[Karamba]

I put a deposit on MDX 2022 and arranged that i would come for a test drive later. I’ve been not able to do so yet. The dealer finds new and new excuses to skirt the appointment.
I feel that all this situation with “chip shortage” made the dealers and manufacturers somehow arrogant. A friend of mine just bought a Lexus GX and was bragging about the great deal he got by shopping around and driving 100 miles to get a better deal. His deal was “only” $2000 over MSRP while the local dealership was asking $10,000 over MSRP.

 

[nsxtasy]

Sounds like a good reason to stay away from Lexus dealers.

 

[tlaccord]

I would speak to the GM. if he can't help you, its a good sign this dealer is not for you. Acura dealer and Lexus have great customer service

 

[mdxstang]

On the assumption that by 'dealer' you really mean 'one particular salesperson', I'd definitely go over that person's head since they're giving you the run around (but not the drive around). That person could be the sales manager or the manager of that dealership. If you don't get immediate results I'd go to a different dealership and if you find them more cooperative consider canceling your order at the uncooperative one and placing the order at the new one, assuming they'll match or beat the price.

This thread raises a good point - test drives.

Just because the MDX (and many other vehicles) are in short supply it's very important to do a test drive of the model (with trim level you're interested in, like SHAWD, Tech, etc.) in order to make sure it really meets what you're interested in and not rely on experience with some prior Honda or Acura, even a prior gen MDX, or some perceived 'reputation' or 'luxury' (whatever that's supposed to mean) of the brand or else you might end up disappointed.

Furthermore, make sure you do a thorough test drive of the exact unit you'll end up with even though you may have waited weeks for it to come in. Just because the demo drive went okay doesn't mean the same will be true of the unit you'll end up with. Be prepared to say 'no' if it isn't satisfactory in any way - especially if it's something they can't or won't correct.

And of course make sure 'you' are the one driving - not some salesperson. Don't just drive around the block - go on the freeway, rough roads, and the like to see what it's really like.

Some here have complained of certain things they probably could have detected right away on a thorough test drive - such as the noisy Bridgestone tires, and the behavior of the infotainment controls.

A dealership might make excuses to try to just shove the vehicle at you and it's easy for a customer to get caught up in the 'chip-shortage', and 'hardly any inventory' emotions and just accept it but don't forget this is a $50K+ purchase that you'll probably end up living with for years and even minor things can get annoying quickly.

And if you can't find a dealer who'll cooperate and a deal that's acceptable just wait longer to buy a vehicle. Most people buying could still live with their current vehicle for another 6 months or year if needed.

 

[greggebhardt]

Most of today’s vehicles are already sold before they come off the truck and land on the lot!

Back when I bought my 22 Advanced, you could test drive about anything on the dealers lot Making all of the vehicles available for a test drive. But, this was a time when they had a good bit of inventory on their lots.

 

[mdxstang]

Most of today’s vehicles are already sold before they come off the truck and land on the lot!

That may be true but when I've purchased vehicles from the factory to my spec and that waited for them to arrive I still did a test drive of the particular vehicle before accepting it. If there would've been an issue with it I had the option of saying 'never mind'.

And I always test drove a similar vehicle before deciding to place the order. There's no way I'd buy a new vehicle without test driving it. If I did that I'd be one of the ones on this forum complaining about things I should've known beforehand and maybe end up dissatisfied. There are simply too many variables in cars to expect a one size fits all - what appeals to one person is an aggravation to another (like ride firmness as an example).

 

[greggebhardt]

I can not blame you there. I found mine on the Internet at my local dealer and told him to bring it up for a test drive. He ran it through the car wash, had the Maint people confirm all was well under the hood. I drove it and accepted it after about 15 minutes. We went back to the dealer and while I signed the papers, wrote a check, the rest of the prep was completed and it all was done in less than 90 minutes.

No regrets here, was luck I did the purchase before the crunch on inventory hit m

 

[JTM]

Interesting.. haven’t been to dealer since last October. I believe I only saw one new MDX in the back lot during that late night visit (not sure it is sold or not), but my dealer had an EVAL MDX in the front lot that I could request test drive.

 

[nsxtasy]

Many dealers, maybe most, have a new MDX on the lot that you can take for a test drive, especially if you've already signed a contract to buy one from them. (I know mine did.) Also, as mdxstang notes above, when your MDX comes in, you can take it for a test drive and if you're not happy with it, you can usually back out of the sale, no questions asked. (Especially in today's market, where they can sell it to someone else the same day.)

It sounds like your dealer isn't refusing to give you a test drive, they're just waffling over when you can do so. As others have suggested, talk to the sales manager or the general manager.

 

[Almatti]

I posted my experience on another thread, but simplicity's sake, I briefly describe what i did in Jukly-August for my 2022 MDX Advance leased on 8/20/21.
After watching YT Reviews probably for a couple of months, all of which were all Positive in many respects (except for the TTL InfoT system which I have become accustomed to), I received a reach out letter from my 2019 MDX Acura Dealer in Larchmont NY (Westchester County NY). It invited me to trade in my 2019 early (I had lower than alloted mileage ), for anew 2022 Model and Acura offered a $1K Loyalty sum toward the new lease. Went there and I suspected , no way could you come out with the same lease monthly payment Unless i put up substantial cash. I wrestled with a new RDX and test drove both cars : new MDX and anew RDX. I said, I'll think about it...Next I went to a different Acura Dealer (Stamford CT - nearby me), test drove the MDX Advance he had on the lot and was SOLD immediately. But, I am a Shopper - history has shown me, that pricing a car at 5 dealers yielded 5 different deals !! - this price was about $20 cheaper per month with all he same parameters. Then proceeded to the 3rd Acura Dealer - Scarsdale NY (Curry Acura), who had a few MDX Advances on the lot or just arriving. They had the Fathom Blue Pearl (Birdieman on this forum or the other posted pics of his and that FBP with the Gray leather Interior was Winking At me Big Time). I test drove That Car and also a RDX again to compare (the RDX being a lot cheaper), but the FBP with the Gray leather Interior on the new MDX Bit me Hard !! After a little hangling (not a lot of room for that ), I got a lease for 36 months which was $50 Cheaper than larchmont, $25 Cheaper than Stamford, and I was able to get the Financial guy to throw in an additonal 3 Free oil changes (this dealer gives you the 1st One Free as a nice Customer service thank you). I paid MSRP for the car, but not over MSRP. TBH, we had a little confusion over what was meant by Out The Door $$$$ with that $610 per month lease payment. To mediate that confusion,I requested a restitution, and ws able to get the 3 Oil changes. The salesman was terrific ( Thanks Joe Ventura), and even conductes "Classes" each Friday to go over all the nuances of the new MDX!! They have superior customer service that the Larchmont Acura Dealer (the 2019 MDX). Now, seeing the goings on in the marketplace for new and Used cars, people are paying Over MSRP, i am very glad I proceeded when I did.
Best satisfaction is the new 2022 MDX is superior to my 2019 is so many ways. I am enjoying it very much (except for slight [10% or so} lower MPGs.

 

[Hogan773]

Basically the market just sucks for anyone who enjoys investing the time to negotiate with multiple dealers and extract the best purchase price (like I always have). I want a new car but the current market plus some of the major issues lottery that a few are having with these cars keeps me finding something else to do every day than rushing over to the dealer.

 

[Almatti]

Hogan773, Yep, sad Times for us all. It's the same with major appliances, home equipment, etc. I just had a Hot Water Tank Gas valve failure on a new Rheem unit installed in March 2021. It was manufactured in Jan 2021, so it was brand New - not a leftover model. In November , the gas fired Tank gas pilot would not stay lit. My Plumber came, and told me that the Gas valve failure ws knowmn issue. New Gas Valves were being shipped out - BUT Back ordered with receipt delayed for months due to the shipping Catatstrophe currently going on. SDo Gerry Rigged an old gas valve which worked. Then a few weeks later, Rheem informed me they just received the new valves and would ship out via FEDEX. I recieved it a few days later. Then the Plumber had to return to install the new valve - Not for Free. THe labor charges are Not Covered Under the Rheem Warranty. Rheem's customer service would not respond to my 3 emails about the issue beong a Design Flaw not a warranty issue. I emailed the CEO, and Bingo, 2 days later, I was conatcyed and Rheem is processing a check to reimburse me the charges. Perserverance can Prevail. I learned that complaints about any expensive products that is problematic, yopu always write to the Head of The Company (CEO, Chairman, etc). You usually get a response. Be well. Good Luck on your new Car (Acura MDX ) venture.

 

[thumper]

It’s brutal where I’m from. My local dealer just sold the demo they said they needed to keep because they have no inventory, but someone made them an offer they couldn’t refuse and now they have nothing 🤷‍♂️

 

[AcuraJim2540]

On the assumption that by 'dealer' you really mean 'one particular salesperson', I'd definitely go over that person's head since they're giving you the run around (but not the drive around). That person could be the sales manager or the manager of that dealership. If you don't get immediate results I'd go to a different dealership and if you find them more cooperative consider canceling your order at the uncooperative one and placing the order at the new one, assuming they'll match or beat the price.

This thread raises a good point - test drives.

Just because the MDX (and many other vehicles) are in short supply it's very important to do a test drive of the model (with trim level you're interested in, like SHAWD, Tech, etc.) in order to make sure it really meets what you're interested in and not rely on experience with some prior Honda or Acura, even a prior gen MDX, or some perceived 'reputation' or 'luxury' (whatever that's supposed to mean) of the brand or else you might end up disappointed.

Furthermore, make sure you do a thorough test drive of the exact unit you'll end up with even though you may have waited weeks for it to come in. Just because the demo drive went okay doesn't mean the same will be true of the unit you'll end up with. Be prepared to say 'no' if it isn't satisfactory in any way - especially if it's something they can't or won't correct.

And of course make sure 'you' are the one driving - not some salesperson. Don't just drive around the block - go on the freeway, rough roads, and the like to see what it's really like.

Some here have complained of certain things they probably could have detected right away on a thorough test drive - such as the noisy Bridgestone tires, and the behavior of the infotainment controls.

A dealership might make excuses to try to just shove the vehicle at you and it's easy for a customer to get caught up in the 'chip-shortage', and 'hardly any inventory' emotions and just accept it but don't forget this is a $50K+ purchase that you'll probably end up living with for years and even minor things can get annoying quickly.

And if you can't find a dealer who'll cooperate and a deal that's acceptable just wait longer to buy a vehicle. Most people buying could still live with their current vehicle for another 6 months or year if needed.

I put a deposit on MDX 2022 and arranged that i would come for a test drive later. I’ve been not able to do so yet. The dealer finds new and new excuses to skirt the appointment.
I feel that all this situation with “chip shortage” made the dealers and manufacturers somehow arrogant. A friend of mine just bought a Lexus GX and was bragging about the great deal he got by shopping around and driving 100 miles to get a better deal. His deal was “only” $2000 over MSRP while the local dealership was asking $10,000 over MSRP.

EXCELLENT ADVICE

 

[Maik]

When I placed my order for my MDX, my dealer wanted a $500 refundable deposit. My plan was to do my test drive when the car came in....as it turned out, my son's MDX arrived before mine so I got to do a test drive with his.

 

[mdxstang]

as it turned out, my son's MDX arrived before mine so I got to do a test drive with his.

That's even better - no salesperson pressure or restrictions to smooth roads with the sound system cranked up (some sales people use this to mask potential noises and as a distraction from the actual drive), and the ability to do more extensive test driving.

 

[ChucklesToy]

After looking at several different manufacturer (BMW, Acura, Mercedes, Lexus) and dealer sites, finding out that some manufacturers have gone to "regional sales only" models (BMW in my area says can only buy from local dealer, so even if dealer in another city 50 miles away has what I was looking for, they cannot sell if I don't live in their "region"/city) and determining for others such as Acura, the listings in my area "pre-sold", I decided to order a 2022 MDX Type S at my local dealer. They had one that was going to be delivered that I could look at and they had another demo that I could drive (the only demo they had was a Type S). After I drove it and loved it, I asked the GM if they ever sell the demos. Of course they do and it just passed the 60 day demo use period, so I bought it with 2,000 miles and $1,500 off. They cleaned it all up and I picked it up the next day.

I do understand the test drive discussion. Glad I had this opportunity.

 

[nsxtasy]

finding out that some manufacturers have gone to "regional sales only" models (BMW in my area says can only buy from local dealer, so even if dealer in another city 50 miles away has what I was looking for, they cannot sell if I don't live in their "region"/city)

Wow. I've never heard of this. And it sounds very anti-customer, and I'm not even sure whether it's legal. (I'm not doubting your word; I'm just expressing outrage at the possibility.)

They had one that was going to be delivered that I could look at and they had another demo that I could drive (the only demo they had was a Type S). After I drove it and loved it, I asked the GM if they ever sell the demos. Of course they do and it just passed the 60 day demo use period, so I bought it with 2,000 miles and $1,500 off. They cleaned it all up and I picked it up the next day.

That sounds like a great deal. Congratulations!