Stories from the Sales Frontlines

mako1a

Enough with the Rover Grover already. If I don't hear about a Corvette soon I'm gonna plotz.

What besides a 30 horsepower bump did the 08 Vette get? Is anybody sitting on a 2007 that just won't move?

british_rover

I don't think we have any Chevy dealers here.

I might, maybe, just possibly, could be getting a 2007 ZO6 with less then 3,000 miles on it.

How much will you give me for it?

mako1a

Nothing. I have to have an automatic. I heard Z06 may come out in automatic in the future, but none so far.

british_rover

Bah an automatic Vette what blasphemy. Did they at least move the auto tranny in the vette to the rear or is it still in the front screwing up the weight balance? It is a six speed now right? I know it was a four speed for a long time.

jmonroe

If I don't hear about a Corvette soon I'm gonna plotz.

I think I know what that means and it ain't no "yunzer" talk either.

Now it's your turn to explain (and I ain't so sure you got the spelling right either. I'm surprised Rover didn't correct you). :surprise:

jmonroe

jmonroe

I might, maybe, just possibly, could be getting a 2007 ZO6 with less then 3,000 miles on it.

You really covered yourself with that statement.

Typical car salesman.

jmonroe

british_rover

Well I don't want to say that I am definitely going to get it cause then everyone is gonna want to know how it drives.

This is a repeat customer of mine that I sold a Range Rover Sport too a couple of months ago. He bought the Z06 at the same time but can't drive it because it kills his back. I can't offer him as much money as the Chevy dealer but the Chevy dealer doesn't have anything he wants.

We are at a bit of an impasse and the Chevy dealer won't buy the Vette from him unless he buys something else from them. Not sure what is going to happen now.

mackabee

Being that I'm not a truck or suv person per se, I will say this: Any vehicle that I need a step ladder to get into is not one of my favs. :shades: However comma if I owned one of them Expenso Gargantuas the wife would probably be the one driving it and her definition of "off road" is the driveway or the shopping mall.

I do like the look of the Land Rover, not the squre LR3 but the good looking one. I believe Oscar De La Hoya drives one. He looked pretty good in it but I doubt he ever goes off road either.

Mackabee

jmonroe

This is a repeat customer of mine that I sold a Range Rover Sport too a couple of months ago.

Ah huh. That’s a spelling error right there and knowing you it could also be a grammatical one as well. :P

OK, I’ll stop now, we’re even.

jmonroe

british_rover

Dude, I am allowed to use this word I am under 30, you used the wrong spelling of poll 10 times in a single paragraph. How could I not rag on you for that?

tayl0rd

Has your friend thought of going to Carmax? Putting it on Craig's list, Autotrader, Dupont Registry, Corvette forum, or anything like that?

cotmc

"However comma if I owned one of them..."

Oh my... this isn't good... this just ain't good at all!

First, we have our esteemed old-timer not knowing a poll from a pole in the ground.

Then, our talented 20-something 'regular' claims he needs to be cut some slack, to.

And now, our gifted author feels the need to spell out his punctuation marks!

What apostrophe s next? :surprise: :P

cotmc

Does GM put a 6-spd auto in any vehicle?

madmanmoo

i can only imagine perhaps there will be complete spelling grammar and punctuation anarchy maybe e b cummings will start to post here and show us all up all is lost all is lost sell more cars moo

tayl0rd

They have one in the latest Corvette and I believe all the Cadillac sedans have one as well.

mackabee

Hey it was meant in jest! You should see me in real life. I always say that. "however comma" and people look at me strange.

Mackabee

Kirstie_H

that's e e cummings

I again invite you to my Grammar discussion. Need some new people/errors to mock.

cotmc

Regarding a 6-spd auto tranny from GM, Corvette might be the only model? I just checked the 2007 Cadillac CTS and DTS here on Edmunds. The CTS comes with a 6-spd manual or a 5-spd auto, while the DTS seems to come only with a 4-spd auto.

I haven't been reading up on GM too much lately, but it seems as if they have been relying on a 4-spd auto transmission while most of their competition is going to 5-spd or 6-spd transmssions. Then there are the world-class luxury vehicles that come with 7- or 8-speed trannies. OK, that seems overkill to me.

C'mon GM, at least give us 5 speeds! :mad:

qbrozen

maybe i'm wrong, but don't the new 3.6 liter-equipped SUVs come with one? Like the Acadia, new VUE, etc.

obyone

A 6 speed auto is standard in the new '07 Sierra Denali and will follow in the rest of the trucks in model year '09 as an option.

asafonov

Don't the new Acadia-based triplets have a 6-speed auto?

madmanmoo

Woot!

I'm totally going there. I never knew such a magical land existed. I'm sure I'll be fodder for the hungry crocks.

-Moo

fezo

I wasn't going to say it.....can't resist.....can't resist.....

That would be ee cummings.

cotmc

Good call! I didn't know you are a fan of Elizabeth Barrett Cummings!!

Not everyone remembers this unknown younger cousin to Edward, who had a terrible reputation for avant-garde free-form alarmism while working as a columnist for the NY Daily News during the Depression and WWII!

...and if anyone believes that, I have an Aztec to sell them!

cotmc

Mack: That's fine with me, just as long as you don't start referring to yourself in the 3rd-person, like "Jimmy" from an episode of Seinfeld. As proven by George, such talk might cause the rest of us to start talking in the 3rd person, when we're overcome by stress!

Cotmc wouldn't like that!

cotmc

Thanks for the updates on GM, everyone. I'm glad to see they're moving forward.

Kirstie_H

I apologize in advance...
...and if anyone believes that, I have an Aztec to sell them!

Aztek

dino001

Also top trim of Saturn Aura (XR?) has 6-speed auto, IIRC. It is may be lowest price of all GM w/6-speed auto.

wlbrown9

Yep, Outlook, Acadia and Enclave.. Enclave is "The finest Luxury Crossover Ever" http://www.buick.com/ seems to be their advertising slogan/theme right now.

madmanmoo

LOL, I can't get away with anything on this board. I love it.

Nice post, cotmc.

-Moo

cotmc

kirsie comma no need to apologize period good catch exclamation mark cotmc should have referenced a Yugo comma anyway exclamation mark

editor2

That's a correctly spelled and charming Yiddish word meaning to "explode." Always used tongue in cheek, for humorous effect.

nthe

"Nthe, yes we make several models with dual lumbar. "

which models?

mako1a

That came from watching every episode of Judge Judy since I retired. I think the DVR has 4 waiting for me now.

jm, did you hear about the Hunkie Steelworker statue that had to be renamed. Now that's funny, I don't care who you are.

joel0622

"Nthe, yes we make several models with dual lumbar. "

which models?

Damn you, you just made me crack a source book for the first time in 5 years

Taurus
Explorer
Expedition
Escape
Crown Vic
Excursion

Some only in leather and none have power lumbar on the passenger side except for the Crown Vic.

epiney

Yep, Outlook, Acadia and Enclave.. Enclave is "The finest Luxury Crossover Ever" http://www.buick.com/ seems to be their advertising slogan/theme right now.

Funny, I literally just came back from test driving an Enclave. The six speed is programmed for max fuel economy. It upshifts rapidly and holds the gear for way too long on downshifts. At almost 5000 lbs, this tranny program with a 260 odd HP engine makes the vehicle drive like a boat. It was actually quite disappointing.

The amazing thing is that there are so backlogged in demand that dealers are not taking any orders, which take 12 weeks, unless they are close to list. GM makes them take special orders out of their allocation. I've never owned a GM vehicle before and I guess probably never will. But good for GM. I hope this don't blow this by alienating too many customers. Too many options out there right now in SUV/CUV land.

greanpea68

have you ever tried the Nissan Murano?

mackabee

No. Never tried that one. I like to flirt with my female customers and have become good friends with most of them. Their husbands trust me so much that they don't mind if I take them to lunch once in a while.
I was always taught business before pleasure. The last thing I need is a jealous husband. A couple of months ago a salesman at one of the seven stores in our district was killed right on the parking lot. It was a monday morning and the perpetrator waited until the sales meeting was done and when the salesman came out and saw what was about to happen he started running away and was shot in the back. Later it was discovered he was fooling around with the guys wife. :mad: Google Gloucester Toyota and shot car salesman.
Mackabee

madmanmoo

You're a woman? Wait a second? I'm confused. Are you male or female?

-MOo

mackabee

Because I'm your favorite Toyota sales person?

Mackabee

mackabee

I'm metrosexual as joel puts it.
Mackabee

mackabee

Ok, anyone remember where I left off on the Shue story? I can't find the post number. In the meantime here's a good joke:

Why did the snake not bite the lawyer?
Professional courtesy.
Mackabee

british_rover

There isn't a separate sport mode to change how the transmission works?

chikoo

The last thing I need is a jealous husband.

You're a woman? Wait a second? I'm confused. Are you male or female?

Female customer's Jealous Husband, he means.......

epiney

have you ever tried the Nissan Murano?

Unfortunately too small. I need a third row and some decent cargo. QX56 is too big and hard on gas. It's too bad Nissan/Infiniti don't make a unibody 7 passenger CUV. I actually like Infiniti.

BTW, we went to the Volvo dealer and drove a V-8 powered XC-90. We were both seriously considering the Enclave, but after driving the Volvo we said no to the Buick. It was an easy no, given how hard it is to buy one right now.

epiney

There isn't a separate sport mode to change how the transmission works?


There is manual shifting, but no sport mode. The thing is woefully underpowered unless you only want to drive it like a minivan. It's really too bad, since GM did a nice job with it. It's as quiet and rides as well as a Lexus. Of course the interior is not up to Lexus standard.

jmonroe

That's a correctly spelled and charming Yiddish word meaning to "explode."

I stand corrected about the spelling. I was almost positive I knew the meaning. Thanks for the confirmation.

I sure am having a tough time with that spelling subject today, really wasn't any good with it the first time I had it ! :P

jmonroe

fezo

Oh, swell. Now even YOU can't keep track of these things? :P

snakeweasel

I just checked the 2007 Cadillac CTS and DTS here on Edmunds.

I do believe the 2008's will have 6 speed autos

Then there are the world-class luxury vehicles that come with 7- or 8-speed trannies.

Overkill IMHO

mackabee

Sorry. I'm just exhausted. I worked bell to bell on monday and tuesday, wednesday was my day off but I came in because a customer from tuesday night didn't want to sign up due to their five year old had to be in bed by nine and it was eight:thirty. So wednesday he's to be in at two pm to finish the deal. He calls me at three:thirty pm says he's running late and will be in after he showers as he went fishing. :confuse: The vehicle is ready to go so I take care of another customer that I had a keyless entry put into a vehicle. I drop the vehicle off at the installer and tell them to call me when it's ready.

Customer comes in and everything goes without a hitch. The shop that installed the keyless calls me so I go pick up the vehicle. I come back to the store, call the customer up and tell them the vehicle is ready and in front of the showroom. I tell them in case I'm not in to go to the receptionist and pick up the keys from her. A friend calls me up asking why I didn't call him back with a price on a used RAV. I tell him I have been busier than a one arm paper hanger and I was about to do it now. I take a look at the RAV and get a price from the UCM as the car was just traded and has not made it through the shop yet. I get a price and call him back and his voice mail picks up. Has not called me back. Man am I tired. I'm going home now...oops no, spoke too soon! GM just came over and asked me to help one of my colleagues. Has a customer coming in and he's off so I just have to put her out riding overnight since she's dropping her car off to have the mop and glow, rust and dust put on. Looks like I'll be here a little longer. May turn into a bone later on.
Mackabee