burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

The salesperson is Mr./Ms Nice. The closer is the finance person. They always want to sell you tons of worthless add-ons, high interest rate financing, and more. Rust proofing, window VIN etching, "protection programs," extended warranties, various service programs that tie you to the dealer for 2-3 years, etc. are pitched one after the other after the other.

I went with my son when he bought his Lexus. I'd forewarned him about the finance guy. When the guy started in, I started laughing. I was proud of Trevor, as he just grinned and declined all the crap. The guy apologized, explaining it was just part of his job... fortunately, he knew every answer would be a NO, so he kept it mercifully short.

KillroyII Loc: Middle Georgia

Yes they do. Last car purchased, we walked in the finance office and I started by pointing to the negotiated deal and the “amount to be financed” at the bottom and I said I am going to write you a check for that amount… if you try to add anything, we will walk and the deal is off. He said can you let me just wave a stack of paper past you, quickly, so I can tell my boss I showed you everything… that went well.

One thing that happened 2 times since 1964 when I became a car owner is I had a trade-in they looked at and when we were not getting to an agreement… and when I started to walk they COULD NOT FIND MY KEY.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Actually walking is a very effective strategy - guarantee the shocked salesperson or the sales manager will follow you out through the parking lot. There is such a small percentage of lookeloos that actually end up ready and qualified to sign a contract, that the dealership will not let that qualified prospect get away easily.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Did they call a locksmith for you?

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I had a Toyota dealer do that once. I'd spent several hours looking at and test driving the car, and they'd hemmed and hawed about the price. At the last minute, they added $750 to the "out-the-door" price they had quoted me, so I walked and kept on walking. I bought it from a dealer across town for $1100 less. Same model, color, options. Just no shenanigans. Of course, I'd been there before, and they knew me, but still...

Vladimir200 Loc: Beaumont, Ca.

Infinity dealership would not give in to my "very researched" price demand. I took my cell phone, had a conversation with the dial tone, said out loud in front of sales person.......to my wife "let's go; sales person other end of town just agreed to our price". We walked out and my wife asked"why aren't we starting the car to leave?". I said "to give sales person time to come out". Sure enough, not one but two sales people came running out and said "OK, you have a deal". I have other stories but won't bore you with them except to say that to get your best deal, you really have to jump through the hoops to get it.

KillroyII Loc: Middle Georgia

No. Both times they found the key. Once was many years ago, when I was young, and I threatned physical violence. Actually the 2nd was me assisting my daughter buying a car… and I told the salesman that I was calling the police since they had stolen her car… again… miraculous they found key.

It was VERY clear that it was their strategy to keep a customer there

Ed Commons

Several years ago, my Dad was looking for a new car. ( I was driving a Toyota at that time) and recommended Toyota .

He wanted an American Car........... so one Sunday we went to the Ford Lot and looked. (no sales people) At that time, dearerships put data on cars that showed % of US parts (60% Toyota and 38% Ford) and final assembly location Indiana (Toyota) and Mexico (Ford) I asked him which one was the American car. He went with Toyota.

Ed Commons

Yes, I've done the same thing. If they want to play games, I have a game of my own.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Smart move!

Frankly, if Americans can't make cars people want, we should figure out how to make them better so people want them, or we should find something else to do!

In my 20s, I got really tired of people "waving the flag in vain." It needs to mean something real, something more than a feeling. We have to prove we are the best every day. We can't rest on our laurels and simply say, "Buy UH MURR ICK UN, 'cause it's the right thing to do." There has to be a compelling reason to buy something made here, that solves a real need better than the foreign competitor's product solves it. Smart consumer behavior is "voting for products" with our dollars.

Design and styling aren't enough for me. In fact, they are LAST on my list. Safety, performance, reliability, longevity, total cost per mile economy, environmental responsibility, ergonomics, and comfort are the major factors for me. I don't care what my neighbor thinks of what I drive. I like stuff that works. Life is too short to put up with crappy products.

I remember renting a Dodge Dart back in 1981 when my Corolla was being fixed after a guy hit it in the fender. That damned Dart stalled out on me in the middle of an intersection, in a blinding rainstorm. I was wearing a suit, going to an important meeting at our other facility. I was close enough to walk, so I pushed the car to the curb, popped up a too small umbrella, and made it to the meeting, soaked, about ten minutes late. I was glad I got soaked! I had a forgivable excuse. It turned out the gas gauge was broken in that Dart. The rental company had it towed, then met me at my work with a replacement. The replacement, another Dart, had a burned out tail light and a glove compartment door that popped open at every other stop light. It was 20+ years before I rented from that company again. They were just as disappointing, 20 years later.

Toby

You are exactly right. They have a different philosophy about product quality. They believe that every employee must do his job as best as possible and be his own inspector so quality control people will not be necessary. Before I retired I worked for a company that supplied parts for both US and Asian manufacturers (in US). There is an unbelievable difference. Everyone knows that occasionally a few bad parts slip thru. Us companies talk about a percent or so. Japanese talk about bad parts per million that's 1 per 100 (US) vs 1 per 10,000 (Asia). After watching them build cars and the attention to detail I told my wife no more US owned company cars for me anymore. I sold my Cadillac and bought a Honda. I now have my 2nd Honda (US built) in 17 years. The only reason I replaced the 1st one was I simply got tired of it. Best cars I ever had. Each one had the battery and tires replaced. One also had brakes replaced. That's it.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Look up Ed Deming. He was an American consultant who could not get Detroit to listen to him back in the 1950s. They had no interest in quality.

Detroit's goal was to sell you a new car as often as possible. In the 1950s, designs changed every year, like clothing styles, and in a major way, every three years. They wanted DISPOSABLE cars that would rust on the showroom floor, like the ultimate example of that, the Chevy Vega.

Ed went to Japan. He was responsible for many of the concepts of engineering the manufacturing process in ways that would improve consistency, quality, cost, production pace, product reliability, and other characteristics that lead to customer satisfaction. It paid off like crazy!

At least some of the Japanese car manufacturers embarked on continuous improvement journeys that continue today. The first Lexus LS 400 back in 1990 was so "over-built" — reliable and dependable — that it immediately swept market share away from all the other luxury car manufacturers. The Prius has been so good, it's still the benchmark by which all other hybrid vehicles are measured, as the Consumer Reports April issue points out once again.

Japan's goal is to make cars that last and last, passing from owner to owner. A model run might last five or six years, with only minor changes in colors or features. By the time I bought my 2009 Prius in 2008, it was thoroughly debugged and solid. My son would still be driving it if a drunk moron in a pickup hadn't run off the road at 4:00 AM and crashed into it. My wife's old 2009 Prius is still going, at 210,000 miles, being driven daily by our other twin.

The appeal is not fashion flash, but sensible transportation.

Toby

You are exactly right. I lived thru this era.

tgreenhaw

I always take these with a grain of salt. I've owned many of the brands listed. The worst car I ever bought was a Honda Civic Hybrid. My Nissan Sentra decades ago fell apart after 6 years. The most reliable was a Mercury Mariner I drove for 14 years - not a single issue other than standard maintenance. I have owned Tesla since 2013 and the first I had for 8 years and was nearly maintenance and trouble free. I have had no problems whatsoever with my current Lincoln Corsair and Tesla Model 3.

tgreenhaw

The Ford F-Series has maintained its spot as the best-selling vehicle in America for over four decades straight. They can and do make the vehicles americans want. The real issue is that americans want the wrong kind of vehicle. We buy monsters that are far to big. People think a bigger car is safer and that is simply not true.