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Showroom Car

4.4K views 21 replies 18 participants last post by  my04HBEX  
#1 ·
I'll need to change my id from "Undecided" to something else, cause I've just ordered a car! A midnight blue touring (Canadian Edition).

I get a call today from the dealer that they have my car, but they want to put it in the showroom for 2 weeks while they wait for a replacement.

I wasn't too happy, but since I don't really need the car right now, is there a problem? Somehow thinking about all those people with kids and pets, griming up my car makes me shudder. Is this just irrational?

I figure you guys would know.
 
#2 ·
unless the dealer is doing some heavy discounting, i would have said no.

do you know how much abuse those cars get in the showroom?

people that don't know how the doors open or the seats fold, just use brute force.

chances are you will be fine, but life is already complicated, why add hassles to it?
 
#4 ·
I would not think that they would hurt anything, I would be more concerned with the paint getting scratched. I would make them go over the vehicle and make sure that everything is aok. Perhaps they can give you some free accessories for your help.
 
G
#5 ·
I don't think two weeks in an inside showroom is going to get you "heavy discounts" personally but what do I know :)
I'd be concerned about scraches moreso than anything. As for pets I've never seen pets in a showroom :)
If you need the van immediately definitely not, if you don't perhaps a couple of accessories but I don't think our Canadian dealers are as forthcoming as many U.S. dealers :)

Cheers,
Grumbo
 
#6 ·
Originally posted by Undecided

I get a call today from the dealer that they have my car, but they want to put it in the showroom for 2 weeks while they wait for a replacement.




No, no way.

DCD
 
#7 ·
My '05 was the the dealer had recieved in Sept and was put on the showroom fllor. I saw it that day and purchased it a week later. There was one spot they couldn't get out by the drivers left leg...where you can't see it unless you look for it. The rest of it was in perfect condition when I drove it home.
They did give me the accessories that they put in for the showroom florr for free (they probably didn't want to deal with taking them out) so I was happy.

I would just be sure they will give yo a discount or free stuff!
 
#8 ·
If it's just showroom display, no harm. But, if used for test drives, then definitely stay away or get a big discount.
 
#12 · (Edited)
The Canadian Tourings seem to be in short supply (at least where I live). This may be why they'd like to have it on the floor for a couple of weeks (so curious buyers can actually see one, check out the navi, premium stereo etc.).

Since it sounds like you already had a deal to purchase this vehicle when it arrived, I'd ask them to throw in something (cargo tray and/or all season floor mats perhaps?).

Make sure they agree to absolutely no test drives and that you pick it up in 2 weeks regardless of whether the replacement has arrived.

On the other hand, can you really sit still for 2 weeks knowing your van is already at the dealer!
 
#13 ·
I agree with the majority as well. There's too many things that can happen to a vehicle when people who don't "own" it are playing around.

Kid in the back seat wondering how far the DVD screen tilts . . . bored toddler flipping the door lock switch up and down and up and down . . . not to mention dozens of grubby sneezy hands going over every square inch of your van. No thanks.

You can do as good an inspection as you want, it's still not going to change the fact that the van will possibly get more internal abuse in a couple of weeks on the showroom floor than it will in a year of normal usage. Dirt on the carpet you can see, but added fraying of the internal wire on the nav screen because some kid stood up and smacked his noggin' on it? You won't see that for years.

I'd be much more interested in having the van home safe and sound. Make up a special occasion and tell them you recently decided to take the van to your in-laws place this weekend.

--Jason
 
#14 ·
Negative Ghostrider!

Especially if it "could" be taken on test drives. I don't have to tell you the color you're getting will be more prone to showing those "scratches" etc... If you're anal/OCD about your cars you'll be unhappy.

If not, there are some possibilities that have been mentioned i.e. demanding and keeping the accessories. I would also demand a full detail of the Ody upon return. Of course, all of this in writing.

That will be the longest two weeks!:D
 
#16 ·
I know that I personally abused the heck out of the van in our dealers showroom. I wanted to figure out how safe the power sliding door mechanism was (not very it seems on the 2003 model.)

I held the door when it was trying to open until the motor overheated and it finally quit fighting me. I was trying to prove whether or not the door would stop and back up if my childs arm or hand got stuck in it. When closing, the door would back off. When opening, it did not quit until the motor overheated, which took a couple of minutes of very strong force. If I had any choice, I would not have bought the power doors, but I wanted / needed the other features of the EX so I got stuck with the dangerous power doors. Warning for all you owners of power doors, do not let your kids stand near the back side of the door when it opens!!
I don't know if they fixed that oversight on the 2005 model. I can only hope they did!

The salesperson argued with me about the safety of the door, so he abused it again to prove to himself that the door would not stop for anything when opening. We then tried it on the other door because he insisted the first door wasn't working right. The second door behaved the same way and got abused just like the first, after he called another salesperson over to show him. Neither of them had ever seen anyone try to stop the door from opening and they had a hard time believing what they saw.

Anyway, between the two of us, that van took some severe punishment. I would not have bought it after all that.
 
#17 ·
If you are stepping up to get the best , as in a Touring, I would get it new, new, new!

I have seen what goes on in those showroom models. Being a "family" vehicle, it will be covered in numerous "cooties" :eek:

If there is a vending machine in the area--you can count on plenty of chocolate in there too. ;)

IMO, this is sometimes worse than a test-driver cause it's always open and available for all to sit in and mess around with everthing.

Not worth it--go NEW :)
 
#18 ·
Great Responses!

Great feedback. We were torn between the silver/black and the blue/gray. It turns out that the van they are expecting next week is silver/black. So (after checking with my wife), I decided to go for the new one!.

I got some clarification though -- the dealer said that he wasn't going to put it in the showroom, just have it available on the lot for people to see (and sit in) if they want to see all the fancy stuff in the touring. Not nearly as bad as being in the showroom, but still not great.

This forum is awesome!

Thanks.
 
#19 ·
Re: Great Responses!

Undecided said:
Great feedback. We were torn between the silver/black and the blue/gray. It turns out that the van they are expecting next week is silver/black. So (after checking with my wife), I decided to go for the new one!.

I got some clarification though -- the dealer said that he wasn't going to put it in the showroom, just have it available on the lot for people to see (and sit in) if they want to see all the fancy stuff in the touring. Not nearly as bad as being in the showroom, but still not great.

This forum is awesome!

Thanks.
Great choice! :cool:

And yes, this forum is awesome!
 
#20 ·
I say NO WAY to the showroom. You ordered it and you should get it when it comes in. When I leased my '01 Ody EX, they didn't even have them to test drive or put in the show room. I waited 4 months to get it, and there was no way I would've let them put it in the showroom for 2 weeks.
 
#22 ·
Undecided said:
I get a call today from the dealer that they have my car, but they want to put it in the showroom for 2 weeks while they wait for a replacement.
You odered it.

You waited for it

You paid for it.

You take it.

Whats not on the floor of your local stealer (oops I ment dealer) is not YOUR problem, Period.

So run, don't walk, get your van and don't take any BS.