An interesting question I thought I'd ask. My wife is looking for a new car, we have a favorite dealer that always treats us well (our Nissan dealer), but im not to sure the reliability of newer Nissan cars. Because of that, we have been looking at Honda or Toyota. So the question is do we buy from a dealer we have had good service with, or buy from another dealer to get a car we prefer? I always do my own maintenance and repairs, we keep vehicles for 10 years+, and always buy based on reliability and practicality. Thanks for any input and ideas!

 

For me, I buy the car for where ever they can get it in at the price I want. Then besides my own maintenance, I bring it in to the dealer that offers the best service, even if it means a bit of an extra drive.

 

How boring.

But to answer your question; buy what you want for whatever reason you want. Every car today is hands down more reliable than a car from 10-15 years ago. ALL the auto manufacturers have to be, to stay competitive in the market. Buy the Nissan if that what you really want. Just service it per the owners manual. That's the biggest thing I see. People will buy brand X because it has a reputation of lasting forever. So they properly maintain it because it's going to last. People will buy brand Y for whatever reason and ignore the maintenance because of thinking "why spend the money, this car isn't going to last" and then it doesn't because it wasn't properly maintained. It's just maintenance theory in practice. It's how the airline industry works because failure can be catastrophic. It's also how we have been flying B52's since the 50's.

 

Can't go wrong with either choice just research any cars you are interested in for any issues that they are know to have. The Fit is not perfect and it has years that are better then others. If you like say the Maxima does it have the same engine they have been using for 15 years in it? Any issues with it? Is it a brand new engine new for the model?

Some things I would avoid:

The first generations.
New engine or designs that don't have proven reliability.
Turbo Engines unless they have proven reliability

 

IMO, I would go with the car that has the better reliability record. Perhaps there is more stability among the dealers in your area, but I rarely see the good service advisers stay in one dealership for long. There is no guarantee that the Nissan dealer close to you will maintain that same level of service you currently experience.

 

I would buy the car you want and find yourself a good independent mechanic. I hate going to the dealership and only go for warranty/tsb claims. Otherwise I go to my independent mechanic. Took me years to find a good one and unfortunately moved further away from him. I've actually driven an hour away just to take my car in. Not as convenient, but he does good work for a fair cost.

 

 

Dealerships are not your friends and don't deserve any loyalty. Buy the car you want, not a car you don't just because the dealer treats you ok.

You're right to avoid Nissan, BTW.

 

I really appreciate all the replies on my post, and all have given lots of good information. I think at this point we are steering away from Nissan, and like some have said, yesterday returning to our Nissan dealer just didn't have the same feel as it once did.

We ended up at our local Honda dealer and were able to put a Honda Fit LX, Honda Fit EX, Honda Civic Hatch Sport, and a Mazda3 Grand Touring Hatch all side by side to compare and contrast. All very nice vehicles, now time to continue saving and drive cars when we have money in hand.

 

In the end...the vehicle you buy is the vehicle you have in your garage or parked outside.

I think it's far far more important to be happy with the product you have purchased, than the dealership you have purchased from.
What I think you hope for, is that the vehicle is well built enough, and quality enough, that time at the dealership is limited.
While having a good relationship with a dealership or repair facility is important, I think liking or being happy with the actual vehicle much more important.

If you are looking at Toyota's or Honda's, in most locations you should have numerous dealership choices. Which only means, if you purchase at a fair price...and investigation and knowledge in this regard is up to you, then if you are unhappy with the service department, you should have options.

So bottom line to me? Get the vehicle you most want....not the dealership you have been most happy with.

 

I just wanted all who had input on this thread, that we purchased a new Lunar Silver EX yesterday, and so far couldn't be happier! Thank you all for your input, and looks like ill be lurking around for awhile!

 

Congratulations to you and the wife! Let the modifications begin!

 

Congratulations!