Why Americans Hate Buying Cars – Part I

A top auto executive admitted to a group of industry leaders that, “auto companies must do more to improve the customer experience in…showrooms.” What may have been a new realization to Jim Lentz, vice-president of Toyota, is common knowledge to the rest of America: Too often, buying a vehicle is a painful necessity and not a preferred option.

In truth, I do not believe that Jim Lentz is blind to the reality that most Americans face when they walk through the front door of any auto dealership in the country. Americans dread the car buying experience for good reason. More in future articles on the specific problems that consumers face when purchasing vehicles. For now, suffice it to say that the list of unresolved issues that consumers have with car dealers is long.

Yet, there is no getting past the irony that Americans actually love their cars. According to a Pew survey , not only do more than two-thirds of Americans enjoy driving their automobiles, but one out of every four consider their vehicle “something special” rather than just a mode of transportation. Our love affair with cars has been an on-going cultural experience for more than a century.

Tomorrow: The dilemma that Americans face when they love the cars they drive, but they hate buying them.