Stories from the Sales Frontlines

isellhondas

We used to say.." A car is either sold or it's not". This means that a deposit, a promise or other story isn't worth anything.

Anyone who has been in the business knows this and there are so many "flakes" out there it's amazing.

We learned quickly..." Don't count the "be-backs", you count the "greenbacks"!

nyccarguy

The one diesel I've driven (E90 335d) turned me into a fan real quick. The smoothness & completely effortless passing power (Chewy, engage the Hyper Drive) were what I loved. To me, the extra range (500 miles per tank) & 10 mpg (real world) advantage are just a bonus for me. The RWD only & 425 lb ft of torque scare me as far as driving through the winter months.

It is difficult to justify the extra cost of any car (diesel, hybrid) from simply a fuel economy stand point. Fuel prices aren't that high like in Europe as you said. So even someone who drives more than average like me (hit 20K this AM in a week less than a year) it doesn't make sense. Whether I'm getting 21 mpg, 31 mpg, or 50 mpg, it still costs me money to fill up every week.

boomchek

You know the saying: "Money talks, b___s__t walks"

I'd take somebody more seriously if they actually have seen the car in person and just need a day or so to round up some cash, but negotiating and holding a car for so long for somebody who hasn't even sat in it just isn't going to fly with me.

I had a similiar situation with a girl who was buying my 2002 BMW AWD wagon last year. I had a few people look at it and took it for 2 inspections, after which the buyers backed out because the shops who looked at it sent them a laundry list of items that might need to be done on the car later down the road. The car ran fine and everything worked on it, but with it being a 10 year old BMW, it wasn't perfect, and yes, maintenance and wear and tear items would need to be done eventually, as in any other 10 year old vehicle. That scared off the prospective buyers because they were expecting a BMW in like new condition for under $6000.

So this girl looked at it, drove it, said she liked it and wanted to do a mechanical inspection later in the week. That was the extent of our conversation; that she'll call me once she talks to her boyfriend about it and sets up a time at her mechanic.

I told her sure, just let me know when and we'll go from there, but I told her I'm busy during the week so it might take a few extra days for me to find the time to take it to her shop.

A day later a guy came to look at it, and the day after he brought his son to check it out. They agreed to buy it and took it on the spot without an inspection. They were both back yard mechanics so they knew what to expect out of it. Anyways they bought the car and took it home.

I promptly let the girl who wanted it inspected know that the car was sold. She got upset at me saying "I agreed to sell it to her and to take it for an inspection". Umm I told her we had no such agreement other than her implied interest to buying it if she was happy with a mechanical inspection and after her boyfriend looked at it. That's a lot of IFs from this buyer to hold the car for her.

Since I had a feeling that she will also expect perfection and new car reliability out of a 10 year old BMW, I wan't going to hold it for her and turn away other prospective buyers.

When it comes to selling anything, I always believe in first come (with cash) first serve. Many people these days, especially the younger crowd have this weird sense of entitlement, like the world will stop and cave in to their demands just because they say so. :confuse:

bwia

I was just watching a re-run of a Tech Toys 360 episode on the Velocity Channel showcasing the build of the Porsche 911 Carrera in Stuttgart, Germany. Wow! what an impressive automobile. But even more remarkable is the technology, robotics, tools and quality that go into building that car.

The manufacturing plant in Stuttgart is clean, well lighted and the workers are highly skilled and well trained. Every part or component is inspected before and after installation and no car leaves the facility with an improperly installed part or blemish of any kind. I thought I understood TQM, JIT and Six Sigma principles but in that plant Porsche lives and breathes quality.

No wonder a Porsche cost so much. If any domestic auto manufacturer used such exacting standards we would not be able to afford a Chevy Impala.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL8muMYEVOQ

isellhondas

For many years there was an Indy Volvo repair shop in Seattle that was run by a bull headed, opinionated Norwegian. I'll call him Einar after my Norwegian uncle.

People worshipped this cranky old guy and he was always busy. he held strong opinions and gave them freely to everyone.

I learned that if I had a customer interested in one of our used Volvos that the quickest way to a no sale was for them to take it to Einar for an inspection!

No matter how nice, how new or how low miles it had, Einar would ALWAYS hand them a long laundry list of reccommended work that he felt "needed" to be done.

It got to the point that if they mentioned taking it to Einar for a look over I would just tell them to save their inspection fee and buy something other than a Volvo!

boomchek

Haha, that's funny.

I know shops like this are very thourough for several reasons:

1. to avoid liability issues in the future
2. to create work for themselves

But the funny thing is, the two different shops that my BMW went to found some common things, while they each missed items that the other found.

What irked me the most is when the potential buyers freaked out over minor things like condensation in one of the headlights or that one of the window motors was a tad slower than all others, or some valve/flap in the muffler that was stuck that didn't affect the performance at all, but was just making the car a decibel noisier than usual, then I realized that most of these people were looking for perfection in an older car.

Then they came back saying, oh this and that needs to be fixed and it'll cost me $XXXX. I simply told them if they want to make an old car new then they should really be shopping for a brand new BMW, not a 10 year old one. After all it is expected that a decade old car will not be perfect by any means.

The car drove fine and everything worked on it but I guess that wasn't good enough for some. :confuse:

dino001

When you say 335d, I'm not surprised you are a "fan". But with that kind of money, is really 335d better than 335i? They were prices just about the same, or perhaps 335d was even more. So if somebody is able/willing to shell out 50K+, to get a diesel for sake of saving $500-$1000 per year makes no financial sense to me.

Plus, 335d has an automatic tranny - somebody (was it you?) mentioned that they wanted a Jetta diesel with manual. For once, Jetta ain't BMW any way to look at it, second, the power and torque would be nowhere near as much (probably about half) and finally driving experience of 335d with AT vs. 2.0l diesel with manual would again be something not apples to apples. The latter would require a lot of shifts up and down and up again, just when cruising in city traffic, because the speed dropped/increased by 10 mph. At least that was what my dad's Audi A4 1.9 TDI (slightly different engine, not just due to size, but also due to its hardware, still a turbo just like 2.0 TDI) needed. I like shifting, but that was too much even for me, because it seemed so unproductive - not related to accelerations/decelerations, just small variations of speed. The rev flexibility of a good gas engine cannot be matched by a diesel, even if the latter offers more torque.

With right amount of incentive, I can see Jetta diesel being better choice than Jetta gasoline, especially the 5-cylinder 2.5 engine - but also much costlier. More in the 2.0 GTI/GLI range, which is a lot of fun. That would be a well-matched comparison and I could see appeal of TDI Jetta, but personally, I'd still go with DSG or manual 2.0 turbo gasoline version. But that's just me.

nyccarguy

I agree with you at the $50K price point, the car should be THAT GOOD. The one I drove was a loaner with 45K on the clock. If it were available with X Drive & was priced comparably to a used 335xi I was looking at, I'd have no trouble considering it.

In wasn't looking at a diesel stick Jetta. I've got one stick shift car (out of 3) and that's plenty. I'm going to be driving autos for my DD from now on.

jmonroe

I usually get a refund of about $1800 a year.

For years that was me too but the last couple of years I’ve been beating them up, BAD. Lately I’ve had to pay them about $400. Just the thought of me getting to use their money interest free makes me feel good for a change. That is, until I have to tell Mrs. j to write a check. That’s when I hear, “why don’t you do it like you used to do it”. I keep telling her it’s better this way but she doesn’t get it. Come to think of it, maybe it’s guys like me who have to pay and therefore file late is the reason guys like you have to wait for your refund. How much of a kitty do you think they have? We’re in a hand to mouth situation now. I thought you read about that. :confuse:

So, when I get the tax refund, I usually put it in my annual car buying account toward the purchase of a new car.

Spoken like a real car person. You definitely belong on this Edmunds site alright. Just don’t blame me if you have to wait a little longer than May for that new MB. :sick:

jmonroe

houdini1

robr, you are being too rational. There is no way they had to cancel the White House tours either...but they did.

abacomike

We used to say.." A car is either sold or it's not". This means that a deposit, a promise or other story isn't worth anything.

Anyone who has been in the business knows this and there are so many "flakes" out there it's amazing.

When I was in the business, the car wasn't sold unless it was driven off the lot by the owner. In other words, unless the owner takes possession of the car (as evidenced by him/her driving the car off the lot) it wasn't a done deal according to Florida law. If someone else drives the car off the lot who is not on the lease or title, then the owner did not take possession.

We had that happen once and our attorney warned us to make sure the owner or lessee drives the car off the lot - otherwise, the sale had not legally been consumated. Even though a contract for sale may have been agreed to and signed, the instrument cannot be enforced until the owner/lessee had taken possession.

Definitely a weird way to prove ownership, but if the lawyers tell us differently, we do/did as they told us.

isellhondas

As I understand it that's the way it works here too.

We always did whatever it took to "roll" the cars we sold.

An undelivered car will "unwind" more often than not!

abacomike

I went into my "local" Mercedes dealership this afternoon (2 miles from the house vs. 22 miles from the house to my dealer in Delray Beach), just to see of they had any printed info on the 2014 E Class. Also, to see if I could deal better there since it is so close. What A Difference!

I walked in and before I knew it, I was accosted by three salesmen - almost pushing each other to get to me first. I told them I owned a 2013 and that I have done business with their Delray dealership (both dealerships are owned by the same company). I explained I was interested in some literature on the 2014. Further that their dealership is very close to where I lived since I lived in the same city as the close dealership.

After taking guff from them about my not supporting my local dealership, the said they did not have any literature, but if I followed him to his desk, he could spec out one for me. I followed him, sat at his desk, and after 20 minutes of his tackling the ordering protocols, he tells me I can't get AMG sport wheels, that I could get natural beige interior, and that I could not get a wood steering wheel in the sport. Well, so much for doing business with that dealership. I already knew I could not get natural beige leather, that I could get a wooden steering wheel and that I could get the AMG alloy wheels.

I really would have preferred the closer dealership, but they don't know how to order a car nor what I could order. The salesman calls over the manager and GHE manager couldn't figure out the ordering protocols. I asked him if he had ordered any 2014's and when were they expected. The manager said that corporate ordered cars for them, but that they had not taken any orders to date for the 2014's. he expected them in to the dealership by April 15th. My dealership had 56 on order, and they place the orders themselves, not corporate. And remember, both dealerships are owned by a huge conglomerate.

I guess I won't be buying a car locally as I had hoped. Remember, I'd pay the same amount below invoice because of USAA pricing and the extra $1000 for my Club Membership and I could probably get a few bucks more for my car just for them to earn my business.

But the 2 dealerships couldn't be more different!

robr2

...22 miles from the house to my dealer in Delray Beach...

You drive 22 miles for a free car wash??

abacomike

You drive 22 miles for a free car wash??

Now let's be honest - who would be so stupid as to drive 40 miles round trip for a car wash? My Dad and I go walking at Boca Town Center Mall just about every day. It's a 9 mile drive right up the FL Turnpike (which has an entrance/exit on the street I live off - 2 blocks away). It takes me 15 minutes. Once a week, we travel from there to my dealership in Delray, which is 6 miles north of Boca Raton Town Center Mall. So, I drive 6 miles out of my way once a week for a car wash.

But, I take I-95 back since there is no direct root back to the Turnpike, which is about a 20+ mile trip back. If I didn't visit the mall so frequently, I would not make a 22 mile trip up to Delay just for a carwash.

Besides, my Dad loves their bagels, cream cheese and chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookies.

If I wanted to, I could drive to the local Mercedes Dealership for a car wash because they are owned by the same company.

Any other questions, robr??????

explorerx4

It's a 22 year old car, but most of it is in amazing shape.
There are a list of items that need attention, some of them kind of pricey.
It's pretty much original except, tires(replaced 3 years ago), gas, oil, oil filter, air filter, windshield wipers, wiper fluid and the battery. :surprise:

roadburner

I really would have preferred the closer dealership, but they don't know how to order a car nor what I could order. The salesman calls over the manager and GHE manager couldn't figure out the ordering protocols.

Back in 2007 I was leaning towards a GTI; it had received a lot of accolades in the enthusiast press and I was looking for something different from my usual RWD Bavarian iron. Unfortunately, my local VW dealer made special ordering a vehicle was as difficult as achieving cold fusion(I wanted a specific set of options and I didn't want a hole in the roof). Funny thing; a salesperson on VW Vortex told me a special order was not hard and that he could do it and have the GTI delivered to my dealer! I ended up with the Mazda- and I bought it from a dealer over 100 miles away because the local dealers were slapping ADM stickers on their Mazdaspeeds(and their service departments refused to hire anyone with opposable thumbs).

explorerx4

I'm going to guess you used H&R Block. Those are the returns that are being held up.
Get a quote from a local CPA. It can't hurt.

abacomike

h the Mazda- and I bought it from a dealer over 100 miles away because the local dealers were slapping ADM stickers on their Mazdaspeeds(and their service departments refused to hire anyone with opposable thumbs).

The frustrating thing is that what I want is not a special order. Each of the items is on their ordering protocol sheet.

*Premium Package (Harman Karmin 625 watt Logic 7 Surround Sound System w/14 speakers, 6 disk changer, MP3 player, iPod/iPhone plug in adapter, flash drive, rear electric sunshade, power retracting mirrors, heated seats, Voice Activated Navigation, Bluetooth Connectivity, Sirius/XM radio w/NAV traffic and weather, Mbrace telemetry w/applications, 60 gigabyte hard drive w/music register, restaurant guide, gasoline prices for 15 mile radius, etc.
*Tire and Wheel Package
*Sport Package (no extra cost option)
*Wood Steering Wheel for Sport
*Ventilated Seats
*Lane Tracking and Blond Spot Monitor
*Gray Leather
*Iridium Silver Metallic
*Rear Spoiler
*Comfort Box
*Wheel Locks
*Keyless Go w/Electric trunk open/close
*Lighting Package w/FULL LED headlights, adaptive headlights, cornering lamps, adaptive high beams, rear fog lights

Everyone of the above options is right on the ordering guide. If they can't order a car like I just did, there is something very wrong!

abacomike

I'm going to guess you used H&R Block. Those are the returns that are being held up.
Get a quote from a local CPA. It can't hurt.

Got our refunds today on a direct deposit to our checking accounts. We did not use H&R Block. We usually get our refunds in 7-10 days. This was over 21 days.

And now Obama thinks he can open up the White House to visitors. He is just plain inept - scares all of us and then reverses himself - that's not a leader - to yell fire in a crowded theater?

driver100

b) no way they could buy the car (this based on my subjective judgement of the way the acted, their age, their demeanor, or the "blinged" out Civic they pulled up in).
C) Were just to sheepish and creepy to let them test drive my car

GG, Maybe I was right about putting a sign on your car...who wants to put up with those creeps?

Also, what do you tell someone who shows up for a test drive and they look like one of the above?

We are headed home unfortunately, left tampa at 5 a.m. and got to Richmond KY at 7:15....about 850 miles. Tired, another 800 miles to go tomorrow.

The 535 drives and handles well.

explorerx4

Mine usually takes about 3 weeks and that's just what it was.
It's always feels good to get your refund check, except for the year I put it in the bank and sitting at a light waiting for it to turn green,someone slammed in the back of my car.

abacomike

Mine usually takes about 3 weeks and that's just what it was.
It's always feels good to get your refund check, except for the year I put it in the bank and sitting at a light waiting for it to turn green,someone slammed in the back of my car.

Ahhh, those income tax refund memories. Easy come, easy go!

robr2

Any other questions, robr??????

Nah, I'm good.

jmonroe

We are headed home unfortunately, left tampa at 5 a.m. and got to Richmond KY at 7:15....about 850 miles. Tired, another 800 miles to go tomorrow.

That’s a lot of miles in one day. When we lived in SC and drove to the Burg that was about 620 miles from our house to my Mother’s driveway. We did it in 12 hours total road time and around 10 hours drive time. I did all the driving and that was my limit for any trip at that point in my life. I don’t think I’d even try to do that today. I never did like driving for long distances, ever.

You made some great time doing 850 miles in 12 hours. What gear did you use for takeoff? Better yet, what was your in flight speed? :confuse:

I know you won’t be able to answer this until you get home but I can wait since it won’t take long.

jmonroe

jwm40517

Hey Driver if your motel does not have a free breakfast you could stop at exit 108 for Chick Fil-A.

verdugo

I was just sworn in to become a naturalized citized on this country. The ceremony took place in US Immigration Center today at 1 pm. Congratulations to me

Sweet! Congratulations!

boomchek

It's gotta be one of the most popular threads on Edmunds!

graphicguy

driver....any time I've sold a car as a private deal, I always get the tire kickers, the joy riders, the grinders. I don't care if you run an ad in the local paper, or put a "For Sale" sign in the window. There wasn't any difference.

When I sold my parents' car a few years ago (a very nice Grand Marquis with LOW, LOW mileage) I put an ad in the paper. The tire kickers, grinders, etc were almost the same, just much older.

On my car, those who I didn't want to give a test drive to, I just refused. Some accepted that without protest. I didn't lie about it. I just told them "I'd rather not offer a test drive without a deposit that would cover my insurance deductible". Some made a fuss ("it's because I'm young, or I'm a minority, or I'm not from your neighborhood, etc, etc). While I wouldn't elaborate about my refusal, they were almost always right about my reasoning , for better or worse.

I understand that their insurance would have to cover any accident they had. I asked for the deposit to see if they were really willing to fork it over, just for a joy ride.

Mike.....*Lane Tracking and Blond Spot Monitor

I'm looking more seriously at a Mercedes next time I'm in the market. I need me one of those "Blonde Spot Monitors". :P

verdugo

She likes the visibility that an SUV provides, but finding one that gets decent mileage is kinda difficult.

Not sure if it's been mentioned before (I'm behind in posts,) but how about the new Ford Escape? 23/33 mpg with their Ecoboost engine.

bwia

...but how about the new Ford Escape?

This is what Consumer Reports says about the new Ford Escape Titanium (2.0T), $36,000 MSRP; score 79 out of 100 scale.
Highs:
Agility, ride, quietness, solid feel, access.

Lows:
Narrow driving position, MyFord Touch controls, expensive rear camera.

For the Escape SE (1.6T), $28,040 MSRP; score 75. Same comments as above except assigning a lower overall score.

It went on to say that "both get 22 MPG overall, but the 2.0-liter is stronger and quieter. The footwell is a bit narrow, and the base-level cloth seats are mediocre in support and comfort, although the optional leather seats are better shaped. The rest of the interior is roomy enough. Many controls are needlessly complicated, especially the MyFord Touch system."

I hope this helps

oldfarmer50

"...the tire kicker, grinders etc. were almost the same..."

Ha ha. I enjoyed your sales story as I caught up again on back posts. I've been considering selling off some of my fleet to get my cash flow back in balance and I'll remember your story if I do.

I think some of the low ball car buyers are similar to the guys who go to a bar and hit on every girl in sight. 99% of the time they are rejected but they are always looking for that 1% success. Me, I don't think I could stand that much rejection.

stickguy

pretty sure your fleet is not going to attract the same crowd looking at GGs BMW!

tjc78

Many controls are needlessly complicated, especially the MyFord Touch system."


MFT gets knocked constantly. Is it really that bad? I can't imagine being any worse than some of the systems with joysticks, etc.

robr2

MFT gets knocked constantly. Is it really that bad?

Once you get used to it, it is fine. We've had our Explorer with MFT for almost 2 years now and IMHO, it's intuitive. I can see new users having a hard time because the radio, seat heaters and some HVAC controls are available only through the touch screen.

The voice commands have gotten better with the free upgrades Ford has been sending us. You have to know how the system works. When speaking an address, you have to know St., Rd., Ave., et al or the system won't give you an answer. You have to say "One Two Three Four Main Street, Anytown" (state is preloaded). It will then return a positive response. But if it should be Avenue instead, she'll tell you she can't find the destination and if she can't dicipher Arlington from Burlington from Wilmington, she'll return all of them if 1234 Main Street exists in all those towns.

There can also be a little lag in response time but I'm talking less than a second. My wife is impatient and will keep jabbing at the screen if she doesn't get an immediate result. For instance she'll hit the seat heater button and hit it again and then a third time. By doing so, she turned the heater onto high, then to low and finally turned it off. Then I show her by gently pressing the button and it responds immediately.

It's just like any new system, people hate it until they get used to it then they'll [non-permissible content removed] and moan when something new tries to take it's place. I laugh when my wife yells at the system as she designs user interfaces for IT systems. She gets yelled at all the time for "changing" the way the things work.

verdugo

...and will be a pain in snow country as they don't generate enough heat to melt heavy snow leading to poor visibility at night.

That's not a concern for Mike.

I've driven in a couple of snow storms in Lake Tahoe and never had any problems with my LED lights.

jmonroe

MFT gets knocked constantly. Is it really that bad? I can't imagine being any worse than some of the systems with joysticks, etc.

I’m sure it’s where you are coming from. When Mrs. j got her ’12 Legacy, it took me quite awhile to get used to the NAV and everything else in the display package that her car has because I was used to what I had in my Genny. One thing that I still don’t like is that there is no constant display for Bluetooth. You have to check to see if it is connected on the phone screen. So that means if the battery in the cell phone dies, (and it has on her phone, I always keep mine charged) you don’t know it so of course you no longer have a phone connection. The Genny has a constant Bluetooth icon on the bottom of the display no matter what screen is up. This isn’t a deal breaker, but damn, how much space and thought does it take to have a dinky little icon always displayed.

I’m still not a fan of this car yet but I’m warming up to it slowly. I still haven’t had a chance to see how well its AWD does with a real snow accumulation but what little snow we have had I assume it’s good. This car is a classic grocery getter if there ever was one. I could dump it tomorrow and never look back.

jmonroe

verdugo

MFT gets knocked constantly. Is it really that bad?

Once you get used to it, it is fine. We've had our Explorer with MFT for almost 2 years now and IMHO, it's intuitive. I can see new users having a hard time because the radio, seat heaters and some HVAC controls are available only through the touch screen.

My wife has had a couple of Ford vehicles with MFT as rentals. I've used them only for a day or two. It took me just a bit of time to get used to it. In fact, I liked it a lot.

tjc78

It sounds like the dealers need to do better demos with the customer.

robr2

It sounds like the dealers need to do better demos with the customer.

My dealer spent an hour with us going over the system but unless you're taking notes, it all doesn't sink in.

Some Ford dealers do have tech nights to teach it.

bwia

Some of you former and current salesmen have related interesting stories about the obligatory test drive but perhaps none as riveting as Jeff Gordon's in that Chevy Camaro. Watch this hilarious prank as the salesman wets his pants. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q02BXGDSDkE

Now that's how you take a test drive?

.

tjc78

My brother showed this to me last night. Pretty funny.

boomchek

That was funny but I read that was a set up and the salesman was in on it too.

Personally if I'd see this going on I'd ask him to stop the car and pull out the keys.

Here in Vancouver there were a couple deaths that happened on test drives, one in a Mazda RX7 where the customer flipped the car and killed himself and another one when a guy took out a Cadillac CTS-V and ended up hitting a wall and seriously injusring or killing the saleman. Doesn't happen too often but it happens.

When I worked at Hyundai we alsways had kids coming in wanting to joy ride in the Genesis Coupes. The 2.0T R Spec and the 3.8 are fast cars with rear wheel drive and summer tires. Two young kids came in in December when it was near freeezing (it snowed 2 days later), and wanted to take either one of the faster Genesis coupes out for a spin. I looked at his driver's license and he was a N driver (here in BC N means NEW driver, and they have to go through graduating licensing before getting full driving priviledges). I told them no, not in this weather. It's just not worth the risk for me and after asking them a couple qualifying questions it was obvious they were not buying anytime soon.

So not a qualified buyer, new driver, rear wheel drive car with summer tires in mid December just aint' going to happen.

jmonroe

It sounds like the dealers need to do better demos with the customer.

Mrs. j’s Subie salesman in Columbus was a great guy. He did a very good job explaining the routine stuff but when it came to the NAV package et all, he wasn’t so good. He called out a so called tech guru at that dealership to explain the phone thing. Even he couldn’t get her cell phone or mine to download the phone book from our phones to the car. Finally, he blew that off by saying it COULD be the phone not the car because he had seen the same thing with some other phones. I was pretty sure it wasn’t the phone, it had to be the car. Now I know I was right and I proved it last week. We just got new Samsung Galaxy II phones and they don’t download to her car either. No problem with those phones downloading the phone book to my Genny.

Another thing I don’t like about the Subie system is that you cannot rename the phone. I can do it in the Genny. I can call it a POS or anything else I feel like naming it in the Genny and it will take the name but not in her Subie. So, now that we both have the same phone they are both displayed with the same identical name. All that is different is that one is above the other in the display. So, you have to remember which one is displayed on which line of the display. Now that is totally stupid. :mad: I kept telling myself that I was missing something, so I just had to touch the right button on the display. Believe me, I have touched everything imaginable on that screen and nothing allows me to change the name of the phone. What is hilarious about this car is that I can change the name of the car from Legacy to Porsche but I cannot change the name of the phones. I’m going to the dealer in a day or two about this but I don’t expect much help.

jmonroe

Kirstie_H

Funny, but yes - it's pretty clear that everyone was in on the joke and that it's a Pepsi ad. Don't think a regular dealership is gonna let someone bring a soda can along on the test drive. Also, the Camaro they're test driving has a 2009 sticker on the window. Hm....

tjc78

. So, now that we both have the same phone they are both displayed with the same identical name. All that is different is that one is above the other in the display. So, you have to remember which one is displayed on which line of the display. Now that is totally stupid.

My Buick does that as well. The wife and I also have the same phone, so I feel your pain! I just know that "my' Droid Razr is the top entry and hers is the second.

I even tried renaming on the phone side of things but the car doesn't recognize the change. Oh well, at least they both work and are easy to change if needed. If she is driving I switch the BT to her phone, because the system will pair with my phone first. This obviously isn't a problem if I'm not in the car as the system will pair with her automatically without the presence of mine.

tjc78

it's pretty clear that everyone was in on the joke

The first thing I thought of was that the Stability Control wouldn't allow those kind of actions. Even switching it off most likely doesn't completely disable it, just raises the threshold of when it intervenes.

I know on my 09 Genesis that was the case (so I've read :shades: ).

jmonroe

If she is driving I switch the BT to her phone, because the system will pair with my phone first. This obviously isn't a problem if I'm not in the car as the system will pair with her automatically without the presence of mine.

Her Subie isn’t that smart. You have to tell it everything, every time, and sometimes more than once. Kinda like raising a 3 year old. :sick:

jmonroe

isellhondas

I used to keep a tight leash on my customers when they test drove cars especially if I thought they were inclined to do something stupid.

If they were young I would tell them I had two rules. 1. Obay the speed limit and 2. Don't scare me.

The absoulte worst were new immigrants who didn't know how to drive. They would drive down the wrong side of the street, weave all over the road and run stop signs. How they ever passed their driver's test were beyond me.

I wouldn't let them on the freeway and kept a choke chain on them. In 13 plus years I never got in an accident but several times, I had to grab the steering wheel. Two or three times I made them pull over and I would drive back to the store.

The worst one was a harrowing test drive one rainy night in a new Prelude.

During my time there I can remember three or four accidents. One was pretty serious when a new immigrant decided to jerk the steering wheel on a new Civic while on the freeway flipping the car. Nobody got hurt luckilly.

If I spotted some young person eyeballing an S-2000 I went the other way. I know a few salespeople got the bejeesus scared out of them.

sterlingdog

Oh, how I remember those trips to the Burg three times a year. I drove 12 hours straight through with two quick stops for gas and food. I would always be so glad to see the conventioon center come into view. The second day, I was on the covention floor for ten hours. The third day, I drove the 12 hours home and was back in my office at 7 AM the following morning. I don't think that I could do it now.

Speaking of work, I'm doing a short term contract with the community college through April. I'm teaching leadership skills to mid and upper level management for two industries in our county. It's interesting work. I may not be able to post as much until May.

Richard