Stories from the Sales Frontlines

dino001

I know BMW has the program, as well. I think dealers are not so keen of telling anyone about this because there is probably not much in it for them.

driver100

. I think dealers are not so keen of telling anyone about this because there is probably not much in it for them.

Thanks tjc, houdini and dino for explaining. It is good to know if someone asks me, and if I am unfortunate enough to ever have to lease a car again.

I think dino has the right idea in the statement above, the more money outstanding the larger the dealers profit, so this kind of works against the dealer. However, I think if you want to cap your monthly payment, it might be worth considering.

abacomike

Wow! This is truly an exquisite sedan for the "8 percenters" willing and able to pay the high prices that contribute 50% of the auto industry profits.

The E350 in the YouTube video has all those audio speakers because it is a Bang and Olafson stereo system - $6000 option. I did not get that option nor did I get the Panorama sunroof.

The color of the car is the same as I am getting but I ordered perforated gray leather seats - perforated because of the active heated and ventilated seats. Yes, the sure made some nice improvements. I did not get the park assist because we don't have parallel parking down here in Florida.

roadburner

Thanks for the support. I'm taking everyone's comments to heart and taking a long break from that particular thread. Of course the "professional" in question couldn't resist taking one last shot at me... :P

Kirstie_H

It's been nearly 10 years... Saanich sounds familiar. We had a glorious time there, stayed in a house on a bay. My kids would walk down to the bay every morning and look for starfish, which were plentiful. We went all over the island, and enjoyed every minute of it. It's one of the few places I've been to that's on my "must return" list!

Kirstie_H

Please take a few minutes to answer our survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/EdmundsForums

It's really important for us to hear from our regulars to get direction going forward. Only good things are planned for the future, but we need to gather insights to get there!

cdnpinhead

Please take a few minutes to answer our survey.

Done.

It's interesting how Edmunds has changed over the years. When I started, forums like this one were common; now there are only a few that I'm aware of.

I got really involved in the Lincoln LS forum back in '99, and there were upwards of 50 posts a day at the peak. The Cadillac CTS forum was also lively when that car came out. These days, the ATS forum is deader than Elvis. The Edmunds forums appear to me to be in trouble, so I hope whatever you've got planned gets us closer to where it used to be.

Kirstie_H

Well, without getting into specifics, I'll say that some of the people who made decisions that weren't popular are no longer with Edmunds. Those who are currently in charge have spent a significant amount of time and effort demonstrating the value of the forums, and the value of offering a better user experience. Their collective voice has been heard, and now that's why we want to hear from you all.

Things change. And then sometimes they change again.

roadburner

Done as well!

stickguy

Ditto'd

[Deleted User]

Nicely done. Just keep in mind who's delivering that parting shot. Given the source, the comment has no value, just a hollow comment representative of his previous behavior. We're sure glad to have you in this forum amongst friends

mako1a

Also Done with survey.

explorerx4

add me to the list. Hoping for the best.

driver100

Please take a few minutes to answer our survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/EdmundsForums

Done...hope it helps!

One idea I had was to pay posters $25 a word!

jmonroe

I'm pretty sure I was the first one to call it that you'd get the 2014.

Correction, I think I called it first. But, either way, I think all of us regulars had this guy pegged right from the beginning about his hot pants for a new 2014 MB. Some of them just didn’t get to their keyboard fast enough.

jmonroe

nyccarguy

When I joined town hall back in the late 1990's there were just so many awesome people. For each particular car there was a prices paid & just a general discussion board. The general discussion boards were so active, Honda Prelude, BMW 3 Series, BMW 5 series, "stories," CCBA. Nowadays it seems like people visit the prices paid or lease questions never to be seen or heard from again.">

graphicguy

Done.

graphicguy

RB....just did a brief glance over at that thread. Don't sweat that guy. Not worth getting upset (so says the guy Who's been admonished by the hosts for tearing into "dipSxxxx" on a couple of occassions).

verdugo

I think my wife is trying lock in a house now!

Awesome. Have fun!

roadburner

Once again, thanks!

roadburner

Agreed. Eventually the other participants will tire of his "I'm the smartest guy in the room- just ask me!" attitude and he will either quit posting or that thread will die.

verdugo

One idea I had was to pay posters $25 a word!

Unfortunately, they'll use your accounting method and pay us 1 cent per month.

verdugo

Correction, I think I called it first.

I don't think so, but it takes too much effort to go back and look. We'll call it a tie.

BTW, did you go to Carnival this past weekend?

michaellno

One idea I had was to pay posters $25 a word!

Unfortunately, they'll use your accounting method and pay us 1 cent per month.

And remember, that's 1 penny Canadian, so when you factor in the exchange rate, it works out to ....

.... about what we pay in dues.

:P :shades:

driver100

Over in Automotive News and Views there is a topic entitled A Mechanic's Life - Tales From Under the Hood

Too bad you were on the receiving end of thecardoc's rant, but, it made of fascinating reading. The points you, houdini, jipster, gimmestdtranny, and busiris made were all right on......and they all could see right through that blow-hard cardoc.

The last shot from srs49 kind of summed up cardocs arguement:
You're grasping at straws trying to defend a screw up by the Tire Kingdom. Yeah, maybe it was a pothole. Then again, maybe it was the tooth fairy!

Thanks for sharing....it was an interesting read and quite a character study. There's a knowledgeable guy but he would be better off if he wasn't so defensive.

He hates losing an arguement even more than I do!

driver100

And remember, that's 1 penny Canadian, so when you factor in the exchange rate, it works out to

$1 us is equal to .97 cents Canadian right now, so instead of $24 a word I will settle for $23.28. :P

I may write more if I was paid to do it......don't worry, just joking! :P :P

michaellno

I may write more if I was paid to do it......don't worry, just joking!

Yeah, but you'd still make less than Sandy, so long as he continues to document his trials and tribulations of moving rental cars around the state of Florida.

houdini1

Done.

sterlingdog

Done

Kirstie_H

Wow, thanks to ALL of you for the great response!

jmonroe

BTW, did you go to Carnival this past weekend?

No, I couldn’t make it. My nephew is putting in a basement game room so guess who was asked to do the electrical work, complete with runs for cable TV and a mini home theater system? It’s a relatively small area so he won’t need a system that cranks out more than 10 or 15 watts. :surprise:

jmonroe

graphicguy

j.....you can never have enough power for a home theater set-up, regardless how small it is.

roadburner

What graphicguy said. I'd say 80-100 wpc is the minimum for even a small HTS. I get away with 110 wpc in my main system because the Klipsch speakers I'm using are twice as efficient as most speakers.

driver100

"Done"

Nice of you to show up.....1 word in 2 months! (tongue out) (All emotorcons and italics etc have disappeared, guess it's a new idea from the new management!(wink)

tjc78

Yes! Power is so important for home theater. The system has to have enough reserve for loud action scenes!

I'm running 110 all around (B&W speakers) with a 250w 12" Klipsch Sub. It can offend the neighbors if I so choose!

I have to say this as well. 100 watts from a mid-high end amp or receiver is much better than some of those "systems" super high wattage claims. I've had these "discussions" with non-audio enthusiasts and they just don't get it.

graphicguy

As RB and TJC point out, there's a lot going on with Home Theater set ups. You have 5, 6, 7, even 9+ channels that need amplification.

Some manufacturers play fast and loose with power ratings. Namely, they'll only quote numbers that are attained with just one or two channels driven. Some will only quote 6 ohm or 8 ohm numbers. Fact is, speakers vary in their load....some particularly difficult to drive speakers will have a nominal 4 or even 2 Ohm load. That will cause most mainstream AVRs to overload and shut down. Even in smaller home theaters, amps/AVRs need reserve power for movie peaks.

RB's Klipsch speakers are some of the most efficient on the market, and really easy to drive. Still, as he says, I'd get 100w/ch @ 8 Ohms, all channels driven-20Hz-20kHz.

It's a safe(r) bet to go to a manufacutrers upper end to get what you need. Sony AVRs at Best Buy probably won't do. However, Sony's ES line probably will.....as will Pioneer's Elite line, or Denon's four digit models. You get better/bigger power supplies, more powerful amps with those, plus they tend to have all the bells and whistles you can grow with.

You really want to go with the ultimate, add an external amp to those AVRs above (which is what I do). No lack of power here.

Subwoofers can make the difference between watching Jurrasic Park as a cartoon, or feeling the Velosciraptor chasing you in your home theater room.

Oh....wait a minute. Are we supposed to be talking about cars? And where in the world did my emotorcons go.......;-)

bwia

Kirstie,

Took the survey and provided my name and email. Should I expand my mailbox capacity in anticipation of junk mail? Just kidding of course, I know Edmund's would not share emails with partners without our explicit permission.

Oh, and by the way, on the GM model forums there are "customer service" representatives who respond to customer concerns. Is that a special deal with GM or do other manufacturers provide such a service?

Kirstie_H

Ha! No, your email address won't even be seen by but about 3 people here, and only to contact you if we add features or change stuff and invite you to beta test.

We don't have any special deal with GM. They just decided to get involved in social media, and we welcomed them. Manufacturers reps are treated like salespeople - they're welcome to participate as long as they don't try to hide who they are or solicit. We've had a few manufacturer reps drop in and start participating - Toyota, Ford, Chrysler and Hyundai are ones I remember - but they didn't stick around long. No idea why.

verdugo

"My nephew is putting in a basement game room so guess who was asked to do the electrical work, complete with runs for cable TV and a mini home theater system? It’s a relatively small area so he won’t need a system that cranks out more than 10 or 15 watts."

Man, I wish I had known you when I lived in Pittsburgh. :-)

verdugo

"Nice of you to show up.....1 word in 2 months! (tongue out) (All emotorcons and italics etc have disappeared, guess it's a new idea from the new management!(wink)"

Phew, I thought it was just me.

(sick)

driver100

" new idea from the new management!(wink)"
Phew, I thought it was just me. "

How come Monroe has an Emotorcon in the post two before this one. Maybe he is a "Gold Member" (so to speak) (tongue out)

Kirstie_H

We know they're missing, though we don't know where they've gone. A "fix it" request has been submitted.

kyfdx

He must have paid his dues... ;-)

tjc78

Or use the keyboard equivalent!!

:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
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:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

mako1a

You must have used the Auto-Park feature to get them in there like that.

Sandman6472

I've been working so much lately that I've barely had enough time to catch up on certain watched items. Then yesterday wifey picks up a screw in one of her tires and I'm at work and she's staying down in Lauderdale with kid #2. But since we have road hazard, I met her at Tires Plus yesterday after work and they patched/repaired and all is right with the world. She has agreed to use the Accent for awhile once our daughter has her vacation...but I'll believe when I see it in the garage! I really think if she wants to wait for a 2014 model, the Mazda needs to be parked for a bit or we'll be fixing the a/c again and it won't be cheap!
Been doing mostly lot to lot lately where we drive like 30 to 40 cars/day. Did get to take a VW Eos up to Orlando last week and that was a sweet ride, really cool but then on Monday we had 6 Corolla's going there with no cruise...man my leg was sore on the way home. Summer is kicking in down here which means two things...the heat is cranking up & the work will be slowing down. Am not a happy camper about this!

The Sandman

driver100

"Summer is kicking in down here which means two things...the heat is cranking up & the work will be slowing down. "

We are planning on going down for one week in June. Just check up on the Florida ranch, and take the Passat for a spin. We haven't been to EPCOT so might do that if it isn't too d...... hot!

Return flight for 2 from Niagara Falls New York, full size rental car (they say Impala) for a week, total cost $570! That's less than staying somewhere up here for a weekend.

graphicguy

driver....sounds like a nice little trip. I fly a lot. With the Sequestration (allegedly) the flights are being delayed because there aren't enough air traffic controllers.

I say allegedly because none of them have come forward to say they've lost their jobs as a result of sequestration.

So, my theory (and only my theory), airlines have finally hit the breaking point, where they don't employ enough people on the ground to make certain flights leave on time (whether it be gate agents, ground personnel, flight crews, etc). Or, have enough people available to deplane passengers in a timely manner.

In short, be careful and plan accordingly if you're flying.

robr2

With the Sequestration (allegedly) the flights are being delayed because there aren't enough air traffic controllers...I say allegedly because none of them have come forward to say they've lost their jobs as a result of sequestration.

No controllers have lost their jobs. They all have to take one day off every two weeks. Let's hope they don't schedule them to all take the same day off!!

houdini1

This is all just political one-up-man-ship, with no regard to how their actions affect the citizens. Both parties are a disgrace and we need to start voting people out of office. That is the only way to stop this nonsense.