And which part, specifically, of my post is bull****? Please try to be articulate.

Anyway, toyota has been going downhill for a long time

Will ANY manufacturer ever learn to let the dealer sell cars while concentrating on developing a quality product?

The issue with car dealerships is that very few cities want them. Lots of lights and cars aren’t a image any city wants. Taxes go to the jurisdiction of the purchaser, not the dealership address… Existing buildings also always have problems “adapting” to new standards. It’s not very “green” either since you demolish perfectly good materials and send them to the dump because they don’t meet the current “image” the brand wants to project. But the customer is comfortable with “normality” when shopping… the building aesthetics help establish a expectation. A new McDonalds looks like a better place to eat than a old run down McDonalds even though the food and service never changed… same theory with where you buy & service your car.

Comment by jumpoffit, posted on March17 at 12:02 pm

They already do this at one place in Ohio… donuts, coffee, tea, bottle water/tea and pop/soda, and large screen tv.

As for changing oil… in my town, we have angry neighbors..who call EPA on you if you do any car work..not joking…. ain’t worth the hassle.. got a “warning” once…since I change oil 2 times per year, let Scion(tC) do it…no one can call EPA on me again, then.
Oil change prices are Down, even with these upgrades..vs 2007.
Around 19 dollars vs 25.
Cost me(if I could “legally” change oil w.o neighborhoood watch dogs calling people)…about 10-11 to change it myself.

Anyhow…whatever.

First, they already have internet access to do business.

Second, they most likely already had wireless internet for their own laptop computers.

Third, it costs at most $150 to buy a wireless router and anyone that works with computers for living should be able to easily setup and configure a secure wireless router. It would take maybe 15 minutes and has very little maintenance needed.

Compared to the cost of everything else a dealership has, the cost is so small that it is almost petty cash.

As for building bigger dealerships as compared to staying the same size.

Look around at the different dealerships in your area. If they have the same customer service focus the bigger dealership will usually have a lot more traffic than the smaller dealership.

Why? Choice. When you have a bigger dealership you have a lot more cars. When you have a lot more cars you –usually– have more variety of the same car with different options which means the person buying the car is more likely to get THE car that they really want with the options they really want without options they don’t want.

Who benefits? Everyone.

The dealerships get more business which is greater than the costs that they had to put out to build a bigger dealership.

The customers win because they are a lot more likely to get the exact car that they wanted.

Also, smaller dealerships have a harder time keeping a steady flow of business in their service area which means the mechanics aren’t working on as many cars per person, –probably– haven’t seen as many issues with cars so they don’t know as often how to fix as many things. Basically, in larger dealerships, if run correctly with good management, are more likely to provide better service with larger work days which makes it more convenient for you and me to take you car in to get it fixed if it needs to be fixed.

No I don’t work for a car dealership or in the auto industry. The above is based on my personal dealings with small, medium, and large car dealerships.

Not all large dealerships are good. It all depends on the people that are there. Buyer be ware. Shop around. Find a dealership you are comfortable with and that have the car –you– want to buy and not just want they want to sell.

The sticker price is a starting point. Negotiate or find someone that is good at it and likes doing it. Treat them to a really good dinner if they do well or take them to McDonalds if they don’t.