I will be more seriously hunting down a 2012 TL and I had thought that the current version would be continued into 2013. However, an internet sales guy from one of the local dealers (LA area) who I have been emailing said that the 2012 market is near its end and 2013 will be approaching soon so I had better act fast.

Is that really the case? I thought that the 2012 TL would be continued way into the coming year.


Thanks,

Doug

 

I think he just wants to make a sale. It is possible that Acura bumps up the new model year intro cycle to the spring since that is when the 2012 early MMC was released as opposed to the usual end of summer/early fall release. It is believed that Acura is returning to the previous end of summer/fall release date for the 2013 but that probably still depends on how it now coincides with the other new model generation releases.

Even if the release point has been moved up to spring, the 2012's would be available until that point and with the left over units, I wouldn't be surprised to see 2012 models still on the ground a year from now or close enough to it. What he is saying doesn't really make much sense unless it's a trim or color that they might be discontinuing, since we wouldn't really know about that stuff ahead of time.

 

I thought as much. By the way I was watching Clark Howard this morning who was predicting that the Japanese automakers (now that they are back to speed) will be offering great deals in the upcoming weeks in order to win back market share that they lost (due to the earthquake and other issues).


Doug

 

Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus and Subaru are still filling their pipelines with product and it will be another month or two before they have adequate inventories. However, I do agree that we will see a big end of the calendar year push by all manufacturers, especially if the economy continues to falter.

 

Model year (MY) 2013 TL will be arriving in dealerships at around Sept of 2012.

The reason that the MMC 2012 TL was launched six months earlier in March of 2012 is due that fact that MMC is always released at midway (2.5 years) of the 5-year Acura product cycle. That's why the MY 2011 TL only lasted for 6 months, whereas the MY 2012 TL will continue for 18 months before the MY 2013 arrives in Sept/2012.

 

So this whole business about shortages and unavailability of colors, etc. seems like a bunch of BS. If they plan to be selling the current model for another year and expect to regain market share, don't they have to producing these by the carload?


Doug

 

And I would not expect much to change in the 2013 anyway. I suspect the 2014 will be in April of 2013 so we are abou 18 months form the next body TL. I hope they learned their lesson with radical styling and bland color choices. I am so itching to get back into an Acura.

 

No. This business about shortages and production delays is real.

Honda wants to produce the TL's by the carload, and dealerships want to get the TL's by the carload too. But the shortage of critical parts that were/are manufactured in Japan, has cut short the production output of the American factories. Honda's profit is being seriously compromised because of this.

The shortage of TL's is to do with the Japanese earthquake, and has ZERO relationship to whether the 2012 model year will continue for another year or will be replaced in 6 months' time.

 

If they do actually change the design next year, I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure there will be plenty of this year's model left on the lot when you are ready to buy next year and you'll save money as they'll be even more desperate to sell them than they are now.

 

I think Japan was still hung up on the world ending in 2012 for some reason.... I'd entertain trading up for a loaded SH-AWD Tech Advance for 39 out the door....

 

Are you saying that you have seen such a model going for $39k out the door or is that wishful thinking?


Doug

 

Maybe for a used one.....

 

$43,010 is dealer invoice. Even with current incentives ALL applied, you are looking at $41,860. That is before fees, taxes, license, title, etc. You will need a halfway decent trade to get to $39k out the door.

 

No advertised price - It's VERY wishful thinking, and definitely not wanting to get robbed on the trade-in.

And, why take a beating so a dealership can make another 2-3k on your trade-in?

My 09, which I still love, is still immaculately garage kept and mostly weather free - with only 20k on the ticker. I'm one of those guys that cleans inside the door jambs, trunk drip areas, under the fuel lid, and under the hood with every wash.

 

The only real time constraints I have are (1) my wife sort of was hoping to get a new car before the end of the year and (more importantly) (2) I have had a buyer for her 2000 TL who has been patiently waiting for us to sell him the car.

I guess in terms of getting back to normal production, Toyota was better suited to accomplish this than Honda, although I am not sure why.

If it was totally up to me I would just sit tight until the beginning of 2012.

Doug