mmarshall

Again...depends on where in the state he is. Winters are not too bad along the SE coast, around the capital, Juneau.

Max707

Did not know that. You hear Alaska and you think 3 feet of snow

mmarshall

Yes...winters at Juneau and the SE Alaska panhandle are more or less like those at Seattle and along the British Columbia Coast...relatively mild and rainy, with occasional snows. North of Anchorage, however, inland, and especially Fairbanks and north, it is a FAR different matter. Winter there is a real problem.....not to mention almost continual darkness as well. You pretty much have to use synthetic oil or block heaters to get the engine started.

ff_

Torri, why do I get the feeling that we're not hearing the entire story? I've never heard of a dealership GM that didn't want to sell someone a car.

mmarshall

At most dealerships, that's true, but the German car industry....and some ( not all ) of their dealerships....have long been arrogant. That's one reason why, when I go to a BMW, Audi, Porsche, or Mercedes dealership to either review, test-drive, or to help someone else shop for and buy a car, I don't go looking like a bum.....I wear decent clothes and pay some attention to my appearance ( though I almost always have my ubiquitous cap on ). Walk into many premium German car dealerships looking ragged and you'll be ignored for sure...they figure you haven't got the money for their products.

Now...I'm NOT saying that Torii went in the place looking like a bum...just that that has been my experience sometimes.

ff_

Depending on the salesperson you get, that can be true (Toyota dealers are even worse than BMW dealerships when it comes to this). But if Torii really had signed the paperwork and was prepared to buy, I seriously doubt that the GM would've been pushing him/her out the front door. That just doesn't make sense.

mmarshall

No, I agree, it doesn't...and from his story, they are trying to pull him back in again ( Like I said earlier, they know that the 3-series now has competition ).

Toyota dealerships are generally not as arrogant as Honda ones. Toyota, at least has incentives now and then, even on popular vehicles. Many Honda dealers, in an attitude that basically dates back to the 1980's when they were the kings of the auto world, takes the attitude that their vehicles don't need rebates, they sell themselves, and that customers should kiss THEIR a**es, not the other way around. Those days, of course are long gone.....Honda now has competition, but their dealerships don't always acknowledge that or act like it.
It also depends on who you know. I can go into a number of dealerships, where I know many people and they know me, and be treated much better than a complete stranger.

PsychDoc

You should have promptly offered them another $2000 and seen how "principled" they would have been about not selling the car to someone who "really didn't want it."

As soon as they accepted your offer, you should have gotten up, told them to kiss your *** for wasting your valuable time and just walked out.

mmarshall

...........and gone WHERE?

In Alaska you don't exactly have BMW shops on every street corner. And they called him back as it was, and agreed to something close to his offer.

sdbrandon

German dealerships like BMW are not set up for walk-ins. Most folks do not buy a BMW like a toaster. The call the dealership or use internet sales and work with a sales advisor.

There are a lot more options when buying a BMW. Sales, leasing,european delivery, custom ordering, special options, body work options, Dinan performance upgrades, etc. Also, the typical BMW driver is not looking for basic transportation, but a car to suit their needs. There are just a ton of options, sedan, wagons, convertibles, 3/5/6/7 series, M3/5/6, I6/turbo 6/V8/V12, etc.

If you just walk in, they assume you are already working with someone. It is not about the attire. I have bought BMW's in flip flops and a t-shirt and was treated well.

When working with a sales advisor, it is not uncommon to take car for the weekend and try it out. Although it may seem like they are not good at customer service, they are. They are just focused on real customers and not looky Lou's. BMW generates so much excitement with the younger crowd, they always get kids in there who cannot afford the cars wasting their time.

I also think there is more sales pressure on the Japanese brands which is why the sales people watch the lot like hawks.

Each BMW dealer only gets so many cars per year (dealer allocation). The cars can be custom ordered to the customer's preference and arrive within 6-8 weeks. Every car going down the BMW assembly line can be different. The manufacturing line is currently being studied by the Japanese. It is truly amazing. All this and they can still offer competitive pricing and lease deals.

BoDarville

here ya go:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....rticle_id=3280

STIG

My Local BMW dealer treats me better than my Local Lexus dealer does.

move to another dealer where they want your money.

hsk73

Hmmm... you wanted $41K car for $36K and you told them you don't even want it???
And, you are mad because they didn't sell it to you???

Corsa999

I won't really comment on the dealer situation but it looks like BoDarville posted the answer to your question of what other sedans might take the place of the 328XI. Prior to reading that R&T review I was going to suggest a fully loaded G35X. I had checked out the M35 when I was cross-shopping the GS350 and the sales guy said a loaded G35 could be had for under 40K...not bad. Maybe a bit higher if you added in the "X" all-wheel drive but still a good price.

mmarshall

Read the posts...he's in Alaska. BMW dealerships are few and far between.