Hi guys, I'm trying to buy a car for the first time and came across a listing for a black automatic 2008 Acura TL Type S with 89k miles. I've always wanted to this car, and it's been a challenge finding one with less than 100k miles. I bought a pre purchase inspection from Lemon Squad and the inspector said:

The tire tread for the driver's side front and rear tires is 4/32, while the tire tread for the passenger side front and rear tires is 7/32. As the inspector said, there seems to be more wear on the driver's side tires, but all four tires need replacing soon. In addition, the serpentine belt also needs to be replaced. The dealer said the front brakes and rotors were replaced at the dealership. No maintenance and service records available.

The dealer is asking for $13,295. I definitely want to try to negotiate the price down, but I'm not sure what price I should be targeting. Edmunds says the trade-in value of this car is $3,494 - $6,471, while KBB says the trade in value is $7,958 - $9,503. Not sure why the ranges are so different. Of course this is just a trade-in valuation, and I'm aware dealers still have to make a profit. With that being said, how should I start the negotiation? What price should I be aiming for? Is having no maintenance record a problem? Thanks in advance!

 

get them to inspect why the tires are wearing differently..could be an alignment problem/suspension problem.
or previous owner slapped on a new tire without changing the other 3.

otherwise; it's a solid car!
and the art of negotiation is just that...an art.

Research the book "Never Split the Difference" it will tell you how to negotiate.
mainly by getting the other party to say "thats right" by listening to what they say and understanding what they say then repeating it back to them in your own words.
Once the words "that's right" come out of the other party's mouth, negotiations can begin.

then follow up with "how can i do that?" when the other party comes back with a high price.
"I dont have that much, how can I do that?"

 

You say no maintenance record, did you pull carfax? Has it had timing belt work done on the carfax? I paid less than that for a KBP 6sp with 10k miles less bout a year ago with TB WP and DB done as a reference, but sometimes the price is the price as supply and demand for low milers drives price. Try justn's approach, cant hurt.

 

The dealership said the guess in the difference of tire tread is due to alignment, but "the car didn't pull on inspection." Not sure what this could mean.

I checked the Carfax and there's no maintenance record on there. The dealer said the timing belt and water pump are part of the inspection and it didn't need to be replaced yet. How much does it typically cost to have those replaced?

 

tell the dealership to stop guessing and get the car aligned..this will show before and after. it will show if the alignment is out and it will show that the techs tried to align it back to factory specs.

timing belt, tensioner, water pump and spark plugs should be done at 105k miles and can cost anywhere from $400-1200 depending on who does the work

sounds like the dealership is trying to pass an okay car for a very high price.

 

So I tried to tried to negotiate the price, but the dealer said they don't do negotiations there so the listed price is basically final. It's not like a Carmax or Autonation dealership so I was a little surprised at the unwillingness to negotiate, but I guess that's the direction most dealerships are going these days? Considering this car probably needs an alignment, tires replaced, and serpentine belt replaced pretty soon, do you guys think the asking price of $13,295 ($16k out of the door) is worth it? I've been looking for a 2008 TL Type S under 100k miles in the color Nighthawk Black Pearl for about a month now in the west coast and this is the only one I've found. I am at a disadvantage because I need to make a purchase within the next couple weeks, but I don't want to buy from this dealer if it's too overpriced.

 

what is consider "worth it" to you? we might say it not worth it but in your case looks like you trying to find a mint condition TL-S and only this one meet your criteria. The car is now 13-14 years old so there will more and tear being a used car, hell I paid almost $30k for my TL-S back then and even that is far from perfected on my book. I would say from the market perspective at $16k the car is over priced, BTW why you only look for an 08 with under 100k miles? are you trying to finance?

 

I guess "worth it" is a bit subjective. As a first-time car buyer with limited credit history, there aren't many financing options available to me. The dealership wasn't able to extend me a financing offer at all, and most banks and credit unions have restrictions on used cars to be less than 10 years old. I only managed to get one pre approval for an autoloan for this 2008 model, but I'm not sure if I would be able to get an offer for a 2007 model and definitely not for one with one over 100k miles. Even so, I still included 2007 Acura TL Type S models in my search. So my criteria are:

• Type S
• Year 2007 - 2008 (preferably 2008)
• Less than 100,000 miles
• Color Nighthawk Black Pearl
• Preferably located in the West Coast
• Clean title and no previous accidents

I totally understand this restricts what cars are available to me and I am willing to pay a premium for that. If I really had to define "worth it", it would it would be a car that fits the criteria above that would be available to purchase within the next couple weeks and where the price before tt&r is not more than ~$1,500 above for what this car is typically listed for. I guess this all ties in with the car's value, which is something I'm having a hard time grasping even with the pre purchase inspection report and the estimated trade-in appraisals by Edmunds and KBB.

 

If you need to finance on this old of a car, at this price point, how are you planning to afford maintenance? Paying a premium for an older car is usually something someone does when they have more freedom with their cash flow and income....or at a minimum more credit history to enable better options.

Also to note....do NOT go on a journey looking for a good deal on a good/great used TL that has a defined timeline. You will either end up over paying or settling for a lessor vehicle because they just don't pop up (good condition, lower miles, etc) on a regular basis anymore.

 

tahts because value is waht someone is willing to pay for it...and agreed with jackass. dont finance a 10+ year old car. ESPECIALLY in these times of uncertainty. it just shows that you cant truly afford this car

 

I was planning on making a down payment of about 35% of the vehicle's final price with about $1000 allocated for maintenance that needs to be done within the next year. I don't have an extensive credit history but I do have a good credit score, which is why I'm assuming I was able to get pre approved with a decent interest rate. I considered this car because of its reliability and it's a car that I've always wanted, but you guys do make valid points. Even with a considerable down payment on the car with less than 100k miles, do you think this is an unwise financial decision?

 

if you can get the car down to $7 or 8k, def doable.
at $13k, that's just a tough sell

Tell dealership to call you when they are ready to sell to you at YOUR price.
remember, there are millions of cars on the road. dont fall in love with just one brand/car/make/model

 

I would not finance the car at $10k or more unless you can afford the payment easily, hell I didn't even finance my O.G TL..... Now these days that I am much older I cant still justifying paying more than $350/month for a commuter car, I been in your shoe before OP, I was drooling on a 03 Accord V6 Coupe MT. But later I end up with a TL-S and 12 years later I end up with 6 Acuras

 

lol 6 acuras! all in one garage .

 

Why should he buy a TL right? I mean according to you they are slower than a base model BMW. You're the EXPERT though right? Why not instead tell him to buy a BMW instead?