Big Box? Nissan Note the First-Ever Car You Can 'Buy' On Amazon

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Big Box? Nissan Note the First-Ever Car You Can 'Buy' On Amazon

Posted by timothy on Thursday September 26, 2013 @04:53AM from the ok-but-put-the-other-packages-in-there-too dept.

cartechboy writes "You knew the day was coming when they started selling diapers. Amazon is now dipping its toe into car sales by selling a single car: the 2014 Nissan Versa Note. Amazon users hit a real live Versa Note product page, but instead of "Add to cart" you provide your ZIP code so Amazon can connect you with a nearby Nissan dealer. The first 100 Versa Note customers whose car purchases are initiated through Amazon receive $1,000 Amazon gift cards. Best part: Customers who end up actually buying the Note *will* receive them via boxed home delivery. Now, that's a big box." (The linked article says that "some" customers will get their Versa boxed; maybe this is only if you specify gift wrapping.)

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That's nice and all, but... by ButchDeLoria · 2013-09-26 04:54 · Score: 5, Funny

How long until we can download that car?
1. Re:That's nice and all, but... by norriefc · 2013-09-26 05:10 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  You wouldn't download a car
2. Re:That's nice and all, but... by fredrated · 2013-09-26 05:13 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Why not download the specs for use in my 3D printer?
3. Re:That's nice and all, but... by TheSpoom · 2013-09-26 05:32 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Every time I saw that ad, I thought to myself, "Nope, I'd totally download a car. Why wouldn't you?"
  
  --
  It's better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don't want and get it.
  - E. Debs
4. Re:That's nice and all, but... by SpaceLemur · 2013-09-26 05:32 · Score: 1
  
  About 5 minutes before someone pirates one.
5. Re:That's nice and all, but... by Anubis+IV · 2013-09-26 05:36 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Why not download the specs for use in my 3D printer?
  Whooosh.
  Though I was thinking the same thing. >_>
6. Re:That's nice and all, but... by CanHasDIY · 2013-09-26 06:14 · Score: 2
  
  Every time I saw that ad, I thought to myself, "Nope, I'd totally download a car. Why wouldn't you?"
  Masochism.
  Seriously, it seems evident that whoever came up with that idiotic bumper sticker has never actually bought a car, if they can't understand why anyone would want to avoid the process.
  
  --
  An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
7. Re:That's nice and all, but... by DigiShaman · 2013-09-26 09:01 · Score: 1
  
  I have a really big "tube" for a connection. I'm sure my Internet can handle it just fine thank-you-very-much. Gawd! People are sooo dumb!
  
  --
  Life is not for the lazy.
8. Re:That's nice and all, but... by msk · 2013-09-27 02:42 · Score: 1
  
  I wouldn't buy a Nissan. See http://www.nissan.com/ for why.
Free shipping? by AmiMoJo · 2013-09-26 04:55 · Score: 1

How many pens do you have to buy to get Free Super Save Delivery?

--
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
1. Re:Free shipping? by ButchDeLoria · 2013-09-26 04:56 · Score: 2
  
  I wonder if it's eligible for Amazon Prime 2-day shipping, too.
No a real Amazon item by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-26 04:58 · Score: 2, Informative

This just links you to buy it at the dealer. Amazon is not the seller just the contact broker. It does not even have an ASIN assigned.
1. Re:No a real Amazon item by NoNonAlphaCharsHere · 2013-09-26 05:04 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Exactly. We can't let just anyone sell new cars. Otherwise, how would car dealers get their cut? Harumph! Harumph!
2. Re:No a real Amazon item by NoNonAlphaCharsHere · 2013-09-26 05:35 · Score: 1
  
  That's right, and it drove all the Saturn dealers out of business! My point exactly!
3. Re: No a real Amazon item by jd2112 · 2013-09-26 05:38 · Score: 1
  
  Damn. That means it isn't eligible for free 2 day shipping.
  
  --
  Any insufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.
4. Re:No a real Amazon item by yurtinus · 2013-09-26 07:37 · Score: 1
  
  Just a marketing ploy... Nothing to see here (unless you love Versas), move along.
  
  --
  +1 Disagree
5. Re:No a real Amazon item by triffid_98 · 2013-09-26 08:09 · Score: 2
  
  That's right, and it drove all the Saturn dealers out of business! My point exactly!
  
  Yes, because heaven forbid that dealers sell cars for something like actual MSRP without a 45 minute song and dance involving options, extended warranties and the alleged mood of the salesperson's immediate supervisor.
  
  If dealers can't survive on that model, they were perfectly free to sell something other than Saturns.
6. Re:No a real Amazon item by Idbar · 2013-09-26 08:35 · Score: 1
  
  Yes, and the pricing problem from dealers is still there with a note
  [1] [...] Dealer sets actual price.
  If I go to Amazon and get my orders fulfilled by them is the "this is what it costs". Sometime sellers play you with "this is 0.05 dollars, but with $10 shipping", but you're fairly aware of that.
  If Amazon doesn't offer the "No BS" pricing, this is just ridiculous.
7. Re:No a real Amazon item by mattack2 · 2013-09-26 09:58 · Score: 1
  
  Perhaps someone else can clarify, but didn't Saturn do away with the fixed price thing later in their existence?
  I've made references to the "they were trying to be like Japanese cars" (yes, I know they were a GM brand), but apparently that wasn't true for later Saturn cars, based upon responses I've had in the past mentioning that.
  BTW, I essentially bought my current car over the net, in 1998. I never went to a dealer to test drive one, but had driven friends' and acquaintences'.. So I ordered exactly the kind I wanted through an auto broker. I probably talked to someone on the phone at some point, but remember doing at least a lot of it via web & email.
8. Re:No a real Amazon item by Shirley+Marquez · 2013-09-27 11:29 · Score: 1
  
  Saturn never formally abandoned the no haggle policy but it got less rigid near the end. And the company started offering rebates that also affected pricing. It was part of their downfall, giving up one of the things that made them special. GM had a brand that people were so enthusiastic about that they actually traveled to Tennessee for owner events - and then they threw it away.
  You were able to order Saturns online at one point, but they were delivered to you at a local dealer. It didn't actually make any difference to the people who worked at the dealership - Saturn representatives were not paid commissions, they were salaried employees, another thing that made the company special. (Notably, the Apple Store also uses a no-commission model.) It led to a no-pressure experience on the dealership floor, very unlike most car showrooms. That may have also changed near the end.
  The third thing GM did was shift Saturn away from selling internally developed and built cars (like the original sedan and station wagon) and shift them over to selling cars that were designed, and in some cases built, in other parts of GM. That started with the L series, which was an Opel design built at a plant in Maryland. Saturn cars lost both their uniqueness and their emphasis on quality.
  The last car actually designed by Saturn (rather than being a design shared with other parts of GM) was made in 2002. The special labor contract that the Tennessee plant had was ended in 2004. By then, nearly everything that had made Saturn "a different kind of car company" was gone.
  GM was caught between a rock and a hard place. Saturn's way of doing business - emphasis on quality, long model runs with only small changes year to year, fixed price selling, no commissions, radically different work contracts (the Saturn plants had a union and wages were comparable to the rest of GM, but they had almost no work rules so everybody was free to do everything) - was so unlike the rest of the company that the split couldn't be sustained. GM either had to make Saturn like the rest of the company (which is what they did, and what ultimately killed Saturn) or make the rest of the company like Saturn.
  The latter would have been the better course but a far more difficult one. It would have required massive union negotiations, radical changes to the corporate culture, and turning the way dealerships did business upside down. The last is overdue anyway; car dealers no longer make much money selling cars, most of their profits are in service.
Warehouse Deals by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-26 05:00 · Score: 2, Funny

Let me know when it's available through Warehouse Deals. I'm ok with "Used - Like New" with a few scratches.
I wish this was real by h4rr4r · 2013-09-26 05:00 · Score: 5, Interesting

It just sends you to a dealer. I wish you could buy cars like everything else. No instead you have to fuck around with dealers who try to add fees, refuse to special order cars, try to convince you to take what they have in stock, or try to show you crap you are not interested in.
Car dealers please go out of business.
1. Re:I wish this was real by omnilord · 2013-09-26 05:06 · Score: 2
  
  Car Dealers won't go out of business, online sales of cars will be made illegal. It's already being made illegal in some states as seen with Tesla.
2. Re:I wish this was real by Andrio · 2013-09-26 05:08 · Score: 1
  
  I had the same thought.
  
  --
  The Internet King? I wonder if he could provide faster nudity.
3. Re:I wish this was real by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-26 05:15 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  I typically use TrueCar to get a quote from dealers for the car I want, who are nearby, but not the closest 3. I then take the best quote, go to a my nearest dealer and they always match the price of the quote. From there, it's a haggle. My innate indecisiveness and shyness works well for me, because I sit there for a few minutes contemplating the deal they're offering, and I easily outlast even the most patient dealer. They always offer me better deal because they get impatient. This happens a few times, until I feel that I've gotten a good deal, or I can tell they don't want to sell me a car. I have no problem walking out and going to the next closest dealership. By the time I have the deal I want, it's usually about 15-20% below MSRP.
4. Re:I wish this was real by h4rr4r · 2013-09-26 05:22 · Score: 1
  
  Try to find a slightly unusual car that way and see what happens. For instance a Kia Forte5. Not that I wanted that, just an example. I ended up buying a Honda Insight because that car was a hatchback, was good on gas and the dealer was not a total cockbag about about. If I ask for a hatchback why you ever try to sell me a sedan?
5. Re:I wish this was real by alen · 2013-09-26 05:34 · Score: 1
  
  where do you buy your cars?
  in NYC i was looking for a toyota camry with leather seats and the dealer found one in stock in the area. it had some i didn't want and he said it would be no problem to order it.
  honda's have feature packages so one will always be at your dealer
  what fees are you talking about? every NYC dealer i have been to you pay the sticker price plus tax plus state fees. if you get a costco discount then some dealers will add on fees to clean it, etc.
  even if you could buy direct you would still have fees to deliver it, DMV, etc.
6. Re:I wish this was real by DerekLyons · 2013-09-26 05:35 · Score: 1
  
  I wish you could buy cars like everything else. No instead you have to fuck around with dealers who try to add fees, refuse to special order cars, try to convince you to take what they have in stock, or try to show you crap you are not interested in.
  Grow a pair. Or stop being a prima donna and blaming the world for your social dysfunction or because you don't have the backbone to deal with salesmen. Because the last thing I want is to buy cars like everything else - either prepackaged and designed for the lowest common denominator or having to spend days or weeks wasting my time trying to learn the arcana of a field in order to make a simple goddam purchase. Specialists and middlemen exist for a reason, I pay them to make my life easier.
7. Re:I wish this was real by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · 2013-09-26 05:49 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Sounds like my experience in buying vehicles. For some reason wanting a vehicle with a manual transmission that isn't a civic or real sports car causes sales people at dealerships to look at you like you are retarded, especially if it is a truck or SUV. The last time I bought a vehicle there were a grand total of 6 that I could afford and met my requirements in a 100 mile radius. I also hate only being able to get certain equipment as part of a package that includes a bunch of crap I don't want or need. Why should I have to get the premium audio upgrade + leather trimmed steering wheel + heated seats if I all I want is the uprated locking front and rear axles.
  
  --
  Time to offend someone
8. Re:I wish this was real by firex726 · 2013-09-26 05:52 · Score: 2
  
  Salesmen can be annoying, and customers tend not to like annoying things.
  Same reason people started to buy stuff online, even with stores price matching; when I visit a store I'll have sales people walking around pestering me, and at check out getting a hard sell to sign up for their extended warranty, their mailing list, their rewards program, and best of all their news letter.
  Compared to most online retailers where I have opt into those services, and can proceed with but one click of the mouse.
  > Specialists and middlemen exist for a reason, I pay them to make my life easier.
  If you trust a salesmen, any salesmen to tell you the truth 100% then you're a rube and deserve to get taken advantage of; when buying a car you should always do research and know at least as much as the salesmen.
9. Re:I wish this was real by Sperbels · 2013-09-26 05:54 · Score: 1
  
  You know, if you poll the entire population of the United States, the vast majority of people despise buying a new car because of the car salesmen constantly trying to fuck you over. It's not at all unreasonable to want them out of the picture. The average consumer wants that prepackage for the lowest common denominator.
10. Re:I wish this was real by pixelpusher220 · 2013-09-26 05:58 · Score: 1
  
  It's already being made illegal
  If by 'already' you mean, has been illegal for decades, sure.
  
  --
  People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
11. Re:I wish this was real by h4rr4r · 2013-09-26 06:02 · Score: 1
  
  I had to give up on that requirement. The CVT is still 100 times better than any slushbox. Finding a hatchback that also has a stick is like finding the holy grail it seems.
12. Re:I wish this was real by jedidiah · 2013-09-26 06:08 · Score: 1
  
  > Grow a pair. Or stop being a prima donna and blaming the world for your social dysfunction
  It's not my social dysfunction that's the problem.
  Car salesmen have very much earned their place as one of the most despised creatures in modern society.
  
  --
  A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
13. Re:I wish this was real by CanHasDIY · 2013-09-26 06:19 · Score: 1
  
  ... You're a car salesman, aren't you?
  
  --
  An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
14. Re:I wish this was real by h4rr4r · 2013-09-26 06:21 · Score: 1
  
  Western NY.
  If you paid sticker you got screwed. I mean transport fees and the like. They can and will be waived if you complain.
15. Re:I wish this was real by h4rr4r · 2013-09-26 06:22 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Grow up, jackass. I have no problem telling them off. What I have a limited amount of is patience and time.
  I want to be able to order the car I want, like it appears you can do with the design your ford website thing or whatever. I do not want to check to see what numbskull ordered what options for their lot.
  Car salesmen are not specialists, most know less about the cars than I do. They are not on your side and are not worth paying.
16. Re:I wish this was real by pla · 2013-09-26 06:23 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  Or stop being a prima donna and blaming the world for your social dysfunction or because you don't have the backbone to deal with salesmen.
  
  Not a matter of backbone, but rather, of the pointlessness of it all. I don't make it a habit of intentionally dealing with wolves, either, even though a modern firearm will make short work of them. I simply have no interest in the whole negotiating game. For my last car, I found what I wanted, went to the nearest dealer, took it for a ride, came back and told the salesperson what I would pay for it (a fair price, not the most profitable customer of the day but not a loss, either). As soon as she started to play the "I'll need to talk with my manager" bullshit, I headed for the door (and would have left) when she backpedaled faster than Lance Armstrong on Oprah. I drove it home half an hour later after filling out the annoying ream of paper (getting rid of that wouldn't suck, either, but I realize most of it doesn't have anything to do with the actual dealer).
  
  Specialists and middlemen exist for a reason, I pay them to make my life easier.
  
  No, they don't. You haven't bought a car in a while, have you?
  
  You don't get to customize them anymore. You pick one of a small number (half a dozen or so) of equally ugly colors with stupid names you don't even recognize, you pick one of a small number (less than three, usually) of standard trims, and you might have one or two options you can select (like alloy vs steel wheels); in most cases, upgrading to option-X requires upgrading the entire trim (or buying it after-market). Oh, make no mistake, I have no doubt you could get it with whatever you want. But whether they say it or not, you will pay for trim-package-B when they "throw in for free" the 17" rims.
  
  But the best part about all that? You could just as easily choose all those options via the dropdown size/color/etc boxes Amazon already has. So no, I don't have any use whatsoever for salesmen; and those particular middlemen haven't counted as "specialists" in a good 20 years (if they ever did, which I somewhat doubt).
  
  Now, as for this listing on Amazon - Amazingly enough, I currently need a new car. And I have considered that exact car as an option. I went to that page fully intending to add it to my cart and order (you won't do much better than $1000 off a $14k car anywhere else, so paying MSRP really doesn't much matter here)... And sure, I understand that a "real" dealer would technically have sold it to me, but at least I wouldn't have needed to actually deal with them.
  
  And as one further perk, most dealers won't actually let you put a whole car on plastic (usually limiting it to something like $5k or 10% as a down-payment), but that woudln't present a problem on Amazon... Except... It did, and in fact, just cost them a sale. That page doesn't sell you a car, it amounts to nothing but an ad. You can't just buy it there and check out, "Purchase or lease must be completed at Nissan dealer within 30 days of submitting your contact request". You don't buy a car at that page, Nissan buys you as a sales lead.
  
  So fuck you, car dealers, and fuck you too, Amazon - Oh, and fuck you too, Slashvertisement on the FP. I can't wait for Tesla to come out with something under $30k; Once they do, I'll never go to a physical dealership again in my life.
17. Re:I wish this was real by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · 2013-09-26 06:30 · Score: 1
  
  If I knew the long term reliability of CVTs I might consider them if they were as reliable as a manual but it doesn't seem likely. Then again the shiny gadget of the month in a car isn't a selling point for me. I would have thought a hatchback would have been easy to find with a stick given how popular the hatchbacks have become of late.
  
  --
  Time to offend someone
18. Re:I wish this was real by twotacocombo · 2013-09-26 06:38 · Score: 1
  
  Carsdirect.com is as close as you're going to get to this for now. You still have to technically go through a dealer, but without all of the bullshit associated with buying directly from them. When I bought a car through CD, I just showed up, signed the papers, signed a check, and drove off. With my current car, Carsdirect couldn't get me the color I wanted, so I used their price as leverage to get the one I did want from a local dealer. They tried to play hardball, so I walked. The next day I got a call saying they caved, and they matched the price. Car dealers are still around because people are ignorant and hasty. Arm yourself with knowledge, concrete numbers, and be prepared to walk if you don't feel all warm and fuzzy. You usually don't need a car TODAY, but they sure want the sale yesterday.
19. Re:I wish this was real by h4rr4r · 2013-09-26 06:38 · Score: 1
  
  I know of CVTs will hundreds of thousands of miles on them. They were quite well proven in the Insight 1 which came out many years ago. They are way to old to be shiny gadget of the month. Hatchbacks are still very hard to find. With a stick near impossible.
20. Re:I wish this was real by h4rr4r · 2013-09-26 06:41 · Score: 1
  
  Cardirect.com is a terrible website for what I want. It appears you can't even get a price without giving up your information. Ideally they would shield you from the dealer. I don't want those folks knowing anything about me.
21. Re:I wish this was real by s122604 · 2013-09-26 06:45 · Score: 2
  
  Car dealers have absolutely no qualms with using the good-ole-boy network and government lobbying to quash competition.
  
  Their existence is the worst kind of anachronism. Their overall value-add to society is zero, actually less than zero...
22. Re: I wish this was real by h4rr4r · 2013-09-26 06:53 · Score: 1
  
  I am not in Europe. Nor do they sell cars in North America.
23. Re:I wish this was real by CaptSlaq · 2013-09-26 06:55 · Score: 1
  
  I had to give up on that requirement. The CVT is still 100 times better than any slushbox. Finding a hatchback that also has a stick is like finding the holy grail it seems.
  uhm.... The Mazda 3 and Ford Focus both still have the third pedal as an option, and that's just off the top of my head. Now if they're on the lot... that's another story entirely.
24. Re:I wish this was real by pixelpusher220 · 2013-09-26 06:58 · Score: 1
  
  Yes 'illegal'. You still had to go to a dealer, hence you're experience proves my point.
  
  --
  People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
25. Re:I wish this was real by twotacocombo · 2013-09-26 07:03 · Score: 1
  
  carSdirect.com. You went to the wrong website. Carsdirect shows me a price right up front, and then updates as you add/remove options. No personal information given.
26. Re:I wish this was real by lgw · 2013-09-26 07:12 · Score: 1
  
  No, slushboxes still suck (and I say this driving a car that by God should have a good one).
  A few sports cars have robot shifters. Robot shifters kick ass. Eventually that will reach "normal" cars, and then you'll be right.
  
  --
  Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
27. Re:I wish this was real by lgw · 2013-09-26 07:24 · Score: 1
  
  For a long time I used Enterprise Fleet Services' car buying service (not sure if they still do that it you don't finance through them, but they used to). It was perfect, though not the "internet buying" experience. You tell them what car you wanted and how flexible you could be with colors and so on, they were upfront about likely prices and such, and just not annoying weasels in any way, and they'd find what you want at a better price than you'd ever get yourself (when you buy 500K cars a year, car salesmen are your bitch - it was quite entertaining the one time I actually had contact with the salesman involved, he never knew what hit him - plus they can search a great many dealerships). Their normal process was you'd pick up the car from them (though I had one shipped to me).
  No clue whether that's still how they work, but it was by far the best way to buy a car when I used them. They don't really have that leverage over luxury dealers, though, and luxury dealers tend not to be asshats in the first place.
  
  --
  Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
28. Re:I wish this was real by Lesrahpem · 2013-09-26 07:31 · Score: 1
  
  Tesla Motors does sell directly from their website and is getting a lot of flak from car dealerships because of it. WSJ article.
29. Re:I wish this was real by Rossman · 2013-09-26 07:41 · Score: 1
  
  Well the Versa was pretty good and a decent car but with the new 2014 if you get the stick, you can't get any of the nice options, which is really just stupid. My '07 Versa is a 6spd manual with the tech package and it's served me well.
30. Re:I wish this was real by tlhIngan · 2013-09-26 07:53 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  You don't get to customize them anymore. You pick one of a small number (half a dozen or so) of equally ugly colors with stupid names you don't even recognize, you pick one of a small number (less than three, usually) of standard trims, and you might have one or two options you can select (like alloy vs steel wheels); in most cases, upgrading to option-X requires upgrading the entire trim (or buying it after-market). Oh, make no mistake, I have no doubt you could get it with whatever you want. But whether they say it or not, you will pay for trim-package-B when they "throw in for free" the 17" rims.
  There's a science behind it, and it turns out customers prefer the limited options overwhelmingly to having the ability to pick and choose every little thing. It also turns out to be surprisingly cheaper because you get to standardize parts.
  The trim package one is annoying, but sometimes it's essential because if you want say, leather seats, they come with a bum warmer (because most people buy them with bum warmers in the past, so it's easier to build one seat than two - one with and one without), which requires a button for your dashboard to control it. But that button also requires an extra fusebox relay and a interior control computer to manage it. Of course, the computer software isn't flexible so if you get it with that option, you get the onboard navigation system as well, which means you need the upgraded trim level just to get leather seats.
  Navigation systems generally cause this because to put in the screen requires electronics changes and the dash changes, which means again, upgraded trim level because you're changing so many things (navigation means you need a central screen, perhsps interaction buttons on the steering wheel, integration with the instrument cluster screen, etc. which changes everything.
  Do this more than a few times and the number of parts and assemblies required balloons immensely which just complicates the supply line, complicates the car computer software etc. etc. etc.
31. Re: I wish this was real by HornWumpus · 2013-09-26 07:56 · Score: 1
  
  Unless you live in France, don't buy a French car.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
32. Re:I wish this was real by HornWumpus · 2013-09-26 08:00 · Score: 1
  
  Computers can upshift faster then a human. They can't see that you are about to turn right and downshift going into the corner.
  Also note: When you are sitting at a red light waiting for it to turn green, your slushbox is in top gear. It has to kick all the way down before you have good power.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
33. Re:I wish this was real by dhanson865 · 2013-09-26 08:05 · Score: 1
  
  cardirect.com redirects to carsdirect.com, not sure what he was doing to get requests for personal information but he wasn't at the wrong website.
34. Re:I wish this was real by HideyoshiJP · 2013-09-26 08:07 · Score: 1
  
  I was looking for a Mazda 3 2.5l Hatch with a stick. Sadly, that was impossible at the time, despite being able to build one on the Mazda site. I only managed to find a base model 2.0l sedan and a Mazdaspeed 3. Now, while I would have jumped at the Mazdaspeed 3 if I could, but my bank account had other plans. I settled on a Mazda 2, which I quite like, but I occasionally want more space.
35. Re:I wish this was real by HornWumpus · 2013-09-26 08:11 · Score: 1
  
  You're saying because you look like and are a sucker, they treated you better?
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
36. Re: I wish this was real by h4rr4r · 2013-09-26 08:14 · Score: 1
  
  I have had french cars before, what is wrong with a modern Renault?
37. Re:I wish this was real by chuckugly · 2013-09-26 08:15 · Score: 1
  
  Cars with DSG are IMO pretty damn good. Get a VW.
38. Re:I wish this was real by JohnFen · 2013-09-26 08:44 · Score: 1
  
  Because the last thing I want is to buy cars like everything else - either prepackaged and designed for the lowest common denominator or having to spend days or weeks wasting my time trying to learn the arcana of a field in order to make a simple goddam purchase.
  Too late. That's how you buy cars right now anyway, especially from a dealer. If you don't spend days or week learning the arcana of the field before setting foot in a dealership, you will be ripped off.
  
  I pay them to make my life easier.
  Then you're wasting your money in the dealerships. They do the exact opposite of making your life easier.
39. Re:I wish this was real by swillden · 2013-09-26 09:38 · Score: 1
  
  For some reason wanting a vehicle with a manual transmission that isn't a civic or real sports car causes sales people at dealerships to look at you like you are retarded, especially if it is a truck or SUV.
  Interesting. I prefer a manual in most cars, but in a truck or SUV I'd much rather have an automatic. If you look at a given model with automatic and standard transmissions, the automatic will have a higher rated towing capacity... and towing substantial loads with it will be easier, especially in more complex situations. For offroading, it's debatable, but I think an automatic is generally the better choice there as well. It certainly takes a lot more skill to manage tricky offroad situations with a manual, though I suppose there may be some where an expert driver is better off with a manual transmission.
  It's not at all surprising to me that trucks and SUVs with manual transmissions are hard to find... there's not much demand for them because most of the things you need such a vehicle for are better-served by an automatic.
  
  --
  Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
40. Re:I wish this was real by bdo19 · 2013-09-26 11:09 · Score: 1
  
  Also note: When you are sitting at a red light waiting for it to turn green, your slushbox is in top gear. It has to kick all the way down before you have good power.
  Are you sure? Citation? I am genuinely curious about this. But it doesn't seem to agree with my experience driving various automatic cars.
41. Re:I wish this was real by lgw · 2013-09-26 11:52 · Score: 1
  
  Yes, that's a robot shifter. But no sensible person would be caught dead in a VW - that's what hipsters drive. VW is stained for 100 years with hipster, sorry to say. It doesn't wash off. Low end Audis too, which annoys me since I used to drive those.
  
  --
  Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
42. Re:I wish this was real by mattack2 · 2013-09-26 12:52 · Score: 1
  
  The post says "online sales of cars will be made illegal", then refers to a dealer.
  That leaves out the possibility of buying online *through* a dealer, so by definition online sales won't be made illegal.
  Plus, the existing laws are decades old, has been stated, so they have nothing to do with online sales directly, they have to do with buying directly from the manufacturer. (E.g. in this case, Amazon is a "dealer" for anything you buy.)
43. Re:I wish this was real by mattack2 · 2013-09-26 13:08 · Score: 1
  
  If you could build one on the site, why couldn't you do that, and have it delivered locally?
44. Re:I wish this was real by mattack2 · 2013-09-26 13:20 · Score: 1
  
  And as one further perk, most dealers won't actually let you put a whole car on plastic (usually limiting it to something like $5k or 10% as a down-payment),
  Do any? Heck, I would go through the hoops of getting my limit temporarily raised "just" to get the 1% back (even 1% of the limits you're talking about).
45. Re:I wish this was real by HideyoshiJP · 2013-09-26 14:29 · Score: 1
  
  You can't actually build it that way, unfortunately. The site is really only to help you price that configuration and help you find that or a similar build. All cars have to be purchased through a dealer. I was informed that my Mazda dealer could not special order vehicles built in Japan; Mazda simply sends a certain number of cars to the dealer in quantities and configurations they feel will sell best. There is some statistical information and dartboard decision-making in that process, I can only assume. I believe the reasoning behind this is due to the lead time from manufacture to dealership arrival. I believe that is somewhere in the neighborhood of three months. Sadly, Mazda is not the only company that does this: Hyundai does so for their entire lineup, despite a significant number of their vehicles being built in Alabama and elsewhere in the southern U.S.
46. Re:I wish this was real by mjwx · 2013-09-26 14:54 · Score: 1
  
  I had to give up on that requirement. The CVT is still 100 times better than any slushbox. Finding a hatchback that also has a stick is like finding the holy grail it seems.
  Seriously?
  
  It's dead easy in Oz. Almost all hot hatches are available as manuals and most of the cheap ones. Is it that hard to get a Ford Fiesta or Focus that has a manual transmission? Out of the 17 models offered in Australia, there are five with an MT. http://www.redbook.com.au/cars/research/Ford/Focus/2013.
  
  With SUV's I can understand as they'll never go off road and are bought by people who cant drive (ergo, could never handle a manual), but hatches are a prime candidate for MT's.
  
  --
  Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
47. Re:I wish this was real by pla · 2013-09-26 15:33 · Score: 1
  
  If you're pissed that someone whose income is ONE HUNDRED FUCKING PERCENT DEPENDENT on the commissions from sales
  
  Perhaps you should consider seeing a professional about your anger issues. ;)
  
  Did you know that ESPN's income is ONE HUNDRED FUCKING PERCENT DEPENDENT on people actually paying to watch TV?
  
  Funny, I don't really care about ESPN, either. Go figure.
  
  the service department doesn't pay for the dealership, and wouldn't exist if not for it
  
  I'd love to hear your theories as to how independent "service departments" exist, and how they not only do well, but cost a hell of a lot less than the ones attached to actual dealerships?
  
  HOWEVER, cars COULD be built to last 25-50 years, easily, with only a few parts needing to be replaced if the cars were engineered right.
  
  Did you exist yet, 25 years ago? Did you know the biggest public objection to unleaded gas didn't come from "enthusiasts" worried about their poor soft valve covers, but rather, from the fact that it smelled like ass when used in almost every car on the road at the time? Aside from driving behind a fume-spewing dumptruck, do you even remember that car exhaust used to have a smell at all, before modern emissions control devices? Did you know cars 25 years ago couldn't corner at 35MPH (without pulling a tire-damaging e-brake assisted maneuver)? Did you know cars 25 years ago generally got 10-20MPG?
  
  I very much dislike planned obsolescence. But some mass produced products, we should replace more than twice per century.
  
  If you buy a new car on average every five years over about 50 years of life, and "waste," (as you seem to consider it,) $2000/car that's just to pay the salespeople... that's 20,000 over a lifetime.
  
  $20k of waste over a lifetime. I don't quite know how you thought that would read, but... $20k of waste over a lifetime?!?!? Holy shit, dude! If we want to discuss the relative merits of wasting "only" $20k, do you have any idea how many hookers and how much blow that would buy? How many Lego Death-star sets? How much Pez???
  
  "Only" 20k? Jesus, I make pretty decent money, but your income must put me to shame if you don't go white with fury at the thought of wasting $20k on useless middle-men only employed in the first place because they managed to legislate themselves into a last few years in the sun before direct sales obliterate them.
  
  Do the world a favor and hold your breath until that happens.
  
  You realize, of course, that by the next time I need a new car, that will have happened?
  
  Consider me calm. Despite the tone of my previous post, shit, the very thought of car dealerships vanishing from the face of the planet practically leaves me cackling in glee!
  
  So yeah, dealing. I have to buy one more car from a useless middle-man in my life. Hell, I might go so far as to celebrate it as my last major offline purchase.
48. Re:I wish this was real by jonwil · 2013-09-26 17:06 · Score: 1
  
  Just ask anyone who has had their DSG VW in the shop more than on the road (google VW DSG problems for details)
49. Re:I wish this was real by RaceProUK · 2013-09-26 23:24 · Score: 1
  
  VW is stained for 100 years with hipster, sorry to say.
  Must be a US-only thing; in Europe, VWs are very popular, and are generally seen as fairly desirable, if a little bland.
  
  --
  No colour or religion ever stopped the bullet from a gun
50. Re:I wish this was real by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · 2013-09-27 01:36 · Score: 1
  
  I tend to not tow much but I like the reliability of manuals over automatics. Also from what I have seen is that with an automatic they will gear them down a bit more so instead of having 3.19 or 3.55 gears they will put 3.73 or even 4.10 gears so they will have an easier time towing. Also there isn't anything special about an automatic that makes it especially strong for towing although an automatic will make life easier for hill starts. For heavy towing a manual is probably more durable since there is only 1 clutch that can be made very strong, you don't have to deal with the torque converter, don't have to cool the tranny fluid, and don't have a overly complex valve body.
  
  Besides most trucks now days in the US don't even have an option for a manual same with cars because people don't know how to drive them. I have been surprised since it appears that all jeeps have the option for a manual so it may be advantageous for off roading. I don't do the rock crawling off roading but do go down some very questionable roads with smaller trees growing in them, washed out areas, and spots that require fording rivers when out hunting and camping.
  
  --
  Time to offend someone
51. Re:I wish this was real by h4rr4r · 2013-09-27 01:58 · Score: 1
  
  The Maza3 gets shit mileage and the Focus was both hard to find in hatch and I did not really love it.
52. Re:I wish this was real by h4rr4r · 2013-09-27 02:00 · Score: 1
  
  In North America sticks are hard to find and almost no hot hatches are available either. The intersection between the two is vanishingly small.
53. Re:I wish this was real by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · 2013-09-27 02:06 · Score: 1
  
  Also note: When you are sitting at a red light waiting for it to turn green, your slushbox is in top gear. It has to kick all the way down before you have good power.
  Sounds like a bit of BS to me. Automatics don't have to shift sequentially through the gears unless it is one of those SMGs that is shifted automatically since there is a whole valve body and sets of clutches to lock and unlock various parts in the planetary gear system. Usually you don't have any real power at idle speeds because the converter isn't spinning fast enough to develop much if any fluid pressure, you do know that in most automatics the engine isn't mechanically coupled to the transmission output shaft unless the converter is locked (overdrive) and is just hydraulically coupled. I bet you also believe that automatics slip, they don't unless there is something wrong, since the hydraulic coupling through the converter makes it look like it does.
  
  If you want to have a good launch from a start with an automatic you get up on the converter (hold the brake down and the gas pedals) and instead of sitting at a stop at 500-1000 rpm you are sitting there at 1500-2000 rpm instead. These numbers vary depending on the converter and engine combination but are fairly reasonable. Yes the machine can shift faster than a human but it takes a bit for them to figure out what I want. For example, lets say I take a right hand turn onto a highway on ramp, I will go from low acceleration in doing the turn to wanting accelerate quickly. With a manual I down shift as I am exiting the turn and that takes the better part of a second, but with an automatic I just floor it, it lugs the engine and a couple of seconds later it figures out I want to go fast and does the down shift in a quarter second.
  
  --
  Time to offend someone
54. Re:I wish this was real by h4rr4r · 2013-09-27 02:06 · Score: 1
  
  Yup, I was even willing to wait 3-6 months and have had dealers tell me they would not be able to get the car I wanted.
55. Re:I wish this was real by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · 2013-09-27 02:25 · Score: 1
  
  I haven't been following their reliability as they are available on so few vehicles. My one experience with one was on a rental Jeep that had it and there was something very wrong with that vehicle and I am willing to attribute that to it being a rental beater. I see lots of little hatch backs where I am as it seems most people in Minnesota drive a little hatchback or a giant small penis truck/suv. I regularly see the little toyota, honda, mazada, ford focus, and suzuki hatchbacks and they seem quite popular now with the high school ricers who put the fart pipes and stupid wings on them and they all want the manuals.
  
  If you are willing to look at an older car and are in a non snowy area you might want to see if you can find a good condition BMW 318ti. They were the bottom of the line BMW in the US when they were made and were a little 2 door hatch back with the 1.8l (early models) or 1.9l engine. They often had a manual and were fun as hell. My only beef with them was that the water pumps only last about 140,000 miles on them but are really easy to change since it is a RWD vehicle, doesn't have a transverse mounted engine, and you don't have to take off the timing belt/chain and cover like you do on so many other vehicles now days. Another option might be a MB C320 but I don't know much about them having not owned one.
  
  --
  Time to offend someone
56. Re:I wish this was real by n7ytd · 2013-09-27 04:02 · Score: 1
  
  I haven't been following their reliability as they are available on so few vehicles. My one experience with one was on a rental Jeep that had it and there was something very wrong with that vehicle and I am willing to attribute that to it being a rental beater.
  I would attribute it instead to being a Jeep. I owned a Liberty for almost a year, and I wanted so badly to fall in love with it. Finally sold it at a loss to just be rid of the thing. Just Empty Every Pocket, indeed.
57. Re:I wish this was real by n7ytd · 2013-09-27 04:11 · Score: 1
  
  [...] (when you buy 500K cars a year, car salesmen are your bitch - it was quite entertaining the one time I actually had contact with the salesman involved, he never knew what hit him [...]
  If you have time, I would love to hear more about this experience. The idea of turning the tables, putting a car salesman at the mercy of the buyer, warms my heart.
58. Re:I wish this was real by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · 2013-09-27 05:37 · Score: 1
  
  I have been pleased with my older Jeep Cherokee but then it doesn't have any fancy stuff. It has manual locking hubs, a manual transmission, manual 4WD selector so it is pretty dead simple, it even has the hand crank windows. It is going strong with 377,??? miles on it and my only complaint is that the plastic for the front grill is really brittle now and when I tripped over a kid's toy I put my hand through it. From my understanding the manual transmission used in it is not a Chrysler one like the automatics but is a Jeep/AMC one. Also my understanding is that the 4.0L I6 (well that whole family of engines) was a really good engine and things went down hill once they stopped making it.
  
  --
  Time to offend someone
59. Re:I wish this was real by chuckugly · 2013-09-27 06:10 · Score: 1
  
  Well hipsters and people who like good cars that don't cost too much. ;)
60. Re:I wish this was real by chuckugly · 2013-09-27 06:22 · Score: 1
  
  Other than a defective run of 7 speed gearboxes, the "issues" seem to only crop up if one is actually Chinese and living in China. I feel pretty safe.
61. Re:I wish this was real by lgw · 2013-09-27 06:53 · Score: 1
  
  I can only hope that hipsters are a US-only thing, though I think the fad is waning now.
  
  --
  Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
62. Re:I wish this was real by lgw · 2013-09-27 07:02 · Score: 1
  
  Oh, Enterprise just told the dealership what the price would be, no negotiating or anything - quite outside the salesman's experience with how the process worked. When he called me to say the deal was done he sounded like people often do the day after a hurricane. Wish they could do that for luxury brands (though perhaps the American ones).
  
  --
  Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
63. Re:I wish this was real by HornWumpus · 2013-09-27 07:14 · Score: 1
  
  How do you get a 'jolt forward' if your motor is below the stall speed of the torque converter?
  There may be some racy slushboxes that do what you describe. Most have just moved the vacuum modulator into the computer. Automotive engineers are incredibly conservative.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
64. Re:I wish this was real by HornWumpus · 2013-09-27 07:19 · Score: 1
  
  Try downshifting going into the turn next time. Heal and toe.
  Automatics are still (mostly) pretty stupid. High intake vac, upshift 1 gear. Valve bodies are computer controlled, but are themselves still analog hydraulic computers that only change modes 1 gear at a time.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
65. Re:I wish this was real by vandamme · 2013-09-27 08:46 · Score: 1
  
  Easy. Move to Europe and you can have a nice Focus hatchback with 6 speed and diesel. Totally worth it. I drove one in July on the autobahns.
  At home my wife drives a Caliber CVT and it's the one tranny she hasn't been able to kill. Yet.
$1000 off? by MMC+Monster · 2013-09-26 05:01 · Score: 4, Interesting

Can I pay them an extra $1000 and buy directly from amazon? Why get a dealer involved?
(Not that I'm interested in a Nissan Versa. But my point is the same. Car dealers are the scum of the Earth.)

--
Help! I'm a slashdot refugee.
1. Re:$1000 off? by h4rr4r · 2013-09-26 05:05 · Score: 2
  
  I would absolutely give amazon an extra $1000 for a car, provided like all other products on their site I can pick exactly the one I want and I get some assurance that no standard car dealer was involved.
2. Re:$1000 off? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-26 05:08 · Score: 1
  
  Can I pay them an extra $1000 and buy directly from amazon? Why get a dealer involved?
  (Not that I'm interested in a Nissan Versa. But my point is the same. Car dealers are the scum of the Earth.)
  Carmax works like that. Their cars are marked-up, but there really is zero pressure and zero hassle.
3. Re:$1000 off? by David_Hart · 2013-09-26 05:25 · Score: 2
  
  Can I pay them an extra $1000 and buy directly from amazon? Why get a dealer involved?
  (Not that I'm interested in a Nissan Versa. But my point is the same. Car dealers are the scum of the Earth.)
  There are laws that prohibit this. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/02/why-you-cant-buy-new-car-online
  Until the law changes, Amazon, or anyone else for that matter, cannot directly sell cars online.
  I too would love to be able to buy a car from Amazon. I had to buy a new car this year and it reminded my why I hate the process. The sales and manager guys were fine and kept it light while we played the negotiation game, but the finance guy was a tad slimey. He tried to get me into a higher interest rate than what I qualified for and acted like I was killing him when I didn't want the extended warranty.
4. Re:$1000 off? by CastrTroy · 2013-09-26 06:04 · Score: 1
  
  This is how a lot of other industries work as well. Sure for cars, there's laws in certain states which say you have to sell through a dealer, which is a bit over the top, but for many other industries, it's the defacto standard of how business is done. If you're building a datacenter, and buying 1000 servers, you'd think you can just go straight to HP/Lenovo/IBM and get a special deal, and cut out all the middle men. But that's now how it works. HP/Lenovo/IBM will give you a special price, but they'll still make you do the actual ordering though a reseller, who orders from a supplier. The supply chain is set up to ensure that the reseller and supplier get their cut of the sale. The reason they do this, is because manufacturers are very scared of their resellers/suppliers abandoning them for getting cut out of the loop.
  
  --
  
  Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
5. Re:$1000 off? by CanHasDIY · 2013-09-26 06:22 · Score: 1
  
  Can I pay them an extra $1000 and buy directly from amazon? Why get a dealer involved?
  (Not that I'm interested in a Nissan Versa. But my point is the same. Car dealers are the scum of the Earth.)
  So long as I can still test drive and physically inspect the thing prior to handing over the cash, I'd be all for it. $1000 is a pretty cheap price to pay to not have to deal with dealership financiers.
  You think salesmen are dicks, wait until you try to buy a car with your own financing, from a place that 'offers' it in-house... and by 'offers,' I mean 'will lie through their fucking teeth to convince you to finance it through them, up-to-and-including refusing sale of the vehicle.' I know, I dealt with this shit not 4 months ago when I got my truck.
  
  --
  An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
6. Re:$1000 off? by h4rr4r · 2013-09-26 06:25 · Score: 1
  
  You can order them from HP, I know I have done this.
7. Re:$1000 off? by guttentag · 2013-09-26 07:38 · Score: 2
  Can I pay them an extra $1000 and buy directly from amazon? Why get a dealer involved?
  A dealer gets involved so they can get that $1000 back from you. Familiarize yourself with the Four Square Worksheet. You probably won't see the physical sheet, but they're using it. It's a shell game where they get you to pull the trigger on the purchase by giving you a deal in one area but they get that money back, and then some, in another area. Half the reason the salesperson keeps going to visit his boss is so the boss can ensure the salesperson got the money back somewhere else on the four square. The other half is to make you sweat it out so you'll give in and pay more. Eat a good lunch before going but act like you didn't... bringing your lunch only tips them off that you're ready to wait out their nonsense and they don't want to business if they think they can't fleece you. They will offer you coffee to make you edgy... accept it and pretend to drink occasionally, but don't swallow it or anything else they give/tell you. Argue for a fair price, but once they agree on it in writing and you have your own written copy, let them think your guard is down... then absolutely refuse to let them add anything in any square.
  
  I've negotiated prices on five car purchases for myself and others. When going into a dealership you need to remind yourself that you're not dealing with a human being. You're dealing with a Ferengi. You might want to bookmark the Rules of Acquisition on your phone to read while you're waiting for their latest offer so you see things through their eyes:
  
  Anything worth selling is worth selling twice
  
  Anything stolen is pure profit
  
  A deal is a deal ... until a better one comes along
  
  A bargain usually isn't
  
  Acting stupid is often smart
  
  When the customer is sweating, turn up the heat
  
  Only negotiate when you are certain to profit
  
  Never trust a man wearing a better suit than you own
  
  et al
Finally by Dachannien · 2013-09-26 05:05 · Score: 4, Funny

Finally, a package that the delivery guy will really, really regret drop-kicking off the back of the truck.
1. Re:Finally by femtobyte · 2013-09-26 05:22 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  The trick to proper delivery by forklift is to find a long approach path, so you can get up to full rolling speed in advance. Then, coordinate tipping down the forklift blades with slamming on the brakes, and you should be able to toss the package over the recipient's fence with ease. Bonus points for lifting the package by skewering the forklift blades through it, instead of coming from underneath.
2. Re:Finally by pixelpusher220 · 2013-09-26 07:31 · Score: 1
  
  I'm thinking Amazon Prime to completely fuck them over ;-)
  
  --
  People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
Bug your state legislators by tepples · 2013-09-26 05:11 · Score: 4, Insightful

If the Tesla Motors saga is to be believed, this failure of local dealers to serve their respective markets is something that you should mention to your state legislators.
1. Re:Bug your state legislators by h4rr4r · 2013-09-26 05:14 · Score: 2
  
  Should I also mention the sky is blue and water is wet?
  If you are so disconnected with reality that you think car dealers serve their market the way any other retail outlet would you should be kept in a padded cell not elected to public office.
2. Re:Bug your state legislators by tepples · 2013-09-26 12:45 · Score: 1
  
  Did you try explaining this conflict of interest to the media in a letter to the editor? Did you try donating money to the campaign of the majority leader's opponent?
Buying without driving? by ArchieBunker · 2013-09-26 05:16 · Score: 1

Would you really buy a car without ever driving it first?

--
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
1. Re:Buying without driving? by h4rr4r · 2013-09-26 05:20 · Score: 1
  
  Some cars sure. Other cases let me drive the base test model then let me order the options I want.
2. Re:Buying without driving? by SirGarlon · 2013-09-26 05:39 · Score: 1
  
  Is the experience of a test drive worth the $1000+ the dealer is going to gouge you for?
  For new cars, I would rather pay 50 bucks to rent the same model for a day and get a feel for it -- without anyone trying to hold my driver's license hostage or demanding my home phone number.
  
  --
  [Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
3. Re:Buying without driving? by pixelpusher220 · 2013-09-26 05:59 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Because I drove my friends/parents/rental car and liked it?
  
  --
  People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
4. Re:Buying without driving? by lgw · 2013-09-26 07:16 · Score: 1
  
  I'm in my 40s, and I've never driven a car before buying it, though I once drove a vaguely similar car at a dealership first. I do my research to pick a model, and I use a car buying service to buy the car. About half the time I never even see a dealership (though the car was purchased from on for me). I've been happy with my choice each time, from econoboxes to luxury sedans.
  Really, there's very little that matters that you can learn from a test drive.
  
  --
  Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
5. Re:Buying without driving? by unkiereamus · 2013-09-26 07:33 · Score: 2
  
  Really, there's very little that matters that you can learn from a test drive.
  I rather disagree.
  
  First, I'm 6'8, I can find out whether I fit in the car. Second, I can find out whether the build quality meets MY definitions of acceptable. Finally, I can find out if I like to drive it, for some people a half second turbolag is no big deal, for some it's a huge deal, and still others they have no idea, since they've never driven a car with a turbolag.
  
  There are some things that are very specific to people. True story: I once went out to test drive a truck, turns out the exhaust note was smack dab on the resonant frequency of my sinuses. Despite it not being that loud in any sort of absolute sense, driving for 5 minutes gave me a splitting headache. And yet the vast majority of people had absolutely no problem with it.
  
  --
  I needed a sig so people would know who I am, but I was too drunk to make something witty, so you get this instead.
6. Re:Buying without driving? by HornWumpus · 2013-09-26 08:03 · Score: 1
  
  You don't need to buy a car, just because you test drove it.
  In fact you can use their methods against them. Say you need a car for an evening. Test drive one. Him and haw about buying it. The salesman will suggest you take it home overnight, knowing that usually closes the deal. Use it, then say no, this car sucks.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
7. Re:Buying without driving? by JohnFen · 2013-09-26 08:41 · Score: 1
  
  Of course I would. The useful information I get out of a test drive is pretty minimal, actually.
8. Re:Buying without driving? by Gavagai80 · 2013-09-26 15:04 · Score: 1
  
  Already did, bought my car on ebay. Beats having to haggle with a dealer. It's not like you'll actually find out what's wrong with it on a test drive anyway most of the time, and you can pay for an inspection without being there if you want.
  
  --
  This space intentionally left blank
Illegal in Texas by MickyTheIdiot · 2013-09-26 05:17 · Score: 2

If this were real and not just a link, wouldn't it run into the same problems as Tesla and be illegal in Texas?
1. Re:Illegal in Texas by erroneus · 2013-09-26 05:47 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah... that will happen. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop in Texas as the guy behind Tesla is also behind some spaceport thing right?
2. Re:Illegal in Texas by EmagGeek · 2013-09-26 07:34 · Score: 1
  
  No, it would not be illegal in Texas, because Nissan has dealers in Texas that can service the warranty on your car. Besides, you're not buying the car from Amazon. They are just connecting you with a dealer and getting a commission for sending them a sap who is willing to pay sticker price for a made-in-China rattlebox like the Versa.
Hmm by therealkevinkretz · 2013-09-26 05:22 · Score: 1

Nothing worse than a big box.
1. Re:Hmm by HornWumpus · 2013-09-26 06:00 · Score: 1
  
  Probably the size of the package that's the problem.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
2. Re:Hmm by therealkevinkretz · 2013-09-26 06:07 · Score: 1
  
  Well, the package *is* the box. Probably you meant the size of the contents, but that's not really suitably insertion-imagery-inducing.
3. Re:Hmm by tompaulco · 2013-09-26 06:52 · Score: 1
  
  For some reason when "big box" and Nissan were mentioned, I immediately thought they were referring to the Nissan Cube, and not to an actual box with a car in it. God, that Cube is so aesthetically unappealing that other cars are afraid to run into it for fear of catching ugly.
  
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  If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
4. Re:Hmm by HornWumpus · 2013-09-26 07:15 · Score: 1
  
  In American idiom; men have packages, women have boxes.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
5. Re:Hmm by therealkevinkretz · 2013-09-27 06:57 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah, I got that - but for double entendre to work, both, umm, entendres have to make sense
Wait until they piss off the car dealers by benjfowler · 2013-09-26 05:26 · Score: 1

Amazon might think they're clever, until they step on the toes of the greedy car dealer lobby.
It'll be interesting to see how they make THAT problem go away.
This is America ("the land of the free") we're talking here -- where any whiny, greedy anti-social bitch with deep enough pockets can carve out a niche for themselves by merely buying convenient laws and regulations.
1. Re:Wait until they piss off the car dealers by Urza9814 · 2013-09-26 06:07 · Score: 1
  
  Right now all Amazon is doing is driving more business to the dealers, so I don't see why they would complain....
2. Re:Wait until they piss off the car dealers by pixelpusher220 · 2013-09-26 07:33 · Score: 1
  
  Funny how newspapers seem to sue google for sending them more customers...never underestimate the moronic behavior of entrenched legacy industry players.
  
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  People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
cars.com tried this by Animats · 2013-09-26 05:29 · Score: 1

That was the original idea for "cars.com". They were really going to sell cars online. But they ended up just being a lead-generation service.
Wtf? That thing is really expensive by YoungManKlaus · 2013-09-26 05:44 · Score: 1

seriously, barely smaller than a tincan and starting at 13k? Wtf is wrong with you car people?
1. Re:Wtf? That thing is really expensive by Bacon+Bits · 2013-09-26 06:02 · Score: 1
  
  Safety regulations make cars very expensive to engineer and test. $5,000 for the car. $8,000 to make it safe.
  However, it does mean that that tin can is probably far more survivable than most cars prior to 1965.
  
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  The road to tyranny has always been paved with claims of necessity.
2. Re:Wtf? That thing is really expensive by HornWumpus · 2013-09-26 08:25 · Score: 1
  
  I own a 1960 Chrysler Saratoga (6000lbs, 2 doors). It has a _tiny_ ding on the back bumper where a 90s car was totaled (in the 90s when it was still valuable). Must have had their heads up their asses or been so busy trying to figure out what it was they stopped driving.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
3. Re:Wtf? That thing is really expensive by Gavagai80 · 2013-09-26 15:23 · Score: 1
  
  The fact that the 90s car crumples in accidents where the 60s car wouldn't is what makes it safer. They're designed to absorb the force of impact by crumpling to keep you alive. If the car that rear-ended you hadn't crumpled like it did, the driver may have gotten whiplash or worse -- and in a higher speed accident it's the difference between life and death.
  
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4. Re:Wtf? That thing is really expensive by YoungManKlaus · 2013-09-26 21:44 · Score: 1
  
  I call bullshit on that. This gets esp. clear once you have a look at non-consumer cars which are easily 25% cheaper with the same features. Also did you check what the price of an inbuilt gps is? I can assure you the tech is not worth close to 1k € ... that's just pure greed.
5. Re:Wtf? That thing is really expensive by HornWumpus · 2013-09-27 07:03 · Score: 1
  
  They still haven't repealed newtons laws of motion. The Saratoga wouldn't slow down going 'Through' a Versa.
  But the Saratoga/Newport is an extreme case. There are almost none left because they were used for demolition derbies in the 80s, till they were banned for having 00 gauge steel bodies. Not sporting. Like filling the trunk with 'crete.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
Re:I bet there is one day shipping by CanHasDIY · 2013-09-26 06:25 · Score: 1

Because they are simply going to have the dealer in your area drive it out to your house.
Then I wouldn't pay new car pricing on it, because the second someone else drives it off the lot it's not a new car anymore.
Side note: Next time you look at buying a car from a dealer, make sure to point out how the value drops by 1/3 the second you sign paperwork. They fucking hate that :)

--
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
1897 Sears Catalog by Rob+the+Bold · 2013-09-26 06:31 · Score: 1

My novelty reprint of the "1897 Sears Catalog" lists dozens of buggies, phaetons, wagons, surreys, traps and road carts available to be crated at the factory and drop-shipped. They promise a 5 day order turn-around at the factory, and freight-shipment by rail or boat to your nearest depot/port/etc. Getting your crated vehicle unpacked , assembled and back home is your problem, I guess. But anyplace big enough for a depot probably is big enough for carriage repair shop, I guess.
They really were the Amazon of their day. Or vice-versa. There's a pun in there somewhere.

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I am not a crackpot.
1. Re:1897 Sears Catalog by HungWeiLo · 2013-09-26 07:17 · Score: 1
  
  They even sold entire houses.
  
  --
  There are a huge number of yeast infections in this county. Probably because we're downriver from the bread factory.
2. Re:1897 Sears Catalog by Rob+the+Bold · 2013-09-26 09:17 · Score: 1
  
  They even sold entire houses.
  
  Those were the days. Cars, houses, plows, flour, medicines to "restore female regularity" . . . Sears had it all.
  If you get a chance to see it, the National Archives has a short film by the Ford Motion Picture Laboratories Educational Weekly series about prefab houses like the Sears House. "Home Made," from 1919, shows a young engaged couple deciding to buy a prefab house, shows the manufacturing processes behind it, and finally the on-site construction. It even has the cute "calendar page tear-off" device to indicate the passage of time.
  It inspired Buster Keaton, who did his own take -- including the calendar gimmick -- in a short: One Week (1920). That one's worth the 19 minutes of your time to see.
  
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  I am not a crackpot.
Re:I bet there is one day shipping by tompaulco · 2013-09-26 06:49 · Score: 1

Next time you look at buying a car from a dealer, make sure to point out how the value drops by 1/3 the second you sign paperwork. They fucking hate that :)
I'm sure they do hate that. However, if they had two brain cells to rub together, they would probably counter by asking if you can think of any other retail item which you could get more than 2/3 of retail value after you walk out of the door with it. Oh, I'm sure there will be a few things, but for the most part, you would be lucky to get 1/2 of retail from somebody once you walk out the door.

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If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
Awesome.. by brianh4667 · 2013-09-26 07:04 · Score: 1

Can't wait till these are fulfilled by Amazon.
No more need to rent a car, I can just buy one on Amazon have it shipped where I'm going, then go ahead and return it when I'm done.
Little known fact: Amazon apparel vendors to accept returns of worn Halloween costumes even if they are returned several weeks after Halloween.
Test Drive by Craig+Milo+Rogers · 2013-09-26 07:06 · Score: 1

Can we take it on a test drive on a Kindle?

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Craig Milo Rogers
In-app Purchase by Craig+Milo+Rogers · 2013-09-26 07:08 · Score: 1

Why not buy cars as in-app purchases through Grand Theft Auto?

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Craig Milo Rogers
Re:I bet there is one day shipping by CanHasDIY · 2013-09-26 07:09 · Score: 1

Next time you look at buying a car from a dealer, make sure to point out how the value drops by 1/3 the second you sign paperwork. They fucking hate that :)
I'm sure they do hate that. However, if they had two brain cells to rub together,
Well, these are car salesmen we're talking about...

--
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
Re:I bet there is one day shipping by pixelpusher220 · 2013-09-26 07:30 · Score: 1

Then I wouldn't pay new car pricing on it, because the second someone else drives it off the lot it's not a new car anymore.
ALL cars on dealer lots have been driven OFF the lot. It's called road testing the thing prior to delivering it to a customer and I'd wager is probably the law.

That a dealer employee is driving to your house? Still in possession of the dealer and as such is still a NEW car.

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People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
Enthusiast to 3D-print full-scale Aston Martin DB4 by intermodal · 2013-09-26 07:36 · Score: 2

You bet your sweet ass I would.

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In SOVIET RUSSIA... erm...NSA AMERICA, the Internet logs onto YOU!
Re:I bet there is one day shipping by CanHasDIY · 2013-09-26 07:38 · Score: 1

I managed to get almost $4,000 knocked off the price of a "new" car by pointing out that it already had 800 miles on it.
Just sayin', it's worth at least trying to work the dealer over. After all, as I told the guys at the VW dealership, 'If you're not willing to give me the deal I want on the car I want, I can always go give my money to someone else.'

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An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
Re:I bet there is one day shipping by pixelpusher220 · 2013-09-26 07:57 · Score: 1

800 miles is more than just driving to your house is most cases anyway. Sure you can get discounts on the 'tester' models as they've been driven, but it's still a 'new' car and it's value is going down upon signature regardless of what you paid for it.

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People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
I guess phone books are also dealers by Mr.+Freeman · 2013-09-26 08:25 · Score: 1

So Amazon just connects you with a dealer? How is this any different than a phone book?

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-1 disagree is not a modifier for a reason. -1 troll, flaimbait, redundant, overrated are NOT acceptable substitutes.
1. Re:I guess phone books are also dealers by painandgreed · 2013-09-26 11:07 · Score: 1
  
  So Amazon just connects you with a dealer? How is this any different than a phone book?
  Nobody has a phonebook anymore.
yup, just another ad by hurfy · 2013-09-26 08:38 · Score: 1

hehe, my dad bought a new Fusion and got away with putting the whole thing on his rewards card. Never hurts to try...dealer didn't really have a policy per se. Now he can fly anywhere he doesn't want to drive :)
I don't give a hoot about most 3rd party sellers on Amazon (and seemingly every other big site now) especially one pointing me somewhere else to close. It is possible some of us want to buy from the company whose website we went to. I looked up an item on Walmart.com and got over 1000 results from like 100's different companies, didn't bother looking there again.
Don't care to think what all the web metrics and spying ad companies think when you click on a BUY button for a car either ... they get the info but you don't get the convenience :(
Please use my affiliate code link by Scot+Seese · 2013-09-26 09:24 · Score: 1

.. so I can score 4% commission on the $19,999 fully loaded model the Versa Note banner on my blog links to. ; ]

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Re: I bet there is one day shipping by DigiShaman · 2013-09-26 10:56 · Score: 1

Depends on how popular the car is and how much is in stock. Take a 3rd gen Toyota RAV4. Getting a Sport edition with a V6 and 2W drive was next to impossible; because it's the best bang for the buck on paper. But there was a considerable markup on that combo short of costing as much as a Limited Edition.
I still went with the Sport for the better handling and interior. That, and all the electronic creature comforts in a luxury break over time.

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Life is not for the lazy.
Nothing special here... by jhd · 2013-09-26 14:10 · Score: 1

... you still have to go through a blood sucking dealer. You won't be buying a car _through_ Amazon until they deliver it to your front door in a box.
Can't search for it, can't rate it by xaj · 2013-09-26 21:26 · Score: 1

This is such a sham. It doesn't show up on search results and there's no rating functionality. I'd only take this seriously if both of those conditions were met. Until then, this is a waste of Slashdot reader's time. Go make things, we're all good at that, here.
And theyc omplain about Tesla by WOOFYGOOFY · 2013-09-27 00:36 · Score: 1

Let me see if I can understand this.
Tesla needs to be driven out of business by car companies like Nissan because Tesla has no showrooms or dealers but Nissan can sell cars off of Amazon and that's O.K.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Are you a contortionist? by Hognoxious · 2013-09-27 01:41 · Score: 1

The Mazda 3 and Ford Focus both still have the third pedal as an option, and that's just off the top of my head.

I prefer it on the floor next to the other two.

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Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
why not a Tesla? by genericmk · 2013-09-27 03:14 · Score: 1

Interesting that it isn't a Tesla that is the first car on Amazon. Nissan is clearly going to piss off their dealers.
Amazon has sold cars before... by drkoemans · 2013-09-27 08:52 · Score: 1

In 2000 I used an Amazon service known as Greenlight.com that was supposed to provide you with a no haggle car buying experience. I had just graduated from college, got married and wanted my first "real" car (at the time that real car was to be a VW Passat). I had never bought a car from a dealership before and the idea of no haggle had a lot of appeal. My experience was a total disaster. I picked our my car, color, options and they connected me with a local dealer that had the vehicle in stock. The model and trim I wanted was popular at the time so inventory was low and the local dealer wanted an additional $500 over the pre-negotiated price. I told them to get bent. $500 over the life of a car loan isn't much but it was the principal of the matter. I got real noisy with Amazon regarding their no-haggle "guarantee." I was blown off but vindicated a few months later when the service was killed. Here's to a better go at it this time. I'm saving my pennies for a Tesla. Amazon also had a state in Kozmo at the time, I hear that is coming back as well.
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/consumer/autos/mauto779.htm
http://news.cnet.com/Amazon-invests-in-car-retailer-Greenlight/2100-1017_3-235946.html