Hello:

Let me first start off by saying you all have a great and very informative site here. This is my first post but I have been visiting this site since late 2005 before I purchased my current 06 TL w/Nav.

At the moment I am in the market for a new car and thinking of trading in my TL for either the 08 TL-S or a 2005 RL. I went to the dealership today and test drove both cars. I think I am leaning more towards the RL due to its smoother ride and I feel that its time for a change. If you guys had a choice today which car would you choose and
why.

Pricing: My local dealer has a 2005 RL on the lot with 28k miles which is certified. They are willing to let the car go for 24.5K. Does this sound like a good deal?

By the way Im located in Miami. Thanks in advance for the help

 

that is very low miles. It does sound like a good deal so far!!
I had a TL04 but always adored the RL. It takes some time to adjust but honestly you get that feel of exclusivitivity. You are also driving the top of the line Acura. I am 19....and I am enjoying a RL

 

I also feel that its a bit more refined compared to the TL. Is it a good deal or too good to be true? I have some doubt based off what i've seen advertisied but then again it is certified and has the warranty for 7 years or 100k miles.

 

I have been looking into getting into a RL also and that sounds like a goog price from what i seen so far. IF its certified then yes its a good price. I was gonna get one for $23,900 w/38K miles but sold right before i came to buy it.

 

I believe that is a very good price and competitive. I would worry if I was buying it privately, but if it's from a dealer and certified then you can't go wrong at that price. Just for comparison, I gave back my leased 05 RL recently with 35400 miles. The residual value was $29,300, the main reason I turned it back in. $24.5K is a good price, jump on it!! I traded up from a TL to a RL and never looked back. The 09 TL might be a different story though, it practically is an RL!! Good luck with your decision.

 

Thanks for the advice. I just spoke to the sales person and requested that he sends me a copy of the car fax report. He mentioned that the vehicle was always serviced at this same dealer therefore I also asked him for the vehicles history of service. If all goes well the next step will be to see how hard they hit me for the trade in.

 

That's an excellent deal for a certified RL with that many miles. Go for it!

You'll be yet another TL-RL convert.

 

I was also on the market for a TL-S but decided to go with a 06 RL because of the looks and exclusivity.

That sounds like a great deal to me, especially since it's certified.

 

Hey that sounds like a great deal....but REmember, Acura Certified warranty...is ONly 1yr and 12k miles on top of the original 4yr 50k mile warranty. Its not like other companies(lexus, infinti..bmw etc.) You can request a 7yr/100k miles. The dealer tried telling the extended warranty costs $900...to make it up to a 7/100k mile warranty....but the actual number is $680 change. so if they can throw that on there on the deal....or maybe meet half way? otherwise if carfax and service history are good....great deal.

 

Another question from a newbie.

I am looking at a 05 RL 66K miles certified asking $19998. Is that a good deal? I haven't negotiated anything yet.

 

This also looks like a good price as well. If this is the advertised price then you could probably get another $1-2K off the price and DEFINITELY get the extended warranty, I would recommend the 7yr/100K minimum. Make sure you check the CarFax report too. Looks like another good deal to me!!

 

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...ice=&cardist=7

Above is the link to the vehicle I am considering. The sales person was off today so hopefully by tomorrow I will have all the docs I requested.
vinodc: As you mentioned earlier they are trying to sell me the extended bumper to bumper warranty for approximately $900 for an extra 1 yr and 12k miles. Sounded like he didn't want to budge much. Is it worth paying the $900?

If my trade in value is not too far off I think I may accept his offer of $24,300 +++. But I will try to see if he can through in all weather floor mats, updated navigation DVD and a wood steering wheel. Is this possible or am I asking for too much?

 

hey... So i'm assuming the car isn't certified? Correct me if im wrong, this is understanding im under.

They want you to pay $900 for a 1yr and 12k miles added to the 4yr/50k original warranty?

What I was thinking when u oringially posted was that.....the car was an Acura Certified...and came with an additional 1yr 12k mile warranty. What i was advising you to do, is to EXTEND that acura certified warranty, UPTO 7yr/100k miles. And for that extension of the acura certified warranty, my dealer wanted 900 for it

I would absolutelyyy recommend getting the extended warranty, but I WOULD not pay 900 if it was only for 1yr or 12kmiles....thats a ripoff. If they are telling you the car is Acura Certified, it should automatically come with a 1yr/12k mile warranty...at no charage(as in they already tacked it onto selling price). The only reason you would have to spend 900 more as i said, is to extend it up to 7rs..of original inservice date.

As for steering wheel...i think a great option to have, but i highllly doubht they'll give it....Mats are cheap, possibly he'll throw it in. But Id really recommend you bargaining on the extended warranty first. hope this helps.

 

oh btw....I live in Michigan....but also have a condo down in Hollywood, Fl. SO i'm really familiar with the Acura dealers there too...who are you working with? I gotta say tho, car dealers in S. Florida are tough to deal with....ironic i say that, cause i had equally worst time with Acura dealers in Michigan, if not worst. But the rest of the dealers, like lexus, mercedes, infiniti......so much more willing to deal in MI than Fl dealers. Find it ironic, figured miami is more "posh lifestyle" figured they sell the luxury cars way more than michigan dealers.

 

Yes it is certified. When they certify the vehicle you have a 7yr/100k mile warranty for the power train not bumper to bumper. They are charging me the $900 to extended the manufacturers bumper to bumper warranty for 1yr/12k miles. I hope this make more sense. I live in Miami and im dealing with Miami Acura. At this point we ( family ) have purchased 3 cars from them and have always had a great experience and this includes service. Hope its a bit clearer

I was dealing with Delray Acura for the TL-S since they are the only ones that have the color combo I would be interested in.

 

hey BLkTL15. Ok, yes it does come with powertrain. But the $900 IS for tacking on the bumper to bumper for 7yr/100k. I have no idea, why they are telling its only for 1yr, maybe you should speak to them again. get it clarified, or bargain with them more. I actually went to Rick case Acura, in ft. laudy. they were nice dealer, but wouldn't budge on price, until I told them, i can order from chicago, then they started dealing.

 

This is right from the Certified Preowned link of Acura.com

"An extended factory warranty and three-day exchange policy (where applicable) provide unparalleled peace of mind with any Acura Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle purchase. Every buyer receives a 12 month / 12,000-mile Limited Warranty plus a 7-year / 100,000-mile Powertrain Limited Warranty, and coverage is honored nationwide at all Acura dealers.

12 Month / 12,000-Mile Limited Warranty extends the new car non-powertrain coverage by 12-month / 12,000 miles (whichever comes first) and starts after new car warranty expires.

The 7-year / 100,000 mile Powertrain Limited Warranty starts from original date of new car warranty registration.

Acura will repair or replace any part that is defective in material or workmanship under normal use.

All repairs or replacements under this warranty will be made free of charge with no deductible.

The repaired or replaced parts are covered until the Acura Certified Pre-Owned Limited Warranty expires."

The dealer is trying to hoodwink you, they're not following the basic guidelines of the Acura CPO program. Any extra cost for warranty should go towards an extension of the bumper to bumper beyond the 1yr/12 month period. (which you absolutely need for an 05 RL) Yet another example of a substandard Acura dealer. These are the misgivings of a shabby used car dealer with more flags than cars on the lots, certainly not to be expected of a luxury dealership.

 

Wow. Great information. I will definitely be taking a copy of this if I decide to make the purchase. Thank you very much, very helpful information

 

I test drove the car and it seemed ok. But it pulled to the right, looks like the alignment was off. I also noticed a whine from the transmission when I was in the passenger seat when my wife was driving.

I don't understand how a certified used car has alignment issues. I had this same experience with a Lexus certified LS 430 that had wheel balance issues and the steering would vibrate accelerating to 70-80. I am starting to really doubt the certification process of these cars. IMHO these are minor details that are immediately apparent in a test drive.

This was the first RL I drove. I am going to drive something with less miles. How do these cars age? What should I be expecting when I test drive an 05 RL with 50-70K miles?

 

My brother-in-law works at an Acura deler in Miami. If you are interested in contacting him, send me a PM and I will be more than happy to forward his name and cell phone number.

 

I finally received the summary of the History report. There are some items that I am not very familiar with. Does anyone have experience with this report. If so, how can I go about posting it here so you guys can take a look at it for me.

rettenhu: What dealer does he work at?

 

Esserman

 

Scan the image using a scanner. Convert to a .jpg file . Post in the AZ GALLERY-click. Link to image in Gallery. Done! Alternately, you can use Imageshack or another hoster to host the image.

 

For some reason it says that I do not have access to the photo gallery. Would it be possible for me to e-mail to one of you and you post it for me.

Thanks in advance

 

Sure, email to a n o n f r a n k at g m a i l . com (remove spaces and use @ for at)

 

Thank you very much. I went ahead and sent you the e-mail

 

Here are the images for the report, with VIN removed.

 

Thank you neuronbob. Did you have a chance to look at it? If so did anything call your attention? Now that we have more facts is it still a good deal at $24,300

 

Nothing strikes me as unusual other than the "pulling" to one side issue, which could be related to tires/balance. If you didn't find this problem when you test drove the car, you're set. I still think it's a good deal.

 

When I test drove my car, it pulled to the right as well. Dealer merely rotated only the two front tires and the car stopped pulling, rides straight as an arrow now.