Favorite smaller/local dealerships

[mhenderson23]

I just wondered what smaller, maybe local dealerships people had good experiences and good deals with. Maybe the ones who don't advertise with the big search engines and don't get as much Internet love.

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[Bill_BCNtoNY]

Hey Mike - good idea, following.

I know that good dealers (on both the sales and the service sides) are out there, and I also know I have no idea how to find them. Personally, I’d be willing to drive quite a bit when I need one.

Worth a shot to try compiling some here!

 

[GinaC]

My dealership in Derby, VT, routinely gets customers from Boston. We do have a fair amount of Bostonians who vacation here.

 

[Dgr401]

The dealership where I got my JL was small. It was the only dealership they had and was great to work with, both sales and service. They were bought out by a larger company and it changed overnight. I have only been back to the original dealership once since they were sold and it was for the corrosion issue. They just blew me off. I checked with another dealer and they agreed to do the wok and did a great job. I now use this dealer for any needs that I have. It is a one dealer company, I think smaller is definitely better.

 

[Ratbert]

A dealership doesn't have to be large to be added to my spreadsheet. They just have to relatively consistently offer something better than affiliate pricing.

 

[mhenderson23]

A dealership doesn't have to be large to be added to my spreadsheet. They just have to relatively consistently offer something better than affiliate pricing.

I love and appreciate your spreadsheet. I was talking more to the dealerships that aren't on car gurus. Edmunds, etc.

 

[Ratbert]

I love and appreciate your spreadsheet. I was talking more to the dealerships that aren't on car gurus. Edmunds, etc.

I found a local dealership willing to deal just by googling, searching their inventory, then using my spreadsheet as a reference. They were willing to deal, but not to offer it to anyone.

 

[Alan_Hepburn]

Don't know about the sales side, but our JLU is at Columbia Jeep in Columbia, TN right now to address a DW issue. I went online for an appointment and was able to get a same-day appointment, which suggests they aren't overwhelmed with work. When we drove in the first thing the service writer did was to plug in his computer to check for updates, fault codes, etc. and then listened while I described the issue. When we get the vehicle back I will find out how good their workers are...

 

[rk911]

I just wondered what smaller, maybe local dealerships people had good experiences and good deals with. Maybe the ones who don't advertise with the big search engines and don't get as much Internet love.

We had a very EZ and pleasant experience buying our '23 2-door JL Sport-S in June of '23 at River Front CDJ in North Aurora IL. I think we had a fair deal but what stands out in their superb customer service.

A day after we inked the deal I ended up in and out of our local hospital ER (4-trips + minor surgery and one overnight stay). Over the next 8-weeks I was laid up at home, unable to drive waiting for an additional surgery that resulted in a 12-day hospitalization. After I got home in mid-August it was another 2-weeks before I was able to get behind the wheel.

Why do I say outstanding customer service? While I was home after the ER visits and waiting for my major surgery we got the call that our new Jeep was ready to be picked up (it was a dealer trade) and we had the dealer add running boards. But my wife no longer drives and I couldn't. "No problem", says the sales critter. He and another employee brought our new Jeep to the house (a 45-minute one-way drive) and we closed the deal at the dining room table. And he took our personal check (we paid the balance in full)!

When we made the deal we also ordered a soft-top for 'Willy'. In July, while still grounded waiting for my surgery, we got the call that the soft top was in. Knowing that I still couldn't drive the salesman had a tech from the dealership drive him to the house where he and the tech took the hard top off and then took 'Willy' back to the shop. They installed the soft top and then delivered the Wrangler back to our home a few hours later. No charge for any of it! I offered cash tips which were refused.

Yessir, I am very happy to refer anyone who asks to River Front CDJ and salesman Dan Spooner. And, yes, I sold the hard top a month or so later.

 

[JINO]

I just wondered what smaller, maybe local dealerships people had good experiences and good deals with. Maybe the ones who don't advertise with the big search engines and don't get as much Internet love.

The dealer i used to go to, was a big one, and they had excellent service.
They often fixed warranty stuff no questions asked.
Once I caked my radiator and alternator with mud, it made a whining noise and over heated, but they fixed it.

 

[sonrider657]

I had a good experience with Button Motors in Kokomo, Indiana. Since Kokomo is home of a large Chrysler factory with lots of employee customers, they are used to placing custom orders for Jeeps. The order-through-delivery process was very smooth with zero pressure.

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