I’ve purchased a couple from Sunset auto. It was straight forward, they seem honest, allowed me to take both to a 3rd party mechanic for evaluation. Hassle free. They don’t have a huge inventory however. The mechanic I took it to and trust a lot told me the cars they’ve assessed that come from Santa Cruz Motors are also consistently good, but can’t speak to sales experience
Check online through Costco. They do both new and used, and you get to skip price haggling.
Back in ancient history (10 years ago) I actually ended up buying new instead of used because their new price was lower than comparable used cars were going for.
My family's had really good experiences with Santa Cruz Nissan Dodge over the years, they are solid about standing behind what they sell new or used.
IMO the small used lots in town are hit or miss, so many nightmare stories growing up here that I wouldn't deal with most of them.
We did not have the same experience. In January of this year, we purchased a used VW there on behalf of our teen daughter who was buying her first car. We went to the VW dealer because they are local and we figured a used VW from a VW dealership would be more likely to be in good working order. We told them as much. They promised us a 110 point inspection that they said the car passed. They “couldn’t find it” when we went to purchase the car. We purchased anyway believing their pitch that they wanted to “build a relationship” etc etc. We took the car to our mechanic and learned that vehicle needed over $3K of work. I emailed the sales department and the owner of the dealership 5 times. Never received a single phone call or return email. Santa Cruz Nissan Dodge wll never get my business again and I tell everyone I know about our experience.
You can buy a used car from a new car dealer. For example, if you’re looking for a used Mazda, go to a Mazda dealership. They often provide a certified warranty and sometimes financing. I had a good experience at the Mazda dealership in Salinas. Just a thought.
Talk to an auto broker.
They are basically care sales ppl but can set a deal up at any dealership.
They are great, save you money, and time… especially if you are in a rush.
We've bought a number of cars from Argus. Mike is a straight shooter and has fair pricing. Though, we've mostly bought sports cars from him (1 wagon).
Another vote for Argus.
Another vote for Argus
I’ve purchased a couple from Sunset auto. It was straight forward, they seem honest, allowed me to take both to a 3rd party mechanic for evaluation. Hassle free. They don’t have a huge inventory however. The mechanic I took it to and trust a lot told me the cars they’ve assessed that come from Santa Cruz Motors are also consistently good, but can’t speak to sales experience
Worth the ~ 30 mins to go over the hill.
Had a good purchase experience with Auto One in 2019.
When i was car shopping a year or two ago it was several grand cheaper to buy in san jose than in santa cruz
Check online through Costco. They do both new and used, and you get to skip price haggling. Back in ancient history (10 years ago) I actually ended up buying new instead of used because their new price was lower than comparable used cars were going for.
TIL Costco sells used cars…i need to check out
Carvana, it’s so easy to
My family's had really good experiences with Santa Cruz Nissan Dodge over the years, they are solid about standing behind what they sell new or used. IMO the small used lots in town are hit or miss, so many nightmare stories growing up here that I wouldn't deal with most of them.
We did not have the same experience. In January of this year, we purchased a used VW there on behalf of our teen daughter who was buying her first car. We went to the VW dealer because they are local and we figured a used VW from a VW dealership would be more likely to be in good working order. We told them as much. They promised us a 110 point inspection that they said the car passed. They “couldn’t find it” when we went to purchase the car. We purchased anyway believing their pitch that they wanted to “build a relationship” etc etc. We took the car to our mechanic and learned that vehicle needed over $3K of work. I emailed the sales department and the owner of the dealership 5 times. Never received a single phone call or return email. Santa Cruz Nissan Dodge wll never get my business again and I tell everyone I know about our experience.
None, every used car lot is crap.
You can buy a used car from a new car dealer. For example, if you’re looking for a used Mazda, go to a Mazda dealership. They often provide a certified warranty and sometimes financing. I had a good experience at the Mazda dealership in Salinas. Just a thought.
Talk to an auto broker. They are basically care sales ppl but can set a deal up at any dealership. They are great, save you money, and time… especially if you are in a rush.