Before I bought the WRX, I went to the local BMW dealer with a buddy. He was there to buy a M3 that day. I was thinking hard about a 328 or used 330ci. We both can/could afford said cars.
We drove up in his Titan, parked, and (both wearing jeans and t-shirts, it was like 90 degrees out), proceeded to walk around the lot, into the showroom, back out on the lot. During that time at least 10 salesmen either saw us or walked directly by us (2 out in the middle of the lot!). Not a single one of them so much as said hello or acknowledged our presence in any way, even when we waved across the lot at one of them. We both left. The next day I went and bought the WRX, and he bought an M3 from an Acura dealer....
Swung by there a few weeks later on the way back from work, wearing my best Italian suit. Had three of salesmen virtually run to me when I was out in the lot looking at an M5. When one asked if I was interested in it, I told him "no, I'm looking for something a little bit nicer, do you have any used Benzes that were traded in?" and walked away
On a side note, when I went to the Subaru dealer I walked in and immediately the guy was like "interested in anything" and I mentioned the 09 WRX being unloaded from the truck around the side of the building earlier that morning when I drove by. He walked out and returned about a minute later with the key, handed it to me, and said "see how you like it. don't wreck it [wink]...see you when you get back."
An hour later, I owned the car. No goofy games, got the price I wanted and the car I wanted. He only had to talk to the sales manager once.
It's about customer service. I've always had lousy buying expereiences at toyota dealerships and it's not toyota it's the people. Seriously the cars pretty much sell themselves, people walk in their mindlessly and purchase whatever consumer reports told them was awesome. They don't negotiate and the folks in the toyota dealerships are there for the $$$$.
btw.. http://www.purplewave.com/cgi-bin/mnlist.cgi?100316/3437 <--- I berkeleying want that... 2 are availabe in the US with kansas plates. THey were brought in by a government agency and are therefore 100% legal...
proper toyota, that.
"When I was working for the VW/Porsche/Audi dealer back in the 70's, a family came in and was looking at cars.
The guy was dressed in a T-shirt and Levi's and dirty sneakers with holes in them, the wife was wearing a halter top, and shorts, with sandals. The teen age kids were about the same and shoeless.
The salesmen ignored them.
The owner, went up to them and introduced himself, and ended up selling them a 911 for the dad, an Audi 100LS for the mother, and 2 914's for the teenagers. The guy wrote a check for the whole deal.
Seems the family owned a string of jewelery stores in the midwest, and had been out working in the yard, when they decided to go car shopping."
I stole this from another website, but I think it fits.