Just checked out one of my local Acura dealers. The highest VIN I saw was 6776. Looks to be selling quickly (at $33,195). Good job, Honda.

The strangest thing was that '03 Type-S's were still stickering for $31,830 (regular '03 TL's for $29,480). Pretty high, considering they're "obsolete"....but impressive that they can still sell them at this price. Maybe people are just getting better discounts now.

 

It'll be interesting if Acura sells 65,000 of them (like they predict) at that price, which is a 7% sales increase over the 3.2TL, as well as a pretty good price increase.

I bought one and love it, but only time will tell.

 

I've only seen two so far.

 

ClutchPerformer
Quote: "Maybe people are just getting better discounts now. "

Yes (The sticker price stays the same, naturally)

 

Does anyone know for sure if the current VIN actually indicates that that many cars were produced? I mean Acura could (for some strange reason) just skip say VIN 2000-3000 and you'd be misled by the VIN# as far as total production.

 

They could.....but why?

From what I've seen looking at TSX VINs, they seem to have been pretty much consecutive.

 

How well is this car really selling. If you are allowed to, Justin, can you give us any sales figures from your dealer? I remember when the new Accord came out last year was seeing them everywhere just a couple weeks after it came out, but for the TL I have seen one and it has been out a month...

 

I have been monitoring TUSTIN Acura inventory and it does not look like they have sold ANY TL so far. Of course when I went there on a few occasions, not even one salesman came and talk to me which is highly unusual. They have at least 12 on their lot and they are not moving. Cardirect.com is now selling them below MSRP - ahhh competition is a wonderful thing.

I'll meet any dealer half way between MSRP and Invoice for a 5AT Navi! I'm ready to sign the check.

 

I've seen only one other new TL on the road, and that was last night--saw an Abyss Blue in Pepper Pike, OH last night as I was driving through.

 

The car is selling well but not as well as expected. There are aa few reasons behind that especially in soCal. With the fires and VLF increase sales have been slow. Besides alot of people are just starting to learn about the car. i think if you are in the market right now the clients will have the upper hand. As more people learn about the car and the holidays rolling around sales will take off. We currently have 3 TLs in inventory, one is a MT.

 

Can you compare it to 2003 sales? I am definately in the market, but all the dealers I have spoken with seem to be staunchly against going below MSRP. One dealer called and said he had five with Navi on the lot, but was not willing to deal. So, maybe if dealers just started to give some leway on price, sales would rise. Also, is the production level going to change? I think they are not producing enough for profits to be good...

 

Justin,

As you clearly stated, the climate in SoCal has not been the best lately. When you say the clients will have the upper hand, do you mean you guys are now willing to entertain offers below MSRP? I think a lot of people are sitting tight and waiting for the dealers to accept offers anywhere between Invoice + X and MSRP.
I'm one of them. There is a lot of room between Invoice and MSRP (not to mention the holdback dollars) at this point and since the car is not flying off the lot, I fully expect the dealers to start doing what they do best: dealing. The real question to me is how long is a dealer willing to keep the car on the lot if it doesn't sell at MSRP?

Clearly, the buyers are not as running in showrooms to buy the cars. Inventory is going to start building up and the laws of price vs demand will come into play.

 

Buyers are buying but it is a little different in that you have a lot of combinations. Navi units and manuals sell well as well as cerain combinations. This seems like the TSX all over again slow start and then wham. no one has any.

 

I can't speak for other dealers but I know we are selling them at MSRP. If you try hard enough there may be some dealers willing to listern to a fair offer. As far as I know there are no reasons to discount the TLs right now, when for some dealers 03s are still in stock.

 

I have been shopping for a TL w/nav in Orange County for a couple of weeks now. Most dealers have none in stock, and none coming in. The exception seems to be Tustin Acura, who has a dozen or so TLs (one with nav) on their lot, but every time I go there the salespeople just ignore me.

I am reminded of the time a couple of years back when I considered buying an MDX; the dealer had one for me to test drive, but no prospects of getting one I could actually buy for months. So I moseyed on down to the Lexus dealer, where they had plenty of RX-330s available.

Hopefully supply will pick up soon, otherwise Acura is going to lose impatient customers like me AGAIN...

 

Thanks for the info - good educational value.

As far as the 03 TL in stock, I believe the dealers which have lots of them in stock are a bit too hungry on that car - they won't get full value for this car anymore, especially that the 04 is sharing the same lot. What's the Bluebook value on a new 03? In other words, why does the 03 sticker price not reflect the fact that it is last year's model and has depreciation just like one owned by someone who bought an 03 3 months ago - what kind of depreciation have those cars been hit with with the intro. of the 04 model? I don't know the exact number but I have one comment for someone who would try to trade an 03 for an 04: don't do it. Keep the car or give up your shirt with it

Is the 04 allocation influenced by the number of 03 TLs a dealer still has on its lot?

 

MSRP will not change just because its an out going model. With that said the 03TLs are not selling anywhere near MSRP. They are being sold somewhere in the 26.4k range. So its either 33K for the new toy or 26.4K for the old. That is not chump change my friends.

 

I wonder why they do that? Don't they want to sell cars???

 

I have had the same experience at Tustin Acura. If you figure it out, let me know! It's amazing to me that they still have 12 TLs on the lot and nobody is trying to talk to me about the car when I sit in it, push the buttons, circle around the car in the showroom.

I think they want me to go wake them up at their desk!

 

well I wish I have those 12 cars...my personal list is so long its not even funny anymore.

 

That's what's interesting because neither Mission Viejo nor Tustin Acura have a list. First come first serve and they both have cars to sell.

 

Can't you do a "dealer trade" for them or something?

 

Tustin doesn't do dealer trades unless it benefits them. Mission Viejo will do trades but I have to give up a TL for a TL...and I do not have enough TLs to trade. Tustin just finished with their new showroom thats why they have extra cars.

 

Surprise surprise. Tustin does not do dealer trade
They can barely handle email - reply after 4 to 5 days, emailed me that the car I am looking for is on their lot - I never told them specifically what I wanted and NO the care I want is not on their lot (5AT Navi).

Can you explain the attitude at Tustin? Why is it that they won't even approach me when I am obviously interested in the car - I'm a mid-thirty male living in South County - don't you think it fits the TL buyer a little too well? I am very confused with that dealer as I have never encountered anything like it. I don't want them to attack me like sharks but now they don't even talk to me... too busy eating their lunch or something.:'(

 

I do not know...I do not work for Tustin...I do not know why they are that way.

Hoehn is not that far from Tustin you are more than welcomed to give me a call.

 

Go to Cerritos Acura. They are willing to help.

 

Do you have an Anthracite/Quartz TL with NAV?

 

Sorry, if you had asked me 72hrs ago I would have said yes...but a client of mine left a deposit yesterday on the car which is due in on 11/11th. If something changes I will PM you.

For anybody else out there, if any of you have questions of what I may have in stock please send me a PM. I do not want to turn this threads into dealer threads.

 

I went to Hoehn today(50 min. drive), to look at the Abyss blue 6-speed. I liked the car. A salesman really wanted to make the sale, but said I couldn't drive the car. I told him there's no way I can buy a new car without driving it first.
Cush Acura said they'll have 6-speeds next week to test drive. I'll probably go that route.

 

Last year when I was shopping for a Corvette a Chevy dealership tried that one on me. I continued to talk to them (the salesman and the sales manager), curious to see if they would change their minds when they realized I was a serious buyer and not just a tire kicker. Things onlywent downhill from there as they pulled all sorts of Stupid Salesman Tricks (like refusing to budge from MSRP when other dealerships were selling for $4000 under, lowballing my trade by $4000, and trying to make us wait in the salesman's office for long periods of time).

Ultimately, they did not get our business. But, more than that, my antennas perk up whenever I hear a salesman say "no test drives" because now I see it as a leading indicator of a bad dealership. So if a salesman refuses me a test drive, I leave immediately and never come back (except maybe in the new car I bought from someone else who let me test drive it first).

 

I've seen some limited production vehicles where test drives before purchase were not available. After the paper work was complete you could back out of the deal after the first drive though.

However, TLs and Corvettes are certainly not limited production!

-r

 

there was a reason why they didn't want to do any more test drives with the 6MT. Because like always someone has to take advantage of the situation. Second person that walked in decided to lay down a 40' long tire track in the parking lot in front of all the managers and service clients .... And since this is the only available MT till next month we decided its better to just keep it on the showroom to keep the miles of the car. For those interested they are more than welcomed to drive the AT, if its still a car they like and are interested in buying you are then welcomed to drive the MT. So its not always our fault...what do we do when we have just one MT and every 18yr old comes in and wants to test the 0-60 on the TL. the next incoming MT have all been sold.

There is a reason for everything. what advantage will it do us by being stupid with demos. and what advantage will it do the owner of the MT if a bunch of people came in and drove the car like they owned it.

 

I understand where you're coming from. But I'm 43 years old. Drove in with my Viper. Told the salesman I had been looking at the TL for months. Also that I had drove an automatic at another dealership. I have no ill feelings against Hoehn or the salesman. I'm not in a rush to buy. But I need to drive the 6-speed before I decide to buy or not.

 

I hear what you are saying and Im sorry you didn't get to drive it.

 

No problem. I'll get my 6 -speed test drive soon enough.
Btw. The Brembos look sweet.

 

The dealership where I bought my Honda Odyssey in '02 had none to drive, but I still put down a refundable deposit on one based on feedback of other owners and positive auto reviews. When the van came in I drove it and then bought.

I think you could do the same thing with the TL. Make sure the deposit is refundable and drive when yours comes in. In the case of the more limited production 6MT I can certainly see why the dealers can only afford having a 5AT demo only to drive. If you like it, then put a refundable deposit on the 6MT and drive and buy later. My .02

 

According to KTLA, California's recent car tax increase is responsible for a 33% drop in auto sales in CA last month.

Attention dealers: I'm in a position to help you out. I'll be happy to take a new TL off your hands for $400 over invoice. I'm ready to buy today!

Just doing my part to help the economy...

 

I've seen 2 TSXs and 1 TL so far.