Hey guys - well, finally grabbed the girlfriend and found a slot of time to check out the 05 SSRs I've been wanting to...
The only dealer near me that has a black 05 on the lot is Sterling Chevrolet, nearly an hour away. I emailed back and forth with the guy a couple times about the price, but figured no biggie on the dollars until I drove it.
So Sunday morning we've got a little time and we're out, so we arrive at the dealer (unnanounced as it was pretty spur of the moment) - we're in my C6 Vette, too, figuring if there was a ballgame afoot I'd need the trade bait on hand.
I asked for the guy I'd emailed with, and he showed me over to the truck, just outside the showroom. He opened it up and I showed my girl around the interior a bit. It was blocked in so I asked him if there was a way to get it out onto the street.
While he went to check, or whatever, I looked over the SSR....
- No chrome wheels, which I could've SWORN the buypower page listed as being there on this one... but maybe I was wrong, no biggie.
- Middle of steering wheel poorly fit, popping off somehow - had the airbag cover been replaced?
- The door panels were the older, no-room-for-hands style.
- Window indexing on passenger door seemed sluggish
About this time the guy comes back out and says "hey, manager says no test drives on SSRs, just like Corvettes." - I'm like "what??" I asked if it made them feel more secure that I'd be leaving my *own* Vette in their lot for the time being, and he said no way, "but if you're going to buy today i'll let you drive it" - not sure if the attitude was his or his manager's, but I got some at no extra charge.
- I asked how on earth I'd be able to know if I wanted it, if I couldn't drive it (as mine previous was a way-different 04 model) then told him everything I'd found wrong with the one I was standing outside of, and thanked him for wasting time arguing on a 500-day-old vehicle that wasn't going to move anytime soon anyway (with the price they're trying to get at least).
So, Dave Cumba and the amazing invisible manager at Sterling Chevrolet in Sterling VA, this finger's for you.
I don't understand how they can see I'll drop $55k on a C6, but not even rent out an SSR for 10 minutes. I am in my late 20s, was dressed respectably but not artificially so (not a golf shirt and loafers or anything) and was professional up until the point of contention mentioned above.
For all you shoppers out there, they have a new 2006 Pacific Blue with chrome wheels, in addition to this black 05. Maybe you could have another dealer do a swap if you want a PB but have been turned off by this message.
If you think I'm overreacting, that's fine, but I've never gotten such a response when test-driving anything. I even test drove two C6s at two different dealerships before buying mine last summer, even though lots of Vette Forum guys were still reporting No Test Drive syndrome at their dealers.
The only dealer near me that has a black 05 on the lot is Sterling Chevrolet, nearly an hour away. I emailed back and forth with the guy a couple times about the price, but figured no biggie on the dollars until I drove it.
So Sunday morning we've got a little time and we're out, so we arrive at the dealer (unnanounced as it was pretty spur of the moment) - we're in my C6 Vette, too, figuring if there was a ballgame afoot I'd need the trade bait on hand.
I asked for the guy I'd emailed with, and he showed me over to the truck, just outside the showroom. He opened it up and I showed my girl around the interior a bit. It was blocked in so I asked him if there was a way to get it out onto the street.
While he went to check, or whatever, I looked over the SSR....
- No chrome wheels, which I could've SWORN the buypower page listed as being there on this one... but maybe I was wrong, no biggie.
- Middle of steering wheel poorly fit, popping off somehow - had the airbag cover been replaced?
- The door panels were the older, no-room-for-hands style.
- Window indexing on passenger door seemed sluggish
About this time the guy comes back out and says "hey, manager says no test drives on SSRs, just like Corvettes." - I'm like "what??" I asked if it made them feel more secure that I'd be leaving my *own* Vette in their lot for the time being, and he said no way, "but if you're going to buy today i'll let you drive it" - not sure if the attitude was his or his manager's, but I got some at no extra charge.
- I asked how on earth I'd be able to know if I wanted it, if I couldn't drive it (as mine previous was a way-different 04 model) then told him everything I'd found wrong with the one I was standing outside of, and thanked him for wasting time arguing on a 500-day-old vehicle that wasn't going to move anytime soon anyway (with the price they're trying to get at least).
So, Dave Cumba and the amazing invisible manager at Sterling Chevrolet in Sterling VA, this finger's for you.
I don't understand how they can see I'll drop $55k on a C6, but not even rent out an SSR for 10 minutes. I am in my late 20s, was dressed respectably but not artificially so (not a golf shirt and loafers or anything) and was professional up until the point of contention mentioned above.
For all you shoppers out there, they have a new 2006 Pacific Blue with chrome wheels, in addition to this black 05. Maybe you could have another dealer do a swap if you want a PB but have been turned off by this message.
If you think I'm overreacting, that's fine, but I've never gotten such a response when test-driving anything. I even test drove two C6s at two different dealerships before buying mine last summer, even though lots of Vette Forum guys were still reporting No Test Drive syndrome at their dealers.
