Buying a new car....

Awl --

Does buying a new car from the dealer where you plan to have your car
serviced/checked (ie, closest to where you live) carry any meaningful
weight? If a dealer farther away offers a slightly better deal, might it be
better to buy it closer to home, for any "servicing advantages"?
I've heard that you get better service from where you actually buy the car,
but as I think about it, I don't know that this can have any big big value.
A preferential appt date doesn't seem like the biggest perk in the world.

Any other considerations besides bottom line price?

Opinions?
--
EA

"Existential Angst" > wrote in message
...
> Awl --
>
> Does buying a new car from the dealer where you plan to have your car
> serviced/checked (ie, closest to where you live) carry any meaningful
> weight?

Sometimes..particularly in small towns where you and the dealership
personnel know each other, and where your buying patterns are
recognized and perhaps appreciated..

I doubt there is much loyalty either way in large towns where you
are effectively unknown..

>If a dealer farther away offers a slightly better deal, might it be better
>to buy it closer to home, for any "servicing advantages"?

***Very unlikely.


> I've heard that you get better service from where you actually buy the
> car, but as I think about it, I don't know that this can have any big big
> value.

*****Either a dealership is good or it isnt, as far as service is concerned.
And that can change with time. If a dealership wants to keep your business,
you would think they should cater to you a bit, but that doesnt necessarily
happen.

> A preferential appt date doesn't seem like the biggest perk in the world.
>
> Any other considerations besides bottom line price?

****Some dealerships are quality operations and others may be despicable
bottom feeders. It might be best to find out, as well as you can, which
are
good people and then try to cut an acceptable deal with them.

On Dec 16, 1:30*pm, "hls" > wrote:
> "Existential Angst" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > Awl --
>
> > Does buying a new car from the dealer where you plan to have your car
> > serviced/checked (ie, closest to where you live) carry any meaningful
> > weight?
>
> Sometimes..particularly in small towns where you and the dealership
> personnel know each other, and where your buying patterns are
> recognized and perhaps appreciated..
>
> I doubt there is much loyalty either way in large towns where you
> are effectively unknown..
>
> >If a dealer farther away offers a slightly better deal, might it be better
> >to buy it closer to home, for any "servicing advantages"?
>
> ***Very unlikely.
>
> > I've heard that you get better service from where you actually buy the
> > car, but as I think about it, I don't know that this can have any big big
> > value.
>
> *****Either a dealership is good or it isnt, as far as service is concerned.
> And that can change with time. *If a dealership wants to keep your business,
> you would think they should cater to you a bit, but that doesnt necessarily
> happen.
>
> > A preferential appt date doesn't seem like the biggest perk in the world.
>
> > Any other considerations besides bottom line price?
>
> ****Some dealerships are quality operations and others may be despicable
> bottom feeders. * It might be best to find out, as well as you can, which
> are
> good people and then try to cut an acceptable deal with them.

I'm ASSuming, much like any other business with which I've been
associated, that service makes far more money for the dealership than
does sales - just so you know.

I personally would try to buy from the same dealership just for the
sake of the relationship. Again, just like any business, I would
ASSume that they will gladly work on a car sold by anyone, but might
be more charitably inclined if an issue arises and you have given them
ALL the business for that purchase. Perhaps give them the opportunity
to meet/come close to the lower price at another dealership?

nate

"N8N" > wrote in message news:0e41dc23-76f2-
I'm ASSuming, much like any other business with which I've been
associated, that service makes far more money for the dealership than
does sales - just so you know.

I personally would try to buy from the same dealership just for the
sake of the relationship. Again, just like any business, I would
ASSume that they will gladly work on a car sold by anyone, but might
be more charitably inclined if an issue arises and you have given them
ALL the business for that purchase. Perhaps give them the opportunity
to meet/come close to the lower price at another dealership?

nate
*******
If you can develop a good relationship with an honorable dealership,
that has to be the best situation.

As you suggest, I've never seen a dealership turn down anyone for
service.

Some years ago I had REALLY bad luck with Pontiac dealerships
in Houston (referring to service). In those days, you could call the
zone representative and get help or advice, which I did. He pointed
me to a couple of dealerships which had good reputations and fewer
than normal service complaints. Honestly, these dealerships didnt
do much better, but I finally found one of them that would listen to
me and the very long standing problem was fixed.

The dealership had some older mechanics who knew what they were
doing, didn't "flat rate", and were proud of their work. I praised them
to the service writer, who made some snide remark about them doing
a good job but not putting out as much work as the other younger
mechanics.

As you can tell in some of my posts, this was one step along the way
which soured me on dealerships and GM. When a person did a good
job, he was "low rated".

Not much later, I bought a Buick which shortly presented problems.
It would die when I took my foot off the accelerator - at the most
inconvienient and dangerous times.. I returned it to the dealership a
number of times, but always got the excuse from the shop manager
that he couldnt find it if it were not broken...meaning intermittent. I
asked him to send a mechanic to ride with me and I would SHOW
them what was happening.. He wouldnt... I asked him to check the
TSB's on this, and he promised me he had already done that.. Then
I called the zone representative.. Within seconds he knew the problem-
a run of ECM's with faulty semiconductors - and authorized the
replacement. There WAS a TSB on it.... Within minutes the owner
of the dealership called me and apologized, and the shop manager
called me, complained, and threatened me.

It doesnt make much different where you buy. It can make a lot of
difference what you buy. And it can make even more difference where
you take it when you have to have it fixed.

Sorry for the rant

On Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:30:14 -0600, "hls" > wrote:

>
>****Some dealerships are quality operations and others may be despicable
>bottom feeders. It might be best to find out, as well as you can, which
>are
>good people and then try to cut an acceptable deal with them.

Good advice.
I lucked out when I bought a 2 year old Celebrity at a *good*
dealership.
First, there was misunderstanding about the warranty remaining.
When I closed the deal I was told the salesman was wrong in telling me
there was 17k miles remaining warranty.
Since the dealership had used the car as a loaner, making them 2nd
owner, the remaining warranty wouldn't carry over to me.
Besides being honest about that mistake, they offered me at 2 year 48k
mile B to B warranty at cost - 500 bucks.
I took it and got that money back with a few problems, PS pump, bad
injector, and bad window switch.
The 3 times I was in there they had a guy drive me to work.
Two times they weren't done when I got off work and gave me a loaner.
So it was all painless going there.
Only experience I've had with dealerships, but I've heard it's not
always so.
Not sure how to find out which are good.
Maybe a net search.

--Vic

I have never owned a new vehicle before, so I don't know.I have always
had pretty good luck with the old clunkers I bought, and traded in on
other clunkers.
cuhulin

On 12/16/2010 13:13, Existential Angst wrote:
> Awl --
>
> Does buying a new car from the dealer where you plan to have your car
> serviced/checked (ie, closest to where you live) carry any meaningful
> weight? If a dealer farther away offers a slightly better deal, might it be
> better to buy it closer to home, for any "servicing advantages"?
> I've heard that you get better service from where you actually buy the car,
> but as I think about it, I don't know that this can have any big big value.
> A preferential appt date doesn't seem like the biggest perk in the world.
>
> Any other considerations besides bottom line price?

Easier to drop it off when the dealer is close to home, as most will
drive you home, and pick you up when done. We've had very good
dealership experiences with SWMBO's 2009 Impala, any scheduled service
over 45 minutes, she could drop it off, and get a ride home and picked
back up when it was done.



>
> Opinions?


--
Steve Walker
(remove wallet to reply)