Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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Stories from the Sales Frontlines
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I'm 6'5" and while I haven't tried the V50, I have tried on the S40 and C30, which are built the same, and I have no problem fitting. Even better than in my G35.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
After reading horror stories about long-term reliability and the above advice, I started trying to estimate what I would have to get in trade/pp for the RRS so that I wouldn't be upside down when the warranty expired (about 42 months). Then I compared what I would spend over that term to buy it versus what I would spend to lease. Basically, the lease cost $8K less over 36 months, and I didn't see anyway I was going to be able to make up that amount when I got it rid of it. Just for kicks, I also checked on an extended warranty-- $5K to get me an extra 2 yrs/50K miles. Definitely not worth it.
So, I called my sales guy and let him know I wanted the 36 month lease. Being a number-crunching dork, I also sent him my calculations of monthly payments, taxes, fees, etc. I'm hoping that didn't annoy him too bad, but I have to understand a deal completely before I can get comfortable with it. Anyway, when he called me back, it seems that we were about $30/month apart on payment. Turns out that in the initial data he gave me, the MSRP for the lease was X, but Chase doesn't use the full MSRP with options, so the MSRP was close to $2K less. I knew that some leasing companies do this, and I was able to confirm this was the case here.
So, this discrepancy was costing about $1,000 over the term of the lease. I told my salesman that I appreciated how upfront he had been, and I know this was beyond his control. I also said that I hadn't shopped around at all because things had gone so well at this dealer, and I was hoping we could just split the difference halfway by him knocking another $500 off the selling price. After a couple of minutes, he called me back with an ok, and I put in a deposit on a 2008 RRS SC currently sitting at port.
I know this decision is totally irrational when I have a perfectly good 5-yr old Pathfinder sitting in the driveway, but I just love buying (or leasing) cars and this one is beautiful.
Big thanks to Moo and everyone else for the input. And I must say, the sales experience in this case was a total pleasure as well.
Richard--
That sounds like a cologne that really stays with you. Do you only have to apply it once a month? Once a year? Is it recommended by 4 out of 5 morticians?
"Eternity" must be manufactured by the TOYonda pharmaceutical conglomerate--as opposed to "Ephemeral", a division of GM/Ford aromatics.
Gogiboy
-moo
I understand. After being gone for three weeks, I may have jumped back in here with too much of what I call a "good" thing.
BTW, any thoughts on those Honda Pilot tires lasting 80,000 miles?
Richard
Richard
I'm assuming you're writing about the stock OEM tires?
To achieve 80K miles on the stock oem, they would need to tweak inflation, drive slow and align their vehicle once a week.
I understand what you are talking about and have practiced that for many years.
But the company is taking big steps to protect customer information. It wasn't my idea but the brass wants us to just verify their license.
It has to do with NPI ( Non-public information )... You can't have anyones's NPI laying around for anyone to look at, copy, or steal.
If a compliance officer walked through ours or any dealership and saw any violations such as a copy of a license laying around the dealer can be fined big money....
Everything has to be locked up or shreddard.
So if we can just verify the license then we don't need to make a cop until we have the vehicle sold.
GP
Just my POV.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
I'm sure there can be away to accommodate that. A simple solution is to put the copy of the license in an envelope, seal it in front of the customer, and put it away under lock and key. When the test drive is over, return the envelope to the customer.
You get the copy of the license to protect yourself, and the customer is impressed about how much you care about his NPI.
Angel
I'm not sure what Calvin Klein drives, but I bet it is not GM, Ford, or Toyota. BMW or Lexus perhaps?
You wouldn't believe how long Eternity lasts. I can put a dab on at 6am and someone will tell me at 8pm that I smell nice. You have to admit that I'm getting my dollar's worth.
Actually, I think that BMW manufactures Eternity---Blooming Men's Wash. But, then again, it could be Ford---Fragrance On Rich Drivers. Still, it might be Toyota---Touch Of Your Other Teasing Aroma.
Richard
Richard
Richard
That would be good in a perfect world but car sales is far from a perfect world :surprise:
The problem is when it gets busy there is too much going on to put there copy in envelope... People want tthings doen fast as possible.
You get the copy of the license to protect yourself, and
Why does everyone think I am not protecting myself if I verify it. If I am in the car with the customer I know they have a valid license.... what else is there to do to protect myself.
Lets be clear here... if the person can not produce a license or is not 18 years of age than they don't test drive...
How does making a copy of the license protect me any more than just verifying it?
GP
But you can take PureOne and be assured that it is the best.....There are no levels within PureOne filters
I have guys drop into the BMW forum all the time asking about coilovers, Plus ones/twos,and other suspension mods. Most of them think "Understeer" is a band that used to open for Van Halen. I tell them their money would be much better spent learning how to drive their stock BMW at several BMW CCA HPDEs. They don't want to hear that. As Billy Crystal's Fernando character might say, It is better to LOOK fast than BE fast."
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Does your sister live in Canada? Maybe those are Kilometers instead of miles. 80,000 KMS would be about 48,000 miles. Seems you would be lucky to get 50,000 miles on an SUV type vehicle from what I could look up rather quickly.
It was interesting not to keep tires for more than 5 years, never heard that before!!!
For more info go to: link title
. I think we've all seen how tires crack and break down when they get old and sit in the sun too many summers. Generally, I don't worry about this too much, because it's not really until a tire gets beyond 5 years in age that rubber compounds are breaking down. If you're an average consumer, like me, you'll be getting a minimum of 30K miles on a tire, and more like 40K or 50K --- I don't think I've ever had a tire on a car more than 4 years
Another sight said......
Anyways, 30k is great. 20k is about average
Hope that helps.......
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
fear of commitment.
The moment you start speaking to a person, in person, then you have to commit to a yes, or a no. At least in most cases. That is why these folks will do anything online as long as there is no obligation.
I sit her down and start qualifying her... Her lease is up in a week on a BMW 3series. She tells me she wants all the bells and whistles except nav in a 4 cyl Altima.... OK
I ask a few questions about budget and she tells me that is none of my business... OK I can see this is going well. I also ask for the license and she tells me she will give it to me if she is going to drive the car....
There are 10 from the factory in the New England area like this :sick: But that is also good because you can get sticker
She tells me she wants the Grey and the Medium Grey color....
Nissan has Silver... than a light grey and a dark grey...
I have one Altima SL which is the package that has everything from the factory in it in the dark grey color.
So pull up the vehicle I have in stock thinking maybe this is what she is talking about. I bring her out to the car and this is where it gets fun. She starts scolding me that she told me the medium grey and I brough up the wrong car. Why are you wasting my time she asks? She is all upset and I calm her down by asking her to see if she likes the car. Take a seat in it and try it out. Well she does all that and asks me to show her the other colors. It turns out she wants the light grey car.
At this point I am not even sure if this color is available. But I ask if the numbers worked out and we had the color she wanted would she buy? she says yes... OK
We go to the table and I am at $300 / mo on a lease... She starts quoting all the screamer adds in the paper.... $88 / mo ... no money down blah blah blah.
Than she proceeds to tell me her friend got the same car with $3000 more equipment for $250/mo with no money down. So I suggest that she may not know all the facts about her friends purchase which in the end she admits... We agree she has to do more shopping to verify my numbers it is now 7pm...
I end up getting stuck with another customer who got dropped off by a cab. At 10pm I bring that customer back to the train station and head home 5 hours later with no deals :sick:
Some days are good... some days are bad.
I am trying to keep on topic by sharing some stories.
GP
So they came to us saw in the locater screen they still had the car. But we needed every deal we could get and new we could locate this pathfinder they wanted. Offered them the same deal and we ended up selling the vehicle :shades:
They took delivery 2 weeks later because the morning after they did the deal they went to California to visit family. Well 2 weeks later was last Friday. Everything went well at delivery.
Yesterday the husband comes in and decides he wants to trade his vehicle in for a fully loaded Xterra. We discount the car to Net, Net ... we are locating the car and that will be another deal. 2 cars in 3 weeks to one happy family... And to boot I know I will get 100 surveys in the mail from them.
So some times this business aint so bad after all :surprise:
GP
Over six short years, I've seen tons of things happen in this business. Having a copy of someone's driver's license assures you that they are legal and that you know who they are.
It's just good sense man. Noone rides without giving me a copy of their driver's license.
You mentioned personal information laying around. Credit applications are one thing. You can get dinged $10k per app, but driver's license aren't that big of a deal. Make a copy, put it in the manager's office. Shred it after all is done if they don't want you keeping it around.
That copy is a safety net for you and the dealership.
-mooo
I agree with you there...
For the record it was managements call to do it that way because they couldn't keep a hold on the copies of licenses :surprise:
GP
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Moo...you're high line. Do you keep the same hours that say a Chevy dealer would?
bmw.....you're at a Ford store....different hours (more? less?) than you had at the BMW store?
GP.....nissan?
Mack....toyota?
isell....honda?
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Hell no! That's one of the main reasons I came on board here. The hours are incredible. I just had a baby boy about 1 1/2 years ago and I wanted to make sure I was able to spend more time with my family.
Here's a comparison for you. We ran a 2 week rotating schedule. Here it is for you. Keep in mind, we never worked just these hours. We always worked late. Rare was the day that we got out on time.
Nissan hours:
Mon 1-9pm
Tuesday 9-9pm
Wednesday 9-5
Thursday Off
Friday 1-9
Sat 9-8
Sun 1-6
Mon 9-5
Tuesday Off
Wed 1-9
Thursday 9-9
Friday 9-5
Sat 9-6
Sun Off
Porsche - Same schedule every week
Mon - 9-5
Tue 9-5
Wed 11-7:30
Thur Off
Fri 8:30 - 4:30
Sat 8:30 - 6
Sun Off
Same schedule every week. All Sundays off. Almost always work my schedules and customers are very good about working around it. When they learn they I don't work on a particular day, they gladly reschedule without my urging.
Plus, we don't hang out on the lot waiting on an up. They come into the store and we get paged. No more getting cooked on the asphalt.
It's a whole different world.
-moo
My son, on the other hand is 5'10" but he has short legs and a long body so he puts the seat as low as it will go to give him more head room.
Probably though, if you are 6'6" it doesn't matter and all bets are off!!
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Give me your number. I would like to sell you a few cars. :P
Who does that crap nowadays???
I have not seen that in the dealerships I have brought from. Waiting on the asphalt?
What are you? Hookers? or illegal immigrants hanging outside the Home Depot?
Richard
They always tell you that so you feel like you're normal. They would probably tell that to the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I always need a chunk taken out at the back and they tell me - that happens all the time.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Richard
And why don't those people go to the same place their friend went to. Well, mainly because it never happened or they would have gone to the same salesperson. Or, the deal was very different than the friend is telling them...the old it's a good deal and cheaper when it's a car but more expensive when it's a house (never realized it before but that is true - very good observation about life!).
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Over on the "Tires, Tires, Tires" board there is a guy claiming 100K plus on his oem tires.
IIRC, I got 90K out of the oem tires on my 1980 Dodge Omni. The car weighed nothing and it was all highway miles (no turns).
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Lots of car dealerships still have that going on. At least here in Atlanta. You have to fight for your "up" because it's first come first serve. Sucks, but that's the business.
anywhere from 55 - 65 hours a week :sick:
GP
How could she turn down an Altima in Precision Grey? What a nut. That color was my "gotta have" color for the Altima coupe I was considering.
Couldn't you pull up a picture from the Nissan web site on the computer (or even on Edmunds) for her to look at?
And then she has the nerve to ask for a ride? Takes all kinds.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
It won't unless its modified. Also it seemed to me that the Viper started to fall back rather quickly, I wonder if this isn't staged.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
When I was in high school most of the crowd I hung out with wanted sleepers. Not much to look at but watch it go.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Here, we either work 9-6 or 9-7. We have 2 teams, red and blue, and alternate days. Saturdays are 9-5.
At BMW my schedule was:
Monday - off
Tuesday - 9-7:30
Wednesday - 9-7:30
Thursday - 12-7:30
Friday - 9-5
Saturday - 9-6
The hardest thing to get used to here is that there are certain times you can catch ups and certain times you cant. On a day I get off at 6, I can catch ups until 1 p.m. Then, I go to lunch, make phone calls, take incoming phone calls, etc., until 4 p.m. At 4 p.m. it's open floor until close. On days I get off at 7, I can catch ups from 1-4.
It's not ideal, but makes it to where we don't have to fight 14 other salespeople all day long.