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Thank you Dianne @ Manhattan Beach Toyota!

Discussion in 'Dealers & Pricing' started by JOL, Jul 20, 2010.

  1. JOL

    JOL Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2010
    34
    2
    0
    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I just took possession of a 2010 Prius IV in silver with the NAV package, and I just wanted to thank Dianne of Manhattan Beach Toyota for such a smooth and simple transaction, which is more than I can say for my experience at various other dealers that I visited prior to finding Dianne on this message board.

    After nearly 9 years of ownership of a 2002 BMW 325i with close to 136,000 miles, I decided that a change was in order, especially because little things here and there were starting to go on my car. I initially went through the American Express car buying program to get a baseline to work off. I then took this price quote to a few dealerships - North Hollywood Toyota, Tustin Toyota, Power Toyota in Irvine, and Miller Toyota in Anaheim. All were willing to match AMEX's price; however, I didn't appreciate the pushiness at some dealerships and the deceptive nature at others.

    I spoke with Dianne this morning regarding her lease specials, and she was kind enough to speak to me for close to an hour to explain why certain cars were on special and why certain cars weren't. She even spoke to me about different options and models, why certain ones were better than others, and how much each choice would end up costing me. I felt that there was total transparency in the transaction, which I appreciated.

    For most of us, myself included, price is the bottom line. In my case, Dianne came in substantially below everyone else - nearly $30 less per month, which is a hefty chunk of change over 3 years. Dianne did admit that the reduced price was due to an excess supply of that particular color, which has resulted in that particular car sitting on the lot for an extended period of time. Although silver wasn't my first choice, I could live with it, especially at the deal I was getting.

    Despite having prices available to us via the internet, getting a new car can still be quite a nightmare. When I first decided to get a Prius, there were a few things that were important to me: (1) finding an honest and straightforward dealer who wouldn't try to gouge me with fake "fees" (2) getting the best price possible, and (3) finding someone who would make the process easy for both parties.

    In my case, Dianne fulfilled all 3. She explained all of the pricing and fees, and she explained why the car I ended up getting was substantially less in price. I truly appreciated her honesty and the straightforward manner in which she conducted business. Secondly, and as I stated before, no other dealer could even touch her price. Lastly, we were able to complete our complete transaction in an hour. Dianne was even kind enough to give me the courtesy of picking me up from the CarMax where I ended up selling my car.

    For anyone in the Southern California area, I would strongly recommend Dianne. While at the dealership, she also mentioned that she works with Nate and Jane. However, since I didn't get the chance to work with either person, I can't really comment on how they are as a fleet consultants, although it seems like some people on this board have worked with either one before. However, if I or anyone else I know is in the market for a Toyota, I would definitely not hesitate in suggesting that they contact Dianne.

    Thank you Dianne for such a wonderful car-leasing experience.
     
  2. rickkop

    rickkop New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2009
    93
    16
    0
    Location:
    Syracuse, New York
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    Wish she was here in New York!
     
  3. DianneWhitmire

    DianneWhitmire High PRIUStess

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2007
    4,062
    1,123
    64
    Location:
    Laguna Niguel, CA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    JL - thank you! It was sure a pleasure to meet you... and thank you very much for the kind words! :)

    Di
     
  4. thx2112

    thx2112 New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2010
    2
    0
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I leased a Prius IV from Dianne earlier this week. Dianne is very pleasant to deal with and the transaction was handled quickly and efficiently. Also, she offers very good prices compared to what I found at other dealers. Thank you Dianne.
     
  5. DianneWhitmire

    DianneWhitmire High PRIUStess

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2007
    4,062
    1,123
    64
    Location:
    Laguna Niguel, CA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    OMG Rick, with your heat and weather this past week or so, I am happy NOT to be (LOL) .. :)

     
  6. jkash

    jkash Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2003
    889
    18
    0
    Location:
    West Hills, CA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Dianne was the first dealer in the L.A. area that had real knowledge of the Prius when the 2004 came out. Many people on the new PriusChat bought cars from Dianne because of this, including myself.

     
  7. DianneWhitmire

    DianneWhitmire High PRIUStess

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2007
    4,062
    1,123
    64
    Location:
    Laguna Niguel, CA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    Jeff! Hello!! You surfaced. Your car looks wonderful!! I still miss that color. Please stay in touch - I think of you often... and the chicken cards!!
    Thank you. :)

     
  8. DianneWhitmire

    DianneWhitmire High PRIUStess

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2007
    4,062
    1,123
    64
    Location:
    Laguna Niguel, CA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    Thank you! :)
    It's sure nice to be appreciated. BTW: Are you the newer version of THX1138? ;)


     
  9. Bisque

    Bisque Member

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2010
    40
    27
    0
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Just wanted to join many of the others in this forum in thanking Dianne Whitmire for a wonderful experience last night.

    Normally a busy person, I was finally spurred by the August 2nd deadline, and decided to take the afternoon off and trade in on a new 2010 Prius.

    She made it dead simple.

    After getting a quote from CarMax, I called her and got a quote which was inline with the prior prices she's listed. After a 2.5+ hour drive (crawl) to the dealership, she greeted me joking about how fast I got there, and even though it was already getting late, was graciously relaxed throughout the whole process and never once pressured me.

    Even though I already had an acceptable quote for my car, I offered them a chance to beat it. OK, perhaps that was a long shot, as I was emphatically saying yes to the new car purchase, and was already thinking of the new car as my new car. Pleasantly, she got them to match the CarMax offer, which allowed me to make a simple trade without having to coerce a friend into helping me shuffle both cars back home.

    While it took a few hours, it was definitely one of the more pleasant car purchases I've had. It was truly enjoyable to purchase from someone who was as knowledgable and passionate about the product she sells.

    I paid cash for the difference and drove home with a brand new Blue/Bisque 2010 Prius IV with Solar Roof/Nav option. As fun as my last car ( a MINI Cooper S) was, having two 5 minute segments of the graph exceed 75 MPG on the way home was pretty thrilling to the car geek in me. :)

    Considering I did nearly half of the things you're not supposed to do (I couldn't have even tried to bluff walking away, nor did I try), I should also add a thanks to the rest of the players involved at the dealership too for not, other than perhaps talking me into the alarm system, taking advantage of me in my weakened state. :) That too is part of what made the experience so joyful, as I got to stay in that happy (I'm going to get a new car) place.

    So a big thanks to Dianne and the crew at Manhattan Beach Toyota.

    Cheers,
    B.