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Bad Dealer Experience Made Me Change My Mind...

6K views 30 replies 20 participants last post by  corolla 
#1 ·
So yesterday I decided to actually go do a deal. I have test driven the Soul enough times to know it is the car I really wanted. Anyway, I get inside the dealer with the salesman (we didn't even get to sit down and crunch numbers yet) and I ask the guy at the finance desk about the $1000 competitive bonus. I told him I've got an '08 Scion tC to trade, which according to KIA's website makes me eligible for the $1000 bonus. He told me, "Uh, sorry it's not eligible." I told him about seeing it on the website and he insisted that I was mistaken. WTF?!?!? Clearly the guy was lying or just plain dumb. For some reason this just rubbed me the wrong way. I know every dealer's different, but when they lie or just don't know their stuff (especially in finance) it makes the manufacturer itself look bad. Now I don't even want the Soul after this experience. It makes me wonder what will happen if warranty issues arise, about trade-in value down the line, etc. Now I find myself back at the drawing board looking at different makes. Maybe a Honda Fit or the new Ford Fiesta coming out.:confused: Hmmmm... can anybody here talk me back into the Soul?
 
#2 ·
try a different dealer first and if that dont work, you maybe need to decide what you really want from a car.... if you want a great drive - get the Fiesta....if you want quality and long term reliability - get the Honda. If you want space, looks and character - get a Soul.
 
#3 ·
I had the same issue. I wasn't overly impressed with the dealer that I initially visited. It took me another 2 months of thinking after that but luckily I had another dealer 20 minutes away. I went there, and they really worked well with me. It made the decision to buy this very decent car far easier and in the end I was very glad that I sampled a few different dealers before making the purchase.

Don't give up on it just yet. Like Tempest said, try a different dealer. If you want a decent car that is well equipped, well priced and solidly built, get the Kia. If you want an outstanding lawnmower, go Honda.
 
#5 · (Edited)
If you know what you want do it over the internet

you could put cash in your pocket buying base model the Tc 2008 is worth good money. As for honda lawnmower i had one very underpowered. Honda fits are nice and have timing chain but dont offer the same room soul or easy entry and exit. Different dealer! Plus you will find kia dealers will deal while honda dealers think they have gold
 
#6 ·
I say go back but talk to the salesman only. You don't need the finance guy at all.
Here's my experience. I told the salesman which vehicle on his lot I wanted. I think the MSRP was 19,295. He goes to his "boss" and comes back with a figure written down. It was only about $800 off the msrp. So, I told him to go back and get me at least $1500 off and he did. Then, when he wanted to shake my hand to close the deal I said..wait, I need you to give me the OTD price...I don't know all the extra charges you'll be tacking on. So, he goes away and comes back with a total of $20,506. I said..."no way..nobody walks out of a dealership paying more than $20k for the Soul!". I then opened up my purse and started reading all the posts I printed from this forum in the "price you paid" thread.

So, I told the salesman to go back to his boss and get me another $500 off along with a free Ipod cable and bumper applique. I got everything but the bumper applique. I also made him take of the $199.00 etching fee. My otd price is $19,506 for a Dune Exclaim with side marker repeater, spoiler and dimming mirror w/homelink.

Just know what you want to pay before you negotiate..don't ask them for anything until you see what price they give you. They will come in high and then you counteroffer...just remain firm and you should do just fine.
 
#11 ·
I'm glad I did'nt have to go thru all this crap ..... When I bought mine a year ago , I looked at prices and such all over the southeast before I went to my dealer , so I would have something to compare to ... and was very glad to find a very relaxed and easy going atmosphere as well as prices that were cheaper than alot of other dealers .... I got to test drive one by myself like right off the bat ... ended up getting the 2.9 for 60 months , with no " market adjustment " markup or any extra added crap ....
I don't know how far you live from another dealer ... but I would have had to drive 70 miles to go to another decent one ....​
 
#13 ·
There just trying to make as much money as they can

It would work to there benifit to say yes to $1000 later in negociations. Toyota is worse dood, ive bought pleanty of new cars and had the worst experience in Honda and Toyota dealer. Toyota does not even offer rebates lol 2 years oil changes oooo thanks lol and zero percent. Kia atleast offers cash off the lowest price cars.
 
#14 ·
For the sake of absolute disclosure, I have yet t opurchase my Soul. However my dealer experience has been FANTASTIC! I have bought new cars before, the last being 12 years ago. I hada terrible experience with that dealer but decided to buy anyway. Big mistake. Your choice in dealer is your portal to KIA. I met the General Manager of my KIA dealership at a car show. We have worked for three months thru the sale of my truck, discounts, and free options to finally come to a deal. He calls me weekly just to stay relevant even if there is no change in the deal. Sold my Jeep last week. The GM gives me the keys to a 2010 KIA Optima with 11 miles on it and tells me it is mine for four days till he gets mine on the lot! Now at this point I still haven't given any money or signed anything. This deal has been three months in the making and is strictly the integrity of the KIA GM and me. Not all dealers are cut of the same mold. But , if you can't find your Bill Benson (my General Manager) than you should not buy. Good luck and thoughtful soul searching.
 
#16 ·
For the sake of absolute disclosure, I have yet to purchase my Soul. However my dealer experience has been FANTASTIC! <snip>
Same here, etoften. The dealer I ended up purchasing from was super. The day I signed the deal, the Sales Manager and the GM shook my hand. The night I picked it up, they both came out into the service bay to say Hello and to thank me for buying from them. My Salesman showed me everything about the car that you could imagine - except where the darn "trip re-set" button was - if you remember an earlier thread I posted. :)

It makes it so much nicer when you feel that your business is appreciated, doesn't it?
 
#15 ·
KramerSoul, is there another dealer near you? If there is, give them a try.

I had an experience not unlike yours. I picked out the Soul that I wanted and knew how much I wanted to pay. The salesman thought we could make a deal and took me to meet the Finance Manager, who turned out to be a total jerk. He would not move on price at all, either on my trade or on the top price. I didn't really care which end he moved on, as long as we came to the "difference" that I was willing to pay. Finally he looked at me and asked why I was so stuck on that number? I said it was because that was how much money I had to spend on a car. Then he tried to talk me into financing the rest and I said I did not want to have a car payment. Then he told me that perhaps I should change my expectations and try a lower model Soul. "It will still be way better than what you are driving", he said. (I was trading in a Smart Car.)

Whether or not that was true, I thought his attitude sucked. So I stood up and left the office. I got in my car and drove to the other side of town, where I was able to make the same deal I offered the first dealer on the same model Soul. We shook hands at the end - but he did say I didn't look as tough as I turned out to be.

So that is my experience, KramerSoul. I hope it encourages you to stick with it. Don't be afraid to negotiate tough, as long as you are sure you are being reasonable.
 
#17 ·
My experience with Mike at Ward Muscatell Kia in Moorhead, MN was probably the most pleasant new vehicle buying event I've had and the soul is my 15th new vehicle. A fair price, no added charges, no pressure and Mike knows the soul inside out. Very rare, I do a lot of research and usually know the product better than the sales person and that does not make me comfortable. An amazing product, my son has a BMW Z3 and had an Audi 100S, both sold in the mid 30K range when new, he felt the quality feel, driving feel etc. was the equal of them. Very happy with the soul.
 
#20 ·
honestly, don't tell them you have a rebate, don't tell em you have a trade till you lock in the # on the new car. BTW invoice is on KBB and should give u a really good idea where you should be. (A experienced shopper should know this)
If you want the soul get one. If not, don't. No one should have to talk you into the car because a dealership had a nasty person in it.
This shocked you?
Be thankful they put the jerks upfront. Imagine you had bought the car to find out later that the jerks were in the service dept. I say if you want the Soul find another dealer. I went to 4 and finally got mine from a place that was 260mi away. But I really wanted the Soul.
Good Luck!
Finally, Joan thank you again for the laughs. I know how nasty that steak staff can be.
 
#24 · (Edited)
pull the Kia website up on the dealer's computer. I 've done that several times while shopping for a dealer. We (consumers that want or own a Soul) know alot more about the vehicle than most of the salesmen. They are so busy trying to make their quotas, that they do not have time to really explore their own product. Just for grins, go to a Cooper or a Jeep dealer. The level of product knowledge required by their sales people is higher.
 
#25 ·
Sounds like you ate at Ruth Chris Im sorry the potato is extra $

Honda fit does look like nice choice! If you just paid 17k for say dodge caliber id have to bizzatch slap ya lol. Honda fit,corolla,mazda 3,scion xb,nissan cube,kia soul,nissan sentra,versa id be pretty happy driving any one of them price wins ding ding hello soul.:)
 
#26 ·
its important to remember that you have the ultimate power over any car dealer. they are full of gimmicks, but with enough pressure, they'll cave to a reasonable offer. i didnt have the best experience with my dealer's sales staff either, but the service department is excellent - i found a bubble in the tint on my rear windshield the day after i bought it and they replaced it the same week.
 
#28 ·
What did this "bubble" on the rear windshield look like? I've noticed when I look in my rearview mirror I see lots of round spots on the rear windshield that look like weak spots in the tint. Is this what yours looked like, or has anyone else noticed this?
 
#30 ·
Stick with the Soul



PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stick with the Soul- and at the very least forget the Honda Fit- i just traded my Fit in for a Soul- there is no comparison. The Fit is like a tin box with no pick-up at all compared to the Soul-- as they say "you'll be sooooorrrryyyyy!!!".. ;)
 
#31 · (Edited)
I also really liked jeep patriot and was my first choice

I was seeing fwd,5sp base models going for $11,995 when stock market crashed brand new in California and got me looking for new ride. Well price is more around $15k for base now or more with American Motors having ownership guess the rebates disapeared. Kia was easier purchase and didnt want to have to work getting a jeep. Guess patriot = dodge caliber same car but jeep is so much better. I like kia soul ooo heck im car slut id roll just about any new car.
 
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