Mannequin but no test drives?

[LightningJoe]

Hi All --

I have a Lightning on order, and am wondering if other dealers are taking a similar approach. My dealer got their mannequin earlier this week, and I asked about test driving it. I was told that it's going to be going directly to be a service loaner vehicle, and won't be allowed for any test drives -- even for people who have orders.

Is anyone else running into this? It seems absolutely crazy to me that they can't be bothered to allow a test drive when I have an $80k truck on order with them.


Thanks!

Same thing with my dealer, too. They're using it as a service vehicle but not allowing test drives. They're banking on driving it around for people to see being a form of marketing. It was the first one they got. The second was a Lariat they sold for $80k (someone bought it outright) and I got the third one.

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[Pioneer74]

My dealer let me take their mannequin for a test ride. I was the first person they loaned it to. I believe it only had 64 miles on it.

Another dealer near me has theirs locked in the showroom. Doors are locked, but they do have the frunk open. It will only see the light of day when they are allowed to sell it to whomever it was already promised to.

 

[Shutuplegs]

It all depends on the dealer and your relationship with them. Mine handed me the keys and let me take it for a 30 minute drive without any questions asked. I have purchased from him and he knew I was coming ahead of time so that helped.

 

[Tbrou16]

It all depends on the dealer and your relationship with them. Mine handed me the keys and let me take it for a 30 minute drive without any questions asked. I have purchased from him and he knew I was coming ahead of time so that helped.

I second this. If you schedule an appointment they’ll happily let you take it around the block

 

[Roy2001]

Demo is for those who are interested in. But even if they are interested in, they cannot order anyway. For you, you already ordered, dealer does not care.

So makes sense, keep it as display model to sell as brand new in December.

 

[Mike G]

Totally defeats the purpose that Ford had in providing Mannequins

Yeah well maybe they should have made more of them and let each dealer have 3 or something. This whole mess was created because they can't make enough of these things to satisfy demand. Same with the Bronco. They keep amping up the marketing for products they can't deliver enough of and then want to hammer dealerships for excessive ADMs. And the dealers are raising ADMs because of the limited amount of product they are getting. They need to stay in business. But how do you do that if you can't get product?

 

[BennyTheBeaver]

This is definitely not all dealers. I test drove my dealers one a couple weeks ago.

 

[Eric M]

I stopped in at my dealer, Perry Ford in San Luis Obispo, CA, because I saw the lightning mannequin had finally showed up and was parked out front. I was crawling all over it when the sales manager Jim walked up and said… you got one on order so you better go see if you like it! He tossed me the keys and off I went! This dealer isn’t doing test drives to the public… but they are letting anyone who has an order on the truck drive it as much as they want. I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be for the sales guys… to have lots of people really wanting to test drive something… and then not be able to get the sale because they’re so oversold already.… so I totally understand them not giving out test drives without a confirmed order in place.

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