Do Acura dealers negotiate on new vehicles?

[Kanger]

Thinking about getting a new 13' RDX and was wondering if the dealers for such entry level luxury vehicles discount? Does it hurt to have a trade in vs. no trade in? Thanks guys.

[Kanger]

And is it even worth it to get the Acura "technology package" from anyone who has experience with this. Thanks.

[Rsvrider]

Yes they do, except for the NSX.
Always negotiate the final price of the vehicle then bring in the notion of a trade-in. If they ask, tell them it wii b a straight up buy.
Final price before working any credit etc.
Trade in only if the savings on taxes make sense, you pay taxes on the difference. Otherwise sell it yourself.
Never owned an Acura but would imagine the tech pack is like the Bluetooth pack on the Mercs. I say go for it if you are inclined but remember that if you are planning on keeping the car for longer than 3 yrs the tech will b outdated.

[Grissom]

Check out this website: www.truecar.com

I find it useful, in preparing me before buying a new vehicle.....

I am sure there are other sites that folks like to use as well.

Good luck!

[MCHI09]

Not sure if you are a Costco member, if yes you can use their car buying service to get their "no haggle" price through a local affiliated dealer which can provide a sense of low a dealer will go. If there are more dealers in the area, you can use this price as a starting point for further negotiations. I got a reasonably good deal on my MDX this way

[gmh1013]

Originally Posted by MCHI09

Not sure if you are a Costco member, if yes you can use their car buying service to get their "no haggle" price through a local affiliated dealer which can provide a sense of low a dealer will go. If there are more dealers in the area, you can use this price as a starting point for further negotiations. I got a reasonably good deal on my MDX this way

I used Costco when I bought a Highlander and they got about 275.00 cheaper than what I could find.

[EC7]

When buying a car, always negotiate your price starting from the invoice price up, not from the MSRP down.

Truecar gives good information about invoice price / vs MSRP. Edmunds do the same too.

Here is an example 2013 RDX with tech package and AWD has an MSRP of $40,315, and an invoice of $37,860.

If I were in your position, I would do the following:
- Push aggressively to have them accept an offer of invoice + $500, nothing more.
- Do the purchase online through the dealership's internet department, rather than walking in to a showroom. There are many advantages in purchasing a car online as opposed to being in the dealership.
- Reveal your intent to do a trade in after the selling price has been agreed upon. (as suggested by Rsvrider)

Also, it is important to know what incentives is currently being offered. Currently there are none

[Tri-Tip]

When buying a car, I always start at a dealer where I have no intention of buying, never my closest dealer. I go there and see how low I can go before they let me walk out without a car...this give a pretty good idea about how low of a price you can get. I don't care if I upset them, etc., as that is not where I am going to buy.

This gives me more leverage when dealing with a local dealer where I do plan to purchase.

All above give good advice about keeping the trade-in separate. Also note that in some states, you pay sales tax on the new car price, not the difference after your trade-in.

[Joey_V]

They are going to bend backwards for you... they've been calling me with discounts since I test drove the TL last year.

[Darlinboy]

Edmunds, TrueCar, and a couple of other sites have tools to use to get competitive quotes. Used Edmunds myself on the last purchase I made. In my experience, you'll have better success if you know exactly what you want, including options, and let them you you are buying within a week. As was mentioned earlier - bring the trade-in up after you settle on a cash price. CarMax is a good place to get a competitive offer on a trade-in.



Good luck!

[Tripp11]

Originally Posted by kanger

Thinking about getting a new 13' RDX and was wondering if the dealers for such entry level luxury vehicles discount? Does it hurt to have a trade in vs. no trade in? Thanks guys.

Our household is going on our 6th Acura product, and I've always started off my negotiations by emailing all dealers within a 100 mile radius. I tell them exactly what vehicle I want and how soon I want it. I then just let the lowest offers roll in; however, the lowest always comes from the 2nd closest dealer to my house. Once we finalize on a price, which has always been at or around invoice, I have him prepare all the paperwork. I then arrive, inspect the car, sign the paperwork, and drive off. I'm not at the dealer more than 30 minutes, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

IMO, sitting in a dealership for hours doing the haggling seems like such a waste of precious time. I would rather do it all via email from the comfort of my office or home, and I can respond to them on my timeframe. Not theirs.

YMMV. Good luck!

[JasoninDenver]

Originally Posted by Tripp11

Our household is going on our 6th Acura product, and I've always started off my negotiations by emailing all dealers within a 100 mile radius. I tell them exactly what vehicle I want and how soon I want it. I then just let the lowest offers roll in; however, the lowest always comes from the 2nd closest dealer to my house. Once we finalize on a price, which has always been at or around invoice, I have him prepare all the paperwork. I then arrive, inspect the car, sign the paperwork, and drive off. I'm not at the dealer more than 30 minutes, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

IMO, sitting in a dealership for hours doing the haggling seems like such a waste of precious time. I would rather do it all via email from the comfort of my office or home, and I can respond to them on my timeframe. Not theirs.

YMMV. Good luck!

x2.

Let them fight it out over the internet. When I bought my 2010 Outback I submitted price requests through either Edmunds or Cars.com (can't remember) and got an offer at $200 over invoice - and this model was flying off the lot at the time.

This was the second time I have purchased a car this way and both times I saved hundreds of dollars with the online bid model.

We will buy our next vehicle (2012 MDX BTW) this same way.

As far as the Costco route, I did try this but the best they did was something like $750 over invoice as best as I can recall.

Also, I have never traded in a vehicle. I use craigslist to sell and have managed to get my last two cars sold within 2 days. Use Kelly Blue Book to determine value. You will see the private party and retail price for your car and be able to make a great deal by asking a little below private party price (which is still much more than trade-in value).

[mjclark32]

Yeah they negotiate. My sister and her husband bout a tsx and worked down the price last November.

[Kanger]

Originally Posted by JasoninDenver

x2.

Let them fight it out over the internet. When I bought my 2010 Outback I submitted price requests through either Edmunds or Cars.com (can't remember) and got an offer at $200 over invoice - and this model was flying off the lot at the time.

This was the second time I have purchased a car this way and both times I saved hundreds of dollars with the online bid model.

We will buy our next vehicle (2012 MDX BTW) this same way.

As far as the Costco route, I did try this but the best they did was something like $750 over invoice as best as I can recall.

Also, I have never traded in a vehicle. I use craigslist to sell and have managed to get my last two cars sold within 2 days. Use Kelly Blue Book to determine value. You will see the private party and retail price for your car and be able to make a great deal by asking a little below private party price (which is still much more than trade-in value).

Great advice as is the case with all replies so far. Thanks everyone. A quick question as this may seem pretty silly but how does one get paid for selling a used vehicle on Craigslist? Do you accept cash only?

[Tripp11]

Originally Posted by kanger

Great advice as is the case with all replies so far. Thanks everyone. A quick question as this may seem pretty silly but how does one get paid for selling a used vehicle on Craigslist? Do you accept cash only?

Cash is preferable. A wire transfer works where they don't take possession until the money hits my account. Or a cashier's check; although, those too can be fabricated. YMMV.

[mfer]

You have your answers on the negotiating.

No one has answered your Technology Package question. I have it on my wife's car, a 2009 MDX. Absolutely worthless. You think it is cool to have the backup camera and all those voice commands, but the camera you quickly find out is pretty worthless. The car has great visibility when looking back and the mirrors are great. The voice instructions are worthless, the blue tooth is not as good as my BMW.

The car rides great and has decent power, etc. I will say the leather is not up to par with the rest of the car. It is already looking more worn than my much older BMW. Now the price of the MDX is much cheaper than an X5, so I'm not talking anyone out of Acura as I might get another one when the time comes, but just wanted to point out the short commings of the car/truck, which are the leather and the tech package.

[mfer]

Also, I sold my other car on craigslist in about 2 hours (no joke). The dealer offered my 3k for it. I saw they were being asked for around 7k on craiglist. I listed mine for 6k and it sold in minutes. I took a cashiers check and a copy of the guy's ID.

[rad87gn]

I have a '09 TL AWD Tech and I love it. Great car. I personally enjoy the tech package. Especially the keyless entry & programmable memory, the 5.1 Surround Sound stereo system, Sunroof, backup camera, hands free phone using blue tooth, the 13G hard drive for ripping CD's, NAV, XM radio, leather heated seats, AWD, split temp controls, etc. Acura seems to hold their values pretty well. Backup camera works just fine. Helps my wife from running into things while backing up. She is really bad at it.

[CDNWatchNut]

Originally Posted by mfer

You have your answers on the negotiating.

No one has answered your Technology Package question. I have it on my wife's car, a 2009 MDX. Absolutely worthless. You think it is cool to have the backup camera and all those voice commands, but the camera you quickly find out is pretty worthless. The car has great visibility when looking back and the mirrors are great. The voice instructions are worthless, the blue tooth is not as good as my BMW.

The car rides great and has decent power, etc. I will say the leather is not up to par with the rest of the car. It is already looking more worn than my much older BMW. Now the price of the MDX is much cheaper than an X5, so I'm not talking anyone out of Acura as I might get another one when the time comes, but just wanted to point out the short commings of the car/truck, which are the leather and the tech package.

+1 all the comments above...tech package is not worth the price of admission at retail on a new MDX IMO. I bought my wife's 09 MDX tech last spring and only got the tech because I bought used in a private sale at a good price...otherwise I would have bought base. The nav and interface is just way too complex. Agree with the above on the leather...it's OK but not the quality I would expect for what is easily a $60K+ out the door vehicle here in Canada. I know if I paid anywhere near that I would feel ripped off (and I am a die hard honda/acura fan). The bluetooth is also hit and miss, sometimes works, sometimes doesn't connect, or drops out. Overall, low marks on the tech package from me....just glad I paid 40% less than MSRP for mine....I personally think the MDX is overpriced for what you get.

[stockae92]

starting emailing dealers and getting price quote, and then ask Dealer A to beat Dealer B's price. then repeat.

i found that truecar.com's prices are not like they used to anymore. recently bought an Odyssey and i paid around $2k cheaper than whats on truecar.com. dealers are paying good money for truecar.com to find a lead for them. and guess who's pocket that $$$ will eventually come out from ... ;)

also, find an online forum/community and find out how much people are paying for one in your area

good luck, as much as i enjoy new toys, i hate car shopping.

[stockae92]

oh btw, from what I heard, the acura tech pack is fantastic if its within your budget. i say get it if you can / don't mind paying for it.

[david_ord]

A very general rule of thumb when negotiating a new car is, you're doing well if your "out-the-door" price = MSRP.

Of course, as a due diligence matter, you should start your research at truecar.com.

[clew84]

The tech package changed at some point. It expensive and hardly worth it now. Even the dealer I was talking to said it wasn't worth it. I have an 07 MDX loaded and I love it. The leather isn't as good as BMW or Audi but overall the value is much better. And the MDX is bigger than the X5 and has third row.

I almost bought a new one about 3 weeks ago when I took my old one in for some work. It turned out that it wasn't nearly as expensive as I thought so I kept mine. The salesperson didn't even bother negotiating - gave me invoice price right off the bat.