08KBP_VA

I have a 08 Type S and love the car and will keep it but I wanted a bit larger car so I started looking and was very surprised by the value I have seen in the RL which seems very overlooked as dealers dont do so well at turning them over and I havent quite figured out why. Ideas?

I am only looking for 1 color combo CGP/Ebony and my search is turning up a few hits but having trouble pulling the trigger as Im not sure if I should wait. I cant view it personally since its quite a ways away but got a ton of pics from the dealer. Its a 2007 1 owner but limited service records no t-belt and no motor mounts done got around 80k miles. So here is my dilemma should I hold out for a lower miles car or trust that given my color combo there wont be any lower mileage coming up? Id prefer to buy from a branded dealer and even more so from an Acura dealer. Not many fall into those narrow parameters. Are these cars that hard to come by as the dealers tell me with low miles and clean? I already know the t-belt will need to be done and the bumper rub strips not sure about motor mounts. I can get the dealer to do a PPI as it is an Acura dealer, thoughts? Do folks do that on these cars? Looked at one in NJ and was clean but there were number of issues that had me walk away including the price.

I love the car but plan on some appearance changes as its pretty plain without the kit and spoiler. The one in Jersey I saw sold me on the color and the a spec treatment.

shahram72

07 seems like a good choice but sight unseen? I did that once and never again. Look for corrosion if from a snow state. Those here know my issues. The car is for sale, not sure the price yet, I want it to be fair to the buyer, just want more than the $4K they offered me for trade in!

cobra10363

I agree with what Shahram 72 stated and will state again on not purchasing a car not seen. I've only heard of one positive outcome out of countless unseen purchases. So in a nutshell, the odds are stacked against you if you don't see the car. I would want to physically see the car, hear it run, sit in it, look under it, etc. This is where the statement of pictures will not do it justice would apply for either fronts (negative and/or positive). Furthermore, if this is a private sale, speaking with the owner and just getting his feedback, and gauging his reaction/s to your questions.

I just bought a 2010 RL a little over a month ago. I purchased it from a Nissan dealer where it sat for approx 3 months. They really wanted to get rid of it and so i got a decent deal. I had them put the car on lift since the salesman was rambling about his 100-point inspection. The car was squeeky clean from the bottom, but as I approached the rear of the car, I noticed the drivers-side rear shock was leaking. I asked him "so was it a 100-point inspection?" and pointed out the blown rear shock and how the front bumper was painted along with front drivers side rim. In addition the thred on the tires was below standard. Bottom line, if I wouldn't of asked the dealer to put the car on the lift, i don't think i would've noticed those items..

At the end of the day, follow your gut and physically go see the car. What if the owner smoked in the car and reeks smoke. Or has a humid smell where the windows weren't raised when it was raining. I don't think a picture or pictures could depict that. Furthermore, physically speaking with the owner, rep, sales guy can tell you lots..

Good luck and best wishes in your car hunt.

projektvertx

iTrader: (2)

Not to thread jack, but PM me when you have a price. I might be interested in working something out with you.

08KBP_VA

Thanks. I bought one sight unseen in Cali from an Acura dealer Type S as a certified car it was exactly as described but truth be told I had someone local snap some additional photos and do a couple walk arounds for me and the dealer was spot on so no surprises when I got it.

Im a very particular with paint. I understand its not a new car but my theory is well takin care of exterior translates to mechanical care as well. Service records are very light too on this car.

So and after many photos from them my gut just wasnt right. Funny how one sales guys describes the car at 75 percenter on paint the other its "outstanding". I can usually trust my gut and something wasnt right just got word the trim piece in the channel on DS roof is cracking/alligatoring/fading I thought this only happens on 2nd gen TL's but anyway had I not kept pushing I would have been angry to have found that on delivery, PLUS heres the hitter NO adjustment on price even though its going on 3 mo they sat on it they state traffic is picking up.

I just cant justify full retail with all the work I know I have to put into in PLUS shipping fee's PLUS theyre banging me for doc fee's and processing when quite honestly Ill be doing all the work. So it brings me back to my original question...

Are these cars that unique to land at a retail Acura lot that this is going to be a long or trying experience.

I think my decision was made for me on this one depending what you all say...is this as good as I can expect to get from a retail dealer?

oo7spy

Wait for the right one. It will come along.

08KBP_VA

Thanks to all that responded.

Looks like I will have exercise some patience and relax and pass as my gut dictated. In the meantime Ill be stockpiling parts.

quanaman

iTrader: (4)

Just a word of advice- i worked at an acura dealer (among the largest in the nation) in VA and we came across MAYBE 2 used RLs the entire time I was there (about 6 months).

08KBP_VA

Thanks thats what I am finding. I am being told "needle in a haystack" especially with my criteria but good news I am not in a hurry and can wait it out. I am close to one of the largest Acura dealers and they have one thats mechanically great but NOT color combo I would be happy with and Im not willing to compromise. I asked to be added to the wait list for one, we'll see. I am finding my color combo but all at independent terd polishers/flippers and I will not buy from them.

Anyone have luck with CarMax they have one, not local of course, and bit higher mileage than I want. The cars I bought from them have been ok any reason to stay away from them for an RL?

grappler171

I personally think that the best bang for your buck is a 100,000+mile RL where you know all the maintenance was done including timing belt/wp. Check Acura dealers nearby the carmax with the vin# perhaps your lucky enough to find it was serviced there. If an RL is serviced right and cared for 100,000 miles is nothing. You just may need to invest in new LCA's and/or shocks for it to ride like new.

oo7spy

There is no added benefit to buying from a dealer unless it is CPO, so don't cut yourself short. I had to wait over a month to find mine, and I had to fly/drive 800 miles to Montogomery, AL to get it. Still, I only had a $500 deposit down, and I would've walked away if the car seemed in poor condition. Lucky for me, it was CPO with plenty of pictures and was as described.

08KBP_VA

Thanks for the responses folks. As said Im not in any hurry but I have looked at a number at the independent dealers as well and they all seem to be dealer rejects and rejects for a reason as they all have been less than desirable. My confidence in these snakeoil salespeople is nil.

I think with the 2005-2008 they are out of CPO range is that correct? When I ask about appearance I get "it looks good for a car of its age". So I think I learned that trusting a salesman to be straightup honest is not realistic. Ill limit my search parameters and wait.

oo7spy

Well, don't limit yourself to Acura dealers either. There are plenty of used cars on dealer lots that aren't from the same make. I'm not sure what you mean by "dealer rejects" unless you think these are being picked up at auctions and there is a dealer rep that actually passes. What if the used car lot guy just outbid the dealer? If the Car Fax and inspection passes, I don't see the difference. An Acura salesman with a bad trade-in WILL try to push the car on you just like any other one would.

Yes, I am pretty sure you are out of the CPO range which only furthers my point. If you limit yourself to Acura dealers, you are limiting yourself to the people who wanted another Acura after their RL and were willing to trade for it. Don't cut yourself short.

08KBP_VA

Thank you for the reply. Dealer rejects to me are the cars that wind up at auctions because they could not sell them or dont want to sell them on their retail lots for any number of reasons. My thinking is that if an Acura dealer chose to retail the car which is "unique" then its been my general experience the car meets certain criteria vs being automatically relegated to the auction. Just my logic

I have been looking at other outlets even craigslist just as a comparison and generally the cars have been subpar but I will keep those options open moving forward.

oo7spy

I definitely won't argue with you that there will be plenty of bad options out there. A lot of people don't take care of their cars. Still, a recent new owner came across what I want to say was a 2006 with like 25k miles that looked brand new. Still had the factory protective film on the door sills without a scuff on them.

They are out there, and they will pop up. Just maybe not at an Acura dealer. That's all.

08KBP_VA

Thanks man, point taken. Ill cast a wider net moving forward.

Himura357

In my experience, private buyers have always had a better idea of the cars service history. Many times dealers have come up blank when I asked them questions about the car. Original owner with receipts is always the best to me.

08KBP_VA

Well I did take the plunge and now the owner of a 2007 CGP/Ebony with ~80k miles. Little higher mileage than I wanted but car doesnt show it and I was set on this color combo.

Spent the weekend detailing the car inside and out MAN I love that color. I did buy it "sight unseen" but got over 50 high res pics from the dealer. Car also came with a warranty for all major components. The car was delivered with no surprises with typical things needing fix like bumper strips, roof moulding and lower chrome piece on grill as expected from pics along a stack of records as was dealer serviced at Acura dealer I bought it from. The engine bay was amazingly clean and car freshly detailed from dealer, even the door jambs.

I seriously dont get why these cars are the duds on the sales floor but Im not going to argue. I did notice the similarity to some older accords for styling but I saw very distinct polarity on appeal from folks on these cars either loving them or not so much. Time to title and register and review owners manual.

Havent posted pics as Im at work will try and add later this week.

projektvertx

iTrader: (2)

CGP is a nice color. That was one of my top color choices. Waiting for pics!

oo7spy

08KBP_VA

So one thing that I didnt know about is the lazy door pocket on passenger side. I did internet research and found a TSB on it surprisingly but cant open the TSB, this research led me to a huge list of TSB's, Campaigns and recalls all of which you need a subscription to access. Bummer

I tried the link on this site for TSB's but that doesnt seem to work any more. Anybody else experience this issue with the door pockets? Certainly doesnt take away from use of car but wondered whats involved in a fix. The one other mention I saw for it on this site didnt have any resolution.

oo7spy

Just press "sign in" with no credentials and you'll be able to see them. You may have to clear your cache.

08KBP_VA

Thank you.

If I hit the "link" button I am taken to accessories page for Acura. If I hit the actual TSB link and go to home page and hit log on it does nothing except refreshes the page. I cleared my cache

08KBP_VA

Got my answer and it is a TSB and active and requires replacing door pocket so not simple fix per se. I also got access to all other TSBs Recalls, and Campaigns etc but not on this link in Sticky section looks like I got a lot of reading to do

schen72

I'm one of those people that keep my cars looking like new. My 06 RL still has the protective plastic on the door sills and the car looks brand new. But I'm also the type that never sells cars. I just drive them until they fall apart and are worth nothing.

TonyCD

Get that plastic off the door sills. I did that and rust started to form under it. A word to the wise.

oo7spy

Meh. I would expect that to depend on location. I imagine that salt on northern winter roads would increase the risk of rust versus warmer climates unless you are close to the coast. Mine definitely didn't show any signs of that in 5 years.

velobard

Our's had that film on the door sills when we bought it at 102k. Well, part of it was gone on the driver's door, but the rest were all (and still are) intact.

phishfood

Not me. I do all maint on time, use Acura parts, etc. etc.

But I don't give a crud about the outside. Sure I'll probably wash and go through an underbody blaster if I MUST drive on a salted road (but I just try to not drive as here there isn't a lot of snow) until it all clears. Even better wait until a rain clears roads of leftover snow treatment.

But not one to wash all the time & wax every 6 months.

I'm not going to do it, and a quality job is at least $100, so $200 a year times 10 years I doubt it will make the car worth $2000 more when it's time to sell in ten years. Not to mention costs of washing every week or two in time & materials.

oo7spy

I can't say I have ever heard an enthusiast say they don't like to wash their car. It's not necessarily a bad thing, just rare.

dapqam

08KBP_VA, I bought an 06 RL 2.5 years ago through Ebay. Car was from Philly with 100K miles. Seller was 100% rated and lots of pictures. I gambled (I guess) but found a car in quite good condition. No rust but I have had a few small issues. I had called the original dealer and obtained the service records (not totally complete but pretty good). I have had the following issues.
1. timing belt needed changing. I tackled this myself and if the is not rusty it can be done without too much trouble. Biggest issue is loosening the camshaft bolt. Needs a 3/4 inch air gun. May need to heat the bolt.
2. Passenger side window was out of position on the track that it slides up and down in. Since the window had been broken and replaced at the dealer. They got the window positioned between the rubber and metal of the track rather than in the middle of the rubber channel. Stupid dealer techs. I fixed it by removing the window and repositioning it.
3. Developed a leak near the windshield. At upper corner of the windshield. Found out that it was a problem with the weld in the roof. Sealed that with paint and leak stopped.
Overall I am very pleased with the car. Very comfortable on long trips. This car is heavy duty like older Mercedes used to be. I keep meticulous care of the car and expect to keep it for many years.
Good luck with yours. Mine is CGP with Ivory interior.

08KBP_VA

Finally found time to snap some pics, man I do love this color. Installed the shift knob and steering wheel too.

TonyCD

Sweeeeet.

08KBP_VA

And interior with wheel and shift knob.

Its a 2007 Tech BTW

JewSpeed

Found mine at a Mazda dealership that was serviced at Acura. I watched it for 2 months... Customarily, dealerships will keep trade-in vehicles for up to 90 days. After 90 days, they usually go to auction. Bought my first Acura and before I bought it, the Acura dealer let me see all the service records prior to buying. Don't forget, it never hurts to ask. Happy Hunting!

A.Sensation

I saw this forum and I had to jump in. I own an 05 Acura TL base and don't get me wrong, I LOVE IT, but I'm starting to have doubt's. Its got 172.5K miles on it and when I bought it back January it had 165K on it. Here are the problems. 1)The engine light has always been on since I got it.
2)The airbag sensor is on.
3) Theres definitely a problem because it burns oil like crazy.
I'll explain problem #3. Around 166K miles I went and took it for a complete oil change(all fluids, oil, and filter etc.) And around 168.5 the oil sensor came on and it was peculiar because the computer said it had 50% oil life left. I ended up spending a little over $50 for 5 quarts of Mobil 1 Extended full Synthetic(the gold capped silver quart) because the dip stick was completely dried up. Around 170K miles I went to a different oil service and told them what happened and they didn't have a clue what I was talking about so I just told them to do a synthetic oil change with the Mobil 1 gold cap. Well everything was fine up until NOW!! The same thing happened but the computer said it had 70% oil life and the dip stick was dry to the touch!! Pissed as fuck I quickly told my father to go to Walmart and buy 5 quarts of Mobil 1 again. Well I put about 4 quarts in it and now the sensor is off, for the meantime. I talked to the service guys who did the second oil change and one guy thought I should change to something thicker, preferably Lucas Oil 5W20 full synthetic. My dad says it's bc the engine has 170K+ miles on it and its 10 years old. Can somebody please, please, please help me!!! I really expect more from the Acura brand. I am a sophomore at Arkansas Tech and this car is supposed to last me for the next 3 or 4 years.(hopefully)

dapqam

You are right that there is definitely a problem. Did you verify the service records on the vehicle prior to purchase? That is a critical thing to do. Sounds like you may have bad rings or valves. Does the car burn oil or leak oil? Check the tail pipe. It should be coming out somewhere. You definitely need to get it fixed because wherever the oil is going it will mess up other systems. Either that or sell / trade it for something that is proven to be taken care of better. Sorry for your misfortune.

08KBP_VA

Age/mileage alone wont cause leaks they contribute if vehicle not properly maintained. Since this is not a TL forum I would suggest posting this there too but being a TL owner too I do know there is an oil seal behind the timing belt that is prone to leaking and you are at about the right mileage for that to happen if it wasnt maintained. When was the t-belt changed, that is when the leak would be most visible and apparent? You are way over the recommended tbelt interval 7/105k miles.

These are just my .02 but post in that forum too there are a lot of solid tech folks there as well that have experienced most issues.

donaldso718

I'm the second owner of a 2005 TL W navigation. Bought from auction in 2010 with 83k miles and currently has 135k miles. Original trans and engine, no major issues at all. Just wear and tear of brakes wheels tires etc. Great overall car but terrible mpg. Currently in the market for a bigger car, bmw 328gt most likely. I'll keep the TL as a back up car tho.

A.Sensation

So are you asking for my 2 cents or just keeping us updated?