A number or years ago I bought a Civic from David Hobbs Honda in Glendale. I thought I got a pretty good deal from them and liked their service department. My time with that car was cut short, however, when it got into a fight with a Ford F150. You can guess which vehicle won...

I haven't owned a Honda since then, and now that I'm considering a Fit I need to think about where I'll buy and service it. David Hobbs is the closest to home, but I've read some very nasty reviews of the dealership recently. Doesn't line up with my own experiences, but things might have changed in the years since I had my Civic. Anyone in the Milwaukee area have any experiences with dealers - good or bad - that they'd care to share?

Thanks!

 

I've had good experiences with Wilde Honda.

 

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind. I'm on the east side of Milwaukee, so it is a bit of a trek, but I currently go all the way out to Safro Toyota, so it's not a big deal.

 

Oof. That place is the worst. Their prices are nuts.

 

Fortunately, I haven't needed much beside oil changes and tire rotations. And once the car came out of warranty I started taking it to a little local garage on Oakland Ave.

 

Visited Hobbs and Boyland over the past weekend. I see both of them add a lot of extra crap to their cars before selling them. Not impressed!

 

Riverside, I bet....

Couple years ago, had to take my car to a Honda dealer for service - aftermarket shop couldn't help me. Went to Schlossmann's Honda City on Hwy 100 in West Allis. They gouged me and said too bad. Won't be going back there again.

 

Good to know... and yes, I do go to Riverside Auto. How'd you guess?

 

Small local garage on the east side - Riverside seemed a good guess. Other would be the little independent on downer & capitol, can't remember the name offhand.

 

I purchased at Schlossmann Honda because they were the only local with a white M/T. I don't intend to service there as I did not have positive experiences at Schlossmann Fiat... I mentioned as much when I purchased.

I went to David Hobbs Honda for splash guard install and that was a positive experience. They charged me $46. The service advisor thought it was low but the tech told her it's a simple procedure and the charge was fair. 'Nice first experience, no?

 

I'm not a fan of Schlossman Honda, but its location is so easy & convenient.

 

Yeah... I’m fortunate Hobbs is nearby. I will only visit Schlossmann on a need basis. It would be a different story if I lived in that corner of the city.

 

I had a bad sales experience with Honda City years ago when I was buying my Civic. David Hobbs is closest to home.

I'll be in the market to buy a car this spring... Probably a Fit.

 

 

Well, it was really just the salesman who drove me crazy. They didn't have the car I wanted in stock. I told him exactly what I wanted, and he called me over and over to tell me "my" car was now in stock. When I'd go to see it it would turn out to be the wrong color, or the wrong transmission, or the wrong trim level. He told me I was being too picky - the exact combination I wanted was very hard to find. Out of frustration I finally drove over to Hobbs one Sunday and discovered they had several cars exactly like I wanted sitting on their lot.

 

Yeah. That reads like them. Insisting you’re being “too picky” with your money...

 

If you don't like any of the dealerships near you, or don't feel good about dealing with them have you considered using a buying service or auto broker?
Or, a lot of dealerships now have an internet purchase procedure....but that can be tricky.

My Dad, has for years typically used a auto broker when buying his vehicles. My observation is convenience is very high. You basically just tell them EXACTLY what you want, and they pretty much bring you exactly what you asked for....

My other observation is that with the brokers fee, while I don't feel my Dad was ripped off, you are probably NOT paying the least amount possible. You end up paying...for the convenience.

If you absolutely HATE dealerships, and feel you are going to get gouged? Auto Brokers or other buying service can insulate the process.
Even Costco's buying service acts as a guiding process.

I think the bottom line "trick" today is, know exactly what you want, and also know exactly how much that vehicle realistically sells for in your area, then simply don't deviate from those two guide posts.

Good Luck.

 

 

Why would someone use an auto broker to buy a new car? Especially a mass produced one at that. Seems like a way to burn money without accomplishing anything you couldn't do on your own.

 

Honda and their dealers suck. I wanted a base LX with MT in either blue or red. My local dealer had a silver one. Gave them a week to find what I was looking for and dealer trade. Long story short I called on Friday to see if they had my car that I was supposed to pick up on Saturday. They were like "NO" but we still have the silver one. Some of Honda's competitors if you price and build on their website, it will tell you where the car is at within 200 miles of your location. To search for a Honda you have to check each dealers inventory assuming it's up to date? I called Honda and asked them if they could tell me if any dealers had what I was looking for and Honda's response was "NO" that wouldn't be fair to my local dealer, then they offered to tell me where my local dealers were, like I already didn't know. Went old school and started phoning every dealer in and around Chicago looking. Had "we have exactly what you're looking for just to find out it was the wrong color and and auto. Eventually one dealer said there was one that was less then 25 miles from them. That narrowed my search. Eventually found it, made the dealer send me photos of the car and window sticker as proof. Then I bought the car from them