"Trustworthy" used car dealers

[TNMTBik3r]

The question kind of answers itself I know...

 

but, my wife is needing a new vehicle. She has a decent car but it is too small for our family so trying to upgrade to a SUV. I have been looking around at Cars.com and Autotrader and having problems finding anything in our price range and with acceptable mileage. Basically we are trying to find a SUV that gets decent mileage (22+) and under 130k miles for a good price. The ones I find are either over priced/over budget, over 150k miles or at a small lot that I mistrust right away.

 

Have any of you dealt with used care dealers in the Columbia/Franklin/Nashville/MBoro area that you felt comfortable dealing with and would go to again? I am trying to get a list of who to avoid completely and who I should consider talking to. 

I have dealt with a few before and did not buy at the time and will not go back again. I have been trying to search private party sales with no luck either. 

 

 

[Chris]

My cousin works at a dealership in Lewisburg. I can't guarantee he can get you what you want but in my experience he's a straight shooter. PM me if you want me to put you in touch.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Chris

[TerryW]

I know a guy that buys at auction and although I have never bought from him, I know many guys that have and were very happy.  He sells them for a percentage over his cost.  I don't have a dog in the hunt, PM me if you want his number.

[nightrunner]

City Auto in Murfreesboro. Had a buddy buy from there, very happy.

For the most part, people just dont take care of their vehicles anymore. No pride of ownership.

[runco]

The best deals are to buy from an individual.  Businesses have to make a profit.  Individuals will take a loss, usually large losses. 

 

It still baffles my mind, a person will hold on to a $200 gun, not negotiate one dime, but will take losses in the $1,000s on a car.  Don't make a lot of sense to me.

[RC3]

An auction is a good place to get one. But its a hit or miss.

[daddyo]

Carmax is the only place I do business anymore.

[TNMTBik3r]

I think City Auto was one of the places I looked at online.
I have no problems buying from an individual, have several times before, just haven't found what I am looking for yet.

Chris and Terry, thanks for the offers. Will send you a pm.

[TNMTBik3r]

Carmax is the only place I do business anymore.

I looked at a couple vehicles from them. I know they have a good rep, but the few vehicles I looked at seemed overpriced when looking at KBB. And Carmax will not negotiate price.

[bersaguy]

What ever you buy make sure you run a car fax report on it. If it has ever been wrecked or had major repairs done car fax can tell you. I know several people that used it and saved them from buying a car that was totaled and then repaired. I have done business with Harpeth Toyota and also Harpeth Ford back when they owned a Ford dealership and have always been treated well by the Alexander family. I think they own several different car brand dealerships now. They sell a lot of late model used cars also. Have not spoke with Mike or Barry Alexander in several years now.....................jmho

[SmokyBaer]

.......... a SUV that gets decent mileage (22+) and under 130k miles for a good price. ......

 

That's gonna be a tough hunt.... Most SUVs I been in bang around 20 mpg.

The old HHR Chevy we had done an honest 28 tho. 

[Sam1]

If you're buying it outright, you will be much better off to either buy private party or go to an auction.

 

Used car lots deal with mostly auction vehicles that have a $100 clean up and 100% markup.  The only time I recommend buying from a lot is if you want something that still has a factory warranty on it.

 

<edit> seen you were looking for an SUV, I cannot speak for the V6 gas model Ford Escape, but I've got a 2009 4 cylinder hybrid for work and have put 60,000+ miles on it without a single complaint or hiccup or part that needs replaced.  It still has another 20k left on the original tires and the brakes have never even had to be replaced.  It's only a front wheel drive, so that's not good for any off-roading, but with traction control it goes great in the snow and gets 30mpg's and still has the acceleration of a v6 when the batteries and engine are both kicked in.

 

You can get those things fairly cheap, and I think the v6 4wd's are much cheaper still.

 

<edit#2> here's a 2wd model for $2900 http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/4317741106.html

Edited February 11, 2014 by Sam1

[gregintenn]

 

"Trustworthy" used car dealers

LOL! Your kidding, right?

 

They're right beside the trustworthy politicians. :rofl:

[TripleDigitRide]

I had very good luck with Paul's Trading Station in Mt. Juliet. If they have what I'm looking for next time around, I would definitely do business with them again. When it came time to negotiate a price, both of us gave in to within $300 of each other. I knew the truck was worth their final offer price, but I was still being stubborn. To prove what kind of deal I was getting, he showed me the receipts for the auction, and the battery, wheel and tire that needed replacing. I was confident enough in his honesty to give in and pay the additional $300. They were as honest as a dealer can be, in my humble opinion.

[Dustbuster]

Carmax


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 of course it ate my spelling.

[TNMTBik3r]

That's gonna be a tough hunt.... Most SUVs I been in bang around 20 mpg.
The old HHR Chevy we had done an honest 28 tho.

I meant 22+ highway. I have looked at a couple of older Explorers and such but several are only around 18-20 highway.
My wife puts on average 15 miles a day driving around town - but want the mileage boost as we would use it for travel (650 miles to my parents).

[nightrunner]

Maybe member "Magiccarpetrides" will chime in. I may be mistaken but i think he is a car salesman.

[Pain103]

I had bought an suv from Carsmart in Hendersonville about 7 years ago no problems and it was in great condition. I knew a guy that only bought from them. But we bought the wife's last car from Carmax. I liked dealing with Carmax because I wasn't going to get hosed on interest rate and they didn't play games.

[R1100R]

I had very good luck with Paul's Trading Station in Mt. Juliet. If they have what I'm looking for next time around, I would definitely do business with them again. When it came time to negotiate a price, both of us gave in to within $300 of each other. I knew the truck was worth their final offer price, but I was still being stubborn. To prove what kind of deal I was getting, he showed me the receipts for the auction, and the battery, wheel and tire that needed replacing. I was confident enough in his honesty to give in and pay the additional $300. They were as honest as a dealer can be, in my humble opinion.

 

 

Paul and Sonny are good people at the Trading Station. I have been doing business with them for over 20 years.

 

Magiccarpetrides on this forum owns a lot in Sevierville. I have bought a couple from him over the years. Name is Vince at Sevierville Auto Brokers.  I live in the Greater Nashville area and it has always been worth the trip.

[TNMTBik3r]

Thanks for all the info! I have a few people/places to contact now.

[tartanphantom]

Another vote for Carmax. I bought from them about 3 years ago, after hunting for a few months (I was in no hurry) for a decent used vehicle. Yes, it's true, they don't negotiate, but the car I got was priced about 1200 below book, so I feel like I got a decent deal.

Also, Carmax has a very small doc/prep fee-- $125-150 if I recall correctly-- unfortunately most dealers look to rack up on the doc/prep fees, especially when they undercut the advertised vehicle price. I've seen them as high as $650 some places-- that's a hell of a lot of money just to fill out a sales receipt and a title transfer, and most dealers WON'T negotiate on the doc/prep fee-- it's gravy money to them.

Edited February 11, 2014 by tartanphantom

[Guest carter]

auto collection of murfreesboro is a good place... i bought a car from them and my roommate did also... mention my name...bought a black mustang GT :) 

[TNMTBik3r]

We have been looking and found a vehicle that we both like and suits our needs. I am a bit cautious as there are a bunch of negative reviews about the transmission used....
We are looking at a 2006 Nissan Murano which has the Continuous Variable or No-Shift transmission. I know this technology has been around for years but there is a ton of bad reviews for the CVT failing, even failing after a rebuild.
The 2006 and later models do not seem to be affected as badly though from what I can read. This vehicle has 92k miles with all of the service records including the recommended tranny service.

Does anyone here have experience or thoughts on the CVT, or a Murano in general? Thanks!

[Parrothead]

We have been looking and found a vehicle that we both like and suits our needs. I am a bit cautious as there are a bunch of negative reviews about the transmission used....
We are looking at a 2006 Nissan Murano which has the Continuous Variable or No-Shift transmission. I know this technology has been around for years but there is a ton of bad reviews for the CVT failing, even failing after a rebuild.
The 2006 and later models do not seem to be affected as badly though from what I can read. This vehicle has 92k miles with all of the service records including the recommended tranny service.

Does anyone here have experience or thoughts on the CVT, or a Murano in general? Thanks!

 

I had a 2011 Maxima with the CVT transmission. I had no issue but i traded the car at ~40k miles. With that said, i have owned 4 Maxima's and i currently drive a Titan. Three of the four maxima's saw well over 100k miles. The forth was traded for a full size truck when my commute got shorter. I have never had a issue with a Nissan vehicle outside of normal wear (tires, brakes, etc).

[TNMTBik3r]

Thanks. I have heard a lot of good and bad about the CVT but have no experience myself. My neighbor trusts them and my bit of research seems to show the 2006 and later models really don't suffer from the early issues as often.
We are going to talk to the bank today and test drive again this weekend to make a decision.