mpwolf

My gf and I test drove an RSX-S last night (actually I did because she can't drive a manual...yet). I was pretty impressed with most of the car. VERY fun to drive. Awesome shifter (why Honda can put this in at $20k car, and Audi can't put it in any car is beyond me), great handling and braking, nice and solid interior, excellent seats, and a motor that loves to rev. Too bad it needs to rev to make power. Still, for me a rev-happy motor like that makes a fun car. I think it's deceptivly quick too. Where in the S4 you feel the acceleration, in the RSX, it feels slow until you realize how fast your accelerating by looking at the speedometer.

<img src="http://www.acura.com/assets/acura/carshot/rsx/2003/carshot_rsx_2003_rsxarcticblue_B-507P.jpg">

Anyway, I've never traded in a car before, so I'm looking for some negotiating advice. The dealer is asking $19,500 for a 2002 Arctic Blue Pearl RSX Type-S with 14k miles on it. It's in mint shape as far as I could tell with a cursory inspection. She currently has a 1999 Integra LS automatic with 46k miles on it. KBB trade-in is a little under $10k. She owes approx. $5300 on her Integra and would like to keep the same payment on the RSX (about $240 a month), obviously extending the period of the loan. The term of the loan is less of a consequence than that payment, so a longer term loan is ok (although over five years gets to be pretty pointless for a car). I'm sure she could get a little more money selling the car privately, but I'm wondering how much more and if it would be enough to offset the aggrivation of selling a car privately.

What are people's thoughts. I know you don't want to negotiate a deal based on payments, but that payment of $240 a year is our ultimate target. How should we approach this with the dealer? Thanks guys.

RKA

I drove the RSX Type S the other week...wasn't very thrilled. My observations were the opposite of yours...mushy brakes, handling wasn't "quick" enough, motor made a lot of noise, but didn't really build speed.

RKA

Yeah, I was just on edmunds...I went back to your post and did a double take when I saw 99...

DYOS4

just go in there and say, "Here you can take this car and 10k for the Blue RSX-S." If they say no just walk out, just make sure they have a way to contact you, cause they'll probably call you back. And you'll own 5k for current car and 10k on the new one, 15000k over 60 months = 250 plus whatever interest is these days and you're pretty close. There DYO math. :- )

Silver Streakin'

best deal is to sell the car yourself. and, never negotiate around a payment.

DenverBB

1. Dont negiotate around a monthly payment. With those preliminary figures you gave us, you will be pretty close of where you want to be. If you don't care about extending the period of the loan, it will be really easy. They can probably extend the loan to 72mo if needed (the RSX is new enough, and the miles are low enough).

It is very easy to make the monthly payment go down w/o actually changing the selling price of the car, or changing the value of your trade. Make SURE that you see the figures of selling price, and ACV of your trade (Actual Cash Value) when they bring back each new monthly payment.

If you have good credit, think around $22 per $1000 financed...

2. You get a tax benefit when you trade the car in. You only pay tax on the value difference between new car and trade in. Keep that in mind when you are working on the trade in figure.

And the most important thing, DO NOT tell them you are okay with a $240/mo payment. If 240 is your MAXIMUM payment, then tell them $220 or $215, because they are going to try and bump you up on payment anyway.....


Oh yea, and if somebody in the car business says "Let me ask you this..".... you are getting the run-around.


Good luck!

mpwolf

Thanks, good advice.