The folks at Racine Honda treated me right. After spending weeks looking for a used minivan to accommodate our growing family, I made the trek to Racine from Milwaukee, and I'm so glad I did. The second I came in, I noticed that the dealership was smaller and more personable than the large corporate ones I'd been dealing with. From the hot (and well made) coffee in the lobby to the friendly words and smiles on the employees faces, I felt immediately welcomed and unintimidated. My salesperson, Eric B was cordial, professional and laid back all at once, and I never felt any pressure from him to do the deal. He was knowledgeable about the van, but also was honest when he didn't have an answer, and worked promptly to find solutions for my concerns.
I had a trade-in which had high miles and some minor body damage, so all the other dealers really low-balled me, and scoffed at my mentions of Bluebook value. But Eric (not my salesperson, another Eric) thoroughly examined the car and shot straight with me about the value versus the repairs that would need to be made. When all the other dealerships I dealt with insulted my car and treated me condescendingly, it was a welcome relief to be dealing with such good people here who offered fair market value for the trade.
Once I decided I definitely wanted the van, came the dreaded negotiation, but it was not like I had experienced at other dealerships. No shady salesman tactics, no manipulative gimmicks, no hidden costs or surprises. Instead Adam, the sales manager, spoke to me like a real person, showing me that they truly valued my business, and we came to a compromise that was fair according to the research I had done. Previous to this, I had walked away from three different price negotiations because they would not come anywhere near market value as listed on KBB, Autotrader, Consumer Reports, etc. Basically, Racine Honda gave me the only honest price I encountered in nearly six weeks of looking.
Finally, they went above and beyond what they were required to do. See, when I drove the car home, I noticed something I hadn't in the test drive: At higher speeds there was a significant vibration coming through the steering wheel; I figured it was something to do with the alignment. So, when I got home, I called Adam. He said to bring it in the next morning first thing and they'd get it sorted out. To clarify, I bought this car used--"as is", without any warranty whatsoever, so Racine Honda had no obligation to fix anything. However, I came in the next morning and left an hour later with the van running in tip-top shape. And it still is!
It's been a little over a month now since we bought our '06 Toyota Sienna from the folks at Racine Honda, but I wanted to make sure and leave them some well deserved feedback because the experience was nothing short of excellent. You can trust these guys, which is unfortunately rare in this industry. So, if you're looking to do business with reputable people who treat you with respect and fairness, look no further than Racine Honda.
Thanks, guys!
Matt Crowe read more