test drive question

I personally would avoid a dealer that didnt take time to prep their test drive cars. CEL could be anything from loose gas cap to a problem that will plague you for as long as you own the car.

Unless there was something disconnected for shipping/delivery purposes or the diagnostic plugs were connected (this would make the CEL flash) there isn't any good reason for the light to be on or the car to run poorly. The salesman was just making excuses. Don't buy that one, and find another one in better shape to drive preferably at another dealer. No need to settle for an AT if you want an MT.

We did have a similar experience. My wife found the exact 2004 WRX she wanted last year. When we took it out for a test drive it ran like crap and the driver's seat wouldn't adjust. They called us back a couple of days later and said someone had put regular gas in it and the seat was fixed. We came back, test-drove it again and bought it.

He's talking out of his ass. The only CEL I've seen commonly that isn't bad is the one that lights up when you don't tighten the gas cap properly.

Good thing you didn't buy that one.

Thank you all for your responses. I spoke with a manager at a different dealer (who was actually in competition for my business) and mentioned my experience with the car at the other dealer and he said pretty much the same answers as the salesman told me. I felt this was an honest answer especially due to the fact that he was also in competition for my business. He asked if the car still had plastic in it. It did. Actually the radio/CD wasn't even operable yet due to fuse not installed etc.

I called the dealer (the one where I test drove the Manual Trans.) back and he said the car hadn't gone through the PDI (I think this stands for pre delivery inspection) process yet and so I told him I'd test drive it again after it has gone through the PDI to verify everything works and that the CEL is not on. After doing some more research I also found out that the tire pressure is often not correct when arriving on a lot so I'm hoping the car will drive better as well.

In fairness to the dealer where I test drove the manual trans. and had the issues, the car was only on their lot for 2 days I think, so maybe it wasn't enough time to do the PDI.

Any other comments are appreciated.

Thanks, Mike

You have basically answered your own question in another message. My '05 WRX had just come off the carrier and when I went to look at it, it also had a CEL on, no functioning radio, etc. Those things are taken care of during the pre-delivery. I wouldn't want to test drive it that way, though. When I picked it up, it was perfect, and has been since that day one year ago.

I still wouldn't go back to that dealer. They apparently aren't smart enough to prep their cars properly before letting people test drive them.

apparently Ragnar is not smart enough to realize that if a car has just arrived on the lot and that is the car that someone wants and they are also looking at another dealer then you would have no choice but to show them that car.

If he said go away and come back in a coupe of days when it is PDI's then you would likely just go to the other dealer anyway.

You are crapping on a dealer because he did the most he could do for the client while they were at the dealership and you do not know how demanding the customer was.

It never ceases to amaze my how the American car industry has screwed itself through it's behaviour over the year and how many buyer think they are getting screwed before they even enter the dealers lot.

snipped-for-privacy@canada.com

Apparently you can't respond without ad homs.

If I went to the dealer and he showed me a car that hadn't been properly prepped and ran like shit, I'd seriously question whether I wanted to buy that car or even if I wanted to use that dealer. A good dealer would want to showcase his cars and make sure the customer got a good experience from the test drive, not a shitty-running poorly prepped car.

The dealer could have a properly prepped example to let the customer drive with the statement that any specific vehicle can be preppped should the customer be interested. Why do you think model homes are so nice? A builder may have a harder time selling if his model home is unfinished

there is a difference between a poorly prepped car and a car that hasn't been prepped yet. You seem unable to distinquish between the two because you are predisposed to beleaving that the dealer is screwing you.

if you went to a dealer and said i would like to see " that car " and the salesman said that one just came in and it's not ready to be shown, i'll be happy to show you this car instead. What would you do?

you obviously would presume he was trying to sell you another car or something you don't want because you don't believe a thing he says.

When I buy a car I look for 1. model 2. color /various accessories/trim level. When I was shopping in Jan. 04 I drove many vehicles. If a salesman took me out in a non prepped vehicle I would go elsewhere. For example I wanted to try the Baja. I wouldnt buy a black car but I test drove one. I did like the vehicle and was then worried about color. Had the vehicle run like crap I would not even continue dealing with the dealer or even the manufacturer. I drove the Rav4 and felt my testicles shrink so that was it. The Xterra was crude and unrefined. For a good price I'd have consider it. Dealer wouldnt jew so Nissan was out. Then I went to a dealer who had outback in ad for good price. Car was silver drove it haggled and bought it.

Surely there has to be some better way of expressing these thoughts. For a woman, reading what your testicles do in response to something is fairly crude and not terribly informative. For a Jew, seeing that noun used as a verb or adjective is downright offensive.

--Heidi

woman, reading what your testicles do in response to something is fairly crude and not terribly informative. For a Jew, seeing that noun used as a verb or adjective is downright offensive.

It doesn't matter how commonly it's used, to Jews it's offensive. As it says on the website YOU cited:

tr.v. jewed, jew·ing, jews Offensive

1. To bargain shrewdly or unfairly with. Often used with down.
2. To haggle so as to reduce (a price). Often used with down.

I'm sorry that anyone should be so insecure about his masculinity that a car could make him feel less manly.

--Heidi

BWAHHHHHH!! I wasnt offended.

What WOULD it take to offend you? Call you "Shit for brains?"

(Signed) Male from Jewish gene-pool

LOL

It certainly offends this Jew. I'll thank you not to use that verb. And the very entry you refer to does label the verb as offensive. Please take another look!