You know what really grinds my gears?!

[ScottyB]

i actually went to a couple seminars on car sales when i graduated...moving to a new city, no job prospects (lol art major), figured i could make some bucks working sales because i know cars better than most and felt like being an honest guy would make me better at it.  didn't pan out, probably wouldn't have, but i learned some of the tactics that most of these guys use...

your regular, big name superdealer sales guys are working with 3 main things right off the top:

• they're trying to get you emotionally attached, first and foremost.  that's why most are keen to let you test drive.  they want you in the seat, imagining it in your driveway, and finding ways/excuses to pay for it
  
• the average joe only knows the basics about trim levels but most will either be flexible or willing to accept bad info if they're emotionally connected to the driving experience and the sales guys know it.  they only know enough to make conversation while they get you in the seat.  they can sort the rest out on paper or swap cars with other dealers to seal the deal if someone complains enough.
  
• from there its a matter of making the payments look good through their own financing wing and doing it as quickly as possible before you have a chance to rethink/back out/shop around.
  

we're in the weird niche group of people that actually know about the cars, but for the vast majority of their sales, it just doesn't matter and they can get away with it all the time.  that's why shitty sales guys will never change, because their customers can't be bothered to either.

best thing you can do is just ignore them, or send them on a fool's errand (do you have XXX impossible-to-find-color on the lot?) while you look and then jet.