Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see May lease deals!
Options
Stories from the Sales Frontlines
This discussion has been closed.
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Psssssst, I always thought driver100 was a spambot for Audi and BMW. :P
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Yeh, but, for the right price I could be persuaded to change. My contract with bmw and Audi is almost up.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
LOL
And abaco for Mercedes and Rolls royce. :sick:
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Most of us have been around long enough to be suspicious about someone suddenly showing up and posting a review.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
roadburner - wow. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that a site is offering to take money to suppress negative reviews. I think that's a bad idea, personally. A longstanding business with all positive reviews just doesn't look legit. There are always unreasonable customers, or a mistake is made, or a transaction just goes wrong. I'm often more impressed by a business' response to negative reviews than all of the positive reviews. We have several dealerships that get a very high volume of reviews. Most are positive, but stuff happens, and occasionally they get a negative one. Those dealerships usually do a great job of responding to negative content, and it wouldn't dissuade me from doing business with them at all.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
An unhappy customer is MUCH more likely to leave a bad review. I think it gives them some kind of satisfaction or something.
Over the years I've often wondered if there were folks I've responded to who are "plants" by a competitive mark of the manufacturer I was reading about.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
IIRC, Hyuandai's plan was to create a new sales channel under the Genesis name to bring the Genesis and Equus to market but the financial crisis stopped that as potential dealers weren't willing to build new showrooms.
Getting people in the door is the hard part but they seem to be doing OK. They sold fewer Equus' this year but the refreshed 2014 is coming out soon. Genesis sales are down as well.
If they can get some people in the door looking for value and word gets out that the cars are good, they'll get others. It took 15 years of ever improving Sonatas, Accents and Santa Fes to get to the point they are at now. IMHO, they are patient and the Genesis and Equus will be major players in 5-7 years.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
That's exactly the problem VW had with the Phaenton.
EDIT...Nope only showing two stars. I did look at some of the older reviews and they are much better including one that mentioned me by name. No, I didn't ask my customer or bribe them to post that one. Only five reviews showing now. Looks like the older ones don't count.
I just sent a couple of restaurant reviews to Trip Advisor and Yelp. I rarely comment on food or food service because I find that people have such varied expectations, tastes and tolerance that no one would really care about my reviews. I decided to criticize one restaurant for the manager's rudeness. This is a restaurant that my family had eaten at twice before and the food was respectable and atmosphere was pleasant.
In this case I wasn't trying to influence other potential customers as much as to get the attention of the owner/manager. That may be wishful thinking on my part.
I have written numerous reviews on amazon and other sites for products both good and bad. In one case I can remember that I was one of about a dozen reviewers who ripped a really poor product sold through amazon. There wasn't one positive review. Had those reviews been there before I ordered the piece of junk as a Christmas present I would have avoided it like the plague.
My general rule of thumb is that you can usually get some idea of the quality, but that customer reviews should only be one element along with friends, trusted review sites, and "experts" to make a reasonably informed decision. I'd say that using this methodology I have been satisfied about 90% of the time.
Gogiboy
Sometimes dealerships like to send their customers to one particular review site over another - understandable. It's hard to get consumers to write one review sometimes, much less a review on every site out there. So, it's likely your store concentrated on another, if they asked for reviews.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
I looked at a couple of stores at random including the one where I worked and noticed that there seems to be a dropoff in the ratings over the last couple of years. Fewer stars and more unhappy customers.
May be I just picked the wrong stores to look at or just maybe there is a trend here. Maybe the customers are getting more aggressive and demanding and/or the stores are responding by taking off their gloves.
Maybe I'll look some more when I have time.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
The 2011 CRV was an SE. That was basically an EX without a sunroof.
It was leased because of a money factor I couldn't pass up. Lease was up this coming November and our plan was to write a check for the residual and keep it. In May when I turned it in it was in PERFECT shape with 14,000 miles.
One day, I joked with one of the Sales Managers that if he twisted my arm enough I MIGHT flip it for a 2013. No real plan to do this.
Well, they really wanted my 2011 and my arm got twisted.
Upgraded to a 2013 EX. Great money factor, same payment.
Once again, it'll be low mileage and we plan to write a check.
Still have our 2003 EX CRV with 71,000 miles. Like new, always garaged etc.
Paid off many years ago, of course.
The 2013 is as solid as a rock. Quieter and a lot more power it seems.
More options such as Bluetooth that I rarely use and the back up camera that isn't a big deal to either of us.
It's feels much bigger than the 2011 and more substantial. It feels safer, like driving a small tank.
The only complaint from my wife is rear visibility when changing lanes but she's getting used to it.
My wife recently drove the 2003 and she thought the power steering had failed. The electric PS in the 2013 has a great feel to it.
Had it not been for the fantastic resale on CRVS we would have still been driving the 2011. It's a great car too!
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
That's still part of the Equus buying process. They also offer valet pickup and drop off of your car and loaner for service visits and complimentary service for 3/36.
Again, it's their way of trying to offer value to a potential customer.
Industry wide auto sales increased 13.9% from July 2012 compared with July 2013. However, sales from June to July 2013 fell by -(6.4%) yet the press is jubilant about this outcome. The same relationship was true for the Detroit Big Three. Here are the numbers:
Ford year-over-year .+11.3%
June to July 2013 -17.8%
GM year-over-year .+16.3%
June to July 2013 -11.6%
Chrysler year-over-year .+11. 1%
June to July 2013 .... -10.6%
Should the press be so exuberant or do the sales figures merely reflect market dynamics? I believe the decrease from June to July can be explained by customers waiting for the new 2014 models rather than a major reversing trend. Anyone care to weigh in?
She swears by her CRVs.
Regarding the Equus, pulling the trigger on one, especially one that costs $60K+ would be a hard pill for me to swallow. It might drive quite well. But, given the same price, if I could put my derriere in an E350 or an A6 for the same money, that's what I'd buy.
True....Toyota, Honda and Nissan started the same way as Hyundai is right now. But, those brands had a sterling reputation to begin with for quality, reliability, and longevity when they launched their premium brands. Hyundai, although worlds better than they used to be, are still viewed negatively in those categories.
If Hyundai is patient, they might pull it off. But, they definitely need to upgrade their dealerships, and their personnel in order to get people to stop by their stores to even look at a Hyundai.
While, I did buy my son an Elantra several years ago, the dealership I bought it from was in sore need of a remodel. It wasn't dirty, per se. Just needed a serious re-fresh. Plus, the sales tactics they employed at the time (nearly 10 years ago) were akin to the same ones you get from a guy selling knock off "Bolex" watches from the trunk of his car.
I meant overall, for all dealerships, 85%+ of the reviews are positive.
I will admit to being a little surprised by that number. When I hear people (friends, co-workers, relatives) disucssing their new car shopping experience, it certainly doesn't sound 85% positive.
Had it not been for the fantastic resale on CRVS we would have still been driving the 2011. It's a great car too!
I had a very similar experience a couple of months ago. Cost me very, very little to trade in a 2011 Silverado for a 2013 Silverado. ($2,300 plus TT&L).
Personally, i think late model used cars are insanely expensive compared to new cars, and I can't understand why anyone would buy one.
So you got an EX, right? Not an EXL. You got FWD or AWD? Just curious also as to what your lease residual is on the 2013 and if you remember what it was on the 2011.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
But again, they are targeting S or A8 aspirations at the price of an E or A6. Compare the Genesis for features and pricing and you'll be surprised how much of a value they are. Of course, you don't get the badge smugness.
I try to tell him that cars don't have to be traded at 60K any more but hey - it's his money.
An E350 or an A6 vs. a Korean car for the same money? A TOTAL no brainer at least for me.
They blew it (for me anyway) with their junky first offerings that they came to our market with. Then Daewoo..Oh, they were going to be so much better and different as they opened dealerships and tried to elbow themselves into an already overcrowded marketplace.
Their cars weren't anything special and some were troublesome.
They quietly left the US, tails jammed up between their legs.
But...so did Fiat a few years earlier and look at them now!
You can target any group of cars you want. That doesn't mean you actually compete with them. If I'm not willing to look at an Equus and cross shop it against an E350, A6 or 535, why on earth would I look at one if I'm cross shopping S Class, A8s or 6-7 series?
As Craig mentioned, it's a no brainer for me which brand I'd choose over the Hyundai. Matter of fact, for that mid-high $40s out the door price for an Equus, I'd buy a loaded up 328i, or a loaded Acura TL, even an Inifinit M37 (although I'm not really an Infiniti fan). With any of those cars, I'd know what I was getting and what to expect.
The Hyundai? Hearing jmonroe's stories about his Hyundais, all the handwringing over the Genesis about poor suspension (which tells me where the cost cutting took place), and my personal experiences in the Hyundai dealerships, I'd have to take a pass.
Again, when Lexus, Acura, and Infiniti hit the streets, we were all curious about how they would add their sterling quality, design, performance, longevity to the luxury class. We got our answer. They created a whole new market for the Japanese brands.
Hyundai is better off sticking to their bread and butter verticals, at least for the time being. My son's former Elantra, was reliable because of its simplicity. Up until the very end (nearing 150K miles on the odo) it needed a lot of work. But, some of the maintenance and repairs he could do himself. It was relatively simple. Not to say anyone's positive opinion of the Equus is off. They just won't get my money to buy one.
They're riding a bit of a wave with some of their bold designs. I still think it will be a decade or more, in addition to some investment by Hyundai marketers and dealers for much better infrastructure before they will make even a slight dent into the lux arena.
I agree with the above. I also remember how doggedly Hyundai stuck to their guns and finally cracked the small car market market with many fine small cars and SUV'S.
Eventually I think that Hyundai will shake up the luxury car market just as Lexus did some 20 years ago...and that will be a good thing for luxury car buyers. The Equus is certainly not a bad first effort.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
driver--
I mentioned that I left a critical review on Trip Advisor for a restaurant that my family had tried to eat at again for the third year in a row. At that time I mentioned that my real purpose was to let the management know of our displeasure and not to try to necessarily influence others. I have to admit I was surprised when I got a response from the manager on the website. Although her response didn't really address two of my complaints it was proof that at least some of the establishments monitor what is being said about their food and service. I would expect that owners and managers at non-franchise restaurants would be much more sensitive and likely to respond than the corporate drones at franchises like the one where Mike recently ate with his grandson.
Gogiboy
I really like the CRV and I thought my wife was going to get one of the previous generation, but she thought it too big. That was coming out of the 02 Rav4 that I totaled. She felt the same way about the next generation Rav4.
My big complaint about the small SUV (or more properly CUV, now) category is the lack of a full-size spare. I really liked that feature on the previous Gens of Honda and Toyota. Am I the only person who has ever changed a tire or not wanted to have to find a service station within 50 miles on a road trip? Those donuts are absurd. I'm also waiting for the CRV to get a blind spot warning like the Mazda CX5. I think they all offer backup cameras now in at least some trim lines. I know a lot of people scoff at the desire to have this technology, but all of the small SUVs as well as my wife's Scion xB have sizable rear pillar blind spots and the sloping roofs on the CRV and Rav4 don't help either.
Incidentally, I compared a CRV Ex-L with a comparably equipped Ford Escape and the Escape was more than $5K more! I was stunned. How does Ford justify that?
Gogiboy
It is pretty unusual to get a flat anymore. I can count the times on two fingers that I have had a flat in the past 30 years and I used to drive a LOT.
One of those "flats" was a slow leak that was easy to deal with. The other flat was found in the morning in our garage. I pumped it up with a portable compressor and drove to Firestone and had it fixed.
The modern compact spares can he driven at freeway speeds for over 100 miles. Given space constraints it is doubtful that you'll be able to find a full sized spare on any car. You may even find no spare at all and a can of fix a flat. I keep my AAA membership up to date just in case.
A backup camera won't help you with your blind spots but I do agree on the lane change warning.
I will admit, my backup camera helped me today. I went to a local car show and I parked the 2013 CRV in a spot where I though nobody would be able to park in front of me. Well, I was wrong and not only that, someone else pulled right up within six inches of my rear bumper. Grrrrr! I have to say, the rear camera helped a bit although it wasn't necessary.
And, yeah, that same Escape that is 5000.00 more than the CRV will probably be worth 5000.00 LESS ten years from now!
PS - The full sized spare on our 2003 has never been on the ground after ten years and 71,000 miles. Maybe I ought to check the air pressure on it in case the AAA ever needs to install it!
Escapes are very good vehicles, although not what I prefer to drive. My wife in on her 3rd one and the kids drive the older 2.
We did stop by the local Ford store and I was SHOCKED at the price of Explorers and Escapes! CRV's and Pilots were a bargain compared to the prices I saw.
The Wrangler is currently on a Jeep Club off road adventure and I'm glad I'm not along this time!
Honda used to call it 4WD but now, it's AWD.
Deceiving to say " ALL wheel drive when the spare does nothing to propel the car. The spare is a WHEEL, right?
I know they changed the way it works. No longer "Real Time 4WD"
Looks....The CR-V is pretty homely IMHO.
:P
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
The CR-V finally got rid of that stupid wrong way side opening rear hatch.
The Escape has had a more practical top opening rear hatch since it was introduced, almost a decade and a half ago.
Funny, I can't remember even ONE customer complaining about that during those "stupid" years.
And, the one on our 2003 works just fine. Never a bother in any way.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Those CRVs hold their value insanely well. Looking through the paper this AM, I saw some '07s with asking prices in the high $19K range.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Wrangler owners wave at each other as they pass.
Ours is a 12K lease. 10K wouldn't have made much difference.
The main gripe I had was that with the seat back as I like it, reaching the steering wheel was an uncomfortable stretch.
Then I looked....DUH, it has a telescoping steering wheel that the older models didn't have!
I know, my salesperson should have shown me that. I never went to school on these.