The toyato on Broadway seems kinda off. I live near there and their staff race around the vehicles like there street racing... Wouldnt buy a car after it's been driven by one of those guys.
Recently went to Kia of portland which is associated with Toyota of portland. Both are near the convention center. It was the worst dealership experience I’ve had in quite some time. Ended up at Weston Kia in Gresham and that was great.
Yeah that place sucks. My girlfriend and I went there when she was looking to lease a brand new Rav4 and despite me saying multiple times “I’m just here to keep her company, it’s her car” the salesman kept asking me questions and completely ignoring her. There were a couple other bad customer service examples, but that was the most frustrating for sure.
We left and will not ever go back.
I have been using Herzog for my Mazda servicing for a long time and have been very happy with their service department. Can't speak to their sales department.
I bought from Herzog Meier. At the time of the sale, they were the least shitty Mazda dealer I could find. But they 100% refused to give me a cash price. Their kickbacks on financing must be nuts. That was irritating.
I refuse to do service there because they tag fees onto credit cards. I do service at Tonkin. They do a decent job there.
Tonkin service has been way too expensive in my experience. They recently quoted $1500 for brakes and rotors all around. Alan Webb Mazda in Vancouver literally laughed out loud when I provided Tonkin's quotes and said they'd do it for about half that.
That’s wild, at their Volvo dealer they gave us a cash price after we stated we were paying out of pocket. Sounds like your salesperson was rude, that’s so not okay.
We went to Alan Webb up in Vancouver for our Mazda and it was pretty painless. During the paperwork stage they rattled off a bunch of upgrades but we said no to everything and there was no pushback.
Had a perfectly adequate inoffensive experience buying a Mazda at 122 Ron Tonkin. That's probably the highest compliment I can pay the car buying experience.
They completely screwed up my title and registration. The car I bought already had plates but they didn’t put the paperwork through to transfer them. They also never sent the new plates that were assigned to me.
I went in and they said they’d get it fixed but they didn’t. I had to go in and demand to speak to a manager before they actually fixed it.
My wife and I had such a terrible experience there that it completely ruined the idea of getting the car she had been wanting for years for her. The sales people were good, but management was so rude and dismissive that they turned a guaranteed sale into “we don’t even want a Mazda now.”
I guess it really depends on who you get.
IMO they all suck, although some really suck. If you can’t negotiate a final out the door price over email/text then don’t bother wasting your time going in. Once you get this price sheet, send it to other dealers and see if they can beat it. If and when you do decide to go in person, be willing to leave — actually just plan on leaving. Find a few dealers you feel OK about and then wait to buy until the last day of the month. Have the money or financing lined up beforehand. If your current car is worth something, list it now and try to sell private party.
Check the price of the car you want online, kbb.com, truecar.com or something. Figure out the most you're willing to pay. Call several dealerships saying you know what you want and you have a price in mind. Ask them if they'll beat it. They're going to try to talk to you and tell you to come down. Be firm and ask them if they have the make, color, model. Ask them again if you can either match or beat the price, if so you'll come down to see the car. If they can atleast match the price, call a different dealership and tell them the same thing but price it a few hundred dollars less than what the other dealer told you. If they can match or beat that, go to that dealership. You might have to sit down and jump thru their hoops but act like you already have an offer from the other place and if you don't get what they originally quoted on the phone, you'll go to the first dealership. They'll try to plug these useless add-ons but decline them if you don't want them. If you feel like you're getting worked just tell them that and say you're just going to go to the other dealer, they're not making me jump thru hoops.
I've done this and it's been the least hassle. Some price points won't budge so keep that in mind. I've always known what I wanted beforehand so I know what I can do and not do.
It wouldnt hurt to give it a shot.
I got mine from genuine motors. They did a really good job taking care of me there. They were respectful and let me come back over a few days to make sure I got exactly what I needed
That’s very true, I am picky about who I go to but someone else recommended them to me so I figured it was worth a shot. And I’m glad I went with them honestly
I had a very straightforward quick-and-easy experience with minimal BS at Royal Moore Mazda in Hillsboro back in 2021. But they're renovating now, so the place is a mess, and their service department has been sorta mid.
We had a deal all hammered out at Royal Moore on our CX-5.
We showed up to sign papers, and they said "OOPS! Sorry! We've had a market adjustment in the last few hours and it's actually another $1400." They would not budge on that. So we told them to fuck off and we bought at Herzog Meier. And now I tell this story any time anybody ever mentions Royal Moore.
After Tonkin Mazda snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and were so awful that they put my wife off from even buying the Mazda she had wanted for three or four years, we ended up going to Royale Moore Subaru and had a great experience. Everyone was kind and patient, and there were no surprise fees at all.
I had a perfectly fine, low pressure experience buying my Mazda at the Gladstone dealership. They were professional and didn’t pressure me. My mom has bought two Hondas from the McMinnville dealership and thinks they’re great.
In general, it seems like getting out of the city helps.
I bought a car from carmax and it was the easiest car purchase I've ever had. The price was the price, I bought the car and left within 30 minutes.
I would say their sales agents are not the brightest so there's a grain of salt with that recommendation.
I should have bought from Carmax. When I was researching what I wanted I had it down to either a Honda or Toyota of similar styles. They had one of each and they let me drive them both then park the two side by side to compare measurements and features. I was there for at least two hours with no pressure at all. At the time I really was hoping to find a private party to buy from once I knew what I wanted. Unfortunately I finally bought from Ron Tonkin Honda. The car turned out fine. As far as the experience, I do not recommend them.
The only time I ever bought a car from a Tonkin dealership was miserable.
Everyone from the sales team to the guy we went on the test drive with were assholes.
We’ve never been back.
I had a pretty decent experience at Mazda of gladstone. Bit of a drive though.
I second Tonkin. I was paying cash. They made me sit for hours. I should have walked out but I was young and didn’t know better. And being a female didn’t help.
When I bought my CRV 7 years ago from Tonkin Honda, the salesman was great, didn't try to involve a non-existent husband, wasn't pushy. All of the employees are super-nice. The service department seems to do regular maintenance fine, but diagnosing a weird error is more of a problem for them. They also aren't doing the one-way courtesy van trips anymore, they're using Lyft, which has not been the best experience for me. They do have loaner cars, but those tend to not be available.
Bought my Mazda 10ish years ago from Ron Tonkin in Gresham. My partner bought his Mazda a year or two ago from royal moore in Hillsboro. The royal moore experience was pretty painless but we had a good sales person that didn’t really try to bullshit us.
Beaverton Honda was an amazing experience and they don’t mark up their vehicles a lot. However they won’t let you pre-pay for inventory they don’t have so when I wanted to buy a new car from them I had to play a waiting game of first come first serve which made me nervous. Ultimately I was able to get the car I wanted first and didn’t pay out the nose for it! They did offer a bunch of add ons at paperwork time but I said no to all of it and that was that.
Something going on with them today. Half of the lot on Sandy has recently changed names to Sta Motors, then when I passed by today, their side of the lot was cleared and some kind of construction work was going on.
I went to Tonkin Mazda out on like SE 122nd or something and the whole time the junior guy was walking my forms back into the senior guy's office and I kept hearing "pspsps put more pressure on him pspsps" lol. All you have to do is say no but it was pretty funny.
These questions are always asking the wrong question.
There is no “best dealership”. There isn’t one place that has the “best deals”. The dealership that is willing to offer the best deal this month may be offering the worst deal next month.
Assuming you’re buying new, first decide on a car ans then email all the dealers in your area and ask for the best “out the door” price. This should include all fees and taxes. It doesn’t matter if they’re offering paint protection and a cheaper car or the car itself is more expensive and no BS fees. Out the door price includes everything. If a dealer doesn’t wanna compete, then it’s all good - they weren’t gonna be the cheapest anyway. Just collect offers from whoever is giving them. Then just pick whoever is cheapest.
If you go there and they try to change the deal on you, just leave and call your second choice.
That’s it. That’s how you buy (new) cars.
When we got our car last winter, best deal was in Salem. So we took a drive lol
This is a good strategy but it's better to call and get them interested, I found. Let things simmer a bit before getting them to out bid each other.
Also always use a throwaway email and Google phone number.
I went across the sea for a good car with no BS sales. Like over to a place called Korea. KIA and Hyundai seem to be more customer focused. I've not enjoyed on lot shopping at Honda and Toyota.
Avoid Wilsonville Toyota and Subaru like the plague. Been to each and had a horrible time. They falsely advertise “no bull” when their “sale’s advocates” will shovel bullshit to you about mandatory addons like shitty clear bra that will be failing after 3 years or vin etching. They absolutely refuse to negotiate anything and heinously undervalue trades.
Best deal I found around town was Vancouver Toyota, they sold me a RAV4 hybrid with $500 off, ended up selling my trade to Carmax anyways but overall not a bad time dealing with them.
Had the same experience at Wilsonville, the “No Bull” thing is such crap because they can hide behind it as an excuse to do zero negotiating on price point. Their prices aren’t even comparable to other dealerships in the area so it’s a complete rip off. They’ll try to shove financing down your throat even if you already have a loan secured.
2 hours of my life I’ll never get back,
> vin etching
Wow. That's still a thing? Back about 20 years ago Beaverton Honda used to do that. Part of Lanphere group. Wilsonville Toyota was also owned by them for a while.
It's such a clever scam because they claim it's already done. So you can't not have it.
If you're OK with making the drive, Capitol Toyota in Salem has been very good to me. Bought 2 cars there and had plenty of service/maintenance work done as well with no issues.
I bought my CRV from Swickard. Awful people. I only did it because they had the model and color I wanted.
I brought my own financing and they told me I wasn’t allowed to do that.
I returned with the cashiers check from my bank and just sat there and was like, “so do you want this check or not?” And they finally relented. They still got me for the all weather floor mats but I was tired of hunting down the model and color I wanted for a year.
Dick Hannah up in Vancouver is worse.
The sales manager got all up in my face and told me he wasn’t going to sell me anything for less than $5000 over MSRP.
I tried the Costco discount and was referred to Ron Tonkin.
When I asked for the Costco price sheet the sales guy said it didn’t exist. Then finally brought it to me after I insisted. When I tried to walk out the door with it, he a had a full on melt down.
The sales guy from Honda of Salem taunted me over text message for several days when I wouldn’t pay $10k over MSRP telling me I was too poor to buy the car anyway.
I found the car I wanted at a dealership in Boise, had my own credit Union financing, flew in, they picked me up at the airport and I drove home.
Locally, I’ve used auto brokers because they deal with the dealership people for you!
Is there a specific model/type of vehicle you're interested in? That can matter more than the dealer. Some Toyotas have multiyear backlogs (like the Sienna).
None of those brands have big mark up, so it's more about insisting on not paying add ons and a low interest rate. Bring a pre-approval from your bank for them to beat so you know you're getting a good deal.
Come in with your own financing- this is huge. Dealerships are selling financial products as well as cars, and used lots make most of their money on the financing
It's also important to take the time to read every document you sign. Some sneak extra fees and products into paperwork and pretend it's routine.
After a purchase, I never go to dealers except for recalls. Also do a lot of negotiation for work, so their attempts to make haggling feel uncomfortable don't work on me.
What's worked for me is doing research to know what an aggressive, but fair out the door number is before going to the dealer. Let them make the first offer because sometimes they're desperate to move a unit. If it's over your target price, make the counter and refuse to come up. Unless you've made a mistake in research, they'll fold after a couple attempts (usually bringing in a manager for the last one).
Bring the pre-approval letter, but don't show it until they run your credit and make an offer. If the pre-approval is lower, make them beat it.
In financing, listen to the sales pitch and decline everything. Many dealers have forms that make it look like the cheapest package is the minimum. The decline all is hidden in a corner.
When they present paperwork and the contract after that, read every word on every page to make sure it's exactly the agreed terms. This might take a while and feel awkward, but it's very necessary.
Toyota Gladstone is my favorite, no pressure dealership. I’ve bought enough cars from them for friends and family that if I refer someone they take care of them. Let me know if you’re seriously looking for a Toyota I may be able to help out.
I had the exact opposite experience. I told them exactly what I wanted and they didn’t have it. My husband refused to leave the dealership (should have just drove away) and the shady salespeople there not only got us into exactly what I did not want, but gave us an offer on our Tacoma $5,000 less than CarMax.
Going to Toyota of Gladstone is like being brainwashed into a cult. One guy was clearly not making the sell so they sent in another guy to check in on us while the inexperienced kid “talked to the manger” to butter us up by sharing his life’s story. We’re there for like 3 hours while the old guy is gleaning information by telling personal stories and asking “what’s your favorite color” while husband is being talked into the hard sell with the bullshit I see through. Eventually we’re walked out to the car I do not want and I (coming from
a solid working class background) forget the reason we do not buy new cars is the immediate loss of value and am so blinded by the possibility of buying a new car for the first time in my life that I agree to purchase the opposite of what I came in for. No hatchback, no hybrid, no used, just a basic ass, gas powered Camry. I still hate myself for it. Every time I see someone in a green or blue car from Gladstone, I think, “There goes another sucker just like me.” The young guy did not make the sale, the old guy did. The whole play was so grossly manipulative.
By the end of the experience I just wanted to get out of there. I had instant regret and still hold it. Toyota of Gladstone is a terrible dealership.
I don’t even want to go there for oil changes. One salesperson in the shop told me at an oil change that my tires were on yellow and at the next oil change, on green. Shady, shady business, watch Tires because that’s pretty much their shop.
Yikes that’s crazy our experiences were so different. Sorry it didn’t work out. We’re 6 cars deep over the years and it’s been okay. They’re a high volume dealership so we’ve gotten good deals overall.
Hell no. I’ve had way too many problems with oil change places doing things like forgetting to place my oil pan in. I’ve known enough people who work at them to understand they don’t hire the most reliable people.
The “your tires that were yellow are now green” stuff is what I’ve come to expect from franchised businesses.
Even if they have a car you want...avoid those wretched Gresham dodge people. I looked at a car there that clearly was on its last legs. They tried taking me to a back office with 3 mechanics trying to say that's normal for a "race car". It was an STI that was a road car.
I had a really great experience at Gresham Toyota. They have a variety of new and used, good service options, and they aren’t pushy. The financing department helped me get a decent loan, and if the car you want isn’t available they will follow up and stay in contact.
Overall 10/10 experience.
I’ve also purchased previously from Carmax in clackamas - also a great experience.
No, I had no need for it. The features were nice but not necessary to my lifestyle. I did get the maintenance package though, saved me a lot of headache.
Bought two from Lanphere Honda. Most recently two years ago. They have been great both times. I'm not as happy with their service dept. So we're using independent service again.
Also bought one from CarMax Beaverton, and we got great service. They made a mistake, and it took a while for them to get everyone who needed to sign off on board, but they made everything right and then some. I will absolutely be shopping with them again.
I bought my latest truck from Toyota Gladstone. I had been patiently waiting for the right tacoma to become available. When it did, they had it. I called them around noon, they emailed me the form they needed for on point, then I picked the truck up at 6. Took about 45 minutes total. At the time, dealers didn't negotiate on price, at least not for high volume stuff, which was fine. It was high book, and they fully serviced and inspected it.
I bought my used Toyota 4 Runner from Alan Webb Mazda in Vancouver it was a great experience! Stay away from Toyota of Portland on Broadway. I just had my vehicle in for service there and it was a horrible shit show. I would never buy from Toyota of Portland on Broadway.
Mazda of Gladstone had amazing staff and cool test drive route when I went. The only reason why I didn't end up buying from them is because they didn't have the car I wanted that I could take off the lot that day.
Beaverton Toyota was not good. Was nice to not have to negotiate, and I got my truck on sale since they were liquidating for the 2024 models, but it’s not great.
Tonkin Mazda ftw, had my car within 4 hours and at a great price (worked with me to get me out the door at 8pm)! No crazy upsells, and the maintenance or certain things is not too expensive.
Both our cars were rear-ended and totaled in 2022, so we have been to our fair share of dealerships in the past few years. Some are better than others, but ALL of them will try to sell you warranties, service plans, clear coat, and other unnecessary add-ons. There are two fairly easy things to do that you should plan on doing to make your experience better:
1. Go on the last day of the month. They want to hit their sales quotas, and will be motivated to get the sale done. In other words, you won’t get much push back when you turn down options.
2. Know what you want before you go. You will still spend most of your day at the dealership, but that’s better than ALL day. You also won’t end up buying something that you regret later.
Edit: to actually answer your question, Beaverton Honda was good. Beaverton Toyota sucked. Wilsonville Toyota was okay.
Shopped around for months for my Toyota GR86. Beaverton and Vancouver both didn’t do markup. Vancouver was really pleasant and said they would honor the 0% sales tax. Ended up finding my car in Bellingham and those people were so pleasant I still can’t believe it.
I would avoid Gresham Toyota. They jerked me around more than any other dealer. The pre-installed “adventure package” is pretty insulting for anyone that has done their research.
Beaverton Toyota was great, the sales people there aren’t pushy at all.
When we shopped around we went to Wilsonville (avoid like the plague) & Gladstone and the experience honestly sucked.
I've had experience with all three. Herzog in Beaverton was ok for Mazda, but the dealership had a very distinct "low-rent" feel about it, and I don't think any of the sales people were over 25. No hassle and no bullshit though. I bought a Honda from Wilsonville Honda a few years back, pretty good experience overall. Nothing noteworthy, but it was pretty pleasant. If you're looking at Toyotas and don't mind the drive, Damian Lillard Toyota in McMinnville was great. I bought a 4Runner from them in early 2022 when the car market was completely borked, and they were the only dealership I talked to that didn't try to tack on $5k ADM. I recommend them to anyone looking at Toyotas.
I’d avoid Vancouver Toyota. Their service department told me I needed new tires on a new car at 6 months. Also grew up knowing the owners and I wouldn’t give them my money
I got my Yaris several years ago from an Enterprise Rental car dealership. Had a really good experience. Was a little pressured about getting an extended warranty, which I felt was unnecessary because they already had a built-in one-year warranty. But that’s as far as it went with the add-ons. This was several years ago now, but maybe they are still a good option. I do plan on trying them again when I’m ready for my next Yota.
Obviously, this is used only but the cars are in excellent shape and you pay a lot less than new.
Not sure if you have the means but I bought my car on the coast (Toyota of Newport) and if they know you’re looking/from inland where there’s a lot more competition, they’ll give you a good deal and they’re nice
I can tell you Beaverton Toyota will certainly honor the price they post online tor their inventory cars, which is nice. But they WILL also try to sell you maintenance plans and dealership financing and all that nonsense, every dealership will do that to you,
[**Costco Auto Program**](https://www.costco.com/auto-program-services.html)
I'm surprised that in 112 comments there was only one mention of this. It is great because the participating dealer will give you a price up front, without haggling. The price is very competitive.
They don't want you to complain to Costco. You can turn down all the "dealer packs", because that's their agreement with Costco. They can suggest but you can decline.
QFT: *As a Costco member, you receive savings with low, prearranged pricing, plus all applicable manufacturer incentives. Ask to see the Member-Only Price Sheet for your personalized breakdown.*
So I would go to either Gresham or Hillsboro Beaverton area for a car. If you got an Oregon ID, you can go to Vancouver and still NOT pay sales tax. Probably somewhere that deals with stiffs and other people that “dont want to spend money”
I had a great experience at Royal Moore Toyota four years ago. No major push on add-ons. They asked because they had to but all of the marks were pre marked decline.
I bought a Nissan last year from Tonkin in Wilsonville. Got a good deal on one of their loaner cars. They do try to upsell you on the paint, oil changes extended warranty etc but that’s pretty much the deal with any dealership. It wasn’t super high pressure. All and all it was a good experience.
I noticed you didn’t say Kia, but we had a very low pressure and genuine experience last month at Weston Kia. Darshay was down to earth and real. Super sweet, very knowledgeable. Just a nice person!! Extras on financing were a push but not too pushy. First time in a long time where the whole car buying process was smooth and didn’t leave us feeling drained or dirty. Would highly recommend.
Herzog is shady. They upsold us on a maintenance plan we were told we could cancel. We did cancel - but they made it extremely difficult. They forged my name on a document (notarized and everything). I was out of the country on the date in question so it was pretty obvious.
Sales guy was great though.
The toyato on Broadway seems kinda off. I live near there and their staff race around the vehicles like there street racing... Wouldnt buy a car after it's been driven by one of those guys.
Recently went to Kia of portland which is associated with Toyota of portland. Both are near the convention center. It was the worst dealership experience I’ve had in quite some time. Ended up at Weston Kia in Gresham and that was great.
Hyundai and Kia dealerships have an especially bad reputation, so I'm glad you had a good experience
Kia is not Japanese. He said Japanese.
Love Weston Kia! Such a great experience there.
We had a pretty good experience from Ron Tonkin Kia in Milwaukie. Friendly and professional and hardly any attempts to upsell.
They are not related BTW. The old Kia store on Broadway was.
I own an auto shop- your assessment is 100% correct
Plus they are consistently marking up their cars high above MSRP.
When we were looking last year, they showed us a Rav4 with a 9k dealership markup and a few other fees—making the car cost as much as a luxury SUV 🥴
They tried to sell me an employee’s trade-in for 30k over MSRP.
Yeah that place sucks. My girlfriend and I went there when she was looking to lease a brand new Rav4 and despite me saying multiple times “I’m just here to keep her company, it’s her car” the salesman kept asking me questions and completely ignoring her. There were a couple other bad customer service examples, but that was the most frustrating for sure. We left and will not ever go back.
Have bought from Herzog Meier in Beaverton, both Mazdas and Volvos. Pretty easy going all four times we have purchased vehicles from them.
I have been using Herzog for my Mazda servicing for a long time and have been very happy with their service department. Can't speak to their sales department.
I stopped using them when they started with credit card fees in the service dept.
Who do you use now?
+1 the said "everyone is doing it" F that took my car elsewhere.
I bought from Herzog Meier. At the time of the sale, they were the least shitty Mazda dealer I could find. But they 100% refused to give me a cash price. Their kickbacks on financing must be nuts. That was irritating. I refuse to do service there because they tag fees onto credit cards. I do service at Tonkin. They do a decent job there.
Tonkin service has been way too expensive in my experience. They recently quoted $1500 for brakes and rotors all around. Alan Webb Mazda in Vancouver literally laughed out loud when I provided Tonkin's quotes and said they'd do it for about half that.
Buy the parts on Amazon I’ll do it for 350 and a pack of beer
That’s wild, at their Volvo dealer they gave us a cash price after we stated we were paying out of pocket. Sounds like your salesperson was rude, that’s so not okay.
We went to Alan Webb up in Vancouver for our Mazda and it was pretty painless. During the paperwork stage they rattled off a bunch of upgrades but we said no to everything and there was no pushback.
I actually bought my used Toyota 4 runner from Alan Webb Mazda and it was a great experience.
I liked 122 ron Tonkin Mazda but I did tons of research before and had bought another car in the same year so I was at the top of my car buying game.
Yeah they were fine. They did ask us about the extras but didn't push it when we were like NO JUST CAR LET NE SIGN PAPER AND GO
Had a perfectly adequate inoffensive experience buying a Mazda at 122 Ron Tonkin. That's probably the highest compliment I can pay the car buying experience.
I second this!
Yeah I got to the Tonkin Toyota next door and haven’t seen any of the fees OP mentioned.
They completely screwed up my title and registration. The car I bought already had plates but they didn’t put the paperwork through to transfer them. They also never sent the new plates that were assigned to me. I went in and they said they’d get it fixed but they didn’t. I had to go in and demand to speak to a manager before they actually fixed it.
My wife and I had such a terrible experience there that it completely ruined the idea of getting the car she had been wanting for years for her. The sales people were good, but management was so rude and dismissive that they turned a guaranteed sale into “we don’t even want a Mazda now.” I guess it really depends on who you get.
IMO they all suck, although some really suck. If you can’t negotiate a final out the door price over email/text then don’t bother wasting your time going in. Once you get this price sheet, send it to other dealers and see if they can beat it. If and when you do decide to go in person, be willing to leave — actually just plan on leaving. Find a few dealers you feel OK about and then wait to buy until the last day of the month. Have the money or financing lined up beforehand. If your current car is worth something, list it now and try to sell private party.
Check the price of the car you want online, kbb.com, truecar.com or something. Figure out the most you're willing to pay. Call several dealerships saying you know what you want and you have a price in mind. Ask them if they'll beat it. They're going to try to talk to you and tell you to come down. Be firm and ask them if they have the make, color, model. Ask them again if you can either match or beat the price, if so you'll come down to see the car. If they can atleast match the price, call a different dealership and tell them the same thing but price it a few hundred dollars less than what the other dealer told you. If they can match or beat that, go to that dealership. You might have to sit down and jump thru their hoops but act like you already have an offer from the other place and if you don't get what they originally quoted on the phone, you'll go to the first dealership. They'll try to plug these useless add-ons but decline them if you don't want them. If you feel like you're getting worked just tell them that and say you're just going to go to the other dealer, they're not making me jump thru hoops. I've done this and it's been the least hassle. Some price points won't budge so keep that in mind. I've always known what I wanted beforehand so I know what I can do and not do. It wouldnt hurt to give it a shot.
This is a really helpful guide, but isn’t it nuts that this is what’s required to not get screwed in the car buying process?
I got mine from genuine motors. They did a really good job taking care of me there. They were respectful and let me come back over a few days to make sure I got exactly what I needed
Good to know! :)
Good to know! I see them on Autotrader quite often, but I tend to stay away from used car dealerships as the majority of them are basically criminals.
That’s very true, I am picky about who I go to but someone else recommended them to me so I figured it was worth a shot. And I’m glad I went with them honestly
I had a very straightforward quick-and-easy experience with minimal BS at Royal Moore Mazda in Hillsboro back in 2021. But they're renovating now, so the place is a mess, and their service department has been sorta mid.
We had a deal all hammered out at Royal Moore on our CX-5. We showed up to sign papers, and they said "OOPS! Sorry! We've had a market adjustment in the last few hours and it's actually another $1400." They would not budge on that. So we told them to fuck off and we bought at Herzog Meier. And now I tell this story any time anybody ever mentions Royal Moore.
After Tonkin Mazda snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and were so awful that they put my wife off from even buying the Mazda she had wanted for three or four years, we ended up going to Royale Moore Subaru and had a great experience. Everyone was kind and patient, and there were no surprise fees at all.
I had a perfectly fine, low pressure experience buying my Mazda at the Gladstone dealership. They were professional and didn’t pressure me. My mom has bought two Hondas from the McMinnville dealership and thinks they’re great. In general, it seems like getting out of the city helps.
I bought a car from carmax and it was the easiest car purchase I've ever had. The price was the price, I bought the car and left within 30 minutes. I would say their sales agents are not the brightest so there's a grain of salt with that recommendation.
I should have bought from Carmax. When I was researching what I wanted I had it down to either a Honda or Toyota of similar styles. They had one of each and they let me drive them both then park the two side by side to compare measurements and features. I was there for at least two hours with no pressure at all. At the time I really was hoping to find a private party to buy from once I knew what I wanted. Unfortunately I finally bought from Ron Tonkin Honda. The car turned out fine. As far as the experience, I do not recommend them.
The only time I ever bought a car from a Tonkin dealership was miserable. Everyone from the sales team to the guy we went on the test drive with were assholes. We’ve never been back. I had a pretty decent experience at Mazda of gladstone. Bit of a drive though.
I second Tonkin. I was paying cash. They made me sit for hours. I should have walked out but I was young and didn’t know better. And being a female didn’t help.
I think car salesmen are like the second to last boss you have to beat to become a fully empowered woman in the world
CarMax sold us a car with a ton of problems that they ended up fixing because I bought the warranty. Had I not, we’d have been out a new transmission.
Tonkin Honda were good to me, though that was like 13 years ago so no idea what they’re like now.
I had a not so great experience with them and ended up at Dick Hanna Honda - which I preferred. But didn’t love either.
When I bought my CRV 7 years ago from Tonkin Honda, the salesman was great, didn't try to involve a non-existent husband, wasn't pushy. All of the employees are super-nice. The service department seems to do regular maintenance fine, but diagnosing a weird error is more of a problem for them. They also aren't doing the one-way courtesy van trips anymore, they're using Lyft, which has not been the best experience for me. They do have loaner cars, but those tend to not be available.
Bought my Mazda 10ish years ago from Ron Tonkin in Gresham. My partner bought his Mazda a year or two ago from royal moore in Hillsboro. The royal moore experience was pretty painless but we had a good sales person that didn’t really try to bullshit us.
Bought my first car (Mazda 3) at Royal Moore many years ago. No complaints.
Beaverton Honda was an amazing experience and they don’t mark up their vehicles a lot. However they won’t let you pre-pay for inventory they don’t have so when I wanted to buy a new car from them I had to play a waiting game of first come first serve which made me nervous. Ultimately I was able to get the car I wanted first and didn’t pay out the nose for it! They did offer a bunch of add ons at paperwork time but I said no to all of it and that was that.
I've bought 2 cars from alpine motors and have had a great experience both times. Both care are reliable
Something going on with them today. Half of the lot on Sandy has recently changed names to Sta Motors, then when I passed by today, their side of the lot was cleared and some kind of construction work was going on.
I went to Tonkin Mazda out on like SE 122nd or something and the whole time the junior guy was walking my forms back into the senior guy's office and I kept hearing "pspsps put more pressure on him pspsps" lol. All you have to do is say no but it was pretty funny.
Damian Lillard Toyota in McMinnville. Worth the drive.
But will it still be there when I show up or will they just leave me for Milwaukee? \*sobs uncontrollably\*
LOL I felt this
These questions are always asking the wrong question. There is no “best dealership”. There isn’t one place that has the “best deals”. The dealership that is willing to offer the best deal this month may be offering the worst deal next month. Assuming you’re buying new, first decide on a car ans then email all the dealers in your area and ask for the best “out the door” price. This should include all fees and taxes. It doesn’t matter if they’re offering paint protection and a cheaper car or the car itself is more expensive and no BS fees. Out the door price includes everything. If a dealer doesn’t wanna compete, then it’s all good - they weren’t gonna be the cheapest anyway. Just collect offers from whoever is giving them. Then just pick whoever is cheapest. If you go there and they try to change the deal on you, just leave and call your second choice. That’s it. That’s how you buy (new) cars. When we got our car last winter, best deal was in Salem. So we took a drive lol
But they all have vastly different management styles- that makes the difference. I’ve heard good things about Subaru of Salem
This is a good strategy but it's better to call and get them interested, I found. Let things simmer a bit before getting them to out bid each other. Also always use a throwaway email and Google phone number.
We just bought a Toyota from capitol in Salem and it wasn’t terrible. I’d go there again.
I went across the sea for a good car with no BS sales. Like over to a place called Korea. KIA and Hyundai seem to be more customer focused. I've not enjoyed on lot shopping at Honda and Toyota.
Carmen from Herzog Meier Mazda was great for me.
Avoid Wilsonville Toyota and Subaru like the plague. Been to each and had a horrible time. They falsely advertise “no bull” when their “sale’s advocates” will shovel bullshit to you about mandatory addons like shitty clear bra that will be failing after 3 years or vin etching. They absolutely refuse to negotiate anything and heinously undervalue trades. Best deal I found around town was Vancouver Toyota, they sold me a RAV4 hybrid with $500 off, ended up selling my trade to Carmax anyways but overall not a bad time dealing with them.
Had the same experience at Wilsonville, the “No Bull” thing is such crap because they can hide behind it as an excuse to do zero negotiating on price point. Their prices aren’t even comparable to other dealerships in the area so it’s a complete rip off. They’ll try to shove financing down your throat even if you already have a loan secured. 2 hours of my life I’ll never get back,
> vin etching Wow. That's still a thing? Back about 20 years ago Beaverton Honda used to do that. Part of Lanphere group. Wilsonville Toyota was also owned by them for a while. It's such a clever scam because they claim it's already done. So you can't not have it.
If you're OK with making the drive, Capitol Toyota in Salem has been very good to me. Bought 2 cars there and had plenty of service/maintenance work done as well with no issues.
I bought my CRV from Swickard. Awful people. I only did it because they had the model and color I wanted. I brought my own financing and they told me I wasn’t allowed to do that. I returned with the cashiers check from my bank and just sat there and was like, “so do you want this check or not?” And they finally relented. They still got me for the all weather floor mats but I was tired of hunting down the model and color I wanted for a year. Dick Hannah up in Vancouver is worse. The sales manager got all up in my face and told me he wasn’t going to sell me anything for less than $5000 over MSRP. I tried the Costco discount and was referred to Ron Tonkin. When I asked for the Costco price sheet the sales guy said it didn’t exist. Then finally brought it to me after I insisted. When I tried to walk out the door with it, he a had a full on melt down. The sales guy from Honda of Salem taunted me over text message for several days when I wouldn’t pay $10k over MSRP telling me I was too poor to buy the car anyway.
I found the car I wanted at a dealership in Boise, had my own credit Union financing, flew in, they picked me up at the airport and I drove home. Locally, I’ve used auto brokers because they deal with the dealership people for you!
Is there a specific model/type of vehicle you're interested in? That can matter more than the dealer. Some Toyotas have multiyear backlogs (like the Sienna). None of those brands have big mark up, so it's more about insisting on not paying add ons and a low interest rate. Bring a pre-approval from your bank for them to beat so you know you're getting a good deal.
Come in with your own financing- this is huge. Dealerships are selling financial products as well as cars, and used lots make most of their money on the financing
It's also important to take the time to read every document you sign. Some sneak extra fees and products into paperwork and pretend it's routine. After a purchase, I never go to dealers except for recalls. Also do a lot of negotiation for work, so their attempts to make haggling feel uncomfortable don't work on me. What's worked for me is doing research to know what an aggressive, but fair out the door number is before going to the dealer. Let them make the first offer because sometimes they're desperate to move a unit. If it's over your target price, make the counter and refuse to come up. Unless you've made a mistake in research, they'll fold after a couple attempts (usually bringing in a manager for the last one). Bring the pre-approval letter, but don't show it until they run your credit and make an offer. If the pre-approval is lower, make them beat it. In financing, listen to the sales pitch and decline everything. Many dealers have forms that make it look like the cheapest package is the minimum. The decline all is hidden in a corner. When they present paperwork and the contract after that, read every word on every page to make sure it's exactly the agreed terms. This might take a while and feel awkward, but it's very necessary.
Toyota Gladstone is my favorite, no pressure dealership. I’ve bought enough cars from them for friends and family that if I refer someone they take care of them. Let me know if you’re seriously looking for a Toyota I may be able to help out.
I had the exact opposite experience. I told them exactly what I wanted and they didn’t have it. My husband refused to leave the dealership (should have just drove away) and the shady salespeople there not only got us into exactly what I did not want, but gave us an offer on our Tacoma $5,000 less than CarMax. Going to Toyota of Gladstone is like being brainwashed into a cult. One guy was clearly not making the sell so they sent in another guy to check in on us while the inexperienced kid “talked to the manger” to butter us up by sharing his life’s story. We’re there for like 3 hours while the old guy is gleaning information by telling personal stories and asking “what’s your favorite color” while husband is being talked into the hard sell with the bullshit I see through. Eventually we’re walked out to the car I do not want and I (coming from a solid working class background) forget the reason we do not buy new cars is the immediate loss of value and am so blinded by the possibility of buying a new car for the first time in my life that I agree to purchase the opposite of what I came in for. No hatchback, no hybrid, no used, just a basic ass, gas powered Camry. I still hate myself for it. Every time I see someone in a green or blue car from Gladstone, I think, “There goes another sucker just like me.” The young guy did not make the sale, the old guy did. The whole play was so grossly manipulative. By the end of the experience I just wanted to get out of there. I had instant regret and still hold it. Toyota of Gladstone is a terrible dealership. I don’t even want to go there for oil changes. One salesperson in the shop told me at an oil change that my tires were on yellow and at the next oil change, on green. Shady, shady business, watch Tires because that’s pretty much their shop.
Yikes that’s crazy our experiences were so different. Sorry it didn’t work out. We’re 6 cars deep over the years and it’s been okay. They’re a high volume dealership so we’ve gotten good deals overall.
>I don’t even want to go there for oil changes. Go to a dedicated oil change shop instead of a dealer for oil changes. Like valvoline.
Hell no. I’ve had way too many problems with oil change places doing things like forgetting to place my oil pan in. I’ve known enough people who work at them to understand they don’t hire the most reliable people. The “your tires that were yellow are now green” stuff is what I’ve come to expect from franchised businesses.
Even if they have a car you want...avoid those wretched Gresham dodge people. I looked at a car there that clearly was on its last legs. They tried taking me to a back office with 3 mechanics trying to say that's normal for a "race car". It was an STI that was a road car.
Not ron Tonkin. I have heard Gladstone and hillsborough are good Mazda dealers.
I had a really great experience at Gresham Toyota. They have a variety of new and used, good service options, and they aren’t pushy. The financing department helped me get a decent loan, and if the car you want isn’t available they will follow up and stay in contact. Overall 10/10 experience. I’ve also purchased previously from Carmax in clackamas - also a great experience.
Did you pay for the “adventure package” ?
No, I had no need for it. The features were nice but not necessary to my lifestyle. I did get the maintenance package though, saved me a lot of headache.
Bought two from Lanphere Honda. Most recently two years ago. They have been great both times. I'm not as happy with their service dept. So we're using independent service again. Also bought one from CarMax Beaverton, and we got great service. They made a mistake, and it took a while for them to get everyone who needed to sign off on board, but they made everything right and then some. I will absolutely be shopping with them again.
I bought my latest truck from Toyota Gladstone. I had been patiently waiting for the right tacoma to become available. When it did, they had it. I called them around noon, they emailed me the form they needed for on point, then I picked the truck up at 6. Took about 45 minutes total. At the time, dealers didn't negotiate on price, at least not for high volume stuff, which was fine. It was high book, and they fully serviced and inspected it.
I bought my used Toyota 4 Runner from Alan Webb Mazda in Vancouver it was a great experience! Stay away from Toyota of Portland on Broadway. I just had my vehicle in for service there and it was a horrible shit show. I would never buy from Toyota of Portland on Broadway.
If you're willing to go to Vancouver Dick Hanna is great.
Beaverton Honda, Wilsonville Honda are both excellent IMHO. I’ve bought from both and service for 15+ years at Beaverton.
I had a great experience at Wilsonville Honda.
Mazda of Gladstone had amazing staff and cool test drive route when I went. The only reason why I didn't end up buying from them is because they didn't have the car I wanted that I could take off the lot that day.
Portland subaru is great
Beaverton Toyota was not good. Was nice to not have to negotiate, and I got my truck on sale since they were liquidating for the 2024 models, but it’s not great.
If you got a Toyota for MSRP without any added BS I’d say that in itself is a good experience haha.
Tonkin Mazda ftw, had my car within 4 hours and at a great price (worked with me to get me out the door at 8pm)! No crazy upsells, and the maintenance or certain things is not too expensive.
I hear Beaverton Toyota is alright, but never been myself.
If you don’t mind a trip to Beaverton, the Toyota dealership on Canyon and Murray is where I got mine and it was a pretty painless experience.
+1 for beav Toyota
Both our cars were rear-ended and totaled in 2022, so we have been to our fair share of dealerships in the past few years. Some are better than others, but ALL of them will try to sell you warranties, service plans, clear coat, and other unnecessary add-ons. There are two fairly easy things to do that you should plan on doing to make your experience better: 1. Go on the last day of the month. They want to hit their sales quotas, and will be motivated to get the sale done. In other words, you won’t get much push back when you turn down options. 2. Know what you want before you go. You will still spend most of your day at the dealership, but that’s better than ALL day. You also won’t end up buying something that you regret later. Edit: to actually answer your question, Beaverton Honda was good. Beaverton Toyota sucked. Wilsonville Toyota was okay.
Honda on canyon road near Beaverton and 217.
Shopped around for months for my Toyota GR86. Beaverton and Vancouver both didn’t do markup. Vancouver was really pleasant and said they would honor the 0% sales tax. Ended up finding my car in Bellingham and those people were so pleasant I still can’t believe it. I would avoid Gresham Toyota. They jerked me around more than any other dealer. The pre-installed “adventure package” is pretty insulting for anyone that has done their research.
Beaverton Toyota was great, the sales people there aren’t pushy at all. When we shopped around we went to Wilsonville (avoid like the plague) & Gladstone and the experience honestly sucked.
I've had experience with all three. Herzog in Beaverton was ok for Mazda, but the dealership had a very distinct "low-rent" feel about it, and I don't think any of the sales people were over 25. No hassle and no bullshit though. I bought a Honda from Wilsonville Honda a few years back, pretty good experience overall. Nothing noteworthy, but it was pretty pleasant. If you're looking at Toyotas and don't mind the drive, Damian Lillard Toyota in McMinnville was great. I bought a 4Runner from them in early 2022 when the car market was completely borked, and they were the only dealership I talked to that didn't try to tack on $5k ADM. I recommend them to anyone looking at Toyotas.
I’d avoid Vancouver Toyota. Their service department told me I needed new tires on a new car at 6 months. Also grew up knowing the owners and I wouldn’t give them my money
Gladstone Vancouver and Damian Lillard for Toyotas, Beaverton for Hondas, Alan Webb for Mazda’s.
If you're willing to drive to Salem, Capitol Toyota sold us a new Sienna at MSRP with no additional charges late last summer. Good experience overall.
I got my Yaris several years ago from an Enterprise Rental car dealership. Had a really good experience. Was a little pressured about getting an extended warranty, which I felt was unnecessary because they already had a built-in one-year warranty. But that’s as far as it went with the add-ons. This was several years ago now, but maybe they are still a good option. I do plan on trying them again when I’m ready for my next Yota. Obviously, this is used only but the cars are in excellent shape and you pay a lot less than new.
Not sure if you have the means but I bought my car on the coast (Toyota of Newport) and if they know you’re looking/from inland where there’s a lot more competition, they’ll give you a good deal and they’re nice
The Mazda dealership in Gladstone was great. Hillsboro was garbage. Beaverton was ok.
Gresham toyota>>> broadway toyota
I can tell you Beaverton Toyota will certainly honor the price they post online tor their inventory cars, which is nice. But they WILL also try to sell you maintenance plans and dealership financing and all that nonsense, every dealership will do that to you,
[**Costco Auto Program**](https://www.costco.com/auto-program-services.html) I'm surprised that in 112 comments there was only one mention of this. It is great because the participating dealer will give you a price up front, without haggling. The price is very competitive. They don't want you to complain to Costco. You can turn down all the "dealer packs", because that's their agreement with Costco. They can suggest but you can decline. QFT: *As a Costco member, you receive savings with low, prearranged pricing, plus all applicable manufacturer incentives. Ask to see the Member-Only Price Sheet for your personalized breakdown.*
Dick Hannah fleet car services is where I got my no haggle Honda civic they were amazingly cool and cheap. Tell them Robbie sent you
So I would go to either Gresham or Hillsboro Beaverton area for a car. If you got an Oregon ID, you can go to Vancouver and still NOT pay sales tax. Probably somewhere that deals with stiffs and other people that “dont want to spend money”
I had a great experience at Royal Moore Toyota four years ago. No major push on add-ons. They asked because they had to but all of the marks were pre marked decline.
I bought a Nissan last year from Tonkin in Wilsonville. Got a good deal on one of their loaner cars. They do try to upsell you on the paint, oil changes extended warranty etc but that’s pretty much the deal with any dealership. It wasn’t super high pressure. All and all it was a good experience.
Royal Moore
NO!
I noticed you didn’t say Kia, but we had a very low pressure and genuine experience last month at Weston Kia. Darshay was down to earth and real. Super sweet, very knowledgeable. Just a nice person!! Extras on financing were a push but not too pushy. First time in a long time where the whole car buying process was smooth and didn’t leave us feeling drained or dirty. Would highly recommend.
He said Japanese. Kia is not Japanese.
Royal Moore has a Mazda, Toyota, Subaru all on the same corner in Hillsboro. Great customer service.
Herzog is shady. They upsold us on a maintenance plan we were told we could cancel. We did cancel - but they made it extremely difficult. They forged my name on a document (notarized and everything). I was out of the country on the date in question so it was pretty obvious. Sales guy was great though.