You're right, Genesis is making a huge mistake by assuming this is how luxury dealers behave. I've rarely had to ask for a test drive, usually the sales person is eager to take me out on a drive because they think it will get me attached to the car. The fact some dealerships behave this way is idiotic. It's funny because I"m originally from New York where appearance is a big deal. Wearing suits to clubs/bars/parties is normal. Out here Billionaires wear t shirts and jeans with converse and may pull up to an event in a Lamborghini. You just never know who you're dealing with or who has money.

 

I personally probably wouldn't agree to a credit check; that seems a bit much.

When I was given a loaner RX at the Lexus dealer a few months ago they made a photocopy of my license and my insurance card. That's it.

But I'd also encourage you to not be too hard on the dealer--just go somewhere else. It could be that they had a very expensive incident a week before you walked in and that the sales manager was told he would be fired if it ever happened again. You just never know.

 

If this happened to me, especially coming up in a comparable car of the same class, I'd drive away from the dealer so fast.

Maybe leave a review on Google Maps for that dealership so other people have a heads-up, hopefully that will make the dealer change their preferred practices.

 

In the D.C. area, I did both a static-review and test-drive on a new Stinger 2.0T with no problem. All depends on the dealership.

 

They don't deserve your business if they talk to you or treat you like that. Unfortunately it has more to do with who owns and manages the dealership and what they teach their salesman and staff then the brand itself. I highly doubt Genesis corporate told their dealership sales staff to run credit checks on potential customers to make sure they were "serious" and have this uppity attitude of judging/sizing up potential buyers. I could maybe understanding a Ferrari or Rolls Royce dealership doing that to make sure people aren't taking really rare expensive cars for joy rides or doing other things but not a mass market company. Most of the time I show up at dealerships in jeans and leather jacket in the winter, I look very young for my age and most salesman after talking to me want me to take a test drive, I don't even have to ask. They ride with me of course but if I had to beg for a test drive and they wanted to run a credit check to make sure I was a "serious buyer". I would say forget it then and walk away and not deal with that dealership anymore.

 

No--that's the dealer's first mistake. Don't assume that the "unassuming" customer doesn't have the means to purchase.

 

I don't see why that makes it ok.

What if you are cross-shopping the Genesis with 2, 3 or 4 other cars? NFW 5 dealers are all doing credit checks on me--not until I decide that is the car I am buying, and that is the dealer I'm buying from. It's a test drive, FFS. License, proof of insurance, and I'll let them put a hold on my credit card, if they must. That's it.

Well, in fairness, they also have your car, and your keys...

 

This is exactly what I'm doing. I already drove a Mustang GT and I'm going to test drive the Infiniti Q50 Red Sport in addition to the G70. I will only do a credit check until I negotiate the price and know I'm going with that specific car.

Anyways, from the research I've done it appears these cars are going for MSRP as a previous poster said. I'm curious to see what kind of lease I can get. I'll let you guys know in case anyone is interested in the car!

 

Exactly. Not only that, but several well-known billionaires drive ordinary everyday mid-size cars......not brand-new ones, either.

 

 

For F's Sake.

If you crash the car, I'm sure they'd rather not claim under their insurance. I don't know if they need it, but if they asked, I'd give it.
My dealer takes this when I get a loaner, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ but, again, I would be ok giving it to them.

 

 

In the US, my policy would cover a rental car (this is how you can decline the rental agency's highly profitable insurance add-ons); I never checked about a test drive, but I can't think why it would be different. If you run down a pedestrian during your test drive, the dealer's insurance is not going to defend or cover you.

What I meant was, my dealer takes an "imprint" of my CC when I get a loaner, so if a dealer required the same thing for a test drive, it wouldn't bother me.

 

It doesn't make it ok.

My point was: Genesis isn't the only brand capable of making these kinds of mistakes.

 

It's not the lower model stinger people were having trouble test driving.