Test Drive - Local dealer does not allow

[Kraftei]

I understand what a lot of you are saying, but being in sales I have to interject. I don't judge people based on their style of clothing or the vehicle they drive or how much they swear. Its a general overall sense of the client, an experienced salesperson will generally get it right although no ones perfect. Sorry, but if you look like a **** head I am going to treat you like one, 9 times out of 10 I will be right and for the 1 time I get it wrong I am okay with that because I saved my time on the other 9. New salesman and desperate ones will break all the rules and that creates cracks in the industry.

Understand the salesman does not get paid unless you buy, if they feel you just want to test drive a vehicle and buy elsewhere, whats their incentive?, maybe you just want a joy ride ? Be truthful up front, slip them a few bucks for their time and test drive away. A lot of clients think they are being sneaky, a good salesman will see right through that. I personally have never had to slip anyone any money for a test drive, they simply appreciated the honesty, no one likes getting lied to..

When I bought my Hellcat I beat the Dealer up bad, the sales lady cut was only $150.00. I asked her why do the deal for so little money, she said she needed the stat as sales were down and she had never sold a Hellcat, a sale would be help full for future sales. I slipped her a tip the day I picked the car up, she did not know it was coming. The car arrived in Jan (winter here), when I got it home I realized there was cosmetic damage to the interior, no questions asked the saleslady had the dealer on it, they sent two mechanics to my home and they replaced approx. 4 interior pieces. Later I noticed a minor paint defect, they then sent a employee over to photograph and document the scratch in case I wanted to pursue it later. Having a good relationship with your Dealer is critical. Some folks get that, others clearly do not...

 

[smurfslayer]

I called a local dealer in Washington DC metro area about a 2019 Raptor I was interested in. I asked about test driving and they said they do not take the Raptor's out on the road but that I could drive it around the lot. So I am suppose to drop some serious coin on a vehicle but I can't take it out for s test drive. Is this normal?

You need to shop outside the bubble. Dealers close to the bubble ( within a few miles of I495 ) are entirely too impressed with themselves and it’s not unique to Ford stealerships. But yeah, the Ford stealerships are a bit pretentious about test drives with Raptors, some are even hesitant with Mustang test drives.

You absolutely do not buy without a test drive, period.

Of course, if you’re a hipster, it’s illegal for you to even sit in a Raptor. Although, recently most states have made it only a $500 fine for Hipster abuse of a gen1.

seriously though, once you’re away from the DC metro ‘bubble’, the stealerships are less unrealistic and unreasonable.

 

[jasonbrent]

Your example of woodworking skills makes sense. However, buying a car isn’t the same thing. All that is required to buy a car is money and/or good credit. Judging a potential customer based on their appearance leads to other bad behaviors. It’s something that dealers ought to train their employees to recognize and control.

This is my first Ford, and I got very similar treatments at a lot of Ford dealerships. I love the truck, but hated the shopping experience.

I’ve bought BMW, Toyota, Lexus, and Mercedes. And I can tell you that buying a Ford was unique experience—and not in a good way. Not sure if I’ll buy another Ford, but I’d like to see if it’s a Raptor thing and not a Ford thing.

Yeah, this is a point I forgot to mention -- this is my first Ford. I actually walked away from my Raptor order because of how the GM treated a sales manager who approved a discount off MSRP.... I went back after management had changed.

The sales person I worked with was excellent... it's the management that seems to carry the bias.

-j

 

[pierceography]

Your example of woodworking skills makes sense. However, buying a car isn’t the same thing. All that is required to buy a car is money and/or good credit. Judging a potential customer based on their appearance leads to other bad behaviors. It’s something that dealers ought to train their employees to recognize and control.

This is my first Ford, and I got very similar treatments at a lot of Ford dealerships. I love the truck, but hated the shopping experience.

I’ve bought BMW, Toyota, Lexus, and Mercedes. And I can tell you that buying a Ford was unique experience—and not in a good way. Not sure if I’ll buy another Ford, but I’d like to see if it’s a Raptor thing and not a Ford thing.

Not sure I agree. At a basic level, both examples are very similar. I'm seeking to purchase goods or services, and require assistance from staff to do so.

Staff is there to sell but also to ensure goods/services aren't wasted. If I'm just bothering the carpenters and taking them away from building furniture, I'm effectively doing the same as test driving a Raptor for the fun of it. There is no binary mechanism to determine my intent, so making an educated guess is, in my opinion, acceptable. I may fall into the false positive category, but I understand the math. Just allow me the ability to correct that perception and we're good.

Now, getting down to Ford dealerships overall, I can't disagree there. My current dealership has been good, not great. But I've had awful experiences with others in the past. We recently stopped using a dealership my wife's family had used for 30 years because of a poor experience. I emailed back and forth with a sales guy, told him explicitly what vehicle/color/options we wanted, said we would be there on Saturday at 11am to test drive and sign documents. My wife and I arrive, three year old and one year old in tow, sales guy acts surprised that we're there and says, "Oh, what car were you thinking about again?"

The worst story I've heard was of a friend's wife who visited a dealership in an upscale NYC suburb to look at an Expedition. When price came up, the sales guy simply told her, "Let your husband know he can come speak with me when he's ready, sweetheart". I'd have blown a gasket if my wife was treated like that. Needless to say, the dealership did not get the sale and that in your face type of profiling is BS.

But when you think about it, there are plenty of anecdotes about car salesmen for a reason.

 

[pierceography]

Yeah, this is a point I forgot to mention -- this is my first Ford. I actually walked away from my Raptor order because of how the GM treated a sales manager who approved a discount off MSRP.... I went back after management had changed.

The sales person I worked with was excellent... it's the management that seems to carry the bias.

-j

I get it... per my last post, I've also had bad experiences. But you've gotta remember, you may be buying a $75,000 Ford... But it's still a Ford.

You can push in volume, or you can provide a boutique experience. Rarely can you do both.

 

[Supergumby5000]

If you're serious about buying, they'll let you drive. Being face to face and being serious about a purchase deal will get you behind the wheel.

You have to consider how many people go into these dealers just to tire kick and test drive for fun. That, and anyone test driving a raptor wants to test its purpose - speed, suspension, etc. Raptors arent a vehicle that dealers want a lot of 'test drive' miles on, nor do they want the liability of someone getting crazy behind the wheel.

The dealer I bought my raptor from I tried to work over the phone with first. I said i wanted a test drive. Over the phone, they said no.

I showed up the next morning, in person, to show I was serious. I got to test drive two raptors before I left with my black one.

 

[traxem]

So if I’m just shopping and comparing different truck brands and possibly not the type who will buy a car the same day I look at it, I’m not a serious buyer? I think that mentality hurts the overall shopping experience.

Again, this may be isolated to Raptors since it’s a performance truck. I’m sure if I walked into a Ferrari dealer asking for a test drive looking like I’m going fishing, they might be a-holes too. But that’s expected. I would think that Ford would treat customers better given their brand status.

 

[TunaSmell]

OP here. So I went to the dealer today to see the loaded Gray 2019 Raptor I had picked. I took my boys too so they could test out the backseat ...they are Raptor lovers too. So glad we went, the dealer actually did let me take it off the lot, not on the highway but through the neighborhood. Man what a nice truck. I currently drive a 10yo Suburban and even though the test drive was short the ride seemed superior. Really trying to decide and convince my wife that the loss of the extra seating for passengers and inside cargo space is not a big deal. I will the say the dealer seemed motivated to make a sale. I think the gov't shutdown in this area is impacting new car sales.

 

[Raptorguy1]

So if I’m just shopping and comparing different truck brands and possibly not the type who will buy a car the same day I look at it, I’m not a serious buyer? I think that mentality hurts the overall shopping experience.

Again, this may be isolated to Raptors since it’s a performance truck. I’m sure if I walked into a Ferrari dealer asking for a test drive looking like I’m going fishing, they might be a-holes too. But that’s expected. I would think that Ford would treat customers better given their brand status.

Like some have said, the relationship with the dealer can make a big difference. Many of the vehicles I've bought I didn't test drive. The one's I did, they just gave me a plate and sent me on my way, with no salesman to bother me. When I was considering the Raptor, I visited the dealer at least 8 times and sat in just about every Raptor they had on their back lot. The back lot is fenced off and all vehicles have the keys in them. I don't think the customers are supposed to go there, but nobody has ever challenged me so I start them up and try out all the features. My dealer didn't even ask for a deposit to place the order.

 

[smurfslayer]

If you're serious about buying, they'll let you drive. Being face to face and being serious about a purchase deal will get you behind the wheel.

You have to consider how many people go into these dealers just to tire kick and test drive for fun. That, and anyone test driving a raptor wants to test its purpose - speed, suspension, etc. Raptors arent a vehicle that dealers want a lot of 'test drive' miles on, nor do they want the liability of someone getting crazy behind the wheel.

The dealer I bought my raptor from I tried to work over the phone with first. I said i wanted a test drive. Over the phone, they said no.

I showed up the next morning, in person, to show I was serious. I got to test drive two raptors before I left with my black one.

in late 2016, early 2017, not so much. There are plenty of postings complaining of the same thing in that era and OP probably knows which dealers would be squarely in that camp, local to him. I do.

The market is much different now, thank goodness.

OP squared this away, hopefully others will follow his example.