Shopping for a Car in Raleigh, NC

Going on a search for a new vehicle in Raleigh, NC can be a daunting task. There are literally dozens of different car dealerships at your disposal depending on what you're looking for. Here are a few of the dealerships I visited on my last new car search.

Performance Honda of Raleigh
7001 Old Wake Forest Rd
Raleigh, NC 27616
919) 877-0086

Originally, I was interested in purchasing a hybrid accord. Or at least taking a serious look at them. Online I was able to build my ideal car, and the quote I was given for the car seemed reasonable. The website said cars just like the one I had built were available currently at the dealership, so I got in my car and headed over.

When I got to the dealership, they didn't have the car I wanted. Or anything like it. They did have a base model hybrid, which they offered me a "deal" on. The deal of course being several thousand over what the car was worth.

The staff here however was very helpful. They have a HUGE selection of cars. If you have some good negotiation skills, and they have what you want this can be a wonderful place to shop it just wasn't for me.

Leith Toyota
3100 Capital Blvd
Raleigh, NC 27604
(919) 876-5900

I think PT Cruisers are the ugliest cars on the planet. The only think that this dealership seemed to want to show me, was PT cruisers. I went in and asked if they had any deals running on any of their cars. Just on a whim, I though maybe I would find something I liked, at a decent price. The dealer kept telling me what a fantastic deal PT cruisers were, despite the fact that I said I "hate them" and this they are "hideous" he continued to show me model after model…and nothing else. They have tons of different cars. Why they would persist in showing me things I obviously hated is beyond me. They must have been cheap right? Wrong. The cheapest cruiser I was shown was right around 30k.

This dealership has a huge used selection of cars that are on a separate lot, and run like a separate dealership. I had originally stopped by the dealership because a friend of mine had received stellar service in picking out his used vehicle and had gotten a great deal, on the perfect car for him. If you are looking for a used car this can be a great place to shop, or if you are in the market for an overpriced PT cruiser.

Southern States Volkswagen
2421 Wake Forest Rd
Raleigh, NC 27608
(919) 833-3245

I actually purchased my vehicle from here. After deciding to purchase a Volkswagen, this dealership was the closest to my home. I made several trips; the service went from fantastic, to absolutely horrible. One man spent the day with me test driving several different cars and explaining differences in models., When I went back the next day he was unavailable, so I had a new sales associate who out right made fun of the vehicle I was planning on purchasing, and tried to get me to purchase a different brand (the Hyundai dealership is attached) that was twice the price. In my mind any moron could realize that if I was going to buy a Beetle, I probably am not going to switch over to a 50k sports car. Yet this guy was persistent, and obnoxious. I almost left; in fact I did threaten to leave until his supervisor actually helped me finalize the purchase of my Beetle 4k below blue book.

I got an excellent deal here. They have a good selection of cars, and an interesting selection of staff.