Hey, here’s an idea of what the TLX is going for this summer as the new model arrives in the Fall. Not a hack, just shopped around Southern California for a friend and found some dealers willing to play ball.
2020 Acura TLX Base 4 cyl FWD.
36 months/7500 miles per year
Monthly base payment: $280 per month + state sales tax.
Out of pocket: $0 Due at signing. (So, just 35 payments @ $280 + tax total)
MSRP $34,025
Sales price: $25,500 (after trunk money).
$1250 Loyalty Rebate
$6800 incentive with MF. 00215 (Optional Lower MF (.0050) but that’s coupled with a lower incentive ($4250), so difference negligible as dealer increased sales price accordingly)
Everything rolled into the lease except loyalty reabate and dealer contribution covered the drive offs and down payment.
Realize most LH readers don’t want Base trim of any car (let alone an Acura), so for reference, it’s about $15 for each trim level upgrade, so would’ve been about $295 for Tech, and so on for V6, SH-AWD, etc. Obviously, RV and incentives change as you go up and down the trim ladder, so that’s a rough guide.
Deal closed under the July Acura programs, though program seems to be good through Labor Day, so numbers should still be valid and price replicable.
Sure, there were $2100 in drive offs ("Amount due at signing or delivery’): $1250 rebate listed as Cap Cost Reduction and Dealer Contribution of $870 covered the 1st monthly, tags, taxes, and fees, with my friend paying $0 out of pocket.
I did price the Tech package but decided it wasn’t worth the cost just for a Blind Spot monitor (Navigation is free on smartphone). Driver doesn’t do enough freeway lane changing to justify it and doesn’t need the 10k miles–buyer had thousands of rollover miles from previous 10k lease and Acura is very generous when you exceed your contracted mileage anyway-AFS comps a couple of thousand, only charges 50% of 20 cent/mile penalty. Always lease less than you estimate with Acura, especially with this Covid-19 thing.
Hey still learning here. About the miles are you saying it is written into the contract that they will charge 50% less of 20 cent per miles. Or is it what AFS usualy ends up doing. (Unwritten rule) letting you pre buy extra miles incase you go over at 50% off?
Also was noticing the RLX has 11k in MF to Dealer incentives. That looks like it would be a good lease but wasn’t sure if leasing a discontinued model good idea? Any thoughts on that?
Can anyone comment on what percentage discount is possible on a 2020 TLX, before incentives? Should 10-percent pre-incentives be realistic? Unfortunately, I live in a noncompetitive Acura market and will ultimately need to press really hard.
It’s not in fine print on the back pages of the lease rather it’s part of their standard Luxury Lease which is further supplemented by the Loyalty Advantage when you re-up.
Mileage Forgiveness *If you drive more than your contracted lease miles, we’ll waive one-half of your excess mileage (up to 7,500) when you lease or finance through Acura Financial Services (AFS). * Plus if you choose to lease another new Acura with us, we’ll add an additional 1,000 miles to your base mileage amount …or unused miles get roll over to next Acura
To answer your question, 10% would be a coup, so above 5% is more realistic. Plus you have to know both trunk money + MF scenarios as it can lead to vastly different post-incientive Discount Off MSRP results but with the same net cost to consumer.
Acura currently offers dueling MF and Incentives on the TLX: a) MF. 00215 with $6800 incentive or b) Lower MF .00050 + incentive $4250, so you have to factor that in to your ‘discount from MSRP analysis’ as the dealers use that as a sliding scale; they raise the Sales price to adjust for the the lower incentive. In my recent lease the post trunk money sales price was 24,900 (27% off MSRP) but with the lower MF and less trunk money, it would’ve been a 27,400 sales price (19%). Yet, the real sales price (what the dealer collects) is the same 31,700 under either MF scenario, which is 7% off MSRP. Note that under the fatter cash to dealer discount, if you factor in my dealer contribution and the loyalty rebate, the discount off MSRP is a ridiculous 33%.
I advise just shopping asking for $0 DAS quotes so you can compare apples to apples. Let them do the math. I don’t care how they get to the lowest monthly, as long as it’s legit offer that matches the paper at signing. Also, if you are in a small market, broaden your market to make it competitive. Get quotes from 200 miles away if there’s a chance you’ll be in that city soon or consider taking a vacation there. The money you save will pay for the flight and hotel. Plus the dealer may deliver even if it’s over 100 miles away. Recently got cousin best deal I could find on a Volvo but it was in Miami–she lives on the OTHER side of Florida, south of Tampa, wound up getting delivery included.
In general I have found Honda/Acura really good on lease returns, returned two Accord base models in 2017 and again recently, this time did not re lease. The 2014 had 1200 total worth of damage on three different panels and was 900 miles over 36,000 and they waived everything. This recent car only had $350 of damage which they waive at least $500 and they cut the return fee in half as well
That’s what I like to hear. I drive the Honda and already have some light dings and dents thanks to the other fools who have no respect for other peoples property but it gives me peace of mind to know you had 2 good stories to share on your return leases.
In 2017 I was returning a 2014 and leasing a new 2017 (for a very good deal).
I made an appointment with the service company they use to determine the damage, they come to your house or office, this is a third party that is paid by Honda Acceptance. They said I had $1182 worth of damage (I got two private estimates over that amount so I was pretty happy with that, it really had quite a bit of damage). They automatically waived $500 and then $1000 if you are financing or leasing a new Honda or Acura. I was. So after I signed the deal for the new one but before I picked it up (was on the way there), I called Honda Acceptance (the dealer did not do anything for me) and asked them to waive the extra $182 and the almost 900 miles over. They were pleasant, she put me on hold for maybe five minutes and said no problem. This time in June the service company said I only $300 of damage so it was covered automatically. Since it was during the quarantine, when I called Honda Acceptance to ask where to return they could not find a dealer willing to take it. they sent a truck to pick it up and cut the return fee in half because I could not shop in my area and I have 90 days to get another Honda and they will refund the return fee but I negotiated that
Wanted to add that the $300 they said I had was real damage, there was rust on it! but it was minor but definitely visible, this was from one of my kids denting the bottom of a door from going over a curb at a toll booth. This was not someone opening a door and dinging my car in a parking lot. I had some of those but not many because the car had a major repair a year and a half ago. I am in NY if that matters
The best I could do was $350. I should be at $331based on my 9.5 tax & $500 rebate.
Any tips on how to get the dealer to pay ball? My plan is to keep emailing more dealers until one bites or wait till the end of the month and see how it goes. However, i am worried with inventory being low I may not even find one.
I’ll let the 65 year old lady who is driving it know that the Leasehackers think she should have sprung for the pumping stereo and soft leather seats for her weekly 10 mile trip to Target.
