I sat down with a salesperson from the dealer and we went online to their website to look at the loan and lease calculator. Doing that, we figured out how much I could afford to pay per month and for the car as a whole. Then they took me out to the lot of theand showed me several cars, telling me the crash test scores and everything. In the end, I was able to make an intelligent decision thanks to my Gillman Acura sales guy, Dan. Thanks Dan!

The car I ended up getting was the TL, which is an entry level luxury car that costs around thirty thousand dollars at most Acura dealerships in Houston. It has a lot of space on the interior but looks very compact and sleek on the outside. I was able to choose the engine and type of transmission, and the dealership helped me make this decision. Honestly, though? The aspect that I’ve gotten the most kick out of so far is the booming surround sound.

I’ve had it for a couple of months now, and I am very pleased. It sits seven people, which is good because I coach a soccer team. It handles well and has a powerful engine, which also suits me when I’m just driving alone. If you have not driven one of these cars in awhile you really should take the time to visit a car lot on a weekend and test drive the Acura MDX, its a great car at a great price.

Lucky for me, the dealer (Gillman) that I went to had some very helpful employees. They sat me down and got out their calculator and helped me figure out, based on my credit report, how much I would end up paying every month and for how long, what the final total paid would be, and how much I would pay in interest.

Since I have had it, the Acura TSX has made me pretty happy. It’s driving is so smooth and easy. It turns corners tightly and goes racecar speed when I want it to. It doesn’t eat up a lot of gas, and it’s well designed inside and out.

Is it true that credit score can affect car insurance rate in Houston?

Rick

Houston Texas

Yes that is true. The reason why Houston car insurers look at your credit score is because they seem to believe that there is a direct relation between the credit score and the future claims that will be filed.

A good credit score is equaled to being responsible and mature. Most insurance companies being good in dealing with your finances translates to being responsible when on the road. So if you have good credit score there is a high probability for making several claims. This may not sound fair but thats how car insurance works.

Not all Houston insurers look at your credit score or give weight on your credit standing. There other factors such as age, geography, location and driving record that are being considered. Those insurers that uses credit score as part of their rating system or factor may not be the one for you. It is possible that they will disqualify you from getting discounts or car insurance policy.

If you do not have a good credit score, there are a lot of insurer that do not use credit score as part of their rating factor so make sure you find these car insurance companies online.

What is a multi vehicle discount and how do you become eligible for it for my new Acura?

Mike

Houston TX

Multi-vehicle discounts is very important if you buy a second vehicle and add it to your policy with minimum coverage only, you might see your overall automobile insurance premium lowers!

Some people think that adding an automobile can be expensive but they are not aware that it is an easy way to save money on automobile insurance. Heres what you have to remember before you buy the second car:

• A second car with physical damage liability of collision and comprehensive coverage will not lower your overall policy cost.
• If you get a vehicle that only requires Liability may lower your rate overall and you will pay less for 2 automobiles than paying insurance for one car.
• Buy a cheap and safe vehicle and avoid sports car, if you want to keep your automobile insurance rates low.
• If you have a young driver in your household, be certain that the teen is driving the Liability only automobile and not your newer car so you can get low cost automobile insurance.
• You will save money on your auto insurance by having Liability only.

What are the new features on the 2009 RL? I heard there was a redesign, and I want to see for myself at my Acura dealer in Texas.

Jason

Houston, TX

Hello, Jason. I have been reading up on my Acura these days, and I think I can answer your question for you. As you most probably already know, the Acura RL is the Acura version of an executive-class car. Although the model has been around for years, it has gone through several changes. For the model year you want, I am sure that you will be excited enough to drive one.

First, we will go with the engine. The Acura RL of today boasts of a 3.7 Liter VTEC engine and even has SH-AWD, which is Acura’s take on the all-wheel drive system. This increases the car’s versatility on different road conditions. Even with that power on the engine, Acura made it possible to reduce emissions further. The paddle shift system in use with the Acura RL was also improved to reduce shifting time, and this should give the feel of immediate response from the car. The suspension has also been improved to give the Acura TL better handling. You should also notice that the 17” wheels from the previous model year were replaced with 18” alloy wheels. Passenger space was also given consideration and got a corresponding improvement along with noise reduction inside the cabin. Of course, being executive-class, you should have an executive feel inside the car. One more thing, with the noise reduction inside the cabin, you get to experience the awesome sound system on the Acura RL.

I guess those points should be enough and the rest should be part of your discovery when you get to test drive one around Texas.

Tags: car, car dealers, Houston Dealer

I understand that the Acura TL is one of the best-selling cars of Acura. I want to go to an Acura dealer in Texas, but I am afraid that I might just get razzle-dazzled with all the electronics in this car. I am pretty sure I can understand the mechanical parts of the car from a brochure, but can somebody please give me some insight into the electronics?  What is the best best Acura dealership in Houston?

Sid

Houston, TX

Hi, Sid, thanks for the question. It seems that you have not kept abreast of the technology that goes into a lot of cars now. You might even be surprised that the “mechanical parts” you think you understand are even monitored electronically. But let’s not go into that. Let’s go with the electronics that you will tinker with the most and these are the ones inside the cabin. The electronics now go way beyond your AM/FM stereo of old times. Gone are the cassette tapes and 8-tracks, in way, CDs, too, are becoming old. These are just the examples.

I’ll just show you some key electronic features in the Acura TL that you might find. A little info in your hands might show a salesman that you know your Acura. You can start with the audio system in the TL. The standard system on a TL consists of an 8 speaker system, an in-dash CD player that can read mp3s and wma files (the same files that play on a computer). The optional 10 speaker premium package comes with an ELS system that reproduces sound as if you were inside a studio. It even has its own hard disk (that’s computer memory storage for you) that can keep your music in the car even without the CDs. Then there’s Bluetooth connectivity for your phone, so you won’t have to fumble for it when you drive. Cell phones, as you know, have always been cited as one cause of vehicular accidents. There is also a satellite-connected navigation system to keep you on track to wherever it is that you are going in Texas.

Hope these helped bolster your confidence to go inside an Acura dealer.

Tags: car, car dealers, Houston Dealer