Stories from the Sales Frontlines

explorerx4

Nice of you to post a picture of an 'M' model.

explorerx4

Just an fyi, Mustang V6, 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds, quarter mile 14.0 @ 101+.
Not bad for the base powertrain.

mako1a

Mustang V6, 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds, quarter mile 14.0 101+

That's all I need to hear. I'm that 1% who will buy less HP and not regret it.

I drove the V-6 and I'm good with it. 1st gear is not as low as the 210 HP models, but there is plenty of power. At 60 MPH I wasn't even close to the end of the power band.
The busy road precluded me from doing a brake block, but I'm sure it will leave rubber on the road. I'll save that for my purchase exit from the dealership as the warranty kicks in. That's what I call dealer prep. I prep them to stock some new P-Zero tires for my return.

snakeweasel

The third generation Mustang, I had one an '81 with the inline six. While not excessively fast was more than adequate for all daily driving and had enough power for an easy pass. As for handling I bought it when I was in Alaska where both straight stretches of road and pavement were rare. It handled those curvy and often gravel roads like a champ.

oldfarmer50

"...start a new forum...Common Sentence Structure..."

Hooo-Ha Too muns ago I couldint even spel "studint" now I are one on Edmunds!

P.S. The spell checker almost had a stoke when I ran this one through. :sick:

snakeweasel

I went out with a friend of mine two weekends ago in the car below. It was a nuce day temps in the mid 60's sun was out in force so we had the top down. We happened to pull up to a car that looks a lot like the one you posted a picture of with the top and windows up. My friend motioned him to roll down the window and when he did my friend yelled "Wimp".

oldfarmer50

"...or you don't get it..."

I kind of get it. When I drive the Eclipse I feel some of what he's talking about but I also feel comfortable with the old hooptie van if I drive it every day.

I think you get use to whatever vehicle you drive if you drive it often enough. It's only when you go from a pile of junk to a sports car that you really notice the difference. I'd like to drive a BMW for a couple of weeks just to see if what you guys say works for me too.

snakeweasel

Just look at those pesky young drivers who pile on the extra HP with every aftermarket add-on. And because that isn't sufficiently "noticeable" they add the decals announcing the extras and stick on the loudest exhaust possible.

Not only that most usually start with low HP cars and most of the time that stuff hurts performance.

oldfarmer50

"...On the rare days we were closed we would have to use cars to block the lot..."

That would have been a lost sale with me. Usually with a new car I will cruise the local lots after doing my research to get the "feel" of the car I'm considering. If I have to climb over a wall or through the bushes to look at them I would go elsewhere.

Fortunately in NY the remnants of the old Sunday "Blue Laws" keep most dealers closed on Sunday by tradition. that's when I would roam the lots looking at color combinations and stickers without being bothered. Occasionally, I would see other "lot lizards" wandering around too. For me it took two years on one car to pull the trigger. I don't know how long it would have taken if I'd been run off on Sunday.

As for damage, I was always very careful when on my own. The only time I ever damaged a car was when we we looking at my wife's Chrysler. I opened the door of the one we were looking at and dinged the one next to it. The salesman then opened the opposite door and dinged the car on the other side. As it turned out my wife didn't like that particular car and we had another one dealer traded. Two dings for nothing.

oldfarmer50

"...I got up from my desk and opened the door for him..."

As I get older I find more and more people holding doors open for me. When this first happened I was upset because I thought people were suggesting that I was too infirmed to open my own doors. But as I observed who was holding doors for me it turned out that most of them were pretty young women.

Now I don't mind so much.

Maybe the old coot was hoping the young sales LADY would hold the door for him and you ruined his plan.

carbuyhelp

Leaving customers happy is what matters most

bolivar

I once watched as a crippled, elderly man got out of his car. Using a cane he slowly wobbled his way to our front door. I got up from my desk and opened the door for him. His response?

" Oh, so this is one of those places that POUNCE on their customers"

Maybe this old feller had a sense of humor and this was a joke. That you completely misunderstood.

isellhondas

We blocked the lot so people couldn't DRIVE around the lot looking at cars.

People were perfectlyu able to easily park their cars and walk wherever they wanted to.

Some people are too lazy to do that.

explorerx4

I remember climbing over a 8 foot chain kink fence to tour the lot on a Sunday.
Looked at everything and found my '97 Explorer.

stickguy

from reading the roadtests, the V6 actually reminds me of the original Boss 302. Smaller engine, higher revving, and lighter and more nimble than the big engine brutes.

you can get a sport/performance package too, right?

stickguy

NJ is another state with no Sunday sales. Not that I usually ever bothered to wander around when they were closed.

But, I don't mind being approached. Sometimes no one does. And if they do, I just tell them I am looking around, and take a card if they give me one. Entirely up to them if they want to hang out and watch, but I don't mind talking cars with them.

driver100

Nice of you to post a picture of an 'M' model.

Glad you noticed...I thought of you when I posted it.

It made me think, why do you want to skip a 335 and go right to an M?

It might be more power than you really need.

driver100

. My friend motioned him to roll down the window and when he did my friend yelled "Wimp".

The guy was a wimp because he had the roof up? OK. I often have the roof up on a nice day because I am out for a short drive, or I am going to a place where I don't trust leaving the top down, or I am on the way to a meeting and don't want to get too wind blown.......but, I would probably leave the windows and roof up if some guy in a convertible was yelling things at me.

driver100

I'd like to drive a BMW for a couple of weeks just to see if what you guys say works for me too

I hope you see one for sale at a good price one day, and you wander up to the guy selling it, and you take it for a spin. It is a unique experience that can't be expressed in words.

driver100

We blocked the lot so people couldn't DRIVE around the lot looking at cars.

I was thinking a really smart aggressive salesman could probably sell a lot of cars if he went to the dealership on a Sunday and handed people his card and a coupon and answered a few questions. I think a lot of people go on a Sunday to just look without being bothered, but, they also might have some questions that they would like answered.

I think it would have to be low key and friendly. No paperwork, that would be illegal. But, I think it would be a great way to get some possible customers.

fezo

The guy was a wimp because he had the roof up? OK. I often have the roof up on a nice day because I am out for a short drive, or I am going to a place where I don't trust leaving the top down, or I am on the way to a meeting and don't want to get too wind blown.......

Wimp!

sterlingdog

"Really confuse him so he has no idea what you just said."

You're wrong. Jim really knows what I am saying. His argument is actually the preferred choice. Still, he understands my view.

Go play with your BMW toys. (Grin)

Richard

sterlingdog

"Well fought, Richard."

Not only are you a scholar; you are a gentleman of the highest calibre.

Richard

sterlingdog

"...I was looking at Cadillacs a few years ago."

I see that there is also hope for you.

Richard

sterlingdog

"I am going to manufacture baseball caps and on top it will say..."

Years ago, I had a student who got into some trouble. I requested a conference with his father. When I walked into the office to meet the father, he was wearing a baseball cap which said "Sex, your place or mine". The school secretary was standing behind him. She kept trying to make me laugh. I have to admit that it was pretty hard to concentrate on the issue at hand. The cap alone explained many of the student's problems.

Richard

sterlingdog

This is the third time that I have been amazed by your mechanical knowledge. Your explanation of disk and drum brakes makes perfect sense to me. I appreciate your time and your patience. Since I live in a very humid climate, it appears from what you say that I am fortunate to have disk brakes.

Yes, the exhaust tip on the caddy is chromed. In fact, I have two exhaust tips that are chromed on the Caddy. Is this because I have a V-8 rather than a V-6? You are also correct about the trailer hitch; it is painted. Those little things do make a difference in the overall look of the car.

Again, I have to admit that I am enjoying the SRX very much. It is so different from the lemon that I owned 12 years ago. Though a luxury car, the SRX handles extremely well in addition to being extremely comfortable. It is actually fun to drive.

Richard

jayrider

The Hyundai dealer had a sunday where you could test drive but not buy any cars. Have no idea how it worked but they haven't had one since.

sterlingdog

"He probably comes to this site wondering what butchery of the written word has been perpetrated in his absence."

I never think about the grammar issues when I come here. I try to log in each day to read about the car experiences and to see how my friends are doing. When you think about it, I'm not usually the one who points out errors. Other posters have fun doing it. I will admit that I must have planted the seed when I came here three years ago. Though it's all done in fun, I don't want any poster to ever take the grammar issues seriously. As Isell has pointed out many times, we don't want to run posters away from here. I am so respectful of his view on that issue.

Richard

sterlingdog

"...do you know the difference between ensure and insure..."

Oh, no! Not again! Don't forget to add "assure". Simply put, all three mean about the same, but there are some debatable differences. If I remember correctly, "insure" usually deals with money matters. The other two relate to forms of a promise. One thing is for sure; I can "assure" you that I don't drink "Ensure". (Grin)

Richard

sterlingdog

Is June the best month to visit Alaska?

Richard

sterlingdog

The spell checker wasn't the only one to have a stroke!

Richard

sterlingdog

I loved my Explorer, but I would have never climbed a fence to find it.

Richard

stickguy

just check the seasons. they have 2. Snow, and mosquitoes.

snakeweasel

The guy was a wimp because he had the roof up?

Just like I am not a car enthusiast because I don't like the rough ride of a BMW.

snakeweasel

Is June the best month to visit Alaska?

Nope best time is in the middle of January. :P (the Emotorcon of the car with its tongue out goes here)

Actually June is a good month, July maybe better. If you're going to the interior you may want to skip August. There is a short period in August where parts of the interior of Alaska can have temps in the 90's and no one has AC.

snakeweasel

FWIW where I was at in Alaska had neither.

tallman1

In fact, I have two exhaust tips that are chromed on the Caddy. Is this because I have a V-8 rather than a V-6?

Nope, it's because you have dual exhaust.

driver100

. If I remember correctly, "insure" usually deals with money matters. The other two relate to forms of a promise.

Very good! Another A++

driver100

The guy was a wimp because he had the roof up?
Just like I am not a car enthusiast because I don't like the rough ride of a BMW.

Now who is the wimp?
You're the one who needs a soft plushy ride. (wink)

sterlingdog

"Nope, it's because you have dual exhaust."

Why are two better than one? My other car works fine with one.

Richard

driver100

a short drive, or I am going to a place where I don't trust leaving the top down, or I am on the way to a meeting and don't want to get too wind blown.......
Wimp!

For one thing, you are supposed to be taking off the rest of the week.

For another thing, everyone seems to think driving a BMW is so uncomfortable, hard and bouncy....so now who's the wimp? People who need a soft spongy ride so their hiney (buttocks - I checked it) won't develop caluses

sterlingdog

I was actually thinking of the maximum day light hours.

Richard

tjc78

I love to walk the lots on Sunday (closed in NJ like Stick mentioned). You can get a good feel for all the different options, the different wheels and trim etc. Even with all the pictures and stuff available on the the internet it is still better to see it person. Every once in a while, you even find an unlocked car to sit in and see how it fits you.

The best thing to do is find a strip of dealers or an "auto mall" so you can see several makes/models. It makes shopping that much easier, IMO.

snakeweasel

No, its just that I am not a snob who thinks that BMW are the end of all.

Also its not that I think that I have the ultimate idea of what driving and cars are all about.

snakeweasel

Well in that case go to the North Slope in August when the sun never sets.

In reality I wouldn't worry about maximizing day light hours in Alaska. If you go anytme during the summer you will have long days, plus you want some night time early enough to stay up for to see the Norther Lights.

houdini1

. The spell checker almost had a stoke when I ran this one through.

Well let's see here. I am not sure if you actually meant "stoke", in which case the 'ol spell checker would be fanning the flames here (like the rest of us sometimes do), or if you meant "stroke", where it would be having the dreaded brain attack, or possibly you meant "toke", which would explain why the "shell pecker" is misbehaving !!

houdini1

driver has given me a much better understanding of that old joke about the difference between a porcupine and a BMW.....with the porcupine the pricks are on the outside !!

It's just a joke driver, smiley face goes here !!

crkyolfrt

The chrome exhaust tip I mentioned was just as a 'finisher' or detailer..a little something extra. Just as a car having painted brake calipers doesn't drive differently one bit, but has a look-at-me look. When parking somewhere, and I swing the door open and my eyes fall upon the car next to me a with a powder-coated brake caliper straddling a drilled rotor, it looks good. It's often on a very expensive performance car (or a backwards baseball cap wearing young rapper who has stuff dangling from his mirror and has lowered and slammed his already low riding Honda Civic, whose fancy rims look suspiciously hot {as in stolen}). When it's a Porsche or Lamborghini or something, my next thought is usually, "glad I don't have to insure that thing". (Insurance here in the police state of Ontario is ridiculously expensive)

As for dual exhaust 'working better' than a single exhaust, it has to do with allowing the engine being able to breath better. You can get the volume from a single exhaust, (although it will use up valuable room under the car due to it's diameter) but also the duals make it easier to tune or control the spent gases, especially from an engine with a V configuration, cuz each cyl bank has its own exhaust header or manifold. Often they will even meet together aft of the tranny somewhere, (again a tuning perk) then branch out again into two separate pipes to the back of the car. Dual exhaust is almost always reserved for high-end cars, where emphasis is usually on performance, but they add some weight and are expensive to replace.

snakeweasel

They bring it to your HOUSE?

What a namby pamby way to sell cars!

Isell, I was just listening to a local car radio show and they were talking to C.J. O'Donnell the Lincoln group marketing manager. He was talking about how they are revamping the Lincoln line including 7 new or redesigned models in the next 4 years and bringing cars to potential buyers to test drive.

It may be the future for luxury cars.

driver100

No, its just that I am not a snob who thinks that BMW are the end of all.

It is funny that I am the snob, but I never put down any make of car. I have had some negative comments about cars like Toyotas just because the steering is numb. I have rented a Chrysler 300 and found the steering to be super sloppy. I have rented cars such as the Fusion, Outlander, and Kia and actually liked them and thought they were a good value.

I wouldn't put somebody down or classify them by the car they drive....expensive or inexpensive. I know nice people who drive luxury cars and I know creepy people who drive luxury cars, and the same with inexpensive cars. I have driven crappy cars for most of my life but I am really the same person.

I have a friend who drives about a 1980 Malibu. He has a good job and has a good salary. He just can't see spending money on a car. He uses his money to buy investments. I like the guy and wouldn't think any different of him if he drove a Rolls Royce.

The BMW isn't for everyone. Some people might buy it because they feel better about themselves. I think some people are like me and they just appreciate good engineering. Some people like a Harmon Cardon sound system...I like am radio.
I don't think they are snobs, they just get a more enjoyable experience from a good sound system.

I don't think it has to do with snobbery at all.