Re: Bastard Child and Legitimate Child - Reply

[SMILLER@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

John Firestone posted his thesis on international car buying sociology
<g>, which I shall not repeat here.  Some comments, though, on the
differences between the Euro and U.S. markets:

BMW is trying to sell in the U.S. based on a fairly upscale image (read: 
more$$$).  They want to be known as a high-end manufacturer of luxury
sports sedans (and now even luxury sports cars that aren't just
sedans).  So the lowest level of equipment we get here is probably
somewhere mid-scale in Germany, if not higher.  We enthusiasts keep
begging for the go-fast-light-weight versions, but the "average" U.S.
Bimmer Buyer wants at least power everything, and it escalates from
there.  Most U.S. buyers don't know that, in Germany, you can get an
underpowered strippo-diesel model where you have to wind your own
windows up and down.

John is right about not having to crash test different HVAC systems, but
that isn't what we enthusiasts are asking for.  We want the high
performance stuff, but they probably couldn't sell enough low-content,
high performance cars at a low enough price to sell enough of them, so
they don't even try to certify those models here.  That was my point.

As for ordering cars vs. taking what's on the lot, my family's recent
experience with Dodge comes to mind.  At dealer #1, we walked in
already having test driven the Durango and having a detailed list of what
we wanted, with order codes, wholesale and list prices, colors,
everything (the internet is a wonderful place sometimes).  All they had to
do was order the vehicle.  Salesman #1:  "So, you want the green one." 
Translation:  "You want a color I don't have here, so I'm not gonna be
able to talk you into taking different options, so you're not getting a car
today, so I'm not getting a commission today."  Before he could be of
much help, a Viper customer from earlier came in with checkbook in
hand, so out he went and in came Salesman #2:  "So, you want the
green one."  I swear, it was the same exact line!

Well, they took our check and ordered the Durango.  But they were
never able to properly document what they actually ordered for us from
Dodge.  Six weeks later, they called to say that we were getting
something slightly different than what we wanted, which we did not
accept.  They had to re-order.  In re-ordering, they messed up the order
worse than they had the first time.  But they still couldn't document it, and
our first clue as to their screw-up was after the vehicle was shipped. 
So we got our deposit back.  This was almost 3 months into the "6 to 8
week" period you're supposed to allow for delivery.  (By this time,
Salesman #2 had been fired, the sales manager was no longer the sales
manager, and we finally found the only guy at the dealership who knew
how to properly order - and document - a car.  But it was too late.)

BUT (and here's the point, thanks for waiting):  While they screwed
around with our order, they sold hundreds of vehicles off their lot which
the dealer had pre-ordered with various combinations of packages.  The
customers had a choice of either 1) take what they have NOW, or 2)
take a chance on ordering something that may or may not arrive on time
and may or may not be what you actually ordered.  (We went to another
dealer who happily took our order, documented what they ordered so
we could verify it was what we wanted, got it and delivered it with an
absolute minimum of hassles.  All for $1000 over invoice, as compared to
the $1500 over invoice that Dealer #1 had offered.  So there.  ttttthhhhht!)

So that is my first-hand experience of why American car buyers would
rather take a "package" car off the lot instead of order what they want.

Scott Miller
Golden Gate Chapter 
BMW CCA #44977
Driving a used 325i that I took "as is", 'cause when you buy used, you
don't get any choices, except to not take it

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End of bmw-digest V9 #250
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