I'm new here, so first let me say hello to all. I've decided that I want one of these cars, but after lurking it seems that many in
this area are paying near list. Why is that?
I've never leased a car before, so I need help. Thanks!!

 

Hi, Welcome. I live in South Jersey. '02 TL-S w/Navi, WDP w/ parchment. Emailed and faxed all dealers within two hours. Rec'd some nice offers. One of the better ones was from Montclair Acura, internet sales man Joe. The only problem was their accessories are too high - wanted $900 for the spoiler. I purchased in Willow Grove, PA, an hour's drive for me. $33600 Total OTD which included the spoiler, NJ tax and reg. Good Luck.

 

If you've never leased a car before, you need some help - dealers can do very funny things with leases that end up costing you big bucks. Be aware that *all* leases are the same, there is no such things as a "NY/NJ lease." Dealers can't play games with the money factor or residuals given to them by Acura, but they can do a lot of other damage by slapping on silly fees and burying other charges that don't belong in the lease.

I've leased four times and have it down to a science. See my topic on my Lease Calculator - NEVER EVER walk into a dealer and sign a lease without a tool or spreadsheet like this.

 

One of the better ones was from Montclair Acura, internet sales man Joe.
I emailed Montclair Acura a few days ago from
the Acura site, but never got a reply from a real person, just the form letter. Did you used another site?

Dealers can't play games with the money factor or residuals given to them by Acura
Are you sure about this? I've seen different money factors here, but they may not have been from dealers. What is the residual value set by Acura?



<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by muadib on May 12, 2001 @ ]</font>

 

 

I got a reply from Mari today, and will give her a call on Monday. Willow Grove is about 90 minutes from me. To save a few hundred bucks, it would be well worth the trip.

 

Be careful at Montclair if you deal with Mari. I got the impression that Joe is the senior sales person.
Don't worry, I will. She's probably new. Turnover is high in the car biz. I guess that's why she had attitude with you.

Anyway, if it doesn't work out, try Sussman Acura in Willow Grove, PA and ask for Marisa Mirarchi. Good Luck and let me know how you made out.
If I have to go the PA route I'll give Marisa
a call. I'll post back after I call to Mari.

 

The money factors and residuals are set by Acura, but dealers can still play games with them. Case in point...

Say you want a 36 month lease. The residual and money factor will be the same regardless of what Acura dealer you go to. But... these figures may be slightly higher or lower depending on whether you want 12,000 or 15,000 miles per year.

Dealers play "don't ask, don't tell."

You think you're paying the factors on the 15K mile lease, when bang, the dealer "accidently" uses the figures for the 12K lease, which means a higher residual and money factor - and more money in his pocket.

When you question him, he says is a simple error and you're back to where you should be.

Little "errors" like this can cost you serious dollars over the course of the lease.

 

Be careful at Montclair if you deal with Mari. I got the impression that Joe is the senior sales person. She kept telling me that she had to check with Joe for certain questions. Anyway, if it doesn't work out, try Sussman Acura in Willow Grove, PA and ask for Marisa Mirarchi. She had patience and really was very helpful. Good Luck and let me know how you made out.

 

Wow, that's downright evil Xorg. I recently saw that Acura has a calculator on their site. Is it dead on as long as you use the right figures, or it is just a ploy?

 

i got a good deal at ocean acura. i leased for 370 a month

 

How much did you put down to get at $370/per.

 

i think it was 2,000

 

There is no way to tell if you got a deal or not simply from the monthly payment. Sure, you may have low monthly payments, but what's the interest and residual? Are the fees rolled into the payment (meaning you pay interest on them each month) or did you pay them up front? Was your money down applied to the final negotiated price of the car, or did the dealer use up your downpayment to pay fees (that go right into his pocket.)

A good lease deal is not easy or simple to figure out.

 

Muadib> The very best thing you can do is to hand your dealer a worksheet, and him put all the money factors and residuals down in writing.

The columns should present annual mileage (typically 12K or 15K), money factors, residuals, and lease term. The money factors and residuals will vary based on the other factors.

 

Be careful at Montclair
You were right on the money. Mari was very nice, but was nothing more than window dressing. Joe did all the real talking, and didn't want to move from list. Total waste of my time unless you count the time spent gawking at Mari & the NSX. Talk about Hot... Oh well, the search continues.

 

There is no way to tell if you got a deal or not simply from the monthly payment. Sure, you may have low monthly payments, but what's the interest and residual?
I listed that in my other topic.

The columns should present annual mileage (typically 12K or 15K), money factors, residuals, and lease term. The money factors and residuals will vary based on the other factors.
What do you mean by money factors and residuals? I thought the money factor was just another term for interest rate. I was given .00302 or 7.25%. I thought the residual was a figure set by Honda, and couldn't be changed.

 

Do what I did - fax a spreadsheet with your offer to all the dealers in your area, one will bite - especially as the end of the month approaches and sales quotas remain unfilled :-)