Gen V Test Drive - Just Curious

[ROYMAN]

Does anyone know if dealers are offering test drives or will be in the future? I only ask because I stopped by a local dealer that had just gotten a second Gen V in their showroom and I wanted to check it out... when I pulled up in my mamba they jumped on me and were practically begging me to trade it in towards one of the Gen Vs... I defiantly cannot afford to do this, but I figured if they were genuinely interested in unloading one of these things from the showroom they might consider letting me drive one of the Vipers.

I have my doubts though as we all know the crash potential all Vipers have. Not to mention they hadn’t even taken the plastic off the interiors yet. I think there may be a huge market in sales to people who have a previous generation viper but have not ordered a Gen V yet because they have not experienced the car first hand... has anyone managed to get a test drive from a dealer?

 

[ACRucrazy]

The dealer I was at was not allowing people to test drive. Rightfully so though with a Stryker Red. If I were buying I wouldnt want one that a dealer let a bunch of people test drive.

 

[ViperSmith]

As the cars rust on dealer show rooms, they will be more apt for test drives once they start paying to sit on the car.

 

[SRTviper]

My local dealer has a used GTS with like over 1k miles and they still wouldn't allow a test drive. I even asked for the GM to drive the car while I sat in it and they said no. They even said no to just driving it in a circle around the dealership and not even on a public road. This is absolute bull**** that they do that even with a used car like it is made out of goal. It is a 100k viper. If I went to california and asked bugatti to give me a test drive and proved I had the means to buy the car they would get their guy I forgot his name to go and take me out for a test drive.

So if a million dollar car can be test driven why can't a simple 100k car be test driven? It is absolute BS on the highest level especially for a car that got axed because it couldn't sell.

 

[MoparMap]

Someone else here suggested doing something similar to what you mentioned with the Bugatti. Have the money ready and go through all the hoops to prove you can buy the car, but tell them that the deal is contigent on you driving it first and making sure you like it. It's a waste of everyone's time, but that way everyone is covered. Granted you'd be buying it if you wrecked it on the drive, but that's your own problem at that point.

 

[SRTviper]

Someone else here suggested doing something similar to what you mentioned with the Bugatti. Have the money ready and go through all the hoops to prove you can buy the car, but tell them that the deal is contigent on you driving it first and making sure you like it. It's a waste of everyone's time, but that way everyone is covered. Granted you'd be buying it if you wrecked it on the drive, but that's your own problem at that point.

Yea I did that option they still say no. Actually they say then if they do it for me then they have to do it for everyone but no one said they have to tell other people they offered test drives, I won't be telling anyone I got a test drive from which dealer, so yea. I told them I said if they don't take me for a test drive then you lost this sale. So it is really their loss and they are dumb. They know I have the means and they know I am serious and they know exactly why I want to be driven in the car but they refuse to do it because they think the future owner of that particular viper is going to flip out because the car has 2-3 extra miles.

 

[klamathpro]

I just called three dealers near me. Two didn't even know what I talking about when I asked if the carry the SRT brand. I just got treated like crap on the phone by the third dealer for even hinting at a test drive, even after stating I own two Vipers. Chrysler needs to educate their dealers and send them to business etiquette school. Chrysler's biggest problem with selling cars are the dealers. I HATE Chrysler dealers. I've actually been cursed at by two different dodge dealers when trying to do peaceful negotiations on a purchase! And one of them was the manager! I was seconds away from a purchase when he interrupted and told me to go to h*** over a $600 wiggle on my trade in. I walked out on both occasions. Both dealers are no longer in business which means I wasn't the only one that got treated like they were doing me a favor. A third dealer lost a sale when I asked for a $2k drop on a used Prowler and the manager said I was a waste of his time and to go somewhere else.

I may simply never buy the new Viper from a dealer because of how infuriated I am at the way I get treated at every Chrysler dealer. I know there are good dealers out there in other states. But I never got this piss poor bashing from any other car company. I walked into a Nissan dealer just to look at a GT-R and I was offered a ride along in the owner's car. I walked into a Ford dealer and asked to test drive a brand new GT-500. Not only did they let me drive it on the freeway, they let my buddy swap and get a crack at it. Porsche and Lotus let you test drive also. If someone walks in wearing a Rolex and drives another fast car, especially another Viper, don't be a ******. IT'S A CAR, NOT A HELICOPTER!
WAKE UP CHRYSLER!

 

[ROYMAN]

If the only thing they are worried about is the car being crashed then I understand... but it does seem a little counterintuitive to keep this kind of tactic up.

 

[Pythonpete]

The sad part is my two best car buying experiences ever were my 2 Vipers. The first one from Chuck Tator, who's Dodge Dealer was the oldest family owned Dodge dealership in the country. Chrysler closed him down as a dealership. The other was with Bill Pemberton and Woodhouse Dodge. They are a few states away from me but I will buy my next Viper from them again.

 

[MoparMap]

Yea I did that option they still say no. Actually they say then if they do it for me then they have to do it for everyone but no one said they have to tell other people they offered test drives, I won't be telling anyone I got a test drive from which dealer, so yea. I told them I said if they don't take me for a test drive then you lost this sale. So it is really their loss and they are dumb. They know I have the means and they know I am serious and they know exactly why I want to be driven in the car but they refuse to do it because they think the future owner of that particular viper is going to flip out because the car has 2-3 extra miles.

Wow, that *****. I don't think it's a Chrysler policy or anything though, I think it's more dealer specific, but all the same that's really annoying. I've pretty much decided to never buy a car from a dealer anyway because I don't want to take the depreciation hit and I like working on my own cars so I don't mind too much if something is wrong with the car that I can fix.

 

[SRTviper]

Wow, that *****. I don't think it's a Chrysler policy or anything though, I think it's more dealer specific, but all the same that's really annoying. I've pretty much decided to never buy a car from a dealer anyway because I don't want to take the depreciation hit and I like working on my own cars so I don't mind too much if something is wrong with the car that I can fix.

I am very apprehensive about buying performance cars used because well lets face it these aren't honda civic miles. I don't know what the previous owner did to it and how bad they bashed on it before selling it for something else. But yea the other dealer in my area says SRT tells them not to allow test drives. Actually I mispoke they said Dodge doesn't allow them to do test drives on the viper lol.

 

[SRTviper]

If the only thing they are worried about is the car being crashed then I understand... but it does seem a little counterintuitive to keep this kind of tactic up.

If we crash the car then we pay for it and they still get money at the end of the day so there should be zero fear in allowing a test drive from someone who can afford it and actually has means to buy it. Like seriously? Do I need to walk up to the dealership in an 8k omega and 12k worth of clothes from Bijan and a 7k messenger bag to show I can buy the car because I can do that if that is what is required, this is ridiculous. I'm completely now turned off to the viper from dealerships.
The treatment is absolutely horrible. And it is not better with corvette on the zr1. But porsche **** they let me test drive a 150k 4S, a turbo S, then a carerra S to see the differences.

 

[Nine Ball]

Already one LONG thread complaining about the same subject, SRTviper. Do we really need a second thread?

I wanted to test drive an Aventador also. Lamborghini told me no. I can afford one. I didn't complain on Lambo sites about not getting to drive one.

Like I said in the other thread, find another dealer and be ready to buy a plane ticket if needed. I flew to Italy and watched them build the cars.

 

[ROYMAN]

... and a 7k messenger bag... .

Dealerships were instructed to never, under any circumstances, sell a Viper to a man carrying a messenger bag.

 

[Policy Limits]

Roy, I'm sure you will see mine soon at a local event soon. Still not a breeze to drive in this flappy paddle world but I'll bet its easier than your model as I hear the clutch on yours is heavier/trickier and the gearing is different; perhaps we should trade rides on a quick run to compare? The V is impressive and refined but still not a cake walk; get out the new comparo video with/against the SLS special edition.

 

[Steve M]

If we crash the car then we pay for it and they still get money at the end of the day so there should be zero fear in allowing a test drive from someone who can afford it and actually has means to buy it. Like seriously? Do I need to walk up to the dealership in an 8k omega and 12k worth of clothes from Bijan and a 7k messenger bag to show I can buy the car because I can do that if that is what is required, this is ridiculous. I'm completely now turned off to the viper from dealerships.
The treatment is absolutely horrible. And it is not better with corvette on the zr1. But porsche **** they let me test drive a 150k 4S, a turbo S, then a carerra S to see the differences.

So does that mean you aren't buying one now? It seems like yesterday (or maybe before) you were all about buying one, and the day before that not so much. I think Eggo would have been a better user name.

 

[ViperSmith]

So does that mean you aren't buying one now? It seems like yesterday (or maybe before) you were all about buying one, and the day before that not so much. I think Eggo would have been a better user name.

He has no intention of buying one (for at least two years) and complains dealers won't let him drive one.

I don't quite get the criticism. I wouldn't let him drive one either if I was a dealer. Now, Roy, I get. If I was ready to buy and was on the fence of course I'd want to test drive.

Not everyone orders sign unseen.

 

[PDCjonny]

He's the new BCMarly. Remember him singing the praises of the car he couldn't wait to get.
LOL. All talk no cash.

 

[ROYMAN]

Oh I am not ready to buy and I cannot afford to do so even if I wanted to, maybe if I sold all of my belongings and that's a maybe. But like I said when I pulled in the dealership two sales guys approached me and were begging me to trade in my viper towards the new one... they probably assumed I would be happy taking 15K dealer trade in so they could sell it for 50. Either way, the point of this thread (unlike others) was me asking if anyone had been successfully able to get a test drive, and if so, how they went about doing it (considering what I have learned about the situation thus far).....
It seems like there has been no new developments

 

[Nine Ball]

ROYMAN, it is simply a dealer by dealer basis. Some dealers allow them, some do not. Not sure why you'd want a test drive, unless you are serious about buying one. It would then just be a joyride, which dealers would prefer to avoid. And rightly so. I would have had fun joyriding the Aventador, but didn't complain when they said no.

 

[Policy Limits]

The 1st time I was denied a test drive on a Viper was in 2008 on a Gen IV in the showroom of Central Dodge in Norwood MA. I pulled up in a C6 vert that I wanted to trade. They gave me trade #'s on my car and wouldnt let me test drive theirs though they let me sit in it. Fast forward 5 years and the same dealer has 25k juice on their V allocations and u cant drive 'em.

I was glad to give my business to Bill Pemberton instead. I didnt drive his car either, but I bought from a true car guy, didnt get *****, got great personalized attention promptly.

If I owned a dealership and only got a couple of allocations I guess I wouldn't want tire kickers either; thing is surely someone is the real deal with the resources to buy...and if you dont sell to them, you're clearly not moving your inventory.

 

[Policy Limits]

and btw Lamborghini Boston allowed their 1/2 mill Aventador to be test driven. What a car!

 

[SRTviper]

He has no intention of buying one (for at least two years) and complains dealers won't let him drive one.

I don't quite get the criticism. I wouldn't let him drive one either if I was a dealer. Now, Roy, I get. If I was ready to buy and was on the fence of course I'd want to test drive.

Not everyone orders sign unseen.

Well I'd like to wait but if the car is good now and I can get it for the right price why not now? Schedules can be moved up. I have every intention of buying one.

 

[SRTviper]

He's the new BCMarly. Remember him singing the praises of the car he couldn't wait to get.
LOL. All talk no cash.

If only you knew.....

 

[SRTviper]

Already one LONG thread complaining about the same subject, SRTviper. Do we really need a second thread?

I wanted to test drive an Aventador also. Lamborghini told me no. I can afford one. I didn't complain on Lambo sites about not getting to drive one.
Like I said in the other thread, find another dealer and be ready to buy a plane ticket if needed. I flew to Italy and watched them build the cars.

I have no problem doing that. But lets be honest, you are telling me they should treat a 100k car like a 400k+ car? I got a chance to test drive the m6 today, it had a 135k sticker price. I told the salesguy about how they won't let me test drive the viper and that how they will lose my business if they don't, and he thought that was laughable and had no problem throwing me the keys to the m6. It was a pretty nice car I must say. And I have never liked M BMWs.

You are right though we don't need another thread stating what we all know.

 

[SRTviper]

So does that mean you aren't buying one now? It seems like yesterday (or maybe before) you were all about buying one, and the day before that not so much. I think Eggo would have been a better user name.

I learned from the last car buying from a proper dealer should be key in what car to choose. If all the dealers around me are a$$holes I rather give my business to someone else. Because regardless of if I buy the car in another state I still have to take it to the same a$$holes for service once a year. It really is sad. This is a great car but the dealer experience is horrible.

 

[Pythonpete]

I learned from the last car buying from a proper dealer should be key in what car to choose. If all the dealers around me are a$$holes I rather give my business to someone else. Because regardless of if I buy the car in another state I still have to take it to the same a$$holes for service once a year.

That's the problem we have in NY, they all ****. We have Tator who is the BEST but he can't do warranty work.

 

[dester243]

Is this guy going to start this in EVERY thread in the gen 5 forum?

 

[Joe Dozzo]

I thought there were supposed to be 100 (?) or so red cars for dealers for exactly this purpose. Something like they had to hold onto them for 6 months or so...

 

[SRTviper]

Is this guy going to start this in EVERY thread in the gen 5 forum?

Nope all done