[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."

[trackbird]

You are correct, holdback isn't really mentioned so the general public seems to have decided that "dealer invoice" is "dealer cost". I don't think anyone ever tried to say it was, they just never said it wasn't. Invoice is... well... invoice.

Dealers can often be guilty of their share of under handed stuff. But I just find it funny when people blame the dealer for the price they decided to pay for a car (decided = signed the paperwork). That's all I was saying. Much of the criticism is deserved in many cases, but I just want it pointed in the right direction and like to see people hold themselves somewhat accountable for their decisions.

Here's what I mean. GM advertises its "Dealer Invoice" price for a 2009 Pontiac G8GT is $29,819. However, they are running a sale right now where the price for that car is $29,537. They want me to believe that they are losing ~$300 on every G8 they sell? If so, then no wonder GM is going out of business!

Do me a favor, look and see if there is "cash back" on that car right now. The "cash back" is supplied by GM. So, if I buy a car at invoice and there is $3,000 cash back, the dealer sold me the car at invoice and pocketed the $3,000. That's what's meant when you see "All rebates to dealer" in an ad. It's saying, "we'll sell you this car for invoice, but we're keeping the $3,000 (or whatever) that GM supplies". So, you get say... $2,700 off and the dealer pockets $3,000. In a case like that, they actually made $300 over MSRP on the car (the dealership did).

Or, they sell at invoice and then take the $3,000 off. Then they make holdback and you buy a car under invoice. Or some combination of the two.

I can make the numbers say anything you'd like, what do you want to hear? (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)