Most people assume buying a car has to be an afflictive, miserable experience. In the traditional…read moresense, they're usually right. On the other hand, nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to local indie dealers like Horseless Carriage.
These gentlemen are the epitome of chill. Naturally, it helps if you walk in knowing precisely what you want like we did. I was in the market for buying my son a Honda. After weeks of research, we tracked down a nice Accord that practically had his name written all over it.
The price seemed fair enough and included all dealer fees, minus registration (which is handled at your local city hall anyway). One thing that immediately stood out to me was their level of trust. They let us take the car for a test drive unsupervised. That's like...unheard of in the mainstream dealership biz. Honestly though, they needn't worry. We were dead set on making a deal with them, so long as the car passed its pre-purchase inspection.
Spoilers: it did.
We took the car for a test drive and headed straight to VIP Tires just 3 minutes down the road. Other than routine maintenance issues that need to be dealt with, the only real deficiencies were a small hole beneath the flooring due to a ton of rust on the under carriage and a small crack on the windshield; neither of which were deal breakers for us, btw. In the end, the mechanic offered us complimentary windshield repair, a protectant sealant for the under carriage, plus a free oil change at the shop next door. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting that!
Now, because they're an independent dealership with what appears to be just two guys working there (mind you, it was Saturday), I'm not sure if in-house financing is even offered here. Not that it mattered to me since, again...I came prepared. I had planned to pay via pre-approved loan from a credit union. The transaction was easy as apple pie. I have a feeling had I done this at a mainstream dealership, I'd have gotten mega pushback to finance through them instead.
I must confess, I walked into this place not knowing what to expect. The car buying experiences I've had over the years with past dealers have left me with an inordinate amount of anxiety. So, I always walk in guarded to the gills. But these guys were no pressure, no BS folks just here to make an honest day's living. Ya know how difficult that is to find these days?
Now, you're probably wondering if there are any negatives about this place. Well....there is one: the parking. It's horrendous! The lot is full of cars they're trying to sell with no designated spots for customers to park. All things considered though, that's a wicked small price to pay for having the pleasure of doing business with such a well refined business.
It's locals taking care of locals and I love it! I can't say enough good things about this place and its integrity, which knows no bounds. So, I'll cap it all off by giving Horseless Carriage 5 very grateful teenaged sons riding off into the sunset in a new-ish Honda out of 5.
