RDX

1108_acura_tsx

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

1107_acura_tl

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

1106_acura_zdx

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

1105_acura_mdx

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

1104_acura_tl

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

1103_acura_zdx

2011 Acura Lease Rates – March 2011

Published by G


I have no idea what Acura is doing this month. With a drop in residual pretty much across the board (except for the MDX, which remains a mediocre lease this month), you would except Acura to drop the Money Factor to keep payments around the same as last month, right? Well, they do, but not for the RDX. Ironically, they decided to jack up the money factor instead. What the heck, right? Luckily, not all is lost. The TL lease looks improved, so at least we have that. The TSX doesn’t look half bad, but I would wait another month to see if it’s RWG rating breaks the 90+ range.


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

1102_acura_tl

2011 Acura Lease Rates – February 2011

Published by G


My apologies for lagging behind on the posts recently. I came down with a bad cold this past weekend so I’m still in recovery mode. I’ll try to get lease rates up ASAP since this is a short month. By the way, I would like to remind you that what you see posted is what I got, so if you are looking for other trims that aren’t listed, you probably should consult with your dealer.

Acura rates are pretty much the same as last month. If you are seeing different numbers posted, you probably are in the region where Acura uses a different money factor. I don’t know the exact breakdown of the regions, but I hear folks near the Great Lakes have a higher money factor than those living in the West/East Coasts. Please note that the money factor is based on your billing address, so buying a car out of state will not help you get a lower money factor.

In any case, I am still liking the TL this month, slightly more due to a higher sale price, but still a decent deal. There may be some lease support on remaining 2010 models, so be sure to inquire about those. Please note that once 2011s roll out, I don’t generally find 2010 numbers, so the only source to find that would be your local dealer.


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 – $32,816
Monthly – $391+ tax
RWG Rating – 91.4

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% | .00118 base money factor

2011 ACURA RL BASE
36-month | 15k miles | residual 53% | .00090 base money factor

2011 ACURA TL BASE
36-month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00116 base money factor

2011 ACURA TL SH-AWD BASE
36-month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00116 base money factor

2011 ACURA TSX 4DR SEDAN AT BASE
36-month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00140 base money factor

2011 ACURA ZDX BASE
36-month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00099 base money factor

sonatamain

Replacing the G – Round Two

Published by G

I’m not quite sure how many rounds I will need in order to narrow the list down to my “top five” choices, but I can tell you that I have come much closer thanks in part to the 2010 OC Auto show and the test drives I have done so far. Here is an update of my “Wish List” along with some extra comments:

The Large SUV Group

  • Honda Pilot – This is barely making the cut right now.  Not overly impressed nor extremely disappointed.
  • Mazda CX-9 – It’s nice, it’s roomy and depending on the test drive, it could really be a contender.
  • Chevy Traverse – This car is relatively new, but it feels aged compared to Chevy’s newer offering. Even the GMC Acadia, which is practically the same SUV feels newer.
  • Toyota Highlander – Cheapness, is it’s weakness. Even a newly redesigned exterior can’t overcome the cheapness.
  • Ford Explorer – Much uglier in person, but I didn’t get to see the interior since they didn’t have a display model on the floor for people play with. Either way, I don’t think the lease will be attractive enough for it to warrant any consideration at this point. I may consider revisiting it down the road if an attractive lease pops up.

Overall, this group is starting to look really bad. I suspect the Pilot might get booted due to it’s styling and less-than-exciting interior, leaving the CX-9 as the top choice in this category.

The Compact SUV Group

  • Toyota RAV4 – Cost-cutting has really made this SUV hard to love. The hard plastics reeks of cheapness and the interior dash is uninspiring. Even if its inexpensive to lease, I don’t think I want one since Toyota’s lease program leaves much to be desired.
  • Ford Edge – This is a well-built SUV with a better-than-average interior. I haven’t seen any special leases on it, but it’s still early in the model year.
  • Infiniti EX35 – Test drove it a few weekends ago and my impression is that it’s a  solid crossover. It’s smooth over bumps, powerful, quiet and it drives like a G with higher ground clearance. There is also a lot of dealer cash on this car right now, which potentially knocks off a lot off the MSRP, making it a really good lease. Unfortunately I think it falls really short in two areas, cargo and MPG. It is still fairly practical since folding down the rear seats exposes quite a bit of cargo room, but I think of this car as a hatchback with poor MPG more than a true crossover.
  • VW Tiguan – Saw it at the show and I’ve driven it before; my folks also own one. Cargo wise its slightly better than the EX, but not by much. No Wolfsburg edition planned just for 2011 (yet) so my only choices would be the S and the SE trims.
  • Acura RDX – Test drove this as well and found it to be a serviceable crossover. I will not wow you, but it is all you should expect from Acura; Roomy and reliable with above average performance. The 4-banger turbo does not have a very noticeable lag which is impressive. Comes well-equipped, but it doesn’t have it all unless you go with the Tech. In my case, I can’t justify the cost. The exterior styling doesn’t really impress me much, but I think having an excellent lease program does.
  • Subaru Forester – I think it has a slight edge against the Outback. After looking at them side by side, I like it a little better.

If I had to guess, the Forester, Tiguan and the RDX will end up battling it in the payment department. I just don’t think Ford provides enough lease incentives to make the Edge a contender.

The Wagon Group

  • Audi A3 – I am a big fan of  TDI model, but I am willing to settle for a FrontTrak Premium. It’s driving dynamics shouldn’t be too different than my wife’s Jetta so I think it will end up coming down to a price war between the other finalists.
  • VW Jetta Sportwagen – Saw the TDI version at the show, love the Pano sunroof. Thankfully, it retains the nicer interior of the older Jettas, which is a plus. I did see the “new Jetta” and if you have seen “older” models, you will notice a difference. The interior materials haven’t been downgraded much, but the cabin certainly feels more “simplified”. The exterior styling isn’t too bad, but it feels more “vanilla” compared to the outgoing model.
  • VW Golf TDI – As nice as expected, looks like a more civilized version of the GTI and gets crazy gas mileage. Big fan, hopefully the lease rates will look good when the time comes.
  • VW GTI – I have to say, I am not a big fan of those cloth seats, but I love everything else.
  • Subaru Outback – I like it, but I have to admit that there are better cars. AWD certainly helps it’s case.

The Wagon group shows a lot more promise due to the more reasonable payments, practicality and fuel economy. My first choice would be the A3, but at this point any of these are a possibility.

The Sedan Group

  • Acura TSX – Acuras hold a special place in my heart, so this is a no brainer. I will likely opt for the Tech, but it all depends on the price.
  • Acura TL – Ditto on the TL. If a TSX with Tech were to be around the same as a TL base, I’d take the TL.
  • Hyundai Sonata – Saw the 2.0 Turbo and the Hybrid at the show, lovely inside and out. I got around to test drive the Limited model and I came away impressed. Quiet, smooth and with ample power. It’s no G37, but I didn’t expect it to be. Inexpensive, well-built and easy on the eyes. The closest thing to a win-win situation if there was one.
  • Infiniti G37 – I’ve been plagued with battery issues on my G37 this past year, with yesterday being the latest incident (I couldn’t get my car started for the 3rd time this year and I didn’t even leave any of my lights on). I think I will be skipping Infinitis this time around.
  • Nissan Maxima – Being the G37’s cousin dooms it’s chances. See above.

This is the “fall-back” category. I don’t think I would pick a sedan over the other categories due to my need for “room”. However, money talks and sedans have better lease programs than anything out there right now. The Sonata is a perennial favorite here, with the 2.0T being my top choice. My fall back would be the TSX, with the TL close behind.