Im gonna be leasing the 02 TL-S in about 2-3 weeks and I really need to get the latest deals around NY?NJ area. Any kind of info would be really appreciated. Im planning to get a silver one with navi. Alos, if i live in NY and lease a car in NJ.. what is the tax that I will be paying? Help me out people. Thanks in advance.

 

Check out this topic from yesterday... this calculator should be able to help you!!

http://www.acura-tl.com/forum/showth...threadid=17288

 

i live in central jersey. i leased my 01 TL from acura of Sommerville
my payments were 500 down + all fees and security deposit.
my monthly payment is for $420 for 42 months.
i have the basic TL with navi.

I got this deal november 99.

i dont know if this helps

 

First, good choice! Go for the Type S, it's great!

When leasing, ALWAYS negotiate the price of the car, not the payments. Once you arrive at the price, then you can calculate the payment using the money factor and residual figures. Ask the dealer, they have to give you these figures. And don't let them tell you about the "fees" the dealership charges. Use the lease calculator in this thread, or search other threads, they are out there to be found.
Email or fax attack every dealer within your comfortable range. I'll bet you get some great responses. Play them off of one another. But again, ask for the price first, don't let them know you might lease.

The days of spending 3 hours in a dealership are over! I emailed and faxed my way into an '02 TL-S, I only went to the dealer to sign and drive (20 Minutes!).

The tax you pay will be the tax for your home state. I live in NJ, purchased in PA and paid NJ tax.

Good Luck!

 

OOPS! Forgot to tell you, in the NJ area, a TL-S w/Nav can be gotten for about $31-32,000. Don't pay more. I paid $31250, before I added the spoiler.

 

you should go to ocean acura here in nj. great price. better than the one in new brunswick. i got my tl s for 369 a month. and $3000 down. and its for 42 months.

 

Not so sure I agree with all that's said here, but everyone has their own preferences.

I go for a target payment. This, after all, is what I'm going to pay. I may want to check that the figures make sense, but I'm not going to argue over all the figures, as long as the payment is what I want.

In fact, my dealer had me sign the lease agreement 3 times, after picking up the car, because he kept re-working the figures to make it better for him with Honda Finance !.

I was NOT interested in the residual as I will not be buying it after the lease is over. I'll either lease a new one or buy one. This means they can keep the residual as high as possible, thus reducing the depreciation, lowering the payments.

If you go to Acura.com you can use their lease calculator, which can include the price of add-ons.

I did this, took a 10% deduction off the purchase price and it showed a payment of $480 per month. I then squeezed them to $475.

Blue TL Type S with Nav, 15,000 miles per year, Rear Deck Spoiler, Underbody Spoiler Kit, $1,500 down payment, $475 per month, 36 Months.

Hope that helps.

 

Brit> If you simply go for the lease payment - I guarantee that you're being screwed.

If you don't pay attention to the money factor, residual, and other fees and charges, you WILL be ripped off. Send me your lease terms from any previous lease, and I'll show you exactly what you actually paid and to who, and what you COULD have paid.

I *guarantee* you could have saved at LEAST $50-75/month if you focused on the car's price and the associated lease fees rather than your monthly payment.

I makes no difference whether you buy at lease end or not - do you wany your lease payment to pay for the actual lease you use, or do you want your money going into the dealer's pocket as pure profit?

Also, signing any document three times is asking for trouble!

Also, every lease calculator I've used on the net (including Leasesource.com and Acura.com) EXCLUDES half of the info you need to really figure out what you're paying - the dealers have this info - why don't you?

Also remember that Acura.com figures the lease payments based on the car's MSRP - do you really want your lease payments based on that??

 

Xorg < As I said .... 'Not so sure I agree with all that's said here, but everyone has their own preferences'

Obviously you don't think the same. Anyone who thinks different is wrong ?

Xorg said "If you simply go for the lease payment - I guarantee that you're being screwed."

OK, lets see, you tell me what is the best lease price for my spec.
2002 TL Type S with Nav, Rear Deck Spoiler, Underbody Spoiler Kit, First oil change included, 15,000 Mles per year, 36 months, $1500 down, $475 per month.

All I'm interested in is if anyone has a lower payment (with same/similar down payment). Nothing else matters. Not how much the dealer makes, not how much Honda makes, not what the finanace charges is, JUST WHAT I PAY.

Xorg said "If you don't pay attention to the money factor, residual, and other fees and charges, you WILL be ripped off."

Being ripped off is determined by what I am paying, NOTHING ELSE ! am I paying too much, anyone tell me ?
I'm always interested in getting balanced responses from others.

Xorg said "I *guarantee* you could have saved at LEAST $50-75/month if you focused on the car's price and the associated lease fees rather than your monthly payment."

Well you have the challenge above, I'm waiting to hear from you.

Xorg said "I makes no difference whether you buy at lease end or not".

You are wrong. I know I will NOT buy at lease end and thus I want the highest residual value possible. This value is NOT always cast in stone and can be manipulated by the dealer. The majority of your payment is based on the depreciated value of the car. If you purchase the car for $40K and after 3 years they say it will be worth $38K (A stupid example but it proves my point), your payments will be very, very low.

Xorg said "- do you wany your lease payment to pay for the actual lease you use, or do you want your money going into the dealer's pocket as pure profit? ".

I don't care, I only want to know how much it costs me and does the price reflect the services provided. Who gets the money, Honda, Dealer, etc. does not interest me.

Xorg said "Also, signing any document three times is asking for trouble!"

I agree, that's why I have a signed cover letter from the dealer stating the reasons why the lease paperwork was re-done and confirming that the previous paperwork was cancelled.

Xorg said "Also remember that Acura.com figures the lease payments based on the car's MSRP - do you really want your lease payments based on that??"

Wrong, it allows you to enter your own purchase price, after they have calculated the MSRP.

The two biggest factors in a lease rate are the Purchase price and its difference from the residual. Within reason, a small interest rate variation or misc. charges, vary the rate little compared to these two points.

Of course, if you may buy the car at the end of the lease, then my approach is NOT good, as the residual value becomes important and then other items (as Xorg says) become more important.

Questions : "why do people think a different opinion is an insult against those you differ with?"

 

BritBoyinUSA,

Was the $1,500 just a cap cost reduction or did it include tax, tag, title, and registration? If not included how much more did you have to pay?

 

After reading this post, I'm glad I bought - I tried to play the lease game but became lost in all the #s

The bottom line is being able to buy within your comfort zone and enjoy it thereafter. I haven't read too many posts where someone states that they got the exact same great deal as the next guy. So if you can afford to be ripped off/negotiate differently (with a british accent ), enjoy

 

Brit> You're missing the point and may not appreciate how leasing works. I'm paying $125/month LESS than you are on my lease, and my terms aren't far from yours. Guess why.

I'll say again - if you tell a dealer you're going for the lowest monthly payment on a lease, you will and ARE being screwed - it doesn't matter if you're buying the car lease end or not, in fact, that argument doesn't even enter into the equation.

You also seem to imply that the residuals and money factors are variable and can be altered by a dealer - they CAN'T, and if you believe your dealer did this for you, it just proves my point!

Here is the bottom line: WHAT ARE YOU PAYING FOR? Not "What are you paying." It makes an enormous difference where your money is going each month - all of it should go to Honda Finance. If you "don't care", then of course a dealer will get his fingers into the pie!

Are you paying a fair and reasonable price for the percentage of the car's value that you are using up over the course of your lease? Based on what you've posted here, I doubt it.

Simply saying or asking: "Who is paying less than me based on the same down payment/price" is inane, because there a least ten other factors involved.

Case in point: I told two dealers I wanted to put $2,500 down. One came back with a lease payment of $455/month, the other with $399/month. SAME DOWNPAYMENT. Why? Because it makes a HUGE difference what they apply that down payment to - the price of the car, or the associated lease fees, and they won't tell you that unless you pay attention and ask.

What if (like you) I simply focused on the lease payment itself and the dealer quotes I received were $429, $405, $419, $399? Is $399 the "best" rate, when I could have gotten the car for $359 if I did my homework and figured out where my lease money was going and did some real negotiations based on the COMPLETE FACTS and will ALL of the terms and factors involved in the lease?

You would NEVER get this kind of rate and savings by walking into any dealer and saying 'All I care about is the lowest monthly payment.'


Also, the two biggest factors in any lease are the money factor and the residual value - those are SET by the manufacturer and can NOT be changed by a dealer - again, focusing on the monthly payment will cost you dearly, because dealers will pad the lease - why would you ignore or want this??

Dealers can manipulate figures like crazy to make any lease deal sound great - until you dig deep and see what they are actually doing with your money.


So prove me wrong. Send me your lease figures from your Truth in Lending document, I'll plug them into my spreadsheet (which is based on what a dealer uses and sees, not some crappy web based calculator), and I will show you what EXACTLY you're paying for each month, and what you could have been paying if you focused on all of the variables you should have when signing the lease.

Or not, be stubborn, and insist that you weren't screwed because your monthly payment is "low" at $479/month.

I'm not attacking you or insulting you for "thinking different", I'm pointing out the flaws in your approach towards leasing, and why it probably cost you money you could have kept in your wallet each month. :-)

 

Xorg < OK, I think we agree we both have different approaches and goals.

I really don't care where the money goes, as long as I get value for money. What is value for money ?

Simple VFM = $1500 + (36 x $475) = $17,100

for 36 months of a TL Type S, with Nav, with rear deck spoiler, with underbody spoiler kit, with 15,000 miles per year.

Includes first oil change free and all tax's, tags, title and registration fee's.

Bottom line, it costs me $17,100 over 3 years to drive this beauty. And, I think I got a pretty good deal. The best deal ? may be not ! The worst deal, definitely not !

I used the same technique with 5 dealers and non could match this deal. In fact one told me the dealer had made a mistake as he could not get close to this deal. This alone tells me the deal was OK. Every dealer wants your business. A very sinple rule is get a quote then tell another dealer he has to beat it. If he can, he will ! If he can't you probably have a pretty good deal. This is the easiest 'Have I got a good deal' thermometer.

Overall "doggdoc" has it right ... buy within your comfort zone and enjoy it thereafter.

Xorg, you said you are paying $125 less and your terms aren't far different from mine"

I do not think you got a TL Type-S (as above) for much less than $17,100 ?

I've posted all I'm paying and what I get for it, you post ALL you are paying and what you get for it. Then we can see how advantageous your approach is.

By the way, a residual IS variable. Many manufacturers have multiple finance programs at any one time. Each program can have a different residual and interest rate. Ask your dealer, he'll confirm this. Also, many dealers have specific programs available due to their relationship (Volume) with the manufacturer. I'm not sure if in these packages the money factor varies, but the residual and interest rate does.

Lets see your figures and see how they compare.

This is not for any self orientated satisfaction. I only replied to this post because I'd like to think we could all help provide new Acura drivers with some information which will make their car buying process as pleasant as possible.

 

This is a public forum where many people want to learn how to negotiate a lease deal before they go to the dealer, and BritBoy I think you are doing a lot of viewers in this forum injustice by advising "give me the best deal" in front of a salesman.
People, please do your homework by knowing the differences between the residual value, money factor, depreciation.... etc. before you hit any of the dealerships, or like Xorg said " I guarantee that you will be screwed."
-A

 

Certainly not trying to do anyone an injustice, just wanting to show the technique I used. Everyone is free to use their own technique or be prepared in any way they can.

I agree, knowing the terms, how they are used and more importantly what values they should/can be, is very important.

But as I said, If you think you have a good deal and then shop around to see if it can be beaten, this is a pretty good test. Dealers everywhere want your business and if they can get it they will. May be they only beat it by $10 at first, then go back and around again, until you feel you've got the best you can get.

Back this with common sense, know the value of your car, get a reasonable discount, make sure the finance rate is reasonable and pay attention to your own requirements (Mileage, Residual, Will you buy, etc.) and this should stand you in good stead.

Of course, if we all posted what we got and how much we paid for it (as above), this would be the best information we could supply to anyone. Then they could see what is possible !

 

Brit> In fact, I do have a new 2002 TLS, and my total payments will be just over $15,000 ($359*42) over the course of my lease.

So whose "opinion" and approach resulted in a better deal? Looks like I'll have around $2,000 more than you at lease end - and that's enough to buy a nice new 40" HDTV for my living room :-)

FACT: The money factor and residual are set by the manufacturer and the dealer can NOT change these figures. However, these figures do change based on the terms you agree to, in particular, length of the lease, whether or not you pay a deposit, and how many miles you want each year.

Did you try asking your dealer for a 90% residual so you could only pay $70/month? If he could play with the residual, why don't we see better lease rates for people who definitely don't want to buy the car at lease end?? Why aren't residuals negotiable or higher if you agree not to buy the car when you sign? Because they are FIXED by the manufacturer - who could care less if you buy the car at lease end or not when you sign the lease - its a non-issue in respect to your lease deal and monthly payment.

FACT: There are variables which are negotiable, and there variables which are not negotiable. The only way to get the "best deal" is to impact those variables you can control.

FACT: The variable a buyer has the most control over is the out-the-door price of the car. Not the money factor, not the residual, not the monthly payment - the price of the car.

FACT: The ONLY way to get the lowest possible price on a car (and by default the lowest possible lease payment) is to never mention leasing, financing, or buying when setting the purchase price of the car.

To do otherwise hands the dealer control over a lot of variables very early on the negotiating process, and before they need to know this information, meaning you get a BAD DEAL, because you have far less control over the process.

FACT: Every consumer magazine, every expert car site (i.e. edmunds.com), and every car buying service stresses the extreme importance of getting the car's price set in stone before mentioning leasing. See above.

FACT: Dealers routinely pad leases and LOVE to work with people who don't ask questions - which means that you get a BAD DEAL. How do I know this? This is my fourth lease, and I worked at a dealership (for a very short time thank God!) so I know all the games and the tricks dealers play.

FACT: I have a great lease with the LOWEST possible monthly payment. I know this for CERTAIN. Why? Because I got the lowest possible price for my car ($29,750) set in writing, and only then did I mention I wanted to lease the car, and when I did, I represented the dealer with the lease terms I wanted in complete detail right down to the penny.

Notice that I *controlled* the entire process, and I didn't give the dealer an inch of room to play games with my money or my monthly payment. I completed the entire deal by fax and phone in under 15 minutes with a reputable dealer who respected that I did my homework, and I was in and out of the dealership in 20 minutes with my new ride.

FACT: You're doing no one a "service" here by leading them into a slaughter at dealership by giving them bad advice and inaccurate leasing information.

Comparing monthly lease payments is completely useless without knowing the facts behind them. Makes no more sense than two people buying a house for $200,000, when one guy's house is like new, and the other one is infested with termites and a has cracked foundation. But gee, they both paid the same right? :-)

 

OK,

Did you get a rear deck spoiler ?
Did you get the underbody spoiler kit ?
Did you get the Nav system ?
Did you get 15000 miles per year ?
Did this include tax's, tag, license & fees ?

Also, my price included the labor for the installation of all spoilers. No other out of pocket expenses.

Even if you did get all of these .... you did say that you paid $2500 down, that added to your payments is > $17,500.

Plus, you'll have to keep your for an extra 6 months while I'm enjoying my new 2005 TL

So all your 'facts' prove to nothing !

Oh, and by the way, your analogy ... $200K house, what are you trying to say ... we both paid the same but my car has termites and cracks

 

I'll tell you what - take a class in Auto Leasing 101, then we'll talk again.

Again, if you're so sure that you got a good deal with your approach - send me the figures from your Truth In Lending statement and I'll show you what you could have paid.

We're most interested in finding out what your out-the-door price was and what kinds of fees the dealer hid in your lease payments.

But I guess that I, the dozens of other people here who leased their cars the right way, Edmunds.com, Consumers Union, Car & Driver, Motor Trend, epinions.com, and dozens of other car buying and car enthusiast sites are wrong regarding how to lease cars to get the best deal, and you're right.

Are you sure you're not a dealer?

 

Xorg,

Look, I stated what I bought and what I paid.

You haven't ! I wonder why ? you seem to be avoiding stating what you actually bought ? hmmmm,

If you got all I got, at a price less than mine, then post it. Then everyone will benefit. I don't mind finding that a great knowledgeable negotiator such as yourself got a great deal. It'll only serve to show all the others what can be done if they have your knowledge( and lease calculator).

Also, you could post the name of the dealer, so that anyone within a 500 mile radius could contact him and get the same deal as you, if they wanted.

But of course you will not do this, as you didn't get all the additions I got !

Simple really ...

Oh yeh, of course you have to stand behind your approach, I mean you are selling your lease calculator as the be all and end all of lease buying.

'Put up or shut up', isn't that what they say.

My figures are out for all to see, what I got and what I paid for it. If anyone got different figures, let everyone know. That's what the forum is here for. Not for some guy to say, send me your lease and I'll tell you how much you could have saved.

Also, I have never claimed that any other method is better or worse, I've only presented what I did and what it got for me. So don't miss quote me.

 

This might help:

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/leasin...3/article.html

http://www.leasetips.com/

http://www.carinfo.com/

http://www.leaseguide.com/index2.htm

http://www.cfla-acfl.ca/lights/

http:// http://www.carbuyingtips.com/

 

I can see I'm wasting my time, WITH YOU.

You will not post your figures, "What you got, What you paid"

I wonder why.

No need to go on further with you, as you are obvioulsy a 'Because I say so guy'.

SO all we can presume is that you paid more than $17,500 over 42 months for a car with less spec than mine !

And if you didn't, then give ALL the forum members the benefit of your results, by posting them here and providing a contact number for the dealer, so that they can get the same deal.

Hey, you may be able to talk the dealer in to giving you a kick back for bringing the business to him

 

You know, all I wanted were some numbers and some advice. I definetly got plenty of it in this topic. Thanks to everyone, and come on..stop arguing.. you both got a great car ( which hopefully im getting too), so enjoy it. The dealer, from who i alredy got two cars ( 01 civics) told me to bring him the cheapest possible but real price and hell try to match it. So Ill just bring him whatever you guys payed and see if I can get the same deal. Im a freaking finance major, going for my masters soon and Im confused as hell from all the bull that the dealers try to pull on u. Also, if anyone has a copy of what a fax attack sheet should look like, pleace email it to me or post it here. And from what I see I should not mention in it that Im planning to lease? Just that I want a Silver TLS with navi for 30,500 before taxes title and stuff. And then once we set the price tell them that I am leasing?

 

Serge,

I agree, we should have each others interests at heart.

Good luck with your 'negotiations'. As I said, if a dealer can beat an offer, he will.

Once you get an offer you think is good, just try phoning/faxing it to a dealer out of town. Tell them the offer you have and ask if they can beat it. I did this with guys 100 - 150 miles away, so they knew I would drive that distance for the right deal and they all told me to buy from the local dealer. And, I didn't tell them where I was located, in case the dealers had anything to do with each other. Having 3 dealers tell you they could not beat it, will give you some feeling that you've done a pretty good job. Of course, it may not be the best, but as others have said, if it works for you, GREAT.

If you do want any more detailed information about my 'package', please feel free to e-mail me and I'll send it to you.

BritBoy.

 

BritBoy I just emailed you. Xorg, can you please post your exact numbersfrom your lease so I can use them during the negotiations? Also which dealer did u get it at, cause I am willing to travel to connecticut if the price is right.

 

Use caution when comparing other people's numbers, because some of the variables can change. For example, my TLs has the same equipment as BritBoyInUSA, but I am paying $75 more each month for a 48 month lease. This is due to 3 factors:

1) I was only able to get about $1000 off MSRP for the car (bought it 2 weeks after it came out)

2) I didn't put anything down - just first month's payment and security deposit.

3) When I got my TLS, the standard money factors from AHFC were terrible - .00362, which is almost 9% interest.

In particular, when looking at other people's deals, be aware that the money factor can fluctuate from month to month. Also, I believe it is sensitive to your credit score, just as interest rates are. I have an over 750 FICO score, so that wasn't the problem for me.

Also, BritBoyInUSA is somewhat correct in that you can shop around the money factor and the residual. The pair is generally fixed for any given lender, but you may find, for example, that one leasing company has a higher residual value, and a higher money factor. I think in general, though, these will offset each other, so you should end up paying about the same (simple economics - by offering a higher residual, they are taking a chance the car won't be worth that much, so they make up for that by charging a higher money factor).

 

i am new here and also looking to lease a type-s. i really would like to find out how much the dealers are asking over invoice.

running Britboy's numbers backwards it appears that he paid around $900 over invoice. this was based on 58% residual and .0030 lease factor, plus a guestimate on the cost of the add-ons (based on the prices in the parts pages). i used the numbers from edmunds for msrp and invoice. i plugged it into "the car lease calculator" - shareware from kjsoftware you can download off the web. not a bad deal, no way to tell if you can do better unless you know what dealers are willing to sell the car for. if for instance, they dropped it to $700 over invoice, it drops the payment a whopping $7 (yeah well they also have this thing called dealer holdback of 2% of msrp - a built in profit). BTW i was once able to get a car at invoice - not impossible to do if timing is right.

now if the residual is more than that then it was quite a bit more over invoice. what's the difference to you if the payments are the same? well, the buyback for one - $19k vs about $22k, which can make a difference if you trade in or sell the vehicle at lease end. $3k is $3k right? i'm guessing the lease is based on residuals higher than 60%.

if anyone has good info - please share and TIA!

 

oh yeah, BritBoyInUSA, would you mind posting the actual dollar figure in your lease contract where it says "gross capitalized cost"? this would be extremely helpful!

cheers!

 

I am currently about to lease a tls in new york. It's a TLS w/o Nav. The dealer is giving me the car for $30,500. It's a 36 month lease. I have to put down up front fee's which are security, first payment ,bank fee etc. no cap cost. It comes out to about $1542 down. Payments are $431.52 for 36 months w/o tax. I will also be getting 12K per year on the milage. I know I'm getting the car for 1200 under sticker price. Is this a good deal? I also would like the rear spoiler and 15k per year on the milage should I try and negotiate one of these. The car I want is also comming in next week so can I use dealer holdback for another barganing tool?

 

this is a great example of what the variables do. to get that payment and the price you were quoted, the residual is probably around 65% (current interest/lease factors around .0030/7%). to get that payment with 57% residual they would have to sell it to you at invoice. what's the difference? right now nothing, but at the end of the lease the banks are more likely to hassle you with end of lease gotchas rather than acura leasing, assuming you return the car. if you are confident that the car will be worth more than $20k after 3 yrs (residual value) then you should be in good shape.

according to the parts page the spoiler is ~$500 which will add another 10 bucks or so to your payment.

keep us posted, and if you don't mind please share the dealer info!

 

Here's what I got:

TL-S black on black, stock, 36 month lease, 12,000 miles a year, no navi...
Nothing down to start except for first month, last month and license/registration/bank fees, for $435 a month. That includes tax. It's $435, straight up.

I dealt with someone named Angie (male) at a place in Brooklyn, called First Class. Like many of the places in Brooklyn, it was not a dealership, it was a broker.

Two questions:

1. Good deal?

2. Where's the closest dealer to Manhattan?

 

Broker in Brooklyn? Which Broker did you use in brooklyn? How come these brokers always beat the dealers in price ? Are there any disadvantages that you know about in using a broker? Or are there any advatages?

 

you have to really know what you are doing with brokers because they will try every trick in the book when it comes to time to sign. happened to me my first lease a long time ago.

laurelcrest, on paper it looks like a pretty good deal. no lease acquisition? and no deposit? can you email me the broker's phone#?

 

i called these people in brooklyn - they are actually listed in the phone book. monster deal and as good as or better than any deal mentioned on this thread.

i'd love to get some feedback on this operation!

 

Guys,

I see a few have requested some more figures from my lease contract.

I'm traveling in Europe at the moment, but will be back next week and will post then.

BritBoy

 

A fax attack sheet is not something that is a common form letter. It is simply a page you put together with questions and info and send to the dealers you choose. I used a fax cover letter that I had previously formatted on Word, but any fax cover will do.

Just tell them what you are looking for, type, color, etc. Ask for their bottom line price (before accessories), ask for the money factor , ask for the residual percentage and also the finance rate if you choose not to lease. Don't let them know what you are doing. You just want the price, once you settle on that, then you can let them know how you will purchase. By the way, the factor usually changes at month end, just like finance rates.

Basically, in a nutshell, lease figures are a mathematical formula that are not negotiable once you have the factor and residual. The numbers are what they are. However, with financing, you can have variables in the finance rate which can alter the figures.

I think your price of $30,500 with Nav is too low, that's the base. But, hit $31K and I think you'll have your share of takers.

Leave out the accessories when settling on a price..spoiler, guards, etc. Dealers have a tendency to charge more for the accessory when it's included in the car price up font. Just add it on. But first, make sure you know the price of the accessory before you mention it. I called the dealership parts department and asked what a spoiler would cost, I let them think I already had the car. One dealer doubled the cost when he thought I was going to purchase it with the car. So, I got the price first, then said 'oh by the way, I want a spoiler and I know your dealership installs them for $650.' So the extra $650 was added to my lease price. The first dealer would have added (or should I say 'padded') $1200 if I hadn't broken it down. he may have charged $650 for the spoiler, but the additional amount would have made its way into the price of the car.

I hope this info is helpful. Keep us posted.

 

MLPCA.. thanks a lot for the info.

Laurelcrest.. your deal seems to be pretty good. Can you please post the phone number of that place, or PM it to me.

Bacdoc... if you are paying 435 a month before taxes.. you would be looking at about 490 with taxes... and that seems to be rather high.

the only dealer that I have contacted so far.... have been away in europe and busy with work.. was at Plaza Acura.. tls(silver, with navi) with the usual crap thrown in like flaps and locks and stuff for 39 month at 1500 down with 445 a month. This is of course before any negotiations and stuff... i just came in for two minutes while they were putting the plates on the two new Civics I bought. Im returning my accord in 2 weeeks since my lease is up and then ill start looking for real. Thanks for all the info everyone.. and Britboy.. where in Europe are u?

Jsmith.. what kinda tricks do those brokers try to pull? GOt some examples? I never dealt with brokers before, I actually didnt even know they existed.

 

Leasing this car is a bad deal IMO. I put only 10k down and my payment is like 450 or so.

The car is not that expensive. Plus the resale on this car is going to be awesome. so why lease it. unless you cannot affort the purchase.

Doc

 

Dont like to own a car this cheap.. Dont get me wrong.. its a great car.. but the first car that I want to be mine has to be German and has to cost over 70G. Then I know I wont get tired of it in a couple years. Im only 23 and I get tired of things pretty fast thats why a lease would work for me cause then I wont have to worry about having to get rid of a car in 3 years.

 

there are links early on in this thread that tell you all the tricks not really with brokers but in general. the brokers try to take away the emotional componend and don't play those "payment" games. but i would say to be very careful.

if you just go to switchboard and look for first class in brooklyn ny you'll find it - ask for Andrew. mention that joe smith gave you the number, maybe we can work a deal with them. i told him i was going to pass on the info. he says that the TLS is the hottest lease they have going and they will get any make / model car and deliver it to you. i had done this a long time ago before there was an internet and had some minor problem with the deal but the car was good and i wound up buying it.

still waiting to hear if anyone ever dealt with this outfit.

 

docdave,
actually it's pretty close to a wash. after a 3 year lease you walk away from the car and might even make money by selling the car since it's probably worth more than the residual. after 3 years on your loan you will owe around 8k and with the 10 k you put down you might be ahead a little bit if you decide to sell it. but you paid tax for the whole thing up front and maybe even the luxo tax. also, you tied up 10k which you could have used elsewhere.
me, i get the itch every 3 years or so which makes leases perfect for me. my 2 cents...