Short Version:
I was looking for a nice fun car for 2 months, and visited 10+ franchise dealers and used car lots within a 30 mi radius of Irvine in the process. "Talked numbers" with 7 of them. This place was the best to work with, and in the end, they got my business. Bought the car 3 months ago, still happy with it and the price I got it for.
[Very] Long Version:
The owner, Richard, was very friendly, helpful, and not pushy at all about selling the car I was looking at. Checked out the car on Saturday and got it fully inspected Sunday morning with the intention/expectation to take it home that night. Inspection found the car in good shape with minor maintenance needed (brakes at 30%, need new serpentine belts, 1 hi-beam out, back-up lights out). I wanted to take the car AS IS and fix those myself, but Richard refused to let me take it that way, citing "safety" with brakes and hi-beam out. Yes, California law requires the car to be "safe (vague definition, look it up)" to leave the lot. I would expect other dealers to have me sign a written agreement to release them of liabilities, etc., and then take my money. He told me everything will be fixed the next day at no added cost, and I can wait for traffic to die down and come pick up after normal business around 730 (I am from Irvine). Got confirmation the next day that everything was ready. I came in at 730 and all the promised work was done, so signed some papers and took the car. We did not even discussed warranty, but I was given some with no extra cost. In all, the process was painless and pressure-less. I've heard the phrase, "what will it take for you to sign today" many times in my car search, but not here. First time buying a car, so Richard got me a good loan for slightly high %, but was easy to get out of. I refinance for 1.9% after 2 payments. (car was 05 but very low miles, so refi was easy).
General Car Shopping Tip:
Make sure you get professional third party inspection. Mine cost me $50 and more than paid for itself with the free fixes I got. An inspection on a separate occasion saved me from buying a complete P.O.S. Every used lot do their own "inspection"...on seat belts, lights, and brakes (imagine 30 second walkdown and pumping the brakes a few times in a 2 minute test drive). They do not check clutch, engine, gaskets, oil leaks, etc. Most of these cars are from auctions and trade-ins where full inspection is impossible. Also, sitting on an outdoor lot for 3+ months with no maintenance will do terrible things to a car. Do your homework and don't get get pushed around by salesmen. read more