The Kona Chronicles - Beginning

It's been over a decade since Sheila and I bought a new car.  We are by nature frugal and I take very good care of my automobiles so they usually last until I get tired of them. And then Sheila drives them some more.  Had the insurance company not, over my strenous objections, totalled my beloved 2011 Sonata which ran like a Swiss watch, I would still be driving it.

We had been discussing buying a new car for over a year and were torn between the Hyundai Kona which gets  high ratings for reliabilty and value and the Buick Envista which is stylish and cute.  We settled on the Hyundai because of the superior warranty and the fact that Buick's tiny three cylinder supercharged engine makes the car while cute as button over complicated under the hood and still badly underpowered.  

But, deciding to buy a Hyundia and actually buying one are two very different things.  They make wonderful cars that offer incredible value for the money.  But, you have to buy the car in spite of their dealers rather than with their help.  We made several initial attempts over several months and every time the dealership frustrated us so badly that we just quit looking.  Hyundai USA should pay a lot more attention to the quality and training of their sales force.

At one dealership we were met in the lot by a friendly, well dressed guy about our age who did the preliminary sales talk.  But, when we walked into the showroom he "handed us off" to a young man with dreadlocks,urban athletic clothing and an attitude that we did not find conducive to favoring with our business.  Hyundai USA should take a lesson from Bud Light and scrap DEI.  Some of us find it insulting.

At another dealership, the very young sales person knew absolutely nothing about the car and when we asked questions would pull out his phone and Google for information.  When he couldn't Google an answer and asked a more senior person on the floor that person said, "Go ask Jimmy.  He knows about this stuff."  Apparently Jimmy was the only person in the building that had studied the brochures.  Hyundai USA dealers, here is message for you, customers Google too and in many of  your dealerships they may walk in knowing more about the cars than your so called sales people. Get rid of your identity politics token employees and hire a few professional salespeople who know the product and know how to serve a customer.

At this dealership, we asked to test drive a new vehicle and they found the battery was dead.  After they tried jumping the car they found the gas tank was empty.  So, we spent nearly an  hour sitting around the dealership waiting for them to get a new car on their lot able to drive around for a few blocks.  Hyudai USA dealers here is another message. Keep your stock in good shape and in running condition.  Buyers will want to drive the car and will not be impressed if it won't start.

After several more disappointments at dealers around the area I decided to give the last dealership a second chance.  Even though they are about a forty five minute drive away and their sales department is virtually non-existent, they do have a reputation for having the best service department in the region.  Since Hyundai gives a 5/60 bumper to bumper, 10/100 drivetrain warranty and free oil changes and regular service for the first several years you own the car the service department is important. 

So, I emailed the general manager of the dealership, told him where the car we wanted was located at another dealership about half an hour away and asked him for appointment to talk business.  My proposition was straightforward.  They would appraise our trade in and if the final price was reasonable I would give them a cashiers check for the amount due.  THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT ANSWER MY EMAIL.

In desperation, we finally went to the dealership where the car we wanted was located.  After a couple of really frustrating situations with them in previous years with different cars I had sworn I would never walk onto that lot again.  But, we already knew which car we wanted right down to the VIN number and had already determined what we would pay for it.  Surely we could get through that.  

The very young salesman who approached was friendly and helpful.  I knew we were being hustled but he was giving us the information and access we needed so I went along for the ride.  At least his line of BS was entertaining and he didn't look like a thug. The car we wanted was ready for a test drive so I drove it for a while and then we went downtown to Sheila's office and she drove it around a while.  We were gone at least an hour and half.  We already knew what we were willing to do.  The obligatory negotiations followed and later that evening we drove away in the car.  

However, the young man who did all of the work was not the salesperson who appeared on the paperwork.  We had apparently once again been "handed off" to another person.  I was left wondering if the dealership was not pulling the same stunt insurance companies use.  They "hire" junior salespeople as trainees, milk them for all of their personal contacts, only give them part if any of their commissions or worse get them into the hole on a draw and then let them go when the stream of new leads dries up.

A real sour note was their "business manager" actually their F&I man.  Sheila and both worked the F&I market a long time ago and we know the tricks.  This guy spent too much time hard selling us an expensive secondary warranty that would kick in after the very generous Hyundai warranty expires.  He tried to scare us by telling us how delicate the electronics of new cars had become and how expensive it is to repair them.  I was tempted to say, "Well if that's true give me my check back and I'll go buy a low mileage pre-electronics, pre-computer used car." 

Sheila was an executive in the company that underwrote the US extended warranty program for one of the Japanese big three.  We know what those warranties cost.  But, the scare tactics, cheap sales methods and "I'll only do this price reduction for you" statements reduced his credibility to zero in my eyes.  Hyundai USA dealers here is another message.  Set a fair fixed price for your extended warranty and stick to it.  Don't encourage your F&I people to cast doubt on the quality of your product and ruin the credibility of the whole dealership over a few hundred dollars in commissions.  If this guy had just spent a few moments explaining the benefits of the program without the scare tactics and then offered a reasonable price we might have bought it.    

After all is said and done, we are happy with the little car.  It is comfortable, peppy enough and gets great fuel economy.  It is small but handy.  We averaged 35 mpg at 75 mph on a trip this weekend.  I only wish Hyundai offered it with their more powerful 2.0 L Theta normally aspirated engine instead of the turbo option. Sheila will drive it to work and around town and we will use it for travel.  My well kept but aging Sonata will remain my every day vehicle.  Sheila likes the new car.  It is her first new off the lot car.  In the past she had always driven my hand-me-downs.   And, it is something like her beloved ancient Nissan SUV from decades ago that I made her get rid of when it was no longer safe to drive and uneconomical to repair.  

But above all, thank heavens we won't have to deal with car salesmen for a long time in the future if ever again.

Postscript:

The saga continues.  Soon after we purchased the vehicle I got a call from the younger salesperson saying that they "required" three referrals on each sale.  I was taken aback by the hubris.  I didn't say what I should have said but simply replied, "I am not inclined to do that."  Did they seriously think I was going let them more or less order me to give them the names of three of my friends just because I was buying a car from them?  The very thought was insulting.  I am not about to share my friends contact information with anyone much less a car salesman and I would be highly unhappy with a friend that did.  

Then the calls began concerning their performance review.  The younger salesman almost begged me for a good review saying that they actually got paid on their review performance.  He offered to buy us a free tank of gas if we would fill out the review in the dealership.  I told him I didn't have the car.  Then the calls began from the older salesperson whose name appeared on the paperwork.  Every couple of days with texts and emails as well.  It was getting annoying quickly.  I find the thought of asking for a good review and then thinking you can buy one with a tank of gas insulting.  Seriously.  Do a good job with your customers and then don't worry about the reviews.  The reviews will take care of themselves.

Hyundai USA here is final message.  You sell fine quality products.  They have a great reputation here in the US.  Make sure your dealerships sales tactics match that reputation.