I'm not really a new car kinda guy. I've been happily driving my little Honda Fit for the past 6 years, and I really thought I would keep it for many more. But it just wasn't filling my needs anymore, so I suddenly found myself in the new car market.
Which is scary territory.
Car buying is pure torture to me. All the condescending men... the haggling... having to keep my guard up -- not my idea of a good time. In my perfect world, car buying would be like any other consumer good -- you go to the store, pick out what you want, pay the price, have amazing service, and leave. Can't it just be like the Apple Store?!
I've been to a lot of car dealerships lately (with friends shopping for their cars), and it was just as bad -- if not worse -- than I remembered. When it came to shopping for myself, I knew I wanted a different experience, and that's what lead me to Chesrown.
I had been to Chesrown a year earlier when their "Internet Guy," Glenn, asked if I would come up and chat about Yelp. I was so impressed with my visit. The building was beautiful, the staff were all kind and laid-back, and there didn't really seem to be any of the usual sales-y, smarm-y stuff going on.
So when I wanted to shop, I gave Glenn a call and headed up to Delaware. He and I went on a 30-minute test drive; I definitely got a great feel for the car, unlike your usual 10-minute ride. When we got back to the dealership, they were ready to make the sale, but I wasn't. Thankfully, I got zero pressure.
And here's the best part of my story: I got to do this whole car-buying thing completely on my own terms. Let me explain... I had surgery the day after my visit, so I was stuck at home for the next week. I asked my new pal, Glenn, if we could just chat about everything over email and phone, and if things worked out, I'd be getting a new car. Everyone I worked with was super accommodating, and I felt really great about the deal I was getting. So after handling everything from my sofa, today I drove up and got my car. I literally showed up, signed some papers, and drove home.
The huge standout for me at Chesrown is obviously the service. I even got to chat a bit with the GM, Ryan Gill, and just like everyone else here -- he was incredibly kind and helpful. Like, I could just go hang out with the whole team here. And I'm super thankful for Glenn -- who's not even a salesperson -- for taking ownership and ensuring I had a great experience from start to finish. I literally would not have bought a car if it weren't for him.
So was it my magical Apple Store experience? Not exactly, but the whole car-buying model really isn't there yet. Was it a pain-free, simple, and -- dare I say -- fun experience? Absolutely. If you're in the market for a vehicle, I would absolutely recommend making the trip up to Delaware to visit Chesrown.
Pro tips:
*Free oil changes and tire rotation for life!
*Very tech friendly -- great website with easy online scheduling for maintenance. read more