This was my first time buying a car (new or used), so I don't have a lot of perspective, but my experience at Jim Snead Ford was better than I had thought I would find when buying a car. I walked in one afternoon knowing exactly what car I wanted to look at (2014 Ford Focus), and Jason, one of their salesman, was immediately available to help me. He gave me ample time to inspect the vehicle at my leisure, all the while being ready to answer all my questions. Then we took the car for a test drive in which I was free to determine the direction and duration so as to test my interests in the car. Jason went on some explanations that were unnecessary to me because I had already researched extensively, but they showed that he knew his product extremely well.
I had really only expected to look, as I didn't think I would consider buying a new car. However, I had a few minutes, so I went inside to let Jason tell me about the pricing, and when he came back he showed me a price that was shockingly low. That really got my attention because I think this dealership lists all their vehicles at MSRP online so that you end up with a much lower price when you actually go into the dealership. Anyway, the deal he showed me was actually lower than the used car price that I had been expecting, so I went home and considered the car as a real possibility. The next day I brought my family to look at the car (mom, dad, and brother) and Jason let us take the car out for another test drive, without him even coming along!
The next day I went in to hopefully purchase the car, and I was able to request a price drop of another 500 dollars! Everyone I worked with was pleasant and completely transparent throughout the entire process of actually purchasing the vehicle, so that I felt both comfortable and well-informed about what I was buying. Nothing was rushed along or high pressure in any way that I could notice.
I have now had the car for about a month, and Jason has followed up with me on several occasions to make sure I had everything I needed, to which the answer is an emphatic yes. On that note, I will say that from what I have seen so far (1200 miles over a month in highway and town driving, including in traffic) the 2014 Focus is a great car. It has plenty of power, and the hatchback version has an incredible amount of storage space. I also think that the EPA fuel estimates are too low, because I have easily gotten 42 mpg over a 150-mile interstate trip. If you are thinking of getting a larger car, I would really urge you to consider the Focus for a minute. It's spacious (for passengers and cargo), powerful, efficient, and a lot of fun to drive, not to mention a good deal cheaper than SUVs or large sedans. read more
