What If Car Dealers Were Honest In Their Commercials?

We’ve all had terrible experiences with lousy, dishonest car dealers, and even if you haven’t, it’s likely you know people that have. But what if the commercials we see on TV were not lousy and dishonest? What if your car salesman was Roger?

That’s the premise in this video by Cracked. It explains in a humorous way what the dealer and salesmen are really saying. At times it’s a little tongue-in-cheek, and if we’re honest, many car salesmen are unfairly tainted with the “sleazy” tagline Roger so eloquently demonstrates.

And yet there are, of course, elements of truth to it all. Car salesmen can be pushy because their livelihood depends on it, and a dealer’s profit margins are traditionally low; for a cheap economy car, the margin could be as low as 3 percent, which if said vehicle is sold for $20,000, the dealer pockets a mere $600. Hence it takes a lot of sales to keep the doors open.

Not every car will produce such low margins; luxury vehicles could yield 10-15 percent in profits, while the average margin for all dealers lies around 6-9 percent. Still, you can see why old Roger is so keen to get you into the service department, which is where the dealer’s real money is made.

Be sure to share your car buying horror stories in the comments section below, and tell us your positive tales as well — after all, not all dealers are bad. And please, watch the above video in its entirety, lest you miss Roger closing the deal with a bang.