I've been to 3 Acura dealers. 2 of them add items to all their cars, like mud guards, interior protection package, etc. to the tune of $850. I would guess this cost the dealer $200 at most, probably not that much.

I don't know how most of you feel, but this insults my intelligence. I guess they think everyone is an idiot.

 

These are all things you negotiate out of the price. Also negotiate to add the items that you want. Dealers take advantage of lazy car buyers by adding all that crap

 

"protection package" is a free add-on that allows them to gouge on price (jack up closer to MSRP after reducing by $500 or $1000). It's a standard Honda sales tactic that has pissed me off for years (like gold emblems, pinstripes, etc.).

For all I care they can take this crap and shove it in the same place as the EL-42 tires.

 

Remember when pinstripes were actually painted instead of tape?

My 1989 Toyota Supra Turbo had painted pinstripes, much nicer than the crap you get today.

Don

 

well, those tactics are morally OK.....to some peepz here.

I personnally agree that it should be deemed criminal and no less of a crime than stealing......but thats just me

 

All my Acura's have custom painted pin-stripes; traded an '01 MDX for an '04 MDX and the '02 TL-S Same guy painted them all.

 

I believe I signed a paper when I picked up the car saying that the only things added to the car were things I asked for.

 

I have never had this problem. I always order my car from the factory (they never have what I want on the lot) and then I get EXACTLY what I want. I always negotiate from invoice up (not MSRP with options down) so the dealers don't have an option to stick me with the extra "stuff".

 

That's why I drove 120 miles away to buy the Wife's TL. The dealers around here wouldn't budge on price, and tacked on stuff. That and the salesmen around here are just plain rude. One of them almost shut the hood on my head, and told me that they had to take the car, because they had a customer "interested" in the car. What the hell am I? They even told me that I would not be able to find a TL for less than MSRP, unless I looked in the used car market.

The Lexus dealer was worse though. Actually told me to get out of the car, and to not touch the paint, because I might ruin the paint, and they had serious buyers that want to look at the interior. Even had the audacity to tell me that they get a lot of highschoolers that want to go on free joyrides/test drives. Almost wanted to kick his arse on the spot.

The local only infiniti dealer was barely tolerable. They installed the protection package on all their cars, and asked $1600 for it! And they wouldn't budge on anything. They would only cosider knocking $100 off the price of the protection package. (How nice of them ) And they even drilled holes on the front bumpers for the plates on all their cars as soon as they came off the truck, even though there exists front plate brackets that don't require holes to be drilled. (Attaches to towhook mount). One of the salesman asked, "When would you be interested in buying?" I told him I was buying it today, but not from this dealer. He gave me a funny look and said, "You are the second guy to say that today". (and it was only 9am at the time). They keep that up, and they won't have any customers.

So I ended up buying the TL out of town, and the G35 out of state. When I swung by the local Acura dealer, to have a spoiler installed on the wife's TL, the salesman even recognized us, and asked if I found a lightly used one , so I told him I got a discount of a few thousand dollars on one with only 14 miles on the odometer. I got so ticked, I never go to that dealer, ever. I actually drove the 120 miles to the other dealer for service stops, and to have the spoiler installed. (for cheaper too even) When the wife got a puncture on her tire, the local acura dealer said, that is not covered under warranty, so would cost $35 to repair. Even the local Honda dealer said, that is covered under warranty, and offered to do it for free, despite that fact it was an acura

When I was cross shopping the GTO, only one local dealer has one, and they want MSRP + $10,000!! :wow: I was just in the bay area a little while ago on business, and even they weren't marking those up. That made my decision almost a non-decision.