AreL11

So I test drove an 06 e55 Saturday for about 15 minutes and about 6 miles in an area I'd never been in with very heavy traffic and with the salesman breathing down my neck. My wife didn't come with me because she was out of town at a baby shower (she wants to make sure I can get a car seat in the back without her eating the dash). I leave and get the guys card and tell him I will get back to him. He calls me Monday (I miss the call), I call him back today and tell him I would like to have the car for a day to drive around in my area to get a feel for it on my daily commute. He says, "We don't do that. It's an insurance issue." So I told him I don't buy $45k cars after 15 minute test drives. Every car I have ever bought, the dealers are throwing me the keys telling me to take it for a weekend and see how I like it and all but one time I bought. The car has been sitting on their lot for almost three months, also. Sorry for the rant, but was my request unreasonable?

jpohl402

I don't really think so....
Do you have any type of relationship with this dealership?
If so, than absolutely not unreasonable request....
If not, I believe it should still be done assuming you seem to be a potential (and qualified) buyer.....

AZIPOD

I have never came across a dealership that would be willing to do such. However, I must admit that I've never made the request. It just doesn't seem reasonable to me. The best offer I ever got was from a Lamborghini dealership. The salesman basically said "Let me make a copy of your drivers license. Take the car out and see how you like it (alone). Is 30 minutes enough?"

KipF

I would think he was being honest with you. I have a couple of friends that are GSM's at different dealerships and I know they have mentioned in the past that their insurance no longer allowed them to allow their cars to leave without a salesperson. Maybe you could ask if he would check with the used car mgr to see if they would allow you to take it as a loaner with a signed loaner agreement.
Another way of looking at it: If this were you car and you were selling it, would you let a stranger have it for a day? JMO
I hope it all works out for you. They are fantastic cars and will make your daily commute a pleasure.

AreL11

I was serious. Now I need to start looking again. Have no relationship, in fact they are about 50 miles away from where I live. I am more than qualified and what's funny is, they didn't even ask for a credit app or a deposit. Both of which I would have given, even though I have my own pre-approved financing. The truck I have now I did a 15 minute test drive with and 9 months later I am miserable with it. I could see if I was a teenager and just asked for the keys, but I'm 34, married, professional, etc... Anyhow, thanks for the replies. For what it's worth, I was impressed during my 6 mile test drive! Hopefully another one will pop up in my area soon.

The Godfather

shoot, I bought my E55 like this: Hello? Yeah i'm calling from 250 miles away. What you got on the car? Yeah? How much? Nah, I'll give you $7K less , OTD. Deal? Cool. i'll buy it. Oh I got a trade in. yeah a POS Lexus. You want still? Sweet. Oh I can't come up 250 miles until the weekend. Oh you wanna close the sale tomorrow. Ok have fun driving down tomorrow.

The next evening the car was in my driveway with the sales manager having driven it to me. Sweet

juicee63

The car will work great with a baby. The E55 is likely the greatest 4 door sedan ever made. It has it all, you get two or three cars all wrapped under one bonnet.

A rocket based child delivery mechanism. Next time you go on a test drive turn ESP off and watch the salesman's face LOL

amg guy

iTrader: (1)

buy buy buy....... sorry just had to. You'll love the car.

ChristianR

That's absurd unless you are already a good customer of theres. Letting someone they do not know "test" drive for a weekend is crazy.

Christian

HYEPWR

Thats pretty funny.....Have fun driving...haha

AreL11

I didn't ask for it for a weekend, I asked for it for a day and would they rather let me put 150 miles on it and sell it, or let it sit on their lot for several more weeks and/or months? The car only had 8 more miles on it than it did when they first advertised it almost 3 months ago. And personally, I don't think they've made any concessions to solicit me as a good customer in the future. I am a dealers dream when it comes to buying cars. I'm in there every year or two and always let them do the services.

komp55

What you asked for is more like a dealer's nightmare.

If your issue is whether or not the car is a great daily driver, I can assure you it is. I do about 60 miles a day round-trip in mine, and the E55 is absolutely perfect. Makes my daily commute almost something to look forward to. Just buy the freakin' car; you will love it.

Air Marshall Eldritch

I thought I heard stories back in the late 90's where people would ask for a weekend, the dealer would allow them to take it, and then when they returned on Monday, the dealer claimed they owned it now, whether the customer wanted to or not. I can't remember the details. Anyone else ever heard of that?

Blk04cobra1

I don't think your request was unreasonable. However, if the salesperson thought you were "serious" enough, he should've offered for an "extended" test drive. I know it's a pre-owned vehicle, but you have to also consider that it is an E55 AMG. If it were an E350 or something, they probably would not have any issues. Only reason I say this is b/c we do not overnight AMG products or let someone out on their own in an AMG, unless they are a previous AMG customer. This does not got to say you would do anything wrong with the car, but the salesperson/dealership does not know this. Also, when taking the car on an "extended" test drive, we always make copies of their license and insurance. Once you leave the lot, you are responsible for that vehicle. One last thing, your statement above said something about maybe putting 150 miles on it. I'll be honest, if someone did an extended test drive and put 150 miles on the car and then did not buy it, I would be pretty pissed (I do realize the dealership was 50 miles away from home, so that could've played a part as well).

Mister Brenton--i have not heard of this tactic, but I have not been in the car business too long. Would definitely seem like a scare tactic from a not-so reputable car dealer.

AreL11

I understand it's an AMG and they're afraid that I will burn the tires off of it, hence I would have surely would have given them a deposit. I suppose there could have been some type of compromise but they didn't offer it. I do appreciate the replies and other points of views but I am disappointed. If I can't find another one soon, maybe I will call them back and see if they will bring it to me, like someone did for TheGodfather!

CWW

Customer service is dead, buried, and pushin' daisies at MB dealerships these days. All this talk about "customer service" and "the experience" is complete and total B.S. The M.B. dealers, especially the ones in the smaller markets, are bigger jerks than even the high-pressure american car dealers, and play a lot of games.

Bottom line is that, if you like the car then buy it, but don't expect any good service from M.B. dealers. They have silly rules to hassle you, they play games with the numbers on deals (feels like trying to hit a moving target, or like that game where they move the cups around and you have to find the one with the ball inside it), and to top it all off they usually have major attitude. That's been my experience anyway.

My last few MB's, I've bought from independent dealerships, or from non-MB franchised dealers, and I avoid them like the plague for servicing also. Their loss, doesn't bother me. I still get the cars I want, but they just don't get my $$$.

Busta Riles

Another opinion through a car salesman's eyes:

I wouldn't buy a car without a full day of driving it.

I sell MB's for a living.

Most people who buy AMG's from me never drive it before they buy it, because we don't stock new ones.

AMG customers are the easiest to deal with, because they know exactly what they are getting.

To get to the point.....
Your salesman obviously did not have enough confidence in the fact that you wanted to buy this car. We are generally very careful about who drives an AMG (new or used) and how they drive it. It is our job to pick up on buying signals. At my dealership, if i believe that you will buy this car if you take it for a day, you will take it for a day. However, it will be in the back of my mind for that entire day that you are doing burnouts and racing people. That's just the nature of these cars. We have to be very careful with them, as they are not regular transportation, such as an E350 (like mentioned above).

I bought mine at a dealer down the street from where i work. I personally know the sales manager and service manager. I asked to take the car home for the weekend before making my decision and wasn't under the assumption that it would happen. They said yes, but i didn't expect that of them. I drove it semi-nicely. I bought it. I love it. I will always love it, even when it is gone.

Sorry for the long-windedness.

Carl Lassiter

And pray tell, what are these signals?

AreL11

Yeah, I'd like to know, also. Perhaps my signals weren't good enough?

CWW

They're never particularly good with picking up 'signals'. I think it's an age thing, at least for me, but I've noticed that unless you're 45 or older they just don't take you seriously. They think you got lost looking for the BMW or Acura dealership.

indyjoe

There's a big difference between new and used dealerships, and as someone mentioned above, insurance companies have really cracked down on dealerships/test drives. There's also a big difference if you're a known customer, or just a regular joe off the street.

Air Marshall Eldritch

Winks, air kisses, and lip licks.

GERMANAUTOBODY

Looking and acting like Richie Rich, Donald Trump, or Oprah.

Busta Riles

Simple psychology, Carl. Read a book.

People tend to take mental ownership of a car before they actually buy it, and will use words/phrases that a good salesperson can pick up on and use their judgment while moving forward.

It happens more often than not for me that a customer is about to get into their brand new MB and they turn around with a big smile on their face and say, "I wasn't planning on buying a car today, you know."

juicee63

I bought my E55 new in 2003 from Caliber Motors, I drove many miles, guy made a copy of my license and scared as hell I babied it off the lot. I had no clue what it was or what it was capable of, I just liked the idea of high horsies in a sedan.

I purchased and on the way home I punched it, nearly died as the back end moved out, it turned into a fishy struggling to get free from the hook, in this case the boat was the freeway median. It takes a while to get used to this car.

I still remember how giddy I was thinking I stole the car since they gave it to me at sticker , LOL