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I went to a local Honda dealer to have a look at an S2000. I had owned an Integra GS-R and currently owned a one year old RSX Type S, so the S2k seemed a perfect fit for me. They even had a yellow one, just like I wanted. I talk to a salesman, tell him I'm interested. Ask for a test drive. He tells me that they don't do test drives on the S2000. I tell him there's no way in hell I'm buying a $35,000 car without a test drive. He tells me he'd need a deposit and my signature on a purchase contract. I tell him I'd like to speak with his manager. He leaves me in the showroom for 10 minutes. So I leave. The salesguy chases me in the parking lot to try to get me to come to the table. I tell him he's not the only Honda dealer in town and I'm taking my business elsewhere.
On my way home I pass a lot that deals primarily in used Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes cars. They have a couple Boxsters and 911s. They put me in a Black 2001 Boxster. It takes me about two minutes to decide that I am going to buy this car if my research checks out (I wanted to make sure it was reliable and that maintenance wouldn't put me in the poor house).
The kicker was that I was finally going to the Indianapolis 500 after years of watching the race on TV, and the whole time I was there I couldn't wait to get home so I could pick up my Boxster!
So, to any of you who sell Hondas, the moral of the story is this... When a guy who has owned two VTEC powered Hondas expresses interest in your roadster, let him drive it. I probably would've gone home with it. It may be special to you because you don't sell many $35,000 cars, but remember that a potential customer could walk into Porsche, BMW, or Mercedes and drive cars that cost $20,000 more than your car without the salesman even getting nervous.
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