Small Independent Used Car Dealerships...(also CarMax/DriveTime, etc.)......

[redgtxdi]

Well, I'm a straight up beloved patriot.........but I can speak pretty good and fluent Spanish so this whole thing is certainly not a racial deal, but I took a drive yesterday after wanting to knock somebody's lights out at a new car dealership *and* after having become pretty disheartened after looking for used cars and found another option.........

These smaller used car dealers.............

Here in So Cal...........smaller, used car dealers are basically there for non-English speaking folks who really need a smokin' deal on a cheap family ride. They certainly must serve their purpose 'cuz there's literally no less than a few dozen of 'em in the "downtown" areas where I live.

(One street will literally take you thru about 3 towns in a 10 minute drive and there's these small dealers literally about every 100 yards or so)

Anyway...........my concern is ..........has anybody successfully bought a car there?? There were a couple of the *nicer* ones that I would actually get out of my car for and look at a few, but the cars are typically dirty and it pretty much looks like nobody gives a F###.

I don't know that I want to buy a car from places like that.

Other side of the coin is places like CarMax & DriveTime, but their prices are friggin' hilarious. You'd think they're giving you a *lifetime* warranty with the car for the prices they're askin'.

Opinions?????????

 

[Spoooon]

I always laugh at those "se habla espanol" commercials.

You're fresh from Mexico or wherever, don't speak any english, and are watching TV. You see some guy (car salesmen, lawyers) on the screen yelling at you, flashing colors (cars, people on fire or on crutches), and the words "se habla espanol."

 

[CrackRabbit]

Most of the dealerships you speak of are "buy here / pay here" places, if you are looking to finance a car make sure you do it from a real bank.

 

[redgtxdi]

Oh, definitely..........plus I can do the Costco thing where you apply, then get a blank check in the mail.........then you can go wherever you'd like and buy whatever you'd like up to the limit they give you.

But, I'd really rather pay cash. Kinda' lookin' for a mid to late 90's 4-banger (descent Jap car) for around $5K or less.

You can find 'em used via "Private Party", but every one I've gone to look at is either not in as good a shape as they describe........or if it is.........there's like 10 people comin' to look at the same car......(joke)......so I usually just give it a look, make an offer and after some unknowing idiot offers way too much......I simply leave shaking my head.

And somebody like DriveTIme or CarMax wants like twice the money for the same kind of car.......(ridiculous!)