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I figure it has more to do with the fact that the ICE car comes with a lifetime of engine and other maintenance that the dealership is looking to cash in on long after the warranty is expired. Even within the warranty, EVs don't need oil changes. Just brakes and tires, which are done much less frequently. And after the warranty, it's a long list of minor repairs to engine components, not to mention supporting all the emission control stuff. It's a gravy train and they don't want to get off.

Many states actually have laws that ban Tesla from selling directly. More have laws limiting the number of stores that a manufacturer can have.

Only 14 allow unrestricted direct sales, and many of them only apply to companies that either don’t already have franchise agreements or only sell EVs.

Manufacturers would LOVE to cut out the middlemen and sell direct today.

Absolutely right. Consistently awful dealership experiences are the primary reason I have kept my cars for a long time. If the dealers weren't so miserable I would have owned twice as many vehicles and would be driving something much newer right now. Who needs a fight and to spend tens of thousands of dollars just to end up feeling screwed?

It seems like some of the car manufacturers might have figured that out by now.

Buying a Tesla was a great experience. You go in and test drive the car (while knowing the price it'll cost before leaving the house) to make sure it's a good fit. If you like it you can talk to them about ordering one and they'll walk you through everything. You can also buy it online and have it delivered to you without having to visit a showroom. Elon is a dick but Tesla has perfected the car buying experience.

I ordered a Chevy Bolt in Dec 2022 after hearing good things in /r/boltev about Aundre at Chriswell Chevy in Maryland.

MSRP, no markup (during the height of Bolt markups), no add-ons, everything by email and phone. Just one trip there to drop off the check. Dude even personally delivered the car to the house.

Recommended Aundre to a friend who had the same experience. Boom!

Do all of the dealing via email only. Then go in to test drive when you have the numbers you like with explicit instructions that if those numbers change, you're walking. Only be available to come in 30min before closing. Understand that during the paperwork process the finance person has to try to sell you the warranties/dealer shit. Let them know upfront you aren't buying any of it and will say no to everything. Don't be mean, but don't be nice. They have a job they gotta do, but it's best to let them know they're not getting any more commission out of you, so efficiency is their friend.

They will want to call you. Don't answer. Plenty won't deal with you like this. That's ok. Don't give them your $. Find those that will.

Your leverage is your ability to walk from the deal at any time.

My most recent car purchase went pretty well. I knew exactly what I wanted, I saw the car in stock on their website, and I called them saying I'm picking it up today. It went so fast they didn't have time to pull any bullshit.

I did but I had already done all my research online and knew the exact car I wanted and how much I would pay and I didn't deviate. All you have to do is put your foot down, be a stone faced asshole, you will break them.

Just finishing purchasing a car in mexico, pretty much no hidden fee and a reasonably low cost of debt considering the high government interest rate we have.

I think you guys have the problem of having the government in bed with dealerships, they hold way too much power and don't even try to compete if they can cooperate against the consumer.

Go to the dealership? Can't you just order a car online to be delivered to you? A lot of dealers do that here in the UK.

Actually, when I bought my Prius, it was a really easy in-and-out once we secured the loan. Maybe because it was used? I don't know. But the dealer was not pushy at all.

On the other hand, we once had another experience where my wife test-drove a Scion model she was interested in and the salesman talked directly to me the entire time, even when I told him more than once to talk to my wife because I wasn't buying the car.

I think I am reasonably happy with my civic purchase 11 years ago. I knew what I wanted and a local dealer had it. Price was what was advertised. Sorry no real bad memories of the experience. Maybe I got lucky or maybe I just don't remember.

"Many GM dealers have elected to take a buyout from the company rather than make the switch. Some Ford dealers are suing to prevent its electric car mandates from taking effect."

so it's not merely laziness or ignorance of individual people - this is choosing not to sell EVs at management/ownership level.

If you need a new car, waiting is often not an option.

Really? Now is the time where the cars are actually worthwhile. Yes, tech will always get better, but if it makes sense for you, go ahead!

As I explained elsewhere, people don’t like paywalls, so I posted this one. Chill out dude