After I saw it at the auto show, on television and in numerous magazines, I was very curious to find out how it was to drive a performance hybrid car.
As usual, I didn't get to try out this car the traditional way auto journalists do. I did just like any normal buyer would; I showed up at dealerships asking for information and test drive the vehicle. This way always reveals a lot to me about the way dealers present their product.
I've already worked in the automotive realm, so I'm familiar with the sales techniques used in the field. But I have to admit that I'm always baffled when I head into a dealer to inquire about and try out a hybrid vehicle.
It's the same thing every time. I enter a dealership, a salesman approaches me, asks me with a smile if someone's answered me or if I need any help, and when I answer yes and I want information on a hybrid vehicle, I can see a very real if hardly perceptible disorder in the face of the salesman or saleswoman.
After that moment, depending on the experience of the salesman or saleswoman, this person will ask me if I know about the vehicle and I will normally answer no, and they will give me certain generalities. Then, when I ask them for more detail, the discussion shifts towards the traditional excuses, like: "You know, it's a brand new model, I didn't have the time to really get to know it..." So, I know from experience that every introduction of a new model is preceded by information clinics planned by
the manufacturer to help the salesmen and the service teams when the model comes out.
That's why, when you'll go shopping for a new car, WHATEVER the model, make sure you choose a dealership that knows its products and are renowned for their service. There are still too many impostors in this area that discredit those who work seriously.
Returning to the subject of my Honda Accord Hybrid test drive, I unexpectedly entered a dealership when, passing by, I noticed they had received one.
VERY DISCREET
The Honda Accord Hybrid is a very discreet car. From the exterior, you can barely notice a difference, except for a small "hybrid" inscription displayed on the back of the vehicle. This automobile is, like all other Accords, built with care. Its base equipment is pretty substantial, too much as far as I'm concerned.
The fact that is comes so well equipped bothers me because it ends up carrying a base price of $36,990, excluding freight and preparation. Because the Honda Accord Hybrid ends up being in the same category as the Toyota Prius, which sells at a base price of $30,530, freight and preparation extra, what's to conclude about these two vehicles that, even though they're in the same category, are so different from one another?
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| 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid (Photo: Honda) |
I've already worked in the automotive realm, so I'm familiar with the sales techniques used in the field. But I have to admit that I'm always baffled when I head into a dealer to inquire about and try out a hybrid vehicle.
It's the same thing every time. I enter a dealership, a salesman approaches me, asks me with a smile if someone's answered me or if I need any help, and when I answer yes and I want information on a hybrid vehicle, I can see a very real if hardly perceptible disorder in the face of the salesman or saleswoman.
After that moment, depending on the experience of the salesman or saleswoman, this person will ask me if I know about the vehicle and I will normally answer no, and they will give me certain generalities. Then, when I ask them for more detail, the discussion shifts towards the traditional excuses, like: "You know, it's a brand new model, I didn't have the time to really get to know it..." So, I know from experience that every introduction of a new model is preceded by information clinics planned by
 |
| 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid (Photo: Honda) |
That's why, when you'll go shopping for a new car, WHATEVER the model, make sure you choose a dealership that knows its products and are renowned for their service. There are still too many impostors in this area that discredit those who work seriously.
Returning to the subject of my Honda Accord Hybrid test drive, I unexpectedly entered a dealership when, passing by, I noticed they had received one.
VERY DISCREET
 |
| 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid (Photo: Honda) |
The fact that is comes so well equipped bothers me because it ends up carrying a base price of $36,990, excluding freight and preparation. Because the Honda Accord Hybrid ends up being in the same category as the Toyota Prius, which sells at a base price of $30,530, freight and preparation extra, what's to conclude about these two vehicles that, even though they're in the same category, are so different from one another?