Lore

Hey all:

I'm in the market for a TL-S in Northern California but I'm not sure how I should be pricing accessories.

Specifically, I'm looking for a moonroof visor and a rear spoiler. (I'd love to get the body kit but given my driving area -- SF, with its hills and stuff -- it wouldn't be a good idea) A dealer quoted me his prices w/ install as $75 for the visor and $573 for the spoiler.

How do I negotiate those prices with the dealer, if at all? I read somewhere that the overall car price quote that you get should not include the dealer's install charges or something like that. The person's post made it sound like I was supposed to get those accessories for "free."

Anyway, at this point the best offer I have is $250 under invoice with free mud guard and wheel lock. I don't want the mud guard so I'll ask him to give me the visor instead, but how about the rear spoiler?

Does anyone know how long the 2.9% financing will be around?

Thanks for all the help you guys can give...

VTECRRR

4-6 months away!

69tl

yea, If i were you i would wait my $.02

shimbo519

i say you should also wait, when the 04 TL comes out and if you dont like it, you can definitely get a better deal on the '03 model.

chris03tl

Thats what I originally wanted to do, but at the rate Acura is "showing off" the '04 prototype (i.e. they FINALLY decided to show it last month), Im not so sure there would be any 03's left

Also, the rumor of the large price jump kinda pushed me towards an '03..........anywhere from 32-35K for a TL. Granted, I think I see where Acura is going with the new models and pricing structure..........Id just rather pay 27,500 for an '03 TL.

-Chris

Eternal TL2k3

04 TL all the way... that thing looks hot and with 280HP as the possible standard, that wud be hot

hell even if they did 260HP standard, its smaller and lighter than the current TL so w00t

chris03tl

Dont forget, at least one year for them to get everything right

My sisters boyfriend was all into the '04 TL when he took a look at Hondas recent track record with re-designs..........example: the new Accord is having some issues. I actually heard on one forum that they've stopped production of the 6 speed V6 because apparently the trannies like to blow themselves up. Not sure how true it is, but if it is, it doesnt spell good news for Honda.

-Chris

Lore

What if I cannot wait for other reasons?

The price jump is also pushing me towards the 03, and the fact that a Type-s 04 model may not be out for a while also yells "Get the 03 while you can!"

Do you guys have any advice for someone who actually _wants_ to buy an 03 TL-S?

chris03tl

Heh..........I actually _wanted_ to buy an '03 anyway. 2.9% financing and the fact that they are going for somewhat less now (in anticipation of the '04) were my primary reasons.

Secondary reason was that the dealer I was dealing with pretty much took the price I wanted to pay (which was 200.00 less than they wanted me to pay) and said "we arent going to lose a sale over 200.00, we'll give you your price". I like when people dont screw around.

I got a "plain old" TL.........I hear the TL-S can be had for anywhere between 200 under and 200 over invoice. Not a bad deal at all.

As far as the 04: I think I see what Acura is trying to do. The RSX is the now rough-equivalent of a 3 series coupe. TSX is 3 series sedan. TL/TL-S will be aimed at 5 series (so even at 35K, it will be cheaper than what Acura intends on competing with, I think). RL (redesign coming in '05 I think) will be aimed at 7 series. Drop the CL because you dont need it. Next thing we know, Acura will be coming out with their own version of the S2000 (the Z4 needs competition you know).

Its all BMWs fault!!!!

-Chris

Lore

chris03tl:

When did you get your TL? How much did you end up paying? (exact price?)

Did you get any accessories? Did you even bother haggling, or did you just say "okay, this is what I want to pay, take it or leave it"

chris03tl

Actually just picked it up a week ago

For a TL no-nav, with wheel locks I ended up paying 27,500. Dunno how good that price is..........if I look around hard enough I see people that somehow got invoice, but if you look hard enough you'll find anything.

As far as haggling, there was none. I called the other Acura dealers in my area..........they gave me the same price over the phone. But there was a certain dealer I wanted to deal with, because they have lifetime free oil changes on new cars, and one of the best Acura service depts. in the state. They were 200.00 higher than everyone else...........I told them I wanted to pay 27,500 for the car, regardless of extra services they offer, etc. They agreed. The whole thing took about 35 minutes (I did it on my lunch break from work one day). Just had to make sure the wife liked driving it (unfortunately, its her car ), pick a color (ehem.........."Anthracite only please"), and wait for the paperwork.

Oddly enough, this wasnt my quickest new car deal........for my Accord the dealer took the best price I had, said he would knock 75.00 off and throw in floor mats. The first time I even saw the salesman was when I went to test drive *my* (I had put a deposit on it over the phone) new Accord

Its too easy to spend so much money nowadays.

-Chris

Lore

I just got an email today from one of the many dealer I had been communicating with -- the most "truthful" and communicative of the bunch -- and they told me that $250 under invoice is my quote, but depending on the model I want they may be willing to slash that even lower.

They said that they currently have more than 70 TLs in stock and $250 under invoice is the highest I will pay...

Armed with that information, I'm trying to figure out how to work an accessory or two into my final price, and so far I'm still not sure how to approach that.

Should the price I get for accessories be very low, etc? Should it be "free"? Can it be?

Lore

Chris:

I forgot to ask - did you finance it? If so, how much down did you put, and what term?

chris03tl

finances at 2.9% for 60 months. Put almost half down (getting married can be profitable).

250 under invoice is a good deal.........Im still at a loss as to why I couldnt find any non-Type S TL's under invoice, but they are seemingly "giving away" the Type-S model. Maybe just because they make an additional 2K anyway.

As far as accessory prices, when buying the car they will probably charge you dealer invoice on the accessory itself (which is no big bargain), and if you're lucky they wont charge labor (if they are going to, mention that you shouldnt have to pay for labor on something that technically could have come from the factory.........might make them realize that YOU realize adding stuff when buying a car shouldnt be any different than if you ordered a car with the accessory already).

70 TLs in stock? I believe it...........our dealer had a bunch, but most of them were _off_ in some way..........i.e. wrong color, nav system, Type S, etc.

Good luck!!!
-Chris

Tom Blasing

Lore-

I just got a Dimaond White Pearl TL-S Last week and here's what happened.

It was really wierd because the first dealer I went to turned out to be the lowest.

It was a total of $29,052.33 no Navi and with the $500 delivery (an awful lot to truck it in from $130 miles away, but the truck drivers have their union too I guess).

That included the mud guards, wheel locks, cargo net but no trunk mat. The car they ordered in for me from Lexington Kentucky wasn't sent up here with one in it so I just turned around and bought one at Pep Boys for $20. Get this, my salesman included the window sticker for the "Protection Package" (that's what they call the stuff listed above) and it had an MSRP of $497!! I bet I could have bought all that stuf for under $100. BUt hey, it was almost all free.

I was told the 2.9% financing is over as of the end of April. I got in just under the wire when my salesman processed the paperwork on April 30th so I could pick it up on May 8th. Before the 2.9% deal was on it was something like 4.7%. But heck that's about what used cars are going for. The first salesman I talked to at the same dealership a few months before led me to believe that the "0% financing for XX months" deals really don't apply to an upper class of car as this is.

Lore

$29,052 w/o Navi is the dealer invoice, I believe. The number looks very familiar from all my number crunching in Excel. =)

I was offered the mud guards and wheel locks as well. I think I'll ask them to give me one with wheel locks and a moonroof visor instead, and then I'll try to figure out how much it'll be to add a spoiler. I've gotten quoted $573 and $629 as the price to get the spoiler installed (two different dealerships).

Someone also told me that @ 2.9%, there's no reason to put any money down. You can probably do better by investing the down payment into something that will yield more than 2.9% after 60 months. Any thoughts on that?

And 2.9% is good till the end of May you mean, right?

Tom Blasing

No, I was told 2.9% was done at the end of April. As fro where to invest the downpayment I wouldn't have a clue. I leave all that up to my accountant.

I forgot to say before that I put down a payment of $14,200. Over 60 months that brought the monthly's to just under $300.

Lore

Well, 2.9% is still going on now, which is why I'm asking.

Thanks for the info.

chris03tl

That makes sense financially........the only problem is, not much yields 2.9% anymore you *could* probably take out a certificate of deposit for a very long term, and maybe get 2.9%. The problem there is your money is tied up anyway, so why not just give it to Honda to begin with?

On the other hand, if you financed the whole thing, you would always have the option of making extra payments, which lowers the amount of finance charge you'll have, in effect lowering the financing percentage. I dont have the formulas so I cant say exactly how much, but it would be at least something.

I chose to do the big down payment, because Id rather not have a 600.00/month car payment. Thats something to think about too..........because the financing was so low, I put down about the same amount I did on my 2000 Accord, financed about 3K more, and the payment only came out to ~30.00 more per month.

FWIW, I know they carried the 2.9 over into May. And we financed about 17K.......the Honda paperwork says the finance charge over 5 years will be 1300.00. I like that #.

-Chris

Lore

I found out that the 2.9% financing is good through the end of June, at least according to the Honda Financial Center website.

I think a CD for a 48-60 month term would yield close to 5%, so you'd make out on that. And you're right, monthly payments would be a ton. But the way I calculated it, my monthly payments would only be $150 higher if I don't put a down of 20%, all that I am willing/capable of giving to Honda.

chris03tl

Yeah, there is probably a point where there is a "break even" or even a "profit" if you go with the 2.9%. With a high down payment, it seems that you might be better off sticking with the low financing.

48-60 month CD yielding 5%? Ill have to find me one of them Although my credit union is givng 4%.........so technically I could have made 1.1%. But at that point my payments would be doubled (because we put half down). Id rather have 2.9% financing..........especially with todays job market (easier to pay 300/month without a job than 600/month).

-Chris

Lore

"With a high down payment, it seems that you might be better off sticking with the low financing"

Could you explain that sentence a little? I don't understand it.

I also posted a thread in the Anandtech Forums (Off Topic) in case any of you frequent that board.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messagev...03&STARTPAGE=1

Someone there was able to get their moonroof visor installed for $66 and rear spoiler installed for $566. That's slightly better than the prices I was offered, but I guess that's negotiable by using the "If I had ordered these from the factory they would come for no installation costs"

About the CD; the last time I checked the rates for a 10k investment was about 4.x%, and I think it might be higher for a longer term like 60 months. I'll check again.

chris03tl

Sorry, its nothing mathematical

Ive just always subscribed to putting down the most I can without feeling uncomfortable financially. Plus a high down payment limits the amount you need to finance, hence limiting how much Honda makes off of us aside from those lovely "XXk mile services" that we have to pay for. Your way makes sense too.........why drop the cash when it can collect interest. Id rather just have the higher one time charge and a lower monthly payment. I look at the car payment in %-age values..........if by financing a larger amount my payment is 380 vs. 240 with a smaller amount, its "only" 140.00 different, but 140/240 * 100 = 58%. Thats a large difference

As for the accessories............the moonroof visor is cheap in general, and I think you might be able to install it yourself (unless you just dont want to touch the car). 40.00 on Ebay for the part. If Acura is agreeing to put it in labor free, then they are a decent deal.

The rear spoiler is a pain no matter what way you cut it...........the part is expensive, and it takes a fair amount of time to install (about an hour or an hour and a half). I went without the spoiler on my Accord, and just kept checking Ebay for a factory (not factory "like") wing. Eventually I found one, the guy even painted it to match my car.......and I got a good deal too.

Or, you might just want to finance those accessories into the cost of the car

Good luck!!! Cant wait to see pics of the new car.

-Chris

Lore

When you guys go test drive cars do you provide them with a copy of your license? And if so, how do you prevent them from pulling a credit check on you with that information? Do they need the SSN in order to pull a check?

I went to drive another 3.2TL-S today (the color I want) and then test drove an Accord on the way back to see the difference. The Acura dealer didn't ask for my license but the Accord dealer did, and I'm paranoid about them pulling a credit check on me without my authorization.

I negotiated with Oakland Acura today but I wasn't too happy with their salespeople. I dealt with the Fleet Manager but I just didn't feel comfortable with him. I offered him $31000 with the rear spoiler and moonroof visor installed and he said he'd get back to me but he thinks it'll need to be higher.

Stevens Creek Acura offered me $250 under invoice ($30760) with the possibility of going lower. Dealer holdback is about $1000 on this Type S. I figure dealer cost is about $30000, so I'll give them $1000 for the accessories and some profit left over. They can split it however the want, but I don't think labor is worth $120 an hour. They certainly don't pay their techs that much.

Any thoughts, guys?

chris03tl

They made a copy of my license, but I think its mostly for insurance purposes. If they ran a credit check, I would be surprised........I actually handed them a credit card to use for a deposit, but they didnt charge the card until my wife gave the OK on the car (2 days later).

As far as pricing, I assume you are looking at the TL-S with nav? Carsdirect.com says they can get me one (in my zip code) for 30,630 (price for car only)........a tad less than what they want for your car. I think its best if you stick with the good car price, and then try to knock them down on the accessories. Even at the dealer high prices, the spoiler and moonroof visor installed should be a lot less than 1K, so I wouldnt even give them the extra profit. They make plenty of profit on their own that isnt advertised to us (as far as I know).

But it looks like with those accessories installed and that 30,760 price for the car you'll be looking at about 31,300. Still not a bad deal!!!

-Chris

mushutofu

Hey Lore. I live in San Francisco TOO. Bought my TL-s last week. I got the body kit and spoiler for 1950 installed. Thats pretty much how much the employees get it for. The lady hooked it up. I bought my car at MIKE HArvey Acura. MAke sure you ask for Raquel Lopez. Shes hella nice and doesn't rip you off. You can tell her I sent ya. PM if you want to know more details.

mushutofu

Holy crap!! You are paying way too much

mushutofu

BTW rim locks, cargo net, and floor mats are all standard where I got my car from. Free ACURA TL keychain too!

Lore

What price did you end up paying for your TL-S?

mushutofu

30,500

this is invoice price for a TL-S with a Navi

Lore

Wait, you paid $30,500 with your accessories? Or you paid $30,500 for the car itself and then some more for your accessories?

$30,500 is about $500 under invoice, not dealer invoice.

[edit: nevermind, you did not include destination on your price, so $30,500 is the correct invoice amount]

mushutofu

I paid 30,500 for a TL-S w/o navi but with a body kit and spoiler.

Also, ig you mention Dealer invoice they will kust dismiss it as a myth even though I agree with you that there is one.

30,500 is the invoice price that is stated for a TL-S w/navi. However most people would agree that that figure is probably a little higher since dealers get a greater discout when bulk purchasing form the company.

Lore

Who is your insurance provider? Are you paying out of the wazoo for insurance in SF? I just ran a quick online quote via Progressive and it quoted me almost $1600 per 6 month period. YIKES!

mushutofu

I pay 1750 per 6 months!!!! Currently I'm using state farm. They are hella expensive but the service is good.

Lore

My goodness... those are crazy prices. Agh! Maybe it's time to ask the 'rents for a favor -- "buy my car for me and I'll pay you the monthly payments + insurance at YOUR discounted rate!"

mushutofu

What can you do? You gotta pay what you gotta pay. I just graduated form college and this is the first car that I bought. No regrets so far.

Lore

Yeah, I'm just about to graduate from Cal...

mushutofu

I'm going to Cal's graduation this Friday and Saturday. I'm gonna buy a mgazine before I go
I just finished from UCSD

Tom Blasing

Insurance?? I'm shelling out a whopping $365/ 6 months!:p But the again, I'm 37 and haven't been pulled over by a cop in over ten years.

Speaking of magazines...didn't I read a post on here some time back about a publication that was dedicated to Acura's??

Lore

Yah, I think I'm going to talk to my parents about the insurance issue. No sense in spending more money than I need.