IN867

OK, I've been lurking on here for the past few weeks - tons of info that could keep me busy for years . . .

So now I'm finally going to pull the trigger on an '06 6MT with Navi. I still haven't decided between SSM or Anthracite - leaning towards the SSM just because it will be easier to keep clean. I will miss my '02 RSX Type-S, but it's time for a sedan.

I have already decided to get the A-Spec Package pieced together from various places (thanks again to Acurazine.com) and have them installed by the dealer a couple of weeks after delivery. CAI is also a must - probably going with AEM.

So I've done my research - received internet quotes from multiple dealerships (up to 250 miles away!). I'm going to get pre-approved for a loan before I go. What else can I possibly do to prepare? What about negotiation strategies? What do you wish you would have done differently when you bought your TL? Any last minute tips would be greatly appreciated.

chfields

You should check out carbuyingtips.com

maluskills

I would tell them u need to get into a car ASAP and u have been to several other dealerships and you KNOW how much TLs are going for.
Not sure where you live...but i say you shouldn't pay more than $400 over invoice at the very most

datmrman

Hmm.. Don't settle on anything you don't want or have doubts about. The dealer will try to sell other stuff that you will most likely not need either. I got suckered in because I wanted to protect my car as much as possible.

If you're planning to make a deposit, bring your checkbook! My dealership didn't take credit/debit cards.

You already know the general price that the TL will sell for (from quotes and posts). Try to bargain a little below that. You have a few dealerships to try. Basically, try to get the dealers to fight with each other for your business. The best bargains will come from that.

I told my dealership, "I'm ready to buy. If you give me a deal I can't pass up, then lets talk. Otherwise, good bye."

Good luck! Hope you pick up a good deal!!

IN867

chfields - thank for the link, seems like a good site.

I live in St. Louis, MO. I'm afraid we don't get the same deals here that you see on the coasts.

I've been quoted $34,187 (including Destination & Processing fees) from the local dealership where I'm going tomorrow.

I've also been quoted $33,200 and $33,377 from two dealerships in Chicago. I want to see if the local dealership will match. I guess a lot will depend on whether they think I'll actually drive to Chicago - which I would.

pablojr

... lots of good tips there.

Some of my tips...
-Know the invoice price of the new car.
-Know the value of your trade in.
-Get pre-qualified for a loan through a credit union, bank or on-line.
I found the best rate for me through honda financial (4.9% for 60 months).
Know your credit score if you're looking to get financed at the dealer.
The dealer first offered me 7.9%. I was looking for closer to 3.9 for 60 months.
I made the mistake of not looking into APR's ahead of time but it turns out that for my credit score (low 700's) and a 60 month period 4.9 was pretty good.

Don't get suckered into buying extras at inflated prices.

-Know what you want.
-Know what you don't want.

My TL had dealer installed extras, wheel locks/paint polish/mud flaps.
They wanted just under $500!
I made it clear to them that I didn't want them and wasn't paying for it.

I negotiated based on invoice price.
I paid roughly $600 over invoice ($32,850). Including "extras".

joed40

Read away and good luck!
http://money.cnn.com/2003/12/02/pf/a...nd_I_products/

SouthernBoy

As for your color choices, I have one of each of what you are considering. Mine is Anthracite/Ebony/6MT/Nav and my wife's is Satin Silver/Quartz/5AT/Nav. Her's is a beautiful color combination, but I think mine looks a bit more masculine. Anthracite is a good choice. And most definitely get the manual transmissiion.. you won't regret that choice at all.

Landonk

SSM is not available anymore. It's replaced with Alabaster Silver. I have it on my 06. Beautiful color choice! Hides dirt pretty well. The Anthracite is just too dull for me.

mlody

Which dealerships in Chicago did you get quotes from? Is the car available at these dealership or you are only going to place an order and wait for the delivery?

rsxbond

congrats on the decision to get a TL...I had a base RSX before I switched into a TL...you won't miss the precise handling of the RSX until probably a year later...but the luxury of the TL will be more than enough to compensate for the handling.

Wid-TL

I've used www.carsdirect.com as a guide before.

They have been relatively comparable to what you can expect the dealers price to be... some higher, some lower when you have special circumstances, but a good guide nonetheless.

bluphi1

I live in STL also. I got the same quote at ST. LOUIS ACURA for $34,187. Leta Acuru would only go as low as $31,500 for an 05 Demo with 5500 miles and no NAV. I found a deal in Chicago for a RBP w/nav. $33,200 (including one way air fare $73 one-way). I'll be flying up at the end of the month.

bluphi1

Which dealers did find in chicago?

davenlei

I used Cars Direct in the past for pricing. I actually bought a car from there several years ago. Lately, their prices are not that good. Even for comparison. They are now in the business of making a good profit per sale like regular dealers. When they first started out, they were undercutting everyone because they wanted market share.

Best bet is to talk to the internet sales managers at the dealers and try to find out if there is a holdback incentive from the factory. If there is one, you can work a price below invoice pretty easily.

leedogg

wait til the end of the month.

ccabs

Hey - I live in StL too and am ready to buy. Sounds like the two dealerships here in town don't want to deal!! Has anyone checked out Springfield, MO or the KC dealerships? Also looking for a 6MT/Navi/A-Spec want to support the local guys but don't want to get taken to the cleaners either!!

I'd love to know what you come up with!!

slapmesilly

Waiting until the end of the month is good advice but not this month in Chicago. The Chicago Auto show is over the next two weekends (starting tomorrow). Sales are slow now because everyone waits, goes to the show, and then buys.

At this point for the best deals in the Chicagoland area you may have to wait another month or two.

ccabs

Does the EOM approach only work on vehicles in stock? If the motivating factor for the dealership is to close sales, doesn't seem like they'd be willing to order one or try and get one from another dealership?

Silentalero

if you want some help i can get ya the best tips. I work in financing and i use to be a car salesman so i know every dealer trick they can throw at you. Even some some salesman wont know about that their manager will do to make money.

im actually in the same market for a TL with navi but ive heard rumors of a TL type S 300hp so i think im gonna hold off for a bit

1sweetTL

You are entitled to your opinion, but ANTHERCITE is not at all a DUll Color.
Does this look dull to you.



Blings even in the shade!

IN867

So here's how the negotiations played out:

Salesman comes back with a quote just under MSRP at $35,940.

That's when I laughed and told him the internet sales guy AT THE SAME DEALERSHIP quoted me $34,187 including destination, etc. Then I broke out my 2 quotes from Chicago dealerships for $33,115 and $33,320 + doc. fee. I told them I work in Chicago all the time and that it's no sweat off my back to buy from them.

The salesman said OK, let me go talk to the manager (again). He comes back with the same $34,187 that their internet guy gave me originally. So I said, if you can't come down to these other deakerships then I'm going to leave. Salesguy says (say it with me now) "Let me talk to my manager."

He comes back again and tells me since they give me 8 $40 gift certificates on their service dept. ($320 value) and a free Navi upgrade DVD ($200 value) in a year or two, they will only go as low as $33,635. I told him you have a deal and whipped out my $500 off coupon I got from the auto show and said to apply it. Salesguy gets all bent out of shape and says they already factored in the discount with their price and they can't go any lower.

I told him that was B.S. and that he should have told me that before we started negotiating. So he tells me that there's no way his manager will go for taking another $500 off and that it's already the cheapest he's ever sold that car. I told him to get the price down to $33,500 with all fees or I'm leaving. Time for another manager visit. About 20 minutes later he comes back saying he had to argue with the manager but was able to waive the $159 processing fee (which I wasn't aware existed until then) and that he can't do any better.

Since he dropped the price more than I asked ($159 instead of $135) I shook his hand and signed on the dotted line. Total price including all fees was $33,635 + tax. It was only a couple hundred difference between that and my lowest Chicago quote and who knows what kind of extra fees they would have tried to throw on once I made the 4 1/2 hour drive. Bottom line, I felt good about the negotiation when I walked away - that's all that matters.

Thanks to everyone for your advice. This site probably saved me thousands on my new TL.

Edit: I completely forgot to mention that I got an ASM / Ebony / 6MT / Navi. Now I'm going to order the A-Spec parts online and have the dealer install them when I get the car in a couple of weeks. I just hope I can wait that long . . .

1sweetTL

Congrats and WELCOME to the CLUB!

ndx2

Yup, welcome to the club - the big penis club; read below for explanation.

Chicken, horse, & bmw

There was a chicken and a horse playing together in a barn yard. Suddenly the horse falls into a pit. He yells to the chicken, "Go get the farmer! Save me! Save me!" The chicken goes looking for the farmer but can't find him. So he gets the farmer's BMW and drives it over to the mud pit, lassos the horse, ties it to the car and pulls him out.
The horse says, "Thank you, thank you, I owe you my life." Then a couple days later they are playing there again and this time the chicken falls into the mud pit and the chicken says, "Help me, help me!!! Go get the farmer!!!"
So the horse says, "No! No! No! I think I can get you."
The horse stretches across the mud pit and tells the chicken, "Grab onto my dick."
The chicken grabs on, the horse stretches back, and the horse saves the chicken's life.So what's the moral of the story???
If you have a dick the size of a horse, then you don't need a BMW to pickup chicks.

Silentalero

good negotiation dood, lol if you really wanted to piss off the manager next time. Tell him you want the holdback money to thats money they dealerships make on top of invoice. usually about $1000 or so under invoice u can get off if they are desperate to get rid of the car.

btw that salesman was gay if he tryed to do that, haha

CL6

If your sales person did a good job... give them a perfect survey.

IN867

CL6 - I will give the sales guy a perfect survey - I think he did a pretty good job.

How does the survey affect the sales people - does it factor into their pay plan?

joed40

Good wheeling and dealing! Trust me those bastards will get you back some other time, some other way. You may have won the battle, yada yada.

CL6

I have gone out of my way for customers and some of them have fu**** me on that survey and cost me a lot. Not necessarily on purpose against me but the survey is very important and if some sales guy is being helpful and going out of their way they deserve a perfect survey.

leedogg

are those volks?

trenz1

Just thought I'd chime in. I am currently in the market for a TL and found this forum. I have gotten a LOT of info from here so far. I had gotten a car buying guide to help in my search. I saw you guys mention holdbacks and invoice so I thought I would post this in case anyone neede the info.

3.2 5AT/6MT
msrp $33,940 incl. $615 dest.
invoice $30,999 incl. $615 dest.
holdback $1000

3.2 6MT summer tires
msrp $34,140 incl. $615 dest.
invoice $31,179 incl. $615 dest.
holdback $1,006

3.2 5AT/6MT w/NAV
msrp $35,940 incl. $615 dest.
invoice$32,820 incl. $615 dest.
holdback $1,060

3.2 6MT summer tires w/NAV
msrp $36,140 incl. $615 dest.
invoice $31,179 incl. $615 dest.
holdback $1,066

Thanks