used car dealers
Can anyone recommend a used car dealer in Brooklyn (or Manhattan) reasonably accessible via subway/bus? I’ll most likely buy a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla but might consider other reliable small cars. Bay Ridge seems to have a fairly large concentration of dealerships. Anyone have any good experiences there? I realize used car dealers (like…
Can anyone recommend a used car dealer in Brooklyn (or Manhattan) reasonably accessible via subway/bus?
I’ll most likely buy a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla but might consider other reliable small cars.
Bay Ridge seems to have a fairly large concentration of dealerships. Anyone have any good experiences there?
I realize used car dealers (like rental brokers) have earned themselves a pretty awful reputation, so I’m not expecting much.
I’ve done the usual online searches, and either every car dealer in Brooklyn is the worst one on the planet, or only people who have bad experiences write online reviews of car dealers.
And after careful consideration of the forum categories, I’ve decided finding a minimally slimy used car dealer is a Quality of Life issue.
Thanks,
nsr
Asking for an honest used cars salesman is like trying to find an honest real estate agents
I’m very happy with the ’03 certified used Honda CRV I bought from Bay Ridge Honda in 2006. I think it was worth the extra cost to get something with a warranty from the manufacturer.
Of course that doesn’t mean I’d suggest getting anything other than warranty service from this, or ANY other dealer.
When we lived upstate we bought several cars through a truly great guy in Kingston named John Conlin. He looks a little more established now; but when we used him, he was buying cars at auctions and we told him the price range and type of car we were looking for: ie. solid, 4 door….and we had to agree to buy what he picked up. We always ended up with very solid, reliable cars in the Toyota/Honda vein. I’ve recommended him multiple times and don’t know anyone who has been offered a lemon.
http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_f3q494
He worked great for us, especially since we knew nothing about cars.
Agree with the others that buying from an individual is better, but if you go the dealership route, pay the top price for the most in-depth carfax report (will show all service records / repairs). Ask them for the VIN and check it yourself against the door jamb AND dashboard. Order the report yourself (do not trust their pre-printed report).
Check both the Toyota and Honda in Bay Ridge. You will probably pay a bit of a premium as opposed to a local dealer or from someone on the street but you’re get an approved pre-owned car with a warranty attached to it. My uncle is a dealership manager in Toyota but it’s in Philly. He told me before that his mechanics look at a used car inside out once they get it to the dealership before they certify it and sell it. If something is wrong, they switch the parts with only brand name dealer parts so you are getting what you paid for. I am sure there is some room for bargaining as well. The Toyota dealership is on 67th and 8th I think and the Honda is 4th and 89th. Check their dealer locator website and they might have a list of inventory they have. Also look into Scion or those new efficient ones like Nissan Cube, Versa and Honda Fit. They cost new as much as a used toyota and have more room for storage and extremely efficient on gas. Made well as well. My mechanic swears by Nissan Versa.
Most of the ebay listings are local dealers.
I’d consider buying from an individual, but I don’t have a ton of time and energy to put into this. I’ve checked craigslist and nothing caught my eye. Is there some other venue that individuals advertise cars for sale?
And do people really keep oil change records??
I haven’t owned a car since 1993, so I have no mechanic or ex-mechanic to go to and my own ability to evaluate the quality of a used car is probably below average (for an american — probably above average for an nyc resident).
That’s why a reputable dealer who would offer a basic warranty is what I’d prefer.
start checking on ebay. You can do it by zip code.
May I make a suggestion? Buy from an individual, not a dealer. Make sure the car has all its oil change records. Get it inspected by a mechanic before purchase.
The reason to buy from a private party is, at the very least, because they do not steam clean the engine. Better to get an engine that is not steam cleaned, since that can create leaks.