The Unending Disappointment In Car Shopping

Today's blog is a real-life discussion about the experience of buying a car at a dealership.

A while back I used to be pretty good at predicting things based on observation and speculation – what the academic world discredits entirely as anecdotal. About a year ago, I suggested to my life-partner that we consider consolidating our transportation to one vehicle; I have a 2008 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Unlimited, and he has a 2016 Honda Civic Sedan.

At the time, fuel prices were high(er), insurance was steadily creeping up, and he avoided using the Jeep because he didn't enjoy the truck-like drive. Despite that, he was vehemently opposed to the idea, citing that he'd lose his freedom and didn't want to sell his first, brand-new, car as if I weren't also losing some concept of independence and one of my favorite vehicles that I swore (as I did the last two) I would never sell.

But I'm patient.

2023 Got Expensive

In 2023, Floridians were relieved by a fall in gas prices from 2022 but suffered an obscene increase in the cost of living through rental leases, insurance prices, and HOA fees doubling or even tripling in some areas. Vehicle insurance also steadily rose upwards coinciding with the price of parts and labor. Each time the Jeep or Honda required maintenance or repair, it cost us anywhere from $100 - $1,200. Between the two vehicles, we were constantly rotating between mechanics whose per-hour labor fees seemed to be increasing with each visit.

The price of goods and services has risen independently within each industry out of context to the wages and earnings of the majority of Americans, thus decreasing our ability to pay debts and continue living the American Dream as it was. American families, like ours, would eventually have to downsize their expenses by eliminating anything that requires peripheral costs of subscriptions, maintenance, or insurance.

For me, the tipping point was when I took the Jeep to TiresPlus to get a flat tire fixed and they told me that since the tires were 5 years old, they legally could not repair it, but they could order new tires that cost more than the rim-tire wheel package I bought a few years back... more than $1800! I couldn't believe it and I didn't accept it. I found another brand and paid nearly half of what they were trying to sell me, but I knew then, for sure, that the cost of keeping two vehicles was going to keep adding up and prohibit us from better, happier experiences like camping, international travel, road-tripping, and generally enjoying the benefits of what money can provide.

A Thought On Personal Transportation

Is the idea of independence worth it?

In Florida, the idea that everyone must have a car to survive is engraved in our culture. Independence depends on how fast and how far you can leave from home. We don't have excellent public transportation, though on the Treasure Coast that is changing thanks to public services like the Area Regional Transport (ART), which is FREE by the way.

While the heat and random storms play a role, most people feel above using a bicycle, skateboard, rollerblades, or even a small scooter or moped. In fact, they're discouraged in some communities such as Tradition, where riding one is prohibited. These targeted ordinances, policies, and laws must change to allow Floridians to afford a happier, healthier lifestyle overworking to pay for the machine that gets them to their place of work.

"I Hate Buying Cars."

For a little background, my spouse, Manny, hates dealerships and car salespeople because of his last buying experience in 2016. It began with a bait-and-switch for the Scion iM in Orlando. He found one listed for $16K and called to confirm it. The internet manager confirmed it, he did his research and took his whole family to the car lot to make his purchase and celebrate the accomplishment. Only, when he arrived, the manager at the car lot apologized and stated that the confirmed price was a mistake. After hours of back-and-forth negotiating, Manny left from that dealership and said to me, "I hate buying cars."

It wasn't long before he decided that he wanted a brand new Honda Civic and that he wanted it for nearly that same price, $16K. As luck would have it, we ended us at Coggin Honda Fort Pierce where he found a Civic for less than the MSRP and negotiated it even lower than that, however, his experience there wasn't a whole lot better than in Orlando. The salesman was an older man from New York who disliked Fort Pierce and criticized us for being born here and staying. He tried to move Manny onto a used Honda Civic and told him he'd never get the deal he was asking for, yet, despite the salesman, he did.

Since then, the Civic has been riddled with programming issues ranging from tire pressure sensor sensitivities to firmware updates causing odd physical phenomena such as the trunk randomly opening itself. But Manny loved his first, new car and he was convinced there was no reason to sell it.. until his parent's insurance suddenly skyrocketed and he realized ours would probably be next. This coupled with the increasing maintenance and repair costs made Manny reconsider what I asked a year ago.

It's A Honda For Me

I had already prepared a selection of what I considered to be our top choices for 2024 from Toyota, Chevy, and Subaru, but Manny wanted a Honda.

He did some research and determined that he wanted the Honda HR-V to be included in our consideration. While on our way to meet with friends for dinner one night at our favorite Indian Restaurant, Bolly Twist, we visited two dealerships in Stuart, Florida – Johnson Honda and Wallace Chevy.

Initially, Manny liked the HR-V for its overall designed interior and exterior, but upon seeing the CR-V he was enchanted. The new exterior attracted him, and the interior was very impressive. Little did we know that we were seeing a base trim HR-V against the CR-V's Sport Touring trim, which is night and day. A salesman, Marcial Mercado, walked us over to the CR-V, but gave us no details, had no pamphlets on either vehicle, and didn't offer us a test drive – I assume because I told him we were buying towards the end of 2024. Manny uttered to me that he hated buying cars given the purposeless presence of the salesman, but he was intrigued by the vehicle and all the more convinced that this was a smart move for us.

When we visited Wallace to see the Chevy Trax, we were both unimpressed. Chevy upgraded the exterior of the Trax, taking design elements from the Trailblazer and Camaro, but the interior was lacking. There, a young salesman named Nolan Walters helped us, and while he was more knowledgeable than Marcial at Johnson Honda, the vehicle itself wasn't worth the price in comparison to its competitor the HR-V.

That visit eliminated Chevy from our consideration.

Dealership Grand Tour

I decided I wanted Manny to visit all three dealerships in one day so that our time at each would be limited, he could consider each SUV fresh in his mind, and we could learn about each dealership to compare their offers.

A Dyer! Difference

We began with Dyer! Subaru in Vero Beach, which Manny was certain he wouldn't like. There, a young salesman named Hunter Chase met us at the door. Hunter fully educated us on the vehicle we were interested in, the Subaru Crosstrek Limited.

When I chose the Crosstrek Limited, I considered it to be a wild card choice since neither of us ever owned a Subaru and the brand wasn't particularly popular in either of our peer groups, yet I knew that this brand was well-known for reliability and fit in line with our future needs for adventure.

The interior of the Crosstrek was gorgeous. Manny's skepticism quickly vanished after he sat in the driver's seat and marveled at all the buttons and screens before him; especially the unusual vertical display used for the media hub.

Hunter accompanied us on the test drive and informed us of various features as we moved along. Earlier, I noticed that the Crosstrek had independent wheel suspension, so I asked Hunter if they all did. Although he wasn't sure, he quickly looked it up and confirmed it for me. Manny and I both appreciate that sort of honesty and diligence to find out and share. Subaru and the Crosstrek were quickly growing on both of us.

When we got back to Dyer!, Hunter gave us a tour of the service center where it was clear that Subaru was a very dog-friendly company. In the waiting area, there was a dog tag engraver, and they even had a small dog park for owners to take them out for potty breaks. This impressed Manny, who recently became a dog lover when we adopted Hyde, our Blue Merle Pomeranian.

Additionally, Dyer! offers a tire program wherein as long as a purchaser follows through with all factory-recommended maintenance at any Dyer! dealership, they will receive a voucher of up to $150 per tire per occurrence; essentially paying for your tires to be replaced at their end of life. That's an excellent incentive!

Towards the end of our visit, Hunter gave us a pamphlet with more details to consider for the Crosstrek, and in it Manny saw the pet accessories that demonstrated Subaru's commitment to pet owners.

As we left, I noticed a trim of the Crosstrek I hadn't seen before, the Wilderness Edition. Hunter informed me that this particular edition is nearly identical to the Crosstrek Limited, except it featured rugged accents, a higher ground clearance, and could tow up to 3,000-lbs. Wow!

Manny immediately found himself conflicted. He wasn't initially as excited about the Subaru Crosstrek Limited as he was about the Honda CR-V, but Hunter's excellent service and the vehicle's unexpected features changed everything.

What's Not To Love About A Honda?

Next, we visited Vatland Honda and were greeted by Celeste Davenport.

Celeste brought a CR-V that matched my request around for us to view. This was our second time seeing the CR-V, and since Manny was feeling good from the Subaru experience and had a woman salesman that he preferred, he was open to asking more questions.

During the test drive though, we weren't impressed by Celeste's knowledge of the vehicle. We had done some research about the CR-V to have awareness, but Celeste's knowledge seemed to offer less than what we found online, not that I expect anyone to know all the ins and outs of every vehicle and trim on a lot as there are so many more features to each, but I do expect to be educated.

The test drive was quiet, questions were answered quickly and allowed to fall flat rather than spark any conversation about benefits or other features.

We weren't sold the vehicle, and toward the end of the test drive Celeste said something that seems to be at the cultural core of Honda dealerships, that "The vehicle sells itself".

We disagree - the features and benefits of particular technologies are not always self-evident. As a consumer, I need someone to educate me on what something in the car does and why that's something I should care about. To believe that one's vehicle will simply sell itself, as complicated as they have become, is to be brand arrogant.

Afterward, back at Vatland, we wanted to know more about the dealership itself. Celeste took us on a tour of the service center and we were pleased to see that it was familiar since it was similar to Coggin – where Manny bought his Civic and takes it for routine maintenance – but populated by staff that were a bit more friendly. 

When I asked about benefits, incentives, or features from the dealership, Celeste told us that there were none. So I asked what sets Vatland apart from other dealerships. Why would we want to buy from here as opposed to Coggin Honda or Johnson Honda? Celeste answered that she believed that people buy from people they like, so hopefully our interaction was good and earned our business.

That's true, but I also believe that so much more is necessary to compete than just being likable. Besides, what is likable in a sales context? Did Vatland Honda provide any likable traits that outperformed Subaru or the other Honda dealers? Is simply showing up with a smile the best that they could provide?

Our visit to Honda ended earlier than I expected. Manny and I walked around a bit and looked at the HR-V again. We decided the CR-V was beautiful, but more than we needed. The HR-V's on Vatland's lot were Sport trim, which we had not seen before. They were much more attractive than the base-level trim at Johnson Honda. Still, the experiences we've had at all Honda dealerships were lacking. They had the best-rated and most attractive vehicle models, but their mediocre sales teams sat back and let the vehicle do all the work whereas other dealerships were providing more to close the sale.

Amazon Is Coming

I feel like it's important to note the local economic impact of losing sales at big-ticket businesses like car dealerships, especially with new business models like Carvana and Amazon on the horizon. While the individual wealth of these dealership owners is of no concern, the number of people employed by them and the amount of taxes potentially lost to their demise is of great concern.

We are on the slippery slope of no return for the automotive dealership industry, and rather than face that fact with innovation, they're going to continue to give less to and expect more from the consumer who is ready for positive, transformative change.

Toyotathon

We went early to Bev Smith Toyota because, although I scheduled 90 minutes at Vatland Honda, we only needed about 40 minutes to complete everything I just mentioned, from arrival on the lot to exiting.

Bev Smith Toyota was also an eye-opening experience. At the time of our visit, their dealership was under construction, so navigating the chaos of a spread out service center, car lot and sales trailers was a bit hectic. Still, we came into the care of a young salesman named Hud Musa. Hud took down our details and quickly pulled up a Toyota RAV4 that matched what I was seeking.

When he brought us out, he had the vehicle fully opened up and accompanied us as we toured its various features and aspects. Hud carried a clipboard that seemed to detail the vehicle for him, and he added commentary to each point about what other customers had told him about their likes or dislikes for any particular point of interest.

As we test-drove the RAV4 Hybrid XSE, we were impressed by the technology embedded in it, but underwhelmed with the overall interior design. Comparing it to both the Subaru Crosstrek Limited and the Honda CR-V Sport Touring, Toyota's RAV4 interior felt barely a level above the Chevy Trax.

The drive had no real thrills either. The hybrid engine made an odd noise when in reverse and had me briefly under the impression that Toyota was new to the hybrid game, then Manny reminded me that it isn't because the Toyota Prius had been available for some time now. So why then did this RAV4 sound so poorly put together, whereas the Honda CR-V felt like a regular petroleum-based car?

Back at the lot, Hud educated us on the dealership's offers; some no-extra cost, added benefits such as Toyota Care, a Lifetime Powertrain Warranty, and included window tinting on front driver and passenger windows. Wow, wow, wow – of all the dealerships we visited, this was the only one to offer so much more that extended well beyond the vehicle purchase. They almost had us...

But, like the Chevy Trax, the RAV4 didn't feel like it was worth the price tag. In an effort to do business with Bev Smith, I looked at other models and learned that the only other one I was considering for 2024 was discontinued in the US because the Corolla Cross had higher sales.

Pitty. RIP C-HR.

And The Winner Is...

Despite the clear benefits of Bev Smith's added value... Subaru won us over. Dyer! doesn't offer as many perks as Bev Smith Toyota, though they essentially replace your tires when it's time for new ones ($600 value), and the vehicle's interior isn't as stunning as the CR-V (at least not enough to sell it on its own), but for the value of the vehicle, the incentive, and the pure focus on our enjoyment while engaging with their brand... they went from being our wildcard choice to our best choice.

And that is how you compete in a world where Amazon is poised to replace dealerships.

However... Our Car Shopping Isn't Over Just Yet

Until we've made a purchase, we are open to re-considering the Honda HR-V Sport as we learned recently on our own, that it does offer an AWD option and may cost $5K less than the Crosstrek. But as it stands, Dyer! Subaru wins our Dealership Grand Tour for all the above reasons, and none of the Honda dealerships on the Treasure Coast have earned our business or consideration.