Those who read my blogs regularly know that I’m a staunch supporter of loaning bailout funds to GM and Chrysler, but what I saw over the Christmas holiday at my local Dodge dealership made me want to puke all over the salesman’s shoes. My normal drive takes me right by my local Dodge dealer in the Riverside area, and when I see something I like, I’ll stop by and take a peek if I’ve got the time.
The day after Christmas was one of those days. I saw a mica black Dodge Challenger R/T front and center, and that was all the incentive I needed. Having spent three solid days driving and inspecting these cars at the Dodge media ride and drive program this past summer, I was very familiar with the features, options, and pricing, so when I took a look at the Monroney sticker, I almost fell over.
Not only had the base price been hiked over what Chrysler promised (several hundred dollars more, well over the $29,995 Dodge had promised), but the dealer had added $10k to the total price. (You’ll remember that we screamed that $29,995 price on our December cover.) This car was modestly optioned; stock 18-inch wheels, and very few frills. There were two option packages totaling about $3k, but the total price topped $44,000!
The dealer mark-up was excessive, and although we often expect to play games with lowbrow sales managers when it’s time to sign, this is ridiculous. At a time when domestic automakers are struggling to stay afloat in the worst recession since the 1930s, it’s counterproductive to engage in this practice, and Chrysler should strongly discourage it.