AIBU to think car dealership is being pushy?

[MeMyCatsAndMyBooks]

I am a motability customer been one for 6 years with the same car, they extended my lease way beyond due to lack of choice. also I’m nervous with change. Takes me a long time to get used to something and not much mileage, Car due to end November.

Anyway, I put a new order in for the same car I have now just the updated verison which I was pleased about as it’s only the technology that’s changed, I was told by the dealership they had them in stock.
They’ve turned round today and said they have no manuals in stock they are due in end of October when motability have completed their checks if no delays.

Now the garage are trying to push an automatic they have in stock on me and trying to get me to say yes today even though I only went to the dealership yesterday and take the car next week.

I’ve never driven an automatic even though it’d help me with my disabilities I’m super nervous about the idea of an automatic.
Motability have said I can keep the car even longer long as I have the car on order and they won’t be taking the choice of car I’ve picked off their “menu” anytime soon.

What would you guys do? I’ve heard people waiting 12 months and being told the car isn’t available anymore but I’m worried if I take the automatic I literally have one week to get my head around it till I have it and I won’t be able to drive it! Motability said they shouldn’t be pushing me like this. 🥲
I only have four hours to decide what to do, it’s so much pressure especially for someone who has anxiety issues. I would of preferred at least a week to think it through and maybe of gone back for a test drive, not 6 hours! They told me if I don't take it today and agree then the car won't be there tomorrow which is crap isn't it?

100% swap to automatic. Hin3estly it will make your life so much easier. The car wont roll back (I know manual cars also can have hill assist), take your foot off the break, the car holds and you just accelerate. As other PP said, you put the car into drive and thats it. All you need to do is accelerate and break!.
It really is a lazy mans way of driving and I love it 🤣

What car is it @MeMyCatsAndMyBooks ?

I absolutely would not order it without testing driving it. A Motability contract is at least 3 yrs long. When you agree to it you’re saying that you’ve made sure that you know it’s right for you now and in the coming years. Of course they make allowances for unforeseen circumstances and changes in your needs, but you can get charged up to £250 to end the lease early and you’re stuck with a car that you don’t get on with until you can get a replacement.

I’ve got an automatic and would never go back to a manual, but I’d never have got one or a replacement vehicle without test driving it.

As an aside Motability don’t know when manufactures or models get withdrawn. They have no control over that.

Automatic cars no longer have 1 2 3, just

D DRIVE
P PARK
N NEUTRAL
R REVERSE.

But @Scylax - with the demand for cars, they probably have other customers who want that style of car. Why should a business lose out while OP takes her time to decide? This is fairly standard - quick decision, or lose out. Whether you're talking about cars, houses, or anything else.

Op, I have rheumatoid arthritis and have an automatic mobility car. I too dreaded the change but OH MY GOD! Once I made the change under the suggestion of my dr ( need a right knee replacement) I have never ever looked back. They are so simple to use and I found that it improved my fuel economy as well as made driving ten times easier. They really are incredibly straight forward and are a dream to drive.

Thing is if they had said to me we'll keep the car aside for a week and you can come test drive it say Monday and make a decision then I'd feel a lot happier.
At the moment they expect me to say yes/no today without even a test drive.

Yes they are being pushy but an auto will be a lot easier for you with hill starts - you won't risk burning clutch out or going backwards either.

Another vote saying go for the Auto ! We changed my Mums car to an Automatic a few years back, she was in her 70's at the time and in a complete panic about it (even though it was her idea to start with) . Wasn't going to drive it, would never get used to it. Took about 2 days and she hasn't looked back. I also changed to an auto about 5 years ago and wouldn't go back to a manual.

Ssayong Tivoli. I have the 2015 model currently and I love it, the 2023 model is the same just updated tech.
It's just the fact if they had said pop in Monday for a test drive and decide then I'd feel a lot happier rather than make a decision without a test drive. I don't know if I should go back to them and say without a test drive I'm not happy.

It’s a really big decision, totalling wrong to be pressured by the dealer. You would have to be an absolute fool to order one without a test drive. My DH loves auto, but all autos aren’t all the same, we looked to buy a Peugeot auto, took it for a test drive and it was absolutely awful, DH hated it, needless to say we didn’t buy it.

Automatic is like driving a go cart, it's amazing and really easy to get used to. All new cars have mechanisms that stop them rolling back and often auto park (reverse parks or pulls into space for you) and they also have also stop which kills the engine if you're sitting in traffic for too long to avoid pollution and using fuel when you don't need to.

You'll wonder why you were worried once you get in and have a drive around!!

Do you have to have any adaptations made to the car? If not can you call into another dealership and pretend you're going to buy one and see if they'll let you have a test drive.

If you suffer from anxiety than automatics are your friend!

You will not look back

I get that. You are clearly very unfamiliar with automatics in general - but they don't know that. From their point of view the difference between auto/manual isn't a big deal, and they may have 200 other clients for who it's not a big deal either.

I don't think either party is being unreasonable here. You have a choice to make - either accept the guarantee of an automatic without the chance to test drive, or take your chances of a manual being available or not.

Don’t let them push you around. If they’re being this pushy it’s because they really want to close the sale.

So you tell them “I don’t really want an auto without test driving, and the price of this auto is a bit out of my budget” - with a test drive and a big discount you will consider it.

Do not budge from that position. It’s a car, you have to drive it first.

Auto is great btw, ignore 1,2,3 - lots of autos don’t even have that option. Use D to go forward, R to go backward, P when you park.

Gerry

This would really annoy me.

How dare they pressurised you so much.

I would decline just on principle.

Agree with everything everyone else is saying.

But they have no right to pressurise you so much.

Are you able to go to a different dealer or just swap in a few months instead?

Definitely go back to them and tell them you want to test drive it first. Don’t be pushed into doing something that is not right for you. It’s a big decision to make at the end of the day so it needs to be an informed one.

Not with a Motability car! The op should not be pressured into making up her mind immediately without even having a test drive. Motability make it clear that the customer should take their time and make sure that the car meets their needs.
Send me the dealership phone number and salesman's name op. I'll have a few sharp words with them about pressure selling to a vulnerable Motability customer . It's disgusting behavior.
Motability cars are different stock to those for regular customers, so the only person who may come in and order it is another Motability customer

Say yes and arrange to go Monday to test drive. Go Monday but do t sign anything until you test drive. They can’t do anything if you dont sign.

And you have 14 days cooling off anyway.

I don’t think anyone should be pressurised into buying a ssang Yong automatic car without having driven it. Their auto boxes might be crap (they might not, but it is a cheap as chips and pretty crappy brand so they couid well be). It is nonsense that they are pressurising you so much.
if you are willing to think about an auto box then go back to them and tell them that if they want to sell you one they will have to let you test drive a few different brands.

I would tell them that you aren’t prepared to make a decision without a decent test drive and if it’s still around on [when you can next get to the dealership] you’d love to try it out.

While I agree with the majority that an automatic will probably be easier for you to drive and you’ll get the hang of it quickly and prefer it, I think it’s a big risk to take that on faith. You know you can drive the manual. You don’t know that about the automatic. If it turns out the automatic doesn’t work for you, thats going to be somewhat catastrophic for your day-to-day life, isn’t it? I don’t think that’s a risk worth taking, even though the upside looks good.

Automatics are easy to drive, put it in drive to go forwards and reverse to go backwards, the car does the gears.

As for the garage, be firm. Tell them (don’t ask, tell) that you cannot amend the order without test driving first. Tell them when you can get to them for a test drive, ask if a car will be available to try at that point and they can have a decision after that. Be firm, they are being pushy, don’t apologise. Have a phrase ready to rebuff the pressure from them, something like, “This is a significant purchase for me, I have to test drive the automatic before I change the order otherwise the order has to stay as it is.” Repeat as necessary, don;t let them browbeat you. Good luck!

I agree with what others are saying. Driving automatics is so easy. However, I’d want to say no to them because they are being so pushy and it’s making you uncomfortable and that’s not ok. Can you get the car elsewhere?

I might have agreed with you, but only up to the point where they lied to motability saying OP had already accepted!

Definitely go for the automatic! For all of the reasons already stated. They're as easy to drive as dodgems 😂