Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

stickguy

Get it in red.

driver100

abacomike said:

@driver100‌

Just got a call from MBUSA to inform me that my E400 was put on a truck at their request and is on its way down I-95 to my dealership.  That means it should arrive there later today or early tomorrow morning.  FINALLY!

I just got a copy of my sales agreement. It all looks in order, basic model went up $1800 over 2014, and the Premium Package increased by $400. I actually ordered the car August 12th, so it has taken almost 3 months to arrive, if it arrives early November as they said it would.

At least you are seeing some movement Mike.

driver100

stever said:

Here's the YouTube link. Just worked for me.

Gotta run - off to buy the Ferrari of tuna fish....

That worked. Yes, better than carheads for sure.

I do get the idea though after about 30 seconds but it goes for 90 seconds. I would like to see two guys arguing about the price, and they are about $2000 apart.

The salesman comes down a penny at a time and the customer comes up a penny at a time.

10 hours later they are still arguing....and the customer says I'll just sign anywhere....I don't care any more.

I think that would really show how torturous haggling can be.

abacomike

driver100 said:

@driver100‌

Just got a call from MBUSA to inform me that my E400 was put on a truck at their request and is on its way down I-95 to my dealership.  That means it should arrive there later today or early tomorrow morning.  FINALLY!

I just got a copy of my sales agreement. It all looks in order, basic model went up $1800 over 2014, and the Premium Package increased by $400. I actually ordered the car August 12th, so it has taken almost 3 months to arrive, if it arrives early November as they said it would. At least you are seeing some movement Mike.

My car was released yesterday and put on a truck this morning.  I it does not arrive at the dealership tomorrow morning, it won't get there until Monday morning since they don't deliver on weekends.

The MSRP is $69,235 and invoice is $65,127.  If my car was released, your car should also be on its way as well since you ordered it in August.

I would not be unhappy if I had to wait until Monday since I still have residual effects of the pneumonia.

stever

Guess some of the dealers don't appreciate the stereotype, so we're taking it down. I thought it made a good point about how to avoid the haggling - oh well. Humor is a funny thing.

The one time I "haggled" at a grocery store special ordering a box of frozen catfish, I thought I was getting a deal. The week after I got my box, the store had the same stuff in the cooler at the same price I paid.

driver100

If my car was released, your car should also be on its way as well since you ordered it in August.

I think mine is on it's way too. They said it will arrive by Nov 1st, but I think that means one day next week. That would be good for me.

My friend with the Maserati saw a 2015 E400 at another dealer nearby. He told me they were offering $10000 off as a new introductory offer....ha ha. It was too much so I knew it was a joke....I know, with friends like that................

abacomike

@driver100 said:

"My friend with the Maserati saw a 2015 E400 at another dealer nearby. He told me they were offering $10000 off as a new introductory offer....ha ha. It was too much so I knew it was a joke....I know, with friends like that................"

I would have countered, "...I wouldn't be surprised considering they are doing the same thing with the new Mazzeratti's arriving in November!"

ab348

stever said:

Guess some of the dealers don't appreciate the stereotype, so we're taking it down. I thought it made a good point about how to avoid the haggling - oh well. Humor is a funny thing.

Made Automotive News too. An extract from their story:

Edmunds.com has pulled a YouTube ad campaign that spoofed price haggling but that dealers found offensive.

“Our digital videos illustrating the ‘Absurdity of Haggling’ missed the mark,” Edmunds President Seth Berkowitz said in a statement today.

“Some of our partners were deeply insulted, expressing that our attempt at humor reinforced outdated stereotypes. That was obviously never our intent.”

Berkowitz added that the ads, which were posted two days ago, had created a distraction at the company.

“We are terminating the videos and getting back to working with our dealer partners to improve the car buying process for car shoppers around the country,” Berkowitz wrote.

Edmunds.com’s videos were titled “Haggling is absurd!” They are no longer available on YouTube.

In them, a grocery checkout clerk tries to gouge shoppers on items such as bread and squash and haggle with them when they refuse to pay the asking price. Edmunds.com says in the videos that the scenes were taped with four hidden cameras.

The clerk uses a couple of old sales ploys, such as calling the manager on a price and telling the shoppers that the price is high because the products are flying off the shelf. He starts at $9 for a quart of milk with one male shopper.

The scenes ended with the punch line: “You wouldn’t haggle for your groceries, so why do it when buying a car?”

Full story here: http://www.autonews.com/article/20141023/RETAIL03/141029903/edmunds-com-pulls-anti-haggling-ads-after-dealer-complaints?cciid=email-autonews-daily

Somebody's got some 'splainin' to do!

abacomike

@ab348‌ said:

"Somebody's got some 'splainin' to do!"

The power of advertisers (income stream) over how and/or what is presented by a corporate entity receiving those advertising dollars.

ab348

abacomike said:

@ab348‌ said:

"Somebody's got some 'splainin' to do!"

The power of advertisers (income stream) over how and/or what is presented by a corporate entity receiving those advertising dollars.

Agreed. I just find it hard to understand how TPTB @ Edmunds executive level would have been tone-deaf to some of the dealers and their potential reaction.

It's unfortunate, because I thought the ad was well-done, if a bit too long.

driver100

My car was released yesterday and put on a truck this morning.  I it does not arrive at the dealership tomorrow morning, it won't get there until Monday morning since they don't deliver on weekends.

Beat yuh. My car came in today! I will pick it up on Tuesday afternoon, that's when our lesson on the 2014 was scheduled.

abacomike

ab348 said:

@ab348‌ said:

"Somebody's got some 'splainin' to do!"

The power of advertisers (income stream) over how and/or what is presented by a corporate entity receiving those advertising dollars.

Agreed. I just find it hard to understand how TPTB @ Edmunds executive level would have been tone-deaf to some of the dealers and their potential reaction. It's unfortunate, because I thought the ad was well-done, if a bit too long.

Corporations that are in the business of providing services, entertainment, social media/blogs, reference information, Internet information research, etc., are almost totally dependent on advertising dollars for their very existence.

Google, Edmunds, TrueCar, Yahoo, etc., are at the mercy of the large advertisers.  Anger or upset those advertisers and you lose their dollars or you must submit to the demands they present.

abacomike

driver100 said:

My car was released yesterday and put on a truck this morning.  I it does not arrive at the dealership tomorrow morning, it won't get there until Monday morning since they don't deliver on weekends.

Beat yuh. My car came in today! I will pick it up on Tuesday afternoon, that's when our lesson on the 2014 was scheduled.

 

Beat yuh?  I didn't realize we were in competition with each other.  I guess I was wrong.

Congratulations on winning the race.

explorerx4

@abacomike‌
"Google, Edmunds, TrueCar, Yahoo, etc., are at the mercy of the large advertisers."
I guess that means our dues are going to go up.
One of my kids is in digital marketing and working on a pretty big project.
I'll tell them review this ad.
Edit. I just watched the video and a cars.com ad started before it. Kind of an ouch.
Edit again. The 'Cashier' did a great job and there are plenty of car dealers that want to hire him.

abacomike

explorerx4 said:

@abacomike‌ "Google, Edmunds, TrueCar, Yahoo, etc., are at the mercy of the large advertisers." I guess that means our dues are going to go up.

Without doubt!

stickguy

well, this episode pretty much confirms that Edmunds is working for the dealers, not the consumer.

stickguy

Driver, great news. I would have trouble waiting that long once I finally took the plunge.

explorerx4

Just put on the Bruins hockey game and although the are playing the Islanders (another USA team), Rene Rencourt sang the Canadian National Anthem before the Star Spangled Banner.
Class move and feel bad about what happened in Ottawa.

driver100

Beat yuh?  I didn't realize we were in competition with each other.  I guess I was wrong.

Congratulations on winning the race.

Friendly competition....comes from my playing too much tennis.

Look at it this way.........I'll be the one to blow a few $10s of thousands first

abacomike

stickguy said:

Driver, great news. I would have trouble waiting that long once I finally took the plunge.

Stick, the only way to ensure driver or I would get exactly what we wanted, even including the color of the headliners in the cars, was to order them.  Also, remember that the Canadian E400 and the USA E400 a new models and, thus, we're not available on dealer lots to select from.

However, waiting 3 months to sit behind the wheel of your new car can be stressful to those of us who need immediate gratification and/or are obsessive compulsive.  Like finding out your wife is expecting a baby and having to wait the full 9 months to hug and cuddle your child. Very stressful in its own right.

driver100

stickguy said:

Driver, great news. I would have trouble waiting that long once I finally took the plunge.

2 1/2 months is a long time, but, I have probably put 1500 miles on the 535, so that is worth something. Also, when I ordered the 535 I had to promise not to go over a certain mileage. They also deducted an amount on the trade-in for each month I continued to use my trade in.....so, I can't complain too much.

driver100

explorerx4 said:

Just put on the Bruins hockey game and although the are playing the Islanders (another USA team), Rene Rencourt sang the Canadian National Anthem before the Star Spangled Banner.
Class move and feel bad about what happened in Ottawa.

They showed that on our news here....the support coming from the US has been very impressive. Our Prime Minister Stephen Harper has spoken out against all terrorist organizations, and we will do our part to stop ISIS and the other terrorists. This event is an assault on a free and democratic country, and hits at the core of our government and it's values.

News coverage from the US has been very sympathetic and understanding. Just like people, countries need friends and allies, it is truly wonderful that two great democracies can work together to make the world a better place.

Sorry to get political, just a brief respose to a major world event.

abacomike

7+ million cars recalled due to potentially defective or severely compromised air bag deployment system causing possible shrapnel to be emitted at deployment.  Major problem for the supplier which could conceivably cause them either into serious financial straits or the potential for bankruptcy.

Any thoughts on the effect it may have on individual manufacturers like Toyota, BMW, Ford, GM, etc.?

ab348

Finally, a recall that (mostly) does not involve GM. The only GM cars on the list are the Pontiac Vibe, made by Toyota, and a 2005 Saab model.

Nearly 900,000 Toyotas, 700,000 Nissans, 600,000 BMWs, nearly 400,000 Chryslers, and - hold on to your hat - 5 million Hondas. Mostly all are from the early to mid 2000s.

Honda is going to be swamped. Toyota is more used to dealing with large-volume recalls. I would think BMW would be really challenged given the large numbers. Maybe GM can sell them some expertise on how to handle it.

abacomike

ab348 said:

Finally, a recall that (mostly) does not involve GM. The only GM cars on the list are the Pontiac Vibe, made by Toyota, and a 2005 Saab model. Nearly 900,000 Toyotas, 700,000 Nissans, 600,000 BMWs, nearly 400,000 Chryslers, and - hold on to your hat - 5 million Hondas. Mostly all are from the early to mid 2000s. Honda is going to be swamped. Toyota is more used to dealing with large-volume recalls. I would think BMW would be really challenged given the large numbers. Maybe GM can sell them some expertise on how to handle it.

I guess I was not fully knowledgeable of which years were affected.  The articles i rad indicated quite a number of recent models - must have read the article to quickly.

All I knew is that in coastal areas with high humidity, the incidence of air bag problems was geometrically higher than in dry areas.  Still, an amazing number of recalls, especially, as you mentioned Honda and BMW - companies not accustomed to recalls.  They will learn that it is no picnic to deal with such vast numbers of cars all at once.

fezo

I called the local Mazda dealer because the recall covers my 6. They asked for the VIN because at this point the recall is VIN specific. As of the moment my VIN is clear.

abacomike

fezo said:

I called the local Mazda dealer because the recall covers my 6. They asked for the VIN because at this point the recall is VIN specific. As of the moment my VIN is clear.

I am sure you are relieved, fez.  I think I have only had 2 recalls that involved cars I owned - a 4-6-8 CADILLAC DeVille and a Pontiac Bonneville. 

stickguy

still, the odds are high that even in the recall pool, there won't be a problem anyway.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

Here are today's trade in values in Canada;
2011 535Xi $24405 to $27755
2012 535Xi $31250 to $34750

This may be of interest...or maybe not. When they appraised my car for trading in on the 2015 E400 they immediately came up with $34k. I was satisfied with that, the appraiser was decent coming up with a very fair trade in valuation.

My original run flats needed replacing at 24k miles. I am at 22k miles now, and my tires are fairly worn, they are making a buzzing sound, and I am sure the car will need an alignment. It cost me $2000 last time for tires and an alignment. Maybe it was good I traded when I did. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut instinct.

Yeah and if the ashtrays were full too it's time to get rid of it.

I don't smoke....ashtrays have never had an ash put in them.

It's a metaphor.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

OK.....someone talk me out of this. I'm considering doing something I swore I'd never do......EVER AGAIN!

So. sitting with my sweetheart last night talking about the tax implications of our nuptials.....scintilating conversation, I know. I get a call from the Cadillac dealer who I swore I'd never do business with (for the newer people here, this dealer tried to take advantage of my late Mother....on top of that...the car they sold her was the very definition of a LEMON). This all transpired 8-9 years ago.

They had my name in their database as a customer who they had in some sort of inactive file. They were reaching out under the premise of updating their database.

Cut to the chase, it was a sales lady who called. At first, I told her they had a lot of nerve contacting me. But, to her credit, instead of just saying "wooops, you're a no sale....time to move on to the next person.", she wanted to hear the story. So, I told her. After many "oh my" statements, She apologized several times during the conversation (which was the very first time I had received any sort of apology for the way we were treated by the dealership.

She wanted to know if she could apologize to my Mother, then I informed her my Mother passed away. Well, there was an uneasy moment of silence until I said again, the issue wasn't hers. She kept bending over backwards apologizing again and again. She didn't ask me for any more information.

About 20 minutes later, I received a phone call from the owner. Understand, this is not a dealership that's huge, or part of a large conglomerate or group of dealerships. This is their one and only dealership. So, while stating the owner called me only means his customers for Cadillacs are the only ones he has.

He said the sales lady forwarded a synopsis of our conversation to him (he said he was calling me from home) and he personally wanted to call and apologize. He said he knew who the sales manager was then They had such an issue with him and that they parted ways just a few months after my fiasco. He said it's all family now who are in management. I told him I appreciated the phone call. Being in the car business, he said if I was ever in the market again, he would personally make a deal at true dealer cost.

So, sales lady who originally called me calls again this a.m. letting me know that the owner wanted her to follow up to see if I had any questions. I have been sort of interested in the ATS and CTS. I told her I'm not in the market, but would love to see true cost on an ATS and CTS turbo AWD performance edition with upgraded stereo, sunroof, nav, leather.

She says she'll call me back as the deal has to be run through the owner.

Long and short of it. she came back with a price that is way back of invoice. They have $4K in incentives from GM. Looks like they subtracted holdback (3%), and there must be some other money I don't know about because it's still back of that number. Or, right around $10K off MSRP on a brand new CTS. I asked her for ATS numbers which I haven't received yet.

Boy, I'm torn between my promise to myself and the lure of an outstanding deal. I'm test driving the CTS tonight, as I've already test driven the ATS.

Peanut gallery?

You want this group to tell you to stand on principles when we could get a good sales story and some inside cost information? Surely you jest.

stickguy

I don't care about principles. Just getting the car you would rather have.

cdnpinhead

I didn't realize we were in competition with each other.  I guess I was wrong.Congratulations on winning the race.

With some people, it's always a competition.

abacomike

cdnpinhead said:

I didn't realize we were in competition with each other.  I guess I was wrong.Congratulations on winning the race.

With some people, it's always a competition.

Intellectually, one must look upon those who consider every utterance a "gotcha" to be a means of reestablishing their relative positioning in the theme of things, whether that relative positioning is at, above or below an acceptable level of elitism.

The above philosophical view on competitiveness challenges the theory of "live and let live!"

driver100

cdnpinhead said:

I didn't realize we were in competition with each other.  I guess I was wrong.Congratulations on winning the race.

With some people, it's always a competition.

The race ain't over until it's over. We pick up the car on Tuesday, but Mike's might just be ready to go Monday.

The fact is, I am only moderately competitive....but, it is good to have competitive people and non-competitive people in the world. Some people are driven and accomplish great things, some of us just like to lay back and use those great things...like cars, telephones, light bulbs, oil, electricity, NFL Football, Baseball, Apple or Microsoft products.......etc......competition can be good!

Competition can be a good thing....but, not about which car arrives first - that's meaningless.

I should have bet $20 on it though........... (I think sun shades make you immune from being criticized)

driver100

abacomike said:

cdnpinhead said:

I didn't realize we were in competition with each other.  I guess I was wrong.Congratulations on winning the race.

With some people, it's always a competition.

Intellectually, one must look upon those who consider every utterance a "gotcha" to be a means of reestablishing their relative positioning in the theme of things, whether that relative positioning is at, above or below an acceptable level of elitism.

The above philosophical view on competitiveness challenges the theory of "live and let live!"

I hope you don't think that I thought this was a contest in any way. It was just a silly comment to say my car has arrived. Besides, you can still drive up to the dock and pick up your car today or Monday.

If I really thought this was a contest...it would be the dumbest contest ever ran. There's absolutely no skill involved, it is just dependent on things out of our control.......but it did surprise me.

Canada is about 1/10th of the US market, so Mercedes only ships 10% of the cars to dealers in Canada as they would in US. Sorting out 10X as many cars probably takes a bit longer.

graphicguy

You want this group to tell you to stand on principles when we could get a good sales story and some inside cost information? Surely you jest.



I know....how silly of me, oldfarmer.

OK, sounds like I'm in full test drive mode, now. This time to evaluate the cars, not just to get some sort of gift card.

Went to the Cadillac dealership. This particular dealership isn't in the nicest part of town, but it's been in the same location longer than any of the other dealerships in the area, by a pretty big margin. Last time I was there (10 years ago), it felt old, too. Outside is still the same, with lots of big, concrete, ornate outside. But, the inside has been all "moderned up". It was all glass and chrome. Sales offices were enclosed on three sides. This was quite the contrast to the Lincoln dealership. The Caddy store "felt" way upscale this time around.

I tell the receptionist who I am. She asks if I want coffee, a soda or water, even before I tell her why I'm there. Nice touch.

She doesn't page, but calls the dealer owner, who comes down some back stairs in a matter of minutes to greet me. I'm feeling pretty VIP-ish right about now. He thanks me for coming in, introduces me to a lady who thanks me again for coming in, and explains to her that she should find out what I might want, and to provide him with the stock number(s) for pricing. Ended up, she was in charge of their "delivery experience" (whatever that is). We move to her office, where she has a large screen computer with their entire inventory, complete with pictures, and a listing of incoming inventory. This is the way to shop.

I see one ATS that looks interesting and a couple of CTSs. She makes a note of the stock numbers and asks if I could wait 5 minutes to bring the first one around. While I'm waiting, another person comes in and introduces himself. He's the General Sales Manager, and also the owner's son. He explains his Father had to leave for a bit, and he had instructions on what to do if his Father didn't return in time to talk to me.

IMPRESSIONS......of the dealership? Night and day vs the last time I and dealt with them (for my Mother).

The cars?

ATS-this was the 2nd test drive I've done with an ATS. The first was at another dealership to "cash in" for their gift card for a test drive. It hasn't changed. It is a legit Audi/BMW contender. It does have a little more road noise than I remember, and certainly more than my TL. It's smaller inside than my TL, too. That's not a bad thing, just noticeable. I've said before how I'm becoming a fan of these 4 cyl turbo motors, particularly Ford/Lincoln's. I like this one even better. It's more refined than any of the ones I've driven from Audi, BMW or Ford. Very torquey...no lag....just a nice piece. If I were looking for a 3 series, a 4 series, an A4 or a C class, I would put the ATS on the shopping list, too. Without knowing what the current pricing is for those cars, I'm betting the ATS will be less expensive with current rebates, and like for like equipment levels.

My butt-o-meter told me 0-60 in the mid 5 second range. Not sure what they did to the CUE system, but this one was much more responsive than the last one I drove several months ago. Seats are comfy with nice support of my shoulders and thighs as I got spirited.

No noticeable assembly "gaffs". Everything looked and felt well thought out and sorted. Very nice materials, too.

Suspension is where this car shines. It handles better than anything I've driven recently other than my friend's Corvette. It's light on its feet, so to speak. Good balance, even on the broken pavement in and around this part of town I was in. It didn't get out of sorts, driving over pot holes and poor road repairs at speeds I shouldn't have been going.

The internet lady just answered questions without going into "sales" mode. When I seemed interested in something, she explained it to me without me asking. She encouraged me to drive hard, actually.

Pulled back into the dealership after a 25 minute test drive impressed. MSRP was right around $50K. If it could be bought for anywhere around low $40s, as I suspect I might, I'm interested.

Next up, the CTS. Again, turbo 4 cyl, AWD, Performance, sunroof, hi zoot stereo, on screen nav, etc. Take whatever I said about the ATS and multiply it by 5 as far as great build quality, add another layer of refinement, materials are upgraded with nice stitching. soft leather, nice touch points all around. Seats felt better. It made nice sounds from the drivetrain. You knew it was there when pushed, but otherwise it was quiet. It felt just as light on its feet, too. That was surprising because it's about the size of an E Class or a 5 Series. It did not "drive big" at all. THIS WAS A VERY NICE PIECE. As I thought, high $50s on the MSRP of the one I drove. More than I would want to spend. But, this is the one I'd be interested in. Out of my price range, though. I swore I'd never enter into the $50s price range again. Not that it's not worth it. The CTS is worth it...easily. It's probably a good competitor in the $60K range. I'm not going there, though.

TO BE CONTINUED........

stickguy

I knew you would prefer the cts.

High 50s be ones high 40s with the big discounts! And can't expect the no depreciation on the TL to last forever.

My take? Just look at the 3 cars and decide which option you really want, and go with that.

oldfarmer50

fezo said:

I called the local Mazda dealer because the recall covers my 6. They asked for the VIN because at this point the recall is VIN specific. As of the moment my VIN is clear.

My Eclipse is clean but a few Lancer models got the air bag Ebola.

isellhondas

I just don't see people coming in, hearing the price and saying..." Oh, that sounds good, I'll take the car" I do see them writing down the price and gleefully head out the door to shop it all over.

Cool video though!

driver100

graphicguy said:

TO BE CONTINUED........





Great story and review GG. I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to see which way this is going to go.

Sounds like you would lile to go with the CTS, but, you are too responsible to cross the $50k line.

stickguy

Need the driver method here. Factor in high trade value plus big discount. And commit to keeping 4 years at least of BtoB warranty. That should make it seem much more palatable.

Sounds like a really nice car, I liked sitting in the CTS. have never driven one though.

stever

A reporter is hoping to find BMW owners who might have models with recalled airbags (mostly '00-'06 3 Series.) Please email PR@edmunds.com if you are able to have a quick conversation with the reporter today.

imidazol97

graphicguy said:

I like this one even better. It's more refined than any of the ones I've driven from Audi, BMW or Ford. Very torquey...no lag....just a nice piece.

The CTS is worth it...easily. It's probably a good competitor in the $60K range.

TO BE CONTINUED........

Interesting to read your reviews. Nicely done. We have people on here who could do a good job of writing for certain auto magazines.

I can't wait for next installment.

mako1a

GG, does the Caddy come with 4 (or 5) year/50k miles warranty or something like that?
Free maintenance during warranty period? I heard something like that.

graphicguy

OK....so I'm in full shopping mode, now.

I had a minor medical procedure this a.m. and have taken the rest of the day off

You all are right. The CTS was the favorite....by a pretty large margin. But, it's also nearly $10K more, which makes sense.

The dealership experience has done a complete 180. Now, they are customer focused, accommodating, and very pleasant to deal with.

Taking abacomike's advice, I'm trying to keep everyone honest and throwing out some emails to gage who might want to give me pricing. As you would imagine, one dealership said..."come on in.....we'll be as competitive as anyone else."

The one that's actually closest to my house (a large conglomerate with Cadillac, Kia and a Nissan dealership all in the same complex). I've never liked dealing with them in the past. They actually sent a response. I requested a CTS with specific options. Looking online at their stock situation, if correct, it's sitting on their lot (actually, they have 4 that fit my request).

What do they send? A quote for an ATS, that's nowhere near what I requested. They followed up with a phone call. Sales person says it was an honest mistake. He does a search of the ones I had researched. He resends another quote, again for an ATS. Again, he calls back asking me to stop by for a test drive. I explain I've already done a test drive. I explain that he doesn't seem to understand what it is I want, and that does not bode well for a visit. He's called me 3 times already today trying to get me to come in. They have not given me a reason to, though. He keeps stating that he'll do anything to get my business...I guess except read what I've requested and responded with the correct car(s).

So, the original dealer asks if I want to come by and take a CTS over the weekend. I tell them that's a generous offer, but I'm not thinking I am in the price range where I'd be compelled to make a deal. 5 minutes later, I get a call from the owner's son, telling me he can get me in the mid 40s (same trade for my car) if I'm willing to look at the demo he's driving. Same options, 2,800 miles, never titled. He uses it to drive back and forth to work. Only had it in serve for 10 weeks.

Same warranty......maintenance paid for during the entire duration of the warranty period, etc.

Now I'm intrigued again.

Think I'll go shopping this afternoon.

TO BE CONTINUED......

fezo

I can't top old farmer on that one. Mistakes happen. It looks like there is a legitimate attempt at making up for something that of course they can't. If you like it and the deal better than other irons you have in the fire go for it!

abacomike

My guess is that there are a tremendous amount of incentives (front end and back end) on the ATS and CTS.  My suggestion is to seriously consider a brand new one and offer them the same money as they would sell you the demo for.  I bet they will do that deal - but you have to be a buyer at a specific number - senseless to bicker back and forth once you have established what you want and what you will spend.

Great reporting on your experiences.

Mr_Shiftright

Lucky they didn't film that video at a Whole Foods---the customers wouldn't have gotten the joke.

@graphicguy-- what was, in your opinion, the most conspicuous difference between the ATS and CTS--what jumps out at you?

Kirstie_H

Mr_Shiftright said:

Lucky they didn't film that video at a Whole Foods---the customers wouldn't have gotten the joke.

"$20 for a box of crackers? I must be a highly discriminating consumer who has just made a very wise decision in purchasing only the best."

Kirstie_H

GG, really enjoying your story! I'm kind of rooting for the original dealership since they're working hard to show you they've turned around and value your business.