After spending 9 hours (yes, NINE) test-driving the vehicle I ultimately purchased, making countless phone calls consulting with friends, family and trusted resources, almost changing my mind and walking out (getting cold feet), and of course getting the upsell, I drove away in my new ride. First off, Countryside was the only dealership that had the make, model, trim, color, options, age and mileage that I needed (a 2022 Audi e-tron). Second, they were only the third dealership (the second being their own Jidd Motors Mitsubishi) that could process the soon-to-expire used EV federal tax credit. Third, they were the only ones that had the selection and quality of cars and the genuine desire to make I deal I referenced earlier. Fourth, the infinite patience of the staff as I put them through the wringer for the aforementioned NINE hours, whittling down the deal to its bare bones, was nothing short of amazing. Fifth, the fact that their cars come with two keys - not one - and that they were generous enough to include the on-board Level 1 and 2 combo charger and cables - made them a singular exception in my experience. Sixth and final, once the deal was inked, the fact that everyone in the dealership took the ordeal in good humor and congratulated me on my purchase rather than give me a well-deserved sneer was appreciated :-) (Everyone down to the janitor knew of this epic deal making and were following it with abated breath!)
Shout out to Maks, the salesperson, who was super nice and did not resort to pushiness, but instead displayed deep knowledge of the product (a rarity with electric vehicles) and an infinite stamina going back and forth between me and the powers that be for 9 hours.
Shout out to Hemzah, the sales manager, whose desire to make a deal is second to none and who offers some genuinely insightful feedback during the process that is of course self-serving but that is also surprisingly frank and illuminating.
Shout out to Steven, the finance manager, who got me the finance deal of a lifetime, who took the most time that any finance manager took to explain every single piece of paper and little detail in everyday terms, and whose infinite patience was one for the books. His no-nonsense, frank and open feedback was also crucial and making up my mind rather than letting me get trapped in my own anxiety loop.
Finally, shout out to the owner, who may appear brusque at times but who is genuinely interested to make a deal and who appreciates someone who plays the game as hard as he does (and he does).
Now for a few flies in the ointment (sorry, guys!): first off, in 2025, there is no need to try to use the "what payment do you want per month" technique to inflate the price of the vehicle after the price and the trade-in have been agreed. I immediately caught and called out an attempt to inflate my cost by 15% by inflating my monthly payment (I knew what terms I would get and I can use an online payment calculator you know) and then acting surprised and not being able to justify it until dropping it in the end ("sorry, no idea why the system did that"). Second, I know extended service contracts ("aftermarket warranties") are where money is made by "oops, I forgot to check or uncheck that box" and "oops, I did say no deductible but somehow a $100 printed on the service agreement", and I watch out for stuff like this and sadly I did catch instances of that here as well - and I do not find it acceptable. I get the name of the game, but that is still underhanded and should simply not be a tactic that surely will fly by many other folks.
So, in the end - LOVE my car, love the fact that the folks at Countryside made me a deal to allow me to take it home, love that they included accessories that saved me hundreds and thousands, love that they got me a killer finance deal, and love that they did not throw my derriere out the door in frustration. Had the inflated monthly payment and the extended service contract "error" tactics not been attempted, this would have been a six-star review. As it is, it is just a four star (but really a four and a half stars). Walk in here with your eyes open and educated as to the process, and I think you will love the car you get here, enjoy interacting with the people here (while keeping your wits about you about hidden gotchas) and ultimately enjoy the process of car-buying as long as you recognize it as the game of wits and poker-face that it is. :-) read more