No truck but much data. We knew this was not to be an overnight occurrence. What we want, car dealers don’t sell. Their choice is either a super basic work truck or a moving mansion: leather seats, four doors, extra chrome, and all other manner of nonsense.
We have dogs, we don’t want leather seats. We don’t have passengers, we don’t want extra doors. I have taste, I don’t want my truck to look like a tart’s boudoir. Why is this so hard to understand? Ford’s high-end King’s Ranch package costs an extra $1,000 and there is not a thing on the list that I want. Two-tone trim? Pedals that move up to meet me? A truck you can talk to? Why? Okay, if forced, I would take the heated seats. Hubby’s VW came with them. Over the top yes, but you can get addicted to having your butt warm. But I digress. Truck makers don’t seem to understand – or think buyers don’t understand – the difference between flash and functionality.
Other observations from a day in the truck trenches:
I spend a lot of time writing down notes – yeah, quel surprise – which I gather is not standard car buyer behavior. Tough. I’m spending enough $$ that you can stand around and wait.
Amazingly, the one truck they have on the lot is exactly the one you need.
Incompetence. At dealer A we ask for a list of options. Dude shows us a description of the available packages, which is a slightly different beast, in his dealer book. No take-home here. At dealer B, a large stand of PR materials yields a brochure full of truck advertisements in the back of which is a list of packages and options broken down by truck style. Exactly what we were looking for. We are not difficult customers. Just know your product, please.
Overall, progress is being made, so I’m happy.
Does anyone out there actually enjoy car shopping?
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Gratuitous Kitten Pic
If you are having trouble with the geometry, it’s two kittens lying on/across my wrist as I type.
Virtual Brush Box 
I don’t mind it all that much because now I can do so much of the research before I even leave my house. I have three dogs and I’d never be without leather seats …. in or on anything I own! One swipe of a damp rag and all the muddy paw prints vanish. Dog, cat, human and even goat hair doesn’t weave it’s way into the fabric, becoming a permanent part of the interior decor for the next fifteen or twenty years. Even with low to medium grade leather I’ve never had a tear or a puncture, so I don’t plan to have stinky, stained cloth seats draped with ugly, plaid, canvas covers ever again!
Hmm. Will fwd to my truck advisor. 10q.
Sounds familiar – last year when I was shopping for my minivan, I was completely unimpressed with the sales people and their knowledge, or lack there of. That wasn’t true at every dealership but was at a few and turned me off completely. I’m not buying if you don’t know what you are talking about. The previous one I bought via the internet which was awesome. Went out and about first to see what I wanted, then went home and put it out their on the ‘net. Totally recommend it!