sanjaya1

It's really interesting what these dealerships are doing. We all know that the reason they have been beating last years sales numbers is because they are so desperate to sell cars that they are giving every car (except the EVO) at zero down, zero interest, and no payments for the first year. Well the new Mitsu radio commerical states that not only are they still giving these incentives, theya are actually going to pay the customer $50 a month, for the first year. How desperate a situation does a company have to be in to pay someone to buy their car? But on the EVO, they are so greedy (probably from the lack of sales), that they are trying to make up for all the loses with the mark up. But, even with $10K mark up, how much revenue can you get from a handful of EVOs? All this has strengthen my resolve to hold out for MSRP. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the principles of suppy and demand, and would probably pay a $5K mark up if I was loaded. I do pretty well and can afford the mark up, but can't justify throwing away $5K. So I will give it another couple of weeks before moving on to a G35 Coupe. I totally agree with whoever first mentioned on this site the fact that these dealers are creating the opposite effect of why Mitsu brought these cars here in the first place. To give Americas a taste of an affordable alternative to traditional sport cars. It's sad that the dealerships have missed the point and that unlike Nissan, that forced Infiniti dealers to only sell G35 Coupes at MSRP, Mitsu has let greedy dealerships tarnish their image. The end result is that they are turning off a whole bunch of future Mitsu customers. That's all.

uranium9v

iTrader: (3)

If you like your VW, just wait for the R32...

sanjaya1

Actually I should update my info since I sold my GTI about a month ago in anticipation of the EVO's arrival. So I really can't wait that much longer without a car since I am using my wife's old car, which is purple. She's not too happy with me either, since she wants to sell it ASAP. Also, the R32 will be the same as the EVO in regard to mark ups. VW dealers are notorious for this. When I bought my GTI in 1998, they were totally price gouging people on the Beatle. Of course, that was a little different since the Beatle appeals to a much larger customer base. The other thing with VW is that their bread and butter cars are fresh and exciting enough to bring them good sales even in such a bad economy, unlike Mitsubishi. So they will definitely hold on to their mark ups. That's what they did with the 20th or 25th Anniversary GTI last year. My only choices are the EVO or G35 Coupe, and I will be buying one in the upcoming 2-4-weeks, depending on availability.

lancealott

iTrader: (10)

Just remember, its not MMSA (Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America) that is killing the customer with the mark up. They did a good job of keeping it at 30k range or less. Its the dealer thats marking it up. MMCA (MItsubishi Motor Credit of America) is giving the finance incentives. The dealers are making the choice of mark up. If you are going to complain, complain to the originating dealer. I dont feel that MMCA or MMSA is at fault.

timmayz

Infiniti dealers are gouging in ther own way. No test drives on a stick car (G35C). I test drove an automatic one day, and they said the stick is the same! I don't want to buy a car without a test drive, especially a brand new car like the G. The EVO may be a little different since it is a proven configuration. Still don't like the idea. I think I have a dealer who will allow a EVO test drive before buying, with a refundable deposit.

sanjaya1

That is true to a point, but I don't really think that Mitsubishi is helpless about in this. Like I mentioned earlier, Nissan insisted on Infiniti dealers not marking up the G35 Coupe. Granted, I don't know what actually happened at Nissan dealerships regarding the 350Z. But on the G35, they knew that as part of the reinventing of the Infiniti brand, they had to come across as a brand that customers would want to make a long term commitment to. They are trying to mimic Lexus. As the customer, I believe I have the final say. No matter how many EVOs they sale with a mark up, in the long run, most of the customers will not forget getting bent on the EVO and will definitely hold it against the individual dealership and will also hold Mitsubishi responsible to some extent. I just don't think a company struggling to sell cars and establish itself as a genuine alternative to Toyota or Honda should be this blind to the possible negative word of mouth thes tactics will surely create.

I am surprised to here that about the G35. I actually just walked into an Infiniti dealership about 2 months ago and test drove a G35 Coupe with a 6-speed and custom 19" wheels without giving them any information, and walked away without a hassle. In fact, I have been very impressed with the couple of Infiniti dealerships I have been to. But I guess every company has the exceptions to the rule.

Mark F

As much as we don't need yet another "price gouging" thread I have to address the fact that your analysis is flawed.

0/0/0, or variations of it, has been around off and on for 3 years. That's an MMCA program and has nothing to do with the dealers per se. The $50 per month incentive is simply a $500 rebate which is combined with the program and which the customer has the option of getting paid out to them in 10 monthly installments or one lump sum or (what everyone will actually do) having it applied as a discount against the vehicle they are purchasing. Rebates are hardly new and this isn't even a very big one. The way it's advertised merely speaks to a running-joke that has been circulating around Mitsu stores for a while. Long before the market went down the toilet in fact.

But again, none of this has ANYTHING to do with how dealers price their vehicles. This is a manufacturer incentive program. Mitsubishi, more so than any other car company, can't have a bad month. They can't even have a bad week. Right now, EVERYONE is having a bad time of it. As a sign of the general desperation of the market 2 of the big 3 domestics just announced 72-month low-interest financing for the first time ever. Mitsubishi has responded to the rather dramatic market downturn with their own incentives and no company responds to the market more quickly than Mitsubishi.

The selling price of a vehicle is largely irrelevent to incentives. Selling cars for over MSRP is as old as the car business itself. There's nothing new here. Walk into a Honda store and try to get a S2000, Pilot, Odyssey, that new square ****box thing or in some cases even a CRV at MSRP. Not gonna happen. And those are mass-produced vehicles which in most cases have been around for a while. The Nissan 350Z is being produced in numbers 4-6 times greater than the Evo yet 6 months after its launch still commands a premium. The G35 coupe you mention has not been immune to this either - in spite of the rumors you seem to believe. Whether a car sells for well below MSRP because the market is slow, or whether a car sells for at or over MSRP because the market is hot on that particular product, its the same forces at work. Nobody complains about the former though. The situation at work with the Evolution is hardly unusual, nor is it even at all uncommon.

So to everyone, quit your f---ing whining and poop or get off the pot. If its worth it to you then pay and move on, if not, then don't. I think we've beat this subject to death and mutilated the corpse besides.

Coolguy949

iTrader: (10)

I agree with you sanjaya1, i cant justify throwing out $5K. Time has been really flying lately. The EVO has already been out 3 days and it feels like yesterday. Soon we'll all have our evo's and be happy. I know if I pay a markup now i'm going feel really bad in a few months when they are MSRP or less. I could really use that extra $5K...thats a lot of money. Take a number of months to save up that much cash.

Speedlimit

Hi Mark,

You have several posts where you have written multiple paragraphs ending with essentially "lets wrap this up". Why should you get the last word? The reality of markups are as valid as the customers reaction to them and this is after all an enthusiast forum. Your input is important and respected, at least by me. If you do not like the fire, then quit throwing gas on it.

Speedlimit.......

sanjaya1

First, if you are tired of this subject, don't respond to it or even look at it. Go admire another picture from a dealership, which isn't too different from all the other pictures. I thought this forum was for people to express opinions and not a place for people to act like a condescending a-hole. It's just like TV, if you don't like what you see, change the channel. Mark F., you need to quit acting like a d--k and just buck up.

I wasn't complaining about mark ups or think it's so unusual. I just think that for a company still struggling to make a reputation in the US, they sure have no problem turning potential customers off. I thought the EVO was supposed to get people excited about Mitsubishi in general, and not **** off even the customers who will end up buying the car with a mark up. And don't act like there is no relationship between the dealers and parent company. Sure the incentives come from Mitsu so that their product moves from the dealer inventory. But the fact remains that even with all these incentives, most Mitsu dealerships look like ghost towns. At least they have the last 4 times I have been to one regarding the EVO. Most car dealerships are like that, except for maybe BMW or Mercedes. This is why BMW M cars seem to always have a mark up. The usual BMW or Mercedes customer has so much money that they'd insist on a mark up to keep it exclusive, even in a slow economy. While some of these guys will buy the EVO, most don't want to be seen in a Mitsu, especially one that looks like a ricer. In the end, the customer is always right. So enjoy the fat paycheck this month, but once the EVO market cools, I for one will never even consider a Mitsu car.

xtnct

iTrader: (33)

In my personal opinion, I think price markups are great (for the dealer) in the short term but are really bad in the long run. Lets use myself as an example.

Exhibit 1: I spoke with a Mitsu delaer (Philly suburbs), and they told me their pricing will be $4000 over invoice. I responded: "you have my number, call me when you return to MSRP". Chances are that I will not return to this dealer in the future, even after they go down to MSRP as I will have already gotten what I wanted elsewhere.

Exhibit 2: I asked for a test drive at dealer #1 above. They said no. Negative score here!!! I asked "You expect me to pay $34K for a car without driving it?" The reply was: "Yes, others are doing it". My reply was "I'm not like others".

Exhibit 3: I conversed with a dealer downtown Philly as well. They said either MSRP or $1000 over. Still waiting to hear from them. They might have a chance to do business with me.

Exhibit 4: I am currently in communications with a few other dealers. We'll see what happens.

I'm sure that I am not the only one that takes this approach. The point is, that once a dealer does a bad or a dumb thing, I will not be returning there for more business, service, parts or warranty work! Furthermore, I will not be referring my friends there, nor will they be mentioned in a good way on the internet forums. Collectively, I think that it is a much bigger loss than getting their $5K over MSRP.

sanjaya1

It's great to hear that xtnct. I told every dealer I called to call me back only when they are going to sell at MSRP (maybe a $500-$1000 markup) and it's a silver or black EVO. If I am going to pay over $30K for a car, it better be a color I like since it will be my daily driver. I might not hear from any of them, which is fine by me. I am sticking to my guns, period. The best example I could use is when the PS2 came out. To my knowledge, I don't think there was price gouging at the retail end or even if it's allowed. I know people did so on ebay. My wife got me one for X-mas even though they were hot. She just had to find a place that had it, and it was obviously sold on a first come first serve basis at the regular price. Why are cars any different? It is still a product. Once again, I understand how it works in a free market and know what fair market value is. Value is a subjective term and is determined by how much someone will pay regardless of the cost to make it. I think some people are confusing this fact with what we are getting at, which is really about customer service and the marketing of a brand image. While some brands can afford to be this arrogant (Porsche, BMW, Harley, etc), I don't think Mitsubishi can afford the negative publicity.

nostatic

xtnct, that is EXACTLY right. I believe that for every 1 EVO sold above MSRP (gouging at $5K-$10K) there could be at least 10 sales lost due to how quickly word spreads on the Internet. Dealerships should take a longer term viewm and understand how reputation factors in to peoples' purchase decisions. I, too, will never approach any of these ignorant dealerships for my EVO purchase. I will go out of MY way to avoid them. And I will talk to as many people as I can about doing the same. Be careful how you treat the customer, you never know who you might **** off.

Mark F

That's a gross exaggeration if I've ever heard one. All the whining in the world won't make much difference.

Mark F

Why wrap this up? Because there is nothing left to say tha thasn't been said 400 times. It's all been said, over and over and over again. Sometimes to the tune of 3-4 new threads A DAY, evne though there is a "Dealer MSRP" thread permenantly welded to the top of the list.

Personally I'm convinced that the people doing 95% of the *****ing aren't really buyers anyway.