Q. Is it customary or acceptable for a car dealer to require cash or a check before starting to negotiate a new-car purchase?
Second question: I had printed from a value guide Web site the trade-in value of my used car ($3,125-$3,400). How is it possible for the dealer to have shown me a printout the same day from the same site with substantially different figures ($2,175)? And then he offered me only $1,200 for my used car? Are there different Web sites for dealers and consumers?
— L.M., Roselle
A. You hand over cash or check for services rendered or goods acquired? Until you get service or goods from the dealer, the cash or check stays in your pocket or purse. In this case the dealer gave you neither service nor goods, unless you consider being treated like a fool a service rendered.
Demanding money first is like nailing your shoes to the floor to keep you from leaving before a sale was completed. The moment the dealer made that demand is the moment you should have done an about-face and run out of the store.
You stayed to listen about trade-in values?
How is it possible to have different values from the same service? Perhaps you looked at the retail value from the Web site, the price dealers are asking when selling that vehicle, whereas the dealer provided you with a quote on the trade-in value, or what your car is worth.
Keep in mind value guides are just that, guides that give ballpark figures. Dealers and consumers have access to the same guides.
Q. I saw a new Ford Thunderbird in the showroom the other day with a sticker price of $39,000 and a second Ford factory sticker that said: “Adjusted market value–$10,000,” bringing the total for this car to $49,000. A bit much of a markup. The dealer said he has sold three at this price.
— T.B., Destin, Fla.
A. The second sticker wasn’t a Ford factory sticker but one the dealer printed up to add a $10,000 profit. As long as people cough up $10,000, he’ll probably continue adding that amount to each car. You have the choice of slipping $10,000 in your dealer’s pocket or slipping out of his showroom. You wisely opted for the latter.
Q. I was disappointed you bashed the Pontiac Fiero in your column (Transportation, Feb. 10). I own four of these darling little cars and love them. I belong to the Northern Illinois Fiero Enthusiasts Club, which has about 350 members. The club has a get-together each September called Fierorama, where they attract about 150 Fieros of all variations, from stock to custom bodies and engine transplants, including anything from 3.1-liter V-6s to Corvette 350s and Caddy Northstars.
— C.R., Elgin
A. Bash? Simply said a stunning concept roadster such as the Pontiac Solstice at the Chicago Auto Show will help folks forget the abomination called Fiero. You say 350 people can come up with 150 cars. Are the 200 who don’t bring a Fiero the ones who didn’t transplant an engine into their vehicle?
Q. I recently received a ticket for illegally tinted windows. Apparently Illinois is one of the few states that has a law prohibiting driver/passenger windows from being tinted. I hear the reasoning is for the safety of the state troopers.
I think the law is unfair to those who enjoy customizing their cars because tinted windows look good. I also was warned about not having my front license plate displayed on my ’91 Camaro. I think this law is specifically unfair to cars such as the Camaro, Corvette and Trans Am as well as other muscle and sports cars. It seems to me that Illinois needs to think over some of the laws that are truly useless.
— R.C., Chicago
A. It is illegal in Illinois to tint front driver- and passenger-side windows or tint all but the top six inches of the windshield. You can tint the side rear and/or back window. The tinting laws are designed to keep front glass clear so a police officer stopping a motorist can see inside and quickly determine whether motorist or passenger has a weapon. The cops aren’t wearing armored vests as a fashion statement, so our vote goes with the cops. Illinois requires license plates front and rear. Camaro, Corvette, Trans Am and all muscle and sports cars have drill holes hidden behind the front fascia that the dealer can use to apply the plate.
Q. Any luxury cars between $40,000-$50,000 that offer a fabric interior similar to the Lincolns and Cadillacs of the ’80s?
— W.M., Barrington
A. Not at Lincoln. At Cadillac you can get cloth only in the entry-level $30,000 CTS, but you have to purchase it in Japan. Lexus has a GS300 (about $40,000), IS300 (about $30,000) and an RX300 (about $35,000) with cloth, but typically luxury buyers demand leather seats.
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Write to Jim Mateja, Chicago Tribune, 700 N. Milwaukee Ave., Suite 135, Vernon Hills, IL 60061-1523, or send e-mail, including name and hometown, to jmateja@tribune.com.
