This was my first time shopping for a new car and only my second time going to an actual dealership. I'm happy to say that DePaula Mazda did an excellent job!
To give some background, about 12 years ago, before I moved back to NYS from CA, a gearhead friend of mine suggested I checkout the Mazda3 hatchback. He was a self-proclaimed car guru gifted with the unique ability to predict your favorite vehicle based on your personality. It had been 13 years since I even needed a car, so I was open to any and all suggestions. I found and purchased a beautiful uniquely blue, 2007, pre-Bluetooth standard, used Mazda3 from a veterinarian in Colonie, and I have to admit, my car guru was 100% correct in his prediction.
Despite my efforts to take great care of my beautiful car, 12 years later I found out that the 2007 Mazda3's had severe rust issues under the car, and I was lucky that mine lasted that long. So I found myself car shopping during the pandemic, looking for a very specific replacement to my favorite car. Subaru almost had me, but during my test drive, the base model felt plastic-y and cheap, it had poor pickup (horsepower), and I had a very typical "used car salesman" type experience from the Schenectady dealership -- which immediately turned me off to the well-respected brand.
Months later it finally happened... Like a ray of light, a summoning from the great beyond, an email came in from one of those CarFax/CarGurus sites about a reasonably priced, blue, preferred, 2020 Mazda3 Hatchback. It had everything I needed (which was a pretty short list that included, AWD, blue colored, and Android Auto). Upon arrival, I was greeted by a new salesperson named Colin. He was young and definitely new to the process, but he more than made up for that with excellent customer service and his willingness to go above and beyond. To be fair, the car practically sold itself, but Colin was the breathe of fresh air that I needed, and I was happy to give him the final sale.
From test drive, to the masked elbow bump (aka - the pandemic handshake), the experience was pretty smooth. Colin emailed me and texted me all the information I needed. Then he and the DePaula team did all the nightmarish work which included registering the vehicle in my name, transferring my plates over, transferring my insurance, figuring out the loan details, and lining up the paperwork. Honestly, it couldn't have been an easier, more pleasant experience, and I'll always recommend them because of the great work Colin and the DePaula Mazda team did. read more