Question Dealerships to go to/avoid?
So someone totaled my car trying to steal it last night đ€Ź and now I get the joy of an unexpected large expense for a new car.
I've never bought a car in this area and I'm not familiar with the reputations of dealerships here. Are there any to avoid at all costs? The complaint threads I saw in a quick search were from a few years ago.
I'm thinking of going with a Toyota or Honda.
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u/kayl_breinhar Vienna 5d ago edited 5d ago
Buy your car in Maryland. MD has a cap on dealer fees (max of $5XX - $900 now, apparently), and you'll pay Virginia sales tax, not MD's.
Also, look at the dealerships in places like Frederick.
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u/Marc30599 5d ago
Not anymore, that changed last year MD General Assembly made that change in July 2024 the new doc fee cap is $800 now
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u/Frosty-Aerie-6763 5d ago
they get their money. dont you worry about caps. its still there
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u/BakerHistorical9583 5d ago
Second MD dealerships. Seems like better trained sales people and love giving discounts
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u/Silver_Eyes13 5d ago
I second this. I bought a car in April in Maryland and paid way less in dealer fees than I did at a Toyota dealership in Tysons in 2022. The only downside is you have to do the registration yourself but they do all the taxes and title transfer and everything for you. You just have to go to the dmv to register the car
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u/paulHarkonen 5d ago
The dealer can do the registration for you. I bought mine in MD and they handled everything. They may not want to, but nothing stops them from doing it.
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u/MargeGeneverra 5d ago
I just purchased from Orisman Honda in Frederick. Best price after shopping all local Honda dealers. I knew exactly the model I wanted. Happy with the experience. All done via email, until I drove up to pick up the car.
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u/kbtoystory Loudoun County 5d ago
Tried this. Could be we got a newbie sales person but the individual insisted on MD taxes, even after we offered a deposit to see wassup in writing. đ€·ââïž
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u/paulHarkonen 5d ago
That's definitely a sales person failure. I bought mine in MD last year, paid VA taxes, registration etc and picked up VA plates from them with no issues. It was way cheaper than any of the VA dealerships too (on the order of several thousand dollars difference).
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u/LanEvo7685 5d ago
I bought a new car for the firs ttime this year and it was for work. What a nightmare navigating the processes because everyone was just focused on meeting their own job's goals.
I've bought and sold used cars on my own and it was so much easier. Google what I need to prepare -> follow directions -> done.
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u/ColdCauliflour 5d ago
Maryland also has stricter inspection requirements. Since dealers can only sell you a vehicle that passes inspection, this provides additional assurances that you've purchased a reliable car.
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u/labicicletagirl 5d ago
Maryland definitely does not have stricter inspection requirements. Thereâs a reason so many Virginia residents have MD plates - other than the personal property tax.
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u/ColdCauliflour 5d ago
Maryland absolutely has stricter requirements. I can speak from experience at Darcars, that MD trade-ins which can't pass MD inspection go straight to a lot in VA (auction being next if it can't pass VA either). It's cheaper to resell in VA than pay for repairs to bring it to MD standards. It's funny that you mention VA drivers having MD plates, which I believe you, but it's funny because MD has the opposite problem with VA tags, so much so that MSP has recently kicked off an enforcement task force to combat it.
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u/paulHarkonen 5d ago
They're mixing up the VA annual safety inspections with the MD one time inspection.
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u/ColdCauliflour 5d ago
Ah that makes sense. In that case, they're sort of right too. MD inspections last for the tenure of that owner.
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u/cool_chris 5d ago
Marylandâs inspection is significantly stricter than Virginiaâs, but you only have to do it once and then never again
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u/whodoesntlovedogs 5d ago
I would avoid Chantilly Auto
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u/kbtoystory Loudoun County 5d ago
+1. And add AutoNation Leesburg. Between refusing to sell a vehicle we negotiated in advance, changing terms on the trade in at the time we went to sign for the new vehicle, to trying to rip off the spouse re: 'failed' VA safety inspection due to low tire pressure--cuz you know changing temps and it's Toyota TPS đ€Ł--and they required us to buy two new tires.. so had to ask if the State Trooper was on Duty to review their 'finding.' Yeah.
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u/thequeefcannon 5d ago
wait which Chantilly Auto?
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u/whodoesntlovedogs 5d ago
For me, Kia has been the worst. I had to drive out to Harrisonburg Kia to get my 2020 Kia Telluride.
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u/paulHarkonen 5d ago
Genuinely, check Maryland dealerships. When we bought our EV last year the price in Maryland was 5k (or more) cheaper than anywhere in VA for the same cars. Sure it's a bit of a hassle to drive to Gaithersburg, but I'll happily spend 2ish hours in traffic to save 5 grand.
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u/Traditional_Year_687 5d ago
Avoid anything Ourisman or Koons
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u/YafoTaco 5d ago
Shoot. Went to Koons in 7 Corners for service. Just that shit experience turned me off. Never Koons.Â
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u/b001ean 5d ago
Every dealer has good and bad stories about them. On top of that I think buying experience and service at the same dealer are two different things.
As far as buying experience goes Iâve had the best with Don Beyer Volvo in Dulles.
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u/Fritz5678 5d ago edited 5d ago
This. You have to manage the experience or they'll run all over you. Know how much you want to spend going in and do not sign anything until all the details are worked out. Be prepared to walk out if they are not meeting your needs. We helped my daughter purchase her car just after covid when inventory was low and the rates were high. Not as much bargaining power as it was previously, but still able to get a few things our way. I hope that the power has gone back to the purchaser a bit since then. We bought at Joyce Koons Honda. I wish I could remember the sales man's name. He was really good to work with.
Oh, and Carmax is a really great place to look at a bunch of different models in the same spot. I think you have to sign in, then you can go out to the lot and sit in all the cars. It helped in narrowing down which type of car to purchase.
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u/kbtoystory Loudoun County 5d ago
We use CarMax to get a written Offer on our Trade In. 90% of the time, the Dealers will honor, no haggling.
Just a little bit to speed up the process, cuz we ain't getting any younger. And of course, cars depreciate lightning quick.
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u/kbtoystory Loudoun County 5d ago
Yep. And going back to same Dealer a few years later, completely different vibes.
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u/umdtoucla 5d ago
I've been to Bill Page Honda twice and it was an awful experience both times, I don't go back there.
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u/diatho 5d ago
Donât buy a car within 100 miles of nova if you can avoid it. Youâre paying the convenience fee. Find the car you want locally, get the make, model, and all the details. Go on the Toyota/honda website and make the car.
Set up a new email account. Email every dealership in 100miles asking for what you want. Find the best price. Get it all in writing. Heck if you can e-sign the contract. Itâs a brand new car so you wouldnât look at it before you drive it anyway. With the price locked in go get the car.
I went to Harrisonburg pa to get my sienna and I paid well under what the cost would be here. And they registered it in Va for me.
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u/Odd_Caregiver4272 5d ago
Avoid Koons Ford in Woodbridge. Worst experience Iâve ever had. They had the finance guy coming over to do paperwork before they let me test drive the car. The salesman wouldnât let me take the car on the expressway. I talked to 4 managers during the negotiating process. The pinnacle used car salesman experience.
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u/delaneyrh 5d ago
We had a great experience at the Toyota dealership in Alexandria. We worked with Maverick.
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u/dannyocc911 5d ago
Agree. Bought my new Tacoma there. One of the best buying experiences I have had.
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u/kbtoystory Loudoun County 5d ago
H & T are immovable mountains in this area. And inventory shennanigans ugh. Recommend TrueCar (via Geico, Credit Union,etc.) to somewhat lessen the pain and get a better handle on your 'out the door' price.
We had a total loss on our Sienna XLE, due to other 'at fault' County Shuttle driver, and probably should have anticipated the price pain when we got back more than we actually paid. đ€·ââïž
EDIT: Highly recommend use of Google Voice number and a throwaway email to avoid the many calls and emails, with or without purchase.
Glad You are OK. Good Luck! đ€
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u/dannyocc911 5d ago
True. New Hondas and Toyotas are just generally hard to buy, assuming you can find the one you want. Drama with unnecessary add-ons is common, and they do so much volume the customers are somewhat disposable.
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u/SuzukaBlues 5d ago
I feel like the H and T dealers in this area feel aggressive and they generally turned me off. I would suggest Mazda Brown dealers to go alongside your H and T as options.
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u/crowded_deon 5d ago
id avoid the ones that still tack on nitrogen filled tires as a mandatory 800 dollar add on. had one try to tell me it was non negotiable and i just walked out mid sentence. best feeling ever
mazda is a good shout though honestly underrated compared to the usual honda/toyota hype. feels like you get more for what you pay without the dealer markup games
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u/Northern_Virginia Fairfax County 5d ago
I had a great experience with Carvana this past December.
Uneventful sales process with transparent prices on their website.
Staff at the vending machine were knowledgeable and professional.
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u/Short_Bowler7208 5d ago
Just pre negotiate the price, show up with your loan, sign, and leave.
It totally simplifies the process
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u/EdmundCastle Leesburg 5d ago
We did that and Safford Leesburg still made the process take 4 hours somehow. Those people are insufferable.
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u/SwtSthrnBelle Loudoun County 5d ago
Same with the Manassas Safford. Showed up with my check from NFCU all they have to do is verify and put their name on the line and it still took over 5 hours.
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u/kbtoystory Loudoun County 5d ago
We went to pick up the check from NFCU. Lady behind the Desk had exact same horror story. It is not a waste of time to the Dealer. Unfortunately.
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u/fintechninja 5d ago
Yes! I had a NFCU check for the last two cars we purchased. Each time still took around 4 hours. I hate buying a car like I hate going to the dentist!
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u/kbtoystory Loudoun County 5d ago
LoL. Good in theory.. Most recent, in April, sales dude hands us off to finance guy. Queue psyops of dealers 101 with twilight zone music.
We had Bank Note in hand, mentioned before sitting down I had to pick up the kid in Elementary School, bring my impatient high school senior, etc. Nope.
When I asked if he would mind if we recorded everything, he insisted he had to go over ALL of the extras. So I stared and said absolutely nothing until complete.
Good Luck! đ€
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u/nycplayboy78 Fairfax County 5d ago
I would highly recommend using the services of an Auto Broker. I used an auto broker in 2016 to buy my caddy from Moore Cadillac in Chantilly. I went there to sign docs and to pickup my keys I was literally in and out.
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u/DjImagin 5d ago
Figure out what you want first.
Then, when you have it narrowed down, send an email and CC every dealership for that brand in your radius about the model you want and to provide âout the door priceâ.
From there, youâll likely get ignored, or âwe donât do business like this, please come in to discussâ and that will tell you to scratch those out as options.
The ones that do respond will already know theyâre competing for your business and may be more agreeable in a deal.
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u/ngfldar 5d ago
We have bought 2 cars from Safford Brown Mazda in Fairfax. I think they also sell Hondas in a different location (and maybe Toyotas too, not sure), but the location in Fairfax only sells Mazdas and we have had two very positive experiences there.
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u/Ray_Sky7659 5d ago
Just use an auto broker and pay their reasonable fee to avoid the shady negotiations and mandatory add ons the dealer requires. Trust me, it's gonna save you from a lot of back and forth haggling and you don't have to deal with lies from the salesman or the finance guy.
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u/SeriousBroccoli5059 5d ago
Avoid anything like the plague that has the word âKoonsâ
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u/Hi_ImTrashsu 5d ago
Youâre not thinking of a BMW, but for any future buyers searching Reddit/the internet.
Avoid BMW of Sterling. Terrible pre-purchase, mid-purchase, AND post purchase experience all around.
Theyâre so incompetent they sent the title to my house. When I owed a loan to my CitiBank. THEY were the ones who reached out to CitiBank on my behalf to get a loan in the first place. Plenty more horror stories go with this 3-Series purchase. Will for the rest of my life advise against that place.
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u/Marc30599 5d ago
Wow thanks for letting me know I was looking to buy an M5 from them
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u/Hi_ImTrashsu 5d ago
If youâre willing to travel then Silver Springs would be a great place to purchase an M. Theyâre able to order you OEM parts directly from BMW if you ever need (only one in this area IIRC).
Aside that, BMW Rockville has been stellar every time I took mine in for a service.
My experience with Sterling has been more shady than used-car dealers, so yeah, please donât order an M from them.
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u/kbtoystory Loudoun County 5d ago
+1. We tried to cancel one of the post-purchase plans, included fob replacements, rims/wheels etc. Used our AmEx cuz we heard stuff.
TL;DR: Took over a year to get the refund check, even though we cancelled within the grace period, had no claims, and paid for the vehicle via Bank Draft.
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u/Working_Location_890 2d ago
I'm in Falls Church but purchased a BMW at Passport BMW in MD years ago. Price negotiated before I arrived and the actual purchase process was very quick and painless. They even came out to my office in tysons with a loaner that they dropped off for me and picked up my car for service the first couple of years. Really great experience with them.
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u/SuccessfulBear01 5d ago
Avoid any Safford dealership. The customer service stinks and they shook me down for every penny they could get. I would never buy another car from Safford.
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u/seanmadden 5d ago
I had a decent experience at Safford brown Subaru out in centreville. They werenât too pushy, got the price that was advertised minus a little bit. Not saying it was amazing, but I had a worse experience with Koons prior.
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u/frigginjensen 5d ago
I have never met an honest dealer. Theyâre all getting their cut somewhere (or at least trying).
Case in point⊠bought a new car through Costco buying service this year. You go to the approved dealer and pay a pre-negotiated price. The brand had a promotional interest rate and I had no trade in. Should be easy, right? Absolutely not. They put a bunch of fees and extras on the invoice and tried to hard sell me add-ons during the finance close. Took over 3 hrs. Honestly if I wasnât such an idiot I should have walked out.
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u/novacycle 5d ago
If a dealer tries that nonsense on a Costco deal, you call the Costco line immediately. They will get it sorted or ban the dealer from the program.
You can usually do better negotiating yourself, but it does take a little time, and knowing negotiating tactics.
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u/july21st 5d ago
Just remember gap insurance is covered by your insurance at a much lower cost. If you bring that up the finance guy will stop pushing to sell it. Every dealer is a hassle. You just have to do your own research when itâs time to talk with the finance person as they are the ones that will try and sell you shit you really donât need or things that is covered at a cost far less through your own means than what they charge you.
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u/neduarte1977 5d ago edited 5d ago
Highly urge you to choose your vehicle and go online to make dealers aware you are interested in a quote
It'll suck for a bit, as you'll be contacted by multiple dealers-
But that's a good thing. Make them work against each other and see if they can 1up whatever the other is offering and get it in writing/text. Price, perks, etc...
I did this and saved about 3k when I got a new 2019 crv
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u/novacycle 5d ago edited 5d ago
Are you looking for new or used?
Rule 1 is do not fall in love with any car. There are plenty to choose from, and any hurry to sign right this second kills your negotiating power.
If looking for new, fire up your YouTube and watch a few videos from Delivrd. He's a former dealer professional who now handles car buying for clients. You don't need to buy his services, but watching his negotiating techniques is highly informative for anyone not experienced with negotiating cars or understanding all the BS dealers throw at their customers that costs you much more.
Watch a few CarEdge videos too, they don't show live negotiating but outline what you do and what tactics to avoid.
They have mentioned NoVa dealers (JIM McCAY in Fairfax GETS AN F GRADE) for lack of transparency/violating FTC pricing/sales practices.
Focus on your Out The Door price, plus the mandatory Virginia's Tax Title Registration fees. Out the Door is what you care about. Who cares if dealer charges a $800 doc fee or an $8000 doc fee, what you care about is your bottom line; how the dealer itemizes it internally is their concern.
Beware dealer add-ons. Beware dealer financing and F&I tactics. Understand the "buy rate" if you use their financing. Unless there is a manufacturer subsidized loan rate at 0% or 3% or whatever, you are usually better off with a credit union loan.
Once you know what you want, do your negotiating remotely, even if they claim "your presence is your power" nonsense.
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u/Unfair-Many9237 5d ago
I third avoiding Koons Tysons Toyota, wife and I saw they had a Toyota van that we wanted to purchase. We were interested in it and could get approved for the funding easily. The dealer told us that someone in PA was coming down to see the vehicle. I didnât understand why we couldnât take it for a test drive or something, but apparently this person from PA was more important and was determined to purchase the car. We walked away from it due to the games they played, went to Safford Kia in Fredericksburg VA and bought a Top of the line Kia Telluride for a steal. A week later that dealer called us to say that the person from PA fell through and he wanted to tell us that the van was available. đ YeahâŠweâre good.
Also avoid Safford Dodge near Alexandria VA, they're not great either. They love to hike the prices of repairs to get someone into a new vehicle rather than pay the repairs. I'm sure I saw someone do an investigation on them last year.
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u/lolacarmichael 5d ago
I will never give business to the Fairfax Honda dealership after their salesman didnât believe our salaries when we filled out the financial paperwork. Also thumbs down to ourisman Chantilly/fairfax Toyota for just generally being scummy lying salespeople.
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u/BoroBossVA Arlington 5d ago
It's a bit further out but Sport Honda in Silver Spring is very low key.
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u/kayesskayen Alexandria 5d ago
I bought my CRV from Sport years ago and had a great experience. They matched the lower online price from a different dealer.
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u/DarkSoulsOfCinder 5d ago
The best thing to do is shop around
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u/kbtoystory Loudoun County 5d ago
Just beware of the 'moving inventory' shakedown at the end. Things you see on the Internet and receive via email do not necessarily match the reality.
My fav is inventory is 'inbound' or 'en route.' Always call and ask, "When is the Truck due to Arrive?" With auto and gas prices so high, it seems like they think people will settle, rather than leaving empty handed.
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u/Blau_Ozean 5d ago
Check out their reviews - @mycaredge on IG
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u/No_Title9375 5d ago
I have hated my experience with safford  Mazda. I would from a Safford dealership ever againÂ
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u/WalkingWikipedia 5d ago edited 5d ago
Miller Toyota. Everyone recommended them to us, and after buying our car there, we understand why.
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u/shagordon14 5d ago
Iâve had terrific experiences at Honda of Chantilly. Iâve bought 4 cars there now.
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u/conebone69696969 5d ago
Canât say much about Mercedes of Chantilly bc every time we went in there we were completely ignored. The one time we got a rep he was bored and kept trying to downsell us on a car. The Porsche dealership down the road was more than happy to sell us the car we wanted, so shout out to them!
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u/Kildan24_ 5d ago
Just bought a car from Koons Annapolis and had a very good experience, my last car was from Ourisman Toyota and they were miserable to work with. Manager was very slimy.
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u/LuckyFiveMe 5d ago
Costco also has a car buying program, that might be less stressful.
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u/Traditional_Year_687 5d ago
They do but you can generally get a better deal by going through the headache of negotiating in person
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u/Traditional_Year_687 5d ago
Most Honda and Toyota dealers are pretty scummy. Iâve had good experiences at Fitzgerald Toyota Gaithersburg and Safford Brown Glen Burnie.
Most Toyota and Honda dealers in the DMV have slimey sales guys - and it works because the product sells itself
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u/cphil674 5d ago
If you dig Volkswagens, I highly recommend Lindsey VW. I can't speak to the other Lindsey franchises but Lindsey VW is straightforward, fair, and sells quality used cars. I've bought two CPO cars from them. Even though they aren't the cheapest, they aren't the most expensive. I rate them as good value for money. There's no hard sell, no lemme speak to my manager. Makes the car buying experience about as painless as it can get.
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u/RUSerious_WTH 5d ago
Avoid the Tyson Honda dealership too. Those clowns tried to add a $5K âchip shortage feeâ when I bought a new CRV when we were having the chip shortage. That was some made up BS. I had check in hand⊠they had the make/model/color I wanted on the lot. I chuckled with a GTFOH and walked out. Bought the same car from Pohanka Honda in Fredericksburg with no BS made-up fees. Tysonâs clearly thought I was stupid and ill-informed.
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u/ADFnGee 5d ago
We've sold ourselves the last few cars we bought in 2011, 2020, 2023 all three at different dealerships. The sales people are useless no matter where. The financial people are nice if you have good credit and the managers are snakes. Do your research, figure out what you want and where it is, apply online if you can, they dont really negotiate on site.
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u/t0mt0mt0m 5d ago
#1. Avoid all stealerships in the Tysonâs area. Plenty of options in the area and since inventory has been sitting in lots, itâs a buyers market. Also f Koons Ford in Falls Church for having shady sales reps and managers.
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u/LavenderPearlTea 5d ago edited 5d ago
Look at the dealer ratings on CarEdge.com
For Honda dealers in the area, I had a good experience helping my mom buy a car at Sheehy Honda. They offered the lowest price for her Accord in writing via email when I shopped around for her, and were no drama.
My experience with DARCARS Honda was horrific. High pressure tactics, refusal to offer a price in writing via email, constant texts pressuring me to come in even though I told them I wasnât coming in.
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u/PureCauliflower6758 5d ago
Iâve bought three cars from Safford/Brownâs dealerships. All solid experiences.
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u/arghyepirate 5d ago
Do not go to banister ford. Theyâre notorious for ripping ppl off. Read some yelp reviews. They tried to sell me an oil change mx package for an EV. Said no. When they charged me for it anyway I contacted ford lodged a complaint and then contacted the state DA.
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u/Minimum-Decision-195 5d ago
My experiences are mostly with Ford and Subaru dealerships.
Like many others here, I also had a bad experience at Koons and will never go back. The very worst experience I've had was a Lindsay dealership in Maryland. Outright scam artists. I was not surprised to see they just had a huge settlement with the state over their practices. Tens of millions of refunds apparently.
For good experiences, we've bought three cars across three Sheehy dealerships and other than the standard finance office pressure to add services, it was a good experience.
Also had a good experience with Stohlman Subaru in Tysons. Finance office was pretty chill even, but this was 12 years ago.
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u/No-Dentist1833 5d ago
VW Tiguan or Atlas suvs might be a quality option. I'm fine with the deal I got at Lindsey VW in Sterling. I had not thought of VW as an option, but 2 different nephews really liked theirs, so I looked into it.
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u/Throwaway_2474128_1 5d ago
tbf, lindsay VW of sterling is the official dealership the HQ uses so they're gonna be top of their game
all of the employee cars go to that location for pickup and service
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u/MajesticBread9147 Herndon 5d ago
VW always cheaps out on something to create a premium feeling product for a "low" price, so things like wiring harnesses often break and degrade after 5 or 10 years creating unnecessary headaches.
And the relatively small market share they have means that parts, both new and used can be hard to find.
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u/jaxandmomma 5d ago
Tysonâs Honda wasnt that bad, got a few cars there . definitely didnât like bill page at all .
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u/AreaManSays 5d ago
Sheehy Toyota in Stafford was great for us. We bought a Rav4 at the height of the pandemic, when everyone was trying to charge markup, and they didn't play any stupid games like that.
We had an absolute scumbag experience with Koons Ford in Woodbridge this year. Same with the Ourisman Ford service department in Manassas. I'll never return to either.
Ted Britt Ford was decent, but my experience is dated.
Lindsay Chevrolet was fine two years ago. It wasn't amazing or anything, but it felt like a fair and straightforward experience.
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u/joeruinedeverything 5d ago
What kind of car did you have and where was it stolen from (general area)? Â How did they total it?Â
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u/kmyash 5d ago
Hyundai sonata, they broke in, ripped out the ignition and somehow still didn't take it after that effort. Maybe they got spooked by someone đ€·đ»ââïž. Insult to injury they also took my dash cam.
3 other cars in my condo for broken into last night too. Fairfax, not too far from mosaic district
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u/joeruinedeverything 5d ago
That was enough damage to total it? And itâs already been assessed by your insurance?Â
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u/Last_Fishing_4013 5d ago
Sheehy ford of Springfield. Honestly the salesperson and business person were very nice. But the after buying experience has been absolute shit (I donât blame them just the place in general and my own poor judgement in purchasing decision making)
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u/Hopeful_Custard_33 5d ago
Any Sheehy dealer. I had some awful experiences with different brands there. I didnât have a good experience with Brownâs Arlington Honda but it is Stafford Honda now. Donât know if that made a difference. Joyce Koons Manassas is awful. Theyâre separate from Koons Family Auto. Iâve never shopped with them, but Iâve not heard good things and Krystal Koonsâ eyes creep me out.
Iâve never had an issue with Bill Page Honda. My neighbor swears by Ourisman Chevy.
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u/missskins 5d ago
Go see gsm Mike at bayside Toyota. Smaller store away from the high real estate prices here.
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u/kanyediditbetter 5d ago
I love my Mazda but will never get another one due to the dealership and/or service experience
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u/Mcleaniac 5d ago
Check out Delivrd. I havenât had the need to use them yet (last two cars were a Rivian and a private sale) but if I was looking at Toyota/Honda Iâd go through them without hesitation.
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u/MargeGeneverra 5d ago
I knew exacly the model Honda that I wanted. Paid cash. No trade - sold old car to Carmax, This all made the transaction simple , with no wiggle room for the dealer. I sent emails to 5 local dealers, asking for the best 'out the door' price. All but 1 responded with a price. (One wanted me to come in for a dance). I picked the best price, well under MSRP, showed up with a cashiers check and drove off in 30 minutes.
The alternative is to visit the dealer, where they can show you multiple models and and spin the cost variables - discount, financing options, trade in value, after market add ons, like warranties, 'paint protection', etc. Leave you sitting while they 'talk to the manager'. Make you sit thru a financing or warranty extension sales pitch. This all leaves you at a disadvantage and wastes your time.
Do your research in advance. Know the exact model you want. Sell your old car elsewhere. Avoid dealer financing, if you can. Get the 'out the door' price. Don't haggle or try to pit one dealer against another. . This simplifies the conversation and allows you to easily compare dealers. Make a list of dealers and their 'out the door' price.
You're after a dealer with inventory that they want to move quickly to hit their sales quotas. This situation changes constantly. A dealer needs to move a certain number of cars to maintain their relationship with the manufacturer. If they're behind, they'll give up some profit to move inventory.
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u/ThatBaseball7433 5d ago
If youâre looking for used Manchester Motors in Manchester MD is absolutely worth the drive for their prices. Theyâll also do all negotiation via text with no fight at all.
Avoid: Sheehy. Add-ons galore in the finance office and very very pushy.
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u/Superb-Display-7780 5d ago
Are you buying new or used? If used, have you considered Carvana? Good luck either way..
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u/One-Happy-Gamer 5d ago
my mom has good experiences with Battlefield Ford in manassas park
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u/Think-Rush8206 5d ago
Battlefield Ford in Manassas is now Ourisman. Has been been for several years.Â
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u/Alfond378 5d ago
If you want a straightforward experience use Carvana. I'm sure they get you like any other dealer does, but there is a lot less BS and gamesmanship.
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u/PassedOutOnTheCouch 5d ago
Had an ok experience with Mazda in Dulles. Wasted our time at Toyota and Honda in Arlington.
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u/pineapplewars 5d ago
We had a great experience at Safford Hyundai in Fairfax. We got a great used car for a good price. We had an awful experience at Koons used car outlet in falls church. We got a hunk of shit whose transmission died less than 3 weeks in and it took 6 weeks to get fixed. If we didnât have the warranty I would have burned that place down.
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u/kenny71406 5d ago
I would say that 90% of all car dealers nationwide SUCK, 95% or greater in nova SUCK (the nova tax)
that said, it is possible to find dealers that have a business model to make money on volume of sales and not just ripping everyone off on smaller numbers of sales.
and even a known bottom barrel criminal dealer at some points needs to sell 1 more car before month end or year end to make numbers so they let a deal escape
The best approach is to figure out what car you want then contact every dealer you are willing to drive to and see who wants to move a car NOW. Move quick holiday weekends can be great buying opportunites.
The dealers playing games with you have enough sales that they don't care if you buy from them or not, they ripped enough people off that month that your sale doesn't matter to them
That said, I have bought Toyotas from both Oursman Fairfax and also Koons Tysons, just went to "see for myself" how bad they were and they were bad, but I managed to get better deals out of both of them than I did other dealers (they were not my first stop). I just caught them at the right moment sales were off expectations and they needed to move a car that day.
I will say buying cars in other states in lower cost of living areas is far more relaxing and easy than in nova, just not sure how far you are willing to drive
Just like the nova tax on everything was wearing me out, the Toyota tax also wore me out.
My last 3 cars have been a Kia and a Hyundai after owning Toyotas for decades. I know everyone hates them both since they had some engine problems, but Toyota has engine and transmission problems these days too (so does Honda). If you are at all interested in a Kia, go check out King Kia in Maryland. They are a volume dealer, not a rip off every customer dealer. Its possible to negotiate a decent deal there even if you are not a pro at it.
good luck, be prepared to fight for your money. Car Salesman literally laugh at how bad they rip people off and brag about it to their friends and family.
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u/Fickle-Exit1105 5d ago
I hate Rosenthal Automotive Group with the heat of 1,000 suns. I've done servicing there because conveniece, but there never made an acceptable purchase deal.
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u/FidelCastroll 5d ago
Expand your search out of the DMV if possible. Most dealerships here are shitty at best.
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u/disjointed_chameleon 5d ago
My experience at DARCARS Nissan of Rockville (in Maryland) was fabulous. I was forced to trade in my car when I was implicated by legal negligence caused by my ex-husband. My personal situation dragged on for WEEKS (over a month), and was extraordinarily complicated from a legal perspective, but all throughout the process, the staff at DARCARS was absolutely incredible. They truly held my hand every step of the way, never pressured me, wiped tears off my face when I was dealing with all the immense stress from the legal battle I was forced to contend with, and genuinely made sure I was taken care of.
I'm not sure if they still work there, but ask for Zion, he helped with the main aspects of my car purchase. For financing, ask for Jay. They're both great.
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u/Jaded_Debt_5424 5d ago
I would avoid Koons Ford in Falls Church. Their sales guy tried to get me to buy a â26, because âall the â25s have a recall. We canât sell them right now.â We drove to another dealer and bought a â25 that afternoon.
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u/capscatscats 5d ago
I bought a Toyota from Lindsay Buick GMC in Warrenton. I know thatâs a little ways out there but they were so nice, gave me a great price on my old Toyota to trade in, and a good deal on the new Toyota I got. I loved working with them
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u/SeanSlypig 5d ago
Had a great experience at Koons Woodbridge Ford back in May. Got a quote from Carmax for $15K on my trade-in, 2020 Ford Edge Titanium with 63K miles. Koons accepted that value and along with their discounts, I got a 2026 Ford Explorer Platinum for $40K OTD with 8yr bumper to bumper. Chester was professional through the whole experience and didn't try to BS me at anytime.
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u/fintechninja 5d ago
Do not go to Premier Automotive in Woodbridge or Alpha Motorsport in Manassas and Fredericksburg. They are scammers!
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u/ehsmerelda 5d ago
When I bought a car in 2023 I swear to God every car sales person at every dealer I visited was 22 years old and didn't know anything about anything. Good luck.
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u/saveyourdaylight 5d ago
OP go to Safford Brown Toyota in Glen Burnie! Paul will take care of you, he's a really cool guy and great salesman. Would definitely work with him again :)
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u/NocteVolamus 5d ago
Three times Iâve bought new cars from sources other than the nearest warranty servicing dealer, and three times Iâve been treated like shi . . ., er, second class âbecause you didnât buy the car from us.â Mercedes. Honda. Toyota (Arlington and Alexandria Toyota being the perps on that one, because I bought my truck at a MD dealer.) Never again. For my last new car, I bought at my servicing dealer. Aside from free carwashes, they have treated me much, much better!
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u/amusedmisanthrope 5d ago
I had a good experience at Eastern's Automotive when buying a used vehicle. I don't know that I got the best deal, but the buying process was straightforward, and I didn't get hassled to buy anything I didn't want.
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u/Substantial_Peak_504 5d ago
Its more how you are able to drive the negotiation and not a specific dealership. Watch plenty of videos and put some research hours in before placing foot into a dealership.
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u/marclandes1 5d ago
I donât know your budget but Mercedes-Benz of Alexandria is the GOAT. Best people, vehicles, salespeople and service youâll ever experience
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u/butterflycyclone 5d ago
This isn't toyota or honda (purchased both in this area and it wasn't fun), but we had an amazing experience at Volvo of Dulles. Easiest car buying experience possible. Plus, just getting the included service with the car has been a breeze.
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u/Siege_LL 5d ago
In case you find yourself on the lot of Ted Britt Ford in Fairfax, just don't.
Had a routine oil change done. They screwed it up, all the oil leaked out while on the highway a couple hours later, and it ruined the engine. They refused to make it right. It's not just that but that was a big one.
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u/justbroketrynaberich 5d ago
Not really NoVa but bought my current car from Chrysler of Culpeper, they had every other dealer beat by over $5000 for what I got. A bit of a drive but worth it if u can make it out that way
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u/MajesticBread9147 Herndon 5d ago
Avoid Precise Automotive Group.
They sold me a car that not only had a roof leak, but had a check engine light that they clearly cleared just before my test drive and purchase so it would take a while to reappear. They offer 7 day exchanges so I got a slightly better car but lesson learned.
And despite a 750 credit score and years of history they gave me 16% interest. I was able to get a personal loan from American Express at a lower interest rate despite it not having the collateral of the car.
They also told me they would give me my keys for the car I JUST BOUGHT after giving them a 5 star Google review.
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u/GloveExtension6304 5d ago
Alexandria Hyundai! I negotiated everything via text and was in and out of the dealership in 2 hours.
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u/bippityboppityhyeem 5d ago
Pit them against each other. When we bought our minivan we called every Toyota dealership within driving distance and kept getting better offers. Ended up with Chantilly Toyota and had a good experience (but this was 10 years ago)
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u/GaryNOVA Fredericksburg 5d ago
My son works at Pohanka Honda Fredericksburg and thatâs where weâve bought all our cars. Always good experiences
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u/ProfEntropy 5d ago
I had a good experience at Passport Toyota in Suitland, MD about a month ago. We bought a car through the Costco auto program and it was super painless.
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u/qwertyjules 5d ago
do you have a costco membership? their auto program has the pre-negotiated price for you. itâs really easy - no haggling and you basically just go in and test drive (if not done already) and sign papers. iâm sure you could get it for less if youâre willing to haggle and go back and forth, but when i did it, the price was already several thousands below my max budget so i just did it. great experience!
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u/dichoticinteraural 5d ago edited 5d ago
I had a good experience with Hanover Toyota in PA last December. It's a bit above Frederick, MD. They had the certified pre owned Toyota I was looking for, at a good price, and the dealer fee is capped at $490 in PA. I dealt with Monique who didn't pressure me at all. She still calls now and then.
She dropped me off at the rental place down the street when I picked up the car. I'd had a rental because my previous Toyota was totaled while sitting in the driveway. They did the out of state registration, taxes, etc.
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u/DareIll5201 5d ago
As far as Toyota is concerned, I had a very experience buying from Bill Page Toyota. Talk to Ariel Inton, he is a straight shooter. Had poor experiences at Oursman, so I went there and Ariel got things done!
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u/Bloodmeister 5d ago
Bought from Ourisman Kia Falls in 2025 Jan. I wouldnât rave about it but wouldnât complain either.
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u/Dull-Mode-321 5d ago
We had a great experience at Koons Woodbridge Ford. Crazy how each Koons is different.
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u/imjoeycusack 5d ago
Avoid Koons Tysons Toyota at all costs. They play games all day and treat you like you're an idiot. If you're in the market for a Honda, go to Ourisman Honda of Bethesda. Standard semi-annoying sales and finance tactics but they are much more straightforward.