Recommendations for not too obnoxious car dealerships?

[GeorgiatoChina]

Manufacturers warrantees on powertrain etc are not scams. Lol.

[vince217]

i personally don't like the salespeople at the Gravity Auto Group. They have several dealerships around the area.

[ehoez]

whats wrong with a nice American made car? (and folks wonder why unemployment is low)

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by ehoez

whats wrong with a nice American made car? (and folks wonder why unemployment is low)

Most Hondas, Toyotas, Kias, BMWs and Hyundais are made here in the US- by comparison, many of GM and Ford's cars are made in Mexico and Canada, so buying an "American car" isn't really guaranteeing that you're putting Americans to work, and buying a "foreign car" isn't putting people here out of work.

[midtown mile girl]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Whatever you do, don't fall for the extended warranties or prepaid service plans they try to push.

You should go in and buy a car. And a car only. No warranty, no service plan, no rust proofing, and no gap insurance. Those are all profit centers for the dealer that they try to push on suckers.

Make sure to go through this guide: Guide for First-Time New-Car Buyers

I had an extended warrrenty on a 2000 Passat that turned out to be worth every single penny. That car was always in the shop. When the warrenty went out, I got another car.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by ehoez

whats wrong with a nice American made car? (and folks wonder why unemployment is low)

My 94 Accord was made in Ohio. You might find this interesting:

10 Most American-Made Cars Of 2012 - TheStreet

The top five:

5. 2012 Honda Crosstour 

4. 2012 Honda Accord

3. 2012 Toyota Sienna

2. 2012 Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana

1. 2012 Toyota Avalon


Can't tell by the name anymore.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

Most Hondas, Toyotas, Kias, BMWs and Hyundais are made here in the US- by comparison, many of GM and Ford's cars are made in Mexico and Canada, so buying an "American car" isn't really guaranteeing that you're putting Americans to work, and buying a "foreign car" isn't putting people here out of work.

Indeed. I bought a Kia Sorento last year. Not only is it built in America, it's built right here in Georgia. That was one of the main reasons I chose it. It also is listed as having about 60% US-made parts. I thought that number was higher on the sticker, though. Either way, I may have gone with a foreign company, but I bought from a place that put people form my community to work.

I bought from Cobb County Kia, and I could not have been more pleased with my salesperson. He was laid back, and not overbearing at all (which I can't stand). And he stayed well after closing time while I dilly dallied on making a decision, never getting pushy or agitated. He almost seemed like the kind of guy you wanted to sit and have a beer with.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

They're all horrible.

A lot of people go the Carmax route. I have never bought a used car, so I don't know first hand, but I understand the prices are slightly higher than dealers but no hassle. The biggest problem I have heard is Carmax will ********* on the value of your trade in.

Pretty much all dealers will pull the Manheim auction numbers and offer the low range...including CarMax. The exception might be regional differences such as an AWD vehicle in the North or mountain areas or a convertible in the temperate regions. I went to CarMax, Volvo and Acura and all three hit the same number for my trade...straight from the Manheim sheet. Volvo offered to 'bump up' the offer since I was a loyal customer but it was still just a $1000 spread on a $25K vehicle.

I would look specifically for a vehicle coming off a +- 3 year lease. You might consider Acura in the mix, if they have a vehicle you desire. Some vehicles coming off a 3 year lease will have ~1 year of factory warranty left. CPO certification could be worth the extra money, depending on the vehicle and the length of time you'll keep it.

We were always happy with the Nalley group(now part of a HUGE dealer network), specifically Nalley Lexus and Nalley Volvo on 41 in Cobb.(Disclaimer...we always bought new; but our trades were the type of vehicle you are looking for...low mileage, dealer maintained, some warranty remaining )

Unless you find something out of the ordinary, I'd look at CarMax and then stick to the dealer for the specific marque you seek...(Had fifty-fifty experience with Sandy Springs Toyota...strictly the difference in salespeople). Get your financing up front, as mentioned, and don't let the F&I person sell you ANYthing

[becca0083]

We had a good experience buying a slightly used car at Honda Carland in Roswell, and while not Honda or Toyota, we have also had two very good used car buying experiences at Jim Tidwell Ford in Kennesaw. Both highly recommended in my book!

[SAAN]

To me all dealers are the same. I go into dealers with a if you cant match my price and ill leave attitude and its either they match it or they dont. The way i see it is, there is more than 1 of those model cars for sale and if they wont match your price (ASSUMING YOUR BEING REALISTIC) they dont really want to do business and someone else will at another dealership.

Carmax is a joke as there cars cost normally $2-3000 more than most dealerships and they give you $1-2000 less for your trade. A hassle free transaction should not cost $2-3000 and after the 30 day carmax warranty is up, it is a regular used car just like if you bought it at another dealership where you would have paid $2-3000 less.