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Test Drives & Dealership Promotions

157 messages,  Last post on Mar 29, 2012 at 1:13 PM

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What is this discussion about? Car Buying

Messages Page 15 of 16

#138 of 157 Where have the test drivers gone? by hansienna

Feb 18, 2005 (4:12 pm)

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

#139 of 157 Demo by ateixeira

Feb 19, 2005 (9:07 am)

Yes, dealers often have demos.
 
When I went to test drive a 6s, I drove the salesman's demo car. It had plenty of miles and was broken in, so I didn't have to hold back.
 
Great idea, more dealers should do that. The Honda dealers around here have one demo Odyssey and Pilot as well.
 
-juice

#140 of 157 Re: Demo [ateixeira] by hansienna

Feb 19, 2005 (12:09 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Feb 19, 2005 9:07 am)
Thanks. I need to print your posting and take it with me to local dealers.

#141 of 157 Re: Demo [ateixeira] by djm2

Mar 07, 2006 (5:30 am)

Replying to: ateixeira (Feb 19, 2005 9:07 am)
I make it a point to drive the vehicle that I am purchasing, not a "demo"! No two vehicles drive the same. There have been times, where I have rejected vehicles from the dealer's new car lot on a test drive, and continued the selection,(from the dealer's stock), until I found a vehicle that I liked. If the sales person doesn't like this process, that is just too bad! It is my money that I am spending, so as such, I can select the new vehicle that makes me happy. Remember, the customer has the power, and the power is money! ---- Best regards. --- Dwayne

#142 of 157 Really? by isellhondas

Mar 09, 2006 (7:54 am)

"No two vehicles drive the same"
 
In the case of NEW cars, I've never found this to be true!

#143 of 157 Re: Really? [isellhondas] by wlbrown9

Mar 09, 2006 (12:53 pm)

Replying to: isellhondas (Mar 09, 2006 7:54 am)
I would think the main difference would be the wheels or tires...if there are problems with one I would like to avoid... FWIW, my '00 Trooper had some issues with the factory Bridgstones...dealer did not really want to deal with them, so the problems went away when I finally replaced the Bridgestones with Michelin's... If I had been able to test drive that vehicle..it was on the showroom floor, I might have identified the vibration and had it fixed before purchasing or choosen another vehicle.

#144 of 157 Re: Really? [isellhondas] by ateixeira

Mar 10, 2006 (10:02 am)

Replying to: isellhondas (Mar 09, 2006 7:54 am)
I had a job in college where we'd drive some fleet Rangers, every one of them felt different, had its own little quirks. On paper they were identical, but I could tell which one of them I was driving even if I'd been blind-folded.
 
-juice

#145 of 157 the cost of "certification?" by mgiven

Feb 07, 2011 (5:45 am)

I’m in the process of buying a “certified” Civic. I found a particular Civic on the Honda.com (corporate) website by using the search parameters to only display certified civics. This led me to one particular vehicle I was interested in that came up as certified. I then repeated this process on the specific dealer’s page and only searched for certified Civics and again got this vehicle in the search results.
 
The description page on the website for this vehicle shows the price and the “Honda Certified” logo and says in the text description “**HONDA CERTIFIED**” which to me and my knowledge of English as past tense and already certified. The description goes on to further state that it has been “inspected” (past tense) and “repaired” (past tense) and “guaranteed” (past tense) and lists it as having the 1 year/12,000 mile and 7 years/100,000 powertrain warranties. Even further, the Carfax report clearly shows the car as being “offered for sale as a Honda Certified Used Car” on 1/24/11.
 
I went to the dealer on 2/3/11 and they started with the price on the website as the basis and took information and began the financing process and showing the car and all. Then before finalizing the deal they added a $995 charge for “certification” which they said is the cost to get the car certified and for the warranty.

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

#146 of 157 Re: the cost of "certification?" [mgiven] by ateixeira

Feb 07, 2011 (10:12 am)

Replying to: mgiven (Feb 07, 2011 5:45 am)
That is very deceptive and I would demand they remove that charge right away.
 
It was priced as certified, not certified after you bought it.

#147 of 157 Ford and Kia by ateixeira

Feb 20, 2011 (6:30 pm)

Ford had a promo at the Baltimore auto show, $50 for any test drive. We had to sign up at the show, but heads up for any show-goers in the near future.
 
Kia also has a $25 test drive. Just mailed mine in, it was to drive an Optima.

Messages Page 15 of 16

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