car hunting: day 1

[forgotten_aria]

So now I'm offically trying to buy the car, scheduling test drives and alike. Yesterday I asked a handful of deals for quotes on a mazda5.



first, across the board, no one really seems to want to factory order anything, but that doesn't surprise me terribly from what I read. I still don't understand why that's the way things work, but it is.

liberty 128 mazda:

• first email was "we have mazda5s in stock? when can you come in for a test drive?"
  
• phoned even though I specified wanting to be contacted by email
  
• claimed their price would be as goods as the other dealers
  
• once I finally did get a quote out of them, it was very appoximate and not for the car I wanted.
  

quirk:

• verifies some informaiton, such as color preferences and what options are important to me or not
  
• second email is a straight forward quote, surprisingling low (lower than their news paper ad,) I ask what fees it includes
  
• next email is a detailed listing of the fees it does include and the fees I can expect to be added in
  
• the email is very informational, straight forward and very prompt responses
  

We have a test drive appointment for Monday.

wellsely mazda:

• no response yet
  

mazda gallery:

• Very wordy, but contentless emails. Very form letter.
  
• Claims they will match anyone else's price ("Verification required of course.")
  
• first real email pressuring for a test drive before giving any actual stock information or quote
  

ira mazda (these are the people I was hoping to deal with, given internet review ratings):

• Phones, but appologises for doing so because I requested other wise to explain that the person I had been emailing with has been transfered to another dealer and this new person would be handing the account, but it's almost closing, so he just wanted to let me know he'd get me some information on Monday
  
• misread my email where I said what colors I wanted and claimed they had mazda5s in stock. He didn't seem to notice that I quoted his exact stock to him and wonder why I'd asked for a factory order if I knew what they had.
  

All and all I'm not pleased, though also not surprised. I used the automated "get quotes" feature from edmunds to contact these dealers. The quirk thing sounds great, but their on line reviews are horrible, so I know I can't let my guard down.

I cleaned out the Saturn today. Wish me luck for Monday.

Comments

[kelkyag]

Quirk sounds promising -- what're the complaints in the online reviews about them.

Ira Mazda sounds like they're trying, at least.

Good luck!

[forgotten-aria.livejournal.com]

Most of them are of the form of "we came to the lot and they wouldn't let us have a test drive because (we didn't have an appointment,we wouldn't promise to buy today.)

[kelkyag]

I wouldn't expect making an appointment to be difficult, but the whole point of a test drive is that you don't know if you're buying yet ... huh.

[forgotten-aria.livejournal.com]

well and some of them are more worrisome, like one that claims they filled out all the paperwork and then the manager came over and said that there was a "mistake" and the price quoted would not be honored...

I wish I could decifer the comments a little better

[athereal.livejournal.com]

When I visited Wellesley Mazda, I was originally very happy (they agreed to get the model/trim line/color version I wanted from CT and quoted me a good price). But then they started adding things. They wanted a few hundred to get the car and another few for "documentation fees." When we asked for clarification, the guy broke it down to "well, this 150 is actually the doc fee, the other 200 is my commission." We (my moral support and I) were unhappy that he tried to hide that in another fee and really unhappy that he tried to claim a doc fee was mandated by the state of Mass. *cough* bullshit!

I found the salesperson I interacted with at Wakefield Mazda to be very knowledgeable about the car (the only one who really had me push the limits of the car on the test drive), but also greasy. I haven't been too impressed by their service department, either.

Mazda Gallery (if it's the one by the Boch automile) had a very nice salesman, but the sales manager kept butting in and being an ass. I'd ask for a quote on what I wanted and he'd try to push the cars on his lot (but this one is the color you want!... yeah, but it doesn't have side airbags, asshat). The experience was good until he stepped in.

I don't know anything about Quirk; I got mine from Lunenberg because a coworker of mine used to work there. I got a decent price from the sales manager, but the good service ended once I drove off the lot.

I love my little Mazda, I do. But I've been less than thrilled with the dealers I've been to. If you find a fabulous one, drop me a line?

[kelkyag]

Those sound like they add up to unpleasant sales tactics. I expect you know better than to let your arm be twisted if it's true, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be a waste of your time. Still, your description of their email is promising. :-/