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I put a deposit down on a 2018 AWD A-Spec in blue with black interior. My price is $43,000. I'm not sure how some folks are getting 41k and change for this car since based on true car the average is about $43k which is about 700 and change below invoice. I reached out to 5 dealers in the area and that's the best I could do. I spoke to one dealer's internet sales department who said, "I know you want a good price but if you want the blue and we need to order it you'll need to pay invoice + which put it to $44 and change." It's funny, I actually went to 3 of the 5 dealers mentioned and only one of them had a blue A-Spec in the flesh (it was a FWD one though). For those of you that have blue A-Specs, how long did you have to wait?
After a deposit it took 2 months for me, but I would have thought by now they would be faster in churning them out. Seems to me that they limit the production of the Blue ASpec AWD models. Are you leasing or financing?
My dealership has been trying to place allocation request since late July for me. I even offered to pay deposit for it but was told it is not necessary and does not make any difference anyway. Since then I contacted customer service on my interest. Still not getting any information as to when I may get aspec AWD in white. Well, I still get to drive my beloved 2006 TL for now.
I put a deposit down on a 2018 AWD A-Spec in blue with black interior. My price is $43,000. I'm not sure how some folks are getting 41k and change for this car since based on true car the average is about $43k which is about 700 and change below invoice. I reached out to 5 dealers in the area and that's the best I could do. I spoke to one dealer's internet sales department who said, "I know you want a good price but if you want the blue and we need to order it you'll need to pay invoice + which put it to $44 and change." It's funny, I actually went to 3 of the 5 dealers mentioned and only one of them had a blue A-Spec in the flesh (it was a FWD one though). For those of you that have blue A-Specs, how long did you have to wait?
My dealer ended up getting me the blue aspec awd in less than 24 hours in a swap with another dealer. 43k seems high. I don't think on the east coast there has been any real shortage of blue. The only thing I have heard is some dealers will not discount the blue w/red leather as much as the black interior. There are a good number of Acura dealers out here so as long as one of them has the combo you want the dealer can most likely get it in short order.
My dealer said he was going to swap and said it would take a week. It's been almost a week. Of the dealers I reached out to none of them had the car in stock and all were at invoice (43.7k) or more. I was looking to pay all cash but ended up taking the financing to get a better deal since there's a factory to dealer incentive. I can pay it off in a few months.
My dealer swapped with another dealer to get my blue AWD. I had it in my driveway 48 hours after committment. It's a great little car! (OK, "little" compared to my prior RLX, which is a large car for a Honda product.)
My dealer said he was going to swap and said it would take a week. It's been almost a week. Of the dealers I reached out to none of them had the car in stock and all were at invoice (43.7k) or more. I was looking to pay all cash but ended up taking the financing to get a better deal since there's a factory to dealer incentive. I can pay it off in a few months.
If possible....do you mind sharing your experience and your deal numbers?
Im in the same situation as you. Can you elaborate in the factory to dealer incentive?
If you are buying it, 43k is around the right number. The people who are paying 41k are probably the ones leasing it and there's more cash back incentives on leases. From all my research and dealer info, blue is going to be the lowest number made. Acura seems to be mirroring how they did it with the TL-S 6MT as far as total A-Specs made and color production. Blue AWD cars are going to be the hardest to find and I don't see that changing.
Sure. I'm going to be a little vague on the exact dealers since I haven't finalized my purchase yet. My approach to shopping for this car (which has worked for the last 3-4 cars I've bought) is:
Step 1: Do some test drives and pick the car I want to buy.
Step 2: Go online and get the best internet pricing.
Step 3: Go BACK to the salesperson who took the time to give me the test drive and see if they'll match or beat my best internet price.
Step 4: Buy it from the person giving me the best price.
I did my test drives. It took 3 tries to actually drive an AWD A spec.
First dealer I went to seemed to have no interested in actually selling a car. They let me test drive a FWD base model. The salesperson was whiny about how buyers are always trying to get a good deal and how he wasn't making any money.
Second dealer was very low pressure and straight forward. He gave me the test drive. This time I drove a FWD A-Spec. He basically was like, shop around and come back to me with your best price and i'll see what I can do.
Third dealer was pretty far from where I live (almost 2 hours) but close to my parents house. This time I did drive the AWD A-Spec which sealed the deal.
Along the way I drove a lexus GS350 which I liked but would have been about 17k more than TLX. Although I HATED the mouse based interface.
I didn't bother looking at the Inifiniti Q50.. If it was equivalently equipped it would be about 55 which for 5 more I could get the Lexus which was a true midsized car.
I didn't look at any of the german cars. I have a BMW now and wanted something more reliable for the long run (i.e. would last to at least 100k miles without major issues).
With all this info I did my internet search for blue/black awd aspec. Invoice is about 43.5k, MSRP is 45.5k. First dealer didn't quote a price on that model but listed similar models. Second dealer's internet price was about 43.5k. Third dealer I called basically said, "I know you want a good deal but the best I can do is 500 over invoice which is 44,000 since I have to find the car". Best price I could find was 42.8k from a fourth dealer far from my house. A fifth dealer quoted me 44.5k.
I called the second dealer with all my info in hand and we made a deal for 43k flat and he threw in some free services and inspections to bridge the 200 dollar gap. (I'm not a nickel and dime kind of guy so I'm not going to quibble over the last 50-100 dollars).
As far as the F2D incentive.... I had wanted to buy the car in cash. I'm a simple guy. No loans, no leases, no stupid 4 square boxes. Just give me a good price and I'll write the check. However, the dealer said that to get the price I'd need to take the financing (which is not bad at 1.9%). He said just wait a few months to pay it off (which is I'm assuming so they'll get the incentive). It seems like theres a better incentive for leasing (3,000 that I've read on these forums).
What lead me to the TLX was that I wanted a sport sedan with a little more of a back seat than my current bmw 3 series (I have the e90 not the current gen) that was reliable. I realized that I really didn't need the full on balls to the wall sportiness of the 335 but wanted something that could hold it's own. In the real word on real roads theres not much difference between 0-60 in 5.8 and 5.2 (my 335) In the A-Spec trim the car was about 70% as sporty as my beamer and was surprisingly affordable. Also while the apsec suspension was stiff it wasn't as stiff as my 335 which is punishing over potholes. The other things I liked where the lane keep assist + automatic cruise. My commute is often an hour of stop and go on a highway so if I could just sit back and let the car drive that would improve my mood greatly. Also, the Android Auto with dual screens is nice. Currently I have my phone mounted so it's like I'm using 2 screens anyway. Also, I've yet to find a factory nav that's as good as google maps or waze. Plus I listen to Spotify so having that through the car via android auto is nice (I don't even think apple car play has spotify). Neither the infiniti or the lexus has it. I think mercedes has android auto. BMW does not. The things I don't like: nonfolding mirrors: I'm sure I'm going to need to replace one at some point after street parking. no spare tire: I'm sure I'm going to get a sidewall puncture and fix a flat won't cut it. alcantara: my wife wasn't so keen on the red but since I do have kids who I will have to tote around from time to time I'm worried about the seats. What I'm not so concerned about: "brand cachet" It seems many of the reviews like the TLX but talk about how basically it doesn't matter how good it is, since acura doesn't have the same cachet as bmw or mercedes. I guess I'm at the point in my life (maybe I'm maturing haha) that I don't need the BMW sitting in my driveway to prove that I can spend the extra $10-15k that I know I have in the bank. I don't regret the first bmw. It was fun while it lasted but at this point my needs are different.
If you are buying it, 43k is around the right number. The people who are paying 41k are probably the ones leasing it and there's more cash back incentives on leases. From all my research and dealer info, blue is going to be the lowest number made. Acura seems to be mirroring how they did it with the TL-S 6MT as far as total A-Specs made and color production. Blue AWD cars are going to be the hardest to find and I don't see that changing.
White is the best selling color for all vehicles in general, then black and grey. Red/Blue not so much. The production will follow closely those general trends. Hence why you can find the white super easy. The dealer even told me the blue is love or hate color. I have seen 4 blue awd A-specs sell out here in the past 3 weeks so the supply here is close to the demand. The A-specs are not flying off the lot but they are selling. Price probably the biggest damper on things.
I guess I'm at the point in my life (maybe I'm maturing haha) that I don't need the BMW sitting in my driveway to prove that I can spend the extra $10-15k that I know I have in the bank. I don't regret the first bmw. It was fun while it lasted but at this point my needs are different.
This very much. I have owned a total of one BMW, and it was a great drive for the four years I had it. What I don't miss is the amount of time the vehicle spent at the dealer. In the first year alone, it was in the shop 4 times for various issues. Also, as a dad of two young kids, priorities have shifted and while I do miss the sportiness and the planted drive of my BMW, the TLX has been a great car for me. Comfortable, quiet and it does have a decent level of sportiness. I can't push as hard into the corners as the BMW but I'm a much less aggressive these days anyway, especially when my kids are with me.
White is the best selling color for all vehicles in general, then black and grey. Red/Blue not so much. The production will follow closely those general trends. Hence why you can find the white super easy. The dealer even told me the blue is love or hate color. I have seen 4 blue awd A-specs sell out here in the past 3 weeks so the supply here is close to the demand. The A-specs are not flying off the lot but they are selling. Price probably the biggest damper on things.
Agreed. Acura's sales on previous specialty cars like the CL-S & TL-S 6MT, confirm it. Red and Blue were always the least produced numbers. Most people I showed the Blue to before I bought mine either loved it or hated it. I really liked it but just couldn't commit to it so I went White. I kind of like the fact they aren't flying off the shelves. In the past month I've had mine I've only seen 2 on the road in Central Jersey.
I did a quick search on cars.com nationwide and there's a total of 387 AWD A-Specs listed. 142 white, 79 black, 68 gray, 52 red, 46 blue. Figured after a couple of months it would be way more than that. I'd say if you are trying to find a Blue one in an area where the supply is low, it's going to be really hard to get a dealer to cut it loose cheap
This very much. I have owned a total of one BMW, and it was a great drive for the four years I had it. What I don't miss is the amount of time the vehicle spent at the dealer. In the first year alone, it was in the shop 4 times for various issues. Also, as a dad of two young kids, priorities have shifted and while I do miss the sportiness and the planted drive of my BMW, the TLX has been a great car for me. Comfortable, quiet and it does have a decent level of sportiness. I can't push as hard into the corners as the BMW but I'm a much less aggressive these days anyway, especially when my kids are with me.
I've had mine for 8. The first 4 years had the covered maintenance. The real fun began once I was off warranty. For the first few years it was fine. However, the last year or two hasn't been too fun. You know it's a bad sign when you know who your mechanic's children are dating! I honestly think these cars are made to be leased or driven in pampered environments. I do a lot of city driving which I think takes its toll on a car.
By the sound of it, I probably should buy my "uncommon", blue, SH-AWD A-Spec off lease when it's done and keep it alongside my very rare CTS-V wagon and uncommon NSX, LOL!
Sure. I'm going to be a little vague on the exact dealers since I haven't finalized my purchase yet. My approach to shopping for this car (which has worked for the last 3-4 cars I've bought) is:
Step 1: Do some test drives and pick the car I want to buy.
Step 2: Go online and get the best internet pricing.
Step 3: Go BACK to the salesperson who took the time to give me the test drive and see if they'll match or beat my best internet price.
Step 4: Buy it from the person giving me the best price.
I did my test drives. It took 3 tries to actually drive an AWD A spec.
First dealer I went to seemed to have no interested in actually selling a car. They let me test drive a FWD base model. The salesperson was whiny about how buyers are always trying to get a good deal and how he wasn't making any money.
Second dealer was very low pressure and straight forward. He gave me the test drive. This time I drove a FWD A-Spec. He basically was like, shop around and come back to me with your best price and i'll see what I can do.
Third dealer was pretty far from where I live (almost 2 hours) but close to my parents house. This time I did drive the AWD A-Spec which sealed the deal.
Along the way I drove a lexus GS350 which I liked but would have been about 17k more than TLX. Although I HATED the mouse based interface.
I didn't bother looking at the Inifiniti Q50.. If it was equivalently equipped it would be about 55 which for 5 more I could get the Lexus which was a true midsized car.
I didn't look at any of the german cars. I have a BMW now and wanted something more reliable for the long run (i.e. would last to at least 100k miles without major issues).
With all this info I did my internet search for blue/black awd aspec. Invoice is about 43.5k, MSRP is 45.5k. First dealer didn't quote a price on that model but listed similar models. Second dealer's internet price was about 43.5k. Third dealer I called basically said, "I know you want a good deal but the best I can do is 500 over invoice which is 44,000 since I have to find the car". Best price I could find was 42.8k from a fourth dealer far from my house. A fifth dealer quoted me 44.5k.
I called the second dealer with all my info in hand and we made a deal for 43k flat and he threw in some free services and inspections to bridge the 200 dollar gap. (I'm not a nickel and dime kind of guy so I'm not going to quibble over the last 50-100 dollars).
As far as the F2D incentive.... I had wanted to buy the car in cash. I'm a simple guy. No loans, no leases, no stupid 4 square boxes. Just give me a good price and I'll write the check. However, the dealer said that to get the price I'd need to take the financing (which is not bad at 1.9%). He said just wait a few months to pay it off (which is I'm assuming so they'll get the incentive). It seems like theres a better incentive for leasing (3,000 that I've read on these forums).
What lead me to the TLX was that I wanted a sport sedan with a little more of a back seat than my current bmw 3 series (I have the e90 not the current gen) that was reliable. I realized that I really didn't need the full on balls to the wall sportiness of the 335 but wanted something that could hold it's own. In the real word on real roads theres not much difference between 0-60 in 5.8 and 5.2 (my 335) In the A-Spec trim the car was about 70% as sporty as my beamer and was surprisingly affordable. Also while the apsec suspension was stiff it wasn't as stiff as my 335 which is punishing over potholes. The other things I liked where the lane keep assist + automatic cruise. My commute is often an hour of stop and go on a highway so if I could just sit back and let the car drive that would improve my mood greatly. Also, the Android Auto with dual screens is nice. Currently I have my phone mounted so it's like I'm using 2 screens anyway. Also, I've yet to find a factory nav that's as good as google maps or waze. Plus I listen to Spotify so having that through the car via android auto is nice (I don't even think apple car play has spotify). Neither the infiniti or the lexus has it. I think mercedes has android auto. BMW does not. The things I don't like: nonfolding mirrors: I'm sure I'm going to need to replace one at some point after street parking. no spare tire: I'm sure I'm going to get a sidewall puncture and fix a flat won't cut it. alcantara: my wife wasn't so keen on the red but since I do have kids who I will have to tote around from time to time I'm worried about the seats. What I'm not so concerned about: "brand cachet" It seems many of the reviews like the TLX but talk about how basically it doesn't matter how good it is, since acura doesn't have the same cachet as bmw or mercedes. I guess I'm at the point in my life (maybe I'm maturing haha) that I don't need the BMW sitting in my driveway to prove that I can spend the extra $10-15k that I know I have in the bank. I don't regret the first bmw. It was fun while it lasted but at this point my needs are different.
Thanks for this. In a sea of posts that are fixated on throwing the same dirt on the TLX since its release, its refreshing to find posts that actually inform future buyers and current owners. I have been lurking here for years so I learned to identify and just ignore the repetitve thrashing posts, but at some point it does get really old.
I am approaching the purchase of the TLX just like you did. I also did a couple of test drives and the Aspec is my decision. Im only debating on color now (before I make an offer). I think that the white looks really good with the red interior althoough I am a Graphite metallic guy (current TL)...I havent seen this latter in showroom condition yet, so I will be doing so soon. Some AZiners mentioned that they saw it with red interior in the showroom and the car looks stunning. So I will give it another shot and see it in person. The ones I saw were outdoors right after an afternoon Colorado rain so the cars were pretty dirty.
Congrats on your car. Please post pics when you can. Thanks.
Thanks for this. In a sea of posts that are fixated on throwing the same dirt on the TLX since its release, its refreshing to find posts that actually inform future buyers and current owners. I have been lurking here for years so I learned to identify and just ignore the repetitve thrashing posts, but at some point it does get really old.
I am approaching the purchase of the TLX just like you did. I also did a couple of test drives and the Aspec is my decision. Im only debating on color now (before I make an offer). I think that the white looks really good with the red interior althoough I am a Graphite metallic guy (current TL)...I havent seen this latter in showroom condition yet, so I will be doing so soon. Some AZiners mentioned that they saw it with red interior in the showroom and the car looks stunning. So I will give it another shot and see it in person. The ones I saw were outdoors right after an afternoon Colorado rain so the cars were pretty dirty.
Congrats on your car. Please post pics when you can. Thanks.
I've only been around here a few weeks and am surprised at the negative vibes. While I don't think any car forum should be a lovefest echo chamber, one would assume that if you are frequenting a forum you are someone who believes in the brand. It's funny since the BMW forums are often too much in the other direction: overlooking the frequent mechanic trips, HPFP issues, weird bmw quirks, all for the love of the drive. The irony is, that in the real world most BMW owners aren't in it for that, they're in it to have that propeller stuck on the hood.
a35tl (09-19-2017),FLYGUY31 (09-19-2017),Nexx (09-19-2017),steve_97060 (09-19-2017),TAG18 (09-19-2017),ZipSpeed (09-19-2017) and 1 others liked this post. (Show less...)
Is there anyway to find out how many units were made in each color for the 2018 A-Specs?
I was buying the red on red until I forced myself to buy the blue with Alcantara since the blue with red was over 200 miles away from me.
I sort of wish I bought the red on red but all my cars have been that way so I went with a fresh new color combo.
My dealership had a ton of the blue with Alcantara and white with red units on the lot and I found it very odd.
I seen a black on black in person and it looked much better than I thought.
Is there anyway to find out how many units were made in each color for the 2018 A-Specs?
I was buying the red on red until I forced myself to buy the blue with Alcantara since the blue with red was over 200 miles away from me.
I sort of wish I bought the red on red but all my cars have been that way so I went with a fresh new color combo.
My dealership had a ton of the blue with Alcantara and white with red units on the lot and I found it very odd.
I seen a black on black in person and it looked much better than I thought.
I think it's the Blue AWD A-Specs that are hard to find. The FWD ones seem to be more plentiful. Were the ones at your dealership AWD?
yes, they all were AWD, the dealer kept trying to push the FWD but no one is biting on it. They kept telling customers “ FWD is better than the AWD for bad weather as the rear wheels will turn and help you stay in the correct direction and AWD just spins all 4 and don’t help you turn like the PAWS” lol
my 2017 Jag is red on red so that is the only reason why I went with blue, plus all my other cars are red on red to and I felt I needed a break with this sexy blue.
yes, they all were AWD, the dealer kept trying to push the FWD but no one is biting on it. They kept telling customers “ FWD is better than the AWD for bad weather as the rear wheels will turn and help you stay in the correct direction and AWD just spins all 4 and don’t help you turn like the PAWS” lol
What a load of BS, the SH-AWD system is one of Acura's redeeming features and they play it down just for a cheap sale. Not to mention info's wrong since it splits power in the back, low chance of ALL wheels spinning.
My dealer always has a blue on red and/or black on hand..both FWD and AWD. It does seem like East coast is getting better deliveries of blue. The black on black looks really good. But I will never buy a black car again. My least favorite is the grey as the rims bland in too much. White would be my go to if I was purchasing right now.
yes, they all were AWD, the dealer kept trying to push the FWD but no one is biting on it. They kept telling customers “ FWD is better than the AWD for bad weather as the rear wheels will turn and help you stay in the correct direction and AWD just spins all 4 and don’t help you turn like the PAWS” lol
Wow, the salesman was feeding a line of bull to push the FWD cars. Either that, or he just didn't know what the F he was talking about. Wowzers. I'd complain to the manager about the lack of preparation that salesman was exhibiting.
yes, they all were AWD, the dealer kept trying to push the FWD but no one is biting on it. They kept telling customers “ FWD is better than the AWD for bad weather as the rear wheels will turn and help you stay in the correct direction and AWD just spins all 4 and don’t help you turn like the PAWS” lol
Wow, the salesman was feeding a line of bull to push the FWD cars. Either that, or he just didn't know what the F he was talking about. Wowzers. I'd complain to the manager about the lack of preparation that salesman was exhibiting.
My thoughts exactly. I have a great relationship with my dealer but if I didn't and walked into a random dealer and was given that response, I probably would have walked out.
I just got it today. So far I've only taken it around town on some short trips around town so I haven't had a chance to really open it up. So far i'm lovin' it! I'll post more impressions in a bit.
I've only been around here a few weeks and am surprised at the negative vibes. While I don't think any car forum should be a lovefest echo chamber, one would assume that if you are frequenting a forum you are someone who believes in the brand. It's funny since the BMW forums are often too much in the other direction: overlooking the frequent mechanic trips, HPFP issues, weird bmw quirks, all for the love of the drive. The irony is, that in the real world most BMW owners aren't in it for that, they're in it to have that propeller stuck on the hood.
I think for the most part no acura owners are making any frequent trips to the dealer for mechanical problems so most on here (and I include myself) focus on other things. I went with Acura over BMW or Audi, which I have owned both, because I want to buy the car but not keep paying over time for oddball issues or high dealer service costs. Years back BMW had limited production and high quality. Today a BMW is a dime a dozen as they are a mass producer and the quality went down and the cost of ownership went up. I think most of us on here want acura to add some HP and a better transmission. You will be hard pressed to find anyone complaining about reliability or ownership costs. The TLX Aspec is in the right direction, just add a good trans, more HP, premium sound system and a big brake package and it would be tough to complain about much else.
Oh, and get rid of the button shift and put the lever back in with a usable slap shifter like the type S had which was implemented to perfection. Maybe in the next gen we get all that.
09-14-2017, 11:18 AM
