bgut1

This is going to be my last post on this great forum. Sorry to say my experience with my local Acura dealer tunred me against the TL. Went thorugh three cars and all had some sort of cosmetic defect. The dealer experience was horrible. Made me feel as if they were doing me a favor in selling me this car. Acura and particularly this dealer have a lot to learn from "luxury car" dealers like Lexus, etc. Drove to my local Lexus dealer and was handed the keys to an ES without asking for my license or the salesman tagging along. This will be our third car from the local Lexus dealership and as always the experience was a pleasure. While I admit that the ES does not compete with the TL in terms of toys and sportiness, it does offer more luxury. That combined with the buying experience, future service and dependability of the brand make the ES a no-brainer for me. For those of you wanting to know why I did not choose the 3 Series, A4, or G35, I looked but all three cars are a bit too small for me ( I'm a big guy . Anyway, enjoy the TL - its a great car - I'll be back if Acura changes how it deals with customers.

BstonBruin

sorry to hear that, did you ever try a different dealership. Because most people myself included weresatisfied with their dealerships. Anyways enjoy the ES

AsianRage

That sucks that you had a bad experience at an Acura dealership. It's not Acura's fault if their dealers doesn't do a good job with the customers. You could file a complaint to Acura corporate if you want.

Congratulation on your new ES.

ndawood

Acura dealers can be hard to deal with at times and although you should be able to compare them to Lexus dealers, you really cant. I had a hell of a time getting my TL but I really wanted the car and at the end I got a great deal.

The es330 is a great car and you are going to love it.

yzfrebel

I understand how you feel. I bought my TL in New Mexico back in April a month later after having a couple bad experiencing with the dealer it was time to buy a car for my wife. We went with the Lexus (ES 330) because I didn't want her to have to deal with the horrible service from the local dealer. Also because she said that the TL was too sporty for her. I only put up with it because I love my TL.

Anyway I have moved to Phoenix now and have gone to the dealer once for service and I love them (Acura of Tempe) they beat the New Mexico dealership hands down. If I would have been dealing with them a few months ago I would have pushed the TL a little harder to my wife.

Enjoy your ES. Just hold on when the TLs blow by you on the road.

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

What Acura Dealership did you have a problem with?

Ken1997TL

I've rarely had a problem with Acura dealerships.

Most insisted that I test the car by myself, no questions asked.

NFLblitze1

i didn't have a problem with my acura dealership but they weren't anything special either..i was debating between the VOLVO S80....the IS300....the ACURA TL and the INFINITI G35...i saw the volvo s80...meh...not my cup of tea....went to the acura Dealership...i was in love with the car...took it for a test drive...dear lord it was heaven...i went to infiniti dealership went in for 2 minutes got no service whatsoever left right away...then...i went to the lexus dealership i was so happy with the IS300...the service was great...no trouble...lexus are very nice people to deal with...especially one of the hubs here in jersey....such nice people...but dispite the attitudes and lack of salesmanship from the acura dealership...i was still in love with the acura....so i think its all about the car...not about the dealership...because whenever you have a problem...you can always just go to a different dealership.....but i feel what you are saying and totally agree...good choice as a second option with the ES...enjoy it :-) sorry to see you leave..

bgut1

Don't get me wrong, the TL is a great car, but the dealer really left a lot to be desired. I did consider going to another dealer, but the closest was over a half hour away and I didn't want to go that far to service the car (as my local dealer only gives loaners to those cars bought there). I even had an "in" at the dealer. The owner only lives a block away from me and I know a relative. But the expereince was crap. I had to decide whether to just buy the car and forget about the experience or just walk. I decided the car wasn't worth it. If I couldn't find one car that was acceptable after being delivered three, it wasn't good karma if you know what I mean. From reading many threads in this forum, its clear that I'm not alone. I felt like I was at a used car dealer in the seedy part of town. Not trying to be a shill for Lexus but they don't have such problems. I know that they get more money for their cars but they really make you feel comfortable. After dropping 35K on a car you want to feel happy about your purchase. If you can't recommend your dealer after the purchase, was the purchase really worth it? I know I will miss the toys, power and handling of the TL, however, I will not miss the buying experience. There was thread a while back wanting to know why Acura didn't get the same respect as Lexus, here is the reason why. Most of all I will miss this great forum. You guys are the best. BTW, for those that want to know, I choose a silver ES with ebony interior, NAV and Mark Levinson audio. Again not the TL but it should do me just fine (I will really miss the HFL and XM Bye.........................

apwalsh

I have heard about the Lexus experience and when I went to the showroom, I was treated like shit. The Acura and Cadillac dealers were a complete different story. I was treated very nicely at both dealerships and had no complaints.

The S80 seems to be an odd alternative to your other two choices. Maybe the S60 sounds better

Good luck with the ES bgut

mastertl

My first acura dealership was kinda...not good. I walked onto the lot and started to look at the TL, I was outside for about 15 minutes before anyone came to greet me and I saw about 3 salesmen talking to one another doing absolutly nothing. After they came, they asked what I wanted and I told them the TL and in ebony. Well I was looking at the SSM TL so they brought me to another car...the TSX .

They start to talk for a while and I then pointed out that it was a TSX and the salesman was like, "Oh I know." He then takes me inside, leaves me for a long while then comes back to take me to see the A-Spec TL which I did not ask for (and the one he showed me had no Navi which i DID ask for).

Finally we find the right car and he showed me the features. Some places just suck.

EDIT: THis took about 2 hours.

Nodoze2004

I agree 100% with Bgut regarding the Acura 'experience'. Acura really needs to reign in these low life dealers that sell their product. I liken each dealership to a franchise (which it most certainly is) if said franchise cannot deliver high customer satisfaction ratings, then Acura needs to hold them accountable. Infiniti, Lexus, BMW, and Audi don't seem to have these types of problems because they UNDERSTAND the luxury experience. Acura is about value, and as such they are VERY lax in how they allow these dealers to operate. Personally I would fire the President of Acura of America, and find someone who is willing to make these types of changes.

As it stands Acura looks at the volume these dealerships are delivering and little more. I think they could care less about satisfaction and luxury (my wife used to work for the local Acura dealer so this is first hand).

NFLblitze1

Lexus's have XM radio...

bgut1

Really...........my salesman said no...I will call first thing in the AM ... Thanks!!!

NFLblitze1

they don't come standard like with acuras but it is an option if you want it through the dealership

Dkrudop

I had both good and bad experiences. Went to one dealer (Priority) in Chesapeake, VA whose tv commercials all stress their great customer service.... and was nearly ignored. In fact, my emails WERE ignored by their internet manager. When I finally got some attention, we went out to test drive......two TL's were DOA....batteries totally dead. Scratch that place.

Then I went through the web to Hall Acura Newport News, Va....got immediate response from their internet manager....he found the car i wanted, gave me a good deal on it........went over to pick it up....had a very pleasant experience......well, except for the business manager who was a tad anal. But other than that....very pleasant experience, indeed. I have gone to the Hall Acura here in VB for service since then.....same pleasant experience. (I didn't go there to buy the car because the Newport News store had what I wanted in stock).

I think a lot of the experience has to do with the individual dealer...maybe even the individual salesman. I know the sales people at the local Jag/BMW place must have sticks surgically inserted up their asses with the attitude they have! Walked in, asked a few questions about the 3 series vs. "X" type....you would have thought I had slugs climbing down my shoulders! Needless to say they lost out on ANY sale very quickly.

Hope you enjoy the ES!

mastertl

Bimmers dealerships send you flowers and gives you calls for the first 1 - 2 weeks of ownership. They also send gifts to new owners on Christmas.

Nanda66

Well in lexus even the seat belts will become options one day.

NFLblitze1

we got a box of chocolates and cookies :-)

thedream21479

Yea! The BMW dealership has been great to me! They sent me a Palm pilot as a thank you! Also, the dealer is always willing to give me a loaner BMW--no matter what the problem is- even if it's just an oil change. And any little problem and niggle is taken care of...They make me feel like royalty, even though my 330Ci is on the low rung of the BMW ladder. Once, on an emergency car failure, they didn't have any loaners available and they rented me a new Maxima from Enterprise.

The Acura dealership, while not horrible, has not been as great. Oh, they have the fresh cookies and Starbucks coffee and are more than willing to give you a ride anywhere and pick you up. However, the loaner cars are a different story. I have to make sure I call 2 weeks in advance (and it has to be a "major" issue" with the car), talk to the right guy and hope he's in a nice mood, then slide the guy 20 bucks under the table. Trying to get a loaner out of these people is more trouble than it's worth.

And I know the TL and the TSX are great cars, but please, not negotiating negotiating the sticker price? Screw that, I refuse to pay sticker for any car not graced with an AMG, ///M, prancing horse, or raging bull badge.

The ES330 is an amazing car in its own right. It's a mini LS430. Enjoy it!

nfnsquared

Bye, bye
See ya
Adios

Jput

Sorry you had a rough experience don't hold it against Acura as a brand, merely the individual. Congrats on the new car although i think that the TL is a much better car overall than the ES 330 your reasoning is valid and expected.

I look at it this way test drive at a dealer then buy from a wholesaler or broker, you still have your car under warranty. Just make them do all the work and laugh at the fact that you saved a couple grand.

6mtV6

My next car, I might look at another luxury brand. Maybe Lexus, BMW or MB. I just want to see how good their service is.

ed99

Hopefully Acura is listening and they can start treating us with more respect. I had problems before too in Vancouver Canada but it depends who you are dealing with. But it shouldn't have to be that way!!!!!!

mastertl

that is great. it makes the flowers my friend got kinda...lame

elee712

I agree that Acura salespeople do have a certain arrogance to them. Their motto is, "We have no trouble selling cars, why do we need to sell to you?"

White with Quartz in Manual w/Navi is the car that I want but unfortunately this car does not exist in any dealer in the US so it needs to be special ordered. They would charge me 500 more than what I would pay for any TL on the lot. Isnt that ridiculous? I'm willing to wait for the car, it's not like the dealership loses any money on special ordering.

It doesnt make much sense to me...

I hope that the demand for these cars go down so that TL's can start selling for closer to invoice price like other cars.

F23A4

I dont think the 2G TL approached invoice until right before the 04 TL came out. So it could be a long wait IMHO.

Yoda117

BMW, Lexus and Acura treated me really good...

Cadillac, M.B., Jaguar, and most especially Infiniti treated me like garbage... Infiniti was a fun one because after they treated me like garbage and got an earful on their horrible sales tactics (such as pressuring the customer to buy on the spot and then forgetting about them) I got a call apologizing for the trouble and offering me this really good deal for my trouble... MSRP

Riiight.

Of them all, Lexus was the nicest to me with Acura close behind... but I didn't feel like driving a rebuilt Camry, and I need AWD or FWD here in PA.

steevr

Bgut,

I've wanted to buy Acura's in 2002 and 2004 (I used to have a '90 Legend 5-speed) and bought Lexus's each time instead. I bought an RX300 in 2002 instead of an MDX and we recently purchased a GX470 for my wife (love the V8). The Acura dealerships around here leave a lot to be desired.

Our Lexus dealership has over 70 loaner cars available (ES330's and RX330's) and you can even use one for the hour when you get your oil changed.

You can get your car washed 6 days a week (inside and out including windows)and it takes less than 10 minutes. Meanwhile, you help yourself to bottled water, coffee or soda from the fridge. This is good for the lifetime of the car.

We have had zero problems with both Lexus's. I hope Acura can get it's act together as far as some of it's quality quirks and it's dealerships and salesmen that seem to have come from Chevy.

Good luck with the new Lexus.

mxtt

Isn't every dealership different as each one has an independent ownership? Also, I wasn't treated well by an Acura dealer, but I still bought one as I wanted the car, not some corky relationship with a dealer I may or may not visit once a year.

neuronbob

I've seen both bad and good at Acura dealerships. I saw the slime at one dealership near me, and great service at the other. Guess where I bought my car? And then another? And am considering buying a TSX for my wife from?

I agree with the person who suggested that Acura should rein in some of their slimier dealers, they don't do the marque a favor, and drive potentially good customers like bgut away.

Enjoy the ES330! Not my speed (too much lux, no sport) but to each his own...

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

I think dealer experiences vary from person to person, place to place, time to time.

I visit the same dealers regularly and get different treatment depending on who I'm dealing with, how I'm dressed, and which car I drive.

For instance, during the summers while I was in college, I often visited dealers after work just to check out new cars. If I was dressed nicely, I often got the best treatment. During the weekends, when I'm in a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals, dealership personnel tend to ignore me. Also, back when I drove an Integra, dealers often didn't proactively approach me when I showed up. Now that I drive a TSX, there's a salesguy at the door the moment I drive up.

My general impression is that Acura dealers cater to a much larger audience and thus generally treat everyone the same. Lexus. MB. and BMW dealers tend to have an air of aloofness that they seem to perpetuate and often ignore people who aren't well dressed. Infiniti dealers are eager to help everyone because they're looking for any reason to steal business from one of the other brands.

For the most part, my Acura dealers have always been exceptionally courteous to me and my family. We always lease from the same dealership, but don't get service done there because it's farther away than our local dealer, but the local dealer service department always treats us well regardless.

Ken1997TL

Courtesy of the internet you can RESEARCH which dealerships to deal with and which ones to avoid. In the long run, it'll benefit the consumer. Information is power, folks.

Lets hope those bad dealerships shape up or get turned into Kia stores.

bgut1

Not trying to start a flame war, but calling the ES330 a rebuilt Camry is liking calling the TL a rebuilt Accord. Both cars are built on the respective platforms. As in the TL, the ES330 shares very little with its sister car other than the platform. For this matter, the RX330 is a Toyota Highlander, the GX430 is a Toyota 4Runner, so on and so forth......BTW, the ES330 is FWD.

bgut1

Generally you are correct, however, I found nothing about my dealer online. I even did a BBB search which found no outstanding complaints against the dealer. Maybe we should start a thread identifying good and bad dealers for sales and service.

NFLblitze1

well when i wanted to purchase my TL the acura of Denville was the only one that had 04's in Stock and it was almost impossible to get a good deal on the 05's so i wasn't left with many choices

D_Nyholm

Haha, I just love that thought!!! KIA!!!

Personally, i wouldn't let a dealership experience sway me from my car choice. I actually drove 130 miles to get my car at a better dealership. Granted, the car just came out and was impossible to find (My order was supposed to be delived in May '03, but soemone cancelled the exact car I wanted in the first alllotment).

I have also found internet and phone purchasing to be very easy and less stressful. If you know the price you want and one place won't give it to you, go to the next place until you are happy with the deal. You never step out of the house except to actually pick up the car!!

I was also surprised to hear that you will not get a loaner if you didn't buy it at the exact dealership you are getting service at!!! I can go to any infiniti dealer and get service and a loaner. Of course, you have to be getting service other than just an oil change, but if you call 2 days in advance, you get the loaner!!

Prolanman

Good Luck with the ES. Lexus service is supposed to be tops. Smithtown Lexus has over 30 loaners (ES and RX). Unfortunately I went into their showroom 3 times and not once did a salesperson approach me. I had to hunt one down. I had a similar experience with Competition Infiniti. The only time a salesperson finally came over was when I went in with my wife and his attitude sucked. I also went to BMW and Mercedes dealerships on Long Island and was treated well at those dealerships.

I went into Smithtown Acura and Rallye Acura on Long Island. The sales persons were friendly and helpful in both dealerships. No pressure and very easy to deal with. I bought from Rallye because they had what I wanted in stock at what I considered a fair price. I haven't had any service done yet, but I'll let everyone know how that goes.

Oswald Vater

I would have to agree with most everyone that, generally speaking, Lexus and BMW customer service is much better than Acura. However, while a great car, I'm not quite ready for an ES and I can't afford a similar-equipped Bimmer. So in the meantime Acura is a good choice for me and I think those who made the same choice would agree! But we wish those who would decide otherwise well also and hope they are happy with their choices.

rets

I had both good and bad experiences, too.

While I tried to test-drive ES330, the dealership salesman seemed not to believe I could afford that car until I told him my 99 GS300 just parked right in front of us.

Sorry to hear this news, bgut1. Many of bad dealers are out there, either Lexus or Acura.