....The 5 is go!!!
So, par for the course: I go to pick up the car today. The servicetards tell me to see the cashier. The cashier starts looking for paperwork. "Um, yeah. I just need to test drive my car. We'll worry about the paperwork later."
It took them TWENTY MINUTES to FIND MY berkeleyING KEY. In the meantime, Service Manager is nowhere to be found (shocker.)
Anyway, long story short, I hopped in the car, drove it to the Mazda dealership, had a berkeleying awesome experience, and got an absolutely screaming deal on a 2013 Mazda5 Grand Touring.
I will miss the Fit. I loved that car, and had an emotional attachment to it. Not only was it my first new car, but the peak of YEARS of Honda love and commitment. I truly believe that it is the last of the "real" Hondas. Lightweight. No frills, no spills. Underpowered but rock solid and handles amazingly. 100% made in Japan.
Until I got home today, FINALLY with a clear head for the first time in over a week, I realized, I'm not JUST pissed at the dealer. I may be pretty much berkeleying done with Honda. After all the loyalty, the race cars, the DD's, their response was basically "This is a dealer problem. Not our problem. We think the dealer is 'making it right.'"
berkeley Honda. The dealer obviously doesn't give two E36 M3s. I'm not going to bother sending the GM another letter, but I'll draft a masterpiece for Honda NA. I really expected them to step up to the plate, but they didn't, and I shouldn't have to climb any further up their chain of command than a case manager. Not my problem. You're either not training your people well, or you simply don't give a berkeley about your loyal customers.
On the contrary, the experience with Jim Ellis Mazda in Marietta GA was OUT-berkeleyING-STANDING. 90% of the deal was done via email, and they sweetened the berkeley out of the pot when I got there, rather than starting in with the shady E36 M3. Basically, I got top trade-in for the Fit, $3k off the MSRP, and 0% financing. They were very appreciative of the racing stuff (the LeMons MX-3,) AND the fact that I'd brought my sister in law down to buy a new 5 last year. Salesman's name was Mike Maclennan, and we had a berkeleying blast throughout the whole transaction, busting each other's balls, telling jokes and stories, SMILING AND LAUGHING. A GREAT CREW there, in sharp contrast to EVERYONE I'VE EVER DEALT WITH AT:
Hennessy Honda Woodstock. If each one of sends us a bag of dicks for them to eat, it might be enough. Just a dollar a day.....
ZOOM ZOOM, motherberkeleyers. Hope it was worth the berkeleying few hundred bucks you saved.
If anyone has a high-level contact at Honda they'd like to share with me, I'd appreciate it. The deal is done. They had their chance. I was polite and understanding with everyone I spoke to, which is what I respond to if one of my customers has a problem. I'm not angling for an apology, or a free car, or a starbucks berkeleying gift card at this point. I just want to talk to someone who cares about the fact that I am going to find new, creative ways to berkeley Honda...specifically Hennessy Honda of Woodstock, out of as many sales as I possibly berkeleying can. At least $thousands. I'll push for $tens of thousands...all because they were too berkeleying cheap to fix their mistake.
