robdar. i worked on cars for years and now i sell them. so, here's the low down
the "apperance package" or anything with weird names like that are strictly profit for dealers. i used to work for a dealership that made us sell them. now, it is a lie, they don't do a thing after the sale. if you pay attention, they will take your car in the back to get detailed. they usually will apply a coating of wax if it's a reputable dealer. other than that, they don't do anything. your going to get the same detail weather you pay for the package or not. alot of times, the apperance packages and other items like this are the only profit the salesman makes. that's why they push for it so much.
the dealer has alot of what's called "hold back" it's profit built into the car. it's included in the sticker price. it's profit for the dealership that not many people know about. now, there's nothing wrong with us making a profit. people come in looking for the "best deal" and even when you give it to them, people will go down the street and use that price to try to muscle a better deal at another dealership. this is why we do business the way we do. it's frustrating. the first thing i learned in the business is if a customers mouth is open, he's lying. customers lie more and faster than we ever will. so, i have to work deals and beat you down to try to keep as much profit as possible. people come in to do war with the salesman expecting to get ripped off. so, we artifically inflate prices to let you talk us down to a price where we can make money and you can feel like you got a good deal.
what sucks is the salesman is fighting to scratch a living while the dealership makes most of the profit. i'm all about capatalism. i know if i want to make all the money, i can go open a lot of my own. i'm not willing to put my money on the line, so, until i am i just have to live with it. if you have any questions fell free to e-mail me.
as far as what you can do to keep your car looking good, a good wax and keeping it clean is the best way to go. if you wash your car, and the water doesn't bead, it's time to re-apply. it's hard to say how many times you should re-apply a wax. it's going to depend what kind of environment you live in and what kind of wax you use.
as far as the 0% interest rates everyones talking about, you have to have awesome credit, and, alot of times, the only way to get it is to pay full sticker. you do better taking the rebates and getting the lowest a.p.r. possible most of the time.
