Am I being unreasonable?

[Kingy]

Ok, I got back from holiday last night, bought a car, and have started sifting through the wreckage I call a home, and figured that test-driving a prospective new toy would help raise my spirits. I'd already done the leg work and called Sytner last night to let them know the score, and arranged to go down mid-morning, around 11ish.

First off I was late, my bad, I apologised when I got there and sat down to discuss what BMW do which is of interest. I explained that I'd been out in a Z4 35i, but thought the DCT gearbox ruined it. Apparently I'm wrong, and I'm told the gearbox is excellent, but I explained that I thought it turned a sports car into a GT, and to my mind, ruined it. I explained that the plan was to try and test drive a few things at the various dealers, create a shortlist, and go from there.

We went out in a Z4M Coupe, 2 minutes in and as we happened to be going roughly towards where I lived, I asked if we were ok to go down a particularly crap road I knew, and was told that they don't do crap roads, only the test route. Great start. I explained that one of the things I wanted to test was the ride quality, particularly over bad surfaces and speedbumps, and was told that it shouldn't be too much of a problem then. *bristle*

5 minutes in and I ask if theres a particular route he has in mind, and he replies to just make our way back to the dealership. We take a quick detour down a country lane (at 40-50 because of traffic) and take the next right to start to loop back towards the dealership. Initially please as there's only one car in front and I know there's room on this road open it up a bit and get by, but see a copper. and realise that chance is over, at which point the sales guy says that we couldn't go quickly on a test drive anyway, but I can go as fast as I like when I've bought one...

I bit my tongue and drove back, complete waste of time. Boring story I know, but I'm curious for a consensus view. Is it unreasonable to expect that a test drive of a 340bhp sports car (10k on the clock) might include experiencing the acceleration and deceleration when it's warmed up? To be clear, I'm not expecting 3 figure speeds and tyre smoking arse out action, but expecting to able to complete a safe overtake and going above 4k more than once isn't death-defying risk-taking is it? Genuine question, as I've only ever bought privately before, and the seller has always encouraged 'stretching it's legs' when it's warm. Did I just get an arse of a salesman, or are my 'expectations' unreasonable?

 

[Durzel]

How old are you, what did you turn up in, and what were you wearing?

Yes it shouldn't matter but maybe the guy thought you were a test pilot.

 

[DM]

a test drive should go where you want ****j him and his test drive route

 

[Kingy]

How old are you, what did you turn up in, and what were you wearing?

Yes it shouldn't matter but maybe the guy thought you were a test pilot.

Smart casual. White tee, 501s, grey trainers, and leather jacket. I'm not dressing up for a salesman, I want to test/buy a car, not pull him...

Point taken on the test pilot front, but that's precisely why I rang ahead the day before, and explained that my car had been nicked and needed a new one...

I was honest and upfront with the guy, I didn't pretend to be interested in buying today from his stocklist, and I told him my plans to visit other brands and test similar things there, and my wishes/requirements (what's the word I'm looking for that doesn't make me sound like an arse?) re spec etc.

I came away feeling like an unreasonable time-waster. I'm not saying this from a 'give me sympathy and tell me I'm a good boy' perspective, just double checking that it's not actually me that is being unreasonable, because if it is, I'll stop testing stuff as I've no desire to waste any more of my time...

 

[-Ad-]

How old are you, what did you turn up in, and what were you wearing?

Yes it shouldn't matter but maybe the guy thought you were a test pilot.

If I had £20k in my bank ready for a Z4M I fail to see what you turn up in or what you are wearing matters.

I certainly wouldn't go to a dealership smartly dressed at the weekend or weekday for that matter, I'm buying a car not attending an important client meeting.

OP you should be annoyed, but not unexpected from BMW tbh and a retarded salesman up his own sphinktarrrrr.

 

[Savara]

sphinktarrrrr.

Say that again?

The salesman was being a douche. If you still want to try some beemers, try another garage? Don't know how many others nearby there are. Seems a shame

 

[Kingy]

a test drive should go where you want ****j him and his test drive route

See I thought that...

When we got back he said he'd got a 14:00 appointment but asked if I wanted to come back tomorrow to try the M3. I explained (calmly, I didn't rage at him) that I did, but only if I felt I had a chance to test/appraise it properly, and that I didn't like his attitude and the way he'd spoken to me. I asked who would be available tomorrow, and he took the hint and said he'd get someone else to call me.

A much more reasonable sounding girl from customer care rang to ask if I was happy, and I explained what had happened. She asked if I wanted to speak to a manager, but I declined, no need for a vendetta, I just didn't like the guy.

She got someone else from sales to call back, and I explained the days events to him, and he seemed much the same. Said he didn't think there was any need for a complaint (I agree, but I didn't ask him what he thought), and what did I want to do to move things forward. I said I'd read about the DCT box in the M3 being different to the one in the normal versions, (different speed settings for gear changes?) and that I'd like to try both gearboxes in the M3, or a manual 330i M Sport (different class of car, but 272bhp/39mpg is an impressive combo and maybe a suitable compromise between upgrade and running costs). He didn't seem to listen to what I was saying, and apparently they don't have any *demonstrators* of those at that branch, and that while they were a national network they couldn't transfer in just for a test drive as "it doesn't work like that". (I didn't ask him to btw).

I appreciate I should probably just man up and get on with it, but I don't like being wrong, so if I am actually in the wrong I want to know so I can stop it. You know how you hear people complaining that 'everybody' is wrong and you get the impression it's actually the guy complaining that's the problem?

Being a bit of a girl atm what with the break-in and am suppressing the urge to hug people that understand customer service and rage at those who don't.

 

[Al Vallario]

I was honest and upfront with the guy, I didn't pretend to be interested in buying today from his stocklist, and I told him my plans to visit other brands and test similar things there, and my wishes/requirements (what's the word I'm looking for that doesn't make me sound like an arse?) re spec etc.

Although courteous of you to be upfront about your intentions, this will no doubt have influenced the attitude of the salesman.

If you had given the impression you were prepared to drop some cash on the day, he might have been willing to let you have a slightly more exciting test drive.

 

[Disco Boy]

Smart casual. White tee, 501s, grey trainers, and leather jacket.

I'm not saying that you wore the wrong thing, but do you really think that is smart casual? lol.

As for the drive, clearly he doesn't deserve your custom, maybe he doesn't want it, ether way **** him and go somewhere else.

Also stop being so up front with them, say that you want to test drive their M3 because you are interested in buying it, not that you are going to take 4 months and drive 16 of their cars to see whether you like the box or not.

 

[jigger]

I can understand the salesman being reluctant for you to put your foot down for obvious reasons, but taking a car on a section of rough road is completely reasonable request on a test drive. Even taking into account you have been driving a very similar for a while the dealer should at least set aside 30 minutes or so.

Reading what you have said the BMW dealer should have clearly taken better care of you.

 

[monkey_boy]

LOLSYTNER tbh. I can't put into words how much I detest them. I haven't had a single good experience with either service or sales (parts were helpful though). I've not even heard of anyone who rates them. It's just a crying shame that they dominate the dealer network round this way.

Ring Rybrook Warwick and tell them everything and give them some notice of the cars you want to test and I'd be willing to put money on it being a completely different story.

 

[Kingy]

Say that again?

The salesman was being a douche. If you still want to try some beemers, try another garage? Don't know how many others nearby there are. Seems a shame

I did try someone else at the same dealer and was told they didn't have the relevant demonstrator. Now I'm back home, I've checked the Sytner Leicester website, and there are there are 3 E9x M3's in stock.

See, now I think it's bad form to rock up at an indy without a service garage and test a car with the right engine etc, but you'd never buy due to the spec, or whatever, but that's fair play at a franchise dealer isn't it? Despite having *some* arsey staff, and not being as good as John (the specialist who did all the non stamp in the book work on my Z4), I'd still take it to Sytner for routine servicing just because of the main dealer stamp in the book and courtesy car. (which the ******* charged me for last time!)

Am I wrong to confuse Approved Used Cars with demonstrators? In return for the service of allowing me to test *a* Z4M/M3, IF that model makes the final shortlist, I'd invite them to find me *the* car with the right spec etc so they'd make their margin (as long as the car was priced right obviously I'd still look at the rest of the market).

If I'm out of order that's fine, and my personal opinion was that I got someone used to selling 4 pot diesels to company car buyers who want the badge, rather than sportscars.

@HEADRAT, you were perfect when I bought your's, any chance you'd get a job at Sytner Leicester for a bit? Ta... Even if for no other reason that to distract you from buying cars I want on Z4-forum...

 

[Housey]

Sounds like you had the salesman from a local Mazda dealer who told my wife and I and I quote, "Mazda MX-5's are not for people who are bothered by handling and performance" when he tried to sell me a MK3 (not MK3.5) and I questioned the ride height and well known challenges with setup on the Mk3 and its vagueness. I didn't even bother having any further engagement with said putz and we walked and bought an MX-5 elsewhere and I would urge you to do the same.

 

[Kingy]

I'm not saying that you wore the wrong thing, but do you really think that is smart casual? lol.

Yes?

As for the drive, clearly he doesn't deserve your custom, maybe he doesn't want it, ether way **** him and go somewhere else.

Also stop being so up front with them, say that you want to test drive their M3 because you are interested in buying it, not that you are going to take 4 months and drive 16 of their cars to see whether you like the box or not.

Although courteous of you to be upfront about your intentions, this will no doubt have influenced the attitude of the salesman.

If you had given the impression you were prepared to drop some cash on the day, he might have been willing to let you have a slightly more exciting test drive.

Am I totally niave to believe in 'do onto others...'?

I'm 3 1/2 weeks into a 6 week break before I start my new contract. This time was supposed to be spent going to the gym, playing on my very lonely PS3, and thrashing my Z4 around empty roads/tracks. Clearly that's not going to happen now, so I'm trying to be reasonably pragmatic.

I have a list of cars to test (below to give the thread a little more depth than shameless whinging), of varying different degrees of realism at different ends of the scale. The idea being I'll thin out that list and get rid of stuff that I can't justify/afford, and also stuff that I just don't want. Given that I have a couple of weeks to do this, there's a few 'open-minded' inclusions, that I may or may not actually indulge in. A similar approach to what I've seen posted on here a few times before?

Official list of things to sit in, maybe even actually test-drive if I find a sufficiently bored/skint salesman!

Z4M - Manual
E92 M3 - Manual & DCT (starting to stretch the bounds of realism in what I can justify throwing away in depreciation)
E92 330i M Sport - Manual
E92 330d/335d M Sport (hopefully just to convince myself I'm right to hate autos, diesels, and diesel autos.)
Boxster S
Cayman S (Damn you Housey I want a soft top again!)
997S (See E92 M3)
997 Turbo (LOLYEAHRIGHT)
997 GT3 (See 997 Turbo)
Nissan GTR (See 997 Turbo)
Nissan 350Z/370Z (for a dose of realism while I'm drooling over the GTR)
Audi RS4 (So I can poke Housey as revenge for all the Pork porn he posts, if I actually get the E92 M3 he wanted instead)
Audi S3 (While I'm there)
Golf R32 (cos I tried the S3, and I'm bored)
Golf GTI (cos I'm there, it's a Golf GTI, and I've never actually driven one)
Focus RS (See R32)
Evo/Subaru thingy (See Focus RS)
A Corvette (any corvette, because Lashout tries so damn hard bless him... )

If I break down outside a Vauxhall garage, I might *look* at an Insignia VXR/VXR8, but only so I can come back here at sneer at it for not being made by ze Germans...

 

[OllyM]

What salesman did you deal with at Sytner Leicester?

 

[Kingy]

Sounds like you had the salesman from a local Mazda dealer who told my wife and I and I quote, "Mazda MX-5's are not for people who are bothered by handling and performance" when he tried to sell me a MK3 (not MK3.5) and I questioned the ride height and well known challenges with setup on the Mk3 and its vagueness. I didn't even bother having any further engagement with said putz and we walked and bought an MX-5 elsewhere and I would urge you to do the same.

I probably ought to try an MX-5 too, but ONLY for the benefit of the missus! I'm not homogay, just so you know...

Point taken re the other garage thing, and if I was further down the line, I'd do exactly that, but this stage I just want to eliminate **** from my list, and Sytners are only mile away. It's local and conveinient, I'm lazy and I so want them not to be so ****...

You don't get a lot of 'putz' these days... Kudos sir...

 

[Kingy]

What salesman did you deal with at Sytner Leicester?

John Gryce (or similar) was the guy I went out with (I think you might be right about context Housey), and Tom Williams (I think) was the guy I spoke to on the phone afterwards.

In the interests of balance, Jodie Wilson in service is both hot, and good. Gareth William the Service Manager is good too, but not my type...

 

[OllyM]

John Gryce (or similar) was the guy I went out with (I think you might be right about context Housey), and Tom Williams (I think) was the guy I spoke to on the phone afterwards.

Tom Wood perhaps? Explains a lot

 

[Kingy]

LOLSYTNER tbh. I can't put into words how much I detest them. I haven't had a single good experience with either service or sales (parts were helpful though). I've not even heard of anyone who rates them. It's just a crying shame that they dominate the dealer network round this way.

Ring Rybrook Warwick and tell them everything and give them some notice of the cars you want to test and I'd be willing to put money on it being a completely different story.

But they're so close! (/friends)

& at googling Porsche Leicester and realising it's another Sytner franchise...

 

[monkey_boy]

Z4M ------> VXR8/Corvette: so you want a car, with an engine, and some seats (apparantly not fussed by how many) and you want to make CO2s? These seem tobe the only common criteria amongst these

Having said that, I think a corvette would be a splendid way to spend the summer!