[2000Z-71]

On the way home from Sunday's autocross I stopped in at Power Dodge just to see if they had a new Challenger RT. No, I'm not serious I already have an overweight undertired pig and the Challenger is at least another 350lbs. heavier than my GTO.

I pulled up in my car, parked, and walked over to the Challenger they had parked out in front. It was an RT with an automatic and a $5K "adjusted market value" sticker in addition to the $35K window sticker as well as $2K worth of floor mats, undercoating, and window tint I actually had a few minutes to look it over before the salesmen descended. The doors were unlocked with a key in the lockbox on the driver's side window. Here's the first laugh, it has a keyless ignition, if the key is in close proximity, the car will start. Yes having the key inside of a lockbox mounted on the driver's side window is close enough.

Salesman comes up asks me if I drove up in the GTO and I said yes. Here's the second laugh, he informs me that I should trade it in because the Challenger is faster. Really I asked, how is that possible when it weighs more and has less horsepower and torque? His answer was, "It has a Hemi!" Now I'm amused, "Really what's a Hemi?" I ask. He replies, "It's like a turbo only it's not." I ask if he could pop the hood and show it to me. He pops the hood and points to the plastic cover over the intake manifold. "See it says right there Hemi!"

He asks if I want to drive it. I was honest and said that I really only wanted to take a close look and get a brochure. We go inside, the salesman starts to run all over the dealership looking for a brochure. I looked in the rack I was standing next to, grabbed a brochure and tried to make a discrete exit. No such luck, numbnuts sees me and comes running across the showroom floor.

For the last laugh he insists that I take the car for a test drive, he's even brought a dealer plate out. My pacience is blown and I just decided that I'm going to have some fun with him. I told him to wait by the car and I would be back. I went to my car, got my helmet out of the back seat, walked back towards the saleman and proceeded to put my helmet on. Sat down in the driver's seat, tightened up my chinstrap looked over at numbnuts in the passenger seat and asked, "What's the matter don't you have one?"

" Sir, I just wouldn't feel comfortable with you driving."

[00 Trans Ram]

Classic!

"Adjusted market value" - it's just like MSRP and Dealer Invoice. They're all fictitous numbers that are invented by the manufacturer to sell the car at a profit.

[trackbird]

Classic!

"Adjusted market value" - it's just like MSRP and Dealer Invoice. They're all fictitous numbers that are invented by the manufacturer to sell the car at a profit.

Um...no.

I am an ex car salesman.

MSRP is just a suggested retail price. If you go buy a gallon of milk, it has a price tag on it. That way you have an idea what they would like you to pay for it. And, since most grocery stores don't haggle, you probably will pay the sticker price for milk. MSRP is calculated based on a target profit margin on the vehicle (calculated off of "Dealer Invoice"...see below). It's a number, generated by other numbers. And it is very real...because it's calculated and then printed on the sticker.

Dealer invoice is "actual dealer cost" plus "holdback". Adding up those two numbers will get you the "Dealer Invoice" price. Holdback is typically 1-3% of the price of the vehicle. So, if you buy at "dealer invoice", the dealer will make 1-3% over what he paid for the vehicle (typically running towards 3%). Dealer invoice is a very real number, generated by other real numbers (cost + holdback).

Now, with all that said, a dealer is in business to make money. Just like the grocery store. This is a capitalist society (well, it used to be until recently) and that's the goal, making a profit. Some dealers are less than scrupulous about it, and others are more open and seem a bit more honest. For some reason, people seem to feel that if a car dealer is making money, they are screwing the customer. I don't get upset at my grocery store for making money, so why would I get upset at the local car dealer for making money? Beats me, but it happens. On the other hand, more money is made off of the service department than is ever made on the sales floor. If you want to get mad, get mad at service, not the sales force.

You don't ask your local grocer to give milk away at cost, do you?