Adobeman

I've had my eye on the new TL for over a year now and the time was finally right to get a new car

Test drove a 05 AT last weekend and then test drove an 05 6MT tonight. 6MT was great, No real torque steer issues I noted but then again I've always had front-drivers with MT so maybe I have "programmed it out of my brain"

Then, I did it. I put down a deposit on a Abyss Blue Pearl with Camel interior 6MT without NAV.

After some negotiation I got the car down to $31,500. Just the car, no accessories. They also have to bring the car in from out of state. Nothing on the lot I wanted.

I thought this was a pretty good price for northern CT. Ya think ?

With my ten year old trade I'm at $30K plus TTL (6% tax plus about $80 reg transfer)

Questions ?
1) Opinion on the board seems to be save your money, don't get sealant but do get some Zaino or equivalent. Dealer wants $500 for Teflon based sealant. Sells the 5 year acid rain guarantee. Passing on it…seem right? My current car is NOT clear coat and VERY red and I have always been able to work out any stains. Is clear coat that much tougher to deal with? I thought it was supposed to be easier.
2) Side body moldings. I know, big controversy, Dealer wanted about $300. I figure since they are pre-color matched I can get them and install myself at about half that. I'm confident in my abilities to do this. Any major issues with my thoughts ?
3) Wheel lock, no brain-er to put on. Dealer says $100. I passed and will get genuine part on-line. For way less.

The other thing was that the dealers service advisor was straight forward about issues I asked about. He acknowledged vibrations in some 04s. He is convinced that they solved their customers issues with tires. He also admitted that the outside temp sensor can "freak out" He has seen it with a few cars and thinks the newer ones have been fixed. He also acknowledged that the Brembos will cost more to maintain. His estimate was 30K to 40K miles depending on habits and that brake job would be about $150 more (front) than the non-Brembo. I am a down shifter and still have OE pads in my car at 90K. They are thin now but I'm light on brakes. I gave "points" for acknowledgment over the usual "nope never saw it" you usually get.

Thanks to all who may offer advice.

Mike

MichiganRich

The only thing I would say is, are you sure about the no-Nav? I think that it's just the sweetest thing, and definitely one of the best implementations of it that I've ever seen. Make sure you've thought it through, don't regret it later....

ndx2

congrats and welcome to the forum!

31.5k sounds fair.

my main concern is this: how far away is your TL coming from? more importantly, how are they getting it to you?

i'm surprised the dealer didn't thrown in the Protection Package... i thought they were just handing those out. most people i know got it for free. (this pro-pkg includes all trunk tray, wheel locks, trunk nets, mudguards)

the fact that the service guys admit the problems doesn't mean much. sure, customers will get a good first impression... but after you sign the contract, and once the car is yours, things become a lil different. if you're seriously concerned about a certain issue on the TL, i'd ask them if they'd fix it - if they say yes, get it in writing.

other than that, congrats again on your new ride. you'll love driving the 6MT (you'll certainly feel the torque steer when you punch it).

MichiganRich

p.s.- Sounds like you've done your research... I agree with Consumer Reports when they made the TL the top-ranked 'pseudo-lux' car out there. The value equation cannot be equaled by any other car out there, IMHO....

Adobeman

The value does seem very good. The 3GTL also being the first car in my range that I can get excited about is gravy on top !


Been back and forth and an convinced it just isn't that big a deal for me. THe real breakthrough was keeping the MT like I always had and not settling for AT

MichiganRich

Okay I'm gonna 'splain a little bit about how I've found the Nav to be very cool. There are roads I've never been down until now. I've lived here for pretty much my whole life and now I feel like there is NO reason to not go for a spin somewhere I've never been, as I know I can always get back. Finding new ways to go the roughly 30 minutes down to my sister's house (and back). It's the absolute best road atlas you've ever had, and it's right at your fingertips alll the time.

I don't want to even hint at making you second-guess your decision, I just feel that the Nav is so special that I've become a little evangelical about it. :-)

Adobeman

Thanks for the info... do you know if this was a promotion or just something "popular"

Trunk Tray + wheel locks + mudguards = $190 to my door. Not the end of the world but would be nice to have thrown in.

They were talking $300 for muds and wheel locks (no tray) and showin no sign of budging. Never mentioned any protection package.

I also agree about your comments on service acknowledging stuff but it was better than some "never heard of it" responses from others. Truth is time will tell

Thanks again

Adobeman

Not at all... after all you been there, done that.

One thing you gots to know....I am a bicycling enthusiest. What that means is I know so many roads in my area it scares people. They just can't get it that I know so much. It is just a side effect of lots of cycling. That said, I to can get lost in the country and NAV would be pretty fun. Then again, being lost in country = more time driving car .... Downside ?

scrb09

ALL SEASON FLOOR MATS...I think they are VERY Critical especially as you live in a area where Snow is not a stranger...I would recommend getting them with the car (or buy them online and get them delivered by the time your car comes in) because once your regular mats are dirty you will regret the decision of not getting the all season's...especially since you have camel interior...

Dont want to second your thoughts BUT if you planning to sell the TL later on having a Navi will fetch you better price (4-5 YEARS from now the NAVI is probably going to be standard on most vehicles) and once you get it and use it...I am VERY sure you will fall in love with it and think it was wise decision...

Other than that I think it is a sweet deal and Navi or non-Navi it is still a TL so welcome and good luck...

ndx2

where in MI do you live, MichiganRich.... or do you just like to have a misleading name?

im almost certain that the protection package was not a "limited time offer" or any sort of promotion. maybe other members can tell you if they got it for free or not.

doesn't seem like your dealership's being too easy on negotiation. i just hope they are flatbedding your car in.

Adobeman

Unfortunately they are not. I asked obout that.

My last car back in 95 was the same way. Came in with about 100 mi on it. Two old guys drove it in from RI. Overall I'd prefer that the car was trucked in but simply not an option. My guess is it may have a 2-3 hunded on it when I see it. Comes in with all the "wrapping" on it. Personally I'm not sweating it too much. Not optimal but not gonna let it ruin my day either. Either way there will be some serious eyeballing and test driving before they get all the $$$

ndx2

do you not have another acura dealership near by? i would strongly advise against getting the car driven in by some porter. i have friends who worked/work at dealerships, and they rag on the dealer trades - especially so if the car's fun to drive... i.e. 6MT TL. if you're leasing, no big deal. but if you're buying, why put up with it, especially when the price is actually higher due to dealer trade?

just imagine them breaking every single break-in guideline... full throttle, sudden braking, using cruise control... but i can definitely understand you wanting to get the car asap. i got mine 2 days after test driving it.

since you are not obligated to buy the car, i'd ask them for that free protection package or no deal.

MichiganRich

Hey NDX, I live in the Southwest corner, on the lake.... St. Joseph.

And with all this talk of break-in hijinx and stuff like that, I'm glad I got mine 8 months used and with 16k ticks on it. Someone else took the $$ hit, and I can't worry about break-in because it's already water under the bridge!

gmsmith1

Hello Adobeman -

I've had my ABP/Quartz 6MT non-Nav since the end of March. I purchased mine from Schaller Acura in Manchester, CT. Is this the "Northern, CT" dealership that you're shopping at? If so, who's the salesperson that you're dealing with??

A few things -

1) Wheel locks were included - they told me that as soon as the cars come onto the lot, they put wheel locks on them.

2) I got the all season floor mats, trunk tray, and extended warranty (7 years, 100,000 miles). Price: all in, including tax, $34,000.

3) They also had to bring my car in from out-of-state, and it was the sales guy that went to pick it up (it was about 100 miles away), and when it arrived at the dealership, the service department put it through the same checks as if it had just come off the truck. The sales guy was responsible for any problems.

4) 5 days after I picked up my car, I was stranded in the pouring rain with a flat tire. It looked low, and I had to put air in it during that five day period. I took the tire into the dealership to have it looked at and after 2.5 hours, the service guy came out and said I needed a new tire, and it would cost me $240.00. Needless to say, my husband and I weren't happy. We were even more upset to learn that we could have purchased a tire warranty for $12.50 a tire. In the end, the dealership did the right thing and didn't charge us for the tire, and we purchased the warranty. So, you might want to ask about the tire warranty.

If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to help.

Ginette

TheTriads

not bad, pretty decent price. I got mine with Navi for 30,700 so you sure you don't want Navi? It's a cool feature.

AdamNJ

With Navi for 30700? How?

BTL05

wat is up with all the accessory charging the dealer is doing? heres my deal
2005 NBP 6MT w/ Navi, wheellocks, all weather floor mats, trunk tray, deck lid spoiler, window etching, Teflon selant with 5 year paint warranty, 7 year extended warranty - all for roughly 34,200 before taxes.

though I have the sealant inside and out..Im waiting to Zaino the car. Side moldings arent worth it but you can install yourself..its easy. go to some sites who sell acura accesories and parts. such as
http://www.handa-accessories.com/tl.html

HiG4s

Handa also has offical Acura wheel locks for $29..

Adobeman

A big thanks to all of you who have chimed in so far.

To the Nav fans. I hear you, appreciate and respect your passion for it. I am comfortable in my decision to not go for it. I'll suffer the consequences later should they arrise. I'll keep my sniffling to myself...should it come to that. Please no more prodding.

Getting accessories aftermarket. Other vehicle is an 01 Oddy Van so I am familiar with HandA and that's why I was definitely not getting locks and flaps for $300 from the dealer. Just not worth the argument with them. HandA doesn't have the side body mouldings but I've seen them elsewhere. I really like the fact that HandA has the PDF instructions. I know mounting the side mouldings will be simple enough but I'd love to have the Acura procedure. Just makes it that much quicker and right the first time. Anyone got the procedure for the mouldings? Then again maybe it's in the packaging with them.

Anyone got suggestions for a cheap bluetooth phone? I'm not a big cell phone fan but it seems like a nice way to go especially since I'll be shifting that 6M. But since cell phones don't "do it for me" cheaper is better here.

Hopefully the car will arrive soon.

Thanks again all.