There's a good kind of lounge. It's the one in a beach-side luxury resort, where everyone is attractive and the atmosphere is cool enough that you don't blink when asked to plunk down $15 for a martini. Then there's the bad lounge, the one where it's grievous just to be there. This is the one at your local car dealership.
So I'm done with the advisor. He told me it would be an hour wait, so I make my way to the lounge. Being here reminds me of the time I rode a bus from Detroit to Denver; everybody desparately looks like they want to be somewhere else but can't.
My experience in the Toyota dealership lounge:
10:37 a.m. The lounge is a small room with fixed chairs lining the walls. Some have cushions, others not. There's only one other man here. He seems to be mumbling to himself. A few minutes later, he picks up the courtesy phone and has a low-toned conversation. Suddenly, he punctuates it with a loud and very clear, "I don't want the money!" Then he hangs up.
10:47 a.m. I've brought my IBM ThinkPad notebook with me. On a whim, I search for an unsecured wireless network. The dealership has one. Yes! Having internet access is strangely liberating. While everyone else is stuck staring at the gray-tinged walls or reading a book, I can get work done or, alternately, search for Jessica Alba pictures. It's up to me.
11:05 a.m. A couple is fiddling with their cell phone. Playing a video game? Trying to find a new ringtone? Whatever they're doing, the incessant beeping from the phone is annoying after 15 seconds and dreadful after 5 minutes.
11:26 a.m. Two young men enter the lounge. Baggy pants, hoodies, messenger tote bags. One or both is a Scion owner, I decide. They get coffee. One, perhaps not familiar with the way a cup works, holds his at an angle. Coffee dribbles onto the floor. He doesn't notice. "Dude, you're spilling coffee," his friend says. "Ahh, man!" He's apparently distraught, but not enough to actually clean up his mess off the floor.
11:50 a.m. No word from my service advisor. There is a gentleman who sat down recently, however. He's placed his head into his hands. I secretly decide that he's thinking, "Why did I buy that crappy Toyota Echo? I should have followed the advice of Edmunds.com's editors!"
11:57 a.m. My advisor is MIA, but another advisor comes into the lounge and tells me that our Camry is ready. The charge for this wonderful experience? $45.46.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor, Edmunds.com
alpha01 says:
05:38 PM, 10/19/06
Seems like an unfortunately typical experience at Toyota Service departments.
I'm very shocked that the 4 cylinder- which is a lightly modified version of the 02-05 engine, REQUIRES synthetic oil. In fact, I don't believe that. I think - also very typical Toyota Service, that that is a line. I don't have an owners manual on hand, but surely that would be able to clarify, yes?
I'm interested to know the truth, and sadly, you're unlikely to get that from any Toyota service advisor I've met.
~alpha
billt9 says:
06:19 PM, 10/19/06
You should move to Houston, and go to Fred Haas Toyota World.
Giant, state of the art facility, with large glass windows peering into the service bay, if you don't trust the dealership.
It's quite relaxing to be there. They do good work, and are about the cheapest dealership in town.
Totally unlike other older dealerships I've been to, where you get to suffer in a small, windowless waiting room.
bromans says:
12:16 PM, 10/20/06
I looked at our 2007 Camry's service manual. Interestingly, 0W-20 is the *recommended* oil for the four-cylinder engine. I could be wrong here, but I believe that 0W-20 is a full synthetic oil. So at first glance it would seem that the service advisor was correct -- *however*, the manual also states that 5W-20 can also be used. So it would seem that the service advisor/dealership could be bending the truth. But in his defense, I don't recall if he actually used the word "required." -- Brent
alpha01 says:
09:52 PM, 10/20/06
Thanks for the follow-up, Brent. (I enjoy your blog postings, fwiw).
Joe
alpha01 says:
09:52 PM, 10/20/06
Thanks for the follow-up, Brent. (I enjoy your blog postings, fwiw).
~alpha01 (Joe)
barkins says:
11:19 PM, 10/20/06
Interesting enough, I own a 4 cylinder Honda Accord and for some reason my father decided that we needed to put synthetic oil in it, which we did. Now, the car runs beautifully, but it did as well with the regular oil, so who knows how much of a difference it's actually doing anyway - I'm no mechanic.
As for the dealership, it seems to me that most Toyota dealerships are as you describe it. I have owned about 4 Toyotas and I can't remember a single pleasent experience there.
As opposed to a Honda dealership, which was extremely pleasent, mainly due to the fact they gave me a rental car whiIe I waited for my car, so go figure.
Richard
jsmilesrmhs says:
05:01 AM, 10/28/06
the reason is so they can push more fuel ecomony out of their engines, and also say that you can go a couple more thousand miles before getting your oil changed.
That's why Toyota, and Honda have the best fuel economy out of most car companies. toyota Camry 34hw,24city. Honda Accord 33Hw,23city. With the four cylinder engines.
Even though they tell fids about theri fuel economy.
Like the Pirus that they say you can get 60 miles to the gallonHw, and 50 in city driving, but real world testing only come to about 45 miles, which is still excellent, but automakers could be more truthful
neatnick79 says:
09:18 PM, 11/ 1/06
I agree with Brent... my Toyota dealership has the SAME feel to it, but they ALWAYS have a loaner car if one so desires, and luckily there's a nifty plaza across the street with restaurants, a Starbucks, etc., so I always head over there and get work done!
bigmike2 says:
04:33 PM, 08/29/07
Agree about Fred Hass. Very comfortable lounge with comfy chairs, table for the laptop and a bigscreen not turned up too loud.