TLNV

Yup.....Just one word.... Jealous

LCDRChemEng

My experience:
Took my 08 TL w. Navi to get some minor warranty work done, drove home a 2009 TL loaner. My wife hated the 08 TL but loved the new one. That got the ball rolling, although I know it's the worst type of motivation.

Bottom line, after several days of calls and visits, traded in my 08 TL w. 38K miles (got $25,000 for it) and drove out a 2010 basque red TL Tech for $37,500. I'm still not pleased with the purchase since the car they showed me had 18" wheels and the one I bought has 17", but a deal is a deal. It's my fault for not checking. It came with trunk tray, mud flaps, body mouldings, lock nuts, and "nitro-filled" tires.

I did sit down with the salesman ready to buy. Credit is almost 800. Did do my homework and knew the invoice price for the new TL as well as KBB and NADA trade in value for the old one. Also knew the going loan interest rates. Negotiated down to exactly as much as I wanted to pay. I did show the dealer a quote I received from the Ford dealer down the street on a new Taurus.

I do not believe in giving them cash up front. If they won't make a legit offer otherwise, I'll walk out the door, but I have not had that happen yet. I did wear my Navy uniform when I bought the car, so maybe that helped convince them I was "honorable."

I thought there was wiggle room regarding the extended warranty, but to my surprise they would not budge an inch, even after 20 minutes of hammering. What I did discover is there's an alternative warranty with Honda (not Acura nor third party) that covers the same for much less, but you have to ask...

Gap coverage was not offered outside the dealer, for whatever reason. Despite the post above, gap coverage applies to purchases also, since the value of the car may be less than the amount financed if ext warranties etc. are included in the loan. Cost me $600.

Diamon-Fusion was another $190, but I'm still not convinced it was a good value. Time will tell. So far so good. The "refresher" treatments are just a ploy to get you back into the service bay to fall prey to other gimmicks like teflon treatments, paint sealers, etc.

Lastly, genuine accessories can be had for much less pretty easily. My dealer wanted $190 for the nose mask, got it for $140 from another Acura through eBay.

Xpditor

As I have mentioned before... anything the dealer sells you is marked up WAY HIGH and can be purchased elsewhere, much cheaper. That includes extended warranties. And "GAP" coverage is their latest ploy. I see no value in it and the price is highly inflated. You can usually have a "replacement cost" rider added to your auto policy for much less.

All the surface treatment is bogus, IMO. I do the same thing on my TL about twice a year with the same polymer sealant (probably better= www.zainobros.com ) at a fraction of the price. And it takes no skill and less than an hour.

In general, it sounds as if you did good. But, the dealer could have given you the car at his cost and made money on all the gingerbread.

I hope you included the factory incentives in your calculations.

Extended warranties? A big profit producer for dealers. You can get factory extended warranties at a considerable discount from Honda/Acura dealers online. Also, you can cancel that extended warranty and get your money refunded. (If you should happen to find another one less expensive)

LCDRChemEng

I will certainly be much wiser next time thanks to the tips mentioned here. $37,500 is the OTD price, not including Tax and tag/title. I came in prepared to settle for that amount and give the dealer some profit. My big mistake was not checking the wheels; had I known the car didn't have 18" rims I would've negotiated $1,000 lower. I'm actually tempted to go back to the dealer and ask for the 18" rims just in case.

Not to pick an argument, but we did check with my insurance carrier (USAA) and they would not provide gap insurance. I'm not sure if a "replacement" rider is available, but as implied above I was upside down with my trade, which meant the new loan amount is higher than replacement value anyway. And, no, I won't consider switching insurance carriers. USAA has been great for us over ten years, I even get a yearly check from them.

Although I understand extended warranties are marked up really high, for whatever reason the finance guy would not budge an inch. It is curious, however, that after we asked about the Honda warranty as an alternative to Acuracare, he gave us a pretty good price (I checked the internet afterwards). He said he is only allowed to offer it IF ASKED by the customer. Turns out what we paid is only about $100 more than the best alternative I could find.

I use Zaino on all my cars, but I did not know they made glass treatment also. I will get some of that and put it on my other vehicle and see how they compare.

queens207tl

Unless your invoice said TL Tech w/18 inch wheels on it, then I don't think you have a case. Once you have driven off with the vehicle your pretty much SOL. You can can definitely try to talk to the dealer, as it wouldn't hurt to try. Its hard to evaluate what your "true" cost of the vehicle given the $790 in extras (i.e. gap and diamond fusion) and you were also upside down on ur trade. I believe lately ppl have been able to get that vehicle for about $34.5 before TTL, so I'm hoping after you take into the extras purchased and ur negative equity into account that you are pretty close to that. Congrats on the new vehicle!

TLNV

I am one of those that carries gap on all of my financed vehicles regardless. However my gap has never been more than $200 which for me is very reasonable should something bad happen to the car. $200 either out of pocket or in the loan is peanuts over a 4 or 5 year note. I prefer to have piece of mind.

almostatlowner

Well I don't know how you guys are doing it. I guess here in the mid-west, dealers aren't nearly as hungry.

I don't need a new car right now, but when I saw these prices, I had to see if a deal could be done. My target price for a 2010 TL AWD Tech Manual CBP was $37,059 including all fees except ttl. I think queenstl and some others got their tl for that price. Well, the best any dealer would do around here (200+ miles away), was $37,700. I felt that was still a really good price and they would also give my asking price on my trade (from Edmunds). So I put $500 down and made the trip. The car was great (still can't drive a manual though), but when I looked at the odometer, it was well over 400 miles! That's what I get for not asking before I made the trip. That pretty much killed it for me. I told them I was walking. After telling me $37,700 was their rock bottom price, suddenly they started dropping the price in $100 increments. -$600 later, I still couldn't do it and walked. Fortunately they refunded my $, but I sure was bummed. I did notice on Carfax that the car already had 2 transactions on it. I am just dying to know what they were.

I called 4 other dealers...some over 300 miles away. I told them the TL price and my trade in price I wanted. If they could agree to those numbers, I'd put down $500 now and then drive there and finance it through them. They all said let me check my numbers and I'll call you back, but none of them did.

Oh well. At least I tried. On a side note, does anyone know if the new V8 will make it to the TL in the next few years? That would be sweet!

JM2010 SH-AWD

Man, sorry it didn't work. That's a bummer.

I was recently shopping in the MO/IL area. I don't think you'll get much below 38K, if at all, for a non-demo car.

I had one experience similar to yours. Got a good price quoted to me. When I called and asked the mileage, I learned the car had been demo'd some.

Passed on that one and picked up my new CBP 6MT yesterday.

Stick with it, you're really going to love this car when you find one for the right price.

(Don't forget - according to Edmunds, the $2K dealer incentives end 3/1.)

almostatlowner

Hey thanks, and congrats on your purchase! Yeah I noticed the $2k is ending at the end of the month. Oh well. With spring just around the corner, they know there is someone out there who will be willing to pay list.

I think I'll wait until the end of the model year and see if the rebate comes back or if they're willing to deal more.

Xpditor

I have always had good equity in my vehicles so I had not need for Gap insurance.

Besides, like Credit Life Insurance, it is insurance that benefits the finance company. Except they want you to pay for it. It insures that they will be paid regardless of your situation.

Unpleasant to consider, but if your car is totaled, chances are you might be dead. They can't collect from a dead man and they can't repo a total wreck UNLESS you've been nice enough to buy an insurance policy for them and pay for it.

If I'm dead, I could care less if they get their money.

TLNV

That's awesome that you have always had good equity in your vehicles. I on the other hand refuse to put 10k cash down in order to get the equity. For me, I pay just under dealer invoice and take the 1.9% financing, using their money and keeping my cash in my bank account. At a little over $3 to $5 month depending on how long you finance the car, it is well worth it in the case of a "total" which with how cars are built today, your odds of surviving a "total" are HUGE. Not only that, but if I die, my wife then gets stuck with the bill.

Like I said above. It is a personal preference and at $3 to $5 monthly, I can fore go a burger or two a month for my piece of mind.

Now if Gap were $2000 I would take my chances.

Xpditor

My advice:

Lose the wife and use the extra money to get an M3.

TLNV

Nice lol ..... however not sure why $200 seems to be such a large amount of money especially when spread out over 36-60 months. If you are buying an AWD TL then I would hope that you can afford the extra couple of dollars per month.
Anyway, to Tad and LCDRChemEng, as you can see it all comes down to what you are willing to pay... for some this is very important, for others, not so much

Xpditor

I wasn't disagreeing with your level of comfort in buying GAP insurance. I was just speaking about the purpose of the product and whom it benefits mainly. If it works for you, then it's worth it. Only you can decide that.

Oh, and I was also remarking that the dealer and the insurance company make a lot of money on that insurance.

But who am I? I don't even believe in extended warranties (unless you've got teenaged sons).

TLNV

^^^ no worries, I could have worded it a lot better than I did. So true about having the insurance for kids though!

BoostLover

This thread is awesome. Keep the stuff coming.

And here I thought getting invoice less the marketing fee from the manufacturer would have been a good deal.

Interesting psychology: no one on the S4 forums talks about how good of a deal they got or how to get an equally good deal. There are quite a few threads where OPs wonder how badly they just got worked, though.

Guess that means I'm in my demographic with the TL and not the S4. That pretty much seals it for me - thanks y'all! Surprisingly, it wasn't all about forced induction and torque after all.

LCDRChemEng

If my car is rear-ended by a log truck (not unusual where I live) chances are it will be totalled and I'll walk away without a scratch. I've survived worse. Considering the car is worth much less right after it leaves the lot, chances are also high that unless you plunk down a big wad of cash up front as down payment you will owe much more than the car is worth. Without the gap insurance the balance comes from your own pocket because bottom line you are responsible for the money you borrowed. The AMOUNT you pay in gap depends on what that balance is.

And no, if I die the bill does NOT go away. My creditors can go after my beneficiaries to settle unpaid debts after my death. I know that very same thing happened to my aunt, who was used to living high on the hog, and suddenly found herself bankrupt after my uncle died. Sad but true. I certainly will not burden my wife and kids that way.

As for losing the wife, I'd rather keep her and lose the car. If she was a total hag I would consider the alternative, but I've been pretty lucky in that regard.

graphicguy

Don't know if the laws are different where you live from where I live (OH). But, if someone dies and leaves debts behind, the creditors can collect from whatever is left of the estate. But, they absolutely can NOT go after family members for payment. If that were the case, I would have been on the hook for about $100,000 in bills encountered by a long illness (cancer) suffered by my late Mother if I was held liable. She had maxed out her medical insurance payments. Medicare/medicade payed part of the bills. And, she had some assets and a little bit of cash (about $10K) that they attached which she left behind. But, it ended after the Drs, hospitals, etc. exhausted whatever was left in her estate.

Thasparzan

Lots of great info on this site. Thank you all in advance. I'm considering buying a TL SH-AWD w/ tech, and found this as good advice.

If I were to purchase an extended warranty, I saw that Curry Honda offers it as long as the car is less than 4 years, 50k miles. Is there any advantage, in terms of costs, to buying it now? Versus in 3 years from now? Aside from inflation, etc.. basically what I'm asking is if it's cheaper to buy for a new car rather than when the car is getting close to the end of its original warranty?

graphicguy

Maybe it's just me, but why do some feel the need to get extended warranties?

I might, maybe understand the need if I were looking at a Toyota/Lexus (given their recent events), or a Kia, Suzuki, Mitsubishi...something of that ilk. But even with those, you're looking at 5 years bumper to bumper and 100K on the power train. Even GM cars come with a 100K powertrain warranty.

But, Honda's stock in trade is the bulletproof reliability of their vehicles...even moreso, Acura.

I don't know that I'd buy any new car that I felt needed an additional extended warranty. IF that were the case, I doubt I'd even consider buying it.

How many people have we heard of that had to replace the Nav system, for example? I can't remember any. Those electronics have been a part of the TL since the 3G came out. Early 3G TLs had some tranny problems, but even those were covered under the standard warranty.

I guess what I'm asking is what is it one would think would be prone to catastrophic failure that would prompt the want/need for an extended warranty?

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

It's just like insurance...you don't need it, until you NEED it (obviously, the law requires it).

BTW, I'll NEVER purchase extended warranties, even if I bought a Kia, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, etc.

Xpditor

Zaino doesn't make a product specifically for windows (last time I checked their site), however... the sealant for the paint is related to the same process Rain-X uses on windows. I put regular Z-2 or Z-5 paint sealant on my windows and it acts just like Rain-X.

I think the advantages are marginal. Unless you like to see the water bead up and not have to use your wipers as much.

graphicguy

princely....I'm with you. I guess if something went haywire after my warranty period had expired and it cost me an arm/leg, I might be more prone to buy one. But, even there, I'd consider it to be rare, especially with an Acura.

Besides, it's going to take one huge and rare catastrophic breakdown to justify $1,000+ for an extended warranty to ever be a good deal.

Maybe something that was attributed to gross neglect. But, even there, if there was neglect involved, the extended warranty wouldn't apply anyway.

Or, if you mod your car, the extended warranty won't apply there, either

Pete2010

Honestly, one thing that works extremely well is to claybar the front windshield. I did that for my wife's car and it was so good she thought I put something on it. I find that just running a claybar (with proper lube) lasts longer than those Rain-X type products. Makes your wipers run much smoother, and the water wicks off so much at highway speeds I find myself not even needing my wipers sometimes.

Give it a try!

Xpditor

It's shocking the amount of black contaminates that come off the windshield onto the clay bar after you have just washed it.

Actually, I do both but that's just because I'm OCD and anal retentive.

AJ_Nepa

Did your extended Warrenty include a refund of the contract price if the warrantly was not used?

AJ_Nepa

Did your warranty include a full refund if you did not use the warranty?

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

I think I just might do this. How abrasive of a claybar should be used? Does it even matter?

Pete2010

You're going to be more likely to scratch your clearcoat with claybar since it's so much softer than glass, I don't think it's a problem. I used some clay I got from PoorboysWorld, it's a medium grade (similar to the red bar of clay magic). It's pretty aggressive stuff, and WILL result it micro marring on your soft Acura clearcoat. No issues when I used it on the glass (proper amount of lube is necessary). I'll be interested when I use my fine grade clay magic bar to see if I get the same results.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

^
Keep us updated!

Kingmeow

No.

almostatlowner

Well looks like the 1.9% is back and they also increased the marketing support a tad to $2250. Hmmm, maybe I should try again.

Xpditor

Let's jump into this and sharpen our pencils. Let the games begin!

Pete2010

Is there any chance of taking my current car loan on my 2010 acura and getting a 1.9apr from acura financing?

Xpditor

Umm.... let me think about that:

Or, about the same chance as a snowball in Hell, sorry to say.

Or, about the same as getting your bookie to lowering your losing bet from $1,000 to $10 after the fact.

I wish I had some encouragement, but........... It ain't gonna happen. Your financing was all part of the mix in calculating the original deal. I have never heard of a dealer renegotiating a deal after the car has been delivered.

Pete2010

No not thru the dealer, why would they want to deal with that. I'm thinking about thru Acura/Honda financing. Basically an auto-refi. Instead of paying the crappy BofA interest I would pay less to someone else. Just like when you refi your home.

acura_newbie

Hey everybody! So I finally got my brand spanking new 2010 Acura TL FWD with tech, CBP with ebony interior! Price was 33K + TTL with an extended warranty, 7 yr 120K miles for $1250. I got the extended warranty for that price because I got quotes from a couple of other warranty companies and told Acura I'm not paying their asking price of $2500 for something I can get for $1250. So they accepted my price of $1250. As some of you might see it, I paid $1250 only for my peace of mind but to me that is $1250 well spent! I plan on going back to college to get my phd so this car has to last me at least 5 years. Now I'm covered up to 7 with 120K miles and I can concentrate on school! lol

So this was my first car buying experience and the advice from you'll has proven to be extremely helpful. The dealership was kinda surprised as to just how informed I was and I felt like I had the upper hand for the most part. So I must say thanks to all those who helped keep my money in my pocket! I'm planning on posting some pics, just waiting for a nice sunny day. By the way, this car is effin awesome! My previous car was a 2000 Ford Focus (hey don't laught it was my first car and it got me through college!) so this is beyond a step up! I love the exterior and I am "in love" with the interior. I can't wait to really open it up to see what this car can do, but don't worry, I'm still taking it easy for the first 600 miles. So again thanks to all who provide great advice, keep it coming!

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

^
Congrats!

Xpditor

Congratulations, Newbie, on your new car. Welcome to the Acura family and the AZ family in particular.

I'm happy that this thread gave you some help in negotiating your new car deal. It sounds like you did very well.

Good luck with the car and with your doctorate. Explore the site and you will find a ton of information about your car. If you need help, just ask.

Dave

gocal73

As you know, I've been shopping the TL SH-AWD MT6. I've also, been shopping BMW's so I've been taking my sweet time with all the deals out there this month. But, I just had to let you guys know about the latest prices from a dealer in NorCal. Hope those of you stuck in middle of America, where Acura dealers are far and few between are sitting down. Here we go -

SH-AWD, MT6, 18" wheels = $36,544 plus Tax & Lic.

SH-AWD, MT6, 19" wheels = $37,304 plus Tax & Lic.

That 19" wheel price is crazy! Actually, they both are.

PLUS, you also get the 1.9% financing for 60 months.

For comparison, I can get any 3-series for $250 under dealer invoice less $2500 from BMW and another $500 from BMWCCA with 3.9% financing for 60 months from BMW.

Decisions! Decisions!