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> Unless you really insist on driving the exact car you're buying

I certainly do. I thought this was the norm?



Here's full info dump you might find interesting:

Regarding your comment on test drives: Not in my experience, though it may vary between dealerships and also possibly luxury class. Side note: a good part of my knowledge comes from my father who, when he fell on hard times losing a much better job, could only find a job selling cars. (He wasn't good at it: He was blunt & honest, and while not afraid of pushing an upsell, he wouldn't use deceptive tactics.)

For test drives, luxury car dealerships or high end models at normal dealerships will get you an easy test drive in the exact car you're buying. For a "normal" cars they'd prefer or insist on their dedicated car for that purpose. Part of the reason some dealerships do this is because it's they will use a model with the highest level of options for that model-- all of the amenities. It makes the upsell easier when a customer realizes that some of the nice things they experienced in the test drive aren't included in the "trim" they want.

A customer can insist, but the way they pack cars into their lots it can take a little while for someone to maneuver cars so the one you want can be brought out for a test drive. The only time I test drove the exact car I was buying was when it was the only one on the lot with a specific requirement: manual transmission. Otherwise I drove what are called "demo cars". If you search that out, it's a common thing: Dealerships designate specific cars for test drives, which are also occasionally used by sales folks to get them familiar with the cars, and also as loaner cars to customers that need to leave their own to be serviced. You can usually get a slightly better deal on demo cars: Technically they can still be sold legally as "new" but can have up to a few thousand miles on them.

As I said though, it could vary by dealership, but it will especially vary by how busy it is when you visit: Weekends are when sales folks really make their money, and unless you're really ready to buy right then, they will try not to take the time even for the test drive unless things are slow: if they establish that you might not be ready to buy that their goal is to spend the smallest time possible that still connects you to them if you decide to buy later, but otherwise lets them move on to a customer who is really ready to buy, because: They mostly need to sell 2-3 cars on the weekend, and 1-2 cars over the course of the rest of the week to meet the lower end quota marks ~12 cars/month where small bonuses start to kick in, which is also where most salesmen land each month.

Also, despite cars being a large purchase, sales folks are paid like shit compared to the sticker price, have to work extremely long hours, and have no such thing as true paid vacation or sick days because if they take a week off, they're giving up 25% of their pay for that month. More, if it means they fall a car or two short of a bonus tier. $100-$200/car is around average for entry to mid-range cars, with a small % earned on upsells like an extended warranty and the interest earned on the loan. IIRC, that commission is about 5%: $1k for an extended warranty and $2k interest over the lifetime of the loan gets them an extra $150, but most people don't get the warranty extension and frequent 0% to 2% financing deals for people with strong credit make those extras few & far between. Salary breaks down along these lines:

1) ~50-60 hour work weeks with a pre-commission "salary" around $1000/month.

2) ~12 cars/month averaging $200/car after upsells = $2400

3) $500 bonus for hitting the minimum quota

4) $1000 + $2400 +500 = $3900/month = ~$45000/year for a job with low benefits, variable uncertain pay from month to month, zero fully paid time off, and long hours.

Again, this is for a typical dealership like honda/chevy/toyota etc. Higher-end luxury cars are very different. They have to cater to more demanding buyers. Those dealerships generally only hire sales folks with strong established track records with high sales rates. Salaries there can be $75k to $100k. I have a family member that was able to start at that level due to a friendship connection, did very well, and moved up to ultra luxury & sports cars and began earning ~$200k/year. That, however, it the top 1% of car sales.... maybe even less. Not that many people buy >= ~$150,000 cars. But when they do, the margins are higher, buyers often want a variety of upsell amenities, and even low-interest financing results in a lot more profit on the back end: $1500 commission/car plus $600 on the back end for financing @ 10 cars/month = $200k/year.




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