Toyota of Boardman

The Way Used Car Sales *SHOULD* Go I have been to a number of dealerships during my car search. I've had really bad experiences at some dealerships, and okay experiences at some dealers I have been to a number of dealerships during my car search. I've had really bad experiences at some dealerships, and okay experiences at some dealerships, but all my experiences with the Preston family of dealerships have been exemplary. My dad bought his car from Preston in New Castle several months ago, where Larissa Stefano showed us the meaning of customer care. In fact, I first contacted Larissa because I was pleased with how she treated my dad. But when her location didn't have any cars that interested me, she suggested that I look on the PrestonAuto website, and that's how I found my car. Upon browsing the PrestonAuto website, I discovered that I had an interest in several cars in the Boardman area of Ohio. Being from Pittsburgh, I had to weigh my options carefully before considering the minimum one-hour trip it would take to get to Boardman, but the decision was easy as the Boardman locations clearly had the best selection of cars in which I was interested. I called the main number and got Stephanie DiCarlo, one of the managers there. I had wanted to go there after work to see some of the cars I had selected, but Stephanie regretfully informed me that their dealership closed Wednesday (that day) at 6pm. Since I work in Pittsburgh until 5pm, I knew that wouldn't work. She helpfully suggested that I come on Thursday, since they are open until 9pm, but I was already busy that day. I suggested Friday, but yet again my visit was thwarted by the dealership's early closing hours. "I'll have to come by some time on Saturday, I suppose," I lamented. I explained what I was looking for, and she took all of my information and said she'd be in contact if she discovered some other vehicles in my price range to show me. Barely a day later, I got a call from Justin Bailey. Justin Bailey? I thought. The password from the NES Metroid game of my youth? "Hey Shawn, Stephanie told me what all you were looking for, and I think we have some options here that you could consider." The first car he suggests, I'm stunned - it's definitely the kind of car that would suit my needs, and it's in my price range, and I somehow missed it on the website, and OMG he really listened and took the time to find me a car that I might like! Right away I felt like I was in very capable hands. No other dealer had treated me this way. With most other dealers, I felt like I was a burden on them. "Ugh, why doesn't he just use the website?" I'd imagine them saying, even though that's usually what I did. But with Justin, I felt like I had an ally in my search for a car. Simply put, it felt like he actually cared that I find what I'm looking for! Justin suggests more cars, some of which are already on my list, and some which I've already decided against, but I conclude my conversation with "Justin, it seems like we're really on the same page here. I'm definitely coming by on Saturday, and hopefully my choices will still be there!" Justin helpfully suggested that I make an appointment, since Saturday is usually their busy day. We made the appointment for 11:30a and I hung up with great anticipation for Saturday. You know how they say that when you find the right girl, you just know? Finding a car is kind of similar. I had some appointments at other dealerships near Toyota of Boardman that I went to first, including another Presto Dealership where I saw some very nice options. Most of those cars were just strong maybes. I realized I was running a little late due to traffic and called Justin. He was understanding and appreciative of my call, and patiently waited for me. When I arrived, another employee told me that Justin was helping a family buy a van. He saw me and instantly figured that I was Shawn. "I'll be right with you," he said. "Hey, I made you wait, it's only fair that I wait for you, too!" I replied. He chuckled and I sat and waited for him, but within just a few minutes he was at my side. "Let me bring around that car I told you about." Justin brought it around, and it was definitely a solid option for me. It was on the low end of my price range, it had reasonable mileage for its age, but I wasn't too thrilled by it. Did I want to get a car that was just OK for me, or something I really liked? That was something Justin couldn't help me with. I took the car for a spin with my dad and Justin in tow, and I just wasn't feeling it. Justin told me of the other cars I was interested, and I asked him to grab the keys. He grabbed three sets and we started walking outside. "Did you have any questions on these cars?" I didn't, because I had already researched them online. "Can you excuse me for a few minutes while I finish the paperwork for that family that was here before you?" I suggested "How about I give you my driver's license, and I can take these for a spin while you take all the time you need?" "Perfect," Justin confirmed. A quick picture of my driver's license and he was off paperworking while my dad and I test drove my next option. The car (a 2009 Prius IV) was in great shape, and had some great features, and we took it for a spin. It was priced reasonably, had low miles, but was very similar to the car that I had borrowed from my dad while I was conducting this search! Not bad, but not great either. When we returned choice #2 to the parking lot, Justin came outside and said, "I'm all yours!" He asked what we thought about the car, and I told him the same. "How about we look at that blue one that I saw online next?" We approached the car, which I liked when I was doing my research. It was pretty new (2010), was deep blue in color, had low miles, had a reasonable feature set, and seemed to be priced fairly. It was probably my top choice before visiting the dealership, but I had been disappointed by my top choices at other dealerships when I saw the car in person. Will this one ... a Toyota Prius III ... be the one? We approached and most things looked to be in order. The car was mostly in great condition - no large scratches, no dents. There were some cracks here and there, but nothing too major. I audibly noted some of the issues with the car, but none of them were dealbreakers. We sat in the car as Justin explained the changes made between the 2010 and the 2004-2009 models (which I was used to). I was impressed at his knowledge of the car as well as its features and history. We took the car for a ride, and that's when I first knew that I was falling for this car, much like the girl in my analogy earlier. Great gas mileage, responsive steering, a tight turning radius, well-revised and intuitive instrument panels - this car was clearly what it seemed to be when I was researching it. Like the breath of relief you get when a girl matches both her picture and her eloquence, the rest of the ride went smoothly and we returned to the dealership. I had a few more options that I had originally considered, but I decided that I liked this car, if we could take care of some of the issues I had with it. I offered a price lower than what was listed, and Justin very apologetically and politely told me that they can't accept offers on this car. It had been on the lot for a while, and had undergone several price reductions before I had even seen it. Its next step was to go to the auction, where it would likely fetch exactly what they were asking for it. I had done my research on this specific car, so I felt confident that Justin was not trying to pressure me into the sale. His earnestness in telling me those reasons furthered my feelings of trust in him. I knew that the price of the car was actually very good, so I accepted that there was little room to negotiate on this. However, we were already relatively close to the target out-the-door price they were asking, so we talked. "Can you take care of some of these issues first?" Justin offered helpful solutions, and looked into several options that would put my mind at ease. There were even some calls that were above his pay grade, which he had to get management approval for. But when it was all said and done, we came to an agreement that both Preston Motors and I were very happy with. All along the way, I felt that Justin was doing everything possible to make things the best they could be. "We have a deal!" I said, and Justin extended both a warm smile and a handshake. "I'm so glad we could get you into something you liked!" We went through the paperwork, which was reasonably quick and efficient. Rich Mangelli handled the expected pitches for financing, warranty extensions, and maintenance plans, and though I politely declined, he was never pushy or abrasive. They explained all of the tricky issues involved with transferring a car purchased in Ohio to Pennsylvania, and did so clearly and concisely. A short time later, and all the paperwork was done. I was the proud owner of a Certified Pre-Owned 2010 Toyota Prius III! I couldn't take the car home right away, because of some of the concessions / fixes I requested as part of the purchase, but we arranged a pickup in a reasonable timeframe. The bottom line is that if you want to be treated fairly by friendly, knowledgeable salespeople who live to find you the car of your dreams, look no further than the Preston Auto family of dealers - especially Justin Bailey at Toyota of Boardman. I highly recommend this dealership, and encourage you to let them impress you as much as they did me! More

Best and smoothest experience with a dealership. I reached out to Stephanie via the dealership's online chat room, and within 20 minutes of our initial contact, I submitted a credit application and w I reached out to Stephanie via the dealership's online chat room, and within 20 minutes of our initial contact, I submitted a credit application and was approved for the make and model that I wanted - all before ever stepping into the dealership. Three days later, I went in and picked up the car. Kevin Sikora, the Sales Associate that I worked with, helped me figure out what the best terms for me would be. Both Stephanie and Kevin were kind, friendly and professional during my experience. I will be back to purchase another car from them after my lease is up. More