acuranewb

The salesperson says no discounts for six months since this is a "new" model. I'm not buying that (quite literally) since the 2017 is just a refresh, the interior is identical to the 2016, and the nav system in particular looks like it might have been new in 2003 (it seriously looks worse than the nav in my 2006 TL). Having said all that, what would be a reasonable line in the sand for me to draw in terms of pricing/discounts?

I'm in Portland, OR and I'm willing to walk away if I can't get a reasonable price on this car (I much prefer the Audi Q7, but my wife is leaning toward the MDX since she already owns one).

Thanks!
Brian

ceb

The MDX is a pretty decent seller. Traditionally, new model years (with or without changes - look at the 17 RDX) won't get any manufacturer incentives. Some models of the MDX do get new features (2nd row captain's chairs) while others het few new features with the exception of design. The 16's are getting manufacturer's incentives to move remaining stock. It is unlikely that the dealer will heavily discount the 17's while they still have 16's on the lot.

Truecar doesn't even have 17 pricing on their site but show the 16's with a $3k discount on a $56k Advance.

While the Q is a more technologically advanced car, a comparably optioned car is far more expensive and far less reliable, but that is what I would recommend you get since you really aren't sold on the MDX.

pickettt

Pay what it's worth TO YOU, not a penny more.

TacoBello

try another Acura dealership. Or at least another sales person.

neo1738

Also try to get a better deal through Acura online sales departments at dealerships. Then when you get a better price ask your dealer to match or beat it.

TheRealBLN

I've only heard 1,000-2000 off or so for now.

hadokenuh

^^ Agree $1-2K off is easy to get.

You can always try their internet department.

TMQ

Since you are in OR, I heard on another forum that the dealer in Salem is willing to deal.

ceb

OP. This is the internet. It is real easy to say "Agree $1-2K off is easy to get" when they haven't done it. There is also a bit of a difference between $1000 and $2000 - like 100%.Unless you are in an area where there are multiple dealers, then getting $1k off may be possible at this point. The $2k plus is only possible in a metro area like DC where there are 6 or 7 Acura dealers within spitting distance.

There is about $3500 between invoice and MSRP. The dealer certainly won't sell at invoice yet (the floorplan isn't costing him much yet) and Acura isn't tossing him any cash. If the dealer has 2016's on hand then they are less likely to deal on the 17's. If they don't have 16's (but have 17's) then there is something odd with that dealership.

hadokenuh

When I bought mine 2014 in 2013 when it first came out, I got 1500 off MSRP from the Internet Department on the first phone call. I can't imagine the refresh is "hotter" than a brand new model.

I ended up getting 1800 off with no extra fee nor FI upsale deals. I buy or help buy 1, 2 car a year for the last 8 years. So although I understand that I "don't do it everyday" like car salesmen but I do know all the drills and sales pitches.

So don't say "they haven't done it" when you don't know they have actually done it.

TheRealBLN

I live in the DC area. I ended up buying used but the sales man said I can get 1-2k off. I know it's a big diff but I didn't pry in as much as I decided to get a used 2014 instead.

ceb

The market in 2013 was far different than it is today and as far as many people are concerned, the 2017 is a "new" model - at least that is what the sales people would want you to believe. Pricing is also very regional.

So yes, unless you've bought a 2017 in Oregon, then you "haven't done it."

ceb

Sure. That "$1 to 2k off" translates into $1001 off. Then you factor in that the majority of dealerships are in Virginia with a $699 processing fee (vs the $299 in MD - but those dealers don't have lots of 17's yet and will usually not give as good a price) and you're really getting about $600 off.

Now is the time to buy a 16. Once the lots are saturated with 17's is the time to buy those.

If I were looking today and didn't care about the second row captain's chairs then I'd be looking at a deal on a 16.

hadokenuh

Whatever man.

You are basically telling the OP to buy the MDX at MSRP. Great advice!

ceb

No, that's not what I'm telling him at all. I'm telling him two things - don't expect huge discounts because Acura isn't giving the dealers anything and don't believe the internet that just tosses out numbers without actually having negotiated anything.

The rules of the internet are simple. If you post something for sale then a zillion people will tell you it is too expensive. If you post that you've just sold something then the same zillion people will tell you that you've sold it too cheaply.

If you want to buy a car and ask for pricing advice, then people will say you're paying too much - regardless of location or if they have ANY experience in the matter. I've seen posts where somebody said "I live in XYZ Oklahoma and the only car dealer in a 500 mile radius just offered me a 2015 Acura ABC for $25,000. Is that a good price?" to which the replies are "I live in Los Angeles with a car dealer on every block and I just bought a Chevy Cruze for $15,000 - your Acura is way overpriced" and "go to a different dealer, that's too much."

Car prices are regional and can even vary within a region. VA dealers generally beat MD dealers on price but make it up with higher document fees. A region with lots of competition is cheaper than one where there are few dealers. What a salesman says "I'll give you $1k to $2k off" doesn't translate into real dollars until the negotiations are done.

Anybody who buys a new model or refresh is going to pay more than buying last years model or buying that 17 in a few months when there is more inventory. Pohanka - that advertises itself as the world's larges Acura dealer - currently has a handful of 17's. Those cars will go to the highest bidder - those customers who want the latest and greatest regardless of price.

My advice to the OP was simple. Buy a 16 now or wait a bit for more inventory and get a 17, but don't expect huge discounts on the 17 now.

BTW, TrueCar is a pretty decent indicator of regional pricing. Price out a car and punch in different zip codes - you might be surprised at the huge difference.

TMQ

Good write up. From my experience, TrueCar has lousy pricing. Start with Edmunds.

ceb

TrueCar is certainly on the side of the dealers but it is the easiest place to see regional variances and the "average price paid" is probably close to accurate but using the TrueCar dealers won't get you the best price.

acuranewb

Thanks for all of the replies folks! I bought the Q7 yesterday and my wife loves it, so all is well. Hope this thread helps other MDX buyers.

ceb

Congrats.

pickettt

I want to know what makes people believe that Truecar is legitimate and credible?

ceb

In theory, truecar merely compiles average prices paid by region. You'll note that if you get a quote from a truecar affiliated dealer then it is often far higher than the "average price paid."

Truecar is good for getting regional differences but one can often negotiate a better price.

TheRealBLN

Good luck!

TSXMDX

About how long do you think it will take until the inventory is high enough to start seeing some real savings off MSRP on the 2017? Do you think 1-2 months will make a difference? We are looking for a AWD Tech and it seems that we can only get about $1000 off MSRP at this point.

On a side note, does anyone know if/when the Loyalty and New Grad discounts will be available on the 2017s? Apparently they are only available on the 2016s right now.

Lastly, do you know if accessories like a tow hitch, roof rails, etc are generally marked up quite a bit? I'm thinking maybe we can use that as a negotiating point. If we can't get much money off MSRP then maybe they can throw in a few extra accessories if it doesn't cost them that much.

CTNYC

I personally think that a couple months will definitely make a difference in pricing. My local dealership currently has roughly 2 2016's for every 2017 they have in stock. Once dealerships start beefing up 2017 inventory and continue to sell 2016s, they'll be more willing to come down in pricing on 2017s. That could take some time, but by October to December, you should be able to save a bit more. Of course, this is all speculation.

slobdogg

I was able to get $3300 off. MSRP 51300 on SHAWD Tech. Final price of $48k

TSXMDX

Congrats on the new ride! Do you mind telling me what region you're in? I believe that's pretty close to invoice.

TLXinTX

Wow! Nice job. I thought we got a good deal getting $2K off MSRP for the Advance FWD in the Dallas area. They weren't highly motivated to come down -- despite great deals on the 16s, the 17s are selling like crazy. There were two other 17s sitting in the customer delivery lane when we picked ours up.

slobdogg

I think I had driven my salesman crazy enough. I was there for a couple of hours each day over 3 days test driving & negotiating. In the end, what really helped me was having a similar deal from another local dealership in my email as proof that what they had originally offered (48700) was not the best they could do.

What I learned during these negotiations is that, once you know what car you want, just email every dealership in the area to get the best deal. Don't waste time goign to a dealership and if they force you to come in before giving you a sales price then it's not worth your time.

rogersmj

That's the way I buy every car, and I always wind up with crazy good deals

1. Tons of online research
2. Non-committal visits to the closest dealership of each candidate vehicle for test drives
3. Email-bomb every dealership within ~100 miles for their best price. Play them against each other. Make it clear you're not setting foot in their dealership unless you know the OTD price in advance (so they don't try any tricks and you can compare apples to apples)