Scions Complete Lack of interest in AE86
 

Dealing with Scion I've noticed their complete lack of knowledge or interest in the AE86 or cars in general.

I totally get its a new car and they need to focus on promoting it as such.

However when I envisioned the promotional campaign i never expected the campaign to be so poor as to completly ignore the AE86(the proclaimed predecessor).

For some reason I thought they'd have a promotion like have the old car and the new one lined up side by side.

Every Scion Rep with the exception of 1 I've spoken to have no clue whats going on, when i mention the AE86(Corolla GTS) their reaction is either "Whats that" or "ohhhhh thats an old car".

Complete lack of knowledge of their own lineage.

Doesn't Scion HQ hand out a package and say "Hey read this so you know what enthusists are talking about"?

I get their in the business of selling cars and thats whats important, but it always irks me when the people selling the cars, have no clue about the cars, their own lineage or even the car their trying to sell me.

I know this isn't all dealerships(Theres a guy on here who seems very open from a dealership inquebec) but it certainly appears to be the majority.

Sorry if this sounds rude, I just needed somewhere to rant

K Thx Bye.

Both my Scion and my Subaru dealer have contacted me to ask me questions about the cars they are selling in the last week. If internet sales were an option I would never talk to another dealer again. They don't spend hundreds of hours researching the products they are going to buy, I do. I research so much that I almost hate the thing by the time I buy it.

Man I could buy they dont have time to research if they were busy but the place is always empty and the employees are on google, youtube or checking their hotmail.

I just envision Toyota Japan facepalming saying "WTF".

I bet you if you said "I drive a supra" they'd be like "Whats that?"

Sorry its not a Camry.

Beh, Scion salesman are no different than any other.

Which is to say, dealerships are filled with salespeople, not car people.

When's the last time you went to a car dealership and was greeted by some guy who actually knew more than you did about a car you were looking at?

Your 100% right, still their not even good at being sales people.

What's this AE86 you speak of ;-)
I'd be happy if they just knew their shit, when it comes to the FRS. No need to over burden them with the past,

All I'm saying is purchasing a car should be a pleasurable experience, specially one your super excited for. Last time I was in at Scion by the time i left I had a bad feeling from the whole experience. I'm with the "pastuch", let me buy online please.

:)

the dealer i spoke with said it was a six cylinder :slap:

Agreed. Best Car Salesperson I know happens to be my father-in-law. He's been selling cars for more than 25 years, and has always been the top 1 or 2 salesman at his dealership (he's worked at a Pontiac, Chevy and now Honda dealer). When he was at Chevy, he was one of the top Corvette salespeople in Florida.

The key word is sales. He knows how to talk the talk on what he's selling and he knows how to close a deal, but he is not under any stretch of the imagination a car guy. I'm not sure he's even ever changed a tire.

FYI, SCION do send out info about AE86, YotaHachi, & 2000GT... it's totally different story, weather sales men read it or not

I guess my issue is being a "car guy", the sales experience is beyond horible.

Like i said in my first post, i get its all about sales, but a little knowledge goes a long way.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels this way, If the "sales team" expressed some knowledge or interest atleast, it would be a much better experience.

:mad0259:Most all car salesmen are idiots... How hard is it to do some research on what you're selling or some history? Like what was mentioned we can easily find information on vehicles so why can't they? I hate lazy ignorant people... They shouldn't hire a salesman unless he can tell them their company's current line up and answer a few questions about engine choices in a couple of models. God help me if I run a business... People will be expected to WORK and KNOW WTF they're doing... :mad0259: I'm sure what I'm saying is a new concept in this "hand out" world we live in...

This is my fear. I haven't bought a car new largely because every time I step onto a dealer's lot, I leave wanting to strangle people...

Agreed 100%, Its like going to Parts Counter at Canadian Tire.

Me - "Do you have this part?"
Parts Guy - "I dont know"
Me - "Can you look it up?"
Parts Guy - "I dont know how"
Me - "..."

This type experience turns me off shopping for a car part and the same negative experience turns me off purchasing a car.

There is almost no need for anyone at a Scion dealership to know anything about the spiritual predecessor of this or any other car.

Anyone enamored with such thoughts will know all about it when they enter the show room and no one else will give a shit.

Telling someone this car's design was inspired by the top of the line Corolla from 25+ years ago isn't a selling point to 99% of the public...

I disagree. I for one would much prefer to buy a car from someone who actually knows what an AE86 is or what the predecessor of this car actually is.

To put it simply, If I had to pick between 2 people, I would always pick the guy who knows about the AE86. Who wouldn't? Therefore it does matter to some buyers and quite frankly, more info wouldn't hurt sales only help them.

The other thing I wanted to say was this car isn't as much of a 25+ year old Corolla. I would say its more like the 2000GT from the 60's.

I dare anyone to stand there looking at a 3/4 view of both the new 86 and the 2000GT and tell me "They don't look anything a like". Because that person is crazy if they think that way. I see a lot of the 2000GT in this car. Way more so then the AE86 in terms of looks. The shapes of the fenders are dead give aways that the designer was using the 2000GT as a base.

The spiritual idea of the AE86 being a lightweight RWD car with low power is about the only thing they really have in common in their blood. The looks are not the same though so there's no way the average buyer will think Corolla. But they won't think 2000GT either. Hell, the average buyer wasn't even born when the 2000GT came out.

bneale

Yes there is, this is a huge purchase, $25,000 + isn't exactly chump change, atleast not to me.

If a car was built with a lineage in mind, a purpose, the sales people should know.

Do they need to express it? Maybe not to some random chick who thinks the car looks "cute", BUT if the car was built to re-invigorate the brand, the sales people should be knowledgable of this and at the very least be able to regurgitate some basic informaiton for enthusists.

People who champion the "They dont need to know attitude" or "Its ok" are the people who allow this non-sense to keep happening.

LOL! They don't know anything about the cars they sell, let alone what the spiritual successor was or even what their competitors offer.

I'd be suprised if they knew Toyota made the Scions actually...

:lol:even though they are in the same building

:thumbup::thumbup:

From a dealers perspective I can maybe help explain why :

Toyota salesmen are usually trained on about 30 products and we usually have to have a pretty detailed understanding of option groups / drivetrains / accessories.

We're also trained on a regular basis (Toyota University) on the competition's product and where our strengths and weaknesses are. We are tested AND GRADED every month on that knowledge. It's an extremely dynamic system that puts us in a constant learning curb mode.

Scion products are usually low quantity products, for about 50 Toyotas sold and delivered every month we have between 5 and 10 Scions depending on the month.

It makes it a bit difficult due to the lower volume to really put an enormous amount of time into upcoming models at times but a few of us try pretty hard. Remember we haven't been given any material yet on this car and I wouldn't be surprised if a few salesmen aren't even aware of this car yet.

Before you judge us on our lack of knowledge on this or past cars remember that most of us put a lot of effort and energy on our bread and butter cars (Corolla, Camry, RAv4). For those of us who are enthusiasts (and a few of us humor ourselves to be enthusiasts)
We only really knew the Celicas and Supras in our careers vs AE86s

So forgive us ! And if you can't we still hope it won't stop you from asking at reception for the local 'Toyota Encyclopedia' every dealership has one !

Already seen that buddy, "Chance Meeting" being the key words.

but at least they recognize it enough to post? this thread was called "complete lack of interest in AE86"

I was referring to the dealerships, not the few ppl they have at head office running public relations.

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...92472514_n.jpg

I am in a dealership ! My name is Borat

holy epic fucknuts

http://cdn.pimpmyspace.org/media/pms...l/l3/borat.jpg

I have to commend you on moving away from your initial silly customization ideas to organizing a track day.

Hope this car brings you some extra success.

dealer saleman have big difficulty to know their product, how can you expect them to know about old car that they never ear about...seriously.

where youve been last 20 years?

My dealer has called me 3 times to update me on things. Ordered mine a month ago. Hes been great, ok so he has not really told me i havent found out on my own but he is trying. I talked to him yesterday he told me first shipment to mississauga should be end of May. I hope hes right.

Appologies, I dont make a habit of buying new cars, this would be my first(But I've owned 5 cars).

Maybe its just the stealership I'm dealing with.

I pre-ordered my car way back in November, and I havent been able to get anything out of them, every time i try to contact them, they have no clue whats going on.

To be honest I was so pumped about the car, so pumped I cant describe, but dealing with them, its been such a negative experience that I'm pretty much ready to say "F*CK IT" and stick with my current car.

You ever go to Canadian Tire and leave saying "Why the F*CK did i come back here i knew it was bad"? Thats the sort of feeling they give me.

You're in Toronto, go to another dealer.

oh, ok...sorry for being little bit rude then.

since my first car in 2003, i always had brand new car. 7 exactly, i have deal with numerous saleman, mostly of them have absolutely no fcking clue about the car they sell. usualy we, car enthousiate, mostly of the time, know way much more than regular saleman. sometime maybe you will meet a real pasionate personne, but its rare.

saleman are there to sell. some other like gabriel seem to be a car enthousiaste, so its really fun to have them in dealership and keep us inform with interssting stuff, but dont expect regular saleman to be pasionate about your car like you are.

thats all i know.

You guys are in a special minority of very picky car snobs then. Would you rather buy a car from an ignoramus who isn't ripping you off or a salesman who is a car buff and feels you should pay extra for his knowledge and expertise -- none of which has any impact on the car's quality, which was designed and built in Gunma, Japan?

Or, if there is no difference in price, then all you are saying is that you'd rather put money in the pocket of a salesman whom you like (i.e., a fellow car wonk) -- fair enough, but seriously, who cares so long as you get the car you want and the price is right?

I don't give a shit if the salesman knows anything about cars -- it's more important that I know about the car before I get there; that I know what a reasonable price is, and I know if I'm getting what I want at a price that is appropriate.

Do you care if the server at a restaurant went to culinary school too? :lol:

In any case, as I had said: The average new car buyer will not know or care about the car's alleged lineage and a car buff will already be aware and excited about it all on their own.

:word:

Couldn't have said it better.

http://t3ak.roblox.com/f5ad243e73b55207504c69b7ede5996f
While i'll agree with you on one thing, the car is most important, The attitude of we are in the minority and as such dont count is non sense.

Have you actually been to scion? These people arn't busy, they probably have 1 customer a day if their lucky, trust me, they have time for research but really this conversation is now beyond me whining about lineage of cars.

At what point in history did the customer suddenly decide, I'm ok with shitty service, Big Wig Companies have beaten into peoples heads "We can give shitty service but you still want our product so tough shit", years ago this wasnt the case(Although i know its always been that way for automotive).

Anyways me complaining here won't make things better, I'm well aware of this,
I'm in the minority, I'm well aware of this,

Accepting that we should just fork over our money and they make as little effort as possible, just seems even worse.

CALL ME CRAZY

I get what your saying, you dont care about the customer service long as the products good, but i still would love it to be both a good product and customer service, for nearly 31k, thats not unreasonable, If you think otherwise well...

Thats fine though, We'll just agree to disagree, no harm no foul.

^^ You're crazy. And, judging from the reliance on overused memes to express yourself, under 30, and kind of dim.

What does having an encyclopedic knowledge of other cars, built and sold over 20 years ago, have to do with providing good customer service on a new car purchase today?

Next time you buy shoes, be sure to ask the salesperson if he is aware of the history of cobblering. If he has no background on this, throw the shoes down and storm out.

Buddy don't feel too high and mighty, your bickering with me on a forum about opinions, probably the biggest waste of time there is.

You'll never convince me and I'll never convince you, accept it.

Shoes dont cost 31,000 dollars.

Go on believing what you want, I dont care.

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