Independent Garage vs Dealership

I know there has been a great deal of talk about the "stealerships." And, some of them deserve that title.

And, not all Non-dealer mechanics are exactly "Wally's Filling Station."



But, considering in my area that dealers are charging the same labor rate as the independent places, the only place I see any savings (assuming all are honest operations) is through use of aftermarket parts at the non-dealer service garages.

At the dealer, I get a nice comfy ride to where I may need to go, after dropping off my rig. Or, I can relax in the waiting area, where I have my choice of various beverages and snacks, all "free."

At MY local garages, there may be a chair or two shoved into a corner, under a poster of Miss Multi-Mile or some other calendar, often several years out-of-date and any rides are grudgingly offered in the "shop truck," which seems to be held together with bailing wire and Bondo.



I suppose my point, unless I am missing something, I am leaning toward dealer service, at least for any repair where I WANT Toyota parts used (traction battery comes to mind).