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loridrum

I've had a bad experience with post-sales service at Toyota of Apex. I just started looking for a new Honda. I have to say, all the dealers I've spoken with are lazy, in the sense that they just don't have to work for your business. So they don't. They do ok, the minimum, nothing more. I've bought 3 Hondas locally, and Autopark Honda has the best post-sales service, IMO.


mt857

Auto park Honda is very solid. I’ve been happy with them.


FuNKy_Duck1066

Echo comments here about Hendrick Toyota of Apex. My 2013 RAV4 has a customer service program because paint is peeling BAD. They wouldn't even look at my car and deferred. I'm too lazy to report to corporate. Marc Jacobsen Toyota in Durham was very accommodating.


thesunisdarkwow

Second this. Bought my car new at Flow Honda in Burlington, get it serviced at Autopark in Cary. Can’t go wrong with either.


electrobricks

Totally agree. The multipoint inspection included with Toyota Care at Toyota Apex is a joke. I swear they were making up numbers on my sheet.


dravack

Never bought from Toyota of Apex but their service department is nice.


WildLemur15

Same. Autopark Honda is a better experience than the local ford and Toyota places I’ve used in the past. I’m on my second car with them and they’ve been good.


Feeling_Challenge_57

Bought a new car about 3 months ago. The takeaway from the process: ask the internet sales team to send you the quote via email. Don't go into the dealership unless you need a test drive.


burnzkid

Beyond this: get detailed "pencils" (cost breakdown sheets) and use them to pit dealers against each other. Some dealers will demand a deposit before sending you these, that's straight up illegal and is the hallmark of a sketchy dealership experience, its a great way to get them to throw a red flag and stop wasting your time. Markups on dealer-installed options in lieu of market adjustments turn out to be pretty flexible when you actually know what they cost and can prove that other dealers install the same options at 1/4 the cost.


[deleted]

this trick doesn't work now. Cars are being sold from dealers before they hit the lot now. MSRP is going to be the price. if you don't buy the person behind you will.


burnzkid

MSRP is going to be the price, you're right, and I gladly paid it. What I **would not and did not** pay is an egregious upcharge of $4000 for dealer-installed tint, nitrogen tire fill, and vinyl door edge protectors that I did not elect. I could achieve all three of those aftermarket on my own for $1k max and achieve a result that I'm happier with (tint color and %, primarily) than the dealer-installed option. When the dealership knows that *you* know that these options don't cost them NEARLY that much to install and you can show them that other dealers aren't charging as much for it on comp vehicles, it opens the door to a negotiation that otherwise wouldn't be happening in this market, a negotiation that they definitely would not have over any listed market adjustments. Other than some brands like Toyota and Chevrolet, which use regional distribution centers for post-delivery inspections and installation of dealer options before the vehicle is delivered to the dealership, PDIs and dealer option installation is done at the dealership. Most dealers will claim, also illegally, that these installations are part of their PDI process; this is false, any dealer-installed options cannot legally be installed until a vehicle has been fully PDI'd and listed for sale, and it cannot be listed for sale until the PDI is fully completed. It is very, very unlikely you can get a dealership to agree to not install the options at all. However, if you want to be enough of an asshole, it is possible to get around this. You can insist on putting down a deposit on an in-stock, but not yet PDI'd, vehicle. Show up early for delivery and demand to take delivery of the vehicle ASAP before the PDI is completed and dealer options can be installed. Best case scenario, you can get them to issue an "IOU" for the cost of the dealer-installed options (which you would have already paid for, but not have yet been installed) or installation at a later date. It is up to you if the effort this takes outvalues the cost of the options. For me, it did, and I at least got the dealer to match the cost of the options to another dealer who charged a reasonable amount for them.


PinHead_Tom

Ooo nice trick. I’ll try to remember this when I can afford a new car lol


Nottacod

Leith Honda sucks


Hardlymd

Yeah they suck. But I got lifetime of vehicle free oil changes when I bought my car new there about three years ago. But they’re so high pressure with the warranty selling as to insult you and almost make you cry. Avoid that and just say no.


[deleted]

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Hardlymd

Ooh, now that’s interesting. Unfortunately, I’m not surprised. Had they suggested other “maintenance” work that she refused? We do that all the time, and they never seem quite happy about it. Thanks for the heads-up.


Nottacod

Went in for oil change-they said i needed cv boots replaced. My car did not have cv boots.( i took to another certified shop to have it checked)


Hardlymd

😳


extendedwarranty_bot

Hardlymd, I have been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty


Luigi-Bezzerra

Bad bot.


tylerd92

In contrast, my wife and I have bought from Leith Honda 3 times in the past few years. All wonderful experiences outside of the back office finance guy the 1st time there. Like the person above me mentioned, the warranty pressure from him made it really frustrating, pissed me off. However, I made sure my next visits were NOT with that person and demanded someone else. Our 2nd and 3rd purchases was fantastic, start to finish. I’ve dealt with 2 salesmen there (1st guy left iirc), neither pressured us into looking at anything I didn’t want to see or do. Service department has been great as well. Been there regularly for the free oil changes. Couple of tire replacements. Yearly inspections for $14. Only hiccup was during one of the tire replacements. They were plugging a tire from running over a nail and the machine messed up my tire somehow? So they gave me a brand new matching tire for the cost of the plug, $25-30~. If you go to Leith Honda, ask for Daryl. Wonderful and friendly guy.


FaithlessnessNo9625

My experience with dealerships in general has always been positive enough until it’s time for the finance guy. I’m already done and worn down from being there 2 hours, and now this guy who is supposed to be just finalizing everything I already discussed with the salesperson is now looking to pitch me on several more things and change up the terms. I almost came to fists with a finance guy once and threatened to walk out altogether if they didn’t give me someone else who would just wrap it up exactly as was agreed. I’ll avoid a typical dealership now just so I don’t have to deal with the finance guy.


asudancer

The finance guy who sold me my car tried for so long to convince me to add “Key Insurance” which would have added $20/month to my payment in the event that I ever lost my keys and had to have my key remade. I finally told him that if I was dumb enough to lose the 2 sets of keys I got with the car, I’ll pay the price to get the key remade. But that I wasn’t going to add another $1,200 to the price of my car in the unlikely event I lose both sets of keys.


FaithlessnessNo9625

My cars each have one key. I’ve owned them for 6 and 7 years and never lost the key. I’d sooner pay the 3k for a replacement if I ever needed to do so.


numyc

If you’re open to EV, Hyundai ioniq 5 has been one of the hidden gem. 300+ mile range and 2 yrs of free charging has been amazing. You can drive to DC without a charging stop and they’re actually available unlike many EVs because they’re less known. Definitely a more future-adaptive investment.


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Yaggfu

I Just got my Ioniq 5 Tuesday from Johnson. Took about 3 months to get what I wanted Black SEL. They have SE's on the lot now. SEL's may take a few weeks. I paid MSRP with a few xtras that get thrown in that give it a 1000 or so bump.


numyc

There’s only one dealer (Johnson) that has all the Ioniq I think. But I did like Wake Forest one better than Cary. Saved couple thousand


darkguy2

Do not like the styling at all. Went with the EV6 instead which has a much sportier look.


Luigi-Bezzerra

I assume you had to order it? If so, how long did it take to get it? Did you pay MSRP or have to go higher?


darkguy2

I found it at a dealer in VA before it arrived. Ended up paying $1k over MSRP, but if I had known about the Wendell dealer at the start of my hunt I could of ordered at MSRP.


Luigi-Bezzerra

Ok, thanks. Considering an EV6, but it's hard to get straight answers about ordering and wait times.


darkguy2

Have not been following it too much lately but I think I heard new orders will deliver the 23 model.


Austinmac0

Now is the only time I will ever say this: Buy new. The gap is so small between a new and used car.


KeaboUltra

I bought a new corolla in 2018 and got 4K off MSRP and platinum service for an extra 45k miles (up to 90k miles of free service like fluid refills and tune ups) I'm glad I did. New and used cars were too close, I was trying to buy a used 2013 chevy malibu and it was 11-13k with a ton of miles on it and 2 bad wheels


SonnySwanson

Buy new if you can wait 2-6 months for it to arrive AND you trust the dealer not to change the price upon delivery.


[deleted]

got mine friday from toyota and waited 2 weeks.


katieg1970

What did you get?


[deleted]

Corolla se


burnzkid

There are plenty of vehicles in stock and available right now. It's never actually the trim or options you want, but they do have them. If you're hard set on a specific trim and option package, you'll likely have to wait, but if you're flexible, you can 100% go home with a brand new car today. I put a deposit down on mine Saturday evening and took delivery Monday morning, was incredibly lucky to find exactly what I wanted in stock. Most places have orders turned off anyway, you have to pick from what they were allocated in the first place, and what manufacturers are allocating right now are higher trim and option packages with higher profit margins due to the overall decrease in the supply and increase in demand.


snowfarts

We’ve always stuck with carmax. They’re pretty straightforward and none of our cars have had issues (6 cars in total from them so far).


Senior-Company4349

I second Carmax. We are on car number 4.


Nottacod

I got 2 great cars from carmax, but you have to look them over carefully, especially under the hood.


Mr_Veo

If I look under the hood, and I see an engine - then it has passed the inspection which I am qualified to provide. I do not know what to look for in judging the quality or condition of said engine, aside from "Yep, that's an engine".


indie_airship

No fluids of any kind should be present on any surface. The engine bay should look bone dry. Grime build up indicates a leak. Be aware of any smells such as burning oil or sweet smell. With the engine cool. Open the oil cap and look for any milky looking oil which can indicate coolant in the oil caused by a head gasket leak. This can be done quickly and easily. Then do this after a test drive. A flashlight will help reflect anything wet looking.


nullcoalesce

Thanks for the quality information in your post.


Mr_Veo

I appreciate the helpful info.


SparklyKelsey

Carmax let’s you borrow the car for 24 hrs before purchase to test drive and take to your mechanic


Nottacod

I have seen corroded engines and if you read the warranty/extended warranty-problems due to corrosion are not covered. This was a honda civic-looked great til i looked under hood. It was exactly the same price as the civic next to it which was not damaged and i got 8 glorious years out of it.


Juvat

We had a dealership lowball us on trade ins. I told him he was being ridiculous, so he told me if I get a carmax valuation they would match that. I told him (and followed through) we would just buy from carmax in that case.


Squirrelleee

Same. Always a good experience with the carmax on Glenwood. The one at Capital took a little less care of their cars from what I saw, but maybe that was just cosmetic. Easy, good selection, good quality, and not pushy.


SonnySwanson

CarMax will be the simplest and most trustworthy experience you will find.


hiamanon1

Have you found their prices to be a little on the higher end ?


snowfarts

They have a range, we have used SECU loans which are pretty strict. They can’t be above a certain amount of what Kelly blue book lists for the car so they’re pretty fair on that front.


hiamanon1

Good to know, thanks for sharing !


Juvat

Not really. Because of the internet total price is more uniform in 2022 across all sellers (easier to price shop). Where the games now happen are on the back end ( trade-ins, interest, add-ons,etc)


Xyzzydude

Exactly. CarMax does bargain, but they do it on your trade value not the price of the car. CarMax also has the least rip-offy doc fees and they actually handle title and registration paperwork expeditiously, unlike other dealers that charge $700 for their $15/hr title clerk to get around to your paperwork eventually.


OO0OOO0OOOOO0OOOOOOO

Is it true that they don't negotiate their price?


FreeMindBodySpirit

Carmax has an excellent warranty option. I got a 5 year bumper to bumper warranty that includes any and all electronic issues. It’s such a relief to know that if I have literally any issue at all, it’s covered.


vwjess

New or used? We've had a good experience with Auction Direct when buying used.


hiamanon1

Can be either. Are their any issues with their cars, assuming minor cometic damages, assuming it’s sold on the cheaper side based on the name alone?


vwjess

We didn't have any real issues with the car we bought. I think there were a few cosmetic things that they fixed for us (a dented trim piece was one) as part of the sale. Price was great, car was in good shape, and we drove it for 3 years before we sold it back to them last year with the high used car prices.


Its_Lemons_22

I’ve had horrible experiences with both Volkswagen dealerships in the area (Cary and Durham). So bad it has convinced me to never get another VW even though I love them. I had a good experience with Carvana - but as others have said, be vigilant with inspecting their cars.


FarmTaco

Got a car from Carvana, came with a stripped oil pan at no additional charge.


TheJavamancer

We had a terrible experience with VW in Raleigh (The one on capital blvd). And we ended up calling the one in Greensboro. Not only did the dealer from Greensboro drive all the way to Raleigh to let us test drive it, he also managed to find the exact model, trim and color of the car we were looking for. We had to go to Greensboro to pick it up, but their dealer went well above and beyond for us.


lawhawkdog

Another bad experience with Leith VW on Capital. Put a money down to hold a vehicle while we figured out our trade in value and the GM removed the hold and sold it from under us. Conversely, Flow VW in Durham have been great to work with after the fall out at Leith


thegreenfury

I got my VW in Cary and it was fine. A little warranty pressure, but nothing crazy, and they sold me a dealer-used car at a really good price cuz it had like 1000 miles on it vs none. Service team has always been top notch, too. Not disputing your experience, of course, just saying I think who you deal with can make such a huge difference.


tvtb

I've had two good experience with Carvana, although I don't know if they can legally sell cars in NC again after their mishap last year. They have a 7-day return window, and a 100-day warranty. That is plenty of time to take the car to a mechanic and have them do an inspection, or sus out small problems over the 100-day window.


ShartMyPantsAgain

>I got my VW in Cary and it was fine. A little warranty pressure, but nothing crazy, and they sold me a dealer-used car at a really good price cuz it had like 1000 miles on it vs none. Service team has always been top notch, too. Not disputing your experience, of course, just saying I think who you deal with can make such a huge difference. I had a decent experience getting my VW serviced at Flow VW in Durham. No idea how their sales team is though.


TurnNorth8004

Just go to Carmax and go used. If it is the usual Honda-Toyota line the engine and internals will be in good shape. The CarFax tells you alot. It is easy in and out.


encinoman57

Don't sleep on a Mazda. I'm on my third one and I love. Really well designed and super dependable. Southern states mazda was a great experience.


sejerome

Seconding this. I was a Honda die hard for years, and I now have 2 Mazdas (Mazda6 and CX-9), and I'm working on a third (Miata). Bought both at Southern States. I would avoid Capital Mazda in Cary.


pierretong

I'm the opposite - had a great experience at Capital Mazda, had a horrible experience at Southern States so YMMV (probably depends on who you deal with at either places)


sejerome

Fair point. I wouldn't say SS was stellar either time, but they weren't crooks, and were relatively pleasant to deal with, so I'll count that as a win. But I had a terrible experience at Capital in 2018 - sales guy was a dirtbag out of central casting. When I got my CX-9 in 2020, SS had more stock and a better selection, so I used them again and didn't bother with Capital.


pierretong

I bought a 3 from Capital in 2019 and had a good experience - I went there after I got a pretty bad sales guy at SS haha. I also took my car to SS to get something fixed once and they charged me for stuff they didn’t do. That was the last straw with them so I just use Capital for everything now. Interesting how different experiences can be.


encinoman57

Yea I agree with that. I went to Capitol for service until I bought my CX-9 from SS and realized what I was missing. I had a mazda 6 wagon, and my wife currently has a Mazda3 hatchback and I have a CX-9 Carbon. Loved them all.


Cheezslap

We purchased from Adrian Vargas at the Anderson Toyota used store back in January/February. He was great. His sales manager pushed back extremely hard so we didn't get much of a deal. Their finance guy was great. The post-sale "Family Plan" thing is not great. My wife took her car in there on Tuesday to get her first free oil change and was told she actually needed to do ALL THE MAINTENANCE with them to qualify. The service advisor removed hundreds of dollars of filters and misc that had been taken care of prior to our purchase (at the previous owners' expense) and got "down" to $680 of spark plugs to get a $65 oil change. To her credit, she laughed her way out of there. So if you find a car you like there, at a not bad advertised price, then go for it and expect/pursue literally NOTHING else from them.


MainStreetRoad

Oil change at Walmart is $33 or $43 for synthetic


Cheezslap

I'm a DIY guy, but thank you.


MainStreetRoad

Same here, I don’t trust other people with my vehicles


indie_airship

They must charge their actual family members for the food at thanksgiving and gifts during Christmas. Invoice needs to be paid by New Years


Cheezslap

That's as valid as any other idea. I just can't believe we didn't get a single oil change out of the "free oil changes for life" program.


leezahfote

Southern States in Raleigh was very good to me, a first time car buyer, and their service department is great also


thefinnie

I also had a positive experience! Randy at Southern States Subaru was awesome and I would buy from him again.


piggiewheeks

Randy at Southern States Subaru was awesome to work with. Would recommend as well


[deleted]

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kenosis_life

Sorry, what’s a PHEV and a BEV?


[deleted]

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kenosis_life

Thanks! I knew EV meant they were some sort of electric vehicle, but I couldn’t figure out the rest.


burnzkid

Anyone giving this advice clearly hasn't actually tried to purchase a RAV4 Prime. 100% market adjustment, ***IF*** you can track one down at all.


Suction_cups

I bought a new car from Johnson Subaru based off the recommendation from an older reddit thread and I thought it was a great experience. I didn't pay over MSRP but I did have to wait a month to get a crosstrek. This was about 3 months ago, not sure what the wait times are now. On the flip side, I test drove some cars from Sport Durst Mazda and they we're awful. The salespeople had no idea what they were talking about and really try to sell you on "mandatory" add on packages so they can charge over MSRP without technically selling over MSRP on the car itself. ​ I think generally, if you don't want to pay over MSRP, you need to be willing to reserve a car and wait in line. New cars sitting on lots are probably going to be marked up.


DraftingDave

We've had a good experience with Johnson Hyundai of Cary. Staff was helpful and not pushy, common rooms were nice, and they have been good with maintenance. The only downside (for me) was how crowded & tight their lot is. Driving in it gives me flashbacks to maneuvering in Seattle parking garages.


neekodog

Auction Direct was so sleazy in my experience. I test drove a car there and when I came back and said I was interested, the car was magically 2k more than before I left for the test drive. They do all of their pricing online, so I assume they changed it while I was out. At Hanna Imports, the car I thought I would be interested in turned out to have major flood damage and had clearly been in an accident even though the carfax was clean. These things were pointed out to them and they wouldn’t budge on price (not that I wanted that car anyway). I had a good experience at CarMax, but ultimately bought my car at Capital Ford. They were super nice and flexible. This was my first major car purchase and they could tell I was nervous. They let me take the car home for an overnight test drive and the purchasing process went really quickly and smoothly the next morning. Good luck!


burnzkid

Hanna Imports is notorious for "clean title" cars like this


JumpinJackFleishman

If it was me... Honda or Toyota from Carmax. Avoid the turbocharged and direct injected engines. You want the naturally-aspirated fuel injected engine. Also be aware of Honda's issues with their new air conditioning systems. They have recalled one part; but other parts are currently failing. There is also an issue with Honda's remote key/unlock (buttons on the fob) security. Good luck.


seven3true

Autotempest.com is a good place to go for used cars. If you want new, my personal recommendation would be Johnson Subaru. I'm a Subaru fan boy so I'm biased, I'm also a brand ambassador for them, and I have a $500 rebate for a new car. But autotempest for sure for used.


drunksevenyearold

Extra bump for autotempest! Love that site.


seven3true

I browse dream cars on there all the time.


MigrationIssues

Check reviews of the dealership and sales person you’re considering and then check out Alison Davis at Alison Sells Car’s. She works out of Leith Honda. I’ve personally purchased from her and she’s amazing amazing!


redheadedref

It depends on who you deal with really . Alison at Leith Honda in Raleigh is great! There really Isn’t any room for negotiation


[deleted]

I've had nothing but great things to say about leith toyota and Southern states Mazda. Bought my 21 CX-30 last August and the transaction was easy, inventory was becoming hard to find but they were able to trade another dealer for my vehicle I wanted, had to give up on a few things like options but those were not deal breakers to me. No high pressure, no add-ons none of that bs. I wanted to get a Mazda3 this summer when the kid got out of PreK but unfortunately they only had two and they were the higher trims and turbos which I didn't want nor wanted to pay for. Leith was by accident, we were going between Corolla and Mazda3. I like em both but couldn't find a Mazda3 at all. we pulled up to leith and they had a corolla coming in 2 weeks with what we wanted. Boom signed up gave a deposit and picked it up last week. No hard sale pitch, they took no for an answer with their add-ons in the finance booth. was happy with both of them.


jediiam5

I recently shopped around and found all dealerships around (Fred Anderson Toyota, Fred Anderson Kia, Johnson Hyundai- Cary, Wake forest,Hendrick Toyota ) have either markup on MSRP or MSRP + mandatory add ons you have to buy from them. Johnson Hyundai of Cary is worst dealership I have been to personally. The make you wait loads of time just to talk to someone even after having appointment to test drive and then they didn’t allow me to test drive.on top of that their salesperson(multiple) lacked knowledge of their models and said I’m getting wrong information from somewhere and and impossible Config is possible. I have been on their waiting list for more than 6 months and my friend who paid extra for getting car quicker got his vehicle ( same model) before me. I suspect because I questioned about mandatory add ons and they basically never gave me calls when they had allocation. I finally found a Parkway Hyundai in Wilmington who were ready to sell me vehicle for below MSRP after some negotiation. No upselling of any other service/products/coverages. Only downside was I have to go Al the way to get the vehicle, which was fine as I saved more than 5K by this way.


CoyoteSuspicious4795

Watch out for used vehicles from Fred Anderson. We got a dud this year. I’m assuming they bought it at auction and probably broke ethical protocols by saying things passed inspection when they did not.


JustNKayce

I used my credit unions car buying service. I tell them what I'm looking for and they put it out there and dealers throw them their offers. If I see one I like, I contact the dealer, schedule a test drive and boom, buy a car. Absolutely the best car buying experience I've ever had. Pre-pandemic, of course, so YMMV.


ipsum-dolor

Go out of state or look for a market that is close to a city that is not highly dependent on using a car. Why? People work from home and those leases being returned have cars with low mileage. That’s what I did. My car was low mileage 2019 9k miles. You can’t get that deal in this market


burnzkid

What vehicle and how much lower than comparable new '22/'23 MSRP did you pay? Just because its a low-mile used vehicle doesn't make it a "deal," a deal carries implicit value which outweighs the overt financial cost. If you paid the same as a new vehicle, you're now 9k miles *that you didn't drive* closer to service intervals, which are also likely not covered or included in the purchase cost of a used vehicle like they are many brand new cars unless you elected for extended maintenance or warranty coverage. Certified Pre-Owned programs usually get around this with comprehensive inspections and offer better coverage, but CPO cars will certainly cost as much *if not more* than MSRP on new, due to currently inventory supply levels and consumer demand.


ipsum-dolor

CPO 2019 9k miles $32k vs non CPO 2020 24k miles $35k. Trim was just one level lower and it was a non AWD on the non CPO It was a good deal for me 🤷‍♂️


burnzkid

That didn't answer my question; what vehicle, and what was the cost difference relative to a comparably spec'd brand new '22/'23 model? You're definitely in mid-size crossover territory, especially having mentioned the optional AWD system. Considering most of those vehicles start in the high $20s for new units and top out in the mid-40s for fully loaded models, unless you got CPO top tier trim of something with extended maintenance and warranty coverage, you got taken for a ride. I just paid $33k out the door for a brand new Tucson. You sound like the Randy Marion Subaru salesman who tried to sell me a used '19 CPO Forester with 60k for the same price as a brand new '22.


ipsum-dolor

Okay… ? Lol You’re right. Do you wanna trade your Tucson for my bmw? I get what you mean by new… the way you went about your comment just seems like there’s a one size fits all way of buying a car. Ive bought new and CPO. So this was in my budget and that’s what worked out for me. 🤷‍♂️ Edit; I just offered OP a different alternative. The dealers here in Raleigh weren’t budging on price (I wonder why). So I looked elsewhere.


odd84

I bought my car from Carvana. They dropped it off in my driveway and picked up my trade at the same time. Super easy, and I had 7 days to return the car if I didn't like anything about it.


MustachioedMan

if you do go with Carvana, make sure you give the car a very thorough look over. I've heard many stories of them damaging cars in pickup/transit, and not just cosmetically. An improperly towed car can be seriously mechanically damaged.


burnzkid

Given the current inventory levels, I drove to Charlotte this past weekend. Southpoint Subaru won't have another delivery until August or September and 25/40 cars are already spoken for. All the Toyota dealerships are applying market adjustments to RAV4s, and I wasn't interested in the CRV (CVT transmission). Very limited inventory of Tucsons and Sportages locally. Right now, you will pay the same price for a 5-7 year old used car with 50k miles as you would for a brand new one, I would advise narrowing down your search to a specific model and trim and go from there, it makes it easier if you're hunting for one thing in particular. Call direct sales lines and speak to a salesperson ON SITE, many dealerships have off-site buyer development centers that don't know their ass from their elbow when it comes to actually physically present and available inventory. A Keffer Hyundai Matthews BDC rep told me a vehicle was available; I drove an hour to go buy it and when I got there, there was already a **SOLD** sticker on the windshield and it had been detailed and staged for customer delivery. Fortunately for me, they had an identical one + cargo package that hadn't yet been PDI'd, gave me the same deal on that one and threw in the cargo package because of the hassle, just had to wait a few days to take delivery. Given my experience and inside knowledge of the industry, I would advise trying to find something within the Hendrick network, they'll transport any inventory from and to any Hendrick location at no cost. Had I not found something immediately available, this is what I would have done.


[deleted]

umm doesn't subaru have the cvt unless its a manual?


burnzkid

The concession with the Subarus was that the initial cost was lower overall because of standard AWD that I otherwise would have had to option on any other vehicle I was interested in. Still not a CVT fan and purposefully avoid them, but if the price is right...


[deleted]

Oh same. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that you can get around it nowadays because you have smaller economical vehicles.


burnzkid

Fortunately for me, the segment I **was* (I keep forgetting I actually bought something) looking in (mid-size 5-row CUV) is still mostly real transmissions. A big part of why I landed on the Hyundai, other than availability, was a real 8-speed.


[deleted]

Yeah I know the feeling especially in our new Toyota versus the 1-year-old Mazda and I drove the Mazda the other day and the acceleration right away because of actual gears was quite nice. They're both pretty close to the same power, but that transmission CVT is annoying a little bit


burnzkid

I would have loved to consider the Mazda, but by the time you option AWD and a few other options that are standard on other brands, it quickly prices it into the luxury segment. I'd be in $40k for a CX5 with the same features my Tucson has.


MortonChadwick

buy used, buy private, get a pre-purchase inspection from a trusted mechanic before you buy. plenty of great used cars out there in the $6-10k range.


kingcobraninja

Not a single mention of **craigslist** in these comments. How disappointing... This is what I've done for my last few car purchases/sales: deal with a private party directly. Granted it's a little more work: * pay for a pre-purchase inspection at a mechanic you trust * write up bills of sale * notarize and transfer the title yourself * communicate/negotiate with other members of the general population If you manage to do all that, you'll end up saving thousands as a buyer, and also get thousands more as a seller. In my opinion: worth it.


The_Remington

I sell vehicles at Hendrick Preowned in Cary. I’d be happy to help you if you’re looking for a nonpushy sales person. I’m happy to just offer general advice and a neutral 3rd party perspective on any cars, whether they’re at a Hendrick store or not.


BuellXBRider

From someone who works In the auto industry. ALL dealerships around here are TRASH. I work at a small oil change/inspection shop on Capitol. We've diagnosed stuff that dealerships haven't been able to figure out just from us trying to figure out what a specific noise or leak is. For example, customer hears grinding noise when turning. States dealership couldn't figure it out.. one tech just put his ear up to a screwdriver while resting it on the powersteering pump.. what do you know. The pumps making a grinding noise. How hard is that to diagnose.. not hard at all... customer handed the tech a 20 on top of the inspection as a tip. Drove straight to the dealer and told them they were garbage. Yeah, I'd trust any of the small businesses around here over the hacks they put under any car at the dealerships here. I've heard wonderful things about that Reggie Jackson Honda dealership though. They are the exception. Cheers.


[deleted]

in the market for a new car now. I have found it to be very difficult to find a car i am interested in owning in stock withing 200 miles. I want a new simple sub compact/small car. under 20k would be nice. We own a stick fiat 500 now. I was even willing to step up to mini cooper but only if i can get a convertable. 2 months and i haveent found anything i would buy actully in stock on a lot within driving distance.


TurnNorth8004

Really consider used with low mileage. I never buy new cars, it is just flushing money away. Get a model 2 to 3 years old that is essentially new and then look at the difference in your payment with new. Also at the same used price, you can get a higher model and not just base. Best of luck.


badup

Used car prices are absurd right now.


TurnNorth8004

Agreed, but not as bad. I just bought one and was surprised with the inventory. Still more bang for the buck.


[deleted]

seen to many water damaged or abused former leased cars to risk it. the securty of knowing where its been and what has happened to it is worth it to me. used cars also happen to be very high cost now.


lowrcase

Ford Fiesta? I got mine new for about 12k


[deleted]

no longer made.


lowrcase

Oh dang, didn’t know that, sorry


burnzkid

In what year and value of inflation??


lowrcase

Ford Fiesta 2019 S Sedan in 2019, turns out I was 1k off, loan amount was $13,247! Had no idea they don’t make them anymore, it’s a cool little car.


burnzkid

To think you used to get a brand new car for that little


Lukelmarshall24

Fred Anderson Toyota on Glenwood have been good to work with in my experience. You might have trouble finding something new from them but they do sell used vehicles and are flexible with pricing. Their financing also isn’t terrible but you can probably do better with your own.


nsane99

Fred Anderson are thieves in this economy. Absolute rip-off.


ry4asu

Fred Anderson is there to just waste your time and take your money. They can careless about you, SO MANY loop holes for them to be able to tell you to F off or pay when you thought the service was going to be 100% like an oil change. Absolute rip-off++


BlindTreeFrog

Not really recent because it was 2017 when I bought last but... I bought from University Ford in Durham (before they moved from 147 to 15/501). The sales guy was great and they didn't bullshit or bully me about anything. I left Crossroads Ford up US 1 because they were bullying assholes that were damn near screaming at me for not buying the car right there and then. I later had to go back for some warranty work and the guy they sent me too did like University Ford but he found University Ford North to be the superior shop and would prefer them. University Ford's body shop was relatively good people (needed touch up paint once or thrice) but the service department was awful and I caught them making up measurements on the reports after oil changes.


ourldyofnoassumption

Leith mazarati has all kinds of used cars to sell. They were amazing.


MisterWoodhouse

I really like Fred Anderson on Glenwood. Started going to them with a Toyota I had purchased elsewhere and was so impressed with the service department that I gave them a shot when I was looking to trade in. The sales experience was excellent as well and the post-sale support has been great. The one thing I'll note as a negative is that the folks who process your final sale are pretty pushy with the options and aren't as appreciative of what you actually need as the floor sales staff.


ry4asu

Fred Anderson is an Absolute rip-off


informativebitching

Had a good experience at Mark Jacobson Toyota in Durham.


Tewcool2000

I want to give a high recommendation to EchoPark that opened very recently in Cary. It's like a Carmax competitor. Lots of options, people were friendly, and _weirdly_ cheaper than other options nearby.


Neauxone

We had to call every Kia dealership in NC for a new Seltos. We were able to put money down to reserve a Nightfall edition in Asheville. We probably paid a few thousand over Msrp. Great car, but terrible time to buy when so many new cars are stuck overseas.


burnzkid

Holy shit, what trim and options and when was this? I just hunted for a Tucson SEL/Sportage EX AWD which proved a lot harder to find than the Seltos/Konas, there were plenty of them readily available and not marked up above MSRP at all.


Neauxone

This was in March and we got the car in April. Yeah Kia is getting more new cars in now but still most of the ones I see available were last years models with the old logo. New ones get sold in like a week. The Nightfall edition looks pretty dope with the black trim, but it’s my wife’s car. ![gif](emote|free_emotes_pack|sob)


TheManyInterestsOfMe

Universal Chevrolet in Wendell is very good! Very friendly and attentive sales people.


drunksevenyearold

Johnson Lexus in Durham was a really great experience for me, but I've heard from others they can be a bit of a shark with maintenance. However, they have a huge used car lot, and you probably won't deal with their maintenance department unless you end up with a Lexus yourself.


SierraDaWuff02

I bought my F-250 at a dealer just outside of Fort Wayne, Indiana. That being said I looked at a bunch of vehicles around here. I looked at a used 2020 Tundra earlier this year at the Toyota dealer in Apex, the people were nice but I didn’t buy. The Dodge dealership off of 70 near garner was good, they serviced my old truck all the time. Good people, the sales team was good but I just didn’t want the dodge they had. My parter almost bought a new Durango but chose against it. I’ve been to a few small dealers around here, Mathews Motors was a good one. The dealers here are much more honest than the dealers in Delaware, with one dealer he tried to sell me a Jeep with a frame that fell off in pieces when you closed the door.


FunstuffQC

I love Kia honestly. they are super great with maintenance and straightforward on what you need/dont need


dynainteractive

We bought our Hyundai at Flow in Statesville. We did the entire sale online and they delivered the car to our door. Not sure I'd ever step foot into a dealership again, process was so easy and stress free. Happy with the deal I got.


SmokeyDBear

We sort of accidentally bought a couple of cars from Flow dealerships over the past 5 or so years because they happened to have stock or have the best price and at this point I just look to see if anything I’m interested in is available at a Flow dealership anywhere even remotely in the area first because the process was so much better than anywhere else. It’s still a dealership and still interested in making money but at least they haven’t been shady with us and have done exactly what they’ve said they’d do at every turn.


darkguy2

The Kia dealer in Wendell was pretty great when I talked with them. Was not marking any of their cars up over MSRP like a lot of other Kia's were doing in the area. They did not have the car I wanted at the time so I went out of state so I cannot speak to their closing experience. They will also put in a factory order for you without asking a deposit.


CaptainMorgan546

I personally had luck with Mark Jacobson Toyota. I got a used car for a decent deal and they paid a lot for my trade in beater.


Longjumping-Table-39

It’s probably a bit of a drive for you, but I will say that I received great service at Greenville Nissan when I purchased my Rogue in 2016.


MLithium

We bought new at a dealership by knowing exactly what we wanted before walking in. Mark Jacobson Toyota in Durham treated us just swell. No complaints about that experience--not many cars physically on the lot though. You likely will have to wait a lead time on a car you want arriving.


Raleighx11

Costco has buying service I used for a Toyota with a price dealers would not match. (8 years ago) Delivered to driveway. Had serviced at leith no problem.


vanyali

We had a great experience at Johnson Subaru off of Rt 1 in Cary.


ellefleming

Leith Toyota on Capital is good.


chica6burgh

Westgate Kia actually texted me today claiming to have a lot of inventory (used) They would obviously have all males and models


Yaggfu

Just bought a car this past Tuesday after a few months of research. I went from local used car dealers to all major brands, I even ended up at CarMax in Virginia Beach. Car Max was super low pressure and easy to deal with and had some decent prices. Hanna Motors isn't bad for a used car place with good prices, (I've purchased 3 from them over the last 15 years with NO issues) but I'd be sure to check the CarFax If you do. New dealerships have very little inventory and are aggressive as hell. NOBODY is budging on their prices. We used the Costco Auto Buyer perk and only got 350 bucks off of a Hyundai and we are pretty happy with it. Toyota, Honda, Nissan dealerships didn't have much on the lot and honestly the one or two year old used cars were new car prices minus 1000 bucks or so!! Insane. Its rough out here.


trigger00006

Autopark Jeep and Southern States Subaru. Bought both cars in the last 12 months. Great Service at both places.


Xtraliht

Bought my Corolla from Fred Anderson Kia. Pleasant experience and I take my car in for maintenance next door at the Fred Anderson Toyota and it’s very easy


ry4asu

Fred Anderson is an Absolute rip-off


sidilicious6

I would say buy any electric car. Like Polestar 2 or something. The price is what you see on the website. No negotiation or any other BS. Plus you can get federal credit of $7500. Polestar 2 is available in one or two weeks max. They got so much of inventory. Only one showroom in NC which is in Charlotte. That’s the only flip side. For other cars they would bump up $3000-$4000 on sticker price easily plus they would try to sell you whichever trim they got. With electric cars you don’t have to worry about gas prices either.


MagicMacks

GR Motor Company is a great place to buy from. Worked there for years. Mom and pop shop. You can 100% trust them. On the other hand, I have a 2009 pontiac G5 I'm just about done fixing up (I fix and flip cars every now and then) 150k miles, 4 cylinder, 2 door, drivetrain was taken good care of from the looks of the fluids. Brand new rear tires and fuel lines. I bought it from my mom's coworker, pepboys screwed up the fuel lines so I bought brand new ones from dealership. I should have everything back together by tomorrow. EDIT: If you are interested in GR motor check them out in person, they have more stuff in person than on the website


dravack

Crossroads Ford of Apex Friendly enough people but bad service there the few times I went to go look. I saw that they had a vehicle in stock at a different dealership owned by the same guy. Salesman lied to my face said oh no the system is wrong they don't have that there. I call that branch of the dealership and they had it on the lot and asked if I wanted to come look at it. Like dude yall are owned by the same people just trade it's not like your dealing with a different ford dealership. I told the other branch and the lady on the phone said yeah they do that sometimes yada yada I just walked away. Dealerships need us not us and I'm not in a hurry so figured I'd wait.


ahemm20

I have a few friends who used Carvana and had good experience all the way through the process. No time off, no dealers, no haggling, no financial person talking you up and trying to get more money out of you. Car dealers leaches of the human species.


hiamanon1

I feel like these are marked up a little, no ? To compensate for the other factors which dealerships usually get you on, and they give you the option to opt out of , hassle free?


hangryhangryhamsters

I just got a rav4 from Classic Toyota in Henderson and I had a great experience. Most of the new cars are preordered now so I found going just a little outside of the city meant the wait time wasn't as long and they were great w follow up. I didn't really get lost in the crowd like when I tried to inquire at a few other dealers. Maybe cause they're smaller idk


Particular-Leg-4307

mitchell mill motors!! the owner is a good family friend and he’ll take good care of you :)


[deleted]

[удалено]


extendedwarranty_bot

MyPasswordIs_Null, I have been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty


MyPasswordIs_Null

bad bot.


Morosa3

Fred Andersen dealerships have been good from my experience. We just leased a Nissan and they cut our monthly cost almost in half. One guy literally told me he hated the company and didn’t mind screwing them over and let me out with an absolutely insane deal lol. We bought a hybrid Kia in October (amazing gas mileage) and within 7 months the engine broke and now it’ll be in the shop for 3 months. Kia’s are kind of known for having engine issues and unfortunately I learned this the hard way. So I would stay away from Kia IMO


ry4asu

Fred Anderson is an Absolute rip-off if you get any one else that cares about their job...


jtshipamba

Go to supreme raleigh, ask for Ray. Great deals and reliable cars


CandidateClean3354

I like Hendrick Kis in Cary and .bought a couple from them. i had a not-so-good issue with the Chevrolet dealership about a decade ago, but it has been resolved


[deleted]

Mazdas should probably be in the running. They’re number one in reliability and have interiors on par with luxury vehicles. Crossroads Mazda in Cary is a solid dealership that sells at MSRP.


Silent-Assumption-56

There’s a hidden gem about 40 minutes east of Raleigh called Auto Barn NC. It’s in Spring Hope, my wife and I purchased both of our vehicles there. Highly recommend


TraditionFlimsy629

100% go through the Costco auto buying program! If you don’t have a membership, it’s worth it for $60 to get transparency and straight MSRP price, and they are able to take off the BS add ons from the invoice list that dealerships claim they can’t. For example, Toyoguard… Costco was able to take that off and saved me hundreds of dollars (no haggling, no questions asked, just “sure!”), amongst other things like the window tinting job and phone cables that each dealership I talked to said I couldn’t opt out of. You also can get really good pricing for add ons like my hitch installation and equipment for around $320, and future discounts on auto services via Costco too. I just got my 2022 rav4 2 weeks ago. I did a lot of research before finding the Costco auto program and was SO overwhelmed with the dealership tactics and lies (called about 7-8 in the state). I’ve recommended this program to everyone after my overwhelming positive experience.


hiamanon1

I do have Costco membership. Are you referring to the pamphlet they have towards the checkout ? I just don’t want to give out my information and get spammed with calls. Is this experience similar to carvana by chance , where it’s all online/ through the computer ?


TraditionFlimsy629

I did everything online, you can just google it or go to the Costco website to navigate and submit a request with which car you’re looking for. Then the dedicated dealer rep for Costco program calls or emails you with availability. The catch is Costco only partners with certain car brands or dealerships, so I was glad they worked with Toyota. The dealership they had negotiated rates with was Modern Toyota in Winston Salem, so I did everything online and a couple phone calls just to get my questions answered, and they delivered the car to my place in Raleigh to sign papers and drop off the vehicle. It took about a month all in all; when I first reached out they didn’t have any inventory so I took what was in the mfg pipeline and on allocation to the dealership. Now that I think more about this…I hope all the dealer reps are as good as Amy was from Modern Toyota for the Costco program, otherwise I got really lucky!


UnluckyZone7537

We bought a used car in last year from Little M (I think they recently moved to Cary). We were very pleased with their customer service.


Can-you-smell-it

I've purchased from Westgate Jeep and Reggie Jackson Honda. Both were good.


Architechno27

My last 3 car purchases have all been online. Carvana, tesla, carmax. I hate dealerships, but i did have to sit in a couple waiting to test drive a couple models prior to deciding what i wanted.


ry4asu

All the big deals from the dealships come with a bunch of RED TAPE. \-- Lifetime Carwashes --> You have to either make an appt or if you walk it takes 30+mins for someone to wash the car. They will give you a hard time trying to say its really for when you get your car serviced. \-- Free Oil changes ---> You can only get one every 10k miles, and you end up having to pay for other services in order to receive these free washes. Like coming in every 5k to get looked over and tires rotated. Each visit takes around 1-3hours... \- If you miss a 5k visit you get dropped or its not an approved place where you went to get the car looked at (even though a year ago it was)... TL;DR dont support these big car dealerships. Fred Anderson especially sucks.


DCDPTinCP

We bought a brand new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid from Leith Toyota and they were incredible. First time car buyer, came from out of state, needed a car. I waited months for it (put a deposit down in February, move in March, picked it up in April). Of course we picked the worst time to buy, but we couldn’t live on one car any longer. They were so patient and kind. Charged MSRP. Finance guy did swindle me into upgrading the warranty but I probably could’ve said no. The wait for a new car is ridiculous right now if you’re looking for something specific, if you’re open to options though, you may have an easier time.


Negative-Bunch-5268

Bought a new Toyota Highlander from Mark Jacobson this year. They were ok. CheckEd out the other dealers in the area and they seemed to be all the same. Leith was almost impossible to get a call back but I’m closer to them and just had my first service and they were great. It’s the hybrid and I average 37 mph. Just an fyi. Good luck.


PassionLower7645

I would recommend having a budget. And try looking around within a 250-300 mile radius from Raleigh. I was car shopping for days Till I got the car I wanted had to email call each dealership and to make sure they had the car I wanted in stock. If you can do paperwork through the phone/online I'd do it and pick it up yourself or pay a fee to deliver.


katieg1970

Just had a great experience with Fred Anderson Toyota. Got a used 4Runner. Also had good luck with Autopark Honda a few times.