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Do people still judge you by the car you drive?

OILFIELDTRASH

OILFIELDTRASH

Lifer
Had an experience at the car dealership yesterday. Was looking to buy a higher end ford pickup. Didn't get dressed up or anything I figured it wasn't that big a deal. T-shirt jeans etc.. Also I drive a little pickup and it's nothing fancy but was cheap and got the job done and the salesman seen us pull up in it. The trucks I was looking at yesterday were pretty expensive and the salesman kept telling us how much each truck would be payment wise. He was like well this one will be X amount monthly and kept steering us towards the models we weren't interested in. Instead of telling us the features of the car he was telling us this one will be this much a month. I finally had enough of the guys crap and told my wife forget this guy and just up and left the guy standing there.

I thought I had left this crap behind in junior high. I guess I need to get a fancy watch and an expensive automobile so I can fit in.
 
Of course they do. Especially in that scenario, where the salesman's probably seen his fair share of tire kickers who simply can't afford a car. They waste his time, while another salesman picks up the people who can end up signing a deal.

Just like the story would have been very different if your wife showed up alone.
 
Even better, I've showed up at a dealership before and had the salesman make fun of my car, trying to shame me in to buying a new one. It was a real head scratcher.
 
OILFIELDTRASH said:
I thought I had left this crap behind in junior high. I guess I need to get a fancy watch and an expensive automobile so I can fit in.
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When I bought my current car (Acura TL), the OP's experience was one of the things I judged dealers by. I'd ride up on the motorcycle, jeans and T-shirt under my gear.

At that price range, there are any number of options - all of them nice. So I shopped dealers instead. 🙂 Worked out well, IMO.
 
DougK62 said:
Even better, I've showed up at a dealership before and had the salesman make fun of my car, trying to shame me in to buying a new one. It was a real head scratcher.
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I'd call him a prick and say he just lost a sale because that's what I was there for - to buy a car, but that I don't buy from assholes like him.
 
My Dad happened to be in town one day when I was looking for a new car and he accompanied me to the dealership. The salesmen would talk to me when picking out the car I liked, and telling me the features etc. When we sat down to talk about some pricing etc. the salesman turned to and started talking to my father.

I kinda wanted to tell the salesman, "Hey, I'm buying this car. Oh and by the way, I make more than my Father so you might wanna talk to me." But I didn't, because I got to review the stuff I wanted, instead of having to BS with the salesman. I knew it would be a few days before I purchased, so it was nice to be able to ignore him.
 
Texashiker said:
Yes.

If the car/truck gets terrible gas mileage, I figure the driver is pretty stupid.
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My truck doesn't get very good gas mileage.

But then, I can afford it and it would be impossible to do what I do with it in anything that gets much better mileage.
 
rivan said:
🙁

Mine gets terrible mileage. Of course, it's 1 payment short of paid off and my commute's something like 7 miles each way.
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1 + 1 - 1 = 1

So you still come out on the positive side of things.

Having a short communte to work is nice. I used to drive 35 miles 1 way, but gas was 90 cents a gallon.


Numenorean said:
But then, I can afford it and it would be impossible to do what I do with it in anything that gets much better mileage.
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I think the days of having a truck as a fashion statement are over. There are people that need them, and people that want to show off.

I have a toyota 4X4 that rarely get driven. I use my truck to pull my boat, haul the 4-wheeler and pull my pit.
 
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many years ago i walked into a honda dealership with one of my ghetto buddies. we both looked cracked out and like hoods. one of the sales guy saw me eyeing an accord and said 'here, catch'. threw me the keys and told me to take it for a test drive. no questions, no ID. took it out for 15 minutes and came back and said let me think it over. ended up buying from him the next day
 
um yes of course they do... had you driven on the lot in a 2011 BMW M5 they woulda shown you the best stuff on the lot. drive in in a beater POS.. and look like trash then they gonna show you the bargain section.
 
Texashiker said:
I think the days of having a truck as a fashion statement are over. There are people that need them, and people that want to show off.
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I dont know, my black new F150 is pretty sexy next to my lady's dropped GT mustang: 🙂





Then again I have a 24Ft Toy-hauler that I need to tow.
 
I pulled into a Pontiac dealer in an old Isuzu hoopty and test drove a brand new GTO a few years ago. They didn't even bat an eye. Guy kept asking me what it would take to put me in this car today...blah blah blah. I said, lop off about 500lbs, fix the door and get rid of those tacky wheels that rub the body and you might have a chance.
 
This almost sounds perfect from the buyer's perspective though. If you know what you want, and he doesn't think you can afford it, then you have control of the situation. Tell him that you might be able to convince your family (or anyone) to loan you the money if he sells it cheap. You talk about a price, make a fake phone call, and get the car cheap.

In fact, if I was going to buy a car, I'd take the worst car possible so they feel like they screwed you even if they only made $10 in commission on the sale.
 
When I went to order my Mustang, I also shopped dealers. I first went to the big SVT dealer here in town and the salesman was not interested in letting me test drive one...he said they weren't PDI'd yet. I thought BS because they had them on the lot for 3 days and they were the most anticipated car of that year. He kept looking over his shoulder into the crowded showroom.....it was a Saturday.

Went somewhere else and ordered that day.
 
Doesn't matter to me if people judge my by what I drive. Mine is probably the worst looking vehicle in the parking lot at school, including the students' lot. The insurance company declared it totaled in an accident a few years ago, and I've been driving it ever since.

But *I* judge people by how they treat me. If I go to a dealer and get treated like shit, I'm going to waste as much of their time as possible before buying elsewhere. AND, I'll make sure they're aware of why I made that decision.
 
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