Acura

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The Wall: Spicy Mikey’s Daughter’s 2012 Acura TL Tech

Published by G

Name: Spicy Mikey
Location: Florida
The RIDE: 2012 Black Acura TL with Tech
The DEAL:

2012 TL Tech Graphite/Taupe
Accessories: Splash Guards and Side Molding
MSRP $40,581
Sell Price: 36,600
Trade in Equity: $1500 (09 TL Tech)
Deal Price: $35100
Terms: 36m/15k
Payment: $490/mth tax inc. (6.5% sales tax paid monthly)

My TAKE:

My dad gave me my first laptop back in 2003! I know it doesn’t compare, but I tried. Haahaa. The car looks so much better without that giant “beak”. Your daughters are very lucky girls to have a dad like you. If they disagree just show them the monthly bill. Haahaa. Overall, excellent deal. Trade-in equity covered the drive-off. $1500 dealer cash dropped the sell price below invoice. Pretty much what I highlighted on this August 2011’s Acura post. Can’t wait to see what your other daughter is getting as a replacement to the 2009 Lexus IS250.

Want your ride featured on RIDE with G? Send your pics over to thewall(at)ridewithg.com

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2011-12 Acura Lease Rates – August 2011

Published by G

Acura lease rates remain practically unchanged with the exception of the RL, which had it’s residual drop by 1%. The TL is a fairly good lease this month. There is $1,000 Dealer Cash and $500 Dealer Bonus Lease Cash (this looks like a regional incentive). If you are a returning customer, you get an additional $750!!! See the first calculation below for an example of what returning customers would be looking at on a lease!

For those who are new to Acura, you are looking at a bump of about $20 per month since you don’t qualify for the $750 loyalty cash.

Alternatively you can lease the car at invoice and apply the cash towards your drive-off and do a $0 drive-off deal since the $1500 (returning customers will have extra cash left over to pay down the cap cost) should cover your inception fees.

Overall, you are looking at the TL sold at invoice PLUS all rebates as the target price. I’m quite sure that if you approach your dealer with that offer, most will agree to it.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

Returning Customers
2012 ACURA TL BASE
MSRP – $36,490
Sale Price – $31,317 ($1000 + $500 + $750 dealer cash applied)
Monthly – $343+ tax
RWG Rating – 101.2

New Customers
2012 ACURA TL BASE
MSRP – $36,490
Sale Price – $32,067 ($1000 + $500 dealer cash applied)
Monthly – $364+ tax
RWG Rating – 96.7

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 ACURA MDX BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00103 base money factor

2011 ACURA RDX AWD BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00097 base money factor

2011 ACURA RL BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 51% | .00190 base money factor

2012 ACURA TL BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00170 base money factor

2012 ACURA TL SH-AWD BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00170 base money factor

2011 ACURA TSX 4DR SEDAN AT BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00092 base money factor

2011 ACURA ZDX BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00085 base money factor

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Monthly Round-Up : July 2011

Published by G


Sorry for being MIA with the Round-Up. In order to save time, I will be skipping the usual commentary, but I will categorize the cars into different classes. Please read the GROUND RULES to get an idea of how the numbers are calculated.

This month’s participants include: Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Nissan, Acura, Hyundai, Infiniti, Honda, Lexus, Jeep, Volvo, Audi and BMW.

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.
To check your credit, go to CreditReport.com.

Ground Rules

  • Participating vehicles will be based on the lease rates gathered on this website during the corresponding month.
  • 36-month/15k lease terms will used for all calculations unless a better term is available.
  • A $1500 drive-off fee is assumed for all cars. Since fees and taxes vary from region to region, your drive-off may vary.
  • Sale Price estimates will be based on Truecar.com sales data in the Southern California region, so your numbers may vary.
  • All estimates assume you qualify for the base rate. A minimum Credit Score of 700 may be required to secure Top Tier credit in most cases.
  • Sales taxes are not included since different states handle taxes differently.
  • The rating system used is based on RIDE with G’s Lease Calculator. Only cars with a 90 rating or higher will be included on this list.

SEDAN

2011 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V (106.1)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00003 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37 Journey (103.4)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00058 base money factor

2011 Nissan Maxima SV (102.3)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00022 base money factor

2012 Nissan Altima 3.5SR (102.1)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00081 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37x (100.0)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00083 base money factor

2011 Volvo S80 3.2 (97.9)
48 month | 15k miles | residual 46% | .00001 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37 Sport (96.2)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00058 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G25x (95.0)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00091 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G25 Journey (93.9)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00067 base money factor

2011 Volvo S80 T-6 (93.0)
48 month | 15k miles | residual 49% | .00001 base money factor

2011 Honda Accord EX (91.4)
48 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00049 base money factor

2011 Honda Accord LX (91.2)
48 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00049 base money factor

2011 MB C300 Sport 4matic (90.2)
48 month | 15k miles | residual 51% | .00109 base money factor

2011 MB C300 Sport (90.0)
48 month | 15k miles | residual 51% | .00109 base money factor

CONVERTIBLE

2011 BMW Z4 3.5i (109.1)
24 month | 15k miles | residual 79% | .00190 base money factor

2011 BMW Z4 3.0i (106.1)
24 month | 15k miles | residual 77% | .00160 basemoney factor

2011 BMW Z4 3.5i (104.3)
24 month | 15k miles | residual 77% | .00175 base money factor

2011 Jeep Wrangler Sport (94.0)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00005 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37 Sport (92.6)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .000146 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37 (92.6)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .000146 base money factor

2011 Volvo C70 T-5 (90.3)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00001 base money factor

COUPE

2011 Infiniti G37x (103.3)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00086 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37 Journey (102.7)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00076 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37 Sport (101.7)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00076 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37 IPL (96.6)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00076 base money factor

HATCHBACK/WAGON/SUV/CROSSOVER

2011 Nissan Versa 1.8 SL (96.4)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00003 base money factor

2011 Acura ZDX (95.4)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00085 base money factor

2011 Infiniti EX35 Journey AWD (92.7)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 51% | .00072 base money factor

2011 Infiniti FX35 AWD (92.7)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00076 base money factor

2011 Honda Pilot LX 4WD (92.5)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .000107 base money factor

2011 Honda CrossTour EX (92.2)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00049 base money factor

2011 Honda CR-V LX 4WD (91.9)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00078 base money factor

2011 VW Tiguan S 4motion (91.3)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 53% | .00079 base money factor

Rare Sight. The Z4 takes top honors this month for being the highest rated lease. However, I caution you when dealing with BMW dealers. It is common practice for dealers to PAD the money factor. BMW also is known for those weird MACO/Training fees that I despise. It is your job to be informed and shop around. There are a lot of great incentives available for returning customers, so do not overlook them! With that in mind, BMW has done a great deal introducing the best lease this month. The number should remain through the month of August so plan accordingly.

Unusual American. I don’t remember the last time an American car made it on the list. What’s even more unusual is the fact that this car is coming from Chrysler. When is the last time you saw a good lease from Chrysler, right? Kudos to US Bank for making the Wrangler an attractive lease. Not sure I would want one since the ride is quite rough, but it should be a budget friendly ride for those looking for some fun under the sun.

The Only Swede That Matters. Sorry Saab, but for us regular folks, the only Swedish brand of any consequence is Volvo. The S80 and C70 are making strong leases this month with great rebates/discounts despite the crummy lease rates.

What Tsunami? While Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura are reeling from the earthquake/tsunami one-two punch, Nissan/Infiniti has been reaping the benefits of having a better supply of cars. This translates to PURE DOMINANCE by Nissan/Infiniti on this month’s Round-Up because they can discount cars a bit more and provide great lease program for them.

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2011-12 Acura Lease Rates – July 2011

Published by G


Nothing too exciting here. The RDX got a nice MF reduction (without a residual penalty), making it more “lease-able”. The rest of the models had to drop the MF due to a 1% drop in residual, making it about the same as last month.

Now some good news on the TL. Acura is providing some REALLY great financing options PLUS $1000 dealer cash and two Dealer Bonus Cash ($750 and $500). There are some restrictions on this, so be sure to read the fine print. Here is a link to Edmunds’ Acura Incentives Page. Remember, this is DEALER CASH not CUSTOMER CASH, so in most cases it’s used at DEALER’s discretion.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 ACURA TL BASE
MSRP – $36,490
Sale Price – $32,567 ($1000 dealer cash applied)
Monthly – $380+ tax
RWG Rating – 94.0

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 ACURA MDX BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00103 base money factor

2011 ACURA RDX AWD BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00097 base money factor

2011 ACURA RL BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00190 base money factor

2012 ACURA TL BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00170 base money factor

2012 ACURA TL SH-AWD BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00170 base money factor

2011 ACURA TSX 4DR SEDAN AT BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00092 base money factor

2011 ACURA ZDX BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00085 base money factor

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2011-12 Acura Lease Rates – June 2011

Published by G


TL and TSX money factors dropped since May. Other than that, everything else stays the same. As good as Acura programs are, I still find it difficult to see how their leases are financially attractive. Money factors were more than likely dropped in response to price hikes due to production shortages. I was really hoping that this year would be the year where we would see great leases like we did three or four years ago. It’s not looking like that’s going to be the case.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2011 ACURA MDX BASE
MSRP – $43,440
Sale Price – $40,754
Monthly – $519+ tax
RWG Rating – 85.3

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 ACURA MDX BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00103 base money factor

2011 ACURA RDX AWD BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00126 base money factor

2011 ACURA RL BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00190 base money factor

2012 ACURA TL BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 62% | .00186 base money factor

2012 ACURA TL SH-AWD BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00186 base money factor

2011 ACURA TSX 4DR SEDAN AT BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00151 base money factor

2011 ACURA ZDX BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00121 base money factor

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2011-12 Acura Lease Rates – May 2011

Published by G


Other than the MDX, Acura has bumped the MF on every model in their line up. That is not great news for you Acura lovers because your lease just got worse. The only way to offset that increase will probably be at the negotiation table. Unfortunately, with supply shortages, pinning down a great sales price may prove to be a challenge.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2011 ACURA MDX BASE
MSRP – $43,440
Sale Price – $40,754
Monthly – $512+ tax
RWG Rating – 86.1


2011 ACURA MDX BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00103 base money factor

2011 ACURA RDX AWD BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00126 base money factor

2011 ACURA RL BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00190 base money factor

2012 ACURA TL BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 62% | .00190 base money factor

2012 ACURA TL SH-AWD BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00190 base money factor

2011 ACURA TSX 4DR SEDAN AT BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00190 base money factor

2011 ACURA ZDX BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00121 base money factor

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2011 Acura Lease Rates – April 2011

Published by G


Looks like Acura has kept the lease rates the same as last month. According to TrueCar, it looks like sale prices have remain the same as last month as well (at least in the Southern California region). Assuming your neck of the woods sells for about the same as last month, whatever quote you got last month should still apply this month. I personally think that the TSX needs to drop a bit more, though.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2011 ACURA TL BASE
MSRP – $36,165
Sale Price – $32,316
Monthly – $378+ tax
RWG Rating – 93.5

2011 ACURA TSX BASE
MSRP – $30,470
Sale Price – $28,344
Monthly – $340+ tax
RWG Rating – 89.5

For Dealer Quotes, CLICK HERE.


2011 ACURA MDX BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00145 base money factor

2011 ACURA RDX AWD BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00159 base money factor

2011 ACURA RL BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00072 base money factor

2011 ACURA TL BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00101 base money factor

2011 ACURA TL SH-AWD BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00101 base money factor

2011 ACURA TSX 4DR SEDAN AT BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00129 base money factor

2011 ACURA ZDX BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00120 base money factor

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What’s Going On – April 2011

Published by G

Last Friday, I became a first-time homeowner! Woo Hoo! That’s been the biggest reason why I’ve been completely out-of-it in the past month. Unfortunately, I am in fixing-n-packing mode this month, so I have to continue keeping my comments short. I will continue to do what I can and drop a few lines here and there to help out. Lease rates should also be coming in the next couple days. I have already sent out request for some numbers and will focus in finding some numbers for you all in the coming weeks. Your patience is appreciated.

Working with the house this past weekend has opened my eyes to how inconvenient having a coupe really is. Hauling things from Home Depot or Lowe’s has been next to impossible (unless its just a few paint cans and brushes) so it has really been causing a lot of confusion as to what I want to be driving next. Clearly, the visits to home improvement stores won’t be stopping any time soon, therefore, I feel the need to get into something more practical this time around.

To recap, (Replacing the G – Party 2) I have been”casually” shopping for my next ride since November. I test drove a handful of cars/suvs and got a good feel for what I wanted next. However, this home ownership business has really thrown a curve ball at me recently. Not only do I have a strict budget to adhere to, but I also have to factor in operational costs ( gas has been creeping up into the $4+ territory. Yickes!). Just last night, I was at Costco and it cost me $67 to fill up 16 gallons on the G. CRAZY. Doing that 3-4 times a week has me feeling like my wallet has lost some of that plumpness!

In any case, due to these circumstances, I decided to trim down my list even further by narrowing it down to the following cars.

  1. Hyundai Sonata Turbo SE
  2. Hyundai Sonata Turbo Limited
  3. Subaru Forester X
  4. Subaru Forester XT
  5. Acura TSX
  6. Audi A3 Premium
  7. VW GTI
  8. VW Tiguan S
  9. Honda Pilot LX 4WD

At the moment, I find myself leaning towards leasing the Sonata Turbo SE with the Nav/Sunroof package. It provides me with the best equipped vehicle and the lowest payment. It lacks the practicality of having that “5th door”, but it’s easy on the pocketbook. I’m also toying with the idea of getting a GTI or going all out and getting the Pilot. Tough decisions to be made in the coming months! I have about 4 months and three payments left on my G37, so the hunt for my next ride will be shifting into high gear really soon!

So which car did you think I will be driving in a few months? Care to guess?