yxc145

HI Guys

I am new on the Forum. I am looking to purchase a 2016 RDX with either the Advance package OR Technology package + AcuraWatch Plus.
So the MSRP will be around $44,000 or $42,000.
In the past, I have got discount as much as 16% off on a luxury car. How much discount should I expect to get if I buy the car during Holiday season?
Please let me know how much you guys pay.

Thank you in advance.

yesrdx

Varies by location. You should be able to do 6% +1% for every month from October until they're gone. That's just a rough estimate. Hopefully people who picked up the last of the 2015 models can chime in and let us know.

yxc145

6% + 1%/month. so, potentially 9-10%. that's not much at all. I got 16% off on a brand new 2014 E class 2 years ago. I got 17% off on an Italian sports car a year ago.

yesrdx

Maybe you should look into a Toyota Prius 2. You should be able to get 18% off MSRP easy.

5 Biggest New Car Discounts

yxc145

Toyota Prius 2?..... where did that come from?

Yeoyes, I did some research online. There are already people out there getting almost 12% off. Hope you didn't/don't overpay.

yesrdx

The 6 percent was a conservative figure. I might not have received the lowest possible price, but I'm happy with what I paid. My original plans were similar to yours: 10+ percent by December. I wanted $40K, but I figured with the lackluster sales from September, I'd check the going market rate which seems to be $3K~$4K off MSRP.

I think the 12+ percent discounts won't happen until 2017 models are announced. The heavy discounts you see from other manufacturers and models are for cars that have newer updated models released or have very low turnover rates (150+ days).

Good luck with your search for the lowest price.

yxc145

I see that you just got about 9% off purchasing a Silver one w/advance package. Lovely color. That will be my first choice, unfortunately, I can't find one with in 50 miles. Very strange that Acura made the black interior only available for 3 exterior colors.

Actually, the cars I got were/are the brand new models. Mercedes E350, Porsche 911S, and Maserati Ghibli SQ4. Maybe I just got lucky.

yesrdx

Clearly out of my league, so I've never bothered to see what those models go for.

Would love to see photos of your stable.

yxc145

Tried to post some pictures, but I guess I am too new on the forum and don't have that option. I will later.

Comfy

Why are you worried about a couple of thousand dollars if you've got hundreds of thousands worth of cars? Just saying. Acura is clearly not in the league of cars which you have and you may end up disappointed if you begin comparing RDX to the others. But we would love to hear your points of view. Welcome to the forum BTW.

yxc145

Well, I shop with coupons and try to find better deals when buying a carton of milk. Why wouldn't I do the same when buying a car just because I already have more expensive cars?
I am not comparing this car to my other cars or any car that's not in the same league. I know what I am looking for. I never once said I am comparing the RDX to Porsche Cayenne GTS, To Range Rover Autobiography, or Mercedes AMG GLE63. I am looking for a good car. A good car is a good car. When I am on the Porsche and Mercedes forums, I never asked the guys with Ferrari and Bentley why they wasted money on getting a 911S or E350 and tell them that they will be disappointed.

I know exactly what I am looking for. A compact/midsize SUV and a good deal. I am getting a more practical car with bigger space for a future family member. I am comparing this car to the future GLC, X3, Volvo XC60, NX, and Q5.

Thank you for the warm welcome.

Mr_MDX

Sometimes it depends on the dealership. *some* dealerships have incentives for their sales people where the more they sell the larger a % they make. At those dealers end of the month can be a good time to cut into the markup.

yxc145

Yes. The end of the month each month. End of Summer when new year model comes out, and the end of the year, are the best time to buy cars.

End of the month and year is when sales need to try to meet their quota, to try to get extra bonus/commission. They are more aggressive, but of course it is up to the managers. Usually the managers is more willing to help out the sales and agree to a bigger discount.

millarduck

I have been quoted sticker online for an AWD with the Advance Package. Dealer only has one, and thinks supply and demand warrants sticker. I am in no rush or immediate need so I wished him luck as I look elsewhere.

yxc145

That dealer is insane. Dealer charges sticker price maybe on cars that are

1. Brand new, completely redesigned, hot demand car (I see Mercedes GLC being like that for the first quarter, maybe second. Porsche Macan was that way until recently.
2. Special, limited edition cars. Mercedes AMG, BMW M, Audi RS models, etc.. Sometimes, maybe even more than MSRP.

Not saying RDX aren't selling well, but not hot enough to ask for sticker pricing. Good decision walking away.

Comfy

You are a champ, and we appreciate your replies. We are happy that you have chosen the RDX as your next car for whatever reasons. Good luck with your search.

Desert Ridge

You should be able to get (close) to invoice without a hassle. However, be aware, the car you want is in short supply. Therefore, you may have to wait for supply to catch up with demand -- if it ever does. Seems like the situation is getting worse, not better, on the supply of Advanced RDXs.

yesrdx

For the most part, I don't think the RDX is in short supply. There's 116 2016 RDX models within a 50 mile radius of me. I wouldn't exactly call that a shortage of supply. If a specific trim is unavailable, it's really the dealership's poor planning.

This is just anecdotal evidence and not worth much, but the more affluent part of my town carries more Advance trims along with the AWD option. A few counties away where the average income is much lower has only 1 Advance trim. It makes sense for dealerships to order this way based on geographical statistics. If you happen to be a minority, well I guess you're out of luck.

Skidpalace

Hi all, found your forum today. We are looking for an Advance for the little lady and we had a deal blow up last night because they tried to bone us on the trade after I negotiated what I thought was a fair price: $41,500 including Dest and fees. This was for a Black w/parchment interior.
This Dealer has 72 RDXs on the lot with 27 Advance models.
What do you guys think of the price that was offered?
I plan to possibly flip the trade on my own, and head back in there on the last day or two of the month to see if I can get a better deal.

dirleton

Did you get a solid commitment on the price before you let your trade enter the equation?

othermike

This was for an AWD, right? Anywhere near Boston?

Mr_MDX

Here is MSRP 2016 Acura RDX | Pricing | Acura.com

Here are the current offers: Acura | RDX Current Offers | Acura.com

ceb

There are different theories on this as either one works as long as you've done your homework.

1. Never discuss trade-in before you have finalized the price of the new car. In order for you to get a fair price on your trade you'll need to know what it is worth beforehand so you don't get lowballed.

Almost every dealer today will use Manheim pricing. Manheim is an auction in PA and gives a dealer an average price of the wholesale value of a car. For a consumer this is a bit deceptive because it tells the dealer what they can dump it for at auction. The cars at auction aren't the nicest as those are kept by the dealers. Some of these cars are lemon buybacks and flood cars so the condition can range from awful to pretty decent. KBB and Edmunds will give you "trade in pricing" for your car. Even if your car is in pristine condition with nothing required to be done, then you'll still get "average trade-in" pricing or less for your car at the dealer. To have realistic expectations from your dealer, expect an initial offer somewhere between Manheim pricing and that "average condition trade-in value" from KBB and Edmunds. Print those out and take them with you.

2. Discuss trade up front and tell the dealer that you really want to get as much as possible for your trade.

Like in #1, you need to have done your homework on your trade beforehand, but by indicating to the dealer that you expect top pricing for your trade then they might up the value a bit to keep you in the store.

All this only works if you also come prepared knowing what the car you want is really selling for. TrueCar, USAA (which is now using a variant of TrueCar), COSTCO/Sam's/Consumer Reports and sites like this will give you a pretty decent idea of what cars are selling for. On sites like this one, you do need to be careful because some folks tend to exaggerate what they paid or will come back with a "you can do better than that" without any back-up.

I don't think it makes any difference as long as you've done your homework on both the trade and the new car well before you go to your dealer AND you have reasonable expectations. Selling cars costs money. They have to pay for the cars (often with loans), the store and the people.

A dealership makes their money on service departments, financing and used cars. New car sales aren't money makers anymore because we can comparison shop between multiple dealers for the same car - A black RDX Advance at dealer A is the same at dealer B. With used cars you can't comparison shop because the 2013 RDX at dealer A cannot be identical to the 2013 RDX at dealer B even if they started life identical.

One may have been garage kept, the other parked in the sun. One may have new OE tires while the other may have LingLongs. One will have low mileage while the other may have been driven a lot - and hard. Because of this, each used commands its own price and can't really be compared to any other car.

That is where the sales departments make money. The spread between what the dealer buys a car for and what they sell it for is usually a couple of grand. For your car to end up on their lot (and not the Manheim auction) it has to be in pristine condition and something the dealer thinks he can turn around quickly. It can have no mods (or regionally common mods - legal tint in FL or TX for example) to garner top dollar.

When you bring the car in it has to be clean - perhaps not "detailed 5 minutes ago" spotless, but clean. The interior needs to have all the trash taken out, the cubbies mostly empty and vacuumed (or at least the mats taken out and the leaves shaken off). Run it through the $5 carwash to get the mud and dirt off. The dealer will tell you it makes no difference but they are usually human too are impressionable just like we are and the clean car will get more money than the one with French fries on the floor, soda dripping down the console and "wash me" written on the mud on the outside.

The dealer wants to see your car and think "I don't have to do much to put it on the lot" - your goal is to get your car on their lot, not the auction.

While not as good of a deal as they used to be, CARMAX is still worth a visit to get an appraisal. They look at cars far closer than the dealer and WILL find issues. I've know people who take their car to them to check for issues before their warranty expires just to see what is wrong.

With a trade, most dealers will want to see about a $2000 spread between what they think they can sell the car for and what they give you. They have to fix any issues and guarantee the car. The ballpark figures for that is about $1k, so there is a $1k profit in the used car.

Don't confuse sales price with advertised price though because then the spread is more - often much more.

If you do your homework on both the new car and your trade then you won't get screwed too badly. Don't do your homework and you are toast.

And remember - the house always wins. The dealer isn't going to do a deal that isn't profitable but it is your job to make sure that you get a fair deal.

dirleton

I suppose there are legitimate reasons for selling (trading) your old car to the dealer but, apples to apples, your are almost always better off selling it yourself. Convenience costs.

Skidpalace

Yes, AWD at Acura of Boston.

Skidpalace

Yup. I knew they would offer on the low side of fair, but I thought it would at least be fair. We were willing to give a little on the trade value, but their offer was insulting so we walked.

dirleton

Well --- they do have to make a buck somewhere. Grab the deal and sell your "trade" on the open market.

ceb

That can depend upon the state as well. Some states (MD and MA are examples) tax you on the difference in value between your trade and the new car so you need to take that into consideration as well.

Private sales often get more money but it sure is easier to just drive in, hand somebody the keys and drive off in the new car.

Sometimes you have little choice too. When I traded my last car it had been in a serious accident. Two days after my accident I drive it by my dealer and said "what will you give me for it as is?" They said "Not much, but we'll give you $22k if you get it repaired at our bodyshop". Once repaired, I drove it by CARMAX who offered me $17000 because of the poorly done repairs, so I negotiated 22.5 with my dealer, got a good price on a new wagon and collected the dim value on mine.

I felt good knowing that I was fully upfront with the dealer about the damage. I thought it went to auction but it turns out it was sold locally. I would have hated to sell that car myself.

Skidpalace

The sales tax reduction is an important factor for sure, but with the small value of the trade, it isn't a tremendous loss. The 2002 CR-V is worth ~$7000 private sale, between 4500-5200 trade-in, and the dealer offered $2000. We would have taken anything over $3500 just to wash our hands of the situation, but with the lowball offer and the deceptive way they justified the price (claimed the clutch was gone -$1560) we walked.
I will spruce the rig up over the weekend and flip it locally. It will sell fast with only 65K miles on the clock. It has a 5 speed manual as well.
I'll do my best to make the dealer take a loss on the RDX by driving them down at the end of the month and decline all back end services.
So speaking of that, how does the $41,500 sound for the Advance with destination and dealer doc fees included?

ceb

Depends on where you are, but yeoyes got roughly the same deal in Atlanta - so yes - a decent price if all that is added is state fees (tax, tags and title).

Drive by CARMAX or the local equivalent and see what they'll give you. You can also go to a Honda dealer and sell it to them.

If you want things like extended warranty, several on-line Honda/Acura dealers (Saccucci, Curry, Bernardi) sell the OE Acura extended warranty and prices far under the normal dealerships - or your dealership may match the prices. You can get online quotes without VIN numbers from each of them.

yesrdx

How much is the doc. fee? It's hard to compare apples to apples since this varies by dealership location. Keep in mind that the quoted price from the dealership may be a package deal which includes your trade-in. If you decide to sell your car to someone else, they may bulk at your RDX purchase offer which makes sense.

Someone was quoted about $40,250 (car + destination) in another thread, so at this point, I'd start the opening bid at $39,500 and work my way up to $41K or less for the AWD Advance including destination and documentation fee.