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| - I am just now writing this review in response to seeing all of the negative reviews (which seem to be much older). My experience was great, and unlike any other car buying experience. I have absolutely no regrets, and would recommend CardinaleWay Mazda, and Madison Spaid especially, to any one that knows what they want (and is willing to wait, if necessary) and wants a positive car buying experience. They won me over!
Here is the long version of my story:
This past July, I bought a new Toyota Corolla using a broker, a choice I regretted immediately and will never ever repeat. Within a month, I was rear ended on the freeway (traffic was stopped, but the person behind me met my bumper at 50+ mph) and my beautiful black beauty was totaled. I was still recovering from the last car buying experience (as well as having 2-3 doctor's appointments a week to recover from the accident), so I waited until September to try buying another car. I was in a rather unique situation (credit report still showed I had a loan for the Corolla, but, of course, I didn't physically have the car), I had little to nothing for a downpayment (since I had just bought a new car less than 2 months prior), and the trade in I had available was upside down about $3,000. I decided to create a form email to send to different dealerships to explain my situation, provide as much information as possible, and make it very clear I wasn't going to play the "Come on down and we'll waste your time for 4 hours" game. After all, they send out form emails all day long. I thought it would help me weed out the really bad ones - and it did!
I discovered the Mazda5 (we call it a "microvan") and wanted to see if my 6'5" husband, 4 kids, and dog (whom I'm convinced is part horse) would be able to fit in it comfortably. I found pricing on TrueCar.com and was contacted by Madison Spaid at CardinaleWay Mazda. I sent her my form email, and she actually read it (unlike 98% of the other dealerships)! She thanked me for providing so much information and offered to answer any questions and help me through the process. After getting nowhere with other dealerships that promised everything under the sun, I stopped by CardinaleWay Mazda on my way home from work to take a look at the Mazda5. I explained I didn't have much time, and would not be purchasing any vehicle that night. I was there a little over an hour, in which time my trade in was appraised (giving me $1,000 more than the other dealerships), I did a test drive, completed a financing application and had offers on the table. I didn't have to retell my story, re-explain the situation, or re-provide any information. Madison was extremely detail-oriented, personable, professional, and responsive. I told her that I wouldn't be able to do any of the deals they had proposed at that time, but that I wasn't in a hurry either, and asked about some other financing options. She said she would look into them, and I asked if she could just text me updates. She happily agreed, and over the course of the next week, I received text message updates every 1-2 days when she had a question or a new deal. After about a week and a half, they were able to assemble a package which worked for me (and was already pre-approved by their bank/financer/lender). With each communication, Madison was always positive, never ever pressured me, and was extremely respectful of my goals and preferences. Each text message started with something along the lines of, "Great news!" yet she accepted every time I said, "No, that's not going to work," with grace and newfound determination.
When I went in to the dealership to seal the deal, the preliminary paperwork was awaiting my signature and my beautiful new Mazda5 was parked right in front of the dealership, ready to go. The final financing paperwork had to be drafted separately (after knowing what my elections for GAP, extended warranty, etc. were), but I was there less than 2 hours altogether.
After buying my new Mazda5, I received several follow-up inquiries, and I'm a little ashamed that it's taken me this long to write a review of the best car buying experience ever, but, hopefully that will lend credence to how great it truly was - that I still feel this way 3 months later. I was very impressed by the combination of (good) attitude and resourcefulness that this dealership displayed. To me, it did feel like I had a friend on the inside advocating for me - instead of someone just looking to close a sale. Every dealership says they want to make customers for life, but this is the first one that successfully accomplished it with me.
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