Test Drives & Dealership Promotions

ateixeira · September 2004

isell: out of curiosity, don't they send you to dealer training events, where you can sample the cars?

I'm not sure what your position is at the dealer, but Subaru does that for their sales staff.

Think of it as an extension of that event, only you invite potential customers instead of dealership employees.

I doubt Mercedes and BMW would do it if it didn't create some sales for them.

-juice

isellhondas · September 2004

These are called "Ride and Drives". Went last month for the new Odyssey.

You are the exception for sure if you are sending referral business. That's a good thing.

A few years ago, Honda for some reason decided to offer a set of Walkie Talkies for people who test drove cars. I can't recall us making even one sale out of that one. I hope they don't do something like this again!

Craig

ateixeira · September 2004

Oh, you mean FRS (family radio service) handsets?

Now see, you just gave me a great example. LOL

There is no way, no how, I can get my wife to test drive a minivan, unless there is a draw. A free pair of FRS handsets would draw her in.

Kia got her into a Sedona with a Shrek video offer (they ran out of coupons but we drove it anyway), so it worked for them. The lumpy seats ruled it out, but it really wasn't all that bad.

Mazda had an offer to test the MPV, I forget but it must've been a $50 Visa Gift Card, something like that, and she just felt too much like a soccer mom. The tranny was indecisive and she just couldn't get excited about it.

Without those offers I don't think she would have bothered to look.

She has been in a few Odys but never driven one. That might be the van that finally hooks her, but again, Honda's gotta draw her into the showroom some how.

Not that they are hurting for sales, but the point remains.

FWIW we do go to car shows and that helps narrow it down a bit. We're not just out there driving every possible car for no reason.

-juice

stickguy · September 2004

that's where I got my Shrek video. And like you, I never would have considered the Sedona, but was much more impressed than I expected to be. Not enough to buy one, but I could see some people pulling the trigger after the test drive.

Anyway, from the comments from the pros whenever this topic came up, it sounds like most of them just sign the form and send you on your way with a brochure and business card.

Also, I think in the fine print (at least with the mazda program), it says you can drive any model, regardless of which one the solicitation features.

Referals are again at the manufacturer level. If Juice for instance was impressed by the Sedona and told some people to check it out, they quite possibly went to a different dealer (closer to home or work), maybe a different salesman if at the same dealer. So, Kia sells a car (they're happy), even though the salesman who talked to Juice might not have gotten the sale (or maybe did, and didn't even know it).

ateixeira · September 2004

Yeah, the 3.5l engine has good torque, better than the power/weight ratio would imply. The new one is due soon and should be much improved, too.

You're right about that last part, it's very hard to refer someone to one specific dealer for a purchase, because they want to be able to shop around for their best deal.

At least they (the salesperson) have a shot, put it that way. I send them through the doors.

If I had to do any more than that, I'd want his full salary!

-juice

bigbutr · September 2004

I, too, have taken advantage of freebies to go test drive something. Last one I got was a $25 Best Buy card for taking any new Mazda for a spin. I wonder how many people take advantage of them, though it must be a lot since I see Chevy didn't keep that $250 deal where they would give you the cash if you bought something else after driving one of theirs for very long.
Anyway, back to my original point, a local Toyota dealer sent me a flyer that I just love. Apparently there is a run on 1996 Chevy Beretta's since 'we are in desperate need to acquire severaly different types of pre-owned vehicles before Oct. 15, 2004 in order to fulfill special used vehicle requests. Our records indicate you own one of these vehicles and our new car managers have been authorized to buy back your current vehicle.'
Funny since I didn't even buy it from them (from b-in-law actually), and have only been in there once to test drive an '04 Rav4. (Then I found out it's the No. 1 chick vehicle and that eliminated it from possibility).
Having worked in the newspaper business for over a decade I've seen all of the gimmicks dealers use and I have to say this one rates right up there. I've heard of it before, but never got a card. I honestly can't believe people fall for this kind of thing. But I guess if they didn't, why bother with the cards, eh?
So if anyone out there wants to take my low-mileage Chevy off my hands for a reasonable price to take advantage of this great deal, I'm all ears.

bowke28 · September 2004

i need to pay more attention to these...

$25 to best buy, movie tickets, etc...

i could make out like a bandit on these!

checkitout · September 2004

How do people hear about these deals, besides sites like this?

The only one I'v e been to was the Car and Driver R&T Ride and Drive comparo with a BMW 325, Legacy GT and Volvo.

That was a great event. 3 AutoX in one day!

bowke28 · September 2004

i guess in the papers or on the net...i dont know either.

stickguy · September 2004

there was actually a link at one point to a site where some guy listed all kinds of freebie promotional stuff you could get, but who knows if it's still around.

Once you use one of these coupons, you will get more, trust me.

The best way to get on the list is go to the web sites for any brand you are interested in (Mazda is a good one) and sign up for updates or "keep me informed". Almost guarantees that the next time they do a promo you will be included.

bowke28 · September 2004

sweet! i guess that excludes ford and nissan for me. ;-)

damish003 · September 2004

Just got one of those last week, for my wifes 95 Plymouth Neon. Yep, I'm sure there's a HUGE demand for them. I got it from the dealer that works on her car, but we didn't buy from them. They're offering special consideration on trade-in pricing. Now, I suppose there are folks who fall for this stuff, but it just seems extremely insulting. All it does is reinforce that I will NOT buy a car from them. Too bad, because the service department has been great to work with. It's like the dealer is "cutting off his nose to spite his face", as the saying goes.

-Dan-

ateixeira · September 2004

That Chevy deal was, pardon my French, *stupid*. Pay customers to go drive other cars?

A clever Ford dealer actually advertised an extra $250 cash back from Chevrolet!

My wife told me Hyundai currently has a test drive offer, if I get details about it I'll share them here.

The C&D and R&T event was sponsored by Subaru. Several friends of mine went and had a blast. The closest to me was in Dover, DE, about 2+ hours away, so I passed.

-juice

perna · September 2004

I get this out of my system by going to auto shows. My old man does too, but looking and sitting in cars isn't enough for him. He actually got a local Dodge dealer to let him test drive a Viper, which horrifies me (he's pushing 60 and routinely does questionable things in traffic). They made his month, though.
This is the same guy who took my brand new Maxima and, with me in the car, got it up to 130 mph before I could even open my mouth to protest. It is generally accepted by the family that the old man will buy it in a spectacular wreck, it's only a matter of when and hopefully another living object is not involved.

Maybe we need an Inconsiderate Test Drives forum?

My wife and I only test drive when we're seriously considering the vehicle for relatively immediate purchase (a month or less). My local auto show is enough for me to determine whether or not a vehicle is even worth test driving (you guys may like those Kia minivans, but is there anything in there that's NOT held together with hot glue??). For me, the drive is secondary. An auto show gives you all the time you need to pull and prod the interior, sit in the seats for as long as you want, play with the stereo, lock your old man in the trunk, etc...

stickguy · September 2004

problem with the auto show is it only comes once a year. Plus, some of the new or upcoming models don't make the show, so you have to go to the dealer.

Anyway, visiting the dealer and sitting in cars i nthe showroom accomplishes the same thing. No need to take a test drive, and it won't really take up any of a salesman's time, unless they just don't want to leave you alone, in shich case it's their problem.

ateixeira · September 2004

I hope you stopped accompanying him on test drives. On any drive, actually.

We're opposites. To me the drive is key, everything inside is basically just ballast.

-juice

perna · October 2004

I typed that tongue-twister name before I realized I could have just put in j-u-i-c-e.. haha

Anyway, yes, the old man has driven the Maxima only once since then and my mother was with him. I had no choice, since it was at my sister's wedding and I was riding with the wedding party. I bet it killed him, since she will actually scream in his face when he does what she considers unsafe (which is about 5 mph over the speed limit). He wanted to drive my wife's new Explorer, and I let him, but nobody went with. When he was gone we were doing the various stages of "monkey see".

perna · October 2004

About the auto shows, I go over the "time consuming stuff" like seat comfort, playing with the sound system, looking under the hood, etc... on the test drive I can ascertain the following in about 15 minutes: wind noise, body integrity, handling, and amount of GO. I'll never forget the Maxima's test drive, my wife swapped with me on the way back and she turned into a wild woman in that car. She thinks Mazda should be sued for false advertising, because "surely no car they make has the 'zoom' this one does!".

The wind noise thing I had to learn the hard way. My last car was an Olds Intrigue, and it was really quiet around town. Got it on the highway for the first time, though, and my heart sank. None of the seals (windshield, doors) were all that great, and one of them even caused a continual whistling noise that drove me nuts. Dealer never did get that car right.

ateixeira · October 2004

Yeah, gotta get in a long test drive of the exact car you are buying. That can be hard, though.

I somehow got on the list and was invited to this Lexus event:

https://www1.travelhq.com/registration/lexustasteofluxury/pretrip- /home.mtc

Sounds like fun. Check out the list of cars you can potentially drive:

Lexus ES 330, GS 300, LS 430, GS 430, IS 300, SC 430, GX 470, LX470 and RX 330; Acura MDX and TL; BMW 530ia, 745i, 545ia, 330ia, X5 4.4i and X3; Land Rover Range Rover HSE; Mercedes-Benz C320, E320, S430, E500 and ML500; Infiniti G35; Jaguar XK8 Cabriolet; Cadillac XLR and Escalade; Volvo XC90.

-juice

jlawrence01 · October 2004

This past weekend, GM sponsored an "Auto Show in Motion" which offered the ability to test drive 100-150 different GM and competitor models. What was disappointing was the relative few number of cars (vs. trucks and SUVs), and the few number of DCX and Ford models.

Generally, you got a great opportunity to test drive the GM models as the lines at the imports were a lot longer.

I like these massive test drive shows (like the one that Edmunds.com held in 2000) as it allows me to drive vehicles that I would not generally consider. I always find that my evaluation of the performance of certain vehicles often vearies with what I read on forums and reviews.

which_brand · October 2004

Individual dealer websites now have "schedule a test drive". Should I do this or just go in? I am able to pop in at unusual times, but I don't know what the non-busy times are during the week!

Thanks.

Kirstie_H · October 2004

I'm sure you'll get more advice from those in the biz, but from my perspective, if you think you're pretty interested in a particular vehicle, then scheduling a test drive is a good idea.

If the opportunity to make an appointment is available, then it seems that the salesperson would be able to prepare for your visit by having any print material related to the vehicle ready, be prepared to answer any questions about the vehicle and current pricing/promotions, and would have set aside enough time to spend with you without interruption.

As many of the salespeople who are members here will tell you, be sure to make the appointment when you KNOW you can make it

No-shows stink.

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

ateixeira · October 2004

Absolutely Joseph, I quite often disagree with what a reviewer writes. You can't take their word for everything, you gotta sample things for yourself!

Schedule a test drive?

If you're seriously looking into that car, sure, by all means. If you are just casually shopping, I don't think I would. I'd just drop in.

-juice

stickguy · October 2004

Got a card in the mail from Volvo the other day. They are having a tie-in the the "Alex's dream" charity (the lemonade stand group, might be more regional). Anyway, if you drive something next weekend, they make a $10 donation.

So, since she is shopping, and the XC-90 is technically still on the short list, we will go and do our part for charity.

ateixeira · October 2004

Mercedes did that with the Susan G. Kolman (sp?) Breast Cancer Foundation a while back. I drove every car they had there!

They made a donation based on the number of miles you drove.

-juice

stickguy · October 2004

BMW does those drive events too. At least they bring in cars to drive, and probably personel to help out.

boomchek · October 2004

You're right Kirstie. Having a customer call in advance, and setting up an appointment shows us that they're fairly serious about making a purchase, and that they are willing to spend time with us at the dealership, and willing to learn all about the vehicle they're interested in.

Too many times people come in and want to test drive cars for fun. After a while some of us tend to pre judge potential customers thinking that they're just here because they're bored, and so we end up with a missed opportunity, and the customer ends up with a sour taste because we didn't take them seriously.

bobst · October 2004

A lot of times, we buyers prefer that you not take us seriously. Then you will leave us alone why we walk the lot looking at the cars and trying to decide which model we might want to buy, just like I did this past Saturday.

Kirstie_H · October 2004

Then by all means, don't make an appointment, bob. However, if a buyer is serious and would like to make sure the salesperson's time is at his/her disposal, and attention is undivided by competing demands, making an appointment seems to be the best way to ensure that this is the case.

There's a salesperson that I particularly like to deal with - in order to be certain that I can deal with him, especially as I already know I'm going to be buying from that store, I make an appointment. It also seems to make the whole process run more quickly, which I particularly like.

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

ateixeira · October 2004

Dealers have it rough.

I want to be left alone to browse, even when I'm seriously shopping. When I am ready to buy I will make and appointment with the salesman I want to work with.

A guy in another thread complained that he walked the lot with his girlfriend and noone came out to serve him, so he thought he wasn't being taken seriously. I like it that way.

No two customers are the same.

-juice

stickguy · October 2004

Everyone should be greeted and solicited as to what help they want. If they want to talk, great. If not, they get a card and a "see me if you need anything". Not being greeted at all is unacceptable in any retail environment.

audia8q · October 2004

I like to give out "just looking balloons".....walk around with a red balloon that says just looking on it and you can browse all day without any pesty salespeople.

ateixeira · October 2004

I'd take one of those. 'cept my kids would let it go. ;-)

Any events coming up? The Lexus one was pretty cool. I only wish we'd had more time.

-juice

hansienna · February 2005

I came here to read what real auto enthusiasts are saying after reading this promo in AOL:
"Don't get taken for a ride on your test drive. Plan the route you want to take so you can try various terrain and put the car through it's paces. Make sure you slam the doors, test the brakes and pop the trunk."
I buy used vehicles because too many new ones are abused when people slam the doors, test the brakes, etc. as recommended by the AOL article.

Do any dealerships still have "demonstrator" vehicles or is every new vehicle on the lot available for abuse by any shopper?

ateixeira · February 2005

Yes, dealers often have demos.

When I went to test drive a 6s, I drove the salesman's demo car. It had plenty of miles and was broken in, so I didn't have to hold back.

Great idea, more dealers should do that. The Honda dealers around here have one demo Odyssey and Pilot as well.

-juice

hansienna · February 2005

Thanks. I need to print your posting and take it with me to local dealers.

djm2 · March 2006

I make it a point to drive the vehicle that I am purchasing, not a "demo"! No two vehicles drive the same. There have been times, where I have rejected vehicles from the dealer's new car lot on a test drive, and continued the selection,(from the dealer's stock), until I found a vehicle that I liked. If the sales person doesn't like this process, that is just too bad! It is my money that I am spending, so as such, I can select the new vehicle that makes me happy. Remember, the customer has the power, and the power is money! ---- Best regards. --- Dwayne

isellhondas · March 2006

"No two vehicles drive the same"

In the case of NEW cars, I've never found this to be true!

wlbrown9 · March 2006

I would think the main difference would be the wheels or tires...if there are problems with one I would like to avoid... FWIW, my '00 Trooper had some issues with the factory Bridgstones...dealer did not really want to deal with them, so the problems went away when I finally replaced the Bridgestones with Michelin's... If I had been able to test drive that vehicle..it was on the showroom floor, I might have identified the vibration and had it fixed before purchasing or choosen another vehicle.

ateixeira · March 2006

I had a job in college where we'd drive some fleet Rangers, every one of them felt different, had its own little quirks. On paper they were identical, but I could tell which one of them I was driving even if I'd been blind-folded.

-juice

mgiven · February 2011

Im in the process of buying a certified Civic. I found a particular Civic on the Honda.com (corporate) website by using the search parameters to only display certified civics. This led me to one particular vehicle I was interested in that came up as certified. I then repeated this process on the specific dealers page and only searched for certified Civics and again got this vehicle in the search results.

The description page on the website for this vehicle shows the price and the Honda Certified logo and says in the text description **HONDA CERTIFIED** which to me and my knowledge of English as past tense and already certified. The description goes on to further state that it has been inspected (past tense) and repaired (past tense) and guaranteed (past tense) and lists it as having the 1 year/12,000 mile and 7 years/100,000 powertrain warranties. Even further, the Carfax report clearly shows the car as being offered for sale as a Honda Certified Used Car on 1/24/11.

I went to the dealer on 2/3/11 and they started with the price on the website as the basis and took information and began the financing process and showing the car and all. Then before finalizing the deal they added a $995 charge for certification which they said is the cost to get the car certified and for the warranty.

This raises a lot of ethical and potentially legal questions:
Is this a common practice? Is this even near the cost for certification? And maybe most importantlyCan they advertise one price and list in the description something that is clearly already an included benefit and then tack on a charge for it later? I thought an advertised price can not be changed for something that is already in the advertised description? I am meeting with them on Monday and will ask for the complete charge be removed or Ill walk, but any other ideas of what to add to strengthen the case?

Thankssorry so long.

ateixeira · February 2011

That is very deceptive and I would demand they remove that charge right away.

It was priced as certified, not certified after you bought it.

ateixeira · February 2011

Ford had a promo at the Baltimore auto show, $50 for any test drive. We had to sign up at the show, but heads up for any show-goers in the near future.

Kia also has a $25 test drive. Just mailed mine in, it was to drive an Optima.

cadillacmike · October 2011

I ran into this same situation in March when looking for a CTS. It appears that all the past tense references not really correct. It's not something i approve of, and the dealers' explanations were that if someone wanted to buy it "not certified" they could (they would get remaining original warranty). As i said, i don't agree with their rationalization.

But to list a car with a price and "certified" (past tense) and then to try and say it cost's X dollars mor for "certification" is BS and possibly fradulent. :mad:

stickguy · March 2012

Like ateixaira last year, when I was at the Philly autoshow last month, they were offering a $50 test drive coupon if you signed up with the rep at the show. I did, and had an email with the certificate waiting in my email when I got home, which I have already used.

Subaru did the same thing, but that was $250 off your best deal if you bought something (no freebie for joyriding!)

by coincidence, I got an offer from Toyota in the mail a couple weeks back. Another $50 test drive coupon (since used!), and a $500 bonus discount if you bought (which I didn't).

so on 1 saturday, I tested a couple things we are interested in (my wife is starting to look for her next car) and made $100 doing it! Wish I could get that offer every week.

I am curious though to see if I get a little flurry of offers in the mail for other makes, since I have now been flagged as a "sucker"that will actually use one (and you know these days, that data gets shared).

ateixeira · March 2012

Put me on that list...haven't gotten one of those in a while.

And they're good because they create showroom traffic. A while ago I went to a Mazda event, Zoom Zoom Live they called it, and a little later traded in my Miata for a new one. So they do work.

stever · March 2012

A reporter is looking to interview people who bought new cars during the month of March 2012. Please email pr@edmunds.com with the make and model of your purchase and your daytime contact info no later than Monday, April 2, 2012.

Test Drives & Dealership Promotions

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