A Pennsylvania man is stunned that his offer on a new Acura wasn’t accepted by his local dealership. It makes him wonder if car dealers even want to sell vehicles right now. TikTok creator @zk_drives posted a video with his car industry insight on Jan. 16. “Why don’t car dealers want to sell cars right now?” he asks to start the video. ZK explains that he recently went to a nearby dealership to inquire about a 2026 Acura Integra Type S. “It’s no secret these are not selling right now,” ZK says. “I say, ‘What’s the best you can do on the car right now? I’ll buy it within the week.’” A brand-new Acura Integra Type S will currently run you about $55,000. “They’re selling for 40s used,” he says. Unfortunately for ZK, the dealership didn’t agree. “The sales manager comes back and says, ‘We can take $500 off,’” ZK recalls. He makes a counteroffer that he believes is fair, but the sales manager says his supervisor declined. Viewers React To Acura Shopper’s Car-Buying Strategy In the comments section of the video, viewers questioned ZK’s car-buying strategy, and some even defended the dealership in its decision to reject his offers. “‘I want $5,000 off and I won’t buy it right now,’” translated one annoyed viewer. “When you said within a week, you classified yourself as a tire kicker,” said a second person. A tire kicker is exactly what it sounds like: someone who is only interested in the shopping part of the car-buying experience. When it comes to signing on the dotted line, these folks are generally not reliable. And that is a drain on the time and resources of salespeople. ZK defended himself from these accusations. “I wasn’t trading my daily in, so I physically could not have taken a second car home that day,” he explained. A third person turned the tables on ZK. “Why don’t customers want to buy cars right now?” they asked. “Asking for $4,500-$5,000 off isn't ‘selling a car.’ You’re asking them to make no profit and they are matching your energy. The funny part is customers think they are the only buyers in the world. It’s easy. Someone else will buy it.” ZK countered, “That was likely their mindset the last time they had one. Then it sat for 300 days and they transferred it to another dealer.” The Market For A New Acura Integra Type S It seems like the entire argument hinges on the question of how well the Integra Type S is selling right now. Acura saw a decline in its Integra sales in 2024, despite favorable reviews from critics. And the trend continued in 2025 amid turmoil in the broader U.S. auto industry. However, Honda said in a press release that the Integra is still leading its market class. Several Reddit users reported being able to buy an Integra for under MSRP on a thread from a couple of years ago, but those deals appeared tied to end-of-month quotas, used inventory, or other successful negotiation tactics. It’s important to be realistic when negotiating with car dealerships in order to avoid unnecessary back-and-forth. Edmunds recommends asking for 2–3% off the true market value as a launching pad and haggling from there. That would mean getting a $1,100–$1,600 discount on the vehicle, not the $3,500 discount ZK initially proposed. Motor1 contacted ZK via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We also contacted Acura’s North American Corporate Communications office via press email for comment. We will update this story if either party responds. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team
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