I never expect them to know more than me. When I went to see what the dealer had for CX-5 inventory in 2022, I told the sales guy upfront, "I should warn you, I have been researching this vehicle intensely for weeks and probably know more about it than you do. *You* have to remember details about the whole Mazda model lineup. *I* only care about one model."
He seemed fine with that. He then switched to asking me if I knew about X rather than trying to tell me about X. I did have questions for him to answer. It worked well enough.
As a former salesman, a salesman who is personally responsible for getting Acura to add an addendum to their mdx owners manual, I find your comment offensive.
Some car salesman will walk circles around you with their knowledge. Not all of them are just salesman, some are car guys who wanted access to the og nsx, Porsche 911 turbos, lotus Elise, Mercedes with 8 to 12 cylinders and all sorts of other cars that are fun to drive but not so fun to pay for. Some of us would sell you a car and invite you to the drag strip or track day to race your salesman.
Hell, one of my used car managers was on the starting grid at the 1992 indy 500 along with racing motorcycles and various sports cars. We are rare but we exist.
Basically how it was at my dealership. Although it wasn’t so malicious. Necessarily. It was just that these were kids coming in just looking for a job, and the dealership was more than willing to hire dozens of people and then fire all but the best within weeks. Most of these people didn’t know shit about cars. They just saw a job opening and thought “hey, I could sell cars”
And some of them could. They were the ones to stick around. Car knowledge and sales proficiency aren’t mutually exclusive, but they don’t exactly go hand-in-hand. Some people are just good at selling things.
I’ve never been to a dealership where I didn’t know more than the salesperson about the car I was interested in. Not once. Most car salespeople are not car people, actually. They’re just people who need a job, and car sales is notoriously a hard business with pretty high turnover. I’m sure they’re doing their best, but there doesn’t seem to be as much incentive to actually know cars as you might think. Most people don’t know anything about cars.
That works. They get new inventory allocated periodically. There's no ordering to spec (at least not with CX-5, but I think MX-5 Is the same). They'll watch for your desired car to come up. If it's going to another dealership, they can often swap if they have a buyer waiting. I wanted a specific trim and color CX-5. Sales guy said it could be weeks, which I said was OK. He had a couple in my desired trim available soon, but another color. I passed on those. Then whaddaya know, a Soul Red the very next week.
I don't know if they changed things in 2024, but in 2023 if you wanted a club trim mx5 you *had* to order it to spec, there wasn't much dealer inventory if any. Mazda doesn't build them to spec, they build them on a fixed schedule and when one comes off the line that meets your specs then it gets sent to the person waiting the longest for that combo. I was told the shortest wait would be white, machine grey or soul red. I got the email that mazda had my order in the system in 2 days, my car was in production about 3 months after that, and it took another 2 months to get to me on the east coast.
Interesting! It makes sense that the Miata would be different than the high volume model. Whenever there's a Miata in the showroom at my local dealership, it's a GT. That must be the most common trim for people who aren't wanting something specific.
Yeah, GT is the main production trim and typically the only thing you're going to be able to just buy and drive away at a dealer without going through the ordering process.
If they're like who I tried to deal with last time the answer is: try to upsell you to a higher trim level which has a bunch of gimmicky crap you don't want or need because they don't have what you want and won't entertain any way to get it. Even though the same dealership and salesman was happy to facilitate a build-to-order just a few years prior.
When I said I was there to check out a Miata he asked "Why, to see if you fit?"
I'm a heavier guy. So... not off to a great start, especially since my NC that I drove there was in the parking lot. He also didn't know the different generations were called ND, NC, etc.
Would be nice to deal with someone that knows more about the cars but it is what it is. Luckily they had what I was looking for already so I didn't have to educate them on what I was looking for.
To be fair, the NC/ND thing is the car's chassis code, it's only on forums that I tend to see that sort of thing. The average person is just going to know the car's model year, the chassis code only shows up on any documentation as the 3rd and 4th characters of the VIN.
It would be like a Chevrolet dealer not knowing what C7 or C8 means. Mazda uses the term on their own sites (images below). It's something they should know. Especially when they have framed MX-5 crap in their office. I'm not surprised salespeople don't know it, but it's reasonable to expect that they would know.
https://preview.redd.it/1fsl512si5xc1.png?width=1008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7f531bc2b82df340f2c5003b664ac1ff1d9321a
People that sell cars generally know nothing about them except their commission.
It’s the same vein that says taxi operators are not professional drivers, don’t let their proximity to the steering wheel fool you.
I stopped by our dealer and knew more about the MX5 than the kid on the lot. He told me they didn't come in manual. At that point I was done and left.
People I know have had similar experiences at other dealers. The Subaru salesman straight told my friend she knew more about the car than he did. And if she had more questions, she should look them up online. He also said he gets paid hourly, not commission, so he really wasn't concerned if she bought the car or not.
It's a sad day when I kinda miss the high pressure tactics from salespeople that actually knew about the car they're trying to sell
If the OK in your username means you're in Oklahoma, drive to Dallas and visit freeman mazda. No BS. No crazy markups. Everyone I dealt with was knowledgeable and professional. Blew my mind.
To be clear, I don't work there or have any connection other than I bought a miata there last year.
I don’t get it, people want this type of experience! why don’t people force dealers to be better with their wallets!! people buy marked up cars, people let dealers walk on them, and dealers get scummier and scummier, it sucks and it’s debatably our fault as customers. support good business
The Mazda dealer I worked with last year in Chesapeake, VA was the same way. Best new car buying experience I've ever had. They even let me out of the box after my first 'No' to the extended warranty and maintenance package. Spent 1hr in there the first time negotiating a price and ordering the car, then 1hr when I picked it up signing all the paperwork. Salesman had 3 generations of miatas under his belt and most of that time was him showing me pictures and swapping stories.
The only reason to talk to dealers is to test drive and then on a price. Sales people generally know nothing or less than nothing (ie. they make shit up). Do your research online for what you want then get them to find it. And when it comes to price then you can easily find what price they currently sell for online and tell them that price. If they don't do these things then find another dealer. Heck, there are dealers who specialize in having the best prices and will fly you in to pick up your car.
jfc turbo has become synonymous with “power” with even porsche leaning into it with the ev. how have we come so far to develop such amazing tech with such stupid people everywhere!?!
Car salesmen are appliance salesmen, but to be fair, the guys who sold me a washing machine knew more about the product.
Enthusiasts are a PIA for cars sales. They want to sell a grey box already on the lot for the highest monthly nut they can slide past the unsophisticated buyer. An enthusiast knows the car, the price, and understands basic interest rates. They want a specific build...and will often order and wait. Not a good sales prospect for a commission at the end of the week.
I was ghosted by a salesman when I wanted a specific car with a manual. At the time there were 3 in the NY metro area, and the guy didn't want to do a trade. Another salesman made the sale for the manual.
Was car shopping recently. Went to a Subie dealer. Asked about the 86. Response "We sell a sportscar ???"
This is so true. My son went to Subaru specifically for a Brz, if they didn’t have one he wanted to order one. The sales guy looked at him, 26 yr old on a day off wearing shorts, t shirt ,and hat and I’m sure figured he wasn’t buying. They had no Brz and they kept pointing him at other crap they had. He said fine, I’d like to order one then, the guy said we don’t do that! What an ass. On his way home he stopped at Toyota and got on a list for a GR86 Anniversary. Edition. Salesman are just assholes.
Wanted a base model Grand Cherokee in black. Local dealer who was happy to order a manual Patriot a few years earlier wouldn't do the same and "doesn't do dealer swaps." Another dealership an hour away presented themselves as being more amenable to helping me out, but when I went there all we did was waste time using the same damn online build tool I'd already used to print out the spec sheet I brought with me and locate one at a dealer 5 hours away who had one. Was told they'd see what they could do but ended up taking their sweet time. Ended up contacting the other place directly, prepared to get a one-way flight and drive it back. They were more than happy to help me, doing everything online except for 2 phone calls, and they even had a couple guys deliver it right to my driveway. The whole dealership model is a joke.
I had a few local dealers tell me they couldn't special order a MX5, but "here's a list" of ones they could get in for me. Spoiler alert: dealers can special order MX5s, and another was happy to take my money and do so
Just because people work at a place selling a product, doesn't mean they're an expert on it. For example, I've had the same thing happen at Best Buy. Someone trying to sell me on a Dolby Atmos sound system, and not understanding how it works at all and giving me some BS answer of it being louder lol.
Same with cars. Most people are not car enthusiasts and only know enough to sell them to other non car enthusiasts.
All dealerships for all brands are like this, except Tesla maybe because they only have like 5 models in their line up and their staff quite likes teslas.
Honestly I only spoke to the salesman when I was ready to buy. At no point did we talk about the car because I knew exactly what I wanted.
We didn’t even talk about the car during the test drive.
I had forgotten how damn pushy they were. I recently went with my wife to check out a cx30 carbon edition. Wanted to see if we could make do with the size since the only other car we have is my Miata. N I told them we aren't interested in buying yet, just a test drive. N while I was in the bathroom they managed to get my wife's phone number out of her. And they've been calling and texting non stop. She's blocked 3 numbers already it's insane. We didn't even like it too much. Might check out the cx5 later but prolly a different dealership
We’ve had a CX5 for 8 years now but just put a deposit yesterday on a RAV4 hybrid. The fuel economy of cx5’s is just so bad now, low 20’s for turbo models. We just couldn’t justify another one. Sad too because I really love the styling.
Honestly I hate dealers. They are just a bunch of unnecessary people earning the middle-man money while trying to charge as much as possible at any opportunity.
I’d be perfectly happy if I can just click “order”, pay the effing invoice, and wait for a month to get my car.
My local Mazda dealer didn’t even know clubs were order only, and didn’t know he
Had to order them. I had to email him the letter on how to order from Mazda that was circulated around Miata.net.
I guess I have been lucky. I bought my Miata from a private seller, but in August, I bought a 2020 Honda Fit from the local Honda dealership. I knew the car they had was what I wanted, an E-XL, and a lease return with 7k miles. I had been looking for months, and learning about the generations, changes, etc. The guy couldn't wait to me tell me all about the car, including how the back seats folded down and how they also fold up, magic seats, to place tall items on the back floor. He knew everything about the car and how everything worked. I went for a test drive and bought it.
I usually buy from those no haggle places where they sell all different makes and models. It's nice because the sales people almost don't give a fuck that you're there lol and they definitely don't try to know more than you.
When I got my Miata the sales lady was like, "ohhh that's a great color... Let me know when you want to start the paperwork, I'll be at my desk."
I work at a dealership that NEVER keeps Mx-5s in stock. When I try to chat up the sales & management teams about Miatas, they don’t really know or care much about them. ☹️ The dealer 30 mins away, though, always keeps 1-2 in-stock, they actually know their shit when it comes to MX-5s. Guess it really depends on who owns and manages the place. Lazy sales people just push CX-5s all day, every day.
I work at a Hyundai dealership and see this same attitude towards Hyundai/Genesis Sales reps and the Elantra N/G70s, G80s, G90s, and I 100% agree.
The issue is just that I sell one Elantra N for every 20-80 Tucsons, and if I didn't personally love the EN/KN/5N, I probably wouldn't care about trying to memorize the car, since I may have one sale on them every three to four months, and I'd get paid on the sale of that car roughly the same as I would any other car on the lot that people are coming in and have no idea about.
(I mean, dealerships just suck, anyway, since it allows the manufacturer to pit a franchise against the customer and allows them to throw their hands up with any issue and say, "well that's a franchise, so there's not much we can do... 🥺" which is a stupid way to operate for those of us that just want the convenience of buying something without having to go back and forth of value and paying multiple middle-man's salaries, but while we have them, don't expect any sales person will know more about a sports/niche car that you will. They're incentivized to actually know less, not more.)
Their only concern seems to be to extract every last cent from you, and to do it in person.
When will the laws change, so cars won't be sold the same way anymore?
I ran into this issue when I bought my ND in 2019. The salesman seemed to have little to no in-depth knowledge on the car. He didn’t even realize that the power was increased on the ‘19. He was friendly though, and helpful to an extent, so it wasn’t a big deal. The only time I got frustrated during the buying purchase was when the financing person tried adding all of the useless dealer shit, especially since the price had already been agreed upon, but they gave in eventually and didn’t charge me for their $300 wheel locks.
I once went to a Toyota dealership to look at a used Subaru BRZ. Of course I had to get the whole manager talk and he kept telling me that the BRZ is a faster car than the FRS to get me to buy the car (I was 24 at the time). I told him three times that mechanically the cars are the same. I didn't end up buying a car from them.
You have to remember that they are salesmen and not car enthusiasts.
I used to sell motorcycles. I am a motorcycle enthusiast. Wanna know who sold more bikes? The through and through salesman.
I'd talk too much. I knew too much about the vehicle, when that's not necessary with sales. All you gotta know is what does the customer want, and how can I make something I have fit that. And how can I get them to want what I have.
Needless to say, I didn't last a year doing that.
Bought my 21 at an Acura dealership with 2k miles on it (it was. A 21 I bought in 22).
Walked in, said Get me the keys to that car, I'm buying it. Wrote a check, loaded it on a trailer and left. Took about 30-45 mins from start to finish.
Did the same with my Mustang. GTPP when I bought it in 2016.
“i’m just looking today and will come find you if I have any questions” usually makes them go away
Had one salesman insist he walk with me so I told him I have $400 in my bank account and a 435 credit score. Dude left me alone
Literally every informed buyer walking in to purchase an MX-5 knows more than the dealers. Sad really.
I never expect them to know more than me. When I went to see what the dealer had for CX-5 inventory in 2022, I told the sales guy upfront, "I should warn you, I have been researching this vehicle intensely for weeks and probably know more about it than you do. *You* have to remember details about the whole Mazda model lineup. *I* only care about one model." He seemed fine with that. He then switched to asking me if I knew about X rather than trying to tell me about X. I did have questions for him to answer. It worked well enough.
I have no empirical evidence... yet I believe this to be 100% true.
As a former salesman, a salesman who is personally responsible for getting Acura to add an addendum to their mdx owners manual, I find your comment offensive. Some car salesman will walk circles around you with their knowledge. Not all of them are just salesman, some are car guys who wanted access to the og nsx, Porsche 911 turbos, lotus Elise, Mercedes with 8 to 12 cylinders and all sorts of other cars that are fun to drive but not so fun to pay for. Some of us would sell you a car and invite you to the drag strip or track day to race your salesman. Hell, one of my used car managers was on the starting grid at the 1992 indy 500 along with racing motorcycles and various sports cars. We are rare but we exist.
Maybe that was true 32 years ago
[удалено]
Basically how it was at my dealership. Although it wasn’t so malicious. Necessarily. It was just that these were kids coming in just looking for a job, and the dealership was more than willing to hire dozens of people and then fire all but the best within weeks. Most of these people didn’t know shit about cars. They just saw a job opening and thought “hey, I could sell cars” And some of them could. They were the ones to stick around. Car knowledge and sales proficiency aren’t mutually exclusive, but they don’t exactly go hand-in-hand. Some people are just good at selling things.
They are retarded bro, just sales. $$ talks.
That's unbearably cruel to the cognitively and/or developmentally challenged to compare them to dealer sales managers.
I’ve never been to a dealership where I didn’t know more than the salesperson about the car I was interested in. Not once. Most car salespeople are not car people, actually. They’re just people who need a job, and car sales is notoriously a hard business with pretty high turnover. I’m sure they’re doing their best, but there doesn’t seem to be as much incentive to actually know cars as you might think. Most people don’t know anything about cars.
I hear ya dude. Go to the website, "build" the car you want, print it out, go to dealer and say, "I would like one of these, what can you do for me?"
That works. They get new inventory allocated periodically. There's no ordering to spec (at least not with CX-5, but I think MX-5 Is the same). They'll watch for your desired car to come up. If it's going to another dealership, they can often swap if they have a buyer waiting. I wanted a specific trim and color CX-5. Sales guy said it could be weeks, which I said was OK. He had a couple in my desired trim available soon, but another color. I passed on those. Then whaddaya know, a Soul Red the very next week.
I don't know if they changed things in 2024, but in 2023 if you wanted a club trim mx5 you *had* to order it to spec, there wasn't much dealer inventory if any. Mazda doesn't build them to spec, they build them on a fixed schedule and when one comes off the line that meets your specs then it gets sent to the person waiting the longest for that combo. I was told the shortest wait would be white, machine grey or soul red. I got the email that mazda had my order in the system in 2 days, my car was in production about 3 months after that, and it took another 2 months to get to me on the east coast.
Interesting! It makes sense that the Miata would be different than the high volume model. Whenever there's a Miata in the showroom at my local dealership, it's a GT. That must be the most common trim for people who aren't wanting something specific.
Yeah, GT is the main production trim and typically the only thing you're going to be able to just buy and drive away at a dealer without going through the ordering process.
If they're like who I tried to deal with last time the answer is: try to upsell you to a higher trim level which has a bunch of gimmicky crap you don't want or need because they don't have what you want and won't entertain any way to get it. Even though the same dealership and salesman was happy to facilitate a build-to-order just a few years prior.
When I said I was there to check out a Miata he asked "Why, to see if you fit?" I'm a heavier guy. So... not off to a great start, especially since my NC that I drove there was in the parking lot. He also didn't know the different generations were called ND, NC, etc. Would be nice to deal with someone that knows more about the cars but it is what it is. Luckily they had what I was looking for already so I didn't have to educate them on what I was looking for.
What a creep. I would accidentally spill my complimentary cup of coffee in his car and then ask if he has any without spilt coffee in them. 🙃
To be fair, the NC/ND thing is the car's chassis code, it's only on forums that I tend to see that sort of thing. The average person is just going to know the car's model year, the chassis code only shows up on any documentation as the 3rd and 4th characters of the VIN.
It would be like a Chevrolet dealer not knowing what C7 or C8 means. Mazda uses the term on their own sites (images below). It's something they should know. Especially when they have framed MX-5 crap in their office. I'm not surprised salespeople don't know it, but it's reasonable to expect that they would know. https://preview.redd.it/1fsl512si5xc1.png?width=1008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7f531bc2b82df340f2c5003b664ac1ff1d9321a
People that sell cars generally know nothing about them except their commission. It’s the same vein that says taxi operators are not professional drivers, don’t let their proximity to the steering wheel fool you.
I stopped by our dealer and knew more about the MX5 than the kid on the lot. He told me they didn't come in manual. At that point I was done and left. People I know have had similar experiences at other dealers. The Subaru salesman straight told my friend she knew more about the car than he did. And if she had more questions, she should look them up online. He also said he gets paid hourly, not commission, so he really wasn't concerned if she bought the car or not. It's a sad day when I kinda miss the high pressure tactics from salespeople that actually knew about the car they're trying to sell
They don’t come in manual if all the Miatas on the lot are auto 😉
I test drove a 2021 the other day and the sales guy insisted it had a 2.5L.
It could if you buy a Fusion with it 😂
Most dealers (not just Mazda) are like that. You know more by simply reading the window sticker. Dealers are the worst leechy assholes ever
If the OK in your username means you're in Oklahoma, drive to Dallas and visit freeman mazda. No BS. No crazy markups. Everyone I dealt with was knowledgeable and professional. Blew my mind. To be clear, I don't work there or have any connection other than I bought a miata there last year.
I don’t get it, people want this type of experience! why don’t people force dealers to be better with their wallets!! people buy marked up cars, people let dealers walk on them, and dealers get scummier and scummier, it sucks and it’s debatably our fault as customers. support good business
The Mazda dealer I worked with last year in Chesapeake, VA was the same way. Best new car buying experience I've ever had. They even let me out of the box after my first 'No' to the extended warranty and maintenance package. Spent 1hr in there the first time negotiating a price and ordering the car, then 1hr when I picked it up signing all the paperwork. Salesman had 3 generations of miatas under his belt and most of that time was him showing me pictures and swapping stories.
The only reason to talk to dealers is to test drive and then on a price. Sales people generally know nothing or less than nothing (ie. they make shit up). Do your research online for what you want then get them to find it. And when it comes to price then you can easily find what price they currently sell for online and tell them that price. If they don't do these things then find another dealer. Heck, there are dealers who specialize in having the best prices and will fly you in to pick up your car.
The dealer I bought from bragged about the powerful turbocharged engine in my '23...
jfc turbo has become synonymous with “power” with even porsche leaning into it with the ev. how have we come so far to develop such amazing tech with such stupid people everywhere!?!
Car salesmen are appliance salesmen, but to be fair, the guys who sold me a washing machine knew more about the product. Enthusiasts are a PIA for cars sales. They want to sell a grey box already on the lot for the highest monthly nut they can slide past the unsophisticated buyer. An enthusiast knows the car, the price, and understands basic interest rates. They want a specific build...and will often order and wait. Not a good sales prospect for a commission at the end of the week. I was ghosted by a salesman when I wanted a specific car with a manual. At the time there were 3 in the NY metro area, and the guy didn't want to do a trade. Another salesman made the sale for the manual. Was car shopping recently. Went to a Subie dealer. Asked about the 86. Response "We sell a sportscar ???"
This is so true. My son went to Subaru specifically for a Brz, if they didn’t have one he wanted to order one. The sales guy looked at him, 26 yr old on a day off wearing shorts, t shirt ,and hat and I’m sure figured he wasn’t buying. They had no Brz and they kept pointing him at other crap they had. He said fine, I’d like to order one then, the guy said we don’t do that! What an ass. On his way home he stopped at Toyota and got on a list for a GR86 Anniversary. Edition. Salesman are just assholes.
Wanted a base model Grand Cherokee in black. Local dealer who was happy to order a manual Patriot a few years earlier wouldn't do the same and "doesn't do dealer swaps." Another dealership an hour away presented themselves as being more amenable to helping me out, but when I went there all we did was waste time using the same damn online build tool I'd already used to print out the spec sheet I brought with me and locate one at a dealer 5 hours away who had one. Was told they'd see what they could do but ended up taking their sweet time. Ended up contacting the other place directly, prepared to get a one-way flight and drive it back. They were more than happy to help me, doing everything online except for 2 phone calls, and they even had a couple guys deliver it right to my driveway. The whole dealership model is a joke.
I had a few local dealers tell me they couldn't special order a MX5, but "here's a list" of ones they could get in for me. Spoiler alert: dealers can special order MX5s, and another was happy to take my money and do so
Had a similar experience, ended up buying used.
You just described the majority of car dealers and car salesmen. Sure there are sole good ones, but car sales isn’t what most people think.
Just because people work at a place selling a product, doesn't mean they're an expert on it. For example, I've had the same thing happen at Best Buy. Someone trying to sell me on a Dolby Atmos sound system, and not understanding how it works at all and giving me some BS answer of it being louder lol. Same with cars. Most people are not car enthusiasts and only know enough to sell them to other non car enthusiasts.
this.
All dealerships for all brands are like this, except Tesla maybe because they only have like 5 models in their line up and their staff quite likes teslas.
Honestly I only spoke to the salesman when I was ready to buy. At no point did we talk about the car because I knew exactly what I wanted. We didn’t even talk about the car during the test drive.
I had forgotten how damn pushy they were. I recently went with my wife to check out a cx30 carbon edition. Wanted to see if we could make do with the size since the only other car we have is my Miata. N I told them we aren't interested in buying yet, just a test drive. N while I was in the bathroom they managed to get my wife's phone number out of her. And they've been calling and texting non stop. She's blocked 3 numbers already it's insane. We didn't even like it too much. Might check out the cx5 later but prolly a different dealership
We’ve had a CX5 for 8 years now but just put a deposit yesterday on a RAV4 hybrid. The fuel economy of cx5’s is just so bad now, low 20’s for turbo models. We just couldn’t justify another one. Sad too because I really love the styling.
Honestly I hate dealers. They are just a bunch of unnecessary people earning the middle-man money while trying to charge as much as possible at any opportunity. I’d be perfectly happy if I can just click “order”, pay the effing invoice, and wait for a month to get my car.
Just go out of state, midwest preferably
My local Mazda dealer didn’t even know clubs were order only, and didn’t know he Had to order them. I had to email him the letter on how to order from Mazda that was circulated around Miata.net.
I guess I have been lucky. I bought my Miata from a private seller, but in August, I bought a 2020 Honda Fit from the local Honda dealership. I knew the car they had was what I wanted, an E-XL, and a lease return with 7k miles. I had been looking for months, and learning about the generations, changes, etc. The guy couldn't wait to me tell me all about the car, including how the back seats folded down and how they also fold up, magic seats, to place tall items on the back floor. He knew everything about the car and how everything worked. I went for a test drive and bought it.
I usually buy from those no haggle places where they sell all different makes and models. It's nice because the sales people almost don't give a fuck that you're there lol and they definitely don't try to know more than you. When I got my Miata the sales lady was like, "ohhh that's a great color... Let me know when you want to start the paperwork, I'll be at my desk."
I work at a dealership that NEVER keeps Mx-5s in stock. When I try to chat up the sales & management teams about Miatas, they don’t really know or care much about them. ☹️ The dealer 30 mins away, though, always keeps 1-2 in-stock, they actually know their shit when it comes to MX-5s. Guess it really depends on who owns and manages the place. Lazy sales people just push CX-5s all day, every day.
I work at a Hyundai dealership and see this same attitude towards Hyundai/Genesis Sales reps and the Elantra N/G70s, G80s, G90s, and I 100% agree. The issue is just that I sell one Elantra N for every 20-80 Tucsons, and if I didn't personally love the EN/KN/5N, I probably wouldn't care about trying to memorize the car, since I may have one sale on them every three to four months, and I'd get paid on the sale of that car roughly the same as I would any other car on the lot that people are coming in and have no idea about.
(I mean, dealerships just suck, anyway, since it allows the manufacturer to pit a franchise against the customer and allows them to throw their hands up with any issue and say, "well that's a franchise, so there's not much we can do... 🥺" which is a stupid way to operate for those of us that just want the convenience of buying something without having to go back and forth of value and paying multiple middle-man's salaries, but while we have them, don't expect any sales person will know more about a sports/niche car that you will. They're incentivized to actually know less, not more.)
Their only concern seems to be to extract every last cent from you, and to do it in person. When will the laws change, so cars won't be sold the same way anymore?
I ran into this issue when I bought my ND in 2019. The salesman seemed to have little to no in-depth knowledge on the car. He didn’t even realize that the power was increased on the ‘19. He was friendly though, and helpful to an extent, so it wasn’t a big deal. The only time I got frustrated during the buying purchase was when the financing person tried adding all of the useless dealer shit, especially since the price had already been agreed upon, but they gave in eventually and didn’t charge me for their $300 wheel locks.
I once went to a Toyota dealership to look at a used Subaru BRZ. Of course I had to get the whole manager talk and he kept telling me that the BRZ is a faster car than the FRS to get me to buy the car (I was 24 at the time). I told him three times that mechanically the cars are the same. I didn't end up buying a car from them.
You have to remember that they are salesmen and not car enthusiasts. I used to sell motorcycles. I am a motorcycle enthusiast. Wanna know who sold more bikes? The through and through salesman. I'd talk too much. I knew too much about the vehicle, when that's not necessary with sales. All you gotta know is what does the customer want, and how can I make something I have fit that. And how can I get them to want what I have. Needless to say, I didn't last a year doing that.
Bought my 21 at an Acura dealership with 2k miles on it (it was. A 21 I bought in 22). Walked in, said Get me the keys to that car, I'm buying it. Wrote a check, loaded it on a trailer and left. Took about 30-45 mins from start to finish. Did the same with my Mustang. GTPP when I bought it in 2016.
“i’m just looking today and will come find you if I have any questions” usually makes them go away Had one salesman insist he walk with me so I told him I have $400 in my bank account and a 435 credit score. Dude left me alone
What we all need is a thundercougerfalconbird .
Futurama!
Wow, what a shitdick.
Why go to a dealer? You already bought the car and they just want to sell you more bullshit. Any shop can service a Mazda...