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Scion tC
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Comments
Who knows how capable of a driver she is? Every 16 year old who test drives a car wants to go 100mph, and there is a good reason why they shouldn't!
Going 100mph in a new car probably violates the break-in. I highly doubt you would want to buy a new car that had been up to 100 mph 10 times before the odometer hit triple digits.
I'm not a car salesman, even though it is something I've considered trying on the weekends, but any customer that wants to endanger my life and damage my merchandise can take a hike.
testing how a car handles, merges into traffic, passes on the highway, and braking is all part of the process. wanting to abuse someone else's property while breaking the law by driving at 100+ mph is rediculous... especially since the driver isn't familiar with the car.
the grave yards are full of people that thought they could handle 100+ mph.
Besides, there are simple formulas available online to tell you how to calculate your future car's probably top speed and plenty of car mags to tell you how it feels at that speed.
Also why, when I get a new car, it was never test driven by anyone else but me.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Mackabee makes a great point, please respect what isn't yours and the salespersons life.
Back to the tC: Has anyone else noticed the disparities in the service schedule?? It's almost as if Scion is forcing you to get all of your service at the dealer.
I agree with that. I would never buy a demo vehicle.
Abuse can be done at speeds far lower than 100 mph. Such as redlining the engine before the it's warm, or slam shifting to 60 etc. I've seen all of the above done by salespeople along with travelling well above the speed limit. I never said it was an "entitlement" to be able to drive that fast. I just said I would find a salesperson who wouldn't have a fit "if" I decided to try out the car at far below it's capabilities.
Again, I sdon't know where any of you live, but my cars, even my 04 Odyssey see the top side of 100mph often. I would hate to find out it was gutless AFTER I had signed a contract for $30k.
do u always need insurance to drive off the lot or do some dealerships let u w/o it? (after u buy the car i mean)
a shipment of tc's is comin to LA, CA any day now. & a couple more days to process & ship it on a trailer to SF.
Is this expected? Am I doing something wrong? Or should I have the dealer look at it?
The same is true for insurance. There is a series of letter that go out before they actually repo. With insurance, many times it's clerical.
I worked at Carmax Auto Finance for 2 years. Reposession is a last resort and not something the finance company wants to do.
; )
Mackabee
I also worked at a Carmax dealership. We had a few people get creamed pulling out of there. They were nearly always at fault. We chalked it up to excitement over the new car and they made a bonehead move.
I believe there is a rev limiter, but have not tried it out for myself.
No idea about the clank. I haven't, however, really ever hammered the car at launch. As to damage, yes, you are more ikely to wear out something or toast the clutch if you routinely do drag race starts, but driving it hard (within reason) shouldn't do any damage
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Does the TC have steering wheel mounted stereo controls? The online pics don't show any.
Also - where are the cruise control controls! I like them on the steering wheel also.
How is the AC system - I live in Houston and 95 degrees + high humidity is a fact of live for much of the summer - I really need a killer AC.
If any of the two above conditions exist, I move on to another dealer.
In my exhaustive shopping experiences, I have found that given 3 minutes to scan any model brochure, I will know more about the vehicle than 99% of the salespeople pedaling the merchandise. I have concluded that auto sales persons are now financial people (leasing, payments, etc.)and not car people. I can site an encyclopedia of experiences and examples to substantiate my claim and it holds true from Kia to Mercedes.
I do not condone abusing a test drive and would never do so. I guess that's why Lexus is such a success, when I bought mine it was delivered to my home and I was allowed to have it for the day on my own to go about my daily business to make certain that the vehicle would meet my needs. The Scion dealer I purchased my tC from was nearly as accomodating and earned my business.
Service before and after the purchase can be more important than the vehicle itself. Don't know if Ford, GM, or Chrysler will ever buy into that concept, they sure haven't yet.
: )
Mackabee
The CC is on a little stalk that hides just behind the wheel. I almost never use it, but it is well designed and convenient.
I think the AC is just fine, but keep in mind it is a dark interior, and has a glass roof (with shades and tinted glass though), so not the ultimate design for best AC coverage. But, I also hardly used the AC, so I might not be the best source.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
; )
Mackabee
Just to stay on the subject, my kid wishes his tC had steering wheel audio controls but for the money he has no complaints.
One thing I noticed the other day that no one has complained about is when you open the radio lid it hits on the FM2 button on the radio and changes your station. A customer told me this as we were taking her car over to our body shop to fix a minor paint imperfection on the hood. Oddly enough, the lid "problem" didn't bother her at all but the radio station changing did.
; )
Mackabee
As for the overnight "trick", I'll let them attempt to trick me every time! The "around-the-block" test drive reveals absolutely nothing about the vehicle. I'm not contending that one should take it to a race track, but it could prove very helpful to have you and your wife try to park it in different situations, load groceries, and closely inspect and interact with the livability of the vehicle. If that is "tricking" me into buying it - bring it on.
While being "ticked" into buying my RX300 I also spent some time being "tricked" by a Mercedes dealer trying to sell me an M Class. After spending some 'quality' time with the M, I found that I did not like many things about it and would have been very disappointed had I not been able to make the early prepurchase discovery.
As for clients shopping price - that's what it is all about given today's internet-info-saturated consumer. Thus, seller beware, rather than trying to soak us, give us that best price up front, that's the only way to keep us from roaming.
I haven't put the radio cover down since I bought the car. Would steering wheel controls work with an aftermarket radio?
; )
Mackabee
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
If your RAV4 was no-haggle priced at a fair amount and I considered it a legitimate value, yes, I would pay the price. The key word here is VALUE rather than cost. We both lose in negotiating. You 'should have stood your ground' for the extra $500, and I, since I just found out that my neighbor paid $500 less than I because he bought at the end of the month.
Maybe I've been fooled and don't know it yet, but to me, Scion did it right. Gave me a great car for a fair price - haggle or not.
If you are indeed a vehicle salesman that knows his product, I commend you. You are indeed a rarity. I am amazed at the number of baffoons actually making a living at selling cars and really wouldn't know the difference if were a washing machine sitting behind them in the showroom. I've had to teach a Mercedes salesman how to fold the rear seat in an M Class and laughed myself silly watching him try to find the CD changer - also got a good laugh watching a Ford man try to price out a new F150 6-cylinder, 6's are no longer offered in the new F150.
At the very least, it should be mandatory that sales people read the model brochures, they'd be amazed at how much they could learn with a minimal amount of effort.
since you work for a dealership do you have any idea when the 2006 model tc's will be available?
thanks!
: )
Mackabee
When I test-drove a tC last week, the salesman threw the car around and cut off the engine. Noticed he also drove half of the test drive. I was impressed with the car for the amount I drove it, but the salesman was a pure idiot.
The salesman also did the no-no of playing the sales pressure game. I finally just told this idiot that I knew more than he did. This guy actually told me you had to pay for the free Scion initial oil changes in the add-on dealer package.
I was five minutes from impulse buying a new tC and decided to do a little research first. I have a manual 2000 Honda Civic hatch right now, but I have to get an automatic car because of the problems I am having with my knee, IT band, and tendonitis in my hip along with Sciatica -all from 5 years of hard shifting! (I'm only 29 and I sound like an old lady... "my bad hip!")
Anyway, I've been reading along and thanks for the great info so far. I don't get something, though. All the people I know who think they are smart about cars say you should pay like $300 or $200 over invoice. I looked up dealer invoice on the manual tC and it's like $15,152. I think the auto tranny adds about $700? So it's under $16k and msrp is $17,500 or whatever. That seems like an awfully big difference for a no-haggle car. Now, don't get me wrong: I drove it and loved it and you get a lot of things standard that are options on most cars. A similarly appointed Corolla is like $20K and BORING. But what's up- was I misinformed about invoice on this car? Or deluded about how things work?
It seems like the best way to get anything out of the dealer at this point is to insist on a very high trade-in value, and that's never gonna happen...
Thanks for your help in advance.
-kitty
I suppose I could just go down and talk to the dealer and find out what they are willing to do and walk out if the price doesn't work for me. And wear a really low-cut shirt. And don't bring my boyfriend. Are salesmen that shallow? Is it possible to influence car price with boob size? I should do an experiment...
As far as I know the ONLY part that is negotiable, is the trade-in.
So, I"m curious, are you talking about going to do the dealer for a tC to see what they'll do? Because when I went, they flat out said to me, "we don't deal on Scions". Because then you're just wasting your time.
Also, they wouldn't even talk finances with me until I put down a deposit to order a car. With my trade-in, I have NO IDEA what I'll be getting until the car comes in (because why quote a car, and then something can happen to it, they don't wanna be stuck with that quote).
All I know is my dealership was very adamant about "what you see online is what you get".
So if you are talking about the Scion, good luck. I hope you're goign to go in to see what they can give you for your trade-in, cuz they don't negotiate otherwise.
I didn't realize, though, that they do all the aftermarket installations here. Interesting. But okay. So.........here I am, antsy as heck. WAiting, waiting, waiting.....
~C
Also, I'm curious if people think that base MSRP of 16,515 (posted on the website for manual) is a lot when invoice is 15,152 (manual).
Here is the Scion pure pricing spie. It seems to mean "no deals!" but the car still seems like a great deal for everything you get. I just find it an odd business model and am curious what you all think about it:
"Why Haggle?
Scion is unique because both the products and buying process are designed to create a whole new culture that will change the consumer's car buying experience. At Scion we respect your time by creating a simple, straightforward, easy to understand approach called "Pure Price".
Scion's "Pure Price" purchase experience means no haggle, no hassle. The price you pay for all products and services offered equals the dealership's posted and advertised price. Price menus are clearly posted in the dealership showroom for all products and services. Dealers are free to set their own prices."
Seems like they are having no problem selling at the MSRP, so no reason to lower it.
DOn't get hung up on MSRP and invoice. Just look at what you would get for the money, compared to what else you can get. If you think it is a good value, suck it up and buy it, unless you would rather get a left over Cavalier since they have big rebates!
It does seem that some dealers have been making up a bit on the trade ins, something that Saturn did for years (to be able to stick to the one price plan).
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
: )
Mackabee
I assume a deposit would be refundable...I asked the dealer about it and there was a rude-[non-permissible content removed] woman there who would not level with me. I asked her "if I decide I don't want the car can I get my deposit back?" she said yes but then went off about how it would not be fair to them if they special ordered it and then I didn't want it, blahblahblah. I said "of course I wouldn't ask you to get the color I want from another state unless I was serious about it, but if I don't like it when it gets here, I don't want to buy it."
One issue with ordering a car or reserving one that's coming in soon is that I think I like the flint mica (from seeing a color sample) but it might look very different when I see it on the actual car. Ya know? I think I'll go to the other delearship in town because the one I was describing above was kinda rude. There are only two in Tucson, but I'm going to check Phoenix, too. So do you know about bringing cars in from other states?
Thanks again for all your info, you all. And you are right- why should they haggle if people are buying the car for MSRP? And I do believe it is a good deal. I went on the saturn website and compared the Ion and there were so many things that are standard on the tC which are options on the Ion and the value for the tC is so much better. Plus, it just looks freakin' cool.
-kitty
I've had other car dealers do this and it seems like it's their way of finding out if the person with whom they are dealing is serious enough to incur the expense of ordering a car or if the prospective customer is just killing time on a Saturday afternoon. Under the terms that McGeorge suggested, I have no problem with that approach.
As it turns out, I bought the car, love it, and the folks at McGeorge couldn't have been cooler about the whole thing.
As far as trade-in is concerned, I took my old truck to CarMax (I'm not sure they are everywhere but they are in a lot of markets around the country) and they will buy any car that comes in whether you buy one of their cars off the lot or not. CarMax gave me a written offer to purchase (have to use it in seven days or 300 miles whichever comes first). I took that offer to McGeorge, where I bought the tc, and they took one look at it and said they couldn't beat it. To prove what good sports they were, the salesman from McGeorge drove my old truck back to CarMax the night I bought the tc so I could finalize the transactions on both the new car and the sale of the old one without making a second trip to either dealership.
I had a great experience with the Scion dealer and the whole transaction. So far, the car's as good as the salesmanship. Good luck hunting for a new tc!
Also, my dealership said to me, it's a $500 deposit and we WILL cash the check or run the credit card. We will return it if you choose not to. I asked them what will happen with the car, and he said, "we'll sell it that day, the cars do not sit on the lot very long".
So, for me, at my dealership, that's how it works.
Good luck on timing the whole sell, get the money, buy the car bit. lol. I didn't want to go thru the hassle, so i'm just taking the loss on my Honda.
BTW, there are cars that sell easily over MSRP, because it's all about supply and demand. I know I want a BMW M3, and it's easily $5k over MSRP. So, for the tC to sell at MSRP, okay, I'll take it. lol.
Good luck.
~Cheryl
If you haven't even been able to try the car out, the deposit will be refundable.
The dealer isn't going to lose anything if you don't take the unit, they will just sell it to someone else.
I think the small deposit is mostly to get you to feel committed. If nothing else, it makes sure that you have to contact them at least one more time (to get the deposit back if not buy the car).
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
tCkitty, I would go to another dealership if you didn't feel comfortable and were not treated with courtesy and respect.
: )
Mackabee
I'm going to call the nicer one and ask about getting an automatic car in the color I want and putting a deposit down and all the stuff we were posting about. I love the internet. There is so much great info- on this site, especially!
As time ticked away, I spotted an available Black Cherry at the original dealer and had my friend call to see if he could get his hands on it. They would not trade the car, so with my friends best wishes ended up buying from the original guy after all.
This dealer also owned a DCX dealership and conveniently accepted my Jeep return on the spot saving me a lot of hassle. All-in-all my experiences with Scion dealers (and I visited at least six of them on a regular basis trying to see every color option) was very favorable in spite of the fact that I knew more about the car than any of them. I chalked that up to it being a new model and the fact that I have come to expect very little along those lines from any car salesman.
As for after sales service - hey it's a Toyota, I wouldn't know about that, I never have to go back to the dealer.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Also, if I was to order tomorrow and I know I want side airbags, fog lights, 6 disc and XM, any idea on the time frame for delivery. Also more specifically aboout the XM, does it come installed through the radio? I have a XM receiver in my car now, but I thought it would be more of a hassel to have it removed and then installed in the TC. Any thoughts?
And lastly, is there any sort of special service plan when you buy the car (oil changes, check-ups?)
Thanks!
Michele