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I like your two cents. I don't care what brand a person drives; some of them are good and some of them are not so good. We can find fault and virtues in each model. People buy what they like and/or can afford. It's not likely that will change.
Richard
Richard
I can't afford a Lexus, but I have all three of my Saturns serviced by the local dealer. When you're there as much as I am (not because the Saturns are bad or unreliable, but because one of them is always requiring service of one sort or another), you get on a first name basis with the service department.
C'mon, where are the sales stories? I know folks are buying cars - I've seen a dozen or so new cars driven around in my town with temporary tags the past few weeks.
I like them much better. Wonder if they're making a difference in the perception of consumers?
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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I don't know how it is where you live, but my import-friendly town has no shortage of top-notch independent mechanics, many of whom have Lexus, BMW or Mercedes dealership experience. Although their rates are lower, their work is in no way inferior to that of the dealers. A couple of them have set up shop close enough to my house so that I can drop off the car & walk home.
I never return to the dealer after the manufacturer's warranty runs out, even though our BMW & Lexus dealers have excellent coffee, WiFi and, in the case of the BMW store, a gorgeous receptionist.
Richard
Richard
Richard, go over and just sit in the Lexus and bmw dealerships. Watch the large screen Tv, have a coffee or latte, apple or donut, and see how it feels.
If they ask you what you are doing there, just say, you want to test their waiting room, you might buy a car there next time.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I was watching TV and within half an hour there were 6 car ads. 3 For GM, 1 for Ford and 2 for bmw. All the ads were low key stressing the facts, guarranties, low payment plans, and they were all informative type ads, said with authoratative announcers, no screaming and shouting.
People need to be made to feel secure if they purchase today. The screamer ads probably won't work as well in this climate. The other surprise is that the auto companies are still spending money on ads.
No more ads for Pontiac though
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Richard
One might infer that this guy has a nice bank account.
Richard
My Lexus dealer takes very goodcare of his clients occasionally ordering pizzas ,free wifi and all the goodies!!! :P
But of course nothing is free!!
Other non luxury dealers performance except maybe Saturn is very regional and depends on location..But pretty much any Lexus/BMW/Merc dealership service is superb!!
In this resort area, even Ford and Chrysler have those amenities. You'll have to entice me with more than that. :P
Richard
Yeh, well it was on Fox, I won't tell you what I was watching. Funny thing was, the two bmw ads followed directly after the one GM ad and right after the Ford ad. Does that make any sense?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
In this resort area, even Ford and Chrysler have those amenities. You'll have to entice me with more than that.
Well, you should see the young lady that comes out to greet you and take down your mileage information. Not some old guy in an overcoat or something.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
For the first time in my life I have experienced a hyped up product that has exceeded my expectations. It is intoxicating. I wish I could be doing nothing but driving that car around.....
Folks, trust me now. a BMW is a BMW. I have driven a Lexus 2007 IS250, (and 2008 ES330) but this 1997 740i beats it when it comes to driving experience. You cannot describe it, You have to drive it.
Yes, one might, but paying attention to the context tells another tale. :P
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
I called/emailed about 50 old prospects today. About 5 (10%) said they lost their jobs :sick: 10 others I got a hold of only to be told they're wiating another few months, 5 others bought something already, and the rest I shredded cause no point of them taking up space on my desk when I keep calling or emailing and they never get back to me. :lemon:
I am a pack rat by nature so I rarely throw anything away, even when it comes to prospect names that might sometime in the far future buy from me, but I need to lighten up my load and quit holding on to useless prospects.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Richard
Chikoo says it all. I was skeptical when I tried a 2003 bmw, I thought a car just gets you from point A to point B and just do it in the most paractical, reliable way possible. I just wanted another Jeep. When I took the test drive I didn't want to get out of it. Now, with my 2nd bimmer, I enjoy the driving experience whenever I drive it....anything else feels like a box with a steering wheel.
I am surprised at the number of bmw owners on this site...it seems way out of proportion.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Your post says a lot. It certainly explains why we haven’t heard of a sales tale from you biz guys for quite sometime.
When times were better, how often and how many calls did you make then? From what you said it doesn’t sound like things are getting any better at least not for Chrysler. I don’t recall you saying that your store sells other new cars. So if not, what are the owners saying about what they plan to do?
What’s the word on the street as to when you guys expect car sales in general to pick up? If nothing else, with the traditional good time of the year for car sales ahead, I think it has to pick up a little for that reason alone.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Bye-bye Pontiac! To me, that's a shame. Went to a car show in a little 'burg not far from where I live on Sunday. Old Grand Prix, GTOs, LeMans, Catalinas. Just some beautiful iron. They even had some of the new(er) Pontiacs....the short lived "new" GTOs. The guy who owned it also had a '67.
I asked him what he thought of the possibility (now reality) of Pontiac going away. He was absolutely in love with the brand. His take on the recent attempt at a GTO as tepid. Although he loved his (had a 'vette engine in it). He said GM put so little effort into the G8 and GTO styling, no matter how well they performed, they were doomed.
Finally, Daimler has to pay the piper for their little foray with Chrysler to the tune of $1B+. Couldn't have happened to a nicer company after ruining an iconic American brand. I hope Chrysler survives, but I wouldn't bet my own money on it. What made Daimler think that they could just throw a few Mercedes parts into a Chrysler and believe it would make them better is the very definition of arrogance.
Speaking of Chrysler, saw a couple of Plymouth Prowlers on display. Hadn't seen those in quite some time. Surprisingly, they seemed to have held up well as a "niche" vehicle. Wouldn't mind having one myself as a Sunday tourer.
They always have a lot of cool cars, there... Usually the weather sucks for their show, but not this year..
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You beat me to it. I was about to comment about Pontiac “officially” going away.
My first new car was a 66’ Bonneville 2 door hard top. It had a 389 V8 that moved that boat pretty good but nothing like my brother’s friend that lived around the corner who had a 66’ GTO. Although his car had the same engine it also had 2 four barrel carbs and a different exhaust system which made that beast sound like it wanted to eat something. Made me keep my beauty away from it.
It sure was a good car company at one time. For that matter, so was GM. Perfect bad example of what happens when you sit back and pat yourself on the back.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I really like the Ford model of Ford, Mercury and Lincoln. Not too much overlap but 3 defined lines of autos.
When we were first married, he let us drive "demonstrators" for 3-6 months. We had a Star Chief, a Tempest, a GTO, a Bonneville, a Grand Prix, etc. After three years, we accepted job offers in South Carolina. He sold me the GTO convertible to take with us. It was navy blue with a white rag top and white interior. We drove it for six years and never had one problem with it. We traded it for a big four door tank---Buick LeSabre. It was navy blue with a Carolina blue top and navy interior. For months, my wife wouldn't tell her dad that we weren't driving a Pontiac. When he found out, he laughed and said, "It's still in the big family." He was such a great guy.
Richard
But that was the way it was supposed to work - buying Buick showed him that you were moving up in the world.
Chevy's for the working man - with a wide spectrum available "Cloth upholstry is just fine. Leather doesn't make her run any better"
Pontiacs for the the yuppies "Hate to leave the party but I'm going to be late for my meeting with my new boss!"
Buicks were appropriate for those who had become successful - "Doing quite well since the promotion a few years back, thank you"
Oldsmobiles were more 'established money' - a little quiet and less noticible than a Buick "Oh, yes, business as usual"
Cadillacs were for the entrepreneurially successful.. Always a little flashy but the most and best of everything. "Yup, hit a gusher in the back 40"
Somewhere that order all got shuffled....
Well, the Lincoln Towncar was the finest car that I ever owned. The engine, the ride, the suspension, etc. was absolutely flawless. There are still thousands of Lincoln owners who love their cars. With the aging population increasing each day, I would imagine that the production lines will keep moving for a few more years. I do hope so.
Richard
Your perspective seems perfectly correct to me. That is the way that life used to be. Things are so different now.
Richard
I was amazed in the customer area, instead of coffee and snacks, they had a Metamucil machine and a bowl of antacid tablets.
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Our local Buick dealer features Fibre 1 and bran muffins in the waiting room.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I always follow up with my unsold customers whether it's slow or busy. But lately, a lot of people are afraid to buy something because they think they may lose their jobs, and they're not sure if Chrysler will be around in a few years. So it's a double whammy for us right now.
The people that really do need a car will buy, and the ones that bought because they gotta have new toys every couple of years are more restrianed and don't splurge as much.
I don't know when sales will pick up. We just gotta do with the lower traffic we have now, maximize every opportunity, and do our best. Even people I worked with at my old Honda dealer say sales have dropped there and they're hovering around minimum wage pay :lemon:
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Try whittling the list down a little. GM is trying to find a buyer for Saturn, someone to take Saturn independent. The new GM will be Chevy, Buick, Cadillac and GMC.
My soon-to-be wife found my first BMW for me back in 1983(I had been hooked on BMWs since 8th Grade, when-as I've mentioned before-I found David E.Davis Jr.'s classic article Turn Your Hymnals to 2002. In 1998 my wife finally decided to see what the fuss was about(her prior rides had been a Buick Skylark T-Type, a Merkur Scorpio, a Volvo 740 Turbo, and a Nissan Pathfinder SE) She bought a new 1998 318ti and has never looked back. She also loves our dealer, not because of the opulent waiting room, but because when she has a problem(such as two tire punctures in two months) our service advisor treats her with courtesy and respect- and gets the problem fixed within 30 minutes or so. He's a cool guy, he also has a Triumph Bonneville and he brings his Dakar Yellow E36 M3 to our track events...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Stop! Beer almost came out of my nose when I read that.
That's because you have those wonderful memories of yesteryear. :P
Richard
My late father-in-law was a great guy, but his taste in automobiles was abysmal. He had a couple of mid-nineties Park Avenues, and both were fitted with fake convertible tops and gold trim. One time I had to borrow one while my wife's Volvo was in the shop as I needed to pick up some trim pieces that I had ordered from The BMW Store in Cincinnati(this was long before Swope cracked the whip and hired some good parts managers). I parked in the most remote part of the lot so that I wouldn't be seen behind the wheel. Talk about humiliating...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
They either had a 4 BBL or 3 2's. Wonderful cars.
Let's see...I 've owned a '64 Catalina with a factory 421 and a three speed on the column. I had a '64 Grand Prix and a '67 GTO.
Oh, I almost forgot the beautiful 1949 that had the Indian head hood ornament that lit up at night.
Trouble is, in those days, a Pontiac was a PONTIAC. They had their own engines that were unique to them. A Buick had a Buick engine etc. They even sounded different.
Then everything got blended into one big mess and all of the individual GM cars lost their seperate purpose.
The domestics had it made and then they blew it all. Sad....
Gee, i would have driven down from Jersey and paid money to see that!
Craig, it's the 49 with the light up hood ornament that has me lusting. I remember those.
Buick made some great cars, no doubt about it. While the eighties GM X-Cars had a dismal reputation, my wife's Skylark T-Type was actually a very nice quasi-sports sedan. It had a decent suspension, and the High Output(relatively speaking) V6 gave it adequate grunt for its time. And I wouldn't turn down a 1970 GSX either:
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
They either had a 4 BBL or 3 2's.
Right after I made that post I got to thinking and I thought it had triple 2’s but wasn’t sure so I didn’t try to correct myself. In any case that thing had a mean sound to it. That I'm sure of.
Oh, I almost forgot the beautiful 1949 that had the Indian head hood ornament that lit up at night.
My uncle had one of those it was very unique. I’ll take your word for it that it was a 49’. That was before my car driving days. :shades:
The domestics had it made and then they blew it all. Sad....
It is and they sure did.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl