Being a car freak and soon to be in the market for a new car, I'm starting to compile a list of cars that I can definitely afford, as well as some that are just out of reach. While I'll ultimately buy the WRX (no question in my mind!), I still want to experience what the other manufacturers have to offer.

Have any of you had problems when asking to test drive an Audi S4 or a BMW M3? Any suggestions on how to approach the salesmen when wanting to take the car out on the road for a spin? I just want to be prepared, in case they tell me no.

-Chris

i've testdriven many a car (incl. the S4 and TT), never been turned down despite looking younger than i actually am. if the salesperson says no, they better give you a damn good reason, or else ask to speak to the manager.

i mean, you are relatively serious about looking at the car, not just looking for a joyride (like me). tell them you have a small, concise list of vehicles you are considering (even name them off for the salesperson) and you'd like to take theirs for a testdrive. can't very well buy a car without testdriving it first.

Don't take this the wrong way... How old are you? I ask because it WILL be a major factor if the salesppl will give you the time of day or not.

You'll probably have a harder time with the BMW dealer more so than the Audi dealer. Whats cool about both dealers are that the salesppl were laid-back, and didn't have the "I need this sale to make my quota or I'm fired" attitude. I had a very good experience at both types of dealerships.

My impressions from the BMW dealer:
If you look under 25 you will definitely have problems with getting a test drive of the M3. The saleswoman I got a test drive from was telling me how cautious BMW USA was with their demo M3's. Basically, if you are under 25 forget it, your not going to drive it. If you act like your not serious about buying the car, your not going to drive it. Also, there IS a 2 year waiting list, and the dealerships are only allowed to take the $500 deposit, no more than that. So the salesppl incentive to sell an M3 is very low, be prepared to sit around for a while, until a salesperson decides to pay you some attention.

You don't have to dress up in khakis or anything like that, just think of this word "confidence", I showed up in worn (no holes) blue jeans and my usual 'slacker' shirt.

Audi Dealer:
First off it was cold and snowing (April/May in Denver) and all the cars on the lot were covered in 6+ inches of snow, so there was no way I was going to test drive that day, but I decided to talk anyway and see if the salesppl were halfway decent. The salesman was probably one of the coolest I've met, answered all my questions, and chatted with him for quite a while. He told me some info that 'if' you were to buy an S4, it is DEFINITELY worth checking out the used S4's as it is commonplace for some Business Exec, or a Business Execs wife to lease a car for a year, only to get tired of it and then wants to try something new. He was quoting prices that made my jaw drop.

I was much more impressed with the M3. There's a quote the Bimmer owners say "If you ain't ready to buy, don't even try" or something close to that.

Oh, I am 25 yrs old.

Hope that helps,
-Will

I got turned down by one Scoobie dealer when I went to test drive the WRX. I asked the guy a bunch of questions and he really didn't seem to care if he sold it to me or not. I'm 24 and probably look younger than that.

I argued with him that I was real close to buying and just needed a test drive to convince me. Still no. Not sure what his reasoning was, but it was clear he wanted me out of the showroom. I went to another dealer in another city and they asked me if I wanted a test drive right then and there. Guess it just depends on the dealer.

I've never had any other trouble with any other salespeople and I've driven quite a few cars - especially recently trying to decide on the new ride.

Ordered the WRX from the dealer who gave me the test drive 3 weeks later. Walked into the store and he remembered who I was. Still waiting for the WRX (3-4 weeks now!). Can't wait.

I've test driven whatever I wanted. Looking professional is key.

Except for that damn Ford dealer that told me, "we sell our SVT Cobras to people who expect the cars to have zero miles."

My response, "So where is the demo?"

He says, "They are too rare for a demo."

"Let me see your boss."

The boss backs up the salesman.

Off I go.

How did they know I just wanted a joyride?

:D

So what are the "requirments" for you to able to test drive? Just a liscense?

Subies

I'm 29, almost 30. I look younger than I am, from what people tell me. I've never had a problem test-driving cars before, but I was in a different price-point than I am now. I love cars, and love the S4 and M3. I'm sure it's all about attitude, and not looking like I just came from the Phil & Friends show (I wish!).

There aren't "requirements" per se, just depends on the sales people, the dealership's policy, etc. The salesman that was with me for the WRX wagon drive told me he made some 17 yr old punk pull over because he was driving like an *******. I personally would've told the kid to come back with his parents if he wanted to drive it.

Anyway, I plan on heading down to the Audi and possibly the Bimmer dealership this Sat, with a list of other cars I plan on driving this summer. It looks a little something like this:

WRX sedan (already drove the wagon, gonna head to Boulder for the sedan drive)
Audi S4
BMW M3
Lexus IS300
Saab 9-3 Viggen
Volvo S60 T5
Toyota Celica GT-S
Toyota MR2

Any others I've forgotten? :D

-Chris

Yea, you forgot the Ferrari. ;)


-Will

I think it's more about "how much am I going to get out of this deal" attitude.

Honestly, no dealer has ever turned me down except for one and he's living with the mistake of his life...

I'm still interested in getting the Rex wagon...over at Liberty Subaru in NJ, this guy offered me a "good deal" on this board.
So, I went over to test drive and told him if he could make a better deal from which another dealer gave me..mind you this was before the test drive. Well, it wasn't much of a difference, so I said if he could meet half way, since I was already there, we can make a deal.
Mind you...he's good deal wasn't all that great....so he starts babling about how he's the best dealer in NJ and he stocks the most Subarus. I was waiting for the part where he was suppose to impress me :rolleyes:

I told him, "Well, can you make the deal or first let me test drive and if I'm convinced, we'll work it out.

The bastard told me no....he said he knew I had made up my mind about getting it at the dealer with the better offer...

BIG MISTAKE....:mad:

I let him have it!!! I'm not going to get into detail all over again. But I know he regret the moment he treated me like a 17 year old...no offense to those who are...but you understand where I'm coming from.

As far as I know, only 2 people ever bought a car from him on this board....
Some of you Tri-Staters may remember... :D

PS- By the way, I'm 32 yrs old.

I sell Subarus and I've read a lot of stories about peoples bad experiences with dealers and sales people. I hope this helps some how.

IMO the biggest barrier customers have to cope with when shopping for a car is the sales people. Unlike most other professions there is little or no educating or training required by dealers of their sales staff. Most sales people are drawn to the business because they like cars and think they can make some money selling them. Most sales people have very poor interpersonal skills, they tend to be a bit arrogant and condescending because they are't particularly intelligent. They don't listen well at all and have many prejudices.

70%, of sales people don't last more than twelve months in the business. Of the remaining 30% half won't make it to the three year mark. Because of this very high rate of turn over most customers will get a less then effective sales person who will in some way or another offend them.

The attrition rate of "High line manufacturers" dealers such as BMW, MB, Lexus, etc. is very low compared to average brands such as Honda, Toyota, Subaru , any Big Three, etc. The High line brand dealers hire the best of the best sale people. When a customer is considering a car that costs $40,000 and up the dealer wants to know that the sale person is top notch. The average brand dealerships just want to make sure they have a salesperson who can pass the spoon test (are they breathing).

So when I read a comparison between a BMW, or any other high line brand, sales person experience and a Subaru sales person experience and it reports how out standing BMW was and how bad Subaru was I can't help but shake my head. The median price for Subarus is about $26,000, for BMW it's about a huge $60,000. It only makes sense that on average your experience at BMW will be nicer than at Subaru.

You get what you pay for. An A-Typical price of $60,000 is buying you a lot more (read: nicer experience) than the typical price of $26,000.

BUT, that in no way means the dollar for dollar value of a Subaru is any less then that of the BMW. Try shopping for a sales person as much as shopping for a car but remember that you're buying a car and not the person.

The people on this board who report a pleasant Subaru shoping or buying experience are the ones who were lucky enough to have dealt with an A-Typical sales person. Unfortunately A-Typical is just that, A-Typical.

I was told no once when I was 18 years old but I didn't get upset I just went to owner and explained to him that I was really interested he let me drive it. He told me of two guys taking out a pickup rolling it and then leaving before anyone saw it, $1000 deductible out of his pocket. Just don't lose your cool and they will let you drive it, if they don't leave. There are plenty of dealers.

Bob

Dude, be realistic.

Don't expect to test drive an M3. They just came out, and I don't even know of a dealership that has one, and I heard that if they do, expect a 15-20k premium over the sticker.

Think about how many people come to the dealership (like you) to just test drive cars. Thats OK, but on a hard to find exotic (at least until the demand goes down and the production goes up) like the new M3, you probably won't get a test drive until they do a credit check and THEY 'feel' that you are a serious buyer (I am not doubting your income, credit, or $$$ value; I'm just telling you how they think). Also, think about how many miles would be on them if everyone got to test drive it.

The S4 though....you should be allowed to drive it, if not than I think that dealership is crappy and wouldn't buy a car from them anyway.;)

Big Elm-

I'm still waiting for you to come test drive my Sedona Red sedan....:D

newrxnj

Hey New...

Sorry I haven't called you, I was considering waiting to see what the '03 Rex wagon may offer...sunroof, lumbar and so on :(

I should've called and I apologize...honestly, I just forgot to get back with you...

But I would like to consider doing business with you if we make each other happy on the deal... :D

no way. BMW dealers are by far the easiest going people. They know they have "The Shiznit" and they figure that by letting people drive them they will eventually come and buy one, even if it's not their next car.

No offense to subaru (I am VERY happy with my WRX) but it IS a lower-end marque and the subaru dealerships fit the stereotype of lower end sports car test drives. Chevy dealers are too proud to let prospective buyers test drive corvettes and subie dealers are often sketchy about letting people drive WRXs.

However, walking into three different dealerships (two were BMW and two were Porsche) the salesmen all offered me test drives.

As far as test driving goes, the salesman will always be looking for people who can a) afford the car or b) seriously want to buy the car

You can stack the deck in your favor by doing the following:
1.dress nicely (not jeans. wear nice trousers..maybe khakis with a button collared shirt...not a polo or tshirt)

2.be smart (converse with the salesman, develop a rapport, prove you're not a flunky, but somebody who actually knows cars a bit)

3.show intent (discuss w/ salesman other cars you're looking at, discuss differences, suggest that you want to purchase soon)

4.if not offered, ASK for a testdrive (don't be offended when they ask for your driver license...only a few places do not ask).

If you feel you deserve a test drive and are denied one, ALWAYS speak to the manager. Never be mad. Be curteous. If you do not act respectfully, you will never truly earn respect.

All this should not have to be said (it's obvious stuff) but in case you haven't figured out the formula, there it is.

-=cheers=-

I make a habbit of calling the dealership beforehand. I simply get a sales person and tell them something like "I'm interested in the WRX and I wanted to make sure you had one available for a test drive."


If they do make an apointment with the salesperson. Your demonstating that your serious about the car and making it clear that you are there to test drive a car, making it harder for them to disalow you getting behind the wheel

my .02

good call codeboy. This will just about insure a test drive.

I agree, I called my dealer and set up an appointment to test drive a specific car (WRX) I made my appointment and went on a test drive. The salesman was great and because it was a hold he explained that we had to take it easy. I declined to test drive someone elses car but I was thouroughly impressed with it.
A few months later I went to a different dealer to actually drive, I got a kid of about 21 and we went for a test drive. He told me to "feel free to open it up" I did open it up a little in first and second then just tooled around and took it on the freeway. I thanked him for the test drive, told him I'd make my mind up soon and promptly went back to the other dealership to buy my WRX!
I'm no fool, I wanted a car with easy miles on it, not a car that has been"opened up" with <100miles. Thanks to Craig Bond @
Wentworth Subaru in Portland Oregon. He is the man!

I went to a Audi/Porsche dealer to look at the new A6 Avant an they were super cool about it. Let me take the car out for the day and no questions asked. However i went to a BMW dealership to look at a 1995 M3 and they gave me the rat story, oh the battery is deak bla bla bla. Just to top it off they tried to sell me an old 1992 325i that was like $5000. I wanted to look seriosuly at this car, but they destroyed it, BUT to be a biatch I drove by in my friends brand new Corvette Convertable, stopped and got out, walked in the showroom, sat in the new M3 and then left. They didnt seem to happy with me. Oh well they stink :D


Joe

It's interesting to run accross this topic of "test drive and salesperson". Here is my honest to goodness truth input. It's amazing and amusing how things work sometimes.

I'm 33, male, and a graduate student. I'm living in Fort Worth for now studying anesthesia but I'm really from Austin. I was looking for a WRX a couple of months ago and called the dealer in Arlington to set up a test drive. The salesperson I was talking to said just c'mon down because they have one available. An hour later I showed up at the dealership and was excited to give it a test drive. This salesperson took my DL and then disappeared for must have been at least 15 min. When he returned, he told me that there was something wrong with the car and that it's not possible for a test drive and so I left and a little disappointed. I really wanted to test drive the car so I gave him my home and cell phone number and asked him to call me as to when I can reschedule for a test drive before I left. On my way back home and no more than 5 min. away from the dealer I realized that I left my PDA in the receptionist's desk so I immediately called the dealer and asked the secretary to hold it for me. When I got there, the very same salesperson was about to take another potential buyer for a test drive of the new WRX. I wanted to ask him what's the deal but he was in a hurry to take the other client out.

A bit irritated, I left vowed not to buy a car from that dealership. I don't know what made him do that to me up to this day. Perhaps because I was driving my old 1984 Toyota PU that's a bit beat up and he didn't think I could afford a WRX. I showed up wearing khaki shorts, a white T-shirt and leather sandals. The only other information I can recall telling him was that I was a student and that I'm from Austin but since I'm living here in Fort Worth as a student, I'm thinking of buying a new car here in the Dallas/Ft.Worth/Arlington area. I also told him that I've been reading a lot about the new WRX and that's it's been always been my dream to own a Subaru and especially in the last four years. I told him that my wife and I go to either Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, or Montana every summer to do some fly fishing and it would just be perfect to have a four wheel drive car next time we come up. Besides, everybody seems to drive a Subaru to that part of the country. I told him all this after he asked me what led me to Subaru.

Anyway, I ended up buying my new WRX Sportswagon in Temple(conveniently located between Fort Worth and Austin via I-35) because they gave me the time and gave me an honest fair deal. I picked it up Saturday(7-14-01).

Guess what happened this afternoon? This very same salesperson in Arlington called me on my cell phone and said that he is just returning calls to folks that were inquiring about Subarus. "A courtesy call" he said. I can't believe he or the dealer still have my number after two months. This guy is absolutely clueless that we've already met. I'm thinking this guy must be desperate. Knowing immediately that he is that very same salesperson that literally blew me off two months ago, I lied to him and said that Yes, I'm interested in test driving the new WRX. I asked him his work schedule this week and have been contemplating of stopping by just to see his reaction to me this time. It's really a waste of time to deal with this sad fellow but part of me is really curious as to what will transpire. The bottom line is that it's already his loss.

Say I decide to follow through to satisfly my curiosity, what's the approach should I take? Your thoughts.......


P.S. I apologize for being lengthy. By the way, I love my WRX.

If you despritly want the dealer to treat you well, dress apropriatly (suit)and dont drive up in a beater car :p (Unless you want them to realize you need a car BAD)

Anyway, I guess i'd make a good salesman cause I worked 3 summers at a theme park and only had one complaint against me... and that was cause it was my last day and I went off on a guy who decided to sneak into a closed show through the bushes, which of course means the compaint was ignored :D

I don't buy that "dress up appropriately", though for some places you should. I could have stacks of money and dress like a bum, but for some reason appearance does matter for some salesperson. Little do they know that someone dressed like that, could actually make their day and the owners....

There are lots of people in suits who just test drive and have no intention on buying a car...:rolleyes:

Salespersons who judge you by what you wear, would not be the place to do business.

I went to an Audi dealer in shorts and T-shirt, the salesperson still treated me as a professional, no wonder he's been selling Audi's for 20 yrs.... :p

I sold BMWs for 4 years...
You can easily spend every weekend giving butmunches joy rides...

If you want to drive something, just politely ask... no explanations.
The longer the story, the bigger the lie.

Funny thing... we had teenagers driving new 850i's (from daddy of course), and 40 somethings who couldn't afford the gas used in a test drive. The good salesmen know how to tell whose who...

I've been turned down to drive a Honda S2000 just this weekend... I just said "ok" and walked out... Honda dealers are a dime a dozen.

The same day I dropped my wife off at the mall and zipped over to the Ferrari dealer... I told the salesman I was just killing time and he didn't need to waste time on me... he offered to let me drive the 92 Testarossa I was oggling anyway... go figure.

Salesmen are people and alot of peoples are just buttheads. :rolleyes: Get over it and move on.

I don't buy the dress appropriately either. This is especially for those of you who live at or near higher income areas. I've known quite a few $$$$$$$ people, and so far they all dressed in worn blue jeans and t-shirts to work, except for days when there is a board meeting.

It definitely sounds like it all depends on the salesperson you get, but the way it sounds from everyone so far, you probably won't have much trouble at the higher priced car dealerships.


-Will

Confidence is the key, but don't expect it to work for everybody.

I got to test a E36 M3 and a 328i one day, and I was dressed like a typical 22yo. It's just a matter of how you carry yourself.

However, don't expect to drive either the E46 M3 or the new S4. They are both brand new and are in high demand. Used models of each, however, should be easy to get a test drive in.

If you get shafted for ANY reason at a dealer, make sure you stop back and say Hi to him when you get your new car somewhere else. Just a friendly "hey look at my new car.." will work :)

I'm 21 years old , look 10 but never had a problem test driving any cars. In fact, the BMW gave me the keys to a 3,500 mile used roadster and said have fun. The WRX was the same way (the dealership where i live is a BMW, SUBARU, DODGE and VW all in one) I got to test drive it the day they came in, by myself.

suby

I was with a friend looking to buy a Supra (2nd hand), and the salesman wouldn't let him testdrive the one he wanted, so he bought one from another dealer.

Went back the next day to speak to the manager of the first place, and the salesman got fired!

When I was car hunting just before I got my RS, I was seriously looking at a 95 M3 that a local dealership had. Well I was talking with the salesman and he knew that I have well over $1000/month of disposable income at the time. He let me SIT in the car for all of 30 seconds, never look under the hood, in the trunk, test drive? Are you kidding?!? Oh and 5 years old and they wanted $33k for it... ridiculous!

I have never gone back there, and I never will.

Hi,

I sell BMW's, and just so you know, you probably shouldn't bother going to the dealer to test an E46 M3, which is what i'm assuming you are interested in. BMW dealer policy is that you MUST have an M3 ON ORDER to be allowed to take it for a drive. Only those customers with the vehicle on order have driven at our dealer, (not including salesmen of course) and you will get turned down :( i know this seems like a crappy policy, but we find most times it's for our own good, and for the good of the poor demo M3, which gets constantly flogged by customers who do get to drive them. Besides, do you really want to wait like 15 months for a new M3? Go for the S4 if you can really afford it, at least you'll be able to drive one and pick it up the same day...

When I went to get my first look at the 02RS "in the flesh" I was greeted by a very gruff older gentleman who acted like I was wasting his time, and responded to my questions with annoyance.

I called the next day to get an initial price quote and spoke to a very nice salesman, whom I eventually purchased the car from (same dealership.) He was great, took the time to answer all my questions, and he let me test drive the car by myself - he just slapped the magnetic temp plate on and let me go!

Not only did the "gruff" salesman lose my sale, but he ended up being the one who bent down and put the temp license plates on my new car purchased from the nice salesman, who has a bad knee. :D

I gave the "gruff" salesman a big smile on the way out :cool:

~Paul

You do not have to dress up when buying a new car. I bought my car in ripped shorts, sandals and a torn tshirt! I wasnt even in the buying mood that night, I was just inquiring about the REX when I saw the RS, and the salesman gave me the deal of a lifetime! I live in Los Angeles, where people tend to dress better than they should. Oh yeah, I am 25, but look 17.


Val

I was 22 when I bought my first new car. A 1987 Mustang 5.0 LX. Forget about test drives though ! I bought the car from the first Ford dealer that would even talk to me. I must have went to 5 or 6 dealerships and looked at those cars and no salesman even approached me. I can hardly even imagine that now.

I can attest though that the car you pull up in has a lot to do with it. I was only like a year older when my friends parents got a Rolls Royce. We used to take that car out and go to high end car dealers and test drive cars all day, never got turned down in spite of our age.

Recently, right before purchasing my WRX, I stopped at the Honda dealer and an Acura dealer first, it turned out that the Lexus dealer was next door to the Acura dealer so I figured I would just go over and look at the IS300. I really didn't want the car because of the price and I was already pretty sure I as going to get the WRX so I actually tried to play the "I can't really afford this car" bit, subconciously I think trying to get the salesman to blow me off. No dice, instead he asked me to test drive it and wouldn't even take no for an answer even when I told him I would just be wasting his time. I did drive it and I did waste his time, oh well.

Lastly, I went to Valley Dodge/Subaru in the San Fernando Valley. When the salesman approached me I told him I was looking for a WRX, I had already test driven several other cars and was now more convinced than ever that I wanted the WRX, that I was ready to buy that day, and that I just needed to test drive it to make sure I would like it.

He almost didn't let me ! He said I could drive it only if I was serious ! After what I had just told him !

I asked him what options were available on the car and told me none, they all came fully loaded.

To shorten this already too long story, later on we were negotiating on a white one that I had picked out and I wanted to check the invoice price I had gotten off the internet against their invoice price. When I did they didn't match up, theirs was like $700 higher. when I asked for an explanation he said "well that's the invoice price with the options you wanted" it turns out my white car had the premium stereo.

Well I got a little irritated and let him know because the reason I had asked earlier about options was I wanted to get the most stripped model I could to save on weight. In any event since I was now not a happy Subaru buyer the owner came out and asked me to move to a closed door office. Instead I left. I called them after getting home and they informed me that they did not want my buisness and that I should not come back ! That is the first time I had heard that before.

I know what you might be thinking but I didn't yell or use profanity or anything I just let the salesman know that I was unhappy about him outright lying to me about the options.

Theres much more to the story but I did end up buying my WRX from these guys (Silver, NO options) but I was still very dissapointed with the whole experience.

When I was looking for a car, I went to an Audi dealership and inquired about an A4 1.8T. The salesman was really cool and let me go on the lot and find one that I wanted to sit in. I was 16 at the time, now I am 17. He got the keys and pulled it around front. He then grabbed a dealer plate and he didn't even ask how old I was. I told him that I was only 16 as I was quite nervous driving a $33,000.00 vehicle in the snow and then he said well, just drive it in the parking lot to get a feel for it. He then said to come back with my grandparents, uncle, aunt or whoever so that I could test drive it. Oh well. When I was lookin' at Subie's my dealership was willing to drive a 2.5RS to my house to let me drive it. The salesman knew I was only 16 too!

Why did you buy it then? I would have told them to F" off an gone to Assael or Irvine. No one messes with my pride like that! Once I was at a Toyota Dealership in Cerritos, California looking at the Toyota Tundra.


When approached by the salesman who was like greek, russian or armenian, I responded to him "I am just browsing, not interested in buying." He then said "Why the **** are you here then? You dont buy anything and waste my time?" I responded to him "What the hell is your problem, I was just looking!" He then replied sorry "I was just having a bad day...." So then I told him, "Ever hear of not letting your personal problems get to you? Let me speak to your manager, you should be fired you a__hole!" So the manager comes out, we talk, and he gets fired on the spot!!!! :D

Why did I end up buying from them ? Well I was trying to keep this story from getting too long but you asked:

I did decide to not buy from them after they said that. I decided to go to other nearby Subaru dealers. First thing I found out, there weren't any. The next nearest one was in Lancaster and they didn't have any WRX's in stock. (I live in Valencia)

I also had the deal at $1000 over invoice and I didn't expect to get much better than that anywhere else.

The bottom line is that I look at dealing with a car dealer more as a game and try not to take it personally. I had really been pushing them hard on the price and the interest rate for hours and I think I just pushed them to their limit. In the end I got the car I wanted for a fair price and that's all that matters.

The dealer where I bought my RS would not let me test drive the WRX. They said that the people buying them wanted them with low mileage, so they weren't giving out test drives, unless you were very serious.


Justin

The first time I went to the dealer for my 2001RS. I was just there for some literature for the vehicle. I asked for it from a salesman, he looks at me, sighs, and proceeds to thow a catalog at me and walk away. I bought my car somewhere else, and went back to that dealer to get some parts. When I waas there the sales manager recognized me and asked where I found the car. I told him I went 121 miles south and gave them 10grand in cash down. He asked me why I went so far and I had great pleasure telling him how the salesman treated me. Revenge.


Tats.

BTW, I had a tank top on, tats showing, nose ring, earings, and blue hair when i went and got snubbed. Just goes to show you that you that nowdays you can't judge someone by how they look.

This is for the guy who got turned down for a test drive... the guy probably ran your license for a credit report and maybe he saw something he didn't like. Who knows... that happens.

Ok, i test drove a WRX at a really cool dealer. Simmons-Rockwell in PA. This guy clayton I believe was his name, was absolutely nuts. We took out a WRX and he drove it like a mad man. He tried to get it to drift on the on ramp and all sorts of crazy stuff. He was telling me stories about how he always buys old subarus and runs them into the ground. He had this one old subaru that he smashed up on a freeway in a winter storm. He said the car was trashed but it still ran and he drove home. Anyway, this is the guy i would buy a subaru from. He loves the cars, and told me when i'm ready to buy to let him know and he'd get me a great deal. He offered 500 over invoice which is awesome but i wasn't ready to trade my '96 Audi A4 Quattro just yet. I'm waiting for a used WRX I think. I don't like to buy new. :)

When I test drove the WRX wagon, I was taking some time off in West Virginia (I live in AL). I took my Legacy to the local Subie dealer for an oil chage, tire rotation, and a recall notice. While I was hanging out waiting, I decided to check out the WRX. After a few minutes, a younger guy around my age (24) came out and immediately asked if I wanted to drive it. I said "OF COURSE!". He didn't ask for my license or anything. The only thing he knew was that I had my Legacy in the shop! No problem at all...totally validated my decision to get another Subie...and a WRX at that!

Chris

just so you guys know, sometimes the manager will puff up real big and "fire" the sales person in front of your face to make you feel better. they know the sale is shot, and yer just gonna walk anyway. the sales guy/gal will probably get the rest of the day off (but no commissions earned) and be in the showroom the next day, however. such is the game...

if a subie dealer gives ya crap, the best thing to do is email SOA with every person's name you spoke with, and how they treated you. if they treat you like gold, why not also give SOA that feedback?

also remember that you'll get a survey from SOA after you buy your WRX. hey, then is your time to be brutally honest. if everything went great, say so! if any part left you feeling mistreated, however, let em know...the survey is REALLY important to SOA...the dealer will feel the effect, whichever way you grade them.

If a WRX is too precious to let me test drive, then it's far too precious for me to even think of owning. Obviously the car is intended for people of greater means and driving skills than my poor, humble, drive-before-I-buy self.

I encountered this attitude at Santa Monica Subaru -- "We only let you test drive if you're serious about buying." I guess setting foot in the dealership isn't serious enough in their book. As if I haven't got anything better to do than joy-ride in someone else's car.

I'm 34 and look my age. I don't see why they should give a damn about how I'm dressed or what kind of car I drive up in. (I walked to SM Subaru.)

Last time I checked, this was a company still trying to establish a brand identity and build market share in the USA. Or has the WRX made things so peachy already that they can afford to piss off potential customers?

Subaru's dealers seem to be taking for granted that there are a lot of people out here who must have this car, no matter what. That may be so -- but not for me. AWD and turbocharger or not.

Let's see how sanguine they are a year from now.

Before settling on the WRX, I test drove:
Corvette C5
Audi S4, TT
BMW 330ix
Lexus IS300, RX300
Acura 3.2CL Type-S, Integra GT-R
Pontiac Grand Prix (supercharged)
Mitsubishi Eclipse GT, 3000GT VR-4
Dodge Stratus R/T (same as eclipse)
Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

I would have test drove the Viper if I could have found one... :rolleyes:

I was 22-23 at this time. Never got crap, but the Audi, Bimmer, and Lexus dealers rode along on the test drive. The Pontiac dealer sucked, but so did his car, so nuts to him.

I didn't come up with any elaborate lies, I simply told the dealers that I was looking to buy. When they asked how soon, I told them certainly NOT until a month from now, that I was shopping without the means to buy something THAT DAY on purpose. I didn't want to make a rash decision.

I came in jeans with a button down shirt, tucked in and a belt, most of the time. Clean, not necessarily shaved. Always be confident, listen to the dealer and try to make THEM laugh. A lot of shopping for a car is selling the dealer on YOU! You can't just walk into a dealer and stand quietly, expecting them to lavish attention and love on you. I'm in sales.

I laid rubber in the Integra and made it around the test-drive route so fast, I had to stop in a parking lot up the road from the dealer to let the engine cool and so we wouldn't be back TOO soon.

I launched the Stratus and left 30 feet of black marks on the road. The dealer girl was in the back seat.

The Bimmer clutch sucked rocks, it was tight as a pair of hot-pants and caused me one stall and several horrible starts. The car only had 2 miles on it, needed breaking in.

The Audi dealer took the TT to redline... then downshifted. He pegged the tach. The car had 1 mile on it at the time. I feel sorry for whomever bought it. When we took the S4 out, the dealer pulled up next to a ricey Civic and raced him off a light.

Dealers are wacky, be friendly and show them you appreciate a good car, and they'll warm right up to you.

I think that the rareity of the car now and the fact that they can get someone else to buy it without the test drive they figure why bother with yu. I had a great experience buying mine and had no trouble with the test drive.
oh, i'm 25 but look younger.

There's no reason in the world why you should feel you have to sell yourself to a dealer. If you're seriously in the market for a new car, be polite, businesslike, and don't take any crap. You have the power to buy from anyone you want, so if you're not comfortable with ANY part of the interaction, just walk away from it. Always keep your composure.

If they do give you crap, keep your cool and go elsewhere. If they're really bad, let SOA know. I bought my RS from the third Subaru dealer I went to. The other dealers didn't give me a hard time, they just weren't particularly helpful.

Gyro:

When I said "you have to sell yourself to the dealer" I think I was unclear on what I meant...

A lot of people go into a salesroom, be it for cars or whatever, and stand like a stick waiting to be given excellent customer service. While a good salesman will draw the customer out of their shell, car sales take a WHILE to process! This isn't a 5 minute talk, these things can go on for hours... and you haven't even committed to buying anything!

If you want to be warmly received, just be friendly! So none of the salesmen walked up to you right away? Find a likely looking one and introduce yourself! Tell him he's got a great showroom and what nice stuff they sell... us sales people have long, slow, boring, stressful, fun, wacky days. We need to be pepped up, sometimes!

My dealer told me a story, after I bought the car. One day he and the other salesmen were sitting around their desks eating lunch. A guy walked in and started to ask a question, then stopped and said "oh, sorry, you're eating! I can wait till after you've finished your lunch, I'll just browse around."

The dealer was SO impressed at this courtesy, he dropped his sandwich and said "hey, that's so polite, my lunch can wait! What can I help you with?"

Dealers are people. You gotta work with them, you can't expect them to do ALL the nice-work.

Other than what others have suggested about projecting confidence and friendliness I have also noticed that pulling up with a nice vehicle works. This works regardless of whatever you're wearing, your current or other vehicle will speak volumes to eager salesfolk who are trying to size you up in terms of what type of car you want/can afford.

This works especially well if you park your car well within view of the showroom (at many dealers customer parking is right up front and easily seen by people inside).

This especially works if the nice car you are pulling up in is nicer than the one you are planning on test driving or is a direct competitor to the one you are planning on test driving.

I've always gotten better service at dealerships (e.g. shopping for my wifes car, my 4runner, and now my WRX) when I pull up in my Supra. And I wear nothing but jeans and tee-shirts, well I
"dressed up" in a Polo shirt to sign the papers on all my vehicles LOL!

lateRZ

This probably isn't much good to most of you, but I usually just go with my dad. Whenever he's in town, we go find something we'd like a spin in and take turns. There's almost never an age issue (except once they wouldn't let me drive a new DB7 Vantage... just got a ride), and we're both pretty knowledgable so we usually have a fairly pleasant experience with the dealer.

Consider yourself lucky if they even have what you're looking for in stock. Most of the time I'm test driving in Britain and there dealerships are usually completely empty. If they're lucky enough to finally get a demonstrator of whatever it is you wanted to drive, chances are the dealership owner has taken off to France in it with the wife and kids. We've had that happen tons of times. Oh, and despite their best intentions, you better believe that clothes, age and especially accent are a major factor in how the dealers treat you there.

Weirdness
Sopps :)

rogue,

Yup, I misunderstood you. And I agree. The interaction isn't one way and it isn't a quick process. Interpersonal skills are key. I don't necessarily think you've got to buddy up to the salesperson, but a pleasant and professional attitude go a long way - for both customer and salesperson.

The thing is, when dealers think they have a hot car, some sales people get an attitude. I have encountered this when VW starting gettting sales success in the late 90s, and now its starting to happen at some Subaru dealers with the WRX. I love checking out cars and test driving them. Its part of being a car nut!

The best experiences are with the BMW, Audi, and Benz dealers. The second I peek in a car at one of those dealerships a salesperson comes right up and asks if I need help or if there is something I was interested in. "Thought I'd stop in and see the new model line"- and its fine. "lemme know if you have any questions or want to take something out." No problemo. Sometimes we'll strike up a conversation, talk cars, I always end up with a pleasant experience, brochures, and business cards. I don't dress up at all, but I also don't look like I just came back from a volleyball game.

Last subaru dealer, Downtown Oakland Subaru- ugh. The strangest experience- I wanted to test drive a WRX. No go. No way. "Only if I was serious." Of course I'm serious in seeing what the car drives like. And I would have to sign a statement saying I was serious in buying the car that day. They were like sharks or something. What? Is that treating someone like a customer? Talk about no trust, and not establishing a positive relationship. I would never buy a car without at least test driving it and comparison shopping. Fine. I didn't get my test drive, and at that point didn't really want one. I never take stuff like that personally, but from a business standpoint they were shooting themselves in the foot. The attitude will it cost them, and other subie dealers sales in the end.

Glen

I remember two old adages of cars sales:

You don't want the cutomer to buy a car, you want to sell her/him a car.

You're not selling the customer a car, you're selling her/him four or five cars (over a lifetime).

Apparently Subaru's dealers are a little cloudy on these.