Good Toyota/Prius Dealers

[Bill Merchant]

I've seen many discussions in many threads about good dealers and bad dealers. Some are scum who want to scam you, and others treat you with respect and work with you to get you the car you want. Frequently the dealer's name isn't mentioned, good or bad. While I personally have a VERY LOW opinion of the dealer closest to me and warn others away, I'd like to start a thread calling out GOOD dealers.

I bought from Vancouver Toyota in Vancouver, Washington, and Matt Dale was my salesman. He was helpful, though I know more about the Prius than he did. Straightforward transaction, no pressure, no gimmicks, under MSRP. I recommended him and the dealer to friends and they bought a Prius there too.

I hope this thread becomes sticky.

[dreichla]

Scott Clark\'s Toyota City
6801 E. Independence Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28227
(704) 535-1972

Timothy Wright and Misty Hammon

[Fredatgolf]

I have been like Bill for most of the many dealers I have dealt with, but I have had a few good ones. I have a good dealer to work with here in Pinehurst and an even better one in Fayetteville, Rick Hendrick Toyota. They have been both fun and professional at every level.

[boxer01]

I had a great experience with Mountain States Toyota in Denver, Joe L. Internet Manager handled me from start to finish. However, I did request a #5 package and placed a 1k refundable deposit in April. I got a call last week stating that Toyota was not really delivering #5s to the area any longer. If I was interested in #4 or #6, he could try to get me one of those. My initial reaction was, what is going on here, but after a few phone calls, one to a AAA car agent, I discovered this was true. I could have waited 4-8 weeks for the agent to get me one from Arizona or New Mexico, but honestly, I liked the #6 a lot anyway. So I called Joe at Mountain States and within a few days I had the #6--under MSRP, plus a few things like mats and car wheel locks thrown in. I also got a good deal on my trade-in. I kept waiting for something odd to occur in the deal, but it actually went great. I am now enjoying my new Prius silver #6. Joe was great to worth it.

[jfh3]

I had a great experience with Mountain States Toyota in Denver, Joe L. Internet Manager

Ditto. Joe was F A N T A S T I C!

I never thought I'd say this about a car salesman, but the experience buying from him was wonderful. And I can say that the dealership is very supportive - I had an unusual situation the day I picked up my car and I was amazed at their response.

Package 5s to Denver are tough, but 4 and 6 should be "relatively easy" to get. And below sticker, no hassle. As for the wait - just look at my signature. My experience may not be common, but still ...

I don't think we can mention last names here, but Joe L.s last name rhymes with "hamburger".

If you want a Prius in the Denver area, check with Joe first (and tell him "Salsa Red Jim with the cane" sent you).

PM me if you want additional details - I scouted every dealer in the greater Denver area. (Avoid the Colorado Springs dealerships, but every other Colorado dealer was reasonable, though all but Mountain States starts is pretty much MSRP).

If I hadn't bought from Joe, I would've bought from Kent up in Greely at Erlich Toyota.

[Jayhawkguy]

[innov8v]

I'll add my experience at Symes Toyota in Pasadena CA to this growing list. Although they weren't willing go under MSRP (they said they probably would once the 2006 models come out), they sold me the car at MSRP without trying to add on a bunch of unwanted options. They were very easy to deal with overall, particularly with regard to my trade-in. My salesman was Gary, who has been well-reviewed elsewhere on this board. I highly recommend him. No pressure, very knowledgeable and pleasant. This in contrast to dealer closest to me (Thousand Oaks), who wanted a 3K premium over sticker, or another dealership in the Valencia area which I called a couple of weeks ago. They literally tried to pin me down FOUR TIMES during that call about what time I was going to be coming in that day. As you might imagine, the time turned out to be never. Anyway, try Gary at Symes in Pasadena and I think you'll find the car buying experience much easier than it usually is.

[genalex]

Straight MSRP deals at Faulkner Toyota, Trevose, PA
(At the Phiadelphia city line.)

They have stock on hand and allocations coming in each month. No wait list.

No monkey business. Check their inventory on their web site find your color and your package.

[Emilyjohn]

Toyota World of Lakewood, Lakewood, NJ, straight MSRP with all-weather floor mats thrown in. Good people.

[Dan Gross]

Toyota of Batavia, Mike Ruck was the salesman. If you are in Western New York (Rochester/Buffalo) I highly recommend you try there. When I put my $100 refundable deposit down, the car I ended up with was on the boat. They basically sell the cars as they are arriving, so the wait is minimal (I think a good general rule of thumb is try the boonies near you to see how the wait is out there...). Obviously if the car that arrives/is available doesn't fit your needs, you can take a flyer until the next shipment. I lucked out that someone didn't want Driftwood Pearl...

Got a lot of "can do" from him, except of course on price. They did get me an excellent %age on the loan, which helped convince me to just go ahead and get the package #6 (wanted VSC, which is only on #4 and #6, NYS only gets #3, #5, #6...closest alternative was PA). Only "add on" was floor mats (NOT the full "Preferred Package" with the $80 (worth $15) first aid kit).

Big contrast to my experience at Vanderstyne in Rochester...