I am new to Acura but am planning to purchase a 2007 RL w/Tech Pckage. With a list price around $53K what discount would you expect?

What prices have others paid for this car recently?

Thanks for your help.

- John

 

RL w/ tech between $41K-$42K, but note this is without the PAX/CBMS, that should run you a couple of grand more.

 

Great choice!! Welcome to the club.

Before cutting a deal, first you need to know the dealer's cost. Pricing, including invoice cost, is easily obtained free from Edmunds.com or for a nominal charge from Consumer Reports.

Currently there is a $3500 "marketing support" incentive from factory to dealer through the end of April. That means that a price $3000 below invoice is now the same as $500 over invoice without the incentive. Most fleet or internet managers will readily agree to that kind of deal in my experience. Some may go even lower. They have a 3% of MSRP holdback that is worth about $1600 in addition. They will not want to give that up, or even discuss it in most cases.

My own policy is to shop by phone and deal only with fleet or internet managers. Some prefer email, though results have been uneven. The deal should be agreed upon before you even set foot in the dealership. Then JUST SAY NO to everything they suggest in the Finance and Insurance office. If you want accessories or warranties you can always get them later.

I was exceedingly fortunate to get the last 2006 from an L.A. dealer in December. They sold at dead cost: invoice less the then-$4000 incentive less $1600 holdback. That was a sweeet deal. But we wouldn't want you to have to wait until Christmas!

Best of luck.

 

Wow, this is great information that I plan to use asap! Thanks for sharing it. I think I'll call these guys rather than do the email thing which I've already initiated. It just seems kind of longwinded emailing back and forth when a simple phone call to see where they're at with the pricing is all that's necessary. I didn't realize that if they sell a car to me with a $49400 MSRP and I offer to buy it for $41700 ($263 over invoice including the $3500 marketing money) that they STILL make $1600 plus the $263 profit. That's not too bad. Gosh, and I was feeling guilty for offering $41700 today.

Steve R

 

From my experience, a lot of dealers (including their internet managers) do not want to give you price quotes by email. They may negotiate with you over the phone, but if you want them to put the price in writing, they balk. While there is no absolute way to know whether a particular dealer will honor its verbal price quote, perhaps you can send them a "confirmation" email stating the agreed-to price, the color/combo of the subject car, any accessories, as well as the pick up date and time to ink the deal.

 

Kenny,

Right you are. Dealers don't like to give numbers in writing that you can then show to their competitors. Phone is better, I think. Take good notes. I have never had any fleet manager try to disavow a phone deal (although one did become verrry hard to get ahold of for a while).

 

It seems like most of the dealers don't have too many CMBS-PAX models or the color combo is limited. Do you think it is worth it as long as you can afford it. I mean I want it, but I am finding I cannot get a frost silver/ebony, and there are supposedly only 2 in CA..?

 

The color combination you want is one of the most popular. The problem is that Acura is making a limited number of the CBMS/PAX models this year. If you were flexible on the color combo you could get one.

I must say that when I test drove the M35 at 2 different dealers the sales person commented that the Infiniti CBMS could be annoying and it's easy to turn off. Well, the PAX tires certainly aren't worth the extra $3K and settling for a color you don't want and not even using the CBMS system doesn't make sense to me.

 

I had no interest in the CMBS/PAX as it seemed an extravagance and there are some horror stories on the Honda Odyssey discussion boards. I ended up having no choice--mine was the last 2006 on the lot. That said, I am soooo glad I got it. Reasons:

1. PAX tires are 18" not 17" and look better-proportioned to the car.
2. PAX tires seem to have crisper handling and less road noise than the standard rubber. They have a good tire wear rating. They are literally bulletproof (good here in L.A.).
3. ACC is really great in moderately heavy traffic as it will keep you safely spaced apart from the bozo in front. In heavy traffic the other drivers won't allow you to keep a 1 second following distance--they will zoom in front of you and the car will brake quickly.
4. CMBS should be required on all cars. It has awakened me from my reverie several times just in time to prevent a rear-ender in bumper to bumper L.A. traffic. It does not seem to be intrusive or to have many "false alarms." It allows spirited driving.

My

 

We have PAX on our Ody. I had the same concerns at first, but had to get them because they came with the car (ours was probably the last '05 Ody in PA and was a touring package. Got under invoice for it!)

So far have been very happy with the PAX tires. In particular, I have been impressed with their winter weather performance, considering that they are not snow tires.

 

I picked up an RL Tech yesterday for $38,496. Contacted 10 Acura dealers within 100 miles and worked them against each other. The one from whom I purchased it claimed he was losing $1k on the deal which gave me some satisfaction. Local dealers seem to have 25-30 RL's on the lot as opposed to the Lexus dealers sitting on 1-3 GS350's which was my first choice. After 24 hours, I like the car - good pickup, decent styling and good techno-toys. Audio quality isn't all that, but it'll work.

cheers

 

When I get a customer like you I rarely bother as I would be sold down the river so you could save $50 at another dealer, hence your referece to working 10 dealers 'against each other.' I will not be another cog in your spinning gear. Spending time on people like you is a waste of my valuable time mainly by how your attitude is, which seems to be full of contempt.

Why would you say you take 'some satisfaction' at a dealer losing $1,000.00? My point, simply, is that there is a nice way to say the same thing (as many other posters here do).

The reason I prefer the RL forums to most of the other ones on Acurazine or anywhere else is because this type of declasse mooch behavior is rarely in evidence here. There are plenty of posts about people saving money on an RL but yours has to be the basest one I've read in some time, hence my need to comment. I try and treat everybody I meet the way I would want to be treated which is why I would stay away from you... I couldn't hold that standard.

Getting a price on a car, and buying one, is not the same as ordering a hamburger at the McDonald's drive-in.

 

I could not agree more. I drive in the east coast, but I have the same experiences.

The number of PAX dealers has increased tremendously in the less than 4 months of owning the car. I no longer feel as concerned about getting a replacement (except for paying retail prices).

 

Dude, chill. First of all, I simply meant I was happy that I felt I negotiated a good deal when he claimed to be taking a loss. Secondly, any dealer is welcome to take or leave a deal as he sees fit. In this case, I contacted ten dealers, took the best price I was offered, and then went to my local dealer with that in hand. He agreed to match it based on the premise that he could earn my service visits going forward, and indeed he has.

Moreover, my local dealer's processing fee was $200 higher than the fee on the lowest bid that I had, but I didn't beat him up over that.

Your comments above appear to be making the bidding process personal, when I would claim that it is anything but.

 

No need for unnecessary bile here, guys, thanks.

Congrats on the Cali-type price in the East, iceburg, that's the lowest I've heard of east of the California state line. Did you trade? (In which case the dealer might have made a little money back on your deal.) Are you SURE it was a tech model?

As far as the ACC and CMBS, they are cool devices, and I wish they were available WITHOUT the PAX system. However, that's Honda's decision and not mine to make. I didn't think they were worth the money when combined with the PAX system.

 

Don't worry about him iceburg, CL6 tends to be the resident antagonizer around here...

 

iceburg: $38,496 is $2941 below invoice + destination and the $3500 factory incentive. I believe the dealer holdback is about $1600 even with that added you're still under by $1341 according to my calculations.

2007 RL with TECH package- with the navigation package?

How many miles were on the car? Did you trade in a car? Did you pay up for any other accessories? You don't work for an Acura dealer?

Hardy Congratulations to you if this was "the true cost". It just seems unrealistically low. It's $2500 less than the lowest price we've seen here.

 

In the "RL OWNERS SIGN IN" thread on 2/24/07 "xoai" posted a $38,477 price paid for a CMBS/PAX 2007 RL with less than 10 miles on it. This would be $4589 UNDER invoice + the $3500 factory incentive. Even with the $1600 holdback it's still $2989 less than that!

Maybe someone works for an Acura dealer, got a bad deal on a trade in, or there is some other extenuating circumstance.

I smell BS.

Thankfully almost everyone here is interested in helping each other out by posting honest opinons and presenting facts, and sharing their car experiences with each other. That's what's great about this forum.

 

acuralvr1, we don't know the precise circumstances of either case, so I wouldn't call quite yet. iceburg's story is certainly believeable--it all depends on how dire the situation is for RL sales in his area, what he got on his trade, and who he knows in the biz. I know no one, so I couldn't get anywhere near that price.

Don't worry too much about it and please don't turn this thread into one of those in the TL section where they make people drag out scans of their deals.

 

neuronbob, you're right.

No one knows the inside deals people can get. Much more civilized forum in the RL threads than in the TL threads.

 

As I mentioned, I think the DC/Baltimore area is rife with RL inventory based on the dealer websites I visited (assuming their accurate). One local dealer is sitting on 29 RL Tech's and another has 25. That's an expensive floor plan if you're not moving them very quickly.

BTW, I didn't have a trade - just a straight up purchase. No one wants my '97 ES300 with 183k miles...

So far, so good on the RL - I really like it. Interesting that it tends to fly below the radar of a lot of luxury sedan buyers...their loss I suppose.

cheers

 

Wow iceberg that's a great deal! I have been lurking around this and the M35, GS350 sites while I procrasinate about this. However, that price might push me over the fence. What I really notice is the activity at this site and how people are so passionate about their RLs here. Maybe I will be assimulated

If it is not against forum rules, can you post the dealer and sales person contact. I would PM you, but I don't have that privledge. I can supply email address if that is allowed as well.

 

Try the internet sales manager at Rosenthal Acura - that's where I had the best success. I believe you'll find some mention of them in a few other threads on this site as well - both plusses & minuses. Naturally, YMMV.

If the mods prefer me not to post this info, feel free to delete.

cheers

 

Resistance is futile and yes, many of us are passionate about the car.

Welcome to AZ, noobie! Unfortunately, you have to have 30 posts to do PMs. It solves the unfortunate problem of PM spamming, which some lower life forms have stooped to in order to make a living. It's not against forum rules to post dealer names.

 

Great deal!! Your local dealers have quite a few RL's in stock. I checked three dealers in our local area (SW Ohio) and they have 15 RL's between them and about
half seem to be the base model.

 

Thanks iceburg, I will drop them a note and few others as well including Radley, where I bought an MDX a few years back.

Here I was, with the best laid plan... cruise around the net and do some research until the 2008s come out and maybe the RL will get a minor facelift since it's the fourth year and Lexus will fix the dash rattles on the GS350 and maybe Infiniti will put the new G35 motor into the M35x and they won't make you buy $8,000 in options to get HID.

Now I see these prices and it makes me schedule a test drive next week and seriously want to pull the trigger. The RL is just too good of a value at these prices...

Yes indeed .... resistance is futile.

Thanks Bob and great community you help maintain here. Very helpful with great pics.

What to do... what to do. However I don't need a new car... With all the air travel I do, I'm hard pressed to put 5000 miles a year on a car. My 2001 I30 has less than 30,000 miles and is spotless inside... But need is not the question is it?

 

Not to, uh, antagonize further, but as I said orignally, it's not like buying a hamburger at McDonald's. It might not be 'personal' from your perspective but that's because you're the bidder, not the biddee. See I have been in your shoes but I do not believe you have been in mine (or other dealers). I have people regularly lying to me when they 'bid' shop me against dealers in, say, LA, which is not the same market for example. With 'bid shoppers' it is very common to even have the car detailed for sale only to learn that they got a better offer (say $50) and went to another dealer without telling me. Not to mention that when someone submits a 'bid' as you dryly call it, it takes time to answer. Multiply that by 10 dealers, in your case, plus counter-bidding and all the other nonesense like accessory pricing, what should be 'thrown in' and you have a real time waster on your hand and, should you prevail, a tiny paycheck and a lengthy paperwork/car prep/delivery process and a chance to get burned by a customer on a survey which provides the opportunity to personally lose money depending upon the particular pay plan. It would take too long to explain so the simplest thing from my perspective, and many others I would point out, is to just not 'play ball.'

As I also said orignally, it is one thing to get a good price, which I myself expect when I buy something, but with a price also comes service and honor.

The $200 'processing fee' of which you speak is really just a way to 'get' some more money out of the customer because it's not possible to do so in a straight forward, honorable way by, say, actually making a profit on a vehicle. And so the visious cycle continues.

If I antagonized you I apologize but I sensed a tad of smugness in your post which, when seen from the other side of the desk, doesn't feel right.

 

Nothing personal CL6, but car dealers are not generally paragons of "service and honor," and consumers have nothing to feel guilty about when it comes to squeezing every last nickel out of a deal for a car. The game has changed. Historically dealers held all the cards, but access to information has shifted the balance of leverage in the negotiation. Dealers can adapt or lose business to those who do. It's disingenuous of you to act "hurt" at the allegedly unethical actions of prospective customers - do you lay all of your books open for each customer and disclose all of the actual costs and profit sources for the cars you sell? Didn't think so.

 

Stick to the topic at hand, please. CL6 is being reasonable, stated his POV (one we often don't see around here--the dealer's perspective), and offered a mea culpa. That, frankly, is where this aspect of the discussion should end.

While dealer-customer relations is an intriguing topic, it is one that should be continued in Car Talk.

You may continue your regularly scheduled thread.

 

I have to say that I can understand both opinions about both dealers and customers. I think that more progressive dealerships have begun to disclose more, provide customers with all the information they need to make an informed decision, etc. We can probably thank the success of CarMax more than anyone for the beginnings of change in the car buying climate.

On the other hand, do we feel sorry for the midwest tourist taken for all their cash in a shell game or 3 card monty on the streets of (insert large metropolitan area here)? Every profession, including automobile sales, has people with questionable ethics who are much more interested in making a quick buck than in providing a quality product and quality service to their customers.

I work in sales for an Acura dealer, and can honestly say that I have not ever lied to sell a car, and that I provide my customers with service that is over and above what one would reasonably expect from any car dealer. I find that by doing this I get repeat and referral business which is absolutely invaluable.

Have you ever had a salesman come out to your house or work to drop off a loaner car while picking yours up for service? What about coming out to the house to train the homelink system to pick up your garage door opener's rolling code? Or answering my cell phone (my work extension forwards to it when I am off the lot) at 8:00 on a sunday evening to walk someone through a navi/HFL/MID issue?

It has also been my experience that the customers who nickel and dime every little bit of your commission away and leave you with a $100 mini are the same ones who leave the dealership convinced there was more money that you are somehow hiding from them and they are the ones who also burn your phone up for weeks on end for every little "issue" that they have. They are the ones who absolutely run you ragged for nothing. On the other hand, the ones you make $1500 off could not be happier with their vehicle and their buying experience and do not waste your time ad nauseum after their purchase.

What other industry has so much information about wholesale cost readily available to the customer? If you want that $2200 leather sectional at Havertys or Ethan Allen can you hop on the web and see exactly what they have in it? I don't mind offering discounts or deals to customers, but the ones who would begrudge me or my dealership any sort of profit (that dirty word) I would rather not even deal with. What do these people think that 5 acres of prime real estate does not have any sort of cost associated with it? What about the electricity it takes to light the showroom, service bays and lot? Floor plan costs do not factor into their ideas of "net" costs either, and don't forget that I would actually like to be paid for spending hours educating them.

Ok I am off my soap box now. BTW - in reference to the previous poster hoping the RL would be "freshened", I have been told of an RL mid-model redesign by Acura to coincide with the 09 TL and TSX redesigns. I would expect much more than a freshening of the RL based on the sluggish sales of this model. I agree that it is a great vehicle and is definitely the best value for the money, but it is clearly "just off the mark" in terms of demographic accuracy, etc. I would expect to see a longer wheelbase on this mid-model change as well as improved styling (and please do something about those basic little wheels that come standard on our $50k flagship!!)

 

I'd like to respond here since this is a conversation about RL Discount?

I'm a capitalist and understand that sellers of products need to make a profit. The purchase of a vehicle can be a win/win for both parties. I can appreciate CL6's points made about the unethical buyer never having the courtesy to even contact the dealer to tell them that they're backing out of the deal. As CL6 said, he's then stuck with a prepped car and no immediate buyer- he loses money. For savings of $50 it's incredibly short sighted of someone to go to another dealer- that's about the cost of an oil change and tire rotation; which the dealer he made the deal with would do for free anyway to retain his business. Forthrightness, honesty, integrity, loyalty, a good service department should all be rewarded not punsihed.

That said since the internet the advantage has gone to the consumer after all those years that dealers- for the most part- exploited the consumer. Consumers have poor opinions of car dealers because so many had very sleazy business practices- now many have just plain semi-sleazy business practices. WHY? For one it's what CL6 said- the $200 processing fee or document fee is made up. It's $200 of added on profit. Most people accept it or take that into consideration in the negotiation. What other "reputable" business does this?

I buy cars only from dealers I'm very comfortable with. I'll walk out of car dealers or not call people back if I sense any shenanigans. I also check with the better business bureau to make sure there aren't any complaints. I had a car salesman refuse to tell me who the owner was- I wrote the dealership a letter excoriating him for that. He's keeping the owner's name anonymous; that's insane!

I'm extremely pleased with my Acura dealer, but there are some small issues I've had with them. I now dealer with the General Sales Manager directly- some of the salepeople aren't as professional as I feel they should be. One doesn't have to be hghly educated and extremely intelligent to act extremely professionally. The sales people need to raise their "normal" standards especially when dealing with certain clientelle.

The first time I bought a car about 20 years ago the contract comes out and the dealership added an extended warranty. The sales guy said "that's how they always get processed". Not only did they never get another sale from me, but I told everyone I knew about this and cost them business.

A long time ago I once waited 59 days for "my exact car" to be delivered. The sales guy called and asked me to come in to see the car after I had called him every week for nearly 2 months wondering when the car would be in. There was a maximum 60 day wait on the contract or he'd lose my business. He had the nerve to tell me when I got there that there was $1500 worth of extras on "my car"- pin stripes and "under body sealant". I was a young kid and this was the unethical types of behavoirs that were around- still are I'm sure.

The negotiation is ridiculous and I actually do most of it on the phone now. I don't have time to waste at a car dealer.

How about some SoCal car sales people telling members her that they didn't know about the $3500 marketing incentive- discussed ad nauseum in another thread but worth a mention here. They were probably lying or deserved to be fired for being so ignorant.

An unsuspecting unsophiscated person is in an Acura dealer right now somewhere paying near list price for an RL. That's a tragedy. The sales person and dealer are taking advantage of someone due to their ignorance. That should not be.

I have no problem paying a little extra for convenience or because I like the service department. Paying $500- $1000 extra for that is a rip off. Paying $7000-$8000 extra is a near criminal act in my opinion.

Cars are a commodity- the exact same car is being sold down the road- why should there be such a dramatic difference in price?

Hey, someone help me down from this soap box. I'm done.

 

Wow, great stuff from jcbridges. You're the type of dealer I do business with. Very funny that you used the "soap box" comment in your posting also. Good service deserves comensurate pay.

 

Thanks for the tip about the RL refresh in 09. Unfortunately 09 is much longer than I want to wait

I guess I will take some time next week and do some test driving.

You know, I would be happy to pay a few hundred more than iceburg to avoid the painful song and dance. Alas I suspect that it won't be the case. I would be happy to only shop one dealer and stick to one dealer, but I know that's being overly optimistic. When buying the MDX I had to walk out before they removed the documentation fee they agreed to waive earlier. The old we got them to sign let's slide some things in when the resistance is low. It's a matter of principle. I won't deal like that and I will walk on principle.

Unfortunatey the behaviour of most dealers and some customers degrade the buying process to the lowest common denominator.

Anyways, wish me luck. I dread this part of the process.

 

Hey CL6, Do you work for a Acura dealership???

 

I do work for an Acura dealership, yes.

One last note on the poster to which I originally replied to... fact is he said he had 10 dealers bidding against each other then he just went to his local dealer to have the price matched. I just think of all that time wasted on everybody's side...

Yes dealers were orignally the unethical ones now many customers are unethical. And I am honest with my customers. If they ask whether there is money back on the RL I tell them, for example. However how it 'works' now is that when a customer comes in and if they do not ask for a 'discount' they get soaked. The unfortunate result of some people getting such good deals is that others get soaked.

Even the people who have good deals pay more for a processing fee or less for their trade or who knows what. As a salesperson I am often caught in the middle trying to make a living. Do not feel sorry for me just understand there are different sides to every story.

And as for cheap deals on the RL even at $3,500.00 below I'll be damned if I can sell one of these cars. The M35 seems to be the car de jour right now.

Today's thought is that the 'mooch' customer nearly always leaves unhappy while the 'laydown' leaves overjoyed.

 

I mean this is total BS. Please end my misery with your ridculous logic. Caveat emptor... Everyone is looking out for one's self, and the system has been set up so that you have to pit 10 dealers offers against each other. Give me an F*in break. You are delusional. Dealers setup the system, else they would be like Saturn with 1 flat price. I don't appreciate being offered MSRP when I am going to pay under invoice. I mean you are totally whacked. I have bought 3 acuras and NEVER had a good experience with the dealer, because they all of the 3 different dealears I dealt with were all as shady as the other.

As artie lange would say "WHAAAAAAAAA"

 

Well 3 bad experiences with 3 different dealers huh? Tell me what was the common denominator in all 3 purchases? Just so you know, sales people and sales managers do not "set up" any kind of system, car manufacturers do. If you don't like it then quit buying Acuras and start buying Saturns (or go to CarMax). Try this logic on for size: If you are one of those customers who "expects" to pay under invoice, why should you be given any sort of special treatment? Would you want to work for free for anyone, let alone someone who was as ungrateful as you. When you go under invoice and into "holdback" on the purchase price, who do you end up costing money? Answer: The very people you are expecting to take good care of you. Do you really expect your salesperson and sales manager to basically take care of you for free without even a thank-you for their effort?

 

Yeah I'd have to agree. You seem like the guy who comes in with a chip on his shoulder maybe. We start at MSRP because that's what it says on the window.

I know some dealers can be difficult and some sales people can be rude, but three dealers in a row? Yeah what is the common factor besides it being an Acura?

 

Gotta side with Iceburg on this one... Take a lesson from the Godfather..."It's business... Not Personal"

 

I want to thank jcbridges to have the courage to tell everyone here he works for an Acura dealer. Everything he has said has been quite reasonable and sounds remarkably candid and forthright. As I said previously he's the type of guy I like to business with. He needs to make a profit and I want to save some money.

His point is basically treat people like you want to be treated. If you're overly agressive in negotiating don't expect outstanding service. I love the earlier comments he made about actually going to the client's home and programming the Homelink for them and dropping off a loaner at the client's home. Picking up his phone on a Sunday night. This guy goes the extra mile and he should be compensated for this outstanding service.

The last 6 cars I've purchased- last 2 are Acuras- have resulted in a letter of thank you to the owner of the delearship because of the wonderful experience. I send my friends and acquaintenances there to buy and service cars. Buying a car should be the begininng of a relationship not an ending.


CL6's comment below is quite disturbing to read:

However how it 'works' now is that when a customer comes in and if they do not ask for a 'discount' they get soaked. The unfortunate result of some people getting such good deals is that others get soaked.


It's just such a bad attitude to have and an awful way to do business. This is one of the reasons car dealers don't receive respect.


jcbridges:

Why would a dealer agree to sell a 2007 RL TECH for $38.5? Would you make any money on the deal?

Is is a common practice @ your dealership to sell cars at msrp if you can? Do you feel the need to do this because as CL says- some people need to get soaked so others save money?

Thanks for being here jcbridges and appreciate your feedback.