i had been holding out to buy a new car until the '09 tsx came out. knowing that there wouldnt be big discounts off msrp, i went into the dealership thinking i would be paying close to msrp. i was surprised to find all the pricey add-ons driving the price of '09 without tech up to 31-32K range. "appearance package" for $500 which they claim is to coat the car after they remove some sort of protectant that acura ships the cars in. $100 to put nitrogen in tires so that the pressure sensors work, body molding/pinstripes $800, mudflap $400, etc. on top of that the dealer was not willing to cut the price of these add ons by more than 50%. all these bogus charges + a not-so-exhilarating test drive have me leaning towards going a different route. i would be willing to pay more money for a 3-series selling at market value than paying an inflated price for this tsx. overall.. majorly disappointed.

So they are adding those things onto the car and not giving you a choice about it? That's crap. Try another dealer.

yeah, they have the same add-ons on every tsx they are selling (at least the 2009s). unfortunately, no other dealers in my area (memphis, TN)

That's really stupid. I wonder if anyone will even buy one since they are forcing all that stuff on you. Did you try telling them flat out that you won't buy one with all that stuff on it? Try back in a couple months and see if they will deal with you. I bet they'll change their ways once people walk away from the cars.

i would just build one from scratch and just wait for delivery.

Don't bend over for this dealer. If you're not going to travel to the next closest Acura dealer, then cross shop another brand. BMW 328i comes to mind.

Another dealer, pronto.

Pinstripes & molding

And since when do the sensors only work with nitrogen?

That's what I was wondering.

This is nutz. Some dealers are borderline sinister with their add ons and mark ups.

A Honda dealer was going to charge me to NOT put on pinstriping and some other accessories. When I asked about ordering, they claimed the crap was put on right after it came off the truck and there was no way to deliver one with out.

Idiots.

Additional bull that dealer fluffs the customer with = PRICELESS

Start talking about a deal on a car not yet arrived that they haven't done this shit on. The color combo and package that you want. And at a no-haggle price. If they don't, tell us the dealer's name, I'm sure everyone here will avoid them like salmonella. ly

Check Car Talk guys and Consumer Reports about the "hidden fees" and add-ons. They're not required. That's just a dealer being greedy ... and probably lowering their sales volume a whole lot too.

Don't forget about the 3% holdback, too.

Ask you dealer if they put a bottle of Cristal in the washer fluid tank? that will add another $350

Cristal in the WW reservoir . I'd tell them I had an IHOP omelette for breakfast, and ate at Cosmic Cantina for lunch, so during the test drive I tested the "ventilated seats" a bit. That should knock the price down a bit until they use some Pottery Barn room spray on the interior.

Cristal

if you weren't happy with the test drive, don't buy the car.

forget about the dealer, forget about the add ons, forget that insignifcant stuff.

you really don't like the car, or you would have liked the test drive.

find a better car that suits you better, one where you really enjoy the test drive.


you're majorly dissapointed now, as I was when I tried out the '09 TSX.
no dealer, no price deduction, no add-on would ever make me love that car.

trust me, go somewhere else and examine your options a bit.
buy something you're really going to like.

I think it's safe to say that the # of automatic add-ons that he saw at that dealership, and the resulting overinflation of OTD pricing, is uncommon. At least, I hope so.

Heh, if my first experience at a brand dealership was like that, I'd be pretty disappointed and discouraged, too.

Two words (that any Albert Brooks fan will recognize): "Mercedes leather."

to some extent i think you are right. i wasnt blown away by the test drive-- funny, i was a lot more impressed with the car when i test drove the '08 a few months ago. but i thought i would wait it out for the 09, plus they didnt have any 08's left in black. that being said, the 09 is still a step up from my accord in terms of driving experience. i would be willing to get it if i could get a decent deal- i'm not expecting to pay invoice, but also not expecting to actually exceed MSRP as this dealer is gunning for. i will try some of the tactics you all have suggested (minus the christening of the ventilated seats). but also planning to check out the bmw 3-series this weekend.

Acura of Memphis is a joke. This is the dealership on Mt.Moriah or something like that right?
I went there once to try and get an 06' TSX back in 2006. They wouldnt even budge more than $300 dollars of MSRP because thier Acura are better than other Acura dealership due to thier prepping and service. I walked out kicking myself because I wanted my 2 hour of my life back. I flew down to Dallas and picked one up for $200 below invoice and drove some fun 5 hours back(i live in Arkansas at that time). Worth every penny saved.

I would go for the helium tire fill up option. it makes the car 400 pounds lighter and only costs $50. Also you fill up at any party supply store.

I bought an '08 TL with navi in March. Since I live in Memphis I went to the local dealer. Same crap with the TL: pinstripes, mudguards, nitrogen, etc-- a lot of extras that I didn't want. Additionally they were going to charge $500 in document fees! I walked out. I can't understand why such a classy line of cars has such a sleazy dealer. I ended up getting my TL in Nashville from Gary Force Acura. Very reasonable and sane people to deal with.

Well, dealers gotta make money somehow with this bad economy, and charging 100 dollars for a nitrogen is the way to do it.

I went to the dealer, and the sales guy came up to me, and I asked if they are really charging 100 dollars for a nitrogen fill.

He came up with the "It improves fuel economy" bullshit, and increases tire life bullshit.

I told him that I can get the same thing at belle tire for free.

He then replied telling me that this is special nitrogen that is Acura exclusive.

Those guys are getting real desperate these days.....

+1

Acura recommends high-quality certified Acura nitrogen(R) for your tires to ensure optimum performance.

I'm sure it's in the manual somewhere.

davidspalding...but remember, you have to pay the extra $200 for the "good" manual...don't forget

Old school car sales at it's best. You take a product that you think will be a hot seller and stuff everyone with 600-2000 in accessories to boost your profit margins. I didn't think anyone did this any more, it was standard operating procedure when the MDX came out in 2001.

I don't think they will be successful in forcing these accessories on people since there isn't any type of waiting list to get a TSX.

I saw a 2008 (2009?) Accord LX coupe at the mall a few weeks ago, it was listed at one price, then jumped up about $5000 for dealer add-ons. I wondered WTF could add that much to a "fully loaded" car, and inspected the sticker. Nickel and dime things, a few hundred here, a few hundred there, then suddenly ... $2400 or more for "chrome alloy" wheels. Wow, I thought, $600+ each for wheels, they'd better be effin' hot....

I stepped back and looked at the wheels. They looked no better or worse than standard Honda alloy wheels. Didn't even look "chrome." I shook my head in disbelief. "Good luck selling that white elephant, guys," I thought.

Which transmission did you test drive? I drove both AT and 6-speed the same day and am really glad I did... IMO, the manual was a totally different car and I would not have been impressed. The 6-speed, on the other hand, made the deal.

...reflecting a good manual in tandem with a poor automatic, unlike BMW which has an OK manual and a terrific range of automatics for the 3 Series, ZF and GM.

Acura/Honda dealers are notorious for the add-on game. Walk over to a Audi, BMW or Lexus dealer to be treated with respect. Acura and Honda dealers have grown fat dealing with people who place fuel economy and reliability at the top of the list not too mention don't like to drive and are fearful of car buying. You deserve better.

The clear wrapping the car comes shipped in??? The same wrap that peals right off and can be washed right off with soap and water?? Tell them you'll take it off yourself and they should pay you $500. It's like saying we change $500 to wash your car for you. WTF?

What dealership is this?

yeah, they made it sound like you need a laser to burn the stuff off. . and they claimed that in the process of removing it, it eliminates the clear-coat protection on the car which is why they have to tack on the "appearance package".

btw, yes, this is acura of memphis. am planning to discuss deals with nashville dealer instead vs. different car altogether. havent decided yet.

More and even more .

That dealership needs a new sales manager, they're giving Acura dealers (the good ones) a really bad rep.

In meeting another dealer, be sure to tell them that your BS filter has been clogged and rendered inoperable by another dealer, so they'll have to speak clearly and geniunely.

You should kick them in the balls for charging 400 for mudflaps. Ask them if they're self cleaning mud flaps. 800 for body molding and pinstripes? what dealership is this?

Maybe they're put on by buxom college coeds in bikinis, and you get to watch 'em put them on.

"Take your time, girls, take all the time you need."

I had my '06 at Acura of Memphis last week, waiting 1 1/2 hours for a part replacement they said would take 30 minutes tops, and noticed that crap in the showroom. The dealer add-on sticker was almost as long as the regular sticker! They managed to add almost $3000 to every TSX (and about $7000 to an MDX!). I bought mine used from somebody else, but I think if I ever buy another Acura, I'll drive the 3 hours to Nashville before I deal with these people.

Just because they have it on the lot with things you don't want doesn't mean you can't order what you want and wait... patience is a virtue to one who can wait.

We did and got exactly what we wanted.

When people are ready to let the dealer actually make a profit on their cars, then they will stop doing that. Lighten up, it's only a car deal.

just to update.. after some additional bantering over the phone with acura of memphis, i ended up buying a bmw 328i. fortunately, that dealership recognized the state of the economy and was willing to bargain. got it for $2200 off msrp. still a bit more expensive than the tsx or even 08 tl, but felt like i was getting it at market value or below. after test driving the 328, i thought it blew away the TL and obviously the tsx. of course its a v6 so the tsx comparison is inherently unfair.

Rees901....and the extended warranty was also purchased I hope? Especially if you plan on keeping it beyond the manufact. warranty. That being said, the 328i is a nice car and I know it provides more fun to drive than the TSX (and the TL for that matter) but out here, BMW dealership are wayyyyyyy to arrogant and service is horrendous Acura on the other hand, compensate their 'fun to drive factor' by their excellent service...At least that is where I live