Dealing with Car Dealers

Finding a good car salesman is like finding a good plumber - you want someone you can call up without having to turn around and spend 3 hours researching what they just told you to find out whether you're getting screwed. Of course, plumbers and car salesmen have to make a living too, but I think it's possible to get a good deal that lets both parties keep some money in their pockets.

Usually, the dealership you end up at depends on what kind of car you're looking to buy. If you want to buy a Nissan, you go to the Nissan dealership. That means that even if you are willing to drive to Benton or Conway, you've probably got no more than 4 choices of where to buy. I, for one, don't like drive so far when there are so many dealerships right here in North Little Rock and Sherwood. In fact, there has only been one occasion when I disliked a NLR dealership enough to even bother driving over to LR. As a result, the sum total of all my serious attempts to buy a car are limited to three dealerships right along 67/167.

North Point Toyota
Every time I've going out looking to buy a car, I've stopped here. I keep going because I have such a high opinion of the Toyota brand. I think of Toyotas as being safe, fuel efficient cars that hold their value very well. I like some models better than others, but in general, I don't think you can go wrong driving a Toyota. In spite of this opinion and the number of times I've gone to this dealership (3-4) I've never owned a Toyota. Bear in mind that my most recent visit to this dealership was about a year ago before they moved to their new location and I don't know if there have been any changes to their management or sales staff. I do know that each time I've gone there, I've been drug into a long, drawn out process that is neither forthcoming or enjoyable. The sales people spend a great deal of time going back and forth to their sales manager and juggling every number at once trying to re-arrange things to get you to buy the car.

My most recent visit started because I was seriously considering buying a Tundra. I spent several hours there between a test drive, an overview of features, and lengthy discussions about financing, purchase price, and trade in value. The salesman spent too much time obsessing over a 4-square and kept trying to make me care about the monthly payment more than the overall price of the truck. They also kept insisting that if we took a promotional APR, the price of the truck would stay at MSRP, which is ridiculous. I finally left when after waiting 20 minutes for them to run a credit check and give me a specific APR resulted in the sales manager coming over to give me a range of rates that I could have gotten off their website. After I left, I got calls from three different people at the dealership promising to make me the deal of a lifetime if I came back by.

I might one day have the pleasure of counting driving off a lot in a brand new Toyota, but as long as North Point is my neighborhood Toyota dealer, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

North Point Ford
After my last fruitless trip to North Point Toyota, I ended up at North Point Ford. My father and brother-in-law have both purchased vehicles here and I found the dealership to be about average. They also used the 4 square, but obsessed over it a little less and mostly used it to display the numbers as we negotiated them. Our salesman went back and forth between his desk and the sales manager, but it never took more than a couple of minutes and I didn't feel like I was being jerked around. It was a holiday weekend, so there were a couple of Ford incentives going at the time in addition to the dealership offering a $500 gas card with every purchase. We wanted to take the 0% financing, but they still came down on the price after some haggling. Once I felt like we'd come to a fair price and good terms, I mentioned the gas card, which they suddenly insisted had been factored into the amount they'd take off the MSRP. I wasn't willing to concede that point, so they eventually added the $500 card to everything else we'd agreed on.

All in all, I expect there to be some haggling involved in a car purchase at any average dealership. There was some push and pull at North Point Ford, but I did feel like they were trying to con me and everything remained civil along the way.

Russell Honda
I bought my first car at Russell Honda right after I graduated college. At the time, I didn't have Honda high up on my list of prospects simply because I saw so many of them already out on the road. I wanted something more distinctive, but I went to Russell Honda anyway because at the end of the day, I know Hondas are good cars. Along with Toyota, I think a Honda is one of the best cars you could drive when it comes to price and quality. I understand that there are some luxury brands that could leave Honda and Toyota in the dust, but I'm not made of money.

During that first car buying experience, I went to the local dealerships for Mazda, Nissan, Toyota, Ford, and finally Honda. Being wet behind the ears, my dad went with me to help weed through the B.S. I got a variety of receptions from the salesmen at each dealership, and liked some vehicles more than others. After weighing a lot of choices and getting a feel for the driving experience in several models, I eventually decided that there was a reason I kept seeing so many Hondas on the road. After coming to this conclusion, I sat down with a salesman at Russell Honda. Surprisingly, he didn't start off by quoting me the MSRP and falling over himself trying to make sure I bought the car on the spot. He quoted me a fair price for the car right off the bat, told me the going interest rate, and helped me find a car with the features I wanted and in the color I wanted. Then he let me walk off the lot without a fight. I went home that day, did some more research online, and weighed my options. The salesman didn't leave me phone messages, but he was happy to see me again when I went back to buy the car. It was a painless process and I got a fair price without breaking a sweat.

Since that first purchase, I've gone back to that Russell Honda and and traded in that car. I always ask for the same salesman, Stan Wilder, and have recommended him to everyone I know who's in the market for a car. As a result, I've had two room mates and three family members buy new or used cars from him. Everyone I've talked to at Russell honda, from the sales staff to the service department is always helpful and curteous. They'll give you a good price and treat you like more than a dollar sign. And on top of all that, you'll walk away with a great car!

Conclusion
There you have it, my take on three local car dealerships. Ultimatly, I think the car has to come first. I would rather go through a few hours of a frustrating dealership experience if it means I get to drive the car of my dreams for the next 10-15 years. This is especially true if you have a good, trustworth repairman to handle any future mechanical hiccups. If that's the case, you can fight tooth and nail with a dealership, walk away with the car you want, and never have to speak to them again! For the time being, my first stop is still Russell Honda because they have good cars and they won't make you fight too much for a good price.

Keep in mind that the best way to get a good deal on a car is to be informed ahead of time. No matter how much you trust the salesman, don't take his word that something is a good deal. Do some research ahead of time, know what you're looking for and know what the going price is. I always make Kelly Blue Book and Edmund's my first stops when researching a car. Also, don't be afraid to walk off the lot and sleep on the decision before signing on the dotted line. Buying a car can be a high pressure situation and it's easy to let the shine of the paint get the best of you.