Why is the "buying a new car experience".....so unpleasant?

Buying a new car again. As in brand new from a dealership kind of new. Now by the time I get to that level, I have already thoroughly researched the vehicle, know just about everything about it, know what packages and accessories I want, dealer cost/MSRP and so on. So when I walk in it's like " I know what I want, here take my money". I don't think it can get much simpler than that. But I always seem to be confronted with the most unknowledgeable (stupid) staff that don't know what they are doing, try to talk me out of it and into something bigger/more expensive and just generally know far less about their product than I do. If I do all the work why am I paying a commission to them? It's like going to a restaurant, cooking your own meal, serving yourself and then having to tip the wait staff. Just a bit of a rant.

Apologies to anyone here in that line of business that does a good job. My experience has been poor.

You are not the customer there system is designed to sell to. They have a great system for extracting maximum profit from the average car idiot that walks in doesn't do research and is only concerned with what the monthly payment is

I can't fault the guy for trying to upsale. It's their job.

That being said, I might go push the envelope and just go straight and be to the point by just bringing the sales manager in and explain my frustration in dealing with his/her drone sales staff. If I don't get any resolution, I walk out. Plenty of other dealers out there to buy from.

Just my $0.02.

Ranger50 wrote: Plenty of other dealers out there to buy from.

Sadly I did walk out and tried other dealers, my experience has been largely the same. I am running out of dealers.

In reply to Feedyurhed:

Internet sales guy time?

Buying the V wagon was my first good experience. GM family discount so no price haggling. Loan stuff done online so I didn't even have to talk to a finance person. The whole thing took 15 minutes and 8 of that was the sales guy showing me how to set the nav (at my request)
Normally, the dentist is more pleasant than a dealership and I hate dentists to the core of their very soul.

I had the same issue when it came time to buy a new car in 2012. This is why I ended up not getting the green Mazda2 that I wanted originally. Our local Mazda dealership is TERRIBLE, and I tell anyone who will listen. Sadly, I'm not the only person in my circle who has had bad experiences with them.

It all turned out okay, though. I ended up with something that was better-equipped, more fuel efficient, has a better warranty, and cost less money. The car-buying experience at the Fiat dealership was spectacular.

I've purchased new on 3 separate occasions.

Never had a problem.

Maybe a purchase over the internet is the answer like Ranger50 suggested.

I have bought new twice.. swore to never do it again. I find used car dealers are a better experience

I just did this last month:

Internet is the way to go. Ball is always in your court. Bring your own financing and once you get a price you like on the car - introduce a trade to see if they will give you a square deal (there are tax advantages to this in PA and other states or I'd say just sell it yourself).

I ended up walking away - but the experience was a pleasant one.

I've never ever had a bad experience buying a new car.

If I have a bad experience with the sales staff, I DON'T BUY THE CAR FROM THAT DEALERSHIP. End of story.

It is a conflict of interest situation. They could care less what you want, need or can afford. The job description is "to make your money their money".

It was funn when I bought the FRS because I explained and managed to get it through her head that I wanted a number that was going to go on the check and that I only had one check. She finally got it, gave me the number, and yet she made me sit through the interview with the idiot who's job it is to sell you every gimmick they have. I TOLD him the check was already wrote and that there was no hope for him, but he still read through the script and wasted over half an hour of my time.

So yeah, I hate the experience also.

I feel your pain. I am probably the worst nightmare for a drone car salesman. I used to be a financial planner so I get the payment voodoo. Even worse, I'm a car guy who doesn't really care about how many colours the mood lighting has. Actually, I asked if white one of them, and he didn't know!

I actually wanted to know how the AWD system worked in a MINI Countryman ALL4, and the guy didn't know. He spewed unprompted gibberish about the handling, or was it the acceleration, along the lines of, "It's like when you're in a go-kart, you know, the 80-20. You feel the torque." I felt bad for the guy, and tried to change the topic to something fluffy he could deal with. And he kept on spewing gibberish!!

Aaand, he didn't know his cars' pricing either, within 5K$. And he works at a MINI dealer! Not a huge line to get a handle on.

Oh, yeah, and he made us wait over 30 minutes for a pre-booked appointment for a test drive to start the whole thing off.

And then, since this was to be a company car, when the corporate fleet guy talked to him and ended up going elsewhere (they didn't actually have a suitably optioned car available anyways) the sales turd has the gall to call my wife and angrily spew about how this is how he makes his living, and what about all the time he'd spent with us, blah, blah, blah.

After all that, though the car drives pretty well, it feels cheap. Sigh. AAARGH!

Is it sad that I enjoy it? I mean, I work for one, but I actually enjoy berkeleying with some of these moronic sales people. I had one that tried to argue with me on a test drive about the car I was driving. It was a FWD Tucson (1st gen) and he's trying to tell me it's a "4wd, like a truck". Really? You can't be this damn stupid. I pulled over into a sandy lot, stopped, revved that little Beta to about 4k and sidestepped the clutch. I let them spin for a second or two, then banged second. At this point we've moved MAYBE 2'. I put in the clutch and said "If it was AWD I couldn't do that. This thing will NEVER be a '4wd' because it's a FWD, unibody car made to look like an SUV. there's no 2-spd transfercase, I can't keep it in 4wd at all times etc. Any questions?"

That may not be word for word, but it's close. I can tell you the drive back to the lot was very quiet, except my wife chuckling in the back seat.

I have a friend whom I'll try to get to post here. He LOVES buying new and used cars, took a lengthy course to become a salesman hosted by one of the larger dealerships/manufacturers who were looking for sales staff. Last time he was in the chair for nearly three hours. Evidently, that's a very important place to be, once you're in the chair, with the salesman they will do a lot to keep you there. Out on the lot, roaming the floor, even on a test drive your still not really a customer until you sit down and begin the process for real.

It's been a terrific education for me watching him in action and hearing his advice, learning his process. No tricks, not magic bullets, just knowledge of how things work and what a buyer should know and do when faced with a salesman who is very well trained.

Remarkable when the curtain is pulled back. Really ! !

"What can I do to put you in this car TODAY?"

chuckles wrote: "What can I do to put you in this car TODAY?"

"Leave me alone and when I'm done, I'll come find you."

chuckles wrote: "What can I do to put you in this car TODAY?"

"Sell it to me, right now, for half the sticker price. Otherwise, I never buy a car on the first visit. But I guarantee that I will look you up by name if/when I come back to buy it."

carmax was designed to combat this

Flight Service wrote: carmax was designed to combat this

Been to one? They're worse than a regular dealer here. You are FORCED through their showroom into the sharktank before you can even get out onto their fenced lot. someone follows you the instant you walk in.

Most of my new purchases have been with my Employee discount (I work for Ford) but the times in the past I've bought non Ford products I've never had an issue. Maybe it's because I live in SE Michigan and there's always another dealer for the same brand within 10 mins drive, but I've never had any hassle. I've walked in knowing what I want, I tell them that and we drive examples. I never buy off the lot, I"ve always ordered.

Depends on the dealer and who you work with. While I've never actually gone through with purchasing a car, I've come close a couple times. I've had the best luck with the internet managers.

I'm always amazed that any time I tell them I'm looking for "RWD and Manual" how many times they show me stuff that isn't. I had one try to insist that an Audi A4 was RWD. I don't even think that one was AWD.

All my business goes to a fixed price dealer. That said, the sales pitch for extended warranty and electo-rust-proofing was a bit of a pain.

Bobzilla wrote:

Flight Service wrote: carmax was designed to combat this

Been to one? They're worse than a regular dealer here. You are FORCED through their showroom into the sharktank before you can even get out onto their fenced lot. someone follows you the instant you walk in.

Why thank you. I worked there for 3 years and hit President's Club (sold a bunch of stuff) and got the Above and Beyond award (customer said I was uber nice person, way better than any car salesmen should be)

Forced through the showroom. Let me guess, you didn't listen to what the person said to you? Give them 3 minutes and they will tell you what you are looking at (the average person knows preciously zero about cars), and show you where & what kind of car you are looking for is located on the lot. They follow you because Carmax does surveys on EVERYTHING and customers at regular dealerships feel ignored. (FYI: They were actually created by Circuit City when they saw the writing on the wall. Then they surveyed people as to what they like and didn't) We get the leave me the berkeley alone crowd in there but the majority like the way it goes.

The "I am really just browsing because I like to look at cars, if I need something I will let you know" works alot better than "Leave me the berkeley alone, I know more about this than you do." Because the numbers say, odds are you don't.

Now you may have had a bad experience, or a bad sales person, but from the post, it seems like you wanted just to blow by everyone and not let the sales person do their job.