Actually yes. They told me I couldn't get any rebates on the 2005. However, after they couldn't get to the price I wanted they gave me every rebate they had except the mitsu loyalty. Then to seal the deal the installed my downpipe and exhaust for free.

 

This is the way it already is in Japan - one price per vehicle, regardless of the dealer. However, there may be slight pricing differences per region - i.e., a car purchased in Hokkaido would be a slightly different price than one purchased in Okinawa. However, this pricing difference is due to different equipment on the vehicle. For example, Hokkaido is a cold winter region and as such, cars sold in this area have a stronger battery installed for better cold cranking.

As I mentioned before, negotiation at the dealer is very limited.

In Japan, the used car market IS very competitive and it is not unusual to have several small used dealers in a given area that are battling for their own share of the market. This usually results in somebody going out of business eventually.
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Mark,
to address your comments, directly - I have mixed feelings about the US Government supporting the Big3 car manufacturers. I'll probably get flamed for saying so, but I feel that if the US manufacturers cannot produce a competitive product at a competitive price, then they need to be the ones to take a hit - NOT the import manufacturers that are selling vehicles that consumers want. Perhaps it is simple economics (which I dont profess to be an expert at!) but if the US Gov. were to put more tariffs or taxes on import vehicles, the prices on those vehicles would rise, and subsequently, wouldn't that HURT the economy due to lower sales across the board?

Granted, the opposite could be true also --the Big3 losing money = job cuts = hurt US economy.

Great discussion here in this thread - Looking forward to more comments.

 

To be honest, one of the major points that mitsubishi doesn't sell well in the United States is that their customer care sucks. If dealerships have sales people that don't know their stuff, there is no way in hell that the customers will purchase a car from them with respect. If a sales person is not a complete idiot and actually spends their time reading about their products and gaining product knowledge they are going to make themselves look like fools. I am a salesperson but luckily not at a mitsubishi dealership because I will never be able to survive off of the money I make. Product knowledge is the most important thing in the automotive sales. Then, having a decent friendly attitude towards the customers would rank high as well. Having a set price for cars would make life so much easier. What I don't understand it how come people have to negotiate the price of a car when they don't go to the supermarket and negotiate the price of a box of cereal or a can of soda.

 

Right now Toyota, fearing a future backlash, as slowly raising its prices on its cars to try to give the domestic market a boost. GM is in a silde. They have already lost 4 billion dollars this year. Delphi, their parts spin off has filed for BK. I'm not saying anything will happen to them, but they can't keep this up. There are so many companies/industries and the like that depend on the U.S. domestic car industry that it would drag a lot of other poeple down with them if they did go under. I don't see that happening. Just like the airlines, the railroads, I think the Government will end up writing one of those big loans with a 100 year term or something.

In the meantime, Ford has shown less of a decline, but isn't much better off. DCX acts as if they are still showing profit, but the main reason they showed a profit last year was because they sold off their shares of Hyundai, and that profit went to the bottom line. It hardly gained any media attention. This year they sold their shares of another major company, and it got a lot of press, I don't have to say who, but I think it was for the same reason, so they could write black numbers for profit this year.

I read a report earlier this year that Toyota's projected profit could buy GM lock, stock and barrel. That was back before Delphi, and the recent reported quarterly loss. Wagoner, GM's CEO, had to issue a press statement saying they weren't going bankrupt. Its not looking good.