[Riverside2SS]

It's very difficult to find a good dealer. I've probably purchased a dozen or so new vehicles over the years(GM and FCA) and purchased almost all of them from different dealers due to one shady reason or another. I finally have a dealer and sales person I trust. They are out there.....just be patient and hopefully you can find one.

[Mrbobcat]

I had a weird experience at a Dodge dealership yesterday. I got there when it just opened up and couldn't get anyone to assist me for like a half hour. Seems they were all in a meeting. I almost left, but didn't want it to be a wasted trip so I waited and finally got to test drive a 1320. It was ok, but couldn't really open it up and test the racing goodies. It was black on black too and not the color I wanted, but if the price was right maybe. Of course they tried to high ball me and sell it for 45k. MSRP was about 48, but it said sale price of 41 on the net. They said that's only if you qualify for all the rebates (nobody does) and know somebody with the friends and family program. They only offered me about 500 more than my trade value at first too. After trying to leave a couple times, they came up 3k in the trade and somehow came up with the friends discount. It was tempting and if it was red or orange, I might have pulled the trigger.

But IDK, I've only test driven one Camaro. The salesman might be right in the fact the Challengers hold their value better and I tend to trade in every few years, the Dodge may be a better fit. They did offer a decent Lease rate too, but not sure if I want to go that route. But then again, there are a couple 18SS's I want to look at for a few grand less (supposedly) and I should be able to get the 2k conquest from owning a Mustang on them. I probably should at least test drive a 19 Camaro too to compare. I know I probably won't get an unbiased opinion on a Camaro forum, but what do you guys think?

[indyz]

@mrBobCat Haha. That would be considered top tier service and pricing if that dealership was in south Florida .
In soFla, they would start at a markup to msrp. And imply there were diamonds hidden in their scratched and swirled sit-on-lots-for-9-months cars.
You Ohians are lucky.

My last several cars were bought in Charlotte, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, etc. Anywhere but soFla.

[Tyl3r]

Dealers are notoriously deceptive. Financing requirements, "documentation fees", making you sit for hours extra so they can tack on additional charges at the end, etc. This will ultimately lead to the downfall of them. They had it coming. Large chains are popping up where the sticker price is the actual price you pay; there is no negotiation and dealers aren't commissioned.

[Glen e]

I have written this before but from being a general manager of the dealership for a couple years and then on the manufacture side for another 25, I can tell you you can elim a lot of the crap if you will be proactive and just turn down all help when you walk in the dealership. The guy that is coming up to you is the new guy, the guys that know what they’re doing in sales are in their offices and they’re busy. Go to the front desk, ask for the working floor sales manager, explain to him that you’re serious , show him your credit score and tell them you want to deal with somebody who has a high CSI and who has 4 to 6 years experience. You stand a much better chance of having a no hassle deal. I’ve done this on three different Chevrolet dealerships where I knew absolutely nobody going in and it worked every time. In fact they appreciate it because you’re not gonna give a bunch of crap and be wishy-washy and your decision. Both you and the dealership love 30 minute deals.

That being said, the guys that sell Chevy, just don’t make that much money. Their car is not in demand like some of the imports, there is no gross in the car, and there is a tremendous amount of rotation. Which sets up the perfect storm of crap for you. The good guys have cut their teeth on the floor, and then moved on to BMW /Porsche /Audi Mercedes etc. where they make 25 to 40 K more annually.

And yes many of the chain operators like Penske, sonic, group 1, Autonation and larger regional owners have gotten smart and price all their stuff at their transactional price, i.e., what they have actually sold the car for in the last quarter. They put that price out there at the beginning and they don’t deviate from it , that’s as low as they’ll go. In addition, many are adopting the truecar page for trade in pricing. What’s your car prices at on truecar, is what they give you for a trade-in. No going back and forth. I did my last Honda that way.

[indyz]

My last few cars, email has worked well. If they wont give you a price with taxes and fees and compete for your business, don't bother walking into the dealership. I start with email and then use texts if the sales person is so inclined. I'll even call once I know the sales person is serious about the sale. I did have one bad experience using this method, where I walked into a dealership and they raised their price during signing. I walked and bought the car for about $500 less from a competing nearby dealership. Left them a review documenting their business practice. You really cant do much else.

Of course if the car is selling like hot cakes, then this method does not apply lol. A camaro SS is a mass produced car with a limited market. That's what appeals to me, most, about it. I do not wish to be part of any snob clubs.

[enzia35]

Mine was great. No problem getting the price I wanted when ordering.

[Hops]

just by luck i found a good chevy dealer, and our family has bought 5 cars from them in the last 12 years. What I've noticed different about this dealer from the others:
- the sales people have stayed around, our salesman has been there 15+ years
- They don't bother us on the phone or email, unless we ask!
- Their advertised prices are higher than others because they don't include rebates
- They emphasized they get customers by word of mouth
- They've never tried to up 'sell' us options packages we didn't want, or get us to spend more than we wanted.
- The finance person doesn't pressure us.



i'm guessing i might find a better price if i shopped around, but i don't feel like i'm getting screwed, so i've stayed with them. I think solely focusing on price gets people into trouble. I've experienced with bad dealers, where the amount you thought you were spending changes once you get to the finance department... or professed ignorance of rebates you were initially assured of... etc.


So, as far as finding a good dealer, i'd go with word of mouth. And if you do find a good dealer stick with them.

[sengli]

Those dealer fees vary a lot from one place to another. My larger local dealer adds $500 paint protection to all of their cars. Its a scam on the end to boost the bottom line. I havent bought from them in 20 years, since they started that BS.

The online pricing usually in the fine print tells you that you might not qualify for all the listed incentives. Quite often they actually included some offers that you never can combine. You really pretty much just conclude the price is wrong online. If they have the car you want you need to call and talk to sales guy to see whats up.

[getchapull]

Originally Posted by enzia35

Mine was great. No problem getting the price I wanted when ordering.

What dealership?