I test drove one of the first MS3s that hit the lot in WV back in October or November of 06... I had no problem getting a test drive. Then I went back about a year later, last November and tried to test drive a red 08 GT. They wouldn't let me. The funny thing is, I'm pretty sure that I'm driving that car that they refused to let me test drive (bought slightly used at a Ford dealership)
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Went to test drive a Speed 3 today...
- Thread starter yobrigidey
- Start date
i'm 21, but they let me test drive mine before i bought it. i also happened to be running errands with my dad when i went there the first time, which i'm sure helped, plus they ran my credit before we went out too.
a couple of days later, i stopped at a dodge dealership to compare the CSRT-4 much like yourself, and they wouldnt let me drive it. i was alone this time, but the guys at that dealership were complete a-holes. they said that all 3 of the ones they had on the lot had either been bought or had deposits on them, which had to be bull s*** (i've still yet to see a single on on the road 3 months later). and the guy tried baiting me to buy because of the $2.99 gas guarantee. how does someone sell cars for a living and not even know their own promos as well as the customer (for those who weren't aware, the $2.99 gas doesnt apply to srt models)
i should have had him give me something in writing saying that i could get the $2.99 gas deal and come back a week later with my uncle, got it at the employee discount, and made them give me the gas guarantee. would have saved a hell of a lot of money.
btw - i did get them to let me sit in the car, and their "world class" seats were enough for me to go out and buy the speed. not to mention the clutch feel... i depressed it numerous times, and when you let it out, it hits the catch point and shoots up off the floor. i can see why so many people can't stand that clutch.
i'll stick very happily with my speed 3.
/end fanboy rant.
a couple of days later, i stopped at a dodge dealership to compare the CSRT-4 much like yourself, and they wouldnt let me drive it. i was alone this time, but the guys at that dealership were complete a-holes. they said that all 3 of the ones they had on the lot had either been bought or had deposits on them, which had to be bull s*** (i've still yet to see a single on on the road 3 months later). and the guy tried baiting me to buy because of the $2.99 gas guarantee. how does someone sell cars for a living and not even know their own promos as well as the customer (for those who weren't aware, the $2.99 gas doesnt apply to srt models)
i should have had him give me something in writing saying that i could get the $2.99 gas deal and come back a week later with my uncle, got it at the employee discount, and made them give me the gas guarantee. would have saved a hell of a lot of money.
btw - i did get them to let me sit in the car, and their "world class" seats were enough for me to go out and buy the speed. not to mention the clutch feel... i depressed it numerous times, and when you let it out, it hits the catch point and shoots up off the floor. i can see why so many people can't stand that clutch.
i'll stick very happily with my speed 3.
/end fanboy rant.
Vindikacione
Member
At Richmond BMW, I was given the keys to everything on the lot with nary a concern. I drove a 65k M3 vert. I got the gas face when asking to drive a 23k MS3 heh.
Interesting. Maybe its a cultural thing. Perhaps there is a Japanese influence that all things made in Japan are fragile and require respect. While the Germans appreciate, to an extent, self-punishment and S&M.
I test drove one here in Tampa that they had to pull out of the showroom. I ordered a new one that I picked up a week later in Philly.
When the car actually arrived (which was a day earlier of the truck), it had like 2 miles on it. Then, the techs or whoever took it for a check run to make sure there were no issues and I drove it off the lot with 11 miles.
I really never looked twice at this car until I drove it. Then, I simply had to have it and I am soo not an implusive kind of buyer.
Then again, I do carry around a suitcase full of cash.....
When the car actually arrived (which was a day earlier of the truck), it had like 2 miles on it. Then, the techs or whoever took it for a check run to make sure there were no issues and I drove it off the lot with 11 miles.
I really never looked twice at this car until I drove it. Then, I simply had to have it and I am soo not an implusive kind of buyer.
Then again, I do carry around a suitcase full of cash.....
jersey_emt
Member
- :
- 04 MSM #1089
I'm 27, but don't look a day over 20. Before I bought my MSP back in 2003 (so I was 22...but looked 17), I went on a test driving rampage. I had no problems test driving cars that were way out of my price range. M3, S4, etc. And before I bought my MSM in 2005, I walked into a Lotus dealership and was thrown a pair of keys to an Elise.
The only time I ever had a slight problem was when I went to test drive a Neon SRT-4. At first, they said no, but after a few minutes of politely and calmly explaining that there is no way that I would even consider purchasing a vehicle that I have never drove, I got the keys to that too.
The line that worked for me (as well as some other people) was something like "a car is, behind a house, the 2nd-most expensive purchase that the average person makes in their lifetime. And you want me to make the 2nd-most expensive purchase in my lifetime on nothing more than your word that the car is great?"
The only time I ever had a slight problem was when I went to test drive a Neon SRT-4. At first, they said no, but after a few minutes of politely and calmly explaining that there is no way that I would even consider purchasing a vehicle that I have never drove, I got the keys to that too.
The line that worked for me (as well as some other people) was something like "a car is, behind a house, the 2nd-most expensive purchase that the average person makes in their lifetime. And you want me to make the 2nd-most expensive purchase in my lifetime on nothing more than your word that the car is great?"
Ok, what's to say your car didn't have 16 miles of clutch dumps and WOT romps down the road without a proper warm up? You don't know and that's why it's not worth obscessing over <100 miles on a brand new car. Sometimes they drive them from dealer to dealer. The dealer franchise I bought my car from has two lots roughly 20 miles away from each other. Maybe they drove my car from one lot to the other to balance their inventory? Who knows? Lots of things can happen in 16 miles. I bet I could break something on this car in less than 1/4 mile. Just like buying a used car with 24k miles, you have no idea what may or may not have happened to that car without your rearend being in the seat, which is even more of a reason to take a test drive in the vehicle you are buying. Would you put it past a dealer to sell you a car that has something broken on it? I wouldn't. Then they'd turn around and void your warranty the next day and accuse you of abusing the car.
If you have ever been to one of the ports where they off-load cars from the ships you will know one thing. They are anything but gentle! Do you think when they have hundreds of vehicles to off load they take the time to warm the vehicle up. Here is the process. Start car throw it in gear and mash the pedal, drive like a nut through the lot park and repeat process. Lets not even talk about the monkeys that port install some of options. I can tell you they are even worse. Then there are the lot jockeys at the dealer. The point is the first few miles of your cars life have been anything but gentle.
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Vindikacione
Member
^^^SO TRUE! Especially the part about the monkeys. I was watching a team of guys off load a ship at the Houston Docks. It would appear, the faster they offload, the more money they made. Hmmm. What a novel concept.?!
FrequentFlyer
Member
- :
- 2008 CWP Mazdaspeed3
i'm 21, but they let me test drive mine before i bought it. i also happened to be running errands with my dad when i went there the first time, which i'm sure helped, plus they ran my credit before we went out too.
What makes you think they ran your credit? If you didn't sign a consent form, they shouldn't have ran your credit and you could go after them legally for doing so. Besides it actually lowering your credit score by getting a credit check (funny how that works, huh?), it is none of their friggen business what your credit is to go take a test drive. They've got dealer plates on the car and have insurance for such activities. Usually they take a copy of your license, which makes sense, but I don't think they can run a credit check off your driver's license number.
I showed up to my dealer with my own financing, ready to buy. I whipped out my loan approval letter for up to $65,000 and said, "I won't need your financing, thank you.". My bank did a credit check on me, so there was no need for another one at the dealer. The only time they really need to do a credit check on you is if you're going with their financing or leasing and really then, it's the financing company that should be doing the credit check, whether it be Mazda American Finance or whoever.
They should have given you the $2.99 gas deal on the Caliber SRT-4 because they'd probably be saving money over having to pay someone's gas to drive a Durango around getting 15mpg. I believe the Caliber get's better MPG than the Speed3.
Vindikacione
Member
Honestly, who wants to be caught driving around in a Caliber?
The guys that want cold drinks in their glove box. And with big "L's" tattoed on their foreheads. (second)
http://www.dodge.com/en/2008/caliber/interior/interior_storage/
FrequentFlyer
Member
- :
- 2008 CWP Mazdaspeed3
Side note about the SRT-4 $2.99 gas deal, the offer is only good for regular and diesel so if the SRT-4 requires premium the deal wouldn't work anyway.
Ha! and diesel is more money than premium. Makes sense!
What makes you think they ran your credit? If you didn't sign a consent form, they shouldn't have ran your credit and you could go after them legally for doing so. Besides it actually lowering your credit score by getting a credit check (funny how that works, huh?), it is none of their friggen business what your credit is to go take a test drive. They've got dealer plates on the car and have insurance for such activities. Usually they take a copy of your license, which makes sense, but I don't think they can run a credit check off your driver's license number.
I showed up to my dealer with my own financing, ready to buy. I whipped out my loan approval letter for up to $65,000 and said, "I won't need your financing, thank you.". My bank did a credit check on me, so there was no need for another one at the dealer. The only time they really need to do a credit check on you is if you're going with their financing or leasing and really then, it's the financing company that should be doing the credit check, whether it be Mazda American Finance or whoever.
They should have given you the $2.99 gas deal on the Caliber SRT-4 because they'd probably be saving money over having to pay someone's gas to drive a Durango around getting 15mpg. I believe the Caliber get's better MPG than the Speed3.
he told me that they did when i was there to buy the car, im assuming from the info on my driver's license because i don't think they had anything else on me. i could care less if they ran a credit score on me... i was going to buy a car anyway, and if they didnt want to be the ones to sell it to me, then that would be their problem. luckily everything worked out, and i really had no problems with how the mazda place went about doing business.
Nismothecat
Member
- :
- 08 Mazdaspeed3
^^^SO TRUE! Especially the part about the monkeys. I was watching a team of guys off load a ship at the Houston Docks. It would appear, the faster they offload, the more money they made. Hmmm. What a novel concept.?!
Longshoreman make loads of money with out even doing any work. my ex's parents both drove cranes(the ones that offload ships) for the port. 4 hour days making over 140k a year working maybe 4 days a week.
Side note about the SRT-4 $2.99 gas deal, the offer is only good for regular and diesel so if the SRT-4 requires premium the deal wouldn't work anyway.
yea, but i was still shocked that the salesman didnt know about it. he didnt know anything really...
but, as frequentflyer already mentioned, if they are going to offer the deal on diesel, i dont quite understand why they wouldnt offer it on the SRT's, or the SRT4 at least. i've been averaging at least 25 mpg in the MS3 thus far, so i'd imagine the dodge's numbers to be remotely similar. and the way dodge does it is to take a certain mileage they expect you to drive (i believe it's 12k) and divide it by the average mpg they expect you to get, and that's how much fuel you're entitled to under their $2.99 price. so, even if you took premium and diesel to be the same price (call it $5 for argument's sake) dodge would have to put out $2 a gallon for up to 12k miles. if the SRT4 got 25 mpg, that would be $960 dodge saves you on gas. for something that gets closer to 15 mpg on diesel, that number would be $1600. they'd lose a lot more money on each vehicle that gets bad mileage that they offer the deal on, regardless of the fuel that goes into it.
not that that would have been a deal breaker for me, i just never quite understood it.
The nearest local dealer said they wouldn't let me test drive a MS3 because it was a "special" car. & that they had to run my credit to see if I would even be able to qualify to purchase the car. I said go ahead & run it, just let me test drive the damn thing. On top of all that, they were blabbing about a $3995 premium mark-up for the MS3.
I ended up going to another dealer and they internet sales guy there practically threw the keys at me to drive the car. I didn't though since I had already done so. Ended up buying the car from him.
I ended up going to another dealer and they internet sales guy there practically threw the keys at me to drive the car. I didn't though since I had already done so. Ended up buying the car from him.
I never really understood anything Chrysler does. Why kill off the neon srt4 and bring out a caliber srt4? They are in big trouble and are trying to move cars, it doesn't make sense to do diesel but not premium by cost but I think the reasoning behind that is people with "normal" 87 octane cars could then put premium in all the time even if it wasn't necessary and Chrysler would lose more money, but diesel you cant put in other grades... Just my thinking don't know if it makes sense to anyone else.
I cant stand the dealers that try and get a $4000 premium for these cars its ridiculous. I walked out of a dealer because they said they wouldn't go lower than MSRP, I know I didn't get the best deal out there but I was happy with my experience and I love the car so I don't care.
I cant stand the dealers that try and get a $4000 premium for these cars its ridiculous. I walked out of a dealer because they said they wouldn't go lower than MSRP, I know I didn't get the best deal out there but I was happy with my experience and I love the car so I don't care.
Vindikacione
Member
Longshoreman make loads of money with out even doing any work. my ex's parents both drove cranes(the ones that offload ships) for the port. 4 hour days making over 140k a year working maybe 4 days a week.
That's 140K combined or per parent?
Nismothecat
Member
- :
- 08 Mazdaspeed3
That's 140K combined or per parent?
per parent. most people start out at 35 an hour moving trucks from one spot to another. its a really hard job to get. you basically have to know someone.
Nachtsturm
Member
I have bought 37 cars, and you could imagine how much shopping/test drives I have done. Some serious, some not(at the moment).
I have only been denied twice for a test drive.
1. When the EVO VIII came out....they had to get the manager's approval just to start the damn thing. I was 20 at the time, but I was driving a 56k BMW M3. Was thinking about going cheaper.
2. A used corvette coupe auto, asked me what I did for a living etc. I even programmed their damn remote for the car. What was funny I just got done test driving new vettes at a sister dealership. Then after we left, and saw the car we were driving in, they tried to get us back. We did not come back.
I will never buy a car without test driving it. NEVER. I went to the dealer and 20 minutes to close, i asked if they had any in stock, they said yes. I asked if he would do supplier pricing and if so, after i take it for a test drive and like it, I'll buy it. And that is how it went down.
I am still pissed that white came out afew months after I bought the car.
If you want to test drive nice cars your best bet is to do it at higher end dealerships. For instance, you might not be able to test drive a 911 at a nissan dealership, but at a Jaguar dealership they could care less.
I have only been denied twice for a test drive.
1. When the EVO VIII came out....they had to get the manager's approval just to start the damn thing. I was 20 at the time, but I was driving a 56k BMW M3. Was thinking about going cheaper.
2. A used corvette coupe auto, asked me what I did for a living etc. I even programmed their damn remote for the car. What was funny I just got done test driving new vettes at a sister dealership. Then after we left, and saw the car we were driving in, they tried to get us back. We did not come back.
I will never buy a car without test driving it. NEVER. I went to the dealer and 20 minutes to close, i asked if they had any in stock, they said yes. I asked if he would do supplier pricing and if so, after i take it for a test drive and like it, I'll buy it. And that is how it went down.
I am still pissed that white came out afew months after I bought the car.
If you want to test drive nice cars your best bet is to do it at higher end dealerships. For instance, you might not be able to test drive a 911 at a nissan dealership, but at a Jaguar dealership they could care less.
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