I agree with Willy 5K off MSRP seems quite a lot. Typically MSRP gives the dealer around 10% profit (not including the options where the mark-up is normally higher).
I made an offer at about 2K below MSRP which corresponds to 5% profit on my specific model (SH-AWD techno). He refused but came back with a counteroffer of 1.5K below MSRP. I accepted this offer and then reduced furthermore with the 2K rebate from Acura for a cash purchase. Also got fog lights, winter mats (trunk and car) and mud guard; all of which I reduced by 15%.
ya $5.5k does sound a lot, but keep in mind there is a $2k incentive on the V6 and SH-AWD models if paid by cash so it lessens the damage on the dealer. believe me, i lost sleep during the 3 weeks of waiting worrying the dealer may throw me a curveball at the end and backing out on the deal, which is partially why i did not share about my discount until i got my VIN number from the dealer. regardless, the dealer kept his word and didn't back out, i got the car as described, and the car still hasn't exploded yet (knock on wood).
i am not sure how others negotiate, but i just tell them my final out-the-door offer price including all taxes and fees and i have the dealer calculate
backwards in terms of how much each component is, including the "discount". my "discount" ended being just a few bucks below $5.5k on the contract
it also helps that this is an absolutely "no-frills" negotiation: no dealer addons, no tint, no rustproofing, no extended warranty, no protection package, no scheduled maintenance bundles, no trade-ins, no leasing, no financing, no winter tires. basically, no chance for the dealer to make up the "lost" money through other means, such as an overpriced rustproof package or a undervalued trade-in for your old car
there's also the unknown factor (same as 3d mentioned in post
#8 ) as to whether a particular dealer is desperate to hit monthly sales target/quotas, so i may be lucky to be in the right place at the right time. it helps to do your negotiations at this time (near the end of the month) since that's when dealers start to have an idea about their monthly sales quotas and may possibly give in a bit on the discount to reach their goal, as supposed to negotiating during the first week of the month
YMMV of course. just because my dealer gave me $5.5K off for my car does not necessarily mean you will get it too. maybe the next month his sales figures in general go up for some reason and he doesn't need to give that much of a discount to meet his quota. and there is no way for them to apply a $5,500 discount on a TLX 2.4L base model either; need to compare apples to apples.
another factor to play in is that i have over half a dozen acura dealers in toronto to choose from, and i emailed
ALL the sales managers and have them compete against each other via email, so the dealers know very well that they are under competition any time during the negotiation process. if the area you are in has only a couple of acura dealers then yes chances are they will be a more of a douche during negotiation, especially if in person. i also did alot of preparations beforehand so i guess it somehow paid off. refer to this link for more info on email bidding:
http://blog.unhaggle.com/get-dealers-vicious-bidding-war-new-car/
i didnt get fog lights yet though since i find them to be too pricey at $1000 MSRP, i will have to worry about it later on. same for winter tires. and tint. if you are the type who wants everything done at the dealer, then be prepared to pay a bit for the convenience