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We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

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If you don't have a subscription, Nissan Sport magazine.



Nissan Sport: The magazine for Nissan, Datsun, Infiniti enthusiasts

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

Car Shopping on the Offensive: 8 Aggressive Buying TacticsBeat the hard sell and turn the tables on the dealer.

Our reviews, road tests, and Buying Guide will help you choose a single vehicle from the 430 or so on sale today, but how do you negotiate the often contentious dealer experience? It can be an intimidating and unpleasant process, and while most dealers are honest, salespeople are in the business to close deals quickly and get you to pay top dollar. Most engage in tried-and-true psychological tactics designed to get them the best possible deal. So how do you make sure you’re doing the same for yourself? We’ve debunked the eight most common hard-sell tactics. More important, we tell you how to turn around each of them and use them to your advantage. Should you find yourself getting pressured, these replies will regain control of the situation.



What the Dealer Says:

"You have to make the deal today."

What You Should Say:

"Sorry, this offer expires tonight."

In this scenario the dealer quotes a price, but to apply pressure to the buyer the deal is only good for that day. This gives the buyer little chance to research the price or find a competing offer from another dealership. Fortunately, the buyer can regain control by coming up with his or her own price and adding, “My offer is only good for tonight.” A dealer desperate to make a sale will have little recourse, and should they not agree to the price the buyer is free to walk away. Just be sure to do your research before you go to the dealer so your offer is actually low enough.



What the Dealer Says:

"I have to check with my manager."

What You Should Say:

"I have to check with my spouse."

A salesperson often will tell you that he has to confer with a sales manager to see if the price he comes up with is agreeable. Thus, the manager becomes the bad guy and the salesperson comes off as being in the buyer’s corner. Don’t be fooled and don’t be afraid to use the same tactic. If you need time to think about it and you don’t want to come off as the bad guy, tell the salesperson you have to confer with your spouse. It helps to paint the spouse as the disagreeable sort. Don’t have a spouse? Try accountant, therapist, astrologist, cult leader, food taster, or any other authority figure whose opinion you supposedly value. Have the other person play the role of the bad guy who’s holding up the deal. It’s not uncommon for salespeople to belittle a customer for letting the “little lady” or “chauvinist husband” tell them what to do, so be prepared to set your ego aside and admit you’re only one member of the team making the decision.



What the Dealer Says:

"I have to put food on my table."

What You Should Say:

"I have to keep food on my table."

To play on the buyer’s compassion, the salesperson might tell you that he has to put food on his table. Apparently, the deal is so in favor of the buyer that the salesperson will starve if the deal gets any better. Remember, you’re the one unloading the cash, not the salesperson. Tell them, “I have to keep food on my table.”



What the Dealer Says:

"We’re already losing money on this deal."

What You Should Say:

"I’m already losing a hell of a lot of money on this deal."

To convince the buyer of the excellent deal that is being made, the salesperson might tell the buyer that the dealer is losing money on the deal. This is another tactic designed to appeal to one’s sympathy. Consider that the buyer is the one who is losing, or at least giving up, thousands of dollars. Be sure to remind the salesperson that you are the one losing the money.



What the Dealer Says:

"I’ve got another offer, this is in high demand."

What You Should Say:

"I could go down the street and get the same car."

Car salespeople will always try to convince the buyer that the car they are considering is in such high demand that they’d better move quickly or risk losing the car. “Other interested buyers” and “production shortages” are ruses designed to make the buyer believe that buying immediately is necessary. Mass-produced cars are, as the name implies, built in huge numbers. Even if what the dealer tells you is true, another just like the one you want will be built and available soon. And there are almost always other dealers that will have the same car or something close.



What the Dealer Says:

"This is the only one like it, take it or leave it."

What You Should Say:

"I am the only person who would ever buy this ridiculously unusual car."

Hard-core car enthusiasts often find themselves considering cars that ordinary buyers don’t even know exist. Consequently, the automaker doesn’t make a lot of these cars because the market for them is so thin. But they are out there. Somewhere a Cadillac dealer has a CTS with a six-speed manual transmission and it’s more than likely that the salesperson is telling the buyer, “This is the only one like it, take it or leave it.” The seller should respond in kind with, “I am the only person who would ever buy this ridiculously unusual car.”



What the Dealer Does:

Last-minute price increase or hidden fees

What You Should Do:

Last-minute offer decrease

If the dealer knows that you’re seriously interested and a price has been agreed upon, occasionally the dealer will surprise the buyer with a last-minute price increase or previously undisclosed fees and, of course, a plausible-sounding excuse for the increase. Don’t give in to this tactic. Try countering with a last-minute offer decrease.



What the Dealer Says:

"I’m throwing in all this for free."

What You Should Say:

"I don’t even want all this stuff."

A salesperson will often attempt to justify an inflated price by including valueless items like pinstriping, undercoating, fabric or paint protectant, or pre-sale inspections. Sometimes even optional equipment may be part of the deal and appear to be free. If you don’t want the extra options, just let the dealer know. Tell the dealer, “These non-factory items, if anything, make this car worth less to me.”

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

How to Get That New-Car Test Drive
Basically, you gotta make the salesman comfortable. Here are 15 tips for success.

The first thing you should know is that test-drive rules are unique to each dealership. We visited a Volvo store where a salesman said, "If I believe you're a serious customer, I'll let you take a car home for a night with unlimited miles." Then we visited a Honda dealership where the general manager said, "Our test drives are restricted to less than five miles, with the salesman driving half that distance."

What's more, few dealerships maintain a fleet of demonstrators. "Too expensive," explains a Subaru salesman. "I sell Outbacks, Legacy sedans and wagons, Impreza sedans and wagons, WRX sedans and wagons, and we have three engines and a bunch of trim levels. I'd need 20 demonstrators to represent those variations." We talked to a Ford dealer who kept "a few" Explorer demonstrators, and we found a Toyota dealer who maintained a handful of Corolla and Camry demonstrators. But that was about it. When you take a test drive nowadays, it will usually be in a new car.

"That's one reason why salesmen are so eager for you to test the exact car you're thinking of buying, right down to the color," explains Ford sales manager John McLellan of Varsity Ford in Ann Arbor. "We're hoping you're putting miles on the car you'll own—miles we won't have to explain to someone else." At his dealership, in fact, new cars with as few as 35 test miles get parked until they're sold. But at a BMW dealership three blocks distant, the limit was more like 300. "If you buy a car with 300 test miles," said the general manager there, "tell the salesman you want the warranty extended by that number of miles—he can do it."

In any event, here are the best methods—according to the salesmen—for wangling a long, meaningful solo test drive:

Tip No. 1: Do not lie to the salesman. Not about anything. First off, the salesman will know. He's heard every lie ever invented by man or beast, maybe 200 times a week. Also, it's completely unnecessary—it affects the eventual price of your car not one whit. But there's a far more important reason not to lie. Once he catches a customer fibbing to him, the average salesman feels justified in lying right back.

"People lie about the dumbest stuff," says Mercedes salesman (and former C/D "Brevet Motor Pool Officer") Michael Brueger. "They'll boast about all the Benzes they've owned, like a 1984 supercharged Gullwing so-and-so with 25-inch dubs or something equally crazy. I always think to myself, Why the hell did we just go through that little piece of fantasy? Where did it get us? It's like lying to your plumber about which toilet is leaking." A lot of customers lie to salesmen from the git-go because they think it'll somehow demonstrate their take-no-prisoners attitude when it comes to negotiating the car's price. "Tell me," asks Brueger, "exactly how does that work?"

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

Tip No. 2:

Before he'll give you a car to test, a salesman will, at a minimum, demand to see your driver's license, and he may also want to know your home phone number and where you work. If you're defensive about any of this, he's unlikely to let you test a car alone. Freely divulge everything, and also offer the insurance slip on the car you just drove onto the lot. That document gives the salesmen a few more clues about who you are, and it at least demonstrates you're legally able to title a new car in your own name in that state. A Porsche salesman we talked to insists that his test-driving customers sign a loaner agreement before taking a car. Do it.

And here's another reason not to lie to a salesman. Dealerships increasingly use a Wilson Technologies scanner to run your license, just like the cops. If you have a history of vehicular mayhem, or if you've been convicted of fraud, or if your license is restricted in any way, the salesman will know—in about 10 seconds.

Tip No. 3: The surest way to get a long, meaningful solo test drive is to make the salesman comfortable. Assure him that (a) you're not a thief, (b) you're not out for a joy ride, and (c) you're actually in the market for the car you're asking to drive.

"If a guy wants to test, say, a V-6 Camry, every salesman will ask, 'Okay, so what other cars have you looked at?'" says Toyota salesman Glenn Gottfried. "And if that customer doesn't immediately say, 'Well, I'm also thinking about an Accord, a Sonata, a Stratus'—you know, if he can't name a few competing models in the class—then he's not serious or he's got some secret agenda. Which makes me nervous. And if I'm nervous, he's not taking a car off my lot. A guy who bares his soul is the guy who gets all the favors. He's the guy who comes in, shakes my hand, isn't defensive or combative, and says, 'I've driven these four cars, I want to purchase one in the next 10 days, I like the Accord and the Sonata the most—had a Taurus that I hated—but I'd prefer to buy a Camry if it had a better ride, a nicer stereo, and didn't cost me $750 extra. Can you make that happen?' That guy is a buyer. That guy gets any test drive he wants. I can't use any of that information against him—all I can do is put him in a car most likely to satisfy him. So, why don't we all try to get to that point as fast as possible?"

Tip No. 4: If you go to a dealership that imposes strict prohibitions regarding test drives—no deviations from prescribed routes, for instance, or mandatory ride-along salesmen—then go ahead and take the test drive anyway and drive like a perfect angel. When you return to the dealership, sip a Coke for 10 minutes, then go back to the salesman and say, "I really, really like that car. Would you mind if I drive it once more, this time alone?"

"Once I've ridden with a guy and know he's not a maniac and I have a feel for his motives, I'll always grant the second [solo] drive," says Gottfried. "Always. And then if he's gone for 30 or 45 minutes, I won't sweat it." Six other veteran salesmen, including one at a Porsche store, told us the same. Four others promised this: If a customer comes back a day or two later and says, "Since I last saw you, I've driven X, Y, and Z, but now I can't remember what your car drove like," the dealership won't hesitate to hand him the keys. "We call those 'be-backs,'" explains BMW new-car dealer Joe Gilmour. "Salesmen love be-backs. He's the guy I'll let take a car home for a night. We call that the 'puppy-dog close.' You take a cute puppy home, you fall in love with it."

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

Tip No. 5:

Show up looking like you're serious—wearing slacks and a nice shirt or blouse—and show up in the car you plan to trade or in the nicest car you own. "There's this weird urban myth," says Brueger, "that if you look like a homeless person, I'll go easier on you when it comes time to negotiate. How does that make sense? For one thing, if you look like you can't afford a new car, I'm gonna require a lot more information before I toss you the keys. I'll still give you a test drive, it's just gonna take longer to get there. And I like having the collateral of seeing a nice, late-model car parked in front of the showroom while you're out testing my car. Whether you know it or not, every salesman has a kind of five-minute secret interrogation he conducts to qualify a guy for a drive. Me, the first thing I notice is his shoes and wristwatch. The second thing I notice is the address on his license. Veteran salesmen know almost every street in town, and they know the size of the houses on those streets. So don't pull the 'I'm just a poor slob' routine."

Tip No. 6: Do not have someone drop you off at a dealership and expect a test drive. Do not walk to a dealership and expect a test drive. Do not arrive with a spouse who doesn't want to ride along on the test drive—all three are tactics used by thieves who drive away cars forever.

Do not tell a salesman you want to take a test drive "to kill a little time before a movie." Do not tell a salesman, "This car isn't for me—I'm just testing it for someone else." Do not expect a test drive if you've had a beer at lunch and the salesman can smell it. If you're male, do not expect a test drive if you take along a male buddy. "Men try to impress each other," notes Brueger. "I once let two guys test a 7-series. They made it about two blocks before they rolled the thing in front of a nice restaurant."

Tip No. 7: If you go to the dealership with a spouse, decide beforehand who's going to test the car and who's going to conduct financial negotiations. It makes the salesman more comfortable—and saves time—if the driver and the negotiator are the same person.

Tip No. 8: If you're granted a drive and the salesman rides along, tell him what you're going to do before you do it. Say to him, "I'm gonna accelerate a little briskly from this light. Is that okay?" Tell him, "There's no one behind me, can I try a panic stop from 15 mph?"

Says BMW's Gilmour, "My rule of thumb is, as long as you warn me first, and as long as nothing you do attracts attention from other motorists, I'm cool with it."

"The real secret is to work up to speed," says Brueger. "Start out like you're my grandma and show me you're competent and careful. Then, by the end of the test, I'll let you do some pretty wild stuff."

"I was on a drive with a guy on a freeway," recalls Toyota's Gottfried, "and he deliberately missed two exits that I asked him politely to take. It scared me to death. I thought he was gonna kill me, then take the car. That's not uncommon, you know."

"One big thing for me," adds Gilmour, "is the difference between testing a car and abusing it. Speed doesn't bother me, but abuse does. Drive the car like it belongs to your wife. The second time you smoke the tires away from a light, I'm gonna say, 'Jeez, whoever buys this car, you just cost him 200 miles.'"

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

Tip No. 9:

Don't hesitate to ask a salesman to be quiet while you drive. "In fact, I prefer a guy who concentrates on what the car is doing and what traffic is doing," says Gilmour. "When a driver gets chatty and happy, then we're just cruising. That's a joy ride. Man, I hate joy rides."

Tip No. 10: If you're granted a test drive, do not turn on the car's radio or fiddle with its nav system. Mess around with the electronics while you're parked in the lot, not while racking up miles.

Never take your hands off the wheel "to see how she tracks."

If you're male and are overly "friendly" with a saleswoman, she'll ask a salesman to ride along as protection, and that guy will make a point of ensuring your test drive is as brief as humanly possible.

"And if you answer your cell phone during a test," adds Brueger, "then I know you're bullshitting me. I'm offended when a guy asks me to prove the worth of my products and then takes that opportunity to chat with the guy fixing his lawn mower."

Tip No. 11: If you're having trouble getting a decent test drive, offer to fill out a "buyer's order," the document that includes all your particulars and the sticker price of the car. This document isn't legally binding, and you don't have to complete the last line, which states the car's negotiated price. But if a salesman is waffling about whether you deserve a solo test drive, he can take a completed buyer's order to his boss. That has the effect of proving you're serious, and if you wrap up the car on the drive, it also shifts some of the blame onto the general manager. Again, the goal is the same—make the salesman comfortable, and you'll get what you want.

Tip No. 12: After a brief test, be genuinely honest (but not arrogant) about any complaints or reservations you have, because it may earn you a second, longer drive. "Last week a guy said to me, 'I'm worried that these tires are so quick to squeal, and I'm not entirely comfortable with the driving position,'" recalls Ford salesman Mark Davis. "And I told him, 'That's because these are M+S-rated tires. But I have this same car, except with 17-inch Bridgestone Potenzas and electrically adjustable pedals—how 'bout you try that one?'"

Tip No. 13: If it's a rare or particularly expensive car you want to test, visit the dealership first to "qualify" and expect to return later to drive. "Obviously, testing a Cobalt is no problem," explains Chevrolet sales manager Eric Gilliam, "but testing a Corvette Z06 or a Cadillac CTS-V is. Even huge dealerships may have only one in stock, and it may be sitting in the showroom. I don't mind getting it out for you, but I can't do it at the drop of a hat."

Tip No. 14: To derive the most productive test, select a dealership out in the sticks. Traffic is less dense there, and the showroom is more likely to be near twisty country roads that will allow a more revealing test. Just as important, pick a dealership in an affluent suburb, where crime rates are low. The salesmen who come into the least contact with crooks are the salesmen most likely to trust you for solo test drives.

Tip No. 15: "It's okay to treat me like a jerk, but only if I treat you like a jerk first," says Ford salesman Davis. "Otherwise, leave your ego and prejudices about car salesmen at home. If we immediately get into mortal combat, why should I be keen on giving you a lenient test drive? Plus, the real kicker is this: If you do buy the car, the price you finally pay will be the same as if we treated each other like long-lost buds. I mean, what's the point? Save yourself the Rolaids.

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

Coon-azz

just and FYI...

"Nissan Sport magazine has merged with Grassroots Motorsports magazine (GRM) effective January 1, 2013. Nissan Sport is in the process of liquidating all assets and will shut down permanently after settling past publishing debts.

GRM will fulfill the full length of each paid Nissan Sport subscription. No further action from past subscribers is required, as they will begin receiving their first issues of GRM beginning in 2013.

The ownership and staff of Nissan Sport appreciate the support of our loyal readers, advertisers and supporters during our six-year run. GRM expects to offer increased coverage of Datsun, Nissan and Infiniti stories in the future. Many of the features that would have been published in Nissan Sport will now be folded into the pages of GRM: grassrootsmotorsports.com
"

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I don't care how slow you want to drive; I encourage it. JUST GET THE HELL OUT OF THE PASSING LANE YOU TUCK FARD!!!