GSI

I usually take my car to the Acura dealership for all of my service needs. Today I decided to let my local Honda dealer do the service (oil change) so I could check out the new Odyssey Van (for the wife ).

Come to find out the Honda service is much cheaper than at Acura. I got a synthetic blend oil change and car wash for $19.00 and I got to test drive the Odyssey (for the wife ). My Acura dealer charges me $29.00 for regular dino oil. The sales guy threw in one of those $15.00 Honda racing hats to boot. Their brake job and mileage services are much cheaper as well. 40,000 mile service would be $191 instead of $350 that Acura quoted me and the front brake pads installed was $171 vs the $280 that Acura quoted me.

I advise any of you who are tired of paying out the yazoo at Acura to try your local Honda dealer and save some cash.

biker

It's been that way for quite some time. Some of this depends on the dealer also - some Honda dealers might not want to work on an Acura. Also, some folks might worry about warranty claims denied cause the maint wasn't done by an Acura dealer.

BTW, what is the hourly rate at Acura vs. Honda? I have a feeling the hourly rate is not different enough to justify the higher prices - Acura shops must pad the numbers somewhere else (parts, more hrs per job).

GSI

Not to sure about the hourly rates. My Honda dealer says at the front of the building that they service Acura's too so I do not think the warranty would be an issue.

miner

My Honda dealer in Houston is $65/hr. My Acura dealer is $75/hr.

G36

A Honda only dealership will not honor an Acura warranty service claim.

AlterZgo

I find the quality of service at my Acura dealer to be no better than at my Honda dealer. I am very disappointed as I have always had excellent service at several Inifiniti dealers I used to go to for my last car. I had expected the same type of uplevel service at Acura, but it has just not been there.

HondaGuy347

Acura=loaner. Honda =/= loaner. It's worth the extra $10.


PS...I have gotten my car serviced at 2 places other than where I bought it, and I am 22, both have given me a loaner (Volvo wagon, TSX) with no arguments.

VeniceBeachTSX

Acura is quite clear on the fact that routine maintenance can be done anywhere, so long as you can document that it was done. I take mine to an independent, FWIW.

Only an Acura dealer will do warranty work, of course.

mjferguson

I must say that I have only had my TSX for a week, but I took it to the dealer this morning so they could fix the infamous windshield rattle. I got NO loaner even thought they are keeping the car all day. Got a shuttle ride, but no loaner car. I even asked for one and they said they were out!!! The service guy said they only have loaners for service scheduled 4 or 5 days in advance. I replied "I scheduled this 6 days ago?". He didn't have anything to say after that except "we are all out of loaners."

HondaGuy347

I always make sure to specify that I want a loaner when I schedule my service. If they screw it up, they can give me a demo car or something.

GSI

I never get a loaner. I had a VW Jetta and never got a loaner. I thought moving up to Acura would guarantee a loaner vehicle. Guess not.

NightHawk CL9

there are multiple threads on the loaner/no loaner. i believe that it all depends on the dealer itself. if there is another acura dealer in the area then try that one. Some dealers will offer u loaners, others if u ask, others only if "warrenty work" so search around

DEI99662

I have been to Honda dealerships and never received that type of service.

Belzebutt

At the Ottawa dealer there's a loaner but you have to book about 2 weeks to get one, it's always an EL (Civic), and they only give it to people who bought the car from them. At the next-closest dealer in Gatineau they don't give loaners, period.

darth62

Honda dealers almost never give loaners. Acura dealers sometimes do.

MrChad

My local Honda dealer will give a loaner but you must book a few days in advance to get one...it's usually a Civic.

My local Acura dealer is next door and is owned by the same company, I've never serviced the car yet so I can't comment on their policy but I would assume it to be the same. I'd likely get the oil change done at the Honda dealer if I had a coupon for it or if it was cheaper, else I would go to the Acura dealer.

Fibonacci

My Acura dealer always gives free loaners. My Honda dealer, only if I'm spending over $300 on maintenance.

DEI99662

You right but I was mostly referring to the courtesy of the Honda service advisors and sales reps.

mickey513

Just FYI:

The TSX and Civic/Integra/4 cylinder Accord oil filter are the same, so you can get your oil change at a Honda dealer.

AlterZgo

Exactly. Going to an Acura dealer alone does not equal loaner. I made an appt for warranty work and they didn't even offer me a loaner. I never had this problem at Infiniti. They ALWAYS offered me a loaner w/o my asking or needing to make an advance reservation. To make matters worse, I find the Acura service dept near my home to be extremely unresponsive. No one is ever available by phone and it takes 2 or more messages and at least 3 or more business days before they will call back.

Outlook

If you buy the car at my dealer, you get free oil changes there. You would think Acura would make this a dealer network policy...........

jlukja

Luckily you live in a metropolitan area that has many Acura dealerships. If you don't like that one just go to a different one. I'm lucky in that the closest one to me, Cerritos Acura, has a very good service department.

cconrad

Yeah, my Honda dealer (T&T) offered me free oil changes as long as I brought the car to them for all of the other PM too. My Acura dealer (Silverhill) does not offer this. I think this hurts them, really, because I may feel no particular reason to come to them all the time after the first couple of free services.

sshah

Hey Conrad,

I bought my Accord from T&T also - they gave 3 years free oil changes to me but my biggest problem with them was booking a oil change - I'm from out of town so I would have to call two weeks in advance so I quit going there and went to Lethbridge Honda.

Silverhill gave me 2 free oil changes - no experience with it yet since I haven't reached 5000km.

cconrad

That's Mr. Conrad to you... :-) (Conrad is the last name.)

Only 3 years free oil changes? I got 5 with my 1997 Civic, and then at the end of 5 they kept doing it (at my request) because they could see I was still living up to my end of the deal (always going to them for everything else too). So, as of when I sold it recently, about 8.75 years into the car's life, I was still getting "free" oil changes.

cconrad

Oh, P.S. 5000km? I thought the manual said 8000 for Canada...

Bill Hook

Dave Mungenast in St. Louis gave me a loaner on the integra GSR I bought and they even let me drive a loaner car for 10 days while they went to pick-up my new car after my old '90 integra GS blew the alternator and I bought a new GSR.

Probably my best dealer experience.

cazzy

My service department at Gunn Acura is A+ First off, I did not buy the car from them and they still treat me like gold. Loaners have never been a problem...actually I am in one now. I called him at 2pm yesterday and told him I would be bringing my car in at 4pm. I got there at 3:30pm and drove off in a loaner at 3:45pm. First time I got a loaner from him, I told him I filled it up as it stated to 3/4 of a tank. He said sir, I don't expect you to do that....next time just bring it back how it is.

As far as the cost factor, I don't mind taking my car to Gunn Acura and pay more for the quality of service I get. I am very anal, and my service guy keeps that in mind so makes it a point to keep me up to date with my car. It shows a lot that he has made it a point to get to know me so he understands what type of customer I am so he can offer me the best possible service!

TMQ

I'm sure you all know that the Lexus dealers do much better job to keep the customers happy... Part of the reason people rank Lexus much ahead of Acura in terms of luxury.

cazzy

Well if this was a Toyota Service vs Lexus Service thread...that post would come plenty handy!

Newplay1

My local Parkave Acura dealer does both BMW and Acura services. Thoses bimmer suckers drop off at BMW showroom and I see them get serviced at Acura service dept/building...

DaphneLCC

I believe that the Acura dealer here is cheaper (for oil changes) than the Honda dealers. I think it's around $22 vs. $35ish. Plus Acura will wash the car after changing your oil.

LuvMyTSX

I've gotten TSX loaners both times I needed one, each at a different dealer, one of which I didn't buy my car from. I guess it depends from dealer to dealer what kind of service you'll get, but I've had good luck so far in NJ.

For a more upscale brand, it seems to me that all Acura dealers should give loaners, but it sounds like that is not the case.

Reach

Part of the reason I went with my dealer was their loaner service... free ACURA loaner car for any service. + 7 years scheduled maintenance free!

dalieu

loaners are dealer dependent. the acura dealer i bought my car from will give me a crappy loaner from enterprise, whereas the acura dealer i bring my car to now gives me a tsx as a loaner (as long as i give them advance notice) for free, this dealership also services jaguars...

03CoupeV6

When I took my Accord V6 in for warranty work recently (brake rotors warped) my Honda dealer changed the oil and washed the car for free - even though it was after hours when they were finished with the brakes. They also said they'd be happy to do work on my TL but it couldn't be warranty work. And they did offer me a loaner vehicle, an 06 Accord EX.

That was the best dealer service I've ever received - far superior to Acura service experiences I've had.

feliz

I live very close to a Honda dealer so I've taken my Acuras to them for regular service and warranty work about 50% of the time and actually prefer the Honda dealer over the Acura dealer (better facilities, friendlier etc) and they're a lot cheaper. Why wouldn't they do warranty work, it's the same company.

shftl

Loaner arrangements are dealer's choice. I've had the same kind of experience with Acura at Oxmoor in Louisville. I didn't buy the car from them (they literally had the highest asking prices in the U. S.), but the service department has treated me like gold. I pay a little more, but I consider it money well spent. The dealership group has a Honda store that services my wife's car and serviced my old Accord, and once you're in the building the service experience is about the same, but no loaners, only the shuttle.

Jottle

Holy thread revival!