caddycruiser

Dropped new Accord cruising the highways:

I won't add any Acura spin, but will say...wait until you drive it. Despite a few global platform bits being related to an Accord, there is no similarity whatsoever in any way. Look, interior, size, power train or feel. Seeing it in person it even appears smaller, which is a nice detail. Aggressive driving dynamics combined with the quietest interior to date in an Acura sedan, and a higher end "feel" within the first 50 feet is their goal. The fact that the new styling doesn't set anyone on fire but looks perfect in a world of 3-series, Q50's & G's, IS's, etc. is a great thing. The current TL stands out but is a bit of an odd duck in the crowd. The new one is not. I've been in and out of it, up close, and it's not aggressive but is a very impressive vehicle along the lines of our recent MDX, but in an aggressive smaller to midsize sedan package. Will be a fun drive. We have more people waiting for this car than any other recent new Acura introduction, so good predictions await. Now, if only they didn't show the NYC premier car in Fathom Blue...the least purchased color...or with the accessory wheels. It looks SOOOO much more appropriate in a new color such as Slate Silver with the standard 18" wheels, etc. Hopefully the blue doesn't turn anyone off too much. Wait until the drive reviews come in.

I have still never driven one of these, but it's clear to be an incredible car. Living in Philly, I see a nonstop stream of new Fusions everywhere, all day long, in every varying configuration from hubcap base models to fully loaded Titanium level cars. Different generations of people driving them. From styling, engineering, performance, refinement, etc it just seems to knock it out of the park. The way the Malibu should have been done (as the Impala does on the higher level) but didn't come close to doing, due to awkwardness. Had clients yesterday that had just received a new 2014 Escape Ecoboost as the wife's latest company vehicle and they were raving about it. Same people have a 2012 Equinox V6 in their household they are selling, and purchasing a new Acura. Great car, it seems. Interesting model mix as well, 6-speed included which is nice to see as they get rarer and rarer.

Brand new White Hot 2014 Chevy SS stock with black windows, parked around the corner from my new house. As much as people say it's too boring it photos, the lines are still great and the new SS chrome details and finishing pieces take it up market a step.

More importantly... Goes to show, the latest 2010+ smaller FWD version of the SRX is so popular, vs. the previous "genuine" model critics loved and not a soul bought, whoever owns this one is not only crazy but put probably double the money into making it...chrome, lifted, suicide doors and all. Interesting, ey.

Friend of a friend in Florida took this yesterday in their parking garage...takes the cake for craziest vehicle I've seen in a very long time. To think, that used to be an SRX...

A latest gen Mitsu Diamante yesterday, with the last styling changes they made. Actually a nice clean looking car, and Australian built...even more unique. Not many of these around.

The calculator is always off, I wish it would update to be closer to correct...but alas. That's why the national special programs are advertised and dealers can be emailed easily. To give an example, the last MDX AWD lease I just did stretching a bit at a loss, with $2500 down and PA suburbs tax, 12k per year I made it $499 monthly with tax included and new license plates. No funny money, no incentives needed, and Acura Financial. At the end of 3 years after 12k, it's a 62% residual on that car. Great stuff.

That's a real residual. Acura's, especially the SUV's, hold incredible value and even with 60%+ residuals, every time they come in to be turned in we buy them out and there's equity. We don't do funny business of lease cash, cap cost mystery cash, etc. Not necessary if the car truly holds value.

^^That is CRAZY. Chevy truck nose on a Town Car...why...

And as quickly as things change...in the course of a week, now we're selling a LOT of AWD non-Technology models. There's no rhyme or reason, except people realizing how great of a vehicle it is for the dollar. There's no way shape or form I would buy or lease an Explorer, GM Lambda, Pilot, Infiniti, Nissan, etc. crossover against the new MDX and we see the comparisons daily. Non-Tech, with the large screens, Bluetooth streaming, USB, Pandora, AHA Internet Radio, etc. I'm back to getting a lot of "that's all I need anyway, I use my phone for nav and that's rare as it is" comments. Oddball? We've had a lot of people recently, "in between" ready to buy an MDX then for whatever bizarre reason debating a new Explorer. No comparison. Mostly lease customers too. That huge discount and Ford marketing draw attention. Then you drive the Explorer...or realize, as we just looked up, an example MDX has a 60%+ 3-year lease residual...the Explorer? 45%. At that rate, you better be getting a coupon for owning a horse, a discount card, a credit card, a dance, and a bag of money to make it cheaper. Interesting stuff, what people compare and why.

Brand new glowing White Diamond 2015 Tahoe LTZ 4x4 with the chrome wheels pulling out of the Chevy dealer after prep, to the gas station. They look a bit funny in photos, but as expected, reality cures all. Incredible looking truck. Has the "feel" of a Tahoe, but fresh and new, especially in LTZ guise with the chrome and LED light strips.

No, it was balanced pretty quickly. But as we were doing a split of all models before, and Tech's were selling nonstop as they arrived and continue to, most dealers still have more non-Tech base inventory from before. Not as many bases will be produced, but we have to sell all the base models to earn more MDX's overall. Not really an issue. The MDX without Tech still has more "tech" than it ever did before, and is incredibly well decked out for almost everyone. My mother used to her Terrain with Intellilink where she streams and plugs iPhone/iPod in anyway is a perfect example of who one would be perfect for. On the opposite hand, the RDX that was new for 2013 continues to sell nonstop through today, however the "hot one" lately again is the AWD car without Tech. Different price level all together, and when you're in the mid $30k's there are so many small crossover choices, it's a no question choice to get the Acura vs. what else is out there. It fluctuates back and forth. Probably in a few more months, we will move back to more Tech RDX's and more FWD models as well. I've sold a lot of FWD MDX's even in PA, by request, even with the recent weather. Makes sense when you consider, even if people don't realize, how large the volume of FWD large crossovers is vs. AWD, especially vehicles like the Lambda's and others.

Very true, and makes sense once you've seen and driven one. It's not terrible...but there are so many better choices, and some questionable "why?" on this one.

Built a mix of all of them, but what's happened is 80% sold are Tech models. Production is adjusted, but you still have to sell all the AWD non-Tech models to earn more AWD, AWD Tech, etc. Once they sell, you build more, and they sell as soon as they arrive. Thankfully Acura/Honda are quick at adjusting production. All things balance in time. Build a hot vehicle that doesn't need incentives to sell. Good move. Really, the only thing we've done from time to time is a special finance rate on base models. Otherwise, not necessary. That's how you keep resale and build value, without cash buckets and over produced inventory.

Not constantly sold out, but it's in batches everywhere. Sometimes you have them, then again you don't. Right now everyone mostly has a full inventory of AWD base models, but not Tech, Tech/Entertainment or Advance and those 3 are in constant demand. Once you get a batch, the batch is gone pretty quickly, base models aside.

7 months into the design of the all new 2014 MDX, and we still cannot get enough of them to sell. It's a nonstop vehicle, period. The only ones that do not sell are those without navigation, so Acura is adjusting production to minimize those and focus on AWD Tech models, the top model. It's an incredible crossover. No vehicle this size offers what it does, or is rated anywhere near to 27mpg with AWD...or actually get it, which this one does. It's fun to toss around and back in the summer, I clocked 31.4mpg in a 26 mile highway trek home. Great car. And yes, what you see here and the good bits of the RLX will carry over into next models. I met the lead engineer of the MDX in June in Ohio R&D, and that was a telling time. There are so many competitors, yet even this fall, we still had customers trading "newer" Infiniti's, Mercedes', BMW's, Audi's, etc on previous gen MDX's. The new one now tripled that.

I have a client who traded a 2010/2011 Camry XLE V6 loaded except no nav, with 30k on it for a new Acura RDX. I then resold the same car a month later to a guy who drove 4 hours from Virginia for it, and traded another old 2001 Camry. Perfect scenario. But that new one...driving it back from the first owner to the dealer was telling. In that, you had no idea you were in a car. Not soft to float and bob, but so soft you feel nothing, the steering eventually does something, and despite being what I always read was a gutsy V6, the car and engine are so quiet, it didn't feel that way. Completely the reverse of any kind of emotional or "this is a nice car" sensation. That's why you get a Camry. The inside is the cheapest of any midsize car, from plastics, to poor fits, to strange black "push snap fit them in" switches, etc. Yet, the second owner from Virginia simply loves the car. He likes cars enough but a Camry has been with him for so many years, he's used to that "it's a Camry" and the new one is a nice upgrade over the last. But the driving dynamics...there are none...the build quality...it's Chinese car like...and the overall car, it's simply watered down vanilla pudding. Just test drive anything and everything else out there before you buy one

I totally had that same confusion in traffic Saturday night...the shape of the headlights and LED's around them, plus stature of the car. What I thought was a Model S really was a newer XF. So, yes, it happens...and those 2 cars have similar visuals in many ways.

A recent gen BMW Z4 hatch coupe. These are very rare for me to see, and I kind of like the rarity/setup/look of them: Then later in traffic...another one of those depressing new Mitsubishi Mirage buggy cars. Of the few I've seen, 2 have been this same color.

These are squishy drones of an appliance, with a decent reputation, hence the sales. But in the last 2 generations especially the build quality and finishing has been so poor, they almost feel and look like Chinese budget cars. Will you ever have engine trouble or mechanical issues? No, but that's the case for almost every new car anymore. The last gen was so sloppily built inside, you'd get in and every one had a different alignment of dash, console and door parts, and none were ever the same. Then the rattles started. You go from a soft and sloppy Camry...which some people like...to even something like a basic Accord and all of a sudden it's "whoa. Does this car cost $10k more?" Where the Honda feels engineered, the Toyota feels cheap and rickety. Some people love the squish and the engines you can't hear, and have had 3 before, so they overlook it. But as even Consumer Reports said on a recent video...come on, America. You still buy Camry's in such immense numbers...WHY? The only reason you should ever buy one is for whatever reason you have blinders on and cannot look at anything else or even imagine the idea of going to a different brand dealer. Goes to show you how a well done past reputation can still take you places, even if you are a complete mess later in life.

Interesting pictures, including a 2015 Tahoe roaming DuBois... Winter time. People are bad drivers all year round. Add a bit of snow and goo, and they multiply their lack of skill x10. Including getting said car into said parking space... Don't worry, when these same ones come back out of those stores, they'll load their car and then shove their empty cart into open air and another few cars instead of putting it away

That was one crazy recreation... The kind of "reality tv" I have no patience for, except in small clips like this. Recreation...not good. But the worst part is, that's a very true and common occurrence. Didn't there used to be a show like this that was really REAL with real people?

Little old Toyota something on the highway yesterday. Time warp.

The current new Accord we have now is a global product, unlike before. The one you see here and overseas is the same, and they ship a lot of them out from Ohio. Before we would get the dumbed down and plainer version, while overseas had the nicer and higher end smaller TSX as their Accord. Acura has a great market. I've been with them for 3 years and there's a reason why they have #1 resale/residual in the industry, and more loyal clients, plus conquest clients than a lot of brands. Our TL has gotten a bit old now and was aggressive looking to start with, but is still a great car. The new TLX with 3 powertrains, modern refinement, new fuel efficiency, new styling, new features, trimmer size, and great looks will do well. We can't wait to get it this summer.