headphonemako

This is my first post ever, anywhere, so I am a really new newbie. This is also the first new car I'm purchasing. I'm really hoping to purchase a TSX soon (Arctic Blue, manual, non-navi), and reading a lot of your posts really helped in making my decision. But I need a little advice on a couple things (and a little extra advice never hurts)

First, is there anything that the dealer might offer me that I should avoid? (such as rust proofing... etc...)

Also... I called a few dealers around my area because I wanted to know when the 2005 TSX will come out so I can take advantage of any year end sales. But they all told me that the price on the TSX won't go down a lot because of supply and demand. There weren't that many made this year and so the demand for the car might be high, and the supply low so people might pay higher. They said the best time to buy is right now. Do you guys think this is true?

Thanks for all the help!!

Revenent

All dealers tell you that. If they actually told you the truth, it might mess with their sales figures.

As for numbers made, I believe they're already over 32,000 made, with only 15,000 scheduled to be made when initially released.

The '05 TSX might be released with the next Acura model release, so probably later this year.

elduderino

1) Avoid EVERYTHING the F&I (finance and insurance)guy tries to sell you - aftermarket alarm, rustproofing, paint protection, VIN number registration service, extended warranty, credit insurance, and anything else. This is different from your salesperson asking you about floor mats and trunk mats (many Acura dealers offer a "protection Package" standard that includes the rubber all-weather floor mats, the rubber trunk mat, and the wheel locks. This is not a bad idea.) Anything the finance and insurance department tries to sell you is by definition something you can somewhere else cheaper, but is probably a bad idea in the first place.

Steel yourself - practice politely saying "no" in the mirror. Be polite, but be firm. NOTHING they can sell you is a good investment.

2) From what I've heard Honda underestimated demand on the TSX, and the only way to send more to the US anytime soon would be for Honda to sell fewer Honda Accords in Japan and Europe. They aren't going to do that.

Also, the dealer network is probably NOT asking for more TSXs. They really like being able to take deposits and get full price for a car in this category, and they're selling enough to be very happy.

3) As far as any time a dealer salesperson says "The best time to buy is right now", that just means they're alive. If they said anything else within earshot of a sales manager, they would be fired on the spot. Actually, you are right at the moment that the new models will start to come out. I'd love to find out what the new model year will bring the TSX - MP3 stereo? Memory seats? Improved speakers? More horses?

If you can wait until the '05s come out, one of three things will happen.

If the '05 is improved, you'll be able to buy a better car...

- OR you can buy the same '04 car at a reduced price (since the improved '05 would reduce the value of '04s on the lot).

If the '04 is not improved, you lose nothing except a couple of months. Of course, that's a couple of months of your young life not driving a car... lucky thing you really can't screw this one up.