I'm going in later this morning to test drive the TL-S. My Aegean Blue should be arriving withing a week. I've called every Acura dealer in the Boston area to see the deal on negotiating price. Every single one simply said that MSRP is it- non negotiable. The thing which is bugging me is that in a month from now, it's possible that some guy can walk in off the street and get a deal since the demand may not be as strong as Acura would want us to believe. I don't want to be penalized for taking a proactive approach by putting down a deposit a couple of months a go. For all I know this could have been another Mazda Miata craze from 10 years a go. I did not want to be left out in the cold. It looks all I can negotiate would be my trade in and maybe a free accessory. I'll let you all know how the test drive went and what if anything I could deal. If anyone out there truly is able to get less than MSRP please let us know cause that will only help all of us!

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95 Integra GS-R Stock

Ordered: 2002 TL-S Aegean blue

 

I think S might be tough off the bat like that. I'm thinking the P should have some play since '01 is going for cheap.

 

I drove the TL-S yesterday and had same feeling as you are, the demand just was not there. The dealer I visited has four TL-S and none of them was sold. Since I have trade-in to deal with (93' Lexus ES300), I told dealer what I felt would be fair ($25,000 out door with trade-in). They offered $29,000 that I declined and told them call me back when they feel need to move the car off the lot and with a reasonable offer. I will wait and to see what happens in next couple of days, weeks.

 

The problem is since I put the $1000 deposit down in January, it is NONREFUNDABLE once I test drive. Sure I can go down there today and try to haggle without driving, but I don't think I can do that. I want to drive it so much! I'm hoping they will "feel" for me and get me a good price on my Integra trade in. Or maybe I can request a price protection plan. That if they sell TL-S within 90 days or so under MSRP to anyone, they will pay me the difference. Will they laugh at me?


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95 Integra GS-R Stock

Ordered: 2002 TL-S Aegean blue

 

Go drive it someplace else. Wait until end of the month. Wait and see prices others post.

If you wait until end of the month and they still have a lot of cars on the lot you can say, "Look, it's pretty obvious there is no demand" At, the end of month they will be ready to move cars if they can't get MSRP.

Make sure you get for you trade what you want. If you get $1,000 off MSRP and they low ball the trade then what have you gained?

 

I can feel your pain, Acuraboy. That's probably the biggest reason I always against put down deposit before the car release. If the deposit is refundable without test drive, I would go to dealer to ask refund since you can drive the car from any other dealer. After get your deposit back, then go back in to renegotiate. Maybe dealer will work with you as soon as they feel might loose the deposit. Good luck.

 

There is no way in hell you should test drive at that dealer and risk losing your $1000. Test drive somewhere else. In fact, buy from somewhere else. Requiring non-refundable deposits should be criminal, even after a test drive.

Re all dealers not haggling below sticker, I think that they are all on orders from HQ not to go below MSRP until either a fixed date or until enough 2001s have been sold. If they haven't been told that specifically(which would be collusive and illegal in many states), they have probably been given strong incentives not to go below MSRP.

 

A local dealer is offering an "Internet Special" that says take $2000 of of any Type-s in stock, so there's obviously some wiggle room there!

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by Epiphyte on March 15, 2001 @ ]</font>

 

Internet special? Is there a website you can point us to?

 

I was very close to putting down $1K last month. Glad I didn't.. I'm a return customer from my local dealer here and when I was ready to put the deposit down, the sales manager said "MSRP". I want at LEAST $1000 off MRSP when I go to buy it. The economy is doing lousy (just look at the stock market), which means less people are buying new cars. Every other commercial on the radio/tv is for some auto maker or dealer offering huge discounts or incentives for buying a new car. Once the TL-S's start coming in and the people on the 'waiting list' are taken care of, I believe we will start seeing the cars accumulate on the lots. That's when I'll make my move.

 

Timing is everything. My Mazda lease was up a month before the new 98 Audi A6 came out. I got $1K off MSRP as the cap cost. Two months later it would be closer to 3K. Unfortunately my Audi lease was up on Mar. 5. I narrowed my choice down to the TL-S and a Saab 9-5 but was vascillating between the two. TL-S has VSA, Saab has head airbags. TL-S has the navi (I went out on a drive by myself and intentionally got lost and it got me back and I had no instruction on how to use it) vs the OnStar on the Saab. TL-S has the 260 hp while the Saab has tremendous low end torque. I knew I could save money leasing a CL-S vs the Saab but I'm sure I'd have to pay about the same if I got the TL-S as soon as it came out. That really annoys me since I'm not getting the car because I have to have the latest and greatest, I need a good car now because my old lease is up. Fortunately,the story has a happy ending for me. I had told the Saab dealer I wasn't going to make a decision until I test drove the TL-S. He even tried to tell me that it would go for more than MSRP like the MDX. I wouldn't bite. I guess he decided to be pro-active. He called me a few days later that he had a loaner with 2.6K miles. I drove it and kepet on talking about the TL-S. I ended up with a great lease deal that I couldn't pass up. My ex-wife told me that she's going to get a new car in the fall. I told her to look at the TL-S. If we ever got back together, I could drive both! Good luck to all of you in your negotiations and I hope you have the time to wait. I don't think it will be too long.

 

Yesterday I used Dealernet to find all the Acura dealers within 40 miles. Emailed 7 of them asking for best price - No trade in & ready to buy now. Just three replys so far, but all 3 willing to negotiate a bit - $500 off MSRP and dealer cost on any accessories. Demand here does not seem to be exceptionally high yet.

 

http://www.acurasouthwest.com

Go to specails and see the one that says "CAN YOU SAY #1?????"

 

OOps I just looked again, thats a CL not a TL, sorry to get your hopes up. I was just getting excited, I was about to leave work to go get one, DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by Epiphyte on March 15, 2001 @ ]</font>

 

You're stuck in a way cause you put that deposit down.
Do us all a favor and wait until you buy it.
You are one person in the DEMAND equation.
The longer you wait, the less the demand(by one person). The fact that you CAN wait proves the demand isn't all that great.
Anyway, if you can't wait and have to get the car now, tell them to throw in a years worth of service for free plus a spoiler or other accessory you want.
Make them prove to you that they LOVE you!

 

Hey Acuraboy,

I think that it is illegal in MA to take your money without a product/service being provided, but I am not positive. Did you sign anything that said non-refundable? Or did they just tell you that? I would play hard ball, and if they give you shit about your $1000, use THEIR phone to call Acura and complain. Again, I think that they have to give you your money back. It isn't like they can say that the car was ordered for you, and it will never sell now. Someone else will buy it.

 

I dont believe MSRP pricing can last at all. Courtesy in Denver has at least 40 2001 TLs and at least 15 still wrapped 2002s of which about half are Type S. From 99 through a few months ago the most they had in stock was maybe 4 or 5. Current supply is HUGE!

The other two Denver dealers show 70+ 2001s on their websites. Expect factory incentives soon on the 2001s!

 

What they're doing is sacrificing the sale of a 2002 now to get rid of the inventory of 2001's.
When you hear that they want MSRP for the 2002, you'll start looking closer at that "Bargain" 2001.
Once they clear out that inventory, the 2002 will come down considerably.

 

Here in Houston, the dealer is pretty much stand solid on their MSRP on the TL-S... they said no nego. on the new TL-S. BUt can give the acessories at cost... but there isn't much accessories to choose from anyway, and aftermkt parts always cost cheaper than the dealer at cost price anyway.
Oh, do y'all know anything about a $385 charge of imprinting the car's VIN on all the windows of new cars rolling off the dealer's lot?

 

It's a nice option to help recover your car (or parts of it) if it should be stolen. At $385, they're probably soaking you for about $325 in profit. Check out the follwing site for some more information about this option:
http://www.carbuyingtips.com

 

That's a dealer gotcha (trick). If you don't want the eching tell him to find you one that they didn't "scratch up" already.

They are by no means required to do that, just trying to get more profit. You can save on insurance with the eching though.

 

yea like save a few bucks on the insurance with the edtching...

 

hey, HYDE....did you get a price on the TL-S yet from Rallye Acura?? i haven't yet. i'll let you know if i find out. oh...one more thing, are you going to negotiate on the price? later

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98 Lexus LS400
Soon: TL-S W/Nav