So, you want to buy a luxury car

TONY TAVARES

The luxury car industry is alive and well in Vancouver. The ups and downs of our market economy seem only to marginally affect this buying segment. If there is a boom or bust, it is as much governed by fashion, keeping up with the Joneses or the "I'll have what she's having" attitude as it is by real disposable income.

What also seems remarkable is the wide range of the demographic age mix. This can stretch from someone in their early 20s to the retiree enjoying the fruits of years of hard work. In addition, with the onset of the Internet and the easily accessible relevant websites, the buyer is now well-informed and savvy. They are, by and large, already armed before they enter the showroom.

This has an obvious impact on luxury car sales. To begin with, salespeople have to be sure they are equally or even better informed than the prospect walking into their showrooms. They have to work harder to earn the trust of those prospective clients. They have to outshine the competition in service and product knowledge. Negotiating skills are lessons in politics, diplomacy and business acumen.

This new landscape has also crossed gender boundaries. It is just as common today to see a woman shop for luxury cars with knowledge and confidence in what was traditionally the domain of men. This is not to say that they necessarily share the same criteria of needs and wants but the decision-making dynamic has changed – to the degree that, since the woman, in many cases, being also the principal operator of the car, is also the yea-or-nay sayer in the process. Even in cases where the husband does the initial shopping, most often the wife is the one to give the final go-ahead.

Many reasons govern this change. First and foremost is the fact that there are now many more women professionals and entrepreneurs who enjoy the corporate perks of leasing luxury cars, or who can simply afford the indulgence. Today's reality of the two-income family – two lawyers, two dentists, two entrepreneurs or even the executive mom and the stay-at-home dad – has also contributed to this new buying dynamic. The impact is best illustrated by a recently opened boutique car dealership, run by women, serving women only – a clear acknowledgement of that buying power.

Manufacturers respond to this highly competitive market with constant model upgrades, attaching new and more sophisticated technology each year. It was not that long ago that talking to a computer was science fiction. Now you can ask your car computer/navigation system to find you the nearest gas station, hotel, shopping mall, Japanese restaurant or McDonald's.

The luxury car shopper entering the showroom, having done some research, is still faced with a barrage of options, accessories, engine sizes and performance packages. These are complicated cars. The BMW i-drive is not for the techno-peasant. There are 25 computers running various functions of the full-size Range Rover Supercharged. There are keyless entries, keys that recharge themselves, keys to program for various functions, a variety of computer chips to compensate for aggressive driving, tiptronic shifting, paddle shifting – the list goes on. This is overwhelming for the uninitiated shopper.

The solution is both simple and complicated. Simple because the buyer can, and should, be well-prepared with the wide range of information available on the Internet, and complicated because that buyer will still have to have, as much as possible, a clear picture of wants and needs before entering the dealership. The buyer is forced to make complex choices – and people, in general, do not have the time or the inclination to put that much work into a car purchase.

However, such a process does serve to engender a smoother, and more pleasant, sales experience between buyer and seller. With much of the preliminary work done by the buyer, the sales process progresses more quickly, because, while there are buyers who want their cars right away, there are also buyers who defer decision-making to many months down the road. That's also a reasonable expectation in this process because, for most people, it is one of their most important money-spending decisions; superseded only by their home purchase.

So, do the research. Be well-informed on the product of choice. Ask the questions that are most important to you. Be satisfied with the answers. Explore the options and benefits in purchase versus leasing versus financing. Find out what works best for you. Do all of this and the car purchase experience should prove to be both enjoyable and satisfying.

When all is said and done, and all this extra work notwithstanding, ask yourself this question: When I am holding my morning cup of coffee and I pull aside my living room curtains, is that the car I want to see in my driveway?

Tony Tavares is a salesman with MCL Motor Cars in Vancouver.

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