This is maybe less radical than it sounds - diesel-electric drive is increasingly common for big mine trucks, bulldozers &c. The ones running predictable routes can even get power from an overhead catenary (like electric trains and trolleybuses). Technologies like this are pretty mature now.

I used to think the Porsche SUVs were stupid and pointless, until I got to drive a few. It was kinda shocking...they really do feel like sports cars. You can tell the weight is there, but the steering is quick, feels great, and they stay flat/composed through corners. Especially the Macan.

To me, this is bullshit. Transporting the goods to market is the cost of doing business. I don’t pay a separate fee for transporting milk to my grocery store...hell I don’t even pay separate shipping 70% of the time when buying online anymore - its all included in the cost of the good.

He was responding to a question as to whether it’s negotiable, which it is, not commenting on the article.

Are destination fees avoidable/negotiable ? If no why do they just don’t make it part of the MSRP ?

Exactly. Built for Ford by Kia. What an awful little car.

I’ve worked the dealership life since I was 18. Originally I was a porter, moved to quick lube, then moved to Internet Sales followed with a stint as a Service Advisor.

Some of these are funny. “After a few years of fucking people over, I couldn’t handle it any more. My morals got the best of me.”

This article is a meta bait & switch. The irony...

To be fair, I know a life insurance salesman who makes more than 3x that...but he was the #1 salesman in the entire country at his company multiple years after first making it to #2 by his fourth year there. The thing with sales is that if you’re ridiculously good at it the sky’s the limit since it’s largely…

It turns out that generations of deceptive and abusive business practices actually poisons your relationship with your buyers. Funny how that works.

I can’t think of a time where a car salesman actually assisted in my decision of which vehicle to buy, aside from letting me go for a test drive.

“I wouldn’t even bother to make dinner plans for Saturday evenings because it was a sure bet I’d be there until 7-8:00 despite us closing at 5.I wouldn’t even bother to make dinner plans for Saturday evenings because it was a sure bet I’d be there until 7-8:00 despite us closing at 5. I wouldn’t even bother to make…

I spent a few months selling Cadillacs. The truth is, it’s a sales job and caring about cars is a severe disadvantage.

Is it any better at high end brands?

I have worked doing internet sales/marketing for car dealerships, and I still hold two different car dealership networks as clients, so I’ll tread lightly here. (Hi Jim!)

I was lucky enough to get a sales position while I was in college, at a dealership I’d worked at as a porter during high school.

Former car salescritter here, eventually became an F&I guy, sales manager, and GSM. What follows should be considered well-informed opinion...

Not too sure about the “document fees,” since it’s not like the dealers are actually drafting all the forms from scratch on each sale, but those plate fees look like your dealers are simply passing the state’s basic charge through to the customers. Good for them.