Back in the day, buying a new car from the dealership was an intricate duel between the buyer and the salesman. Opening feints, thrusts, and parries took the form of offers, counteroffers, and threats to walk away. Eventually, a detente was reached with, "Let me take this to my manager." Upon the emissary's return, either a deal was struck or hostilities were resumed. Eventually, if the car gods looked favorably on your quest, you rolled off the lot with the spoils of your hard-fought campaign.
A few decades ago, a couple we knew were looking to purchase a new car. Keenly aware of the upcoming conflict before them, they prepared themselves thoroughly. Armed with their research of market values, safety ratings, and a litany of well-rehearsed counter-arguments to common dealership scripts, they entered the fray.
"We see your sticker price, but according to local sales in this market, this would be a more reasonable offer." With an unspoken "En garde!" a piece of paper they slid across the table became the opening gambit. Their opponent attempted a masterful feint to draw them in.
"OK. I think we can work with that." He deftly turned the conversation to the various fees. Wary of the easily conceded sticker price, our heroes carefully examined the laundry list and discovered they were way out of line with those of other dealerships in the area. They parried with their well-prepared documents and were able to mitigate some and eliminate others.
The dance continued until fed up with their foe's intractable stance, they levied the nuclear option. "Look. We're sincerely trying to purchase a car from this dealership and hoping to make a deal today. Why are you being a hindrance? Should we take our business elsewhere?"
Defeated, their foe finally yielded. "Umm. Let me take all this to my manager."
This year, we found ourselves in the market for a new car. The weeks of lead time required by our friends to compile their market research was done in a fraction of the time thanks to the reach of the Internet. I wanted a blue Ford Bronco Sport (the color was critical). The realization that this vehicle would spend 95% of its service life on paved roads determined other factors such as trim package and power plant. These were all plugged into an online search and I had several dealerships lined up and ready to talk terms.
Much of the buying experience still relies on the dealership. In this odd era of supply chain woes and critically high demand, some bad actors are gouging buyers on sticker prices. The folks we chose to go with have a publicly stated stance, "We have not, nor will we ever do that." I happened to see the paperwork on the dealer invoice. We were getting a pretty good deal.
This car must have been fated for us because I've heard stories of 12 to 18-month wait times for delivery. I was fully expecting to cool my heels for a bit before its arrival. We were shocked to get the call to come in 24 hours after confirming our order. Even the dealership was surprised. "This never happened with this particular vehicle."
We drove off the lot the next day with a 2022 metallic alto blue Bronco Sport. As I said, the "blue" was critical. The '67 is red, the '70 is yellow, and with the addition of the blue Bronco, we now have all the primary colors. Achievement unlocked. We may have to rename our house "The Paddock".
We took it on its first major road trip this past week to Chicago and have several others lined up in quick succession. Andrea appreciates the extra cargo space - she can bring more shoes. And I have to concede that modern electronics definitely add to the ease of a long-haul drive.
I'm already looking at getting it trimmed out with bike racks, a 270° canopy, and a rooftop tent. We may not be doing any hardcore rock crawling, but I'm hoping it extends our reach to explore more out-of-the-way locales. Time to ride the wind.
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