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Keith, now is the time to buy exotics, you’ll put very little mileage on them so value will stay up and won’t have to refinance your house for oil changes.
joking aside, I agree with you, many of those that were fortunate to not be negatively financially impacted by lockdowns have been working from home and barely using their cars. I cycle between cars for random errands just so tires don’t flat spot. Prior to COVID I was making a mental exercise of “what should I get if one of the cars suffers a major mechanical failure” (one car is a 2008 and the other a 2011). But now that my wife and I wfh, even if one car dies, no big deal.
I also agree on the EV front. When fueling was part of the routine it was ok-ish. I have a mobile 1 on the way to work, so I would stop in the morning, but now, a few times I would just pick the car that had more fuel in it and then curse when they all had the fuel light on. I just wanted to run a short errand not detour to fuel up, it was a minor time delay but the inconvenience annoyed me. You know like when your phone won’t recognize your face or thumb print so you gotta put in you pin, or having to log back into your work station because you chatted on the phone a bit too long, takes 1second but it’s just annoying.
Originally Posted by KeithL
‘probably a few things, pandemic, higher unemployment, people deciding to sit tight and people like me. I have 19 TLX ASPEC I have had since June 2018. My wife and I are WFH all year and my company downsized office space and is going permanent WFH. My wife has 19 RDX Advance from August 2018. My lease is up in 5 months, hers in 7. I put less than 1000 miles in last 12 months. I was offered $2500 over my payoff from Vroom and we decided not need for 2 cars for the foreseeable future. Wife’s daughter is doing same thing, downsizing from 2 cars to one. I suspect we are not alone. Also it is very likely economic down turn is not done and people know that so why eat a big bill u til we get on the other side of 2021.
While I love my ASPEC, I can pocket $2500 and save over $2k in payments remaining on the lease and avoid the $500 disposable fee. I am not digging new TLX interior and will not spend $55K for a decontented Type-S. I was eying the G70, but gain if I am going to put a few thousand miles a year why bother. And even if I get another car an EV is looking more appealing every day. I have put maybe 3 tanks of gas in since April.
We have two dealers in the Cincinnati area. The one I bought mine from says they have sold 37 since the fall release till the end of 2020. I have not seen any on the road so far.
So it is 1 week since I sold my TLX. I have been sharing my wife’s 19 RDX Advance AWD and the more I use the new huge cluster and infotainment system the more is dislike them. The 2 things I really dig is the HUD is really great and then the new ELS sound system is light years ahead of what was in the 1G TLX. Neither is enough to convince me to get a new TLX and the lack of the HUD on the Type-S as well as other features.
Regarding poor sales in general - I have to wonder if Acura leadership has ever considered an upgrade of their dealership experiences? The dealership where I picked mine up - literally all you would have to do was swap Honda for the Acura signage and badging in that place, and you'd have a Honda dealership. No changes in interior design would be necessary. How hard would it be, really, to quote Jeremy Clarkson, for Acura to doll up the dealerships in the Lexus mold - make all the sales and finance people dress at the higher end of business casual, swank up the waiting areas in the service department, and generally present a more luxury, white-glove vibe to match the vehicles?
Regarding poor sales in general - I have to wonder if Acura leadership has ever considered an upgrade of their dealership experiences? The dealership where I picked mine up - literally all you would have to do was swap Honda for the Acura signage and badging in that place, and you'd have a Honda dealership. No changes in interior design would be necessary. How hard would it be, really, to quote Jeremy Clarkson, for Acura to doll up the dealerships in the Lexus mold - make all the sales and finance people dress at the higher end of business casual, swank up the waiting areas in the service department, and generally present a more luxury, white-glove vibe to match the vehicles?
I get the sense that they believe their customers don't want to pay extra for all the glitz and frills that you would find at an Audi, BMW, or Mercedes dealership, and that making the dealerships more "fancy" may paradoxically hurt customer perception. I'm not sure that's going to change anytime soon, since Ikeda mentioned that they're not going to focus on "luxury". The bigger annoyance to me is that Acura doesn't actually have a formal loaner car program, so some dealerships do offer complimentary loaners, but others either never have them available or they charge customers $30/day for them. That to me is actually more off-putting than the way they dress or the waiting areas, but it's all emblematic of the same root issue where there doesn't appear to be any standardization or much focus with regards to customer service.
Regarding poor sales in general - I have to wonder if Acura leadership has ever considered an upgrade of their dealership experiences? The dealership where I picked mine up - literally all you would have to do was swap Honda for the Acura signage and badging in that place, and you'd have a Honda dealership. No changes in interior design would be necessary. How hard would it be, really, to quote Jeremy Clarkson, for Acura to doll up the dealerships in the Lexus mold - make all the sales and finance people dress at the higher end of business casual, swank up the waiting areas in the service department, and generally present a more luxury, white-glove vibe to match the vehicles?
Agreed. As a previous owner of an IS350, I can say that the service experience at a Lexus dealer is miles ahead of Acura. I mean, I have to ask for a loaner at Acura, while at Lexus the loaner was already waiting. At least at my Acura dealership it doesn't help that its on the same lot as the Honda dealership and the salesman walk back and forth between dealerships to grab paperwork.
At least at my Acura dealership it doesn't help that its on the same lot as the Honda dealership and the salesman walk back and forth between dealerships to grab paperwork.
That probably describes Hyundai/Genesis as well. To be fair, Acura's been at it a lot longer...
That probably describes Hyundai/Genesis as well. To be fair, Acura's been at it a lot longer...
Volvo has some of the same issues. While some of their dealerships have undergone a modernization, a lot of their other dealerships and dealer customer service is still stuck in the Ford-era. Their cars have moved upmarket in both price and "luxuryness", but their dealership experience definitely leaves you wanting.
I think Lexus does it best; while their dealerships are largely still 90s-era from when they were first built (many have not seen a renovation since), their customer service is absolutely top notch. I suspect they still have that scrappy underdog mentality that they started off with in the 90s.
I think Lexus does it best; while their dealerships are largely still 90s-era from when they were first built (many have not seen a renovation since), their customer service is absolutely top notch. I suspect they still have that scrappy underdog mentality that they started off with in the 90s.
Having owned numerous Toyota products, it pains me to never have gotten a Lexus. Even before the whole hourglass/spindle grille look, I found their cars to be too pedestrian or too similar to the Toyota equivalent. I did like the RX back then but so many folks have done the crossover (and now done it better) that I never gave Lexus another look.
Agreed. As a previous owner of an IS350, I can say that the service experience at a Lexus dealer is miles ahead of Acura. I mean, I have to ask for a loaner at Acura, while at Lexus the loaner was already waiting. At least at my Acura dealership it doesn't help that its on the same lot as the Honda dealership and the salesman walk back and forth between dealerships to grab paperwork.
Seemed fine to us ... our local Acura dealer was a little better than our selected Honda one (but they both has some owners). Upper class waiting room, free coffee, water, and snacks ... friendly Service-Advisors and knew the vehicle, never a redo or problems, kept our records, etc. Between them and Acura corporate, took care of an expensive front bumper repainting on Goodwill (free).
Whenever we took the 2014-MDX in for it's yearly maintenance (5-6 times), they always had a nice new RDX loaner waiting for us. The one time the MDX fell into Limp-Along-Mode ... also quickly gave us a new loaner and we took it on a road-trip to a family reunion.
We buy from one dealer for each make. We get it serviced where we buy from.
Seemed fine to us ... our local Acura dealer was a little better than our selected Honda one (but they both has some owners). Upper class waiting room, free coffee, water, and snacks ... friendly Service-Advisors and knew the vehicle, never a redo or problems, kept our records, etc. Between them and Acura corporate, took care of an expensive front bumper repainting on Goodwill (free).
Whenever we took the 2014-MDX in for it's yearly maintenance (5-6 times), they always had a nice new RDX loaner waiting for us. The one time the MDX fell into Limp-Along-Mode ... also quickly gave us a new loaner and we took it on a road-trip to a family reunion.
We buy from one dealer for each make. We get it serviced where we buy from.
Acura dealerships are a mixed bag in the Chicago area. I went to the one I used for my purchase based on proximity to home, solid online reviews, and the exact car I wanted actually being in stock. Customer service has been fine so far. The place is just a bit...drab. There are Acura dealerships in further away suburbs that present a more upscale vibe, more befitting the product. There has been much talk about Acura being eager to differentiate/distance itself from Honda - but when you basically have Honda dealerships with Acura signage on them, that kinda defeats the purpose. Another symptom of this continued mode of thinking on Acura's part is the continued existence of the ILX as it is now. A dated Honda with Acura badges in pretty much every major way.
Regarding poor sales in general - I have to wonder if Acura leadership has ever considered an upgrade of their dealership experiences? The dealership where I picked mine up - literally all you would have to do was swap Honda for the Acura signage and badging in that place, and you'd have a Honda dealership. No changes in interior design would be necessary. How hard would it be, really, to quote Jeremy Clarkson, for Acura to doll up the dealerships in the Lexus mold - make all the sales and finance people dress at the higher end of business casual, swank up the waiting areas in the service department, and generally present a more luxury, white-glove vibe to match the vehicles?
About 3 yrs ago the previous GM/part owner of my dealership put $5M in to a bldg upgrade, and wow is it nice. He took me through the whole bldg and explained what he did. He hired an interior decorator for
colors in rooms, waiting areas, type of floors to put in depending on the area, etc, etc. It was quite a change and felt very upscale. He also had the decorator help with artwork for all the walls. It just was a
pleasant atmosphere to be in. The new purchase delivery area was really nice. Fancy tile floors, large glass doors, etc, When you picked up your new veh. you'd go to this room sit and relax, look over your veh.
as it sat there gleaming under amazing lighting. The plates were put on and when you were ready after asking any and all questions, the veh's. were pointed out so the fast opening doors went up and out you drove.
By that time, he had already turned that dealership around...from being at the bottom in the District, to leading all of them...and being one of the top Acura dealers in the country. So, I guess he felt the bldg needed to
show some class.
My preferred Acura dealer here in Cleveland has a pretty decent luxury experience. Always an Acura loaner available, drinks and coffee, luxurious seating. Sales guys treat you like they want you to come back. Or at least they treat me that way, since I’ve procured five Acuras from them and do my routine NSX service there. It’s waaaaaaay better than the Honda dealers I deal with for service on my Accord.
Welp, I saw a new IS last night. It was a white and I must say it looked really nice. I had a feeling I would see the new IS before the TLX out in the wild.
Welp, I saw a new IS last night. It was a white and I must say it looked really nice. I had a feeling I would see the new IS before the TLX out in the wild.
It seems small. Like it would be better as a 2-door. What do you think of the RC ? You can get it with a V6 and AWD.
Go to 9:25 on the vid not much other than chatter on the rest of it.
Great-looking car! Not a fan of the alcantara-wrapped steering wheel but all the other detailing is sub-lime!
The rear reminds quite a bit of the 2G TLX.
James: "It makes you feel like the best mid-wife ever..."
Great-looking car! Not a fan of the alcantara-wrapped steering wheel but all the other detailing is sub-lime!
The rear reminds quite a bit of the 2G TLX.
James: "It makes you feel like the best mid-wife ever..."
yes I agree on the alcantara, I hope the type s won’t have too much of that on the interior, at least not where you touch it.
Regarding poor sales in general - I have to wonder if Acura leadership has ever considered an upgrade of their dealership experiences? The dealership where I picked mine up - literally all you would have to do was swap Honda for the Acura signage and badging in that place, and you'd have a Honda dealership. No changes in interior design would be necessary. How hard would it be, really, to quote Jeremy Clarkson, for Acura to doll up the dealerships in the Lexus mold - make all the sales and finance people dress at the higher end of business casual, swank up the waiting areas in the service department, and generally present a more luxury, white-glove vibe to match the vehicles?
I could not agree with you more!!! If there's one reason that turns me away from Acura now, it is the whole dealership experience!!! It is so down market.... and they really do not train their sales people well. Overall, just not a premium experience. On the other hand, when I walk into the Lexus dealership.... wow! I did not like the Lexus vehicles but then their whole dealership experience was almost enough to make me want to buy one of their vehicles!!!
I could not agree with you more!!! If there's one reason that turns me away from Acura now, it is the whole dealership experience!!! It is so down market.... and they really do not train their sales people well. Overall, just not a premium experience. On the other hand, when I walk into the Lexus dealership.... wow! I did not like the Lexus vehicles but then their whole dealership experience was almost enough to make me want to buy one of their vehicles!!!
my experience with the local Lexus dealer was less than stellar. (Service related)
lexus LS460 white interior was full of mechanic hand prints. When I went report it, I got a big eye roll and followed by “give me a minute”. They sent a kid with a wet napkin to smear it evenly so that the outline of a hand wasn’t as visible. So I went back to tell them this was sub par, and as I walked in I was greeted with a “now what” response. Nice floors and nice outfits don’t get you courtesy i can tell you that much. Local land rover sales was something to laugh at as well. Again, this is just personal experience, but I was treated more professionally at my local Acura and Honda dealership. BUT, they are not as fancy on the inside.
I did not like the Lexus vehicles but then their whole dealership experience was almost enough to make me want to buy one of their vehicles!!!
Same for me. If they somehow changed that hourglass/spindle grille styling, I would be way more Lexus-curious and open up one more premium/luxury option for me!
I could not agree with you more!!! If there's one reason that turns me away from Acura now, it is the whole dealership experience!!! It is so down market.... and they really do not train their sales people well. Overall, just not a premium experience. On the other hand, when I walk into the Lexus dealership.... wow! I did not like the Lexus vehicles but then their whole dealership experience was almost enough to make me want to buy one of their vehicles!!!
The actual customer service so far for me as been decent. My sales guy definitely did his homework - was eager to demo the adaptive cruise in particular. The process was a bit slow as I had to go back and forth a lot to get what I wanted on my trade. Customer service in their service department? I'll find out - haven't needed them yet. They have a free loaner program which not all Acura dealerships do. Customer service takes ongoing effort at all levels. An upgrade of the drab showroom, making everyone dress a little nicer, adding a few more amenities - would be comparatively simple - and could pay some dividends in sales for them.
Finally saw my first one in the wild, and it turned out to be a loaner car haha. That being said it did look good despite being silver, my least favorite car color. Being an A-SPEC really helped in that regard.
I also agree with you guys on the Acura dealership experience / atmosphere. I recently took my TL to the dealership and the experience was really lack luster. Granted, I worked for this dealership before but it's different being in the other perspective as a customer and not an employee. The same owner of this Acura dealership also owns one of the biggest BMW dealership as well. Such night and day difference from the two dealerships. When I service my BMW's the entire experience is great and the waiting room / show rooms are incredible! Acura dealership looks dated and needs TLC while the BMW dealership is state of the art, brand new with top notch service. Even still, when I owned a Mercedes, the few dealerships I've experienced were all excellent. The best dealership experience I've had. We drove to Euro Motor cars Mercedes in MD to potentially purchase a 2014 ML63 AMG and let me tell you, the level of service was second to none. They had a food catering service set up for the entire dealership and I was mind blown the amount of money they invest for food service! The sales manager was like "So we have a catering service that delivers fresh meals for the dealership 6 days a week. Please help yourselves" Our local Mercedes dealership does the same, not as top notch as Euro Motors, but they offer catered food for all their customers / employees. At my local Acura dealership, you're lucky if the dealership has a working coffee machine.
If history repeats, the only time I'll see the dealership is when I'm making the purchase. Buying a dependable vehicle like Acura ups those odds; worked for my '06. Buying a maintenance diva like a BMW, I can see wanting a nice dealer experience.
If history repeats, the only time I'll see the dealership is when I'm making the purchase. Buying a dependable vehicle like Acura ups those odds; worked for my '06. Buying a maintenance diva like a BMW, I can see wanting a nice dealer experience.
My BMW's have service packages. Services are free of charge and a loaner given the day I'm scheduled for service. Regardless of what kind of vehicle you own, it still requires service. Some have free services and some don't. Some go back for warranty and recall work, while others don't. Find it a bit hard to believe that you never once went back to the dealership (after purchase) for any type of work. The 3rd gen TL had at least 4 recalls, which are done for free at the dealership.. So either way you went back right? therefore you had some type of dealership (service) experience right? I own a 3rd gen TL, we can agree to disagree on the definition of dependable.
If history repeats, the only time I'll see the dealership is when I'm making the purchase. Buying a dependable vehicle like Acura ups those odds; worked for my '06. Buying a maintenance diva like a BMW, I can see wanting a nice dealer experience.
That's what I thought as well, and historically that's been the case, but this no longer appears to hold true. I've had to visit the dealership more than I expected, which is fine, but the level of service there has been quite disappointing. With other cars I've had to take in, it's been a minor inconvenience, but with Acura it's been a PITA because it's particularly disruptive. Not having loaners available or usable shuttle service makes any sort of warranty or service work a production, and while I know some dealerships are better than others on that regard, the unfortunate fact is that you have to do a whole lot of homework to figure out which end of the spectrum your dealership is on. Customers shouldn't have to do that.
I know, we sound like entitled whiners about all of this, and you get what you pay for (let's not beat around the bush, you get less but you also pay less), but IMO this definitely is a contributing factor on why Acura is considered a "premium" brand and not a "luxury" brand.
01-12-2021, 12:37 PM
Jan 2021
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