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You're now a fragrance account rep. Now, pick a company car... but it won't be easy.

post #1 of 7
8/10/08 at 12:49pm
Thread Starter 
Let's say that you just got promoted to a big-shot regional account rep for a major fragrance manufacturer. Even better, they'll be providing you with an improved company car that's a step up from the existing Chevy Impala.

Well, until you realize that your choices are a Buick Lucerne CXL and a Toyota Avalon XLS, the kings of account-executive cars. In other words, choosing between these cars is like an acid reflux sufferer choosing between spicy chili and hot tamales.

The company's response is that they want you to have a semi-luxury full-size sedan with a mushy ride so you could have a professional image, a comfortable ride for those 3-hour traffic-packed trips on the interstate, and (of course) enough room for all your smellies and product training materials so when you go from Sephora to Sephora, you won't end up needing to stop at Walgreens for some Advil along the way. The company will only pay for the first 4 tanks of gas each month... the rest will be on your own, and you'll be doing 55% city/45% highway driving (the Buick gets 17 mpg city/25 hwy, the Toyota 19 city/28 hwy).

Now, the real dilemma: Will you want the Buick Lucerne's ancient pushrod 3800 V6, pillowy-soft seats, fender portholes, and Tiger Woods endorsement, or the Toyota Avalon's bland styling, potent V6 with better mileage, reclining back seat that you won't use anyway (after all, this is a company car), and Toyota reliability?

(And no, if you get the Buick, they won't pay for GM's OnStar... they're providing you with a BlackBerry, too.)
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post #2 of 7
8/10/08 at 1:04pm
I'll take the Toyota for its reliability. If I'm going to be on the road all the time, that's important to me.
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post #3 of 7
8/10/08 at 1:18pm
Ditto the Toyota.
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post #4 of 7
8/10/08 at 1:31pm
i consider myself to be a BIG petrolhead into cars....hence i really couldn't bring myself to decide between those two cars...they're both terrible.

that being said, Toyotas are generally boring, characterless, pieces of crap which only have one thing going for them; reliability.

After taking that into account, i'd choose the Buick
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post #5 of 7
8/10/08 at 5:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by everso View Post

i consider myself to be a BIG petrolhead into cars....hence i really couldn't bring myself to decide between those two cars...they're both terrible.

Ummm, no, they're not. They do what they are supposed to do. They get you from point A to point B comfortably and safely. Notice that MFfan310's original question did not say, "Which car will guarantee that the paparazzi will show up to greet me when I arrive?" Please try to keep that BIG petrolhead focused.

Quote:
Originally Posted by everso View Post

that being said, Toyotas are generally boring, characterless, pieces of crap which only have one thing going for them; reliability.

OK, we went through all this nonsense in that other thread. First of all, Toyotas are certainly not pieces of crap. They are some of the best vehicles made on the planet. All the car reviews acknowledge this point. Just pick up a copy of Consumer Reports and read it for yourself.

Secondly, I would eschew all the marketing BS that surrounds words like "character". Cars do not have character, and they do not magically imbue you with character you didn't have before you sat in them. They are machines that serve a purpose. Now, that purpose might actually be to get your heart racing, but that is not the purpose here. Neither one of these cars is going to make anyone normal wet between the legs. The choice here is between rye toast and English muffins for breakfast. And when lunchtime rolls around, you won't even remember which one you ate.

So, both of these cars are comfortable enough to put you to sleep. (I know; I've driven both of them.) If the company is paying for all the maintenance, the better reliability of the Toyota becomes a non-issue, since the inconvenience of having a breakdown will be balanced by being able to choose a loaner car to try out. Choose whichever one has the most comfortable seats and best ergonomics, since you'll be in it a lot. My own choice, based on these factors, would be the Toyota Avalon. However, since it's your body doing all the sitting, only you can decide for yourself based upon those factors. Test drive both of them.
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post #6 of 7
8/10/08 at 6:28pm
I'd choose neither (someone's got to be a rebel! ).

Afraid that the toxic potions created by the "big" fragrance company would destroy my delicately attuned nose, I'd turn down the job, buy a BV500, and use the money saved in gas to expand my personal collection. While working for Sonoma Scent Studio.
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post #7 of 7
8/10/08 at 6:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Astaroth View Post

Ummm, no, they're not. They do what they are supposed to do. They get you from point A to point B comfortably and safely. Notice that MFfan310's original question did not say, "Which car will guarantee that the paparazzi will show up to greet me when I arrive?" Try to keep that BIG petrolhead focused.


OK, we went through all this nonsense in that other thread. I would eschew all the marketing BS that surrounds words like "character". Cars do not have character, and they do not magically imbue you with character you didn't have before you sat in them. They are machines that serve a purpose. Now, that purpose might actually be to get your heart racing, but that is not the purpose here. Neither one of these cars is going to make anyone normal wet between the legs. The choice here is between rye toast and English muffins for breakfast; when lunchtime rolls around, no won't even remember which one you ate.

So, both of these cars are comfortable enough to put you to sleep. (I know; I've driven both of them.) If the company is paying for all the maintenance, the better reliability of the Toyota becomes a non-issue, since the inconvenience of having a breakdown will be balanced by being able to choose a loaner car to try out. Choose whichever one has the most comfortable seats and best ergonomics, since you'll be in it a lot. My own choice, based on these factors, would be the Toyota Avalon. However, since it's your body doing all the sitting, only you can decide for yourself based upon those factors. Test drive both of them.

LOL. sorry man...i don't have the time or desire to debate two rubbish cars with you
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Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › General Discussion › Off topic › You're now a fragrance account rep. Now, pick a company car... but it won't be easy.