bsprinker

I've had some recent thoughts about trading/selling my '08 TL with nav and either downgrading to a slightly cheaper car and pocketing the money or REALLY downgrading for now...Am I crazy for thinking about this?

I've had my '08 TL for exactly one year and I've enjoyed it, but I don't really "love" the car. I settled for it last year when I couldn't find a local Type S to buy, and I've regretted the purchase for months now. Now that TL prices have actually increased a little bit, I've thought about selling/trading it for something else...that something else being either what I think I want (Type S); or really financially downgrading to something like a 2006 TSX w/ nav and pocketing $8k+. Is this crazy? My idea is that I can either save the money or keep the money until I decide/find the car I really want. Please share your thoughts...

ps. My car is listed in Acurazine and craigslist; so I am pretty serious about this.

LoveMyTL-S

Sounds like your true love is the TL-S. If you can get a good deal then go for it. Remember, your gonna take a good hit and my be upside down a lot on your loan. Is it worth it? Maybe. The 06 TSX may be the smarter choice financially. But will you be happy with it?

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

I kind of went through something similar. I bought a 07 base TL with nav even though I knew the Type S was what I really wanted. The entire time I owned the car I regretted my decision. Needless to say I now drive a Kinetic Blue Pearl TL-S and absolutely love it.

Im glad I ended up getting rid of the base 07 for the Type S. Some will say its not worth the hassle and loss of money to go from one TL to another (even though one is a step up), but thats just peoples biased opinions. I enjoy driving my S more than I ever did the base car and yes I agree overall they are kind of similar.

I cant make your deicision for you and I dont know your money situation, but I can say for sure if I went from a nice 08 TL nav to an older TSX I would likely regret my decision pretty damn quickly (even with a measly 8K in my wallet).

Hope this helps,
James

bsprinker

The problem is that the prices of the type S have REALLY increased recently...and there are no deals to be had. It's crazy. I've actually been quoted $4,000 to get into a 2007 Type S with more miles than my '08. It gets even worse for certified '08 type S's. Yesterday I was quoted $8,000 difference after trade-in to get into a 2008 Type S with 10k less miles on it than mine.

Personally, I just can't justify that kind of money for the same kind of car.

LoveMyTL-S

Well, perhaps you should just be happy with what you have. The base TL w/Navi is a great car. I went from a 04 TSX with no navi, bluetooth, etc. to a 08 TL-S, what a difference. I did take a 2k hit, but I felt it was worth the upgrades. Your case is a bit different as you are already in a TL. Maybe it would be wise to keep the TL for now until the TL-S prices drop.

bsprinker

James,

I remember reading your posts shortly after you made the trade, and if I could find a same-year type S for only a couple grand, I would jump all over it. Those deals just aren't around anymore. In this economy, the dealers are paying more attention to their used cars. Once they realize that they have a car that's in demand, they're charging a premium for it to make up for their overall poor sales.

BradE

Getting a deal on a Type S is going to be difficult unless it has a shitload of miles on it. Most dealers here are asking $32k + for them used. I paid $33,200 brand new. There is no chance in hell I'd pay what they are asking for used ones considering you could have gotten a brand new one for the same price or less a year ago.

LoveMyTL-S

^^^^ Agree. I paid $32,328.00 for mine.

Acura604

after owning a 2004 TSX, a 2006 TSX and a 2008 TSX.. .if i were in your situation whereas I wanted to downgrade and pocket some cash..i would NEVER hesitate to get into another 1st gen TSX. solid car, not quite a 'mini TL' but nevertheless, similar acura luxuries are found in there. YES, you lose out on the v6 but really..who cares? are we really getting anywhere fast? lol.

bsprinker

Acura604, Thank you for your opinion. My thoughts are very similar to yours. I feel that a TSX w/ navigation will be enough luxury for me even with the 4 cyl, and I won't have that nagging feeling that I paid too much money for a car I only "like".

While I "think" I want a Type S, I'm not 100% sure that I'd be totally content after a few months after I paid $4k OTD and traded up. I'd hate to pay the cash only to have those same feelings after a couple of months. There are some things about my TL that I don't like, but I can't tell if my grips are magnified because it's just not a type S.

VQPower37

i think you should just keep your car, and mod it ... it will feel like a new car

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

^ werd.

MR1

You made a decision already when you bought the TL. No car and few other things are perfect. Trading cars is usually a money loser and not worth it imho.

Acura Cake

i feel just like you right now, i bought a base 06 with no nav and had it for about 5 months, and i want to get rid of it for a type s but i cant see spending extra money for a car thats a year newer and has roughly the same amount of miles on it

i think i decided that i am just going to put a few things into the TL i have now, but i do really miss driving stick shift since all my cars before the TL were

lldknyll26

why is our TL-s So high priced right now. I paid 33K brand new. Is the demand that high right now for TL type s? Why out of sudden? Just an year ago, demand for TL type s wasn't as high as right now. Perhaps the 4G TLs are causing the demand for type s to increase? Well atleast i wont have hard time selling my car 3 or 4 yrs down the road.

MR1

4G is considered unattractive. As you note, the market can and does change. No telling what will happen to prices over the years. Enjoy what you have right now.

lldknyll26

oops guess i was typing fast. forgot to put ALL in my sent. Thanks mr1

TypeSDragon

I have to agree the TypeS are in high demand. But the base TL with navi is pretty close to a TypeS as far as all the tech goodies. I would just keep it and mod it so it will look hotter than a stock TypeS. Trading a relatively new car, you will definitely take a pretty big hit. Remember if you sell it privately, you will lose money plus the taxes you paid. If you get a older TSX, you will have to pay tax again when you register. You have to factor in the taxes, license... etc. Those add up a lot.

lldknyll26

i agree with typesdragon. just mod it and make it look like type s. quad exhaust, new bumpers tail lights head lights side mark brakes suspension and theres your type s. You'll save more money moding your base tl to type s than to trade in. Just dont put the type s emblem after moding lol.

yooin14

Type-s is very nice. It's been one year since i got this car but I still look around my car for a sec whereever I park at. I never did this on previous 2004 TL when I had it before type S.

lldknyll26

yoon ur so right. i already admire my car from distance after parking. i never did this with my 2nd G TL-S either. Something about the 3G Type s is very attractive.