Hello fellow forum members,

I am a new member here and previously posted a couple of questions about WRX's in general seeking some basic answers. Today, I decided to go into the dealership close to where I live -- Subaru of Gwinnett, GA. I was initially very excited about test driving the vehicle after all the good words I had heard about the car i.e how well it handles, good car for the price, easy maintenance, AWD, etc.

When I got there, there were no sales people in sight. I decided to look around on my own with my wife. So, we saw a few nice WRX's and I decided I am ready to test drive one, see how it feels and sleep on it and then make a decision.

We looked at the cars for a few more minutes and still no sales people in sight. They must be busy we thought. I decided to go into the building and request one. A sales person then came out, I told him I wanted to look at a black WRX. Here is the conversation:

Sales Agent: "Are you ready to buy one today?"
Me: "Well, I am not going to buy one today, but I would like to test drive one, sleep on it and come back in a few days after I am okay with it."
Sales Agent: "We can't let you test drive the car then. Return back during the week. If you are ready to buy the car today, then I will be able to let you test drive it."
Me: Okay.

Then I left. Now, you guys make a decision as to how helpful the sales guy was. We are talking about a $25,000 car not a $25 car. Even if I was ready to buy it today, I would not have done so immediately just because I needed some time to feel comfortable with my decision etc. Regardless of how busy the dealership is or how unfcomfortable he is with letting somebody drive his damn WRX, I think his decision and what he said has totally turned me off this dealership. Don't get me wrong, I like the car a lot but when a sales agent whose income is based on commission tells you to come back another day just because you were not going to purchase today -- I have never heard of!

Never in my life have I seen such attitude from a sales person to that extent. For God's sake it is a $25,000 car not a $250,000 car. Even so, it is not about the price but your principles. If he is not even helpful when you are looking to buy, would he be more helpful when you are taking your car in for a service?

You and I both know the answer. As such, my conclusion is that I am never going back there. I would advice prospective buyers not to and I am going to tell my colleagues and anybody I know who is interested in buying a Subaru not to go there as well.

Sorry for the long msg but I am quite dissapointed and just wanted to vent.

Take care.

Man thats crap.. I wanted to test drive an STI when the first came out and was denied :( which pissed me off cause i wanted to test drive both the EVO and STI to compare but wasn't able too.

You could probably find a person willing to make a deal on an STI on ebay for probably about 25k or so. That would be a better option than the wrx if the price would be about the same.

Yeah dealerships are almost always like that towards people. Totally not how it should be especially when your paying so much. You should atleast be able to test what your interested in.

I would blame the sales person, not the dealer. First thing out of my mouth after he said no test drive unless you're ready to buy would have been, "can I talk to the sales manager, please."

I'd post this in the SE Region. I think people who work or previously worked there post in SE and they might offer an explanation.

IMHO, the sales people and their attitude should reflect the dealership's vision and business proposition they are offering to prospective buyers. If the sales guy is not able to communicate that, then the dealer is not doing a good job. Here are a couple of things the dealer could do to rectify the problem:

A. Educate their sales people better.
B. Fire the sales guy.
C. Don't do anything.

I suspect the answer is C. Which leads to: if you don't do anything, you will always stay where you are.

My $0.02

I had that happen to me many years ago when I was looking at a Mazda. I asked for the sales manager, and he said they would only give test drives to "serious customers." I left. About 3 weeks later I went back with the new car I had paid cash for. Asked for the general manager and told him the story. Pointed to the car outside, and said "I don't know if you car was a better car or not, and now I don't care. Thought you should know." As I was leaving, I heard the sales manage paged, and the receptionist sounded nervous. :D

the STi is understandable when they first came out in 2004. they would sell out pretty much regardless if somebody test drives it or not. i wouldnt want a bunch of joyriders coming in testing out our 300hp machine. but today, diff story. i would still ask for a good deposit before going. that usually weed out the kiddy joyriders.

but for a wrx, comon...it's only a wrx. you should asked for the sales manager, and if even he denies you...then the dealership is bad.

sorry to hijack, but the other week...me and my friend (23 with a good paying job) went to look at G35 coupes. salesman denied test drive and said if you buy, you can drive. so i went right to the manager and see wt-f is the deal. he said we like to keep the miles low on the car but since i was serious enough about asking the question, he let us drive it. so it all comes down to talking to the right person.

Just say...ok i'll take it! Lets drive it!

Then just leave him hanging after the drive ends. Be as ruthless as they are.
You're not on their schedule, no matter what they try to hook you with.

Look at it from their side though.

You come in asking to drive a WRX. They get that request all day long from joy-riders.

At my work we have had people break three STi axles, a WRX gearbox,blow an STi engine sky-high, and jumped a curb in a Legacy GT at 60mph. All of that occured with a salesman in the car (Different salesman, none of them will go with customers on test drives now) and all of them cost us money. It may seem that they are blowing you off, but they are really just protecting themselves. We still let people test drive cars, but now I volunteer to babysit people that are questionable when it comes to road tests (I don't take any **** either, when I say back you back off, I will and have pulled the hand brake and told people to get the **** out of the car)

When I was 19 and in the market for a new car, the closest dealer invited me to test drive a WRX. When I got there and told them who I was, a salesperson handed me the keys, put a dealer tag on the car and let me go solo. IMHO, this dealer sucks and you should definately go elsewhere.

Its the last day of the month; they probably aren't meeting their quota and just want to sell cars. Would rather spend time with someone ready to sign. Not that that is an excuse for being rude.

....Just so you know, we are a rare breed, but there is SOME sales guys working at Subaru dealers who absolutely LOVE their job, and love talking to people about the awesome machine that is a Subaru. I've never denied anyone of a test drive, the closest I come is asking respect for the end user of the car, and don't go over 5,000 RPMs unless the vehicle is a demo w/miles on it.

I'll talk to anyone anyday about a Subaru, always have, always will... but now I get paid for doing it. :)

Which would you let drive a sports car?

#1
http://www.muchosucko.com/modules/My_eGallery/gallery/Men/Icy_Hot_Stuntaz_500.jpg

#2
http://espn.go.com/media/pg2/2001/0518/photo/s_colin_mcrae_i.jpg

#3
http://www.heroquest.org/album/kalidtest/IMG_0057%20Serious%20Gravesong.JPG

































If you answered #1, HELLOOOOO! McFly!!!!! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!!

If you answered #2 He may be a winning, ex Subaru WRC driver, but he did earn the name McCrash

If you answered #3 Winnar! Just take a look at him. He obviously lives with his parents (therefore he has a disposable income) and is quite clearly a current Subaru owner :lol:

I would blame the sales person, not the dealer. First thing out of my mouth after he said no test drive unless you're ready to buy would have been, "can I talk to the sales manager, please."

I agree, However, I would ask to speak with the General Manager. Explain the situation and see how they resolve it for you? If you can't get anywhere with the General Manager, then I would definately look elsewhere.

When I purchased my STi, I expected them NOT to let me test drive the car.(i'm 27 and look like age 16 :lol: ). After some negotiation, we took the car out for a test drive, but it was only after they knew I was serious about buying the car. If I had no prior knowledge about the STi, and they would not let me test drive one, I would not of purchased it. As a consumer, you have to know what you are buying. Especially here in California where there is no cooling off period.

With a WRX, I would expect them to let you drive the car regardless?

Mike

I went to the only Subaru Dealer in mid Missouri. Walked around a scoped out a few WRX's, until a sales guy came out. Turns out it was the sales manager or something. Anyhow, after talking about hte cars for about 10-15 mins, he asked if I would take it out for a drive so I would believe his claims of 0-60 and all the other things he talked up.

Long story short, I told him I wasn`t comfortable driving it, so he took ME for a test drive in a brand new WRX Wagon. After hopping a curb and scrapping the bottom up showing me how good the 4wd was (???) then flooring it in a residential area reaching 75/80mph before slamming on the brakes, he just grinned and did it again.. Needless to say, it showed me how nice the WRX was, but also had bells ringing in my head not to buy from that dealership!

I would blame the sales person, not the dealer. First thing out of my mouth after he said no test drive unless you're ready to buy would have been, "can I talk to the sales manager, please."

Yup. "Are you ready to buy today?" is a standard pressure line. I've never spent $25k on something without thinking about it for a while; its absurd to spend that much on impulse.

I've gone for plenty of test drives where I told them honestly upfront I was not ready to buy. Never had a problem because of it. Always thanked the salesperson for their time and made sure to get a card from them.

It sound to me like this place was really busy and just wanted to blow you off. Take your business elsewhere.

Yeah, I test drove an 05 yesterday and didn't buy it. Second time I drove one at the Fayetteville, AR dealer. They understood and were very professional. Not everyone that drives a car will buy it. You need to shop for another dealer.

The only way to change that sort of behavior is to do what you said -- never go back there. Then when you buy the WRX from a different dealership, write a letter to the sales manager stating exactly what happened and how his employee's attitude lost his dealership a $25,000 sale.

Chuck H,

Good point. Being an educated buyer, the first thing I did was check the invoice price on edmunds.com. Then submit quotes to all the dealers in the Atlanta area. Compare the prices and options. Then compare the price of the car outside the Atlanta area fitzmall.com etc. For me to actually make the trip into the dealership after having done all this homework meant that I was serious about buying but had to test drive the car and sleep on the decision I was going to make -- return after several days.

I think this is the typical case of the dealership thinking all younger people cannot afford the damn car.

Lucky for me Atlanta has about 3 - 4 Subaru dealerships.

A buyer who is never going back to Subaru of Gwinnett.

I did a lot of research before I bought my 03 as well. I knew the invoice price and all that good stuff and was ready to deal. I went to the dealer closest to me (Nashua Subaru), and was completely turned off by their attitude. The salesman was a complete jerk, and the people at the dealership seemed to be completely ignorant about the cars they sell. So I left there, came on here, asked for recommendations, and ended up going to a dealership 50 miles away (Exeter Subaru) with a great reputation.

I still go to the local place to buy parts, and they seem to be under better management now, but I'd still have to think long and hard before giving them another chance when it's time for my next car.

I've heard bad things recently about the sales people at Gwinnett... I don't know if they've just gotten so wrapped up in their aftermarket parts department and stuff or what. They're good for aftermarket parts and service supposedly. If you are looking for friendlier sales people go to Atlanta Classic Subaru. Much friendlier salespeople, I test drove my first WRX there but did not buy. But that positive experience caused my friend to make a purchase from them... I say go there next.

-D

I got to test drive a 2002 wrx when they first came out, I told the sales guy up front that I was not going to be buying for at least a year, and he still let me. We went for a 45 min drive and covered everthing from city to twistys to freeway. Then a few months ago when I started to seriously look for the car I was going to buy, I went to the same dealership and talked to a different salesguy. I asked about used 04's but they didn't have any, but he let me take out a new one, then took me for a ride is his 440hp 2003, and then in the dealerships project STi.

When he ask's if your going to buy today that's where you laugh at the guy and ask to speak to the manager. Get his name first. Then go in and talk to said manager and make sure the moron is fired, or atleast give that impression.

What was the salesman's name?

I have the dubious honour of having found them on Autotrader and have recommended them in the past. So I sent them a link, via email, to this post. Will keep you informed about their response if any.

When he ask's if your going to buy today that's where you laugh at the guy and ask to speak to the manager. Get his name first. Then go in and talk to said manager and make sure the moron is fired, or atleast give that impression.

What was the salesman's name?

I have the dubious honour of having found them on Autotrader and have recommended them in the past. So I sent them a link, via email, to this post. Will keep you informed about their response if any.

:rolleyes: every salesman would be fired if this was the case.... I detest most salesman because I look young (I'm 27), and I have been denied a test drive even in a WRX.... and he made me feel like the STI was an Ferrari. There's nothing like dealing with a young salesman who 99% of the time makes half as much as you... I think they feel a power trip denying you a test drive...

I don't know... just venting about salesman... Most subaru dealerships I've gone to I've had to educate them about the damn car I'm buying... what is up with that??? Know your product before you try to screw people with unnecessary options, warranties, etc.

Alright, I'm done...

Subaru.com responded:

Thank you for sending an email message to Subaru of Gwinnett/Atlanta. You should be hearing from them within one business day. In case you want to contact them sooner, their address and telephone number are listed below.
Subaru of Gwinnett/Atlanta
2920 Satellite Blvd
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(678)475-3500
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We hope you're satisfied with your Subaru on-line experience. We'll be back in touch in a few days to ask you if our process met your expectations.


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I only know 1 Zipcode by heart.

Hey,

I was in the same boat as you. I went to Subaru of Gwinnett only because it was so close to my house, but I hated the experience. If they don't think you'll buy that day, they don't feel you're worth their time and effort.

Go to Classic Subaru off Roswell Rd. I went there immediately after going to Subaru of Gwinnett, and I purchased my car there. All the Subaru salesmen were busy, so a Cadillac saleman helped me out. They are awesome, and are very willing to negotiate a good deal. I loved my experience there--very relaxed and friendly.

a salesperson handed me the keys, put a dealer tag on the car and let me go solo. IMHO, this dealer sucks and you should definately go elsewhere.


the dealer let me go solo too (well not really i had my daughter with me)....even told me to sleep on it to be sure....

I told the salesperson I didn't know how to drive stick, and they said they'd teach me. Took a brand new WRX to a back road and let me go.

Look at it from their side though.

You come in asking to drive a WRX. They get that request all day long from joy-riders.

At my work we have had people break three STi axles, a WRX gearbox,blow an STi engine sky-high, and jumped a curb in a Legacy GT at 60mph. All of that occured with a salesman in the car (Different salesman, none of them will go with customers on test drives now) and all of them cost us money. It may seem that they are blowing you off, but they are really just protecting themselves. We still let people test drive cars, but now I volunteer to babysit people that are questionable when it comes to road tests (I don't take any **** either, when I say back you back off, I will and have pulled the hand brake and told people to get the **** out of the car)


Well I don't know how it works here, but my brother back in Australia simply uses a technique known as "qualifying" a customer to determine how serious they are and whether they are likely to be able to afford the car. That determines whether or not they get a test drive. Saying no point blank is a pretty stupid sales technique. I'm fairly sure if the dealer principle (or whatever they are called here) heard about that he'd lose the plot.

Hey guys/gals,

Thanks for your kind support and the good words. I was feeling very dissapointed yesterday after what happened. Imagine doing all the research, and going into the dealership ready and be asked to leave because you weren't ready to buy the same day. As I mentioned in my previous post, how many people actually go into the dealership, test drive the car for 15 minutes and then sign the papers? I would wager big $ that it would be a small percentage.

In any case, it is the sales person's lost of commission not mine and the dealership's reputation that gets tainted -- not mine. While the customer is not always right (more often that not he is) I think to disqualify a person from test driving the car just because he is not ready to buy it the same day is silly. Granted, it was the last Saturday of the month, they wanted to only spend time with people who were ready to buy blah blah blah - if you cannot rely on them for 15 minutes for a test drive, when can you rely on them? When you take your car in for an oil change? :o|

As mentioned in my previous post and following several recommendations, I would probably take my business to Classic Subaru of Atlanta or Troncalli Subaru. Hopefully I get some better customer service there. Stay tuned!

Thanks again.
KRL

I never had any trouble getting a test drive, save for once when they had the car at the inside showroom (BTW, didn't buy that car, no surprise). I'm 25, but I think most of the time I was stopping in after work in business casual attire so maybe that helped. In fact most of the time the salesperson brought up the test drive first. I never tell anyone when I'm buying. When I finally bought my car I actually made the appointment for a second test drive but never told the dealer I was going to buy that day as I wasn't 100% sure myself.

How can a dealership expect to sell cars if they won't let you test drive? Like you said, it is their lost business. If the dealer chooses to deny test drives they have to suck it up and expect people to not come back and lose business over it. You won't be the last person upset over it.

:) good forum this one

I had a similar thing happen here in Raleigh. When the EVO first hit, I went to test drive a flashy yellow one and the saleman insisted that I couldn't take it out. Then, about two minutes later he looks at me a said something along the lines of was I seriously interesting in purchasing. I then replied that I too was a busy person and didn't want to waste his time or mine. Five minutes later he returned with the keys...

He wouldn't let me rev it up though.

Hey,
Go to Classic Subaru off Roswell Rd. I went there immediately after going to Subaru of Gwinnett, and I purchased my car there. All the Subaru salesmen were busy, so a Cadillac saleman helped me out. They are awesome, and are very willing to negotiate a good deal. I loved my experience there--very relaxed and friendly.

My experience there was the direct opposite of yours. I will never set foot in that dealer as long as I live. Have you had any after sale dealings with them. Watch out. :furious:

Richard

how many people actually go into the dealership, test drive the car for 15 minutes and then sign the papers? I would wager big $ that it would be a small percentage.

Believe it or not, some people do exactly that. Some don't even drive the car first. For many people a car is just an appliance and as long as it gets a good review from Consumer Reports and they can make the payments they don't care what they drive.

Chief,

The keyword here is "some." I actually am one of those few people. I test drove my last car an '04 Toyota and bought it 15 minutes later for a few different reasons:

1. I knew it was a reliable car.
2. I had test drove it previously and liked it.
3. I didn't have a car to go to work the next day.

That said, the car was also $10,000 less. There are people on this forum whom have had good experiences and bad ones at Subaru of Gwinnett and Classic Subaru of Roswell. The predicament I am in right now is where to go next if Classic Subaru also thinks that all I want is a joy ride. Maybe I actually need to go dressed more proper and in a nicer car.

Or get recommendations from other guru's in here who actually know people at the dealerships.

Either way, thanks for the advice.

At my work we have had people break three STi axles, a WRX gearbox,blow an STi engine sky-high, and jumped a curb in a Legacy GT at 60mph.

Really? Whoa! This Thread is Worthless Without Pics! ;)

--Dan
Mach V
FastWRX.com (www.fastwrx.com)

I went to the only Subaru Dealer in mid Missouri. Walked around a scoped out a few WRX's, until a sales guy came out. Turns out it was the sales manager or something. Anyhow, after talking about hte cars for about 10-15 mins, he asked if I would take it out for a drive so I would believe his claims of 0-60 and all the other things he talked up.

Long story short, I told him I wasn`t comfortable driving it, so he took ME for a test drive in a brand new WRX Wagon. After hopping a curb and scrapping the bottom up showing me how good the 4wd was (???) then flooring it in a residential area reaching 75/80mph before slamming on the brakes, he just grinned and did it again.. Needless to say, it showed me how nice the WRX was, but also had bells ringing in my head not to buy from that dealership!

Sounds like the sales practices at SOS...

I bought my prodrives from them a year ago and they were great to deal with. But mine was all done online.

Really? Whoa! This Thread is Worthless Without Pics! ;)

--Dan
Mach V
FastWRX.com (www.fastwrx.com)


I have some pics, but they are not exactly for sharing.

Although I do keep a piece of the piston (about 3.5 in long and 2in wide) as a paper weight. Aside from one of the rods, that was the largest piece left in the engine.I found pieces of the engine inside the intercooler!!.

The new select monitor will only hold a 4 digit rpm. It read 9999 :lol:

Hello fellow forum members,

I am a new member here and previously posted a couple of questions about WRX's in general seeking some basic answers. Today, I decided to go into the dealership close to where I live -- Subaru of Gwinnett, GA. I was initially very excited about test driving the vehicle after all the good words I had heard about the car i.e how well it handles, good car for the price, easy maintenance, AWD, etc.

When I got there, there were no sales people in sight. I decided to look around on my own with my wife. So, we saw a few nice WRX's and I decided I am ready to test drive one, see how it feels and sleep on it and then make a decision.

We looked at the cars for a few more minutes and still no sales people in sight. They must be busy we thought. I decided to go into the building and request one. A sales person then came out, I told him I wanted to look at a black WRX. Here is the conversation:

Sales Agent: "Are you ready to buy one today?"
Me: "Well, I am not going to buy one today, but I would like to test drive one, sleep on it and come back in a few days after I am okay with it."
Sales Agent: "We can't let you test drive the car then. Return back during the week. If you are ready to buy the car today, then I will be able to let you test drive it."
Me: Okay.

Then I left. Now, you guys make a decision as to how helpful the sales guy was. We are talking about a $25,000 car not a $25 car. Even if I was ready to buy it today, I would not have done so immediately just because I needed some time to feel comfortable with my decision etc. Regardless of how busy the dealership is or how unfcomfortable he is with letting somebody drive his damn WRX, I think his decision and what he said has totally turned me off this dealership. Don't get me wrong, I like the car a lot but when a sales agent whose income is based on commission tells you to come back another day just because you were not going to purchase today -- I have never heard of!

Never in my life have I seen such attitude from a sales person to that extent. For God's sake it is a $25,000 car not a $250,000 car. Even so, it is not about the price but your principles. If he is not even helpful when you are looking to buy, would he be more helpful when you are taking your car in for a service?

You and I both know the answer. As such, my conclusion is that I am never going back there. I would advice prospective buyers not to and I am going to tell my colleagues and anybody I know who is interested in buying a Subaru not to go there as well.

Sorry for the long msg but I am quite dissapointed and just wanted to vent.

Take care.


I would personally like to address this issue. My name is Brad Miller; I am the sales manager at Subaru of Gwinnett. I have been at the store since day one, aprox 3 years. The main reason for joining the store was owning and believing in the Subaru product.

It pains me to hear of the experience you had at this dealership. Having been a buyer and then a seller I have seen both sides of the table. I understand the frustration you have but on my side it’s impossible to fix a problem if you don’t know it exists. I wish you had asked to speak to the sales manager at the time so I could have handled it right then and there. There is nothing that can be done “un-do” the experience you had.

I can tell you is that is not typical of the experience most people have at SOG. Like most people have said don’t let one person spoil what should be a great experience. Also, like most people have mentioned you can understand the amount of people we have through the door that just want to drive the car and have no interest in buying what so ever. Now, this is part of the car business but from a commissioned based job you can see where it is frustrating spinning your wheels (so to speak) when you could be selling a car and bringing home a pay check. I also know you can’t spend $25K in 30 minutes, that’s not what I am suggesting. We constantly offer over night test drives and have for years, even with out the Subaru event. This is to make sure you will be happy with the car even after the sale.

I’m not defending this salesperson in any way but when you have seen both sides you can understand where both parties are coming from. Trust me, we have not invested $80K in an all wheel drive dyno and employ a full time performance tech just to turn away performance buyers. That’s why we have several different type sales people on staff, not everyone gets along with everyone?

I would like for you to re-visit the dealership and work with either Gary Sikes or Neal O’Leary. They have read these threads and were as mad as I was when they found out about your experience. I can only change people’s opinions and perceptions one at a time and if you choose not to come back that is your decision and there is nothing I can do or say to change that. I have also lost any chance to change your opinion and perception of our dealership.

Every day our goal is to be number one in sales, service and parts and the only way to do that is through our customers, after all with out customers we don’t exist! So, in closing I would like to formally apologize on behalf of Subaru of Gwinnett for the treatment you received and to offer you the experience you deserve, should you decide to give us a second chance.

Sincerely,

Brad Miller
Sales Manger
Subaru of Gwinnett

I guess my Email did get through.

i can't speak for the sales department of SOG.....but customer service wise, i wouldn't go anywhere else but SOG.....i just never had a problem with them.....which i can't say the same about rosewell subaru.....

Well I don't know how it works here, but my brother back in Australia simply uses a technique known as "qualifying" a customer to determine how serious they are and whether they are likely to be able to afford the car. That determines whether or not they get a test drive. Saying no point blank is a pretty stupid sales technique. I'm fairly sure if the dealer principle (or whatever they are called here) heard about that he'd lose the plot.


So if I came in with a 95 Impreza L and wanted to buy a 2005 Legacy GT.. I worked at a Subaru dealership before.. I was able to test drive all the Subaru's but not the STi.. I'm 20 so I really did not care, but anyways now that I no longer work for the dealership I wonder what they would think would they let me test drive the LGT?

The best is when they sent me off to pick a Legacy Wagon up from the local mall here, I drove it back Solo, it was a stick, and boy was it great!

I mean I know what to expect of the car now, just curious, beacuse I look 16 but i'm 20, and 18 more weeks 21 :)

....Just so you know, we are a rare breed, but there is SOME sales guys working at Subaru dealers who absolutely LOVE their job, and love talking to people about the awesome machine that is a Subaru. I've never denied anyone of a test drive, the closest I come is asking respect for the end user of the car, and don't go over 5,000 RPMs unless the vehicle is a demo w/miles on it.

I'll talk to anyone anyday about a Subaru, always have, always will... but now I get paid for doing it. :)

I feel just like ya! :D Well, except for the sales "guy" part. ;)

I bought my '05 2.5i Limited wagon from Subaru of Gwinnett in July. I thought I got fair treatment and a fair deal (not without a lot of haggling), but was annoyed with myself for paying the stupid $499.00 "Documentary Fee" they had stamped in bold on the sales invoice. I was led to believe it was necessary but later found out it was just additional dealer mark-up. By all means, if you do decide to by from SOG, insist that they take that bogus charge off the invoice.

I just picked up an 05 STi from SOG and my sales person was Gary Sikes and he was top notch! It was a different kind of purchase but everyone from Gary, Brad and Alex in finance bent over backwords to get the deal done. I drove from Michigan to get the car and was nervous that the deal would change when I got there and would find myself in a bad situation, but everything went off without a hitch! I have to say that it was one of the first positive dealer experiences that I have had and only wish they were closer to me.

Greg

So what was the deal then? Post the price, agreement and pics. Thanks

I stopped by to check out an '04 prodrive stage 3 WRX and was treated very well by Chris in Sales. I'm also considering the '06 WRX TR when it comes out, and I would not deal with any other person in all of GEORGIA! SOG is top notch, and you should give them another shot.

Im 19, when i was in the market for my car, (the end of march of this year) my subaru dealer, slapped a dealer tag on it, threw me the keys, and told me to go home, come back sometime tomorrow to do the paperwork. That salesman sucks. I don't think its the dealers fault, but the fact of the matter is, since most salesmen are comish based, they don't like to waste time on people that may not be serious when there is someone that is serious. I still don't think this salesmen did the right thing, i had the same thing done to me when i was looking at an EVO. I had pre approved credit for over 45,000 for a car, i showed it to them. They let me take the car for a day ( i had to be back at work) and retun it when i got home (around 6pm) so i had the car from about 9am-6.... I didnt go to work that day though :-D

I had a pretty horrible experience at SoG last Saturday (and I hadn't even asked for a test drive). Based on Brad's post, I'm considering going back, partially because I intend to get the car serviced where I buy it, and SoG is more performance oriented. I'm ready to buy on the day I find the car I want (WRB STI w/ gold) at a fair price (as close to 35k out the door as possible (Capital One to the rescue)). Kinda slim pickins on the WRB STI's right now, but I'll wait (Got the Cap One check waiting, but I guess they'll re-issue it if I don't use it before it expires).

I actually went back there. Did not make an appointment or anything during the week when they were less busy. I walked around the lot myself. Saw some sales guys there but they were more involved in checking out somebody else's WRX than helping a new buyer. So I left... again....

I am over it though. I think there are so many places where you can get a Subaru. So many people have been helpful over this forum that even if I don't get it at SOG although I live 3 minutes away, I don't mind driving a few hours away to Jacksonville and getting it there or anywhere else for that matter if I know the salesguy really wants to make the $$ and is going to treat a first time buyer right and not ignore him because he came in with shorts and a wife beater.

I find it really bizarre that although the 06's are out, the sales guys aren't even really motivated on selling the 05's. Maybe the Subaru dealers are making too much money or the franchise owners are not cracking the whip. What do I know?

If you don't have any luck in person you can setup the whole process online. Get the price you want and just take in an order number and pickup your car. Kind of like Drive out, internet shopping.

It doesn't have to be such a pain in the backside! I'm going to pickup a WRB/Gold STI tomorrow. But not from SoG. I'm going to Folger Subaru in Charlotte. I can't begin to express what a joy it has been making the arrangements to get a deal. I PM'd crazyhorse (Tim, internet salesman at Folger) last night after reading about other NASIOC'ers experiences with him. He seemed like a straight up guy, so I just told him what I want, what I have, and what I need. He was straight up on what he could and couldn't do (all of which was very reasonable), he stayed in touch w/ me via PM all day, and I'm going tomorrow to get the STI of my dreams at a much lower price than I could have anywhere else in the Southeast (I checked from Orlando to Charlotte, and Birmingham to Charleston). He even sent me a picture literally minutes after the car came off the truck today!

I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Dude.. you gotta post the pictures of the bad boy first thing you get it tomorrow.. awesome!

I guess I need to post more so i get past the 10 post requirement to post pics.

Hello fellow forum members,

I am a new member here and previously posted a couple of questions about WRX's in general seeking some basic answers. Today, I decided to go into the dealership close to where I live -- Subaru of Gwinnett, GA. I was initially very excited about test driving the vehicle after all the good words I had heard about the car i.e how well it handles, good car for the price, easy maintenance, AWD, etc.

When I got there, there were no sales people in sight. I decided to look around on my own with my wife. So, we saw a few nice WRX's and I decided I am ready to test drive one, see how it feels and sleep on it and then make a decision.

We looked at the cars for a few more minutes and still no sales people in sight. They must be busy we thought. I decided to go into the building and request one. A sales person then came out, I told him I wanted to look at a black WRX. Here is the conversation:

Sales Agent: "Are you ready to buy one today?"
Me: "Well, I am not going to buy one today, but I would like to test drive one, sleep on it and come back in a few days after I am okay with it."
Sales Agent: "We can't let you test drive the car then. Return back during the week. If you are ready to buy the car today, then I will be able to let you test drive it."
Me: Okay.

Then I left. Now, you guys make a decision as to how helpful the sales guy was. We are talking about a $25,000 car not a $25 car. Even if I was ready to buy it today, I would not have done so immediately just because I needed some time to feel comfortable with my decision etc. Regardless of how busy the dealership is or how unfcomfortable he is with letting somebody drive his damn WRX, I think his decision and what he said has totally turned me off this dealership. Don't get me wrong, I like the car a lot but when a sales agent whose income is based on commission tells you to come back another day just because you were not going to purchase today -- I have never heard of!

Never in my life have I seen such attitude from a sales person to that extent. For God's sake it is a $25,000 car not a $250,000 car. Even so, it is not about the price but your principles. If he is not even helpful when you are looking to buy, would he be more helpful when you are taking your car in for a service?

You and I both know the answer. As such, my conclusion is that I am never going back there. I would advice prospective buyers not to and I am going to tell my colleagues and anybody I know who is interested in buying a Subaru not to go there as well.

Sorry for the long msg but I am quite dissapointed and just wanted to vent.

Take care.


I did not read the entire post. Here is what i would do. As a courtesy, i would talk to the sales manager. I would let him/her know what happened. It may be a dealership policy, if so i would never return. THe slaes manager need to know what happened. I would give the manager the name of the salesman. I would also explain that you are very interested, but you need to drive the car to be sure. That is completely understandable. Give the dealership a chance. They may not know that they have a prick working for them, and the only way they can make it right is to tell them about it. If you decide to buy, use this as leverage for xtra options or a better price. Good luck.

Good advice WRX2FFU. Thanks.

Crosseyed-- you gotta post pics dude..

CROSSeyed is in the business office finishing up the paperwork :)

http://www.wrxhackers.com/purdy.jpg <-- his car when it came off the truck


KRL: Told ya to come up here! :lol:

I still can't post pic's.

Looks like you didn't follow what the sales manager told you.I actually went back there. Did not make an appointment or anything during the week when they were less busy. I walked around the lot myself. Saw some sales guys there but they were more involved in checking out somebody else's WRX than helping a new buyer. So I left... again....

I am over it though. I think there are so many places where you can get a Subaru. So many people have been helpful over this forum that even if I don't get it at SOG although I live 3 minutes away, I don't mind driving a few hours away to Jacksonville and getting it there or anywhere else for that matter if I know the salesguy really wants to make the $$ and is going to treat a first time buyer right and not ignore him because he came in with shorts and a wife beater.I would personally like to address this issue. My name is Brad Miller; I am the sales manager at Subaru of Gwinnett.

I understand the frustration you have but on my side it’s impossible to fix a problem if you don’t know it exists. I wish you had asked to speak to the sales manager at the time so I could have handled it right then and there. There is nothing that can be done “un-do” the experience you had.

I would like for you to re-visit the dealership and work with either Gary Sikes or Neal O’Leary.

Nope because I am stubborn...

You tell me what type of service you'd expect if you need to meet the Sales Manager to buy a car..

He gave you two specific sales person to take care of you personally. In other words, he's giving you his best person in his dealership. Believe me no dealership is perfect. I have my own problems this side.

One time, I was gonna buy a used car for work. So I parked my trade-in on their lot. By the way, this is a used car lot. Not the brand new dealership with used car. Anyway, I saw the car I want. When I asked the sales person about the price and he gave me a firm $34k for a used expedition. I asked him and his manager if they can drop the price I'll pay him cash for the difference on my trade-in. And we already agreed the price for the trade-in. To make the story short they didn't want to play.

So I left my car in their lot and crossed the street to see the brand new expedition. The sticker price was $40k. I did the same thing to this people. They said $32k plus tax including my trade-in. It's a deal.

The sales person went into the first car lot to look for my car. He told the people back there that he's here to pickup my car because I just bought a brand new expedition. He told me that their jaw dropped. What a feeling.

I still think you're lucky because the sales manager is willing to work with you. Maybe he can give you a better deal for you to retract some of the negatives on this thread. I've heard a lot about SOG. Specially their service and parts dept. It'll be nice to have a performance shop closer to home.

I can tell you my own negative stories about the Subaru Dealership close to mine. I ended up buying my car 50 miles away better sales people plus mod friendly. But 3 miles away from home is the best.

Also the point that he wants to know the problem so he can address the issue is good. Maybe he'll discipline this people next time they'll greet you with a smile and some refreshment :)

Your point is taken. I think you have provided me with some good insight and advice. But I am never returning there for a few different reasons.

1. Once bitten twice shy
2. There are 4 Subaru dealerships in Atlanta. Somebody out there needs the money more
3. I do not want to encourage this sort of behavior and I think all of us potential car owners should do the same

:cool:

Why buy if your unhappy with the service you have received in the past. While They can't "un-do" the past experience, they can learn from it and make sure it doesn't happen again. Showing un-announced and having it happen again suggests that they didn't do this.

Diabolical reads minds..

I'm just of the opinion that one or two sales guys do not necesarily reflect the rest of the dealership. We've got some guys here that I would NOT want to help STi customers but we also have a few people (i like to think that I'd fall under this category) that do a great job helping everyone. That being said I decided not to pursue a job I interviewed for at SOG because of the old general manager. I have no idea what the guys are like managing it now.