car buying is starting to swing the other way

[Lloyd Smale]

About 5 or 6 months ago i talked myself into a new truck. Tried to deal on two different new ones and both dealers wouldnt budge and in both cases we were about 3k apart on price. Over the last week both dealers called me and said they would now take my offer. comical thing is both trucks are still sitting on the lot along with a crap pile of 22s and the 23s are coming. I wasnt to happy back then especially with one dealership id been buying new cars and trucks from since 1977. When he asked me if i was interested i told him sure. Knock 5k more off of it now and we can talk. Told him i just bought new tires (first time ive boughten new truck tires since the 80s when we were stilll lifting trucks and putting bigger tires on them new) and plan to keep it. He said he didnt understand why his offer wasnt expectable. I got kind of rude and told him his offer was nothing. The amount hes now claiming to compromise by taking off the sticker wont even cover the higher interest rates on a loan. Then i told him that he pissed off a long time customer back then and if i did buy it wouldnt be off of there lot anymore anyway. I have a feeling if a guys patient theres going to be some real deals on 22s. Car and truck buying came to a screeching halt with this economy and 23s are coming out and the dealers are still full of 22s. You could probably really cut a great deal today if you dont mind a 4 cly turbo or 6 cyl pickup because 90 percent of the left overs are just that. No thanks. The other dealer told me that and when i told him i might be interested in the ram rebel he had he told me I cant deal much on that one because it will sell. I hung the phone up. My truck just turned 50k and has new tires and i can wait another 5 years if necessary.

[ironglow]

  I had a similar experience back in the early 70s. I have bought almost exclusively economy cars & trucks since the
  early 60s.
  It was during the Jimmy Carter fuel shortage, and my wife's beetle was due to be replaced.. so I shopped for a new
   car.
    I went to a dealer who had the brand I interested in, and who also had a large selection. Of course, I knew what
    the MSRP was, so I went with that in mind.
 
  Talking to the salesman, I found he was asking more than MSRP.  When I asked why..he said "people don't mind
   paying a premium for an economy car".

  I turned around and left..never to return.  If they had treated me right at that time, I may have dealt there for decades..trading every couple years.

  Their loss...

[ulav8r]

Was talking to a car salesman in 1987, I think.  Was a Dodge/Plymouth dealership that did not have the car we wanted but had one on order that we were interested in.  The salesman had been working in a Honda dealership in another city a few years earlier when economy cars were in high demand.  He told us that an additional item had been added to the window sticker, ADP.  He asked if we knew what it was and I said "Additional Dealer Profit" and he replied that was correct.  We ended up buying the car they had on order when it came in at a reasonable price.

[Ranger99]

Salesmen at new car dealerships
aren't like when I had started working
for dealers decades ago.
Back then many sales staff had been
at one dealer for years, and had many
repeat customers, some multi generational.
Much of the dealership staff in all
departments had been there for decades.
It hasn't been like that for a long time.
Dealers went from being family founded
and owned, to being owned by investment
groups, and they care less about repeat 
business, or satisfied customers.
They want to sell you a vehicle, and
stack as much add-on everything as
they can, and get you to sign. They
only look at and recognize bottom line.

That's it

Many of the old time dealer personnel
have retired or followed another career
path or opened their own businesses
or passed away

[Graybeard]

I have a 2017 Toyota Tundra with 15,225 miles on it when I pulled in today from a trip to town for one of my medications. Tires are likely good for twice that many more miles unless they dry rot on me from age.

I put around 2500 miles a year on and don't expect to ever need another new truck unless this one gets totaled. The dealership where I bought it and take it for service is all the time sending me e-mails wanting me to trade for a new vehicle. Thanks but no thanks.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup that exactly what happened around here. One corporation FOX MOTORS. Has ford gm dodge and suburu. There out of wisconson and control larger areas of Wisconsin and upper Michigan with basically a monopoly. Only competition they have here is Riverside motors. A local guy in one town that had a small used car dealership when i lived there and now has gm and dodge in three towns the western part of the UP. Very few mom and pop dealserships left. Now its about run like a foot ball team. If they get a good salesman or women or even a good looking one they send them to there busiest dealership and are moving dealers all over the place. Kid ive bought my last 5 from told me one day hes afraid to sell to many because his family is from the town and he doesnt want to have to pack up and move. He told me when he takes my offer into the manager its not him making a decision. He has to call someone higher up and get the go ahead and those people dont give a rats ass about you coming back. Today is all there worried about. Your only a valued return customer when like what happened to me they have vehicles left over and new ones are coming and there desperate to sell. I always bought at that dealership but im done with that loyalty to a company that doesnt care. Next time i will hit ever dealer in a 200 mile area and buy from the one that gives me the best deal. Ordered tires for the ram yesterday. Its kind of a relief to know im not going to bother for a couple more years. To some buying a new vehicle is fun. to me it was always stressful. Up to the last new one i always felt like a sheep being lead to slaughter. Last one and for now on i go in guns blazing. I put myself in control before they can get the upper ground.   

Salesmen at new car dealerships
aren't like when I had started working
for dealers decades ago.
Back then many sales staff had been
at one dealer for years, and had many
repeat customers, some multi generational.
Much of the dealership staff in all
departments had been there for decades.
It hasn't been like that for a long time.
Dealers went from being family founded
and owned, to being owned by investment
groups, and they care less about repeat 
business, or satisfied customers.
They want to sell you a vehicle, and
stack as much add-on everything as
they can, and get you to sign. They
only look at and recognize bottom line.

That's it

Many of the old time dealer personnel
have retired or followed another career
path or opened their own businesses
or passed away

[Lloyd Smale]

honest bill i see one more in my life. I was always trading at 3 years. Did it most of my life. But ill run this one for two more and thats when my wife will retire and then i will buy one and it will probably last me the rest of my days. The jeep has 70k on it now and it will be replaced when and if it ever gets so bad its not worth fixing but honestly its in great shape and runs like new and does everything i need a jeep to do. The challenger? thats the unknown. its a toy and i tend to want different ones and do have an itch for a hellcat but it will be used. Im not spending 90k on a car i put 3k a summer on.

I have a 2017 Toyota Tundra with 15,225 miles on it when I pulled in today from a trip to town for one of my medications. Tires are likely good for twice that many more miles unless they dry rot on me from age.

I put around 2500 miles a year on and don't expect to ever need another new truck unless this one gets totaled. The dealership where I bought it and take it for service is all the time sending me e-mails wanting me to trade for a new vehicle. Thanks but no thanks.

[Dee]

Bought Linda a new best of, loaded Honda Pilot XL or LX, or sumthin like that in 2013. It now has 72,000 miles on it, and only goes to the store once, or twice a week.

In 2018 I bought a new Dodge Ram 1500 with the 5.7 Hemi. It now has about the same miles, and is driven sometimes once a week.

Both will likely out last us both.

[Lloyd Smale]

guess part of it with me is i have to spend my money on something. Harleys and snowmobiles are pretty much once or twice a year thing do to my injurys so i have no need to replace them. Dirt bikes  are out dont have a place to have a horse. Have enough guns. dont like to travel. A trip to me is 45 miles to camp. Everything is paid for so a truck payement or car payment sure isnt taking food off the table. Travel might be an option for some of it when the wife retires. She can travel and i can stay home!! Thought about another boat but i know how little i used my last one and how much of a hit i took when i sold it and my buts still sore from that.

[phalanx]

Our old 1992 Lincoln town car is still cooking and its not to bad on gas. It’s just big and long and cant zoom around in city traffic like those little cars do. But our 2007 F150 is big also and we put a camper shell on it. And some bigger side mirrors.