Very recently, my wife and I and our three young children were in a car accident outside Austin, TX. We were very fortunate to come out of that experience one week later primarily concerned with how to replace our 2006 Toyota Sienna, which had become something of a family member to us. We loved that Sienna, and we had to say goodbye to him (my kids named it Brandon). Though we were very lucky to all be alive and doing well, finding a replacement for Brandon, was proving difficult as we scoured the internet and phoned several local Texas dealerships for a used van that could be as reliable as our beloved Sienna, Brandon. Further, we were committed to not going too much over the amount we received from our insurance company for our totaled vehicle. Yes, we like challenges, but we also like being debt-free. A family member recommended purchasing our van at Desert Sun Toyota in my hometown - Alamogordo, and that they were building a reputation for really being centered on wanting to help people, not just make a sale. I was SKEPTICAL. But I gave it a shot. I was greeted on the phone by a gentleman named Saul Velasco. He wasn't cheesy. He didn't try to get me to come down to the lot. He didn't sound rushed. First, he empathized with my situation, and then he asked me several questions. With deep concern and good humor, Mr. Velasco did the unexpected. He listened. I spoke with Saul every day for a week, and we texted back and forth. He informed me of vehicles that weren't even on his lot, but ones that he could get transferred from another dealership. I often challenged him with online deals that I was seeing, and he took time to talk to me about the challenges of finding and pricing used vehicles. Moreover, he informed me of the rigorous process and higher standards that have to be met in the state of New Mexico, as opposed to Texas. I looked it up, and he was right. Each step of the way, Mr. Velasco was very conscientious in his approach. He actually seemed like he cared about seeing my problems solved. I believe this was genuine. When I finally initiated negotiations on a van, he would take each offer and counter-offer and then call me back. In the end, I discovered that it is possible to achieve a good price and have everyone feel very happy about the situation. It was a very dignified process. Mr. Velasco is not the only gem at this dealership (though he might be the brightest). Each person I met on the day I came down to pick up my "new" used vehicle was very pleasant. The whole feeling of the dealership is serene, peaceful, and professional. I guess when you have vehicles as good as Toyotas, they really sell themselves. With selling not being a concern, Desert Sun really demonstrates how vehicles should be purchased - with dignity, with peace of mind, and with an excellent facilitator like Mr. Saul Velasco. I just got home today with our new van. The kids have already named her Lulu. Our family is whole again, and we can add some new friends to our circle, thanks to the good people at Desert Sun Toyota. We are very grateful. read more

My wife and I recently purchased a used vehicle from Desert Sun and were pleasantly surprised. About 8 yrs ago I purchased a used pickup from them and was disappointed with their lack of interest in me as a customer. I took the truck because I felt I was getting a good vehicle for the price and for no other reason. This experience was a complete 180 degree turn around from my first dealings with Desert Sun. Our Sales Associate ( Julian E ) was cordial, polite, friendly, and interested in us and what we were needing. We are happy with the SUV we purchased and pleased with how we were treated throughout the process, they even stayed late (very late) to get everything done to our satisfaction. They had a nice man sit in the vehicle with us to explain the features so we could get the most of our new ride without the aggravation of learning what all those buttons are for, he even programmed the vehicle with my wife's phone info and contacts. I have been in the sales field for about 30 yrs and know the proper way to treat a customer and so does Desert Sun. They showed a genuine interest in doing a great job, not just a satisfactory job, but a great job and in this instance they scored points with me and my wife. I would like to thank the entire crew at Desert Sun, the make ready dept who made our SUV shine, the sales team who made it easy to buy, the financial group who walked us through the tedious paper work, and the upper management who put it all together. Sincerely, Steve and Jill Tidwell Alamogordo, NM read more

Recently I purchased a 2018 Toyota Camry. I was not expecting to buy at the time but one of their New Years Deals caught my eye and made me more seriously about my timing. I told them my needs in the car I wanted and they showed me everything they had in stock, old and new, that matched my description. The sales representative who assisted me was knowledgeable in every car on the multiple lots they owned. Their selection was not limited to Toyota's. They had a Chevy dealership as well. When I made my decision We took the car on a 24 hour test drive. A really nice feature that helped my parents decision on their 2016 Toyota Sienna. I decided to buy the car that day, and they got right on making the necessary paperwork. They even kept the dealership open past hours because of the sale. Their financing was incredible and it didn't take any time at all to sign everything. Afterwords the sales rep. who sold me the car showed me how everything worked. From the safety features to the media center. I would recommend anyone looking for a car to at least go and check them out. They are professional, friendly, and reliable. read more

I highly recommend this dealership to anyone looking for a vehicle! Not only did they have the exact vehicle I wanted, they had STELLAR service! I drove all the way from El Paso, TX and they definitely made the drive worth it. My salesman was Saul Velasco, throughout the entire process, and even afterwards he has been amazing! There were no games, no pressure, and absolutely nothing to complain about. Worked the deal through texts and calls and Saul was on it! It was so quick and efficient that when Saul said "you can come get your truck" I couldn't believe it was that easy so I asked him tons of questions and he handled them all in stride with no issues. I was able to show up, sign the necessary paper work, and take delivery of my '17 Tacoma! I didn't have to wait around, didn't have to "play hardball", and didn't have to compromise at all. With staff like Saul and Brandon, no dealership in El Paso or Las Cruces could never even come close to this level of service. Thank you for the amazing experience! "BETTER CALL SAUL!" read more

Better call Saul! Not all salesmen are the same. Saul is the BEST I have ever dealt with. No push, no hardball, no shady tactics. He was super patient with us. He even brought the Tundra to our house around 5 pm to check the hitch height. When we went to buy, he had the paperwork ready, and mostly filled out just waiting on us. If he says he can and will, trust that it will happen. We were treated like VIP the whole time. After purchase, Saul drove to our house again to swap trailer controller parts. We did have an issue with getting our registration and title, as it took 3 months. It was a dealership/DMV issue. We finally got it resolved, and Desert Sun had it overnighted to them. Saul drove to us to hand it over personally. He didn't have to, but he offered to take us to dinner to make up for the dealership issue. From beginning to end, and even today, Saul took care of us and is still ensuring we are satisfied. read more

I recently purchased a pre-owned hyundai Santa Fe from Desert Sun Toyota. When I first arrived on the lot, the listed Santa Fe had already been sold. Erik Hall went out of his way to see if there was anything else I might be interested in, and later called me to let me know management was bringing down another Santa Fe from the dealership in Espanola for me to look at, no strings attached. Erik was professional, low pressure, with a good sense of humor and kept me up to date every step of the way. He went out of his way (even coming in on his day off) to test drive the Santa Fe with me. He really worked to make sure I got the best deal and Nick, the finance manager was super with rates! Everyone I met was friendly, down to earth and not your typical "high pressure car sales people". When I picked up my car it was beautifully detailed. Love my "new to me" Santa Fe and highly recommend Desert Sun! read more

My husband and I visited Desert Sun Auto this past week. My cousin had purchased a RAV4 Limited Edition. She really likes the car so we had to go look. Sure enough, there were 2018 models left. Saul had been her salesman. Who approached us? Saul. He knew who my cousin was when I mentioned her so we had an instant connection. He showed us the models and moved away so we could discuss the cars without feeling pressured. Everything about Saul was professional and kind. My father had died the previous week. So Saul was kind, professional and helped us make up our minds. We weren't able to take possession of the vehicle right away so arrangements have been made to get it later. That really helps us in our situation. And Brandi was most patient and helpful in helping us choose the warranty package. It was a pleasant experience all around. read more

When we were looking to buy a new truck, we didn't know what truck to buy. Saul Velasco at Desert Sun Toyota did a great job helping us make our decision. Saul showed us several models and let us test drive anything we wanted to try. We test drove a few trucks several times while we tried to narrow down our choices. Saul was very patient and explained all of the features and differences in the trucks we looked at. His knowledge and expertice helped make our choice easier. After several months and a lot of test drives, we finally found the right truck for us. That was the hard part. When it came to negotiations for the truck, Saul knew our budget and worked VERY hard with Toyota and Desert Sun to help us buy the truck in our budget. We are so satisfied with Saul Velasco and Desert Sun Toyota for getting us our dream truck. read more

It was a nice experience purchasing a brand new vehicle from this dealership. They helped order a car with all the specific options that we desired. The process of order/delivery etc was explained and the execution of it was pretty much along those lines. Specifically, Mike Ambrosi was very knowledgeable and helpful throughout the process. Eric did a nice job at the time of delivery as well. The thing that stood out was how the team at the dealership is working as a group and help each other out when the specific sales person assigned to you is busy with other customers. Nick (Finance) was also very helpful in explaining the process and we were done in a few minutes without any hurdles. I will definitely recommend this dealership to others living in Alamogordo in need of a new Toyota vehicle. read more

Talk about going above and beyond for your customers!!! John Lister has helped me with any and all of my needs and concerns for the past 2 years since he sold me my car in Nov. of 2014!!! From service to random questions of what certain lights mean he has never missed a beat!! I just had a service appointment and he knew that I was going to be having issues getting my vehicle back because of my work schedule and so he personally brought my vehicle to me! He has looked at options to make sure that I am still TWO YEARS LATER getting the best deal that I possibly could be getting!!! If you ever in the market for a vehicle or even just want to see your options go talk to John Lister at Toyota... You wont regret it!!! read more

This is the first dealership that I've ever been to that they did not act like vultures. Angelitta Steinhoff was the sales person that worked with me with no pressure and continues to keep in contact with me. She is very attentive and wants you to get what you want and can afford! Nick Flodin, Finance Manager was just as great! Billy French contacted me immediately via email when I was surfing and looking at the vehicles on their website. I recommend anyone who wants a Toyota to visit Desert Sun Toyota in Alamogordo. I usually do not write reviews but I feel this review is very deserving! Thank you all at Desert Sun Toyota I'm loving my 2017 Tundra!!!!! read more

We had a very good experience at Desert Sun Toyota today when we went to purchase our new Toyota Tacoma. Our sales man Saul Took the extra time to explain to us specific details that we were unclear about he also he also worked with us to accommodate our needs and our budget. Compared to our previous experience with a Toyota dealership in Victorville California this was by far the best experience that we've had. Also at Desert Sun Toyota they took the time to show us and explain to us some of the new features in our new truck that is something that we did not experience with the previous Toyota dealership. We loved it here!!!! read more

Very pleased with Desert Sun. John Lister is a great salesman. He never pressured me. Understood my needs and was an all around great guy. I am glad to have worked with Him. Brandon Burling is my go to person at Desert Sun. He is the guy I trust and the only person I talk to when I buy a vehicle. He sets me up with the right sales person and once again he did not fail me and introduced me to John Lister. Nick from the finance department got me the interest rate I wanted. He worked hard and was a pleasure working with him. Thank you all, I am very happy! read more

I went into the dealership scared and not having a clue what I was doing. I had always had my husband making all of the big financial decisions. However Bill Cates and Saul Velasco took me by the hand and showed me the way. Saul made me feel like we had been friends forever. Both Mr. Cates and Mr. Velasco made me feel very confident and comfortable with my decisions. I left the dealership that afternoon with a 2018 Rav4. I am very happy with my decision. I will most definitely refer my friends to Saul and Bill for their vehicle needs. Dian Ward read more

We began looking into buying a new car in December and went in and talked to Saul Velasco. He was great, showed us what we wanted, but I decided it was not yet time to buy. Saul gave me no pressure. This past week I went in specifically to buy a new car. I went back to Saul and he was great. We test drove one that had more features than I wanted to pay for. Saul had no problems finding me the car I wanted,never tried to pressure me into a more expensive model. I would highly recommend Saul Velasco, great service, nice guy. i LOVE my Toyota Rav4 read more

Angelitta was very patient, thorough, and objective during my car buying experience. I fell in love with the first SUV I drove, but wanted to see all my options within my price range. We looked at vehicles at both Desert Sun Motors lots, as well as looking at their inventory online that met my needs. I went car shopping when I got off work without my husband, so they allowed me to take the car home for an extended test drive. By the time we had to return it we were signing paperwork. We absolutely love our new Toyota! read more

This dealership had what we wanted in a 2018 Tundra. They gave us the most for our trade in. (and we shopped at 5 other dealerships, Toyota, Lexus, Chevrolet, GMC and BMW) And found us financing. Everyone went out of their way to provide us timely information prior to the sale. We liked the exit session on how to operate all the many features. My first choice was the Tacoma 4x4 with crawl feature, but we drove the loaded 4x4 Tundra and the choice was clear. Still have some towing to do occasionally. read more

I bought a 2018 Toyota Corolla SE last week. My car dealer was Mike Ambrosi who stood in for Chuck Reynolds who was sick that day. I received excellent service from Mike. He was very polite and was very helpful in getting me the Corolla I wanted. I received e-mails from Chuck Reynolds telling me if I needed any help at all concerning my new Corolla to give him a call. I recommend both Mike and Chuck to anyone who wants to buy a car from them. They are great! I am very happy with my Corolla. read more

Excellent experience with Salesman Erik Hall and the rest of the staff. Erik listened to my parameters and was able to meet my requirements both in the deal and for the exact truck I wanted. Much better than my experiences in Albuquerque Toyota dealers. Erik was also responsive and followed up when necessary. Additionally, promises were made and kept, which is pretty rare. I am tired of businesses over-promising and under-delivering. Erik and Desert Sun were excellent. read more