Some automakers like to treat customers well even after the've purchased a car. These ten offer the best perks to their customers.
10.) SRT/Abarth
Both of Chrysler's performance sub-brands offer driver training programs that travel around some of the best circuits in the country allowing most of their customers to take part. Plus SRT sends out cool freebies in the mail, as noted by reader/Viper owner Peptide.
Suggested By: offroadwrangler2, Photo Credit: Jalopnik
9.) Hyundai/Kia
Hyundai and Kia don't offer glamorous perks like other manufactures but they have one of the best warranties in the industry. Reader tobythesandwich lays it all out:
"10 year/100k powertrain warranty
5 year/60k Roadside Assistance
5 Year/60k basic warranty
5 Year/100k anti-perforation (rust) warranty for Kia,
7 Year/unlimited miles Anti-perforation warranty for Hyundai
Hyundai warranties their batteries for life.
No matter how you try to swing it, for the average car buyers these are some serious perks to contend with. They aren't as cool as some track day that you'll get to spend an afternoon hammering on some fun cars. But they are definitely one of the biggest perks most consumers are going to look at. "
Suggested By: tobythesandwich, Photo Credit: Kia
8.) Tesla
Free tows and wireless updates to you car? Not bad, Tesla. Not bad at all.
Suggested By: Diesel, Photo Credit: Roger Niebolt via Truck Yeah!
7.) Chevrolet
Hold your recall jokes, folks. You wouldn't think Chevrolet would offer much to their customers, but for the C6 Corvette Z06 and ZR1 and COPO Camaro customers could go to the factory and help build their very own LS7/LS9. Inexplicably you don't get a discount for your extra legwork, rather, it costs an additional $5,800.
Suggested By: camaroboy68ss, Photo Credit: GM
6.) Mini
Mini offers great perks to its customers as Cpages2 will explain to you:
"I have owned new BMW, Subaru, Chevy, Mercedes and VW but hands down I have to toss it to Mini Cooper as best perks and fun things car.
Shortly after buying my new 2006 Mini Cooper S I received a big box in the mail with tons of cool Mini stuff such as a blanket, pens, poster, etc.. Over the time I owned it I would get random fun gifts such as RC car that looked like my Mini, invites to auto-x/track day events, stuffed bulldog and much more.
Just lots of cool little things."
Suggested By: Cpages2, Photo Credit: Tony Harrison
5.) Lexus
Lexus offers a lot of great perks that many other luxury makers offer, but the real fun starts when you purchase an LFA with the Nürburgring Package. For your $445,000 you get private driver training at the Nordschleife, a one year free pass and a host of other Nürburgring related freebies.
Suggested By: Stradale, Photo Credit: Lexus
4.) Volkswagen
If you buy a Volkswagen up! in the UK you can get free insurance for one year. No, seriously I'm not joking. I wonder if that offer extends to me buying a new Golf GTI in the US.
Suggested By: $kaycog, Photo Credit: Volkswagen
3.) Scion
Believe it or not Scion used to offer some really spectacular perks to its early customers. Reader yeah, that guy was one of the fortunate early adopters:
"Scion. At least they used to. I got one when they first came out and got all kinds of perks.
Free entry to a drag race event in New Jersey, with lunch and some drinks, and a scion car show.
Later I got tickets to Hot Import Night in Boston (I think a couple times) and they had a special area where you could play wii on a big screen.
The best was when they flew me, and dozens of other Scion owners to Miami for an event to reveal the new models before the press got to see them. They had Ludicris play for the group, of about 300 people. Then bused us to a crazy happy hour at some club. And gave us custom carry on bags, a cool ring, CASH, and a bunch of other stuff. Everything, flight, hotel, meals, was paid for."
Streeter was also on that Miami trip:
"Aside from the usual hats/shirts/CDs/BBQ parties/etc, one day I was notified that I'd been chosen to attend a special event in Miami. Before the trip I got a piece of luggage in the mail. They flew us all out there and put us up in Loew's Hotel. Private concert and (admittedly disappointing) reveal of the then-redesigned xB and the new xD. (However, the open bar made them hard to draw or remember later.) It was an incredible 3 days, and a great way to spend an otherwise chilly December weekend."
Pretty amazing for a non-luxury brand.
Suggested By: yeah, that guy, Photo Credit: Shaun Greiner
2.) Porsche
Buyers of the 918 Spyder can call an ace race car driver whenever they want. As if owning a 918 Spyder wasn't good enough on its own. They've also got some great events for their more plebeian customers.
Suggested By: kingkong87, Photo Credit: Jalopnik
1.) Mercedes-Benz
Some manufacturers offer European delivery. Others offer driver training. Some offer ridiculous perks for their high end offerings. Mercedes-Benz offers all of these. Their European delivery program is top notch according to Neon - Smart Afficionado:
"First, they chop off 7% of your MSRP and you collect your car at the very factory it's built at. Then they give 15 days of European insurance and a night at a fine hotel. When you're all done with the activities you chose in your delivery package (you can take tours, "challenging" drives through the Alps and other locations, more classy hotels, etc.) they'll ship your car back home."
SLS AMG owner Battery Tender Unnecessary can tell you how great the AMG track days are:
"AMG offers a free "Basic" (i.e. 1-day) AMG Driving Academy course with any new purchase...but VERY few buyers take advantage of it. It includes time on a skidpad in a C63, autocross in a SLK55, ABS and Accident avoidance in a E63, CLS63. And lead-follow laps in a SLS on some of the best tracks in the US like Laguna Seca, Circuit of the Americas, Road Atlanta, etc."
As if all of that wasn't good enough, supposedly you had a crew of mechanics on call to fix your CLK-GTR anywhere in the world, according to Truck Yeah's Andrew Collins. Well done Mercedes.
Suggested By: Neon - Smart Afficionado/Battery Tender Unnecessary, Photo Credit: Mercedes-Benz
Welcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Top Photo Credit: Mercedes-Benz