Cars We Drive!

[HRoi]

View attachment 1081581

kind impressed with how fast it had been so far,dealer is saying December, finger crossed!

Exciting! What are the build specs?

 

[clee1982]

BMW is better about keeping customers up to date with the status of an incoming vehicle (or the build process) than MB or Porsche.

the site is addictive though, can't tell you how many times I just F5 that page..., even though no sane person should expect it to move by the minutes...

 

[clee1982]

Exciting! What are the build specs?

Sports Line (not M though)
Imperial Blue
Cognac Dakota + Burl Walnut Wood Trim
Executive Package (so Conv and Prem already included)
Driv Assist+
Park Assist
H&K sound
Heated Steering wheel (kind ridiculous it's not included in the executive package...)

The picture on the rim is not accurate, I'm going with the standard 18 inch all season run flat (didn't want up size, comfort is important, otherwise my wife would give me no end about not buying MB E450)

things I didn't get
heated rear seat, mostly going to be kids back there, and in child seat, so didn't think it would matter...
dynamic driving something (the one that gives you active anti roll bar dynamic damper etc.)
active rear wheel steering (couldn't find one to test drive, so didn't want to risk it from what I read at slow speed it can turn really tight, but take a while to get used to), though the variable steering ratio active thing is standard
remote parking, too gimmicky, and it's not even real self parking from outside, no turning wheel, just going back and forth

things I wish I got
night vision..., probably not that useful (not going to hit deer here, but upstate different story), tried to add option last minute, but it went in production that date so oh well

things I might think about code in
anti dazzle, though based on what I read seems like no one has done on the 2019 ones successfully yet so we will see

oh and the dark insert might be wrong too, thought the non M standard is chrom inserts, I'm fine either way, guess we will see

 

[brokencycle]

Maybe it depends on the brand. I get call backs from our Subie dealer and MB dealer and survey things all the time. Also a friend of mine who is huge into BMWs and has purchased probably 10 from the same dealer, was told that the service managers and advisers really care about those surveys. He said they get some kind of bonus on each one that is perfect...but if the servey has a single bad mark or doesn't get completed they get no bonus on that work. In addition, my MB dealer did something stupid, to try to boost their sales numbers for the month with my wife's C43. They punched in the sale date 3 weeks early (and we ordered the car and it wasn't even at the dealer by the date they marked it as sold and in service)...which changed the end date of the warranty and extended warranty. The dealer couldn't get its act together so after a few emails I called MB customer service, and explained the problem. They contacted the dealer, to find out what was going on at their end, and then they stepped in dealt with the entities at MB who can change the "in service date" (so it is corrected in the nationwide data base) to the correct date so we are not loosing a couple weeks of warranty on the car.

However, I can certainly understand how frustrating it can be to have a dealer that is disinterested in fixing the problem and then wants to charge an arm and a leg for their mistakes.

Here's the whole story. tl;dr the whole experience was terrible.

My wife went in to have her brake pads replaced to a Honda dealer. She decided to wait at the dealership because it was supposed to be a 4 hour service. After 4 hours, the dealer called her and told her they didn't have parts in stock, and they couldn't get parts until tomorrow. They also wouldn't give her a loaner or give her a ride home, so I had to go pick her up.

When I picked her up, I asked to talk to a service manager, and he gave me a bunch of BS, but he ultimately offered me $100 off the service for the trouble, and he promised me it would be done first thing in the morning.

About lunchtime the next day, they called and said we needed new rear rotors, and while they didn't have them in stock, they could still get them that day and have the job done by about 3 and they gave me a price I agreed to. When we picked up the car, they told me they decided to give us the rotors free rather than the $100 off (which they had quoted me at $160 total) and proceeded to apologize and make up excuses on how it happened.

I asked them about the bill because it had an odd part number for the rotors (and I had been surprised by the low cost of the rotors), and they said "oh that's the part number for the rotors." I was suspicious, so I asked my friend who manages a parts department for a chain of dealerships. He told me that they were generic parts, so I emailed the head of service for the dealership. I then got a call from the dealership asking me to give them a 10 on the Honda survey. With no response after three days, I forwarded the email to the GM of the dealership, and I quickly got a call from the original service manager.

He again apologized and said that they don't install aftermarket parts at their dealership and they don't know how it happened. He then proceeded to tell me I could bring it back and they'd happily put OEM rotors. I asked for a price, and he didn't know, so he called me back and told me it would be $200+tax ($150/rotor -$100 credit they had originally offered me). I know that $150 includes a bunch of markup, and I know the rough cost of the aftermarket vs OEM and they're not just trying to recoup the cost - they're trying to make profit off of it.

I tried calling both the GM and head of service with no answer, and I again got called back by the service manager, who at this point was fairly indigent about he already offered me a good deal. I told him, I expected a dealership to only use OEM parts and that the price they quoted me should have been for OEM parts, and I didn't think it was reasonable for them to make me come back a third time and try to charge me $300 for a relatively simple job that should have been done right the first time, and if he wasn't willing to make it right, I'd be filing a complaint for false advertising. He just said "I'll tell them" and hung up.

I know a bunch of the stuff they told me and excuses they made are BS because, like I said, one of my best friends works in the business, and we talked about the whole thing throughout.

I never got a Honda survey, but I did call Honda, and they acted like they couldn't care less.

At the end of the day, it is probably petty, but we'll probably never buy a Honda again over this whole incident. Previous trips to Honda dealerships both car shopping and for service have only been mediocre customer service anyway.

 

[clee1982]

wow, that's amazing, non OEM parts at dealer, is the car out of warranty already, did you buy the car at the same dealer new?

p.s. doesn't make it excusable, just wonder how they can be so ridiculous, and with an obvious don't give a f attitude

 

[Dino944]

Here's the whole story. tl;dr the whole experience was terrible.

My wife went in to have her brake pads replaced to a Honda dealer. She decided to wait at the dealership because it was supposed to be a 4 hour service. After 4 hours, the dealer called her and told her they didn't have parts in stock, and they couldn't get parts until tomorrow. They also wouldn't give her a loaner or give her a ride home, so I had to go pick her up.

When I picked her up, I asked to talk to a service manager, and he gave me a bunch of BS, but he ultimately offered me $100 off the service for the trouble, and he promised me it would be done first thing in the morning.

About lunchtime the next day, they called and said we needed new rear rotors, and while they didn't have them in stock, they could still get them that day and have the job done by about 3 and they gave me a price I agreed to. When we picked up the car, they told me they decided to give us the rotors free rather than the $100 off (which they had quoted me at $160 total) and proceeded to apologize and make up excuses on how it happened.

I asked them about the bill because it had an odd part number for the rotors (and I had been surprised by the low cost of the rotors), and they said "oh that's the part number for the rotors." I was suspicious, so I asked my friend who manages a parts department for a chain of dealerships. He told me that they were generic parts, so I emailed the head of service for the dealership. I then got a call from the dealership asking me to give them a 10 on the Honda survey. With no response after three days, I forwarded the email to the GM of the dealership, and I quickly got a call from the original service manager.

He again apologized and said that they don't install aftermarket parts at their dealership and they don't know how it happened. He then proceeded to tell me I could bring it back and they'd happily put OEM rotors. I asked for a price, and he didn't know, so he called me back and told me it would be $200+tax ($150/rotor -$100 credit they had originally offered me). I know that $150 includes a bunch of markup, and I know the rough cost of the aftermarket vs OEM and they're not just trying to recoup the cost - they're trying to make profit off of it.

I tried calling both the GM and head of service with no answer, and I again got called back by the service manager, who at this point was fairly indigent about he already offered me a good deal. I told him, I expected a dealership to only use OEM parts and that the price they quoted me should have been for OEM parts, and I didn't think it was reasonable for them to make me come back a third time and try to charge me $300 for a relatively simple job that should have been done right the first time, and if he wasn't willing to make it right, I'd be filing a complaint for false advertising. He just said "I'll tell them" and hung up.

I know a bunch of the stuff they told me and excuses they made are BS because, like I said, one of my best friends works in the business, and we talked about the whole thing throughout.

I never got a Honda survey, but I did call Honda, and they acted like they couldn't care less.

At the end of the day, it is probably petty, but we'll probably never buy a Honda again over this whole incident. Previous trips to Honda dealerships both car shopping and for service have only been mediocre customer service anyway.

Wow, probably the worst service I've ever heard of at a dealership. Unbelievable that they new your wife was waiting at the dealership for the car and waited 4 hours to tell her they didn't have the parts and it couldn't be done until the next day, and that they wouldn't give her a ride home or a loaner car. Just shocked to hear that a dealer treats a client so poorly. Also surprised Honda didn't care...but that would be enough for me to never buy another Honda. The rest is all terrible...but I guess I can't be surprised after how they treated your wife. I've never had any of that BS happen at a dealer. Anyway, sorry to hear all this.

 

[Dino944]

Sports Line (not M though)
Imperial Blue
Cognac Dakota + Burl Walnut Wood Trim
Executive Package (so Conv and Prem already included)
Driv Assist+
Park Assist
H&K sound
Heated Steering wheel (kind ridiculous it's not included in the executive package...)

The picture on the rim is not accurate, I'm going with the standard 18 inch all season run flat (didn't want up size, comfort is important, otherwise my wife would give me no end about not buying MB E450)

things I didn't get
heated rear seat, mostly going to be kids back there, and in child seat, so didn't think it would matter...
dynamic driving something (the one that gives you active anti roll bar dynamic damper etc.)
active rear wheel steering (couldn't find one to test drive, so didn't want to risk it from what I read at slow speed it can turn really tight, but take a while to get used to), though the variable steering ratio active thing is standard
remote parking, too gimmicky, and it's not even real self parking from outside, no turning wheel, just going back and forth

things I wish I got
night vision..., probably not that useful (not going to hit deer here, but upstate different story), tried to add option last minute, but it went in production that date so oh well

things I might think about code in
anti dazzle, though based on what I read seems like no one has done on the 2019 ones successfully yet so we will see

oh and the dark insert might be wrong too, thought the non M standard is chrom inserts, I'm fine either way, guess we will see

Sounds like a great build! I'm sure you and the MRS will enjoy it. I love imperial blue...its a stunning color! Congrats and looking forward to seeing pix soon. Cheers!

 

[Thrift Vader]

On a work trip. Found this gem permanently parked at a truck stop.
Thought some of you lads might appreciate it.
: A. 1970's Mazda Savanna wagon.

It's Rotary, it's manual, it's a wagon.

 

[jcman311]

That would make one sweet drift car. Totally unique.

 

[VaderDave]

I totally dig it. Thanks for posting!

 

[bawlin]

GT3 is gone. Will I miss it? Probably not.

Now to patiently await the arrival of the RS.

 

[clee1982]

all right car is still at port, all I do is check the site 5 times a day and F5...

 

[HRoi]

Photo update on one of my fleet:

 

[cloberts19]

I'm currently working on my Tacoma. Replacing certain stock parts and adding a few pieces of equipment as well. I also got a set of XD wheels to replace my old one but I need a new set of mud tires to go along with it.

 

[Spats]