Bought a car outside of the "Chicagoland" area? (Peoria: sales, buying)

[FlyGemini]

I am looking to purchase another vehicle soon...I HATE the entire experience of buying cars...sleaze-bag salesmen, the games they (try) to play, having to be there for hours, etc.
Has anyone or anyone you know purposely sought a dealership outside of the metro area (for example, going to Peoria or somewhere)? Was it a better experience?
I also welcome opinions on the issue...does anyone think it would be at least a slightly better experience? thanks.

[oddstray]

Why not use a buying service, like the Auto Club's? One set price (which we've found to be very fair), and no need to deal with dealer sleaze (except when they decide not to honor the set price ... I'm looking at you, Toyota!)

[soulful]

I know someone that went to Fort Wayne, IN to purchase a Honda Accord and had an absolutely wonderful experience with the Honda dealership. He said it was night and day compared to his encounters with Chicago dealers. They were friendly and seemed very honest. Obviously it could be hit or miss even in smaller cities/towns. I would look at yelp reviews of the dealerships.

[Vlajos]

My experience is you get a better deal locally, less demand and selection in some far out places.

[quigboto]

We bought from McGrath Honda (At Grand and Oak Park) and I thought the experience wasn't too terribly painful.

[emathias]

There are so many dealers, walk into one well-prepared, tell them you will walk out the moment they pull any shenannigans, and then follow through. It's not rocket science.

I was with a friend who bought a used car from Hellas Auto Sales in Chicago Ridge and it was a perfectly pleasant buying experience.

[nidex]

Last time I bought a brand new car in '04, it was from a BMW/Audi/VW/Benz dealer around Clark & Division, with a warehouse across from Cabrini Green. I've always had much luck in the city and surrounding suburbs because there is simply more selection. emathias has good advice... anytime you go to look at cars, make sure YOU are in control of the situation; not the salesperson.

I was test driving a used car at a dealership in Milwaukee a couple years back. The salesman was very pushy, I liked the car but wasn't 100% sure about it. I took it for a drive, came back, went into the showroom to talk about the car some more, and next thing you know he's sliding me a pen and paper telling me "initial here...". At that point I got up and told him I wasn't sure it was the car I wanted. He became very agitated and somewhat hostile, which I laughed at because if there was any chance left of me buying the car... he blew it right there.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by nidex

Last time I bought a brand new car in '04, it was from a BMW/Audi/VW/Benz dealer around Clark & Division, with a warehouse across from Cabrini Green. I've always had much luck in the city and surrounding suburbs because there is simply more selection. emathias has good advice... anytime you go to look at cars, make sure YOU are in control of the situation; not the salesperson.

I was test driving a used car at a dealership in Milwaukee a couple years back. The salesman was very pushy, I liked the car but wasn't 100% sure about it. I took it for a drive, came back, went into the showroom to talk about the car some more, and next thing you know he's sliding me a pen and paper telling me "initial here...". At that point I got up and told him I wasn't sure it was the car I wanted. He became very agitated and somewhat hostile, which I laughed at because if there was any chance left of me buying the car... he blew it right there.

I've found that the smaller the area, the more desperate/annoying the salespeople are.

[pdhaudio83]

Stick to a dealership, typically you have more recourse with them. But do your homework, ask questions, and *DON'T* be afraid to walk out if they don't offer you the price you want. Also, grab a copy of Consumer Reports buying guide to see what they recommend for make/model. It'll save you money in the long run if you buy a good reliable car!

[jwaiter]

Is there a way to reliably know what the dealer cost is for a certain car?

Anyone try carsdirect.com ?