Subaru Sherman Oaks

I must say that I'm surprised about the negative reviews this place has received. I was unexpectedly delighted by my experience with this dealer. Over the years I have come to dread the car-buying experience, which has usually meant being descended on by an over-eager salesperson who tries very hard to sell me the vehicle rather than let the vehicle speak for itself. Then, when I've decided to buy, I end up tag-team wrestling with the sales staff and the managers until I'm pummelled into submission. Maybe it's me, but frankly, I like to take my time and consider my options and shop around a bit before I decide, test drive different makes and models, and ask questions of the sales people. I spent a couple of weeks online reading reviews of cars and making a short list of half a dozen cars to check out. I had already test driven 4 other hatchbacks and small SUVs. I was leaning toward a Mazda 3 Sport which drove great, but was reticent because its cargo area would have been cramped for my guitars and amps. When I stopped at Subaru Sherman Oaks, I looked around a bit, and I was surprised that no one came rushing over. Initially I was concerned, so I went inside and looked around and found a sales rep. I told him I was looking at a lot of cars and told him my needs. He let me take some measurements, showed me some features. I test drove an Impreza Outback Sport first, and it was okay. Then I took out the Forester. No contest. I drove great and responded better than the Impreza Outback Sport. I asked the saleguy why the larger car felt so much better to drive and he told me about the positioning of the engine and that there was an 18 pound difference in the weight of the 2 cars. That bit of trivia floored me. This guy knew the product. In earlier test drives the reps knew very little by comparison. At any rate, I told the guy I wanted to test drive a couple of other cars and asked him to be frank about how high pressure the sales manager was. He told me they didn't work like that. He said they show you the actual dealer invoice and then make a fair offer based on that. He showed me the list of cars they had at their storage facility and said if they didn't have the color and features I wanted they would trade with another dealer. I tried out a couple of other cars then called this guy back. The sales manager answered and told me it was the guy's day off but that I would call his cell. I got a call a few minutes later, then we discussed color and trim. He called back and said they had it in stock. I said I'll be in tomorrow. I went back the next day fully expecting to negotiate through a long list of add-ons and extra charges. Imagine my surprize when the young sales guy I'd been dealing with came over and said that they had run the numbers. He showed me the figures, and they were making an offer $200 above dealer invoice. When I read all the costs there were no add ons, no effort to talk me into fabric protection and all that. Just a bottom line that was lower than I would have settled for. Financing was a breeze. The only add on we discussed was an extended warranty. They mentioned that it was availabl but didn't push it. It was something I was considering anyway because twice before I had opted out and something costly went bad and I kicked myself for not having gotten one. They gave me 20% off on that. Bottom line? I found the entire experience refreshing and I decided that I much preferred their laid-back approach to the pressure I had felt at other dealers. I guess it was a win-win. I got a great car for the price I wanted and they made a sale.