They’re clueless, but the car sells itself. Anybody can do that job.
A lot of salespeople would sell refrigerators if they made the same money. They’re not car people. I once met a salesman who thought the Dodge Grand Caravan was just a fancy version of the regular Caravan.
@Stokes
Wait, there were different lengths of the Caravan?
Gerald said:
@Stokes
Wait, there were different lengths of the Caravan?
Yeah, they stopped making the shorter version in 2008.
I’ve had the same experience. I do a ton of research, so I usually know more than the salespeople. It’s frustrating, but I guess I expect it now.
Former car salesman here. Salespeople have to know a lot about every car on the lot, trims, features, promotions, etc. It’s a lot, and many don’t go above and beyond to learn more. That said, they should at least try to answer your questions.
@John
That’s fair. It’s more about how they handle not knowing than the lack of knowledge itself. If you’re selling a $40k car, you should know the basics.
Cody said:
@John
That’s fair. It’s more about how they handle not knowing than the lack of knowledge itself. If you’re selling a $40k car, you should know the basics.
Exactly. A good salesperson would find the answers for you. Covid made a lot of salespeople lazy.
When I bought my RAV4 Prime, I had to educate myself on everything—trims, packages, tax credits, etc. Without help from this forum, I wouldn’t have succeeded.
Ask them where the belts, alternator, or starter is. They won’t know.
Owen said:
Ask them where the belts, alternator, or starter is. They won’t know.
To be fair, most buyers don’t even open the hood. But hybrids don’t even have those parts, so it’s a trick question.
My salesman told me lane assist and adaptive cruise control weren’t available until version 3.0. He was completely wrong.
Robe said:
My salesman told me lane assist and adaptive cruise control weren’t available until version 3.0. He was completely wrong.
Politely ask for someone who knows what they’re talking about.
I’ve had the same experience. I research cars for months before buying, and I always know more than the salespeople. Once, a Lexus salesman advised against getting a sunroof, which was great advice.
My salesman tried to tell me the Civic Sport had a turbo. I had to correct him three times.
Toyota salespeople are just order takers now. If you don’t buy it, someone else will. Do your research before going in.
Ask this in the car sales forum if you want their perspective. Most buyers care more about payments than features. This forum isn’t the average buyer.
I asked about radar cruise control, and the salesman had no idea. He also lied about the car I wanted being sold out.
I bought my RAV4 from a BMW dealer, and the salesman was the most knowledgeable I’ve ever met. He showed me every feature and how to use it.
Do your own research. Salespeople are just there to make a commission.