bklynkid55

Can anyone share a picture of there vehicle w/roof rack, front spoiler and rear air-dam?
thanks!

sasair

Check the photo gallery in the FAQ thread....

bklynkid55

sasair can you advise where the FAQ thread is located, I'm new to this site. Thanks

pahns5

I inquired about a base unit in any color from 2 dealerships in the Denver area and found none of them would sell a non- tech for invoice. The best quote i got was 31.5 plus d&h/taxes
etc... It must be the amount of snow we have gotten this year. One dealer told me Acura would not let him order any more non-tech units. Only tech versions can be ordered from now on. He had aquired some base units from out of state that could not be sold. They still seem a little arrogant here in Denver. They seem to have at least 20-40 units in stock at any time.

737 Jock

I went to two dealers. They both had 8 to 10 RDXs on the lot still wrapped in shipping plastic.

I did my test driving at the first then visited the second to buy.

I did not even negotiate. I just said to them as I was leaving. "Call me later with your best offer on a bronze Tech".

They called that evening with $33295. That's the Tech package for about 300 bucks. No delivery. No dealer prep.

I might have been able to do better, but it seemed like a fair price. A few hundred more off wasn't woth the hassle. We picked it up the next morning.

Danbury

Not even $300 Jock.... this site lists Invoice at $33,290. That's a deal.... five bucks over invoice!

c_hunter

That is a great deal, but I am confused about that Tech Package for $300 comment -- can you elaborate?

c_hunter

Invoice is $33960 on a Tech, so 737 went *way* under invoice. The true invoice cost includes the destination charge, which has to be buried in the selling price because the dealer pays it no matter what. To sell for $33295, the dealer had to eat into their holdback.

RDXC90

Wanted to thank everyone here who provided good info on pricing. I am new here from the Bay area in Northern Calif.

Just got my Tech at the end of January after some research and getting email quotes from all the dealers in my area (mostly thru internet/fleet mgrs).

I have come across two different figures for Tech invoice $33,960 and $34,145. The $185 differenece is *supposedly* a price increase that happened earlier this year. (It affects invoice, not MSRP and it applies to newer stock only) Not sure if anyone can confirm this price increase or if it is BS.

In anycase, I got quotes from four different dealers that were willing to sell a RDX Tech below invoice (without any negotiations) Ranging from 33,360 to 33,760 (+tax, lic and fees) I don't know what the market is like in other places, but there are definitely some dealers around here who are willing to give up part of the holdback to move this car.

elgage44

RDXC60, I tried to PM you but it says blocked. could you please send me a private message regarding which dealer(s) quoted you 33,360? then I'll remove this post.
thanks...

flar

FYI, over on the Edmunds Carspace forum on RDX pricing someone quoted the dealer holdback as 998 so the true cost would be 33,960-998 = 32,962.

sbpwjm

just came back from my 2nd RDX test drive (actually my dad drove this time)... still like it.... still deciding...

i'm not sure he knew what he was talking about but my sales advisor said that the financing carries through to the end of february... i asked him that question point blank... he said through the end of february and then later he said again... through the end of february...

i haven't seen that information posted anywhere...

can anyone else confirm that 2.9/3.9 continues for february??

thanks so much... great forum!!

sbp

RDXC90

B]elgage44[/B]

Sorry for the long post... I tried but couldn't sent you a message, I wonder if it is because my acct is new or I didn't set up my profile correctly.

Anyway, the quotes I received for the RDX Tech came 1 to 2 weeks before the end of January. As the end of the month approached, a few of the dealers were even willing to beat each other's price and go down to 33,060 and even 33,000. I don't know if they would be willing to do that now.

At that price point, those dealers were willing to sell me only the lower VIN cars with the old invoice. (before the $185 price increase- BTW Edmunds has updated the invoice price.) Because of that, the selection was somewhat limited- we didn't find the colors we liked on the older ones.

In the end, the dealer that I gave my business to, was not the one with the lowest price. Granted, the price was still very good. I am able to justify it since my wife liked the Bronze Taupe, so I don't mind paying a little more to get one that hasn't been sitting around for a few months.

Over all, the experience at the dealership was very good. (We have no trade in, got the 3.9%/60 mo special financing, no forced accessories, no hard sell in the F&I office, both the internet and F&I manager are very knowlegable and easy to deal with.)

So I would definitely recommend Gary A. at Hopkins Fairfield since I brought my car from him. Now, depending on where you are in the Bay Area and how far you are willing to go, you may also want to try Patrick N. at Autowest Santa Clara or Lauren H. C. at Stockton.

I hope this helps. Good Luck if you decide to get an RDX Tech.

elgage44

[QUOTE]
Thank you, it definitely helps. I will let you know how it goes. And, not to fill up this thread unecessarily but, the reason you cannot accept private message is a setting in your profile under "edit options." just check the box to send/accept messages from other users.

bklynkid55

Was told by a dealer today that after March, Acura will only sell RDX w/Tech package "due to poor sales".

Hawaii808State

I have been thinking of buying the RDX and also been reading all the postings here. So I called the one and only Acura Dealer in Hawaii a few days ago, they quoted me $36,568 for the non Tech and $39,519 for the Tech. No wonder why I was not surprised when he sold 12 since they were released. I sent an email asking for $32,500 OTD for the non Tech...and the replied is "Thanks for you interest inthe RDX quote non- tech. We cant' even buy it at that either. i spoke with my boss he could sell it to you for 37,000 out the door including body side moulding, roof racks, splash guards, wheel locks, cargo tray. Give me a call back .." Any comments would be great. I will get the RDX from the West Coast and shipping from West Coast to Hawaii through Matson is about $975 if the price is right. Please help..email me boiinmaui@hotmail.com

flar

The main reason we are able to negotiate below invoice on the mainland here is that they have an overstock and there are several dealers within driving range. You are hampered by only having one dealer on the island and, depending on the allocations, he may not have a lot of stock laying around. When you visited the dealer did you see a lot of RDX on the lot - did you make a point of mentioning this? Also, is their "destination charge" the same $670 that we see on the West Coast? Look up the (locally adjusted) invoice price on edmunds.com and while you are there go to their carspace forums and search for "RDX prices" and read the information on that pricing thread. Then you'll be better armed to negotiate.

Since you can get the car shipped from the West Coast and can negotiate there down to below invoice, shop around, get a very hot price and mention to the Hawaii dealer that "Why should I buy from you for $XX when I can get it shipped here for much less for $YY". Also point out that the dealers on the West Coast are selling you the car for less than this dealer claims it costs them to buy the car. Specifically note that they aren't being up front about their costs and that this bothers you (more possible leverage in the "why should I buy from you [the crooked dealer] game" - hint around that you are feeling less apprehensive about dealing with the other dealers because they were more up front about pricing and that puts them on the defensive on the deal, but don't just come out and say "you lied" as that puts a wall up.)

Basically, the more that you paint a picture that shows that you have alternatives to doing business with them and how happy you are to go those routes, the more they have to work to "earn" your business. They need to know that when you walk out the door without buying from them for $XX that they will not see you back later and that this is their last chance to get real with you and sell you the car for what it is really worth. Also, the simple knowledge that they have competition will wake them up. It may not be practical for you, but "If I leave here and find a better price then I will not be back" can usually get them to cough up their bottom line.

When I bought my RDX Tech I was in my car backing out of my parking space when the sales manager walked up to my window and slashed another $500 off their offer to make the sale. I was in a "buying" mood or I would have kept pushing even after that.

Other techniques I used on this sale:

Them: That's our cost
Me: Except for the dealer holdback
Them: But only the owner sees that money
Me: <smiling> Which is why so many other dealers negotiate below invoice
Them: <cough>

Them: We have to charge you for the accessories already installed
Me: I never asked you to put them on
Them: But think of all the people's time involved in installing them
Me: I feel for them, but I never asked them to do that.
Them: We at least have to charge you our cost
Me: No
Them: What if we found a car without the accessories
Me: <cover accessories line on the deal with hand> That's fine. I am not looking at that line, if you stop looking at it then we will at least be on the same page and the negotiations will start making sense.
(In the end, they sold me the car with the accessories, but did not charge me for them because it was easier than removing them or getting another car from their remote lot. If they had dug up a car without them, I was prepared to drive off without them, but I didn't have to. I suspect that the cars in the remote lot also had the accessories on them as it was standard practice for them to do that to all cars when they arrived so it was a bluff on their part to gauge my interest level. Note that they had ample opportunity to remove the cargo tray which just lifts out, but they didn't even bother with that - how important was it to them to recoup their costs on that? Answer - they could care less, it was worth more to them to make me a happy customer than it was for them to lift out the cargo tray in front of me to save losing a $100 [retail] part.)
Net gain: cargo tray, wheel locks, mud flaps thrown in for free

(The following technique won't really apply to your case since you are trying to negotiate with the local dealer.)
Them: This is a great deal, we are $X below your other deal, why not take that.
Me: I spent a lot of time with that dealer and I feel bad about taking a deal without at least allowing him to counter or meet the offer. It would be worth $X to me to foster a better relationship with them since they are my local dealer. And, I'm pretty sure that they will meet that offer anyway since it is only $X better. [Hint, hint - make it even sweeter and maybe I'll stop thinking that...]
Them: <they made the deal significantly sweeter than $X better in order to keep me from leaving and never coming back>

It's all about them believing that when you head for the door they've lost their chance to make a deal. If you at all give them the impression that you really want or have to make a deal now then they don't negotiate very low. Note that the answer to "Will you be buying today?" is "If I get a good price." and the response to "We won't give you this deal if you leave and come back tomorrow" is "I guess I'll lose then." These are both "make you feel like you must buy today" bluffs. Think about it - what will be different tomorrow that they won't be just as desperate to sell the car?

If they ask "what's a good price" you must start below invoice and close to invoice-less-dealer-holdback - you will only go up from there and don't be afraid to make the offer with a straight face - you must look like you mean business. I was never ridiculed for quoting $8 over their true cost at any dealer, but they usually came back with invoice as a starting price and we worked down from there. The deal I finally got was clearly close to the true cost if you factor in things like the free accessories they wrote off. Also, try talking to their fleet manager or their internet sales manager - those folks are used to getting down to the bottom line quicker since they are usually dealing with people who are shopping around.

sasair

You could also try PMing Colin. He is the internet sales manager at pfleuger and a member here. I haven't seen him post in a while though. or contact him directly at the dealer. BTW you'll need a post count of at least 5 before you can PM.

What is the sales tax rate in HI? $32500 OTD is probably close to what they paid for it. That would be about 5% sales tax. $37000 is ridiculous though. Destination cost in Hawaii is the same $670.

flar

My impression was that he was not including sales tax in his OTD prices. If you read the line "OTD including ...lots of accessories" it doesn't mention sales tax.

The invoice on a non-tech is 30,271 + 670 destination charge == 30,941. At that price there should be something like a $908 dealer holdback so their true cost is somthing like 30,033 for the non-Tech.

The accessories muddy the water a bit. I'm imagining that the full retail of what they would charge for the accessories (which is likely a lot more than you could order them from hondacuraworld or curryacura) plus installation fees might take the invoice price up to $32,500, but remember - you didn't ask them to throw the accessories on the car. Would you really buy them if they weren't already there? If not, then they are a nice gift to you. Actually, if you didn't want the roof rack then consider that they hacked up the roof trim strips with a hacksaw to install it which means they vandalized your car and are now expecting you to pay them for the privilege.

Under no circumstance should you ever let them convince you that the accessories that they installed before you came to the lot are in any way your problem. They do this for a living so they are extremely good at making you feel sorry for them having done that and working your sense of "what's right". They'll make silly statements like "once the accessories are on the car we are required to charge you for them" - that's a good one to smirk at, but don't get carried away and look like you are mocking them. If anything, the accessories should be their liability - "You did what to my car?" They could sell you the car for $1 if they wanted to - nobody, not the US government, not the state of Hawaii, not even Acura, would step in and prevent them from doing that. The pre-installed accessories are their gamble and their gamble alone.

If you do want some of the accessories then research what it would cost you to order them online from one of the above sources and read the instructions (sasair posted a nice thread in the main forum with pointers to all of the accessory install manuals) and see if you would be able to install them yourself. For those accessories, if you want to throw them a bone then you can offer to pay what you could pay for them online and no labor. Note that they will charge you labor to "install" even things like the cargo tray for which the installation is "open hatch, throw it in, close hatch". That's ridiculous.

I would go in with a quote of 30,100 for the non-Tech with no accessories. If they whine about the accessories already being on the car then hold fast to your guns that it was their gamble, and their fault if you don't want to pay for them. Let them take off anything that they can remove without damaging your car (cargo tray, wheel locks, but not a roof rack as that involved cutting to install). They may negotiate that and then just leave them on anyway as it is too much effort to remove them to preserve their costs. I wouldn't go over $31000 for the car (without accessories). If they balk, then leave the dealership. Leave them your contact information and make sure they know you have an alternative and that they need to meet or come very close to your offer if they want to sway you away from that alternative. Press that point as many times as you need to get them to budge. They may even refuse and let you leave, but they'll call back the next day. "This is Mike the sales manager, what went wrong with our deal?" - and the answer is "you didn't offer a very good price, here is what I'll pay". This callback means they are hungry for your deal.

Every day they fail to sell you a car on their lot is another day of lost revenue and/or financing charges they have to pay to keep it. Time is on your side if the car isn't jumping off the lot. They don't even need to necessarily cover their costs in the end as getting the car off of their lot may be more important (due to the cost of keeping it) than getting back what they paid for it.

As always, as I mentioned in my post above this, these recommendations are relative to an environment where we can get multiple quotes from dealers within driving distances. It may also be qualified that many of us have gotten killer deals on a tech car which is apparently in higher supply right now. It would help if you researched their inventory to see how many non-tech's they have in stock and how long they have had them for. You may have to play the "I can order this from the mainland and have it shipped" game, and it would help if you are really convinced that you are willing to wait for that so that they don't believe they have a captive audience in you.

sasair

OTD means out the door. meaning it includes everything. whatelse would OTD mean?

flar

Sorry - I usually negotiate the price without sales tax like most items that one buys. It's easier that way. The numbers I was negotiating was "what I pay to the dealership to get it out their door, notwithstanding the money that has to be sent to the DMV and the tax board".

From what I can read Hawaii has an excise tax of 4%, but not a sales tax, unless it is different for cars. That would work out to about 32,180 for invoice + sales tax, which doesn't take holdback into account. Not sure what DMV fees are in HI, but hopefully they aren't on the order of $320. And even then, invoice is a starting point for negotiating downward around here, not the opening offer you make. Invoice is usually the dealer's initial response once they realize you won't pay MSRP.

Ignoring my confusion on the amounts , hopefully the negotiation tactics help with some leverage...

c_hunter

flar, all good advice -- you sound as jaded as me when it comes to buying cars! Sounds like you have run into all the same routines. I guess all the dealers behave the same way. I always make them eat the cost of their "packages" -- if they are balsy enough to tack that stuff on by default then they deserve to lose the $$. I feel sorry for the consumers who pay $1200 for the pinstripes, paint protection, etc...

bigs_in_seattle

I talked to one Acura dealer here. He asked how much I would like to pay for the tech RDX. I told him $34,160 as this is the same as the other guys have paid. He told me that the invoice price was $34,290 but the cost for their dealership was $35900. He said the cost from invoice to the higher one was because they installed wheel locks and all-season floor mats.

He said that nobody will sell me the tech RDX for $34,160. When I told him that the other dealership is giving it to me for that price he said that he will buy one as well because even he as an employee cannot get the price that I'm saying. He is also trying to convince me that Edmunds invoice price is incorrect. He told me that those people who posted their purchase price in this forum is lying. Of course I did not believe him.

I don't believe the so-called "dealer cost" and when I told him that they already making money out of the invoice price because he is trying to tell me that I should allow them to make money. Since our last talk, he called me twice (I purposely have him go to voicemail) to check if I get the tech RDX from the other dealer. Tomorrow I'm finalizing the deal with the other dealer because I'm trying to get my credit union match the special financing that Acura is offering.

Good thing the RDX is not my first choice but since I will be getting a good deal from another dealership all is not lost at all.

Thanks for all the people who gave their numbers here. I would rather believe you than this car salesman from Seattle.

sasair

Wow he is lying through his teeth. and those must be some expensive wheel locks and floormats he is buying. $1610 for floormats and wheel locks. What the heck was he smokin?

Zennypoo

Hi SBP,

Hope you don't mind, been following your quest for the RDX in NJ since I'm on the same path.

I got the same high quote from bridgewater you mentioned before, still waiting for a quote from springfield acura. Just wondering what your experiences are with each dealer and the best quote I should be looking for. Thanks!

Dan

Semiquixotic

I'm also in the Seattle area looking for a $34K deal on a RDX w/tech. Would you be willing to post/send who and where you are getting yours?

flar

While it is an amusing statement, don't confuse your amusement over the statement with anything related to what you have to pay. He says that specifically because it makes you think you have to reconsider the price. Who cares what they will sell the cars to their employees for, how much will they sell it to you? Anything else is a non sequitur that, at best, is a waste of your time and at worse, is an insult to the spirit of the negotiations to bring emotional manipulation into it.

Well, as others have said and I will reiterate - he's the liar here and you have your own quote from another dealer to prove it - you don't need any further confirmation from the rest of us to see that.

Also, let's pretend that the Edmunds price is wrong - what does that matter? There is no law that says that the dealers have to sell a car for more than they paid for it (even modulo dealer holdback). It may seem somehow to make sense that they need to make a profit on the sale, but really that is only feasible in a seller's market. When there is stock sitting on their lots costing them money each month, it no longer matters what they paid - it matters how they can get out of the money-losing situation they are in. The market is a demand vs. supply equation, not a "pay X and sell for more than X" equation. It is a "pay X because you believe you can sell it for more than X and sometimes you are wrong and you lose" kind of a dog-eat-dog world.

When they start arguing over how much invoice really is, don't play that game - just play the "OK, I won't take the car off your hands for a penny more than XXX game".

This is your first clue that he is the one who needs to sell the car here. Ever had a friend in grade school who ridiculed your new toy and then kept coming back to ask questions about it? Guess who was the envious one despite all their pretenses?

As much as he is a creep it might be worth answering his phone message one of these times and say "Last chance, sell it to me for <a great price you define> or I'm headed over to the other dealer to pick one up this afternoon." If you can get him to come down $500 in price, isn't it worth it in the long run? If he doesn't bite, it's no skin off your back - just view his attempts to disparage your offer as the pathetic showmanship that it is and pity him rather than let him turn it around against you.

flar

Sasair, I'm surprised you forgot about the installation costs. Geez...

One of my funny experiences in the first dealer's showroom was when the junior salesman was trying to tell me that they couldn't take the accessories off once they were on the "invoice" (yawn). His manager came back and tried to add "think of all of the effort people have gone to installing these accessories". I walked over to the car, opened the trunk, grabbed the cargo mat, turned around with it in my hand and said "You mean installing this?" [for those who haven't seen them, they don't attach in anyway, they just sit in your trunk] He got kinda quiet after that...

Hawaii808State

Aloha Everyone
Thank you for all your advices. In Hawaii our sales tax is 4.166%, DOC is $245, Lic $195 and the Des Cost is $670. Based on their website inventory, there are about 10 RDXs, this is probably the right amt for Maui with the population of abt 180,000.

Hawaii808State

Being in Hawaii the Navigation System do no work and we cannot get XM Satelite Radio, would the Tech still make sense?

flar

Another indication is how long have they been there. There is a non-tech in their inventory with a VIN that ends with 8290 so it's likely been there for a couple of months at least (the others are in the 10K and 13K range which are much newer). It's white, the other two are bronze and blue - if the white one isn't a demo (which would explain why it was on their lot for a few months), or maybe even if it is, then they are having trouble selling and should want to move the cars...

flar

The base model has XM so you are already losing there.

With Tech, you still get Bluetooth and the stereo.

Why doesn't Nav work in Hawaii? The satellites ring the planet. [Goes to www.acuranavi.com, looks up the latest disc for the RDX, checks the state list - WTF! - "Hawaii for RL only"!?] Dang!

OK, so they don't make a disc for the RDX for Hawaii - I can't believe that won't change at some point. The data exists and can fit on a DVD (witness the RL), it just isn't put on the RDX dvds...?

One reason to go for the Tech would be that very few people would want to spend more for the Tech if the Nav isn't going to do any good - so they might be willing to cut a better deal on the Tech - it should not command a much higher price if its primary feature would not work - at that point all you are buying is Bluetooth and the stereo - those should only add a few hundred dollars of value.

And if they add HI to the RDX discs in a later release then you are golden and your resale value would have just climbed...

Hawaii808State

Aloha Flar,
They have 19 RDXs in Maui, you looked at Honolulu. The one in Maui is www.acuramaui.com.
They have Vins from 0313 - 0421. Must be sitting there for months.

flar

Dang, yeah - you're right - should be easy pickin's for a deal...

c_hunter

Holy smokes, those are practically collectors items at this point (and not in a good way). Yeah, I agree, you should be able to snag one for a deal.

c_hunter

One dealership I visited tried to inflate the invoice cost to include some of their overhead. And they were quite earnest about it -- they explained it in a way that certainly made sense (got to keep the lights on, got to cover the flat $100 the sales guy makes when selling at invoice, etc). Unfortunately I don't care if their business model is so bad that they have to roll overhead costs onto a "tax" on the vehicle price. What's next, charging rent for the square footage consumed by an RDX sitting on the lot? I believe I could have got them to drop the extra charge, but they were still about $500 over where I wanted to be and were standing ground. Despite them being nice and friendly, I did not have a great feeling about the place anymore. They kept asking what they could do to complete the sale, and then fell flat when it came time to delivering what I wanted.

Another place was $300 over the number I wanted and would not budge, so I left off negotiations to get lunch and think about it. Even though the difference was a measly $300, I realized that it was $300 over *my* target price (which was already a compromise) and in the end they were just not listening to me. When it's their greed versus me being a cheapskate, I'll indulge my own selfishness instead of rewarding theirs!

A couple days later I visited a third dealership who met my target price ($30300 for base) and we did the deal in about 15 minutes. It was that simple, but I do think it helped to show them written offers from the other dealers and let them know how they could score the sale. It's too bad the previous two dealerships let a few hundred $$ roadblock the deal. I was there, with a blank check and pen in hand, ready to buy in all cases and they let me walk.

In all cases, I think it really helped that I was not desperate to buy the car. Even though it was a serious purchase and I put a lot of thought into it, I really abstracted myself from any emotion. It came down to quantitative $$ in the end (and the third dealer had lifetime free oil changes which was a bonus). I think it helps to set a mental "decision gate" ahead of time, and stick to that. Getting excited and jumping on a deal prematurely is one scenario a lot of dealers try to corner customers into, and I avoid that at all costs. My thinking is that if I drove to the dealership in a car that will get me home, then there is no rush!!

flar

Ask them how much having that car on their lot helps them to keep the lights on and cover the selling fees.

buckeye#1

Just received an email from Pohanka Acura
stating they have RDXs w/teck for $31,999.Just thought I would pass this along.

buckeye#1

Obviously spelling and proof reading are not
big on my agenda.Rdx w/tech(not RDX w/teck).LOL

sasair

Thats on a certified used RDX w/tech....