lokko

This is going to be my very first buy and so I need some help.

I'm not to educated in cars and I have done some research and it looks like getting an acura tl is the best choice for me.

I'm leaning towards the 07 because it's the best choice car for me since I live in Canada and supposedly some features like the XM and what not are working with Canadians..

So I'm going to go into a dealershop in a few weeks and I want to make sure I'm not getting ripped off.

What do I look for when getting a Acura TL and how do I find out my "market price"

(Clearly I don't know much about cars lol)

sddale

You should do as much research you can on all the similar cars in your area so you can get an idea of how much they are going for in your area as well as what condition they're in.

Pre purchase inspections are important as well. You can find a 3rd party company that does these inspections for a couple of hundred dollars. You could find one that is also able to measure the paint thickness to see if any of the panels have been repainted.

Maintenance records were a big plus for me when I bought. Most dealers won't have them but there are some records reported to carfax. Individual sellers may have them or at least some of them. I like to make sure that the vehicle has been maintained.

Take your time. Don't be pressured into making the deal today. Make sure that you are completely comfortable with how the vehicle checks out and there won't be any surprises.

Read all the threads here about common issues and problems so you are familiar with them and know what to look for in the maintenance records. Transmission fluid changes are a good one.

Good luck!

lokko

okay thanks.

What does wdp, bdp stand for and what is it?

ez12a

just acronyms for color codes

like ABP = Abyss Blue Pearl

alexSU

iTrader: (3)

Come back here with some info on a TL you've picked out, miles, how much they want and what interest rate your getting. We can help from there

Deerole

by the judge of ur thread...take someone with you when u go that knows about cars aside from doing ur own searches.

truonghthe

I would research on the internet about review that owner has TL and other type of car in similar category (I know I did), then go out and see which car fit you the best and then you should bring along with you a family trusted mechanic who know more cars than you do. Like everyone else here said you should get pre-purchase inspection done by a mechanic or your local Acura dealership.

jeeva86

There should be plenty of TLs in your category so look through them to get an idea of pricing. Then visit the dealer that has the most in their lot .

JD TL-S

iTrader: (1)

Go on CARS.COM and put in an advanced search and then you can take notes on year, mileage, cost. Thats what I have done. I am also going to by an 07-08 WDP TL Type-S in about 90 days

The Type-S is loaded and beautiful. NAV is a must for me. Plus the 07-08 Base TL with NAV has a backup camera which is awesome.

vshengr

iTrader: (2)

Lots of factors to keep in mind when buying. Google search 'buying a car' and you will find plenty of articles trying to explain how to have the upperhand against the dealership.

Some things I found useful:
Kelly Blue Book price - research year, trim, mileage, etc so you know how much the 'market value' of the car is

Going at the end of the month - salespeople have incentives to meet a quota, if they are short that month your purchase may put them in line for a bonus.

Don't be afraid to shop around - compare pricing of one dealership against another. when I got mine, I gave them another dealership's best offer and told them to beat it.

Haggle - Do whatever you can to make sure you got everything you can. If you or the dealer are stuck on a price, ask them to throw in equipment - cargo net, bug deflector, trunk mat, etc.

As far as things to beware of in the TL - test drive it in a quiet setting. TL's are prone to interior rattles. Steering column, dash, speakers, subwoofer, windows, etc. Try driving over uneven surfaces to see if you can get anything to rattle. Not all TLs have the rattles but many do. Besides that the TL is well built and as long as proper maintenance has been done there isn't too much to beware of.

Hope that helps abit.

vshengr

iTrader: (2)

Forgot to mention:

Looking at the rims - if there is alot of curb rash/curbing (the edge where the tire meets the wheel rim is scraped up) then chances are the car was city driven and parallel parked and may have had a somewhat careless owner.

Also sometimes choosing the higher mileage car is the better bet.

60,000 miles all freeway is better than 30,000 miles all city. Chances are the 60,000 mile car is in better condition as well unless the 30,000 mile city owner was an acuraziner =)

jeeva86

If you can take it out on a test drive by yourself, check the navi for previous destinations and bt info so that maybe you can contact the previous owner .

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

for pricing info:
kelly blue book
nada
edmund's

then:
check cars.com for the car you want (features/trim/mileage) and make a comparison.

the above pricing guides will give you an idea of retail (it's not written in stone). then you have to look at the range of trade in values (think of this as what the dealer MIGHT have paid out for the car). if you're going private party then look at private partynumbers. if going to a dealer, go to a reputable one (be weary of the small ones). think of how much the dealer may have put back into the car to recondition it (at most $1k, if CPO add $2k, which would include the add'l warranty coverage associated with the CPO on top of the possible trade in).

if the car was bought at auction....you can only guess what the dealer may have paid since it is usually lower than trade in (there is a reason the car is at auction-it was a rough trade in or a rough ease return no worthy enough for the dealer to recondition and then sell).

the tough thing about used cars is knowing what the actual price the dealer paid for the car. nice thing about new....we know the invoice and we know there is a certain percentage below invoice that the dealer paid to have the car. however invoice is the number we usually aim for in the new car market. dealer still has to keep their lights on and the salesman has to get paid.

if you can find a car that is BELOW the retail book values or at current market values for your area then it's a fair price. if the car is WAY below the retail book values or too good to be true...be cautious. good luck!