- Apostolakis Honda's sales and leasing consultant Cory Hancock offered me the best out-the-door price on a 2016 Honda Fit with CVT automatic transmission blue, black or silver (it ended up being blue) that was far superior to the offers of that of eight other Honda dealers in northeast Ohio. Enough to get me to drive the 73 minutes to finalize the purchase.
- Cory was accessible, reachable and responsive. I remember him taking my call nearly if not every time I called, and he responded to my emails with questions within a couple of hours. And he confirmed what was included in the quote. I asked him for a quote on the last Tuesday evening of 2015. He emailed me a price proposal within an hour or two. He answered my questions I had about the quote and vehicle by phone and email throughout Wednesday. And then I arrived at the dealership early Thursday afternoon.
- I was not subjected to any high-pressure sales pitches, tricks, surprises or any kind of bait and switch tactic. When I arrived at the dealership, I knew pretty much what I was going to pay for the car, and that's what I paid. Cory was a man of his word on the quote and the fact they had the vehicle. He even applied a discount to the base price of the vehicle rather than to the final price so I could save on tax. I wasn't ever compelled to buy any unwanted options. Gary, the finance guy, did pitch Honda's extended warranty, but when it was clear I wasn't ready to buy it, he didn't push things nor try to sell me any other product. The paperwork and payment went very smoothly especially since I had arranged an unsecured loan with a great rate, so I was able to pay with a check and credit card (up to a limit).
- The Fit was in perfect new condition. It had five miles on it right before I test drove it. It handled great and is very fun to drive. Its only issue was the driver's seat didn't support the lower back as well as I would like, so I later got a lumbar support cushion.
- Cory was very knowledgeable about the Fit and patiently showed me its major features - steering wheel controls, cruise control, climate control, wipers, power mirrors, power locks, the entertainment system, how to fold down the Magic Seats. He had obviously spent a lot of time studying the vehicle features. I like that he didn't pretend what he didn't know. We both initially couldn't figure out how the rear center passenger seat belt worked, but I figured it out.
- Cory graciously spent a lot of time getting the license plates off my old car, which were tough to remove, and getting the rear plate onto my new car.
- While he was somewhat firm on the trade-in value for my old car, he did show some flexibility which I appreciated.
- Cory allowed me a lot of time to inspect the vehicle and for me to take 40 minutes to make a work call. Otherwise, things would have gone faster. It helped that Cory had emailed me a list of things to bring to the dealership.
- Cory checked by email on how things were going with my vehicle a week after my purchase. The dealership sent me the title within 15 days, and Cory arranged for it to send me some minor paperwork I had missing from my file. My Fit has driven great, and I'm genuinely excited to drive it each time, and it looks like a gem in my employer's parking lot.
- The bottom line: The staff was friendly. (The sales manager Ralph Gilpin introduced himself to me). They were knowledgeable. Aggressive on price, at least with me. They kept their word. They were specific. They didn't make vague promises like some other dealers did. They didn't play any games. They didn't subject me to a high-pressure sales pitch to try to get me to buy something I didn't want. They were accessible, reachable and promptly responsive. They didn't waste my time. I needed a new car by the end of 2015, and they did what they had to do to make that happen and at an incredible price. I can't guarantee everyone will have the same positive experience I had nor get as good a deal as I did, but if you're looking for a Honda or Mazda vehicle as you get price proposals from area dealers, you should give them a solid chance to win your business. I gladly gave Apostolakis the highest ratings in Honda's online customer service survey. read more