agentcom
Member
Hi all,
Thank you for providing such a great resource. I wish I could say that I was excited to be here, but so far trying to purchase one of these amazing cars has been frustrating and disappointing. I do not know if I am doing something wrong, if I'm unlucky or if my experience is just how people buy cars. I will be grateful if anyone can provide any advice or insight on this experience. I hope someday to own (and drive!) a manual CT5-V Blackwing. But how to get there? Here's my (so far unsuccessful) story:
I am not sure when I first heard about the 5VBW, but my decision to buy one was sealed by the October 2021 Car and Driver article. Shortly after, I started contacting local Caddy dealerships. As someone who has never bought a new car and only once bought a car from a dealership (used Honda CR-V), I didn't know what to expect. By going through an official dealer for a price that could buy five to 100 of my previous vehicles, I was looking forward to picking out a vehicle and getting on the waitlist that I knew was forming while knowing that the higher price was for a better product AND experience.
Things got weird pretty much from the start. The dealerships I called would tell me to first go online, spec out the car, print out the resulting packet and then come in for a discussion. Not a great start, but I had a good idea from that article which things I wanted, so I printed something out and scheduled a visit with a salesman. The meeting was a disappointment. The dealer basically took my packet, re-typed in everything, couldn't get the same options packages to go together and also told me that they charged $10k over the price (MSRP) on the packet that they told me to print out. On top of that, the guy just seemed to not really know or care about either the car or this transaction. (Someone else from that office advised me to call in every month to demonstrate my enthusiasm, however.)
In January of 2022, I called another dealership, where I spoke to a sales manager who seemed a lot more interested in helping me get this car. He gave me more information about how the ordering, waitlist, build, delivery process went. Plus, their dealer mark-up was more negotiable (possibly as low as $5k). I met with one of his salesmen who at least seemed enthusiastic about the vehicle and the transaction. After my paperwork apparently went missing, I was told that I was officially in the system / on the waitlist in mid-February of 2022. (In hindsight, being pawned off on someone other than whom I spoke to and the disappearing paperwork should have been warning signs #1 and 2.)
It is now 14 months later. I have periodic conversations with the salesman which go as follows:
No follow up.
On our most recent call, he told me that it was also the carbon fiber that was making my order take longer. I asked (a) how many were being made with/without CF parts; (b) how far up on the waitlist would I be if I changed my order; and (c) how much to get the parts ordered and installed later. He said he'd get back to me. Nothing. I sent him some different specs without carbon fiber to see how far up the list I would go if I did change it. Nothing.
As this has unfolded, I have read more and more of this and other forums and feel like you all are having a much different experience. I see people saying don't pay over MSRP. I see people who have codes that tell them how their order is progressing. I see people complimenting their dealers. Most importantly, I see people with delivered vehicles!
How can I become one of you?
I am more than willing to switch dealers. I'm willing to travel across the country for pick up (and break it in on the way home).
Thank you in advance for your help. I look forward to being a member of this community.
Thank you for providing such a great resource. I wish I could say that I was excited to be here, but so far trying to purchase one of these amazing cars has been frustrating and disappointing. I do not know if I am doing something wrong, if I'm unlucky or if my experience is just how people buy cars. I will be grateful if anyone can provide any advice or insight on this experience. I hope someday to own (and drive!) a manual CT5-V Blackwing. But how to get there? Here's my (so far unsuccessful) story:
I am not sure when I first heard about the 5VBW, but my decision to buy one was sealed by the October 2021 Car and Driver article. Shortly after, I started contacting local Caddy dealerships. As someone who has never bought a new car and only once bought a car from a dealership (used Honda CR-V), I didn't know what to expect. By going through an official dealer for a price that could buy five to 100 of my previous vehicles, I was looking forward to picking out a vehicle and getting on the waitlist that I knew was forming while knowing that the higher price was for a better product AND experience.
Things got weird pretty much from the start. The dealerships I called would tell me to first go online, spec out the car, print out the resulting packet and then come in for a discussion. Not a great start, but I had a good idea from that article which things I wanted, so I printed something out and scheduled a visit with a salesman. The meeting was a disappointment. The dealer basically took my packet, re-typed in everything, couldn't get the same options packages to go together and also told me that they charged $10k over the price (MSRP) on the packet that they told me to print out. On top of that, the guy just seemed to not really know or care about either the car or this transaction. (Someone else from that office advised me to call in every month to demonstrate my enthusiasm, however.)
In January of 2022, I called another dealership, where I spoke to a sales manager who seemed a lot more interested in helping me get this car. He gave me more information about how the ordering, waitlist, build, delivery process went. Plus, their dealer mark-up was more negotiable (possibly as low as $5k). I met with one of his salesmen who at least seemed enthusiastic about the vehicle and the transaction. After my paperwork apparently went missing, I was told that I was officially in the system / on the waitlist in mid-February of 2022. (In hindsight, being pawned off on someone other than whom I spoke to and the disappearing paperwork should have been warning signs #1 and 2.)
It is now 14 months later. I have periodic conversations with the salesman which go as follows:
No follow up.
On our most recent call, he told me that it was also the carbon fiber that was making my order take longer. I asked (a) how many were being made with/without CF parts; (b) how far up on the waitlist would I be if I changed my order; and (c) how much to get the parts ordered and installed later. He said he'd get back to me. Nothing. I sent him some different specs without carbon fiber to see how far up the list I would go if I did change it. Nothing.
As this has unfolded, I have read more and more of this and other forums and feel like you all are having a much different experience. I see people saying don't pay over MSRP. I see people who have codes that tell them how their order is progressing. I see people complimenting their dealers. Most importantly, I see people with delivered vehicles!
How can I become one of you?
I am more than willing to switch dealers. I'm willing to travel across the country for pick up (and break it in on the way home).
Should I be posting this somewhere else?
My plan was to get the BW with the carbon brakes and CF bodywork but to remove and store these OEM parts replacing them with stock brakes and bodywork for road driving.
This is part of my larger plan of using this car (lightly) for several years and having the option to trade for something "more reasonable" if I ever felt I needed less of a race car and more of a family car. I think this car (well maintained and lightly used) will hold a reasonable amount of its value over time and these OEM race parts would help with that eventual resale value.
Do not think from the above that I'm trying to flip this car. I really want to own and drive it myself! I am asking for input on whether and how to do this. My initial plan was to take it to the dealership to have this done (after I get a chance to lap it, another first that I'm looking forward to!).
My plan was to get the BW with the carbon brakes and CF bodywork but to remove and store these OEM parts replacing them with stock brakes and bodywork for road driving.
This is part of my larger plan of using this car (lightly) for several years and having the option to trade for something "more reasonable" if I ever felt I needed less of a race car and more of a family car. I think this car (well maintained and lightly used) will hold a reasonable amount of its value over time and these OEM race parts would help with that eventual resale value.
Do not think from the above that I'm trying to flip this car. I really want to own and drive it myself! I am asking for input on whether and how to do this. My initial plan was to take it to the dealership to have this done (after I get a chance to lap it, another first that I'm looking forward to!).
Thank you in advance for your help. I look forward to being a member of this community.
That's the plan anyway.
