My wife and I found ourselves presented with a great chance to sell my vehicle and get a new one. My wife likes her Kia Sedona, so I decided to look at Kia for my next vehicle. We looked at H&H Kia and Edwards Kia. H&H was a disappointment, whereas I was impressed with the service/attention given to us at Edwards (2 visits). We came from Nebraska, so we went out of our way to shop at Edwards Kia. I havent purchased a car in 9 years, and Edwards exceeded my expections on what to expect at the car dealership.
The first night I went to the dealership, it was somewhat late (about 7:15pm). When I got in, I was greeted by Jim Daley and it was a wonderful experience! I was by myself, and I indicated to Jim that I was going to speak with my wife after our meeting and that I was not going to be signing anything on day 1. Jim was very friendly and upfront throughout the entire process. I can't say enough about how great it was to work with Jim! The first evening, he offered a test drive, gave me general information about the Kia Forte and Optima and estimated some offers based on my price point.
Many dealers attempt to do the intrusive/pushy tactic where they slip a paper on the table with an offer available only if you sign right away (H&H did this - I could have a payment of $400-$410, no mention of term or APR). The sales manager at Edwards (Joe Sell) did ask if there was any offer he could make to get me to sign, but he was not pushy at all and dropped it once I said no. I was impressed with that, and impressed with Joe through the entire process. Many dealers try to be sneaky in making offers, leaving out the APR, term, or amount. Without all three, the offer is useless. For example, is your payment too high? We can drop it $100/month. Oh yeah, your loan is 84 months now and your APR is 7 percent. But, you got your payment!
When I left the first evening, I had an offer based on my price to discuss with my wife and make an informed decision. My wife and I returned two days later to to work with Jim. I am sure I was aggravating Jim with my questions, but he was very patient and even explained anything to my wife that she wanted to know, even if he had already done so. Jim was very personable, patient, and informed throughout the entire process. Edwards was very impressive with regards to how they conduct business and refrain from usual car dealer tricks. The night we ended up purchasing our vehicle, we worked again with Joe on the offer. He ran several numbers, reflecting a variety of payment terms and down payments. He also discussed several financing options including a trade-in option that could potentially give me a tax break. He was very informative, easy to talk to, and straightforward without being sneaky or fast-talking his way through things.
Our financing guy, Ron Phillips, was very friendly and even though he was there late, he took the time to answer any questions we had. We actually had a somewhat enjoyable time doing our paperwork! He was very friendly, even though we kept him 90 minutes past closing time. My only other comment regarding Ron was that he talked fast, but I attribute that to two things: it was past closing and, based on my line of work, I understand many of the contract items (GAP, warranty) we were discussing.
Even though late night was convenient for me, I never felt rushed by the staff at Edwards. Once my vehicle was purchased, Jim had it fueled, washed, and heated! He even offered to stay later (already 90 minutes past closing) to help me pair my bluetooth devices to the vehicle.
I added an auto-contract to my vehicle and later decided it wasn't going to be best for me, so I had the "experience" of cancelling the contract. If you search online, you see multiple horror stories. When I went back to cancel, I was 2 days away from the full-refund period expiring, so I was of course worried that I would somehow get screwed over. The papers were ready when I arrived and both Ron and Joe helped to assure me that everything was ok. I wanted to believe them, but it was a new experience for me. Jim told me he would follow up, which he did. Sure enough, within three weeks, I had my full refund. Quicker than I expected too!
There are many chances for car dealers to disappoint and screw you. Edwards took care of my concerns through every step, before and after the deal. I was very impressed with Jim Daley, Joe Sell, and Ron Phillips. If you get your choice when you go in, seek these men out!
What I Liked Best:
- Jim Daley!!!
- Friendly, straightforward staff
- Low pressure, less sales gimmicks
- Listened to my needs and found a car that was right for me
Least:
- Limited discussion regarding taxes paid to Iowa, resulting in a SMALL difference that required an out-of-pocket payment to Nebraska.
- Initial offer was equal to online price - I dont expect a best offer to be posted on website.
- Kia requires you to use their financing to earn cash incentives read more