| rev:text
| - Buying a car is a fairly miserable experience in my opinion, and I walked into Showcase ready to hate everyone in there. However, I did have a relatively painless experience buying my 2010 Honda Fit a few weeks ago. I made an appointment ahead of time to see a vehicle that was pulled from their pre-inspection lot for me. As soon as I pulled up (at 730 pm), I was greeted by the salesperson who was expecting me. I had also been called a few minutes earlier to be told that the person I had corresponded with was no longer available but that another salesperson would be there. The exact car I was looking for was parked directly in front of the dealership.
I knew what I wanted to buy, so the test drive was a bit of a formality. The negotiation process was annoying, but not so bad considering I got what I wanted. I was able to bargain the price of the monthly payment down by about $100 per month and get a few upgrades for "free." The worst part of the experience was the "back room," i.e., financing, where I was given a long speech about some ridiculous extended warranty that would wind up costing me $30/month for an oil change needed twice a year. Anyway, I was out by 11:30 pm with a new car (exactly the model, trim, color and options I wanted), great financing and a better price than I had predicted.
Car salesmen can be horrible, and I'm sure that there are jerks at Showcase. I didn't meet any when I was there, though. They treated me with respect, and we had a perfectly acceptable business transaction. A few more specifics:
I wanted floor mats for free and specifically asked my salesman if there would be any "floor mat surprises" after I signed. I should have been more specific and gotten his "no way" answer in writing. Unfortunately, the car did not include floor mats, though it did include a more expensive cargo tray, mud/splash guards, nitrogen inflated tires and a 5-year exterior paint warrant w/ waxing. (I declined the pinstriping for aesthetic reasons only.)
Here's the thing...I was mad about the floor mats, but I got keyless entry for free AND the parts department honored an online-only price for the mats, which I got at about 35 percent off retail. This took no haggling at all.
I honestly really like getting my car serviced at a Honda dealership. I traded in a '95 Accord that had been serviced at the dealership for 15 years. Based on my experience with Showcase, I'll likely go back for at least the first few oil changes and brake work. We'll see how it goes. If they continue to be respectful, friendly and honest, they'll keep my business.
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