/or MD area would be helpful. From what I’ve been reading, my goal is somewhere around invoice + destination ($32,555). Thanks for your input.
  • mcreekmcreek Member Posts: 1
    I'm ready to purchase a new TL Auto w/Nav. If anyone has any recent buying experiences in Oregon, I'd appreciate knowing about them. These discussions lead me to believe it is hard to get a good deal in the NW. True/False?
  • nightcrawler29nightcrawler29 Member Posts: 146
    $415/mth + $25.33/mth tax, and $1500 down sounds ok I think. So we are talking about a 42 mth lease and what is the maximum allowable mileage per year?...watch out here, cause they can get you real bad. And then also make sure there are no disposition fees at the end of the lease... you can try to take it off if you do have it. But overall, sounds like a good deal to me....just enjoy your car, and well, don't hit it, don't scratch it, and don't drive it way to much.....hope you didn't get a black exterior....if you are leasing I suggest light exterior colors, because scratches are less noticeable. So how much is the insurance gonna be for this baby?
  • nightcrawler29nightcrawler29 Member Posts: 146
    I doubt you'll find a 2005 w/Nav at less than $30K right now.... but you might want to try on a used 2004. Check Ebay motors, and you'll find a few good ones to choose from.
  • pman2005tlpman2005tl Member Posts: 3
    I tried that $500 guarantee from Weir Honda, but when it came time to pay up, they said that they didn't have that exact car (color/interior combo) on their lot, so they would not pay the $500. That pissed me off a little. They even offered me a free keychain if I would wait 3 weeks to buy from them. I'm sorry, but I'm not waiting for 3 weeks and paying $180 more. I think one of the reasons I couldn't get lower than the $31,795 from Santa Monica or other dealers was because I financed everything separately. I did 4.75% for 60 months through Orange County Federal Teachers Credit Union (my wife is a teacher). Since they wouldn't make money on the back end, they couldn't wouldn't go only lower.

    I'll post al the prices I received tomorrow if I get a chance. The lowest 3 dealers were Santa Monica, Sierra Acura in Alhambra (where I bought mine), and Weir Acura in Yorba Linda.
  • jbdriverjbdriver Member Posts: 29
    Yeah, I have a feeling that I am going to get the same exact lame excuse from Weir. I was going to buy the car tomorrow, although I am in no hurry, so I may wait the 3 weeks for the car to be "on their lot" and then make them tell me that they can't match so that I can collect my $500...but if Weir doesn't pay the $500, I'll be all over this message board slamming them and consider taking a complaint to the BBB. It probably won't have a huge effect, but at least it will make me feel better.
    I will post the prices I got as well once I am completely done with my deal.
  • gavramgavram Member Posts: 6
    Picked up my 2005 TL WDP w/nav this week. Best price I could get was $32,700 with wheel locks and mud guards. Was anyone in the Cleveland area able to do any better? Seems like a tough market. Great car by the way...
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 269,486
    That is right at invoice.. seems like a very good deal...

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  • sycofantsycofant Member Posts: 2
    There is only one dealer here in NM, so I've emailed the internet sales people in Tucson AZ and he says I am subject to the AZ sales tax. Is this true? His quote seems ok, but he wants to chard a $350 doc transfer fee to get the car to NM so this raises the price. Any comments or suggestions?
  • attlbyattlby Member Posts: 2
    I have been lurking for awhile. Great forum. Anyone out there with recent experience in Atlanta? I have requested internet quotes on the TL w/o nav and the lowest offers have been 31K + TTT. With the end of August and the '06 model coming soon I am wondering if I can do any better. I will post further as I progress with my dealing.
  • hermbohermbo Member Posts: 7
    Bluenose,
    I am looking for the exact same car in the MD area. Please keep me updated and I will do the same for you.
  • gallileogallileo Member Posts: 51
    I haven't pulled the trigger yet, but I have asked for price-quotes from several dealers. Every single one that has gotten back to me is talking invoice on an Acura TL with Navigation.

    $32,555 + small doc fee (between $30 and $50) + TTL

    Does not include the protection package though. That doesn't much matter to me.

    They also say the offer is only good for cars in stock. There does seem to be a decent selection though, as long as you like gray or silver.

    So it looks like I'll be picking the most convenient dealer to me. I'm in the san francisco bay area.
  • pman2005tlpman2005tl Member Posts: 3
    Quotes I received in So Cal (all included destination):

    Dealer Quote Extras
    Santa Monica $31,795
    Sierra Alhambra $32,155 Protection Pkg.
    Weir Canyon $32,495
    Glendale $32,500
    Norm Reves Temecula $32,655
    Thomas Acura $32,795 Protection Pkg
    Power Acura South Bay $32,850
    Acura 101 West $32,955
    Norm Reves Mission Viejo $33,055
    Cerritos $33,099 Protection Pkg
    Hoehn Acura $33,505 Wheel Locks
    Tustin Acura $33,556
    Riverside Acura $33,599
    Downey Acura $33,755 Protection Pkg

    In all fairness, I did not attempt to work with all of them, but I did respond to every email with the lowest quote I received. Some tried, some didn't. I went with Alhambra.
  • sid3sid3 Member Posts: 21
    hermbo,
    please let me know if you get a good deal in the MD area.
    I have contacted a few and the best I could get at this stage is $34800 OTD
    with the protection package.
  • zeakzeak Member Posts: 24
    I tried to deal with MD dealers in DC area and could not, I think they are joined in effort. Contact Pohanka Acura, VA, verbal quote resulted in car waiting next day for TL/NAV. Very pleased with internet experience there.
  • awilkstaawilksta Member Posts: 2
    I am planning on buying an 05 TL w/navi asap. I have been quoted $33k + ttl. Has anyone in the Houston, TX or surrounding areas received a lower quote? Or does anyone think this is a good deal???
  • delmar1delmar1 Member Posts: 744
    That is GREAT info. What I find interesting is that the pricing varies from when I purchased two mos ago. Guess it depends on inventory and availability.

    But from the list above...wow....$1960 swing in prices from top to bottom. Demonstrates that it pays to shop around. And folks....just to give you an idea...all of these dealers are within about 1.5 hr radius!!!

    Any pricing from San Diego dealers (other than Hoehn)...who are extremely poor pricing?

    Great job...enjoy your TL !!!!

    'pman2005tl'....just out of curiousity....are you also 'jbdriver'?
  • huang21921huang21921 Member Posts: 2
    i'm on the same baot too, i'm having a very hard time to get this car for $35,000 for Out The Door price. The closest price i get is from John Eagle for $35,300, all i want is another $300 off for a bluetooth phone for the car, but they wont let it go. Anyone in houston had succed brought this car for $35000 or under? i saw people on this forum got this car for much less for what i want to pay for. Please help me out and tell me what dealer and salesman should i buy for............Thank you!
  • bluenoser2bluenoser2 Member Posts: 7
    Congratulations on the new TL. Would you mind sharing the details of the deal, how close to invoice (including destination) did you get from Pohanka?
  • bluenoser2bluenoser2 Member Posts: 7
    sid3, what does this work out to before TTL? If I remember correctly dealer fees in MD are considerably less than VA. Thanks.
  • jetpilot_mikejetpilot_mike Member Posts: 12
    Not too bad. I am still looking (and searching). What dealer did you get that price from?
  • awilkstaawilksta Member Posts: 2
    In Houston, they quoted me $33k +ttl. Drive out is $35218. I have the same thinking as you. I wanted $35 even so I can get a bluetooth phone too!! I am going to try one more time for $35 even. If not, I think the $33k + ttl is a good price because I had a guy at Sterling McCall who told me he absolutely wouldn't be beat and he could not even match the $33k. I will post again with an update.
  • sycofantsycofant Member Posts: 2
    Here in NM, the 05 w/o nav was 31100 + TTL + 249 doc transf fee. Good perhaps because the tax here is 3% + $65 tags.
  • gavramgavram Member Posts: 6
    I bought it at Acura of Cleveland. They were really good to work with. Using the Acura site I sent out a price request to all dealers in a 120 mile radius. I then took a competitive quote from a dealership in Marion, OH to Acura of Cleveland and asked them to match it. I tried this with Park Acura first, because we bought my wife's '03 TL there, but they wouldn't meet the price and they weren't willing to give me as much for my trade. If I wasn't able to get competitive pricing from the local dealers I would have purchased from the one in Marion. Based on what I've been reading from this site I wonder if I couldn't have pushed a little harder to get the pricing under invoice, but at some point your time is worth more than the extra $200. I also used a home equity loan to pay for it which saves us almost $1000 over the term of the loan through tax deductions.
  • dukehoopsdukehoops Member Posts: 6
    Gavram,

    Congratulations on the new TL. I'm looking to buy one to, but first I have to sell/trade-in my 01 CL-S. How did you go about negotiating trade-in amount v. getting a quote on the new car? When you e-mailed the dealers asking for a new car quote, did you mention your trade -in, or did you bring it up only once you've agreed on a purchase price?

    thanks
  • bda1947bda1947 Member Posts: 20
    I'm wondering why you didn't try Keyes. I've bought 2 cars from them and both times they were agreeable, fair and beat the best deal I brought them. They have a great selection and the salesman's always nice. You shopped every other dealer in L.A.
  • gavramgavram Member Posts: 6
    The dealers will give you a trade-in estimate via email if you ask, which I did for a few, but in hindsight I think this just complicates things. I found the best approach was to get the initial email quotes for the TL then negotiate a good price with a dealer over the phone or through additional email correspondence...which wasn't too difficult. Next I went to the dealer with whom I'd negotiated the price on the TL and, as I suspected, they wanted to give me a lower price for my trade-in (vs. Blue Book) to make up for the profit they were losing on the TL. The last step was then to go to a second dealer, negotiate the price of the trade-in before discussing the cost of the new TL (got a much better price for my trade), and then asking them to meet the TL price I'd received from the other dealer. Everything worked as planned and I felt that I got a good price on the TL and a good price for my trade-in. It may sound complicated but all of this took place within 48 hours.
  • delmar1delmar1 Member Posts: 744
    Everybody does it differently...but I always tell the dealers what car I want and what car I am trading in. I then request what price they are willing to sell the car for and also for the trade-in.

    I then work the new car price (independently of the trade-in) and I expect a fair price compared to the market and what others have paid.

    Regarding the trade-in...my cars have been immaculate. My expectations is that it is high Kelly Blue Book value with excellent condition. If they lowball me...I have to reconsider dealing with them as they will probably play games with me and waste the time driving.

    Also..the reason why I want to know what my trade-in will fetch is that I want to expand my search into other geographical markets. I am willing to drive 2 hours to save thousands (see the pricing of Southern Calif above...where I live)...and want to know before I even step foot on the lot.

    I want to know my NET cost of both the buy and sell side. If I didn't get a price for my trade-in....I could have had a good price for the new car but a horrible price for the trade-in. Hence....that is why I dealt with Norm Reeves Temecula because the NET cost was better (that is the new car price was not the lowest...but the trade-in was top of the high 'excellent' Blue Book). So...I lost the battle of best buy price...won the battle of trade-in...and won the war.
  • hermbohermbo Member Posts: 7
    Why not just sell the call privately for more money?
  • delmar1delmar1 Member Posts: 744
    The original posting was asking what about trade-ins at the dealer.

    For me...I just hate selling to private parties. I seen all kinds of low-lifes. And they try to lowball you...worries if they are any good for the funds....DMV....etc.

    Something goes wrong down the road and they are back yapping at you about how I sold them a lemon...etc.

    I see it as a cost of doing business and just trade it in...and attempt to optimize.
  • gavramgavram Member Posts: 6
    I agree...selling privately is usually the best option. In my case my trade-in was very nice on the inside but had high miles, wheel well rust, and a small dent in the side so I thought it might be tough to sell privately. I was basically running it into the ground and enjoying not having a car payment. Because of this I felt that it made more sense to get the best trade-in possible and not worry about having to fix it up to put it on the market.
  • gxpgtodanmangxpgtodanman Member Posts: 210
    I have to agree, you are better off trading in to the dealer. Yeah, you will lose some $$, but as you said, don't have to worry about the private buyer trying to call you or worse sue you if they engine/tranny/head gasket blows the next day. You don't have to worry that the private buyer gave you a rubber check either. Besides, the amount of the trade in comes off the new car price, thus reducing the taxes you pay on the overall transaction.
  • hermbohermbo Member Posts: 7
    what about if you are leasing?
  • david27david27 Member Posts: 2
    We're searching for a 05 TL non-navi, with 6-speed manual. It's amazing how few of these there are out there - seems like most people are content with an automatic...go figure...

    Anyway, we had a local dealer (in NC) locate several for us, and he quoted us a price of $31,500, including destination but not including taxes ($950ish), tags, etc. According to Consumer Reports, Invoice on the car is $30,779, with a dealer holdback of $993 available to the dealer. So, this tells me we have some additional wiggle room, in theory, right?

    However they will have to ship the car, and are quoting us $400-800 for shipping from parts unknown. Is this high, or about right? Also, does the fact that we want a relatively rare manual give us less leverage? If so, how much less ($-wise)? And how much are people paying to have their car shipped to them on their own, when doing it that way?

    Thanks a bunch in advance...
  • inkyofokinkyofok Member Posts: 62
    I could not find a manual TSX or TL. I am really tired of car magazines that test a manual and rave about the performance and then everyone wants an auto so dealers do not even order the 6 speed. this even goes for a civic. Automatics are very good now adays but you cannot have a manual experience with those sport shift things. Nonsensen in my TL, full auto is the same.
    You are at a disadvantage since none on hand to sell you. When they have to go get and go thru all the hassle the price is not as sweet. If I pay 31k for an auto then kind of insulting to get a 6 speed for a thousand more because the resale will not be there. So if you plan to sell in a few years do not pay more for a 6 speed that actually costs them less to make than an auto. The new trend is either or for the same price. Interesting.
    Went to drive a new 3 series this week. No manuals , never order them a BMW dealer who does not order a few.!!! Why bother buying a BMW with an automatic.

    Anyhow, you have wiggle room but you will have to pay the shipping. I have seen dealers allow customer to take the car to the trade ==they pay drivers or if shipped on a truck to avoid miles it is even more. The price you are being quoted is most likely a trucked car with same miles. I would try for 31 for car and 500 to go get it or no deal.

    Good luck. TL is a nice car. Never got to drive a 6 speed and miss it every day.
  • ariegnrariegnr Member Posts: 7
    I was wondering how far ahead people starting sending out quotes. I'm looking to buy a TL in about a week, and I don't know if it would be better to send it out now or just a day or two before I buy. I'm in the SoCal area and curious to know how long it took people to get responses back. Thanks!
  • delmar1delmar1 Member Posts: 744
    If you are looking to buy in a week...you could start at this time or soon.

    Typically....once you send a request for quote....you will get an ackowledgement within a few hours. Some are 'canned' responses. Then within about 24 hours...they will give you an initial quote.

    When requesting a quote....be as specific to what you are seeking. Type, colors, tranny, etc.

    I highly suggest reading through the last month of postings on this forum for more suggestions.

    And yesterday there was a post which provided guidance on pricing received in So Calif. And as I have mentioned in the past...San Diego has horrible pricing.

    Good luck.
  • mjfloodmjflood Member Posts: 9
    I looked at the end of july and I got internet qoutes of 35800 and i got a written offer of 35600 from sterling mccalll and gillman said they would give me 35100 but wouldn't put it in writing. The guy at john eagle told me no on 35000 and to go some where else if i can get it. The wife and I are going to go to Beaumont to check them out today I think.
  • acurainternetacurainternet Member Posts: 7
    WOW!!!! You mean you are going to drive all the way to Beaumont to "see what they will do?"......You had a deal for 35,100 and didnt take it?? Operative word being HAD...those end of month deals sure are aggressive. At what point does time spent(and $ for gas driving all over) on getting the best deal outweigh the savings of a $100 or so? Seems to me if you are looking for a hard to find car, or if all the dealers are so close on price in your market area, that your time would be worth more than the money saved at some point in the process.

    Sooner or later when you graph out the price curve with multiple quotes it starts to get pretty flat. At that point you should buy the car if you are really serious about owning one.

    Good luck in your quest!!
  • drheaddrhead Member Posts: 7
    I agree with you… It seems that some people are willing to drive 100’s of miles to save $100. As I have posted before, that is just crazy. I bought my TL for $33,600 in January and the experience was great. It is also to have a good connection at the dealership so if you run into a question or a problem, it can be addressed by a local dealership. If you shop one of the salespeople over $100, I don’t think they will want to help you very much. :P
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