SANMAN

Picked up my Black/Parchment TL-S with NAV from Mike Harvey Acura in Burlingame yesterday. They were by far the easiest, most motivated dealer I spoke with when shopping for this car.

Originally test drove a 2001 TL at Acura of Concord on 6/30, oblivious to the fact that it was month end. Of course they were "motivated" to sell me last year's model THAT DAY. Had my kids (3 and 5) with me, so offered to negotiate from home. Late afternoon we agreed on $300 over invoice, but I had dinner plans and couldn't get back to the dealer until next morning. Offered to sign something and fax it back: no can do. So I let it go.

Next day they call to say that the 2001 TL was sold, and I tell them I now want an S-Type. It being start of month (7/1), they don't want to negotiate so I tell them good luck. I then solicit quotes from dealers in Marin, Oakland, Pleasanton, Burlingame and Los Gatos.

Marin, Oakland and Pleasanton all tell me the S-Type is a "market car", that prices were lower last month because there were more available... blah blah blah. Except for Mike Harvey Acura. Marco Rico sends me a quote for their "Internet Special Price" that is just fine. When told of this price, other dealers scoff, thinking I made it up. Marin points to CarsDirect price, as though that's the standard. Pleasanton tells me that selling the car too low "cheapens the brand" (oh, brother). So while the other guys sit on their high horse, Mike Harvey is selling cars.

No games, no pressure -- and, great selection. I've even reported some things I've noticed -- tiny scratch on driver's mirror, the excessive wind noise on driver's side door -- and they're setting up a time to come in because they're committed to my satisfaction.

If you're looking in the Bay Area, I recommend starting with Marco at Mike Harvey Acura. The rest of the dealers are only serious on the last day of the month.

vperkins2

Hey Sanman,

Thanks for the post. Every little bit helps when trying to figure out where NOT to go!

Enjoy your new ride!

V.

Guest

So what was the Internet special price on the TL-S with Nav? What was your OTD?

I'm actually looking at getting the exact same car -- black/parchment with Nav. I've also talked to the guys over at Hopkins Acura in Redwood City.

Guest

I am doing the same. I talked to Warren at Pleasanton 2 times, test drove twice, and they are indeed saying MSRP + " A few hundred"
I got a good email response from Oakland Acura 32,068 TLS - nav with the protection package. If you did better I would like to know as I would drive down there from Livermore.
Thanks!
James

SANMAN

Marco asked me not to post the price (again), but let me just say that I got the same price as wilchan by showing Marco a printout of wilchan's post. The initial price Marco sent me via e-mail was $150 more than what I ended up paying. Clearly, if I wanted to squeeze as hard as possible I probably could have either knocked off a few more dollars or had them throw in more extras, but it wasn't worth the extra work for me.

I will say that my TL-S with wheel locks was under $34K OTD. Again, Pleasanton grudgingly -- using a laughably bogus reason after telling me they wouldn't negotiate -- offered to sell that day *only* for $31,900 + tax, license, etc. And I didn't get a call back after they discovered they didn't have the color I wanted.

Although Mike Harvey's price was by far the best, we all know that wouldn't necessarily make it the best deal if they weren't a quality operation. However, they politely accommodated changes to paperwork, faxed documents for financiing and generally focused on a positive buying experience. No hard sell, no games. And, they have the best selection (by far) in the Bay Area. They may not have the most glamorous showroom, but they get the job done.

If anything changes, I'll definitely post follow-up. In the meantime, I'm making a list of minor fixes for them to address next Saturday, which they said they'll gladly do.

At the end of the month, all dealers want to be your friend. If you want to buy now, head for Burlingame.

tdoh

I just bought a TL Type-S at Pleasanton Acura and after reading the stuff here I now wish I had offered a much lower asking price. Although I didn't pay MSRP or anything over it, apparently I coulda got it for much less (Type-S w/ nav, full ground effects, wing, wheel locks). Boy, I feel like someone just reamed me a new a**hole...if only I had found out about this great forum earlier!

Regardless of what I paid for, I don't regret buying the TL-S over a Passat GLX AWD...

Tony

Guest

$34,800 OTD w/NAVI from www.hammerauto.com no hassles

Jacobian

$34,191 OTD w/ Nav from www.cartelligent.com. No hassles and no talking to dealers. Like ordering a pizza. I want... and I want to pay ... OK. It'll be here on Wednesday.

That easy

Guest

I had a good buying experience at Sunnyvale Acura. I paid $31,500 for my Type S (black/parch w/nav) a little over a month ago. I talked to Oakland, Pleasanton, and Redwood City, but Sunnyvale had the best price at the time. The salesman was Jimmy.