Car Ads That Lie
As a former car salesman (for about a year, and yes—I did well!) and current advertising exec (for about 40 years now—did OK there, too), I can tell you that car ads are among the most misleading ads the unsuspecting consumer can encounter.
Don’t let those hot, slow motion ads of cars sliding sideways in big parking lots fool you. There’s a lot going on behind the fancy effects. It all comes down to this: the advertisers want your money, the more of it the better, and you won’t always be getting in return all that you thought you would.
1. That’s not your car.
The vehicle you see in the common car ad is usually very well equipped, with expensive wheels and accessories that won’t be on the car you end up buying. Why not? Because once you’re in the dealership and see what those extras cost, you’ll find yourself settling for less. I’ve seen it happen a thousand times. You went in there thinking you’d get all the special accessories—the wheels, the GPS, the high end radio, the computer hookups, etc. But you drove off with less once you find out what it would cost. Beware of ad copy that says things like “from $21,999.” It’s the word “from” that will trip you up. Stay within your budget, no matter what they tell you.
Here’s a great video from Edmonds.com that talks about car buying in general:
2. Beware the mileage claims.
You’re starting to see all kinds of new vehicles claiming to deliver mileage of 30-40 mpg. Some of them actually do deliver what they claim—if you drive like you have an eggshell between the pedal and your foot. And don’t EVEN think you’ll come close to that mileage if you drive like the guy in the commercial. (Notice how many of those guys are wearing helmets, by the way.) Everyone’s mileage varies. Your driving style has a lot to do with the actual miles per gallon you achieve. Pay attention to the claims—and then translate your potential mpg according to how conservative you are as a driver. If you’re a hot rodder, forget it.
3. Leasing payments to die for.
Maybe…just maybe…you’ll be one of the very few car buyers who qualifies for that $199/mo. Lease payment. Most of us end up paying more. It comes down to the final price of the vehicle (how many accessories you include), plus your credit score. The better your score, the better chance you have to “qualify” for that low monthly payment.
Read the fine print in the ad or commercial (the latter whizzes by in about 3 seconds, so you’d need to freeze frame your digital recorder to actually read the whole thing—these dealers know what they’re doing, don’t they?).
It all comes down to this: buyer beware.
Do your homework. Look up invoice prices and average purchase prices online. Read the fine print…but enjoy the ride.