Whats up with BMW dealers and M3 test drives?
#16
04-07-2009, 01:37 PM
Same thing happened to me a couple weeks back. My mom was looking to pick up a DCT M3 and I found a dealership that had 3 of them. I decided to take the drive out with her to check them out. We showed up at the dealership and I asked to speak with a sales advisor. Of course we get most quite and non knowledgeable salesman in the show room. I explanied to him that we had just been test driving a 6 speed e93 M3 a couple days prior but that she wanted a DCT. I told him that I had a cheque in my pocket and if everything went well we would be signing a deal that day. First off, as with you, we had to go to their "special storage garage" but no one in the dealership actually knew how to get into the garage. Finally get into the garage and start looking at the cars. My mom ask if we can take it for a test drive while I am on the phone with my old man and the salesman says "We don't normally allow test drives on M3's because people in the market for an m3 don't need test drives and already know what they are buying." My old man hears this on the phone and tells me to walk out of the place right away. I get off the phone with my old man and tell the sales man that I have never be denied a test drive on any car be it porsche, bmw, mercedes and that I would never entertain buying a car that I have not driven. Furthmore I am an M customer ( we took my z4 mcoupe to the dealership... which the sales was looking over and remarking on before we went to look at the m3) and I want a test drive. He responds with "well you know every kid comes in here and wants to drive an m3 blah blah blah." I am no kid and furthermore it is my mom asking for the test drive. I finally told him that if there is no test drive there is no way there will be a car sold today. He said he is going to make a couple calls and finally comes back with a set of keys for the car. I get it out on to a main road which is a 50mph and when I go to accelerate up to the speed limit the car stops at 30mph.... It was still in transport mode! Either way went back to the dealership and told him to give me a cash deal price on both the car they had on the lot and one ordered to our specs. He says he will "email" us! Needless to say we walked out of the dealership and went and purchased a 09 DCT e92 M3 from our local dealership the next morning. I now know why we buy all our cars from our local dealership. We are picking up the M3 on may 7th at the performance center!
Yeah, some dealers/sales people sucks. Just avoid those from now on. Congrats on finally getting the M3. The delivery center pick up is fun!!!
#17
04-07-2009, 02:01 PM
I remember about five years ago a Mitsu dealership wouldn't let me test drive an Evo MR. That was only a $40k car and I was 31 years old! I drove up in my supercharged CTS-V which was worth more than the car I wanted to test drive. Needless to say that annoyed me and I let them know why they wouldn't be getting my business.
#18
04-07-2009, 02:35 PM
So you're going to drop $60k on a car you haven't driven?
That is NOT your problem as a buyer. The dealership can find ways to not have their people let you redline a brand spanking new M3 on test drives. If the issue is people wanting to drive the car, dealers can use some creativity.
But to expect someone to buy a car like that without driving it is ridiculous.
That is NOT your problem as a buyer. The dealership can find ways to not have their people let you redline a brand spanking new M3 on test drives. If the issue is people wanting to drive the car, dealers can use some creativity.
But to expect someone to buy a car like that without driving it is ridiculous.
I also can't fault the dealer for not letting you drive it. Many come to joyride in the M3 and right now the demand is still there. Give it another year and every dealer will have an e90/e92 M3 to test drive, but right now they know they can sell every available car without a test drive. The reason porsche was so accommodating was because they always have 20 caymans and carreras on the lot so they can afford to use one as the demo beater.
#20
04-07-2009, 04:58 PM
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: South Pasadena, CA
Posts: 762
Rep Power: 58 
Thats prolly why I saw about 20 M3s sitting in their storage structure....about 15 white ones and 5 black....none were manual trans
#21
04-07-2009, 08:42 PM
It's very odd because, I have been to several dealerships looking at there M3 inventory. I was clearly denied a test drive of an E92 M3 at Center BMW in Southern California. They had the exact car I wanted and it had me upset I couldn't even take it for a spin! (Mind you I have an E92 335i right now I was going to trade in and walk right out with the M3).
Oddly enough, it was basically got into my head that no dealers were going to let me test drive these cars. As I went to New Century BMW to see what they would offer me for the 335, they had an identical M3 as the last dealer (as in everything was perfect to my specifications), and, he handed me the keys and told me to take it for a spin!
Oddly enough, it was basically got into my head that no dealers were going to let me test drive these cars. As I went to New Century BMW to see what they would offer me for the 335, they had an identical M3 as the last dealer (as in everything was perfect to my specifications), and, he handed me the keys and told me to take it for a spin!
New Century is pretty easy on test drives
The ironic thing is the first time I went to Center the online sales guy had the ***** to tell me to go to New Century and test drive it there!! LOL I hate that guy I forget his name...But he lost a potential customer and another one from the same dealership gained one....
#26
04-08-2009, 03:28 PM
So you're going to drop $60k on a car you haven't driven?
That is NOT your problem as a buyer. The dealership can find ways to not have their people let you redline a brand spanking new M3 on test drives. If the issue is people wanting to drive the car, dealers can use some creativity.
But to expect someone to buy a car like that without driving it is ridiculous.
That is NOT your problem as a buyer. The dealership can find ways to not have their people let you redline a brand spanking new M3 on test drives. If the issue is people wanting to drive the car, dealers can use some creativity.
But to expect someone to buy a car like that without driving it is ridiculous.
#28
04-08-2009, 05:53 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: clearwater florida
Age: 44
Posts: 696
Rep Power: 55
I had a completely different experience
My local BMW dealership called me to test drive the new M3. I bought my wife a 328i for Christmas last year and made mention that I thought the new M3 was going to be a pretty cool car. As soon as they had one that was not pre-sold my sales person called me and invited me to take the car for a drive. I told him I was not really in the market for one but told him I would come and look at it. They were going to let me take the car home for the night and bring it back the next day if I wanted but I did not want to leave my G parked outside so I declined.
I would say if you have an established relationship with the dealer a simple test drive should be no problem, and it not like I've even been a big spender with this dealership, just one 328.
I guess some dealerships try to sell cars and others try to deter potential buyers. Good thing there are plenty of BMW dealers, so vote with you wallet.
I would say if you have an established relationship with the dealer a simple test drive should be no problem, and it not like I've even been a big spender with this dealership, just one 328.
I guess some dealerships try to sell cars and others try to deter potential buyers. Good thing there are plenty of BMW dealers, so vote with you wallet.
#30
04-08-2009, 07:33 PM
Similar thing happened 2 years ago.
I went ot the local (and only) Porsche dealership in the area and while I was looking at a Cayman parked outside, a salesman came out and chated with me a good 30 minutes about the car He told me they didn't allowed test drive but had some clients they could call if I wanted to.
At the Lexus dealership, the guy basically gave me keys as soon as I came in.
When I went to the BMW dealership, no one even cared to talk to me.
I went ot the local (and only) Porsche dealership in the area and while I was looking at a Cayman parked outside, a salesman came out and chated with me a good 30 minutes about the car He told me they didn't allowed test drive but had some clients they could call if I wanted to.
At the Lexus dealership, the guy basically gave me keys as soon as I came in.
When I went to the BMW dealership, no one even cared to talk to me.