I definitely tend to trust other landlords' opinion on many topics much more than other people because we share certain values.

Anyone in Los Angeles area have a recommendation for a new car dealer or leasing company that is more honest than most ? I'm looking for Mercedes or Audi in next few weeks. Thanks.

Oh, by the way, please no comments from those that want to argue about which manufacturer or vehicle model is best, or whether to lease or buy. The people who try to pad their total number posts are very tiresome and very obvious.

Go see Cal and his dog spot.

Or my ex neighbor Fletcher Jones Mercedes in NewPorsche Beach.

I once bought a six year old Audi for $1,000. Found the original $26,000 invoice in the glove box. LOL

Dealer, Honesty and Lawyer are all on the same page, a myth. I went to an "honest" dealer in Northridge.

1) They lied about the terms of a payout by Lo-Jack. No one at the dealership would address the issue. Not my saleslady or any manager. I had to contact Lo-Jack and they had to "re-train" the entire staff. Lo-Jack doesn't like dealers lying about their product.

2) When having my car serviced, the dealer offers a shuttle service to people living within 5 miles. My Service Rep forgot to put my name on the Shuttle list. After 3 shuttles came and left I started to ask questions. By then it was too late to go home, my car would be ready soon anyways. So I went to the manager of the service department to complain about my name not being put on the list. So the manager of the sales department said to me, "I don't know that! That the salesman didn't put your name on the list so there's nothing to be done"!. He was calling me a liar. So my service rep was sanding behind him and said that he had forgotten twice to put my name on the list". No apology by the service manager. And the dealership manager was out to lunch and it was only 10 AM.

I could go on, but there in no such thing as an honest dealership, they are out to make a sale and money off of common repairs.

When I was thinking about trading in my 3 year old care for a new one, they offered me HALF of what the wholesale dealer purchase price was, they were trying to make a killing. My vehicle was worth around 15K and they offered me 7K. Other cars like mine on the lot, used resales were going for $19k-$21K.

Dino,

No leases. Poor money decision.

If you cannot pay cash you cannot afford the car.

Don't be fooled by 0% interest deals. They MUST make the money somewhere so it's usually on the price.

{{{{{{{......The people who try to pad their total number posts........}}}}}}

There is some advantage to increasing the total number of posts on this website? Have I been missing out on some prizes I didn't know about?

A car dealership that is honest? I suspect not. The only defense is to go well armed with knowledge.

In the 80's, there was an honest service area at a Honda dealership in Carlsbad. They were expensive but told you exactly what was wrong and didn't charge for repairs not needed. That's my last good experience with car dealerships.

Does it have to be new? Because there is a good used car dealer in Bend Oregon and I know they usually have at least one audi or Mercedes on the lot.

They have their own mechanic on site and when you are interested in the car, they will tell you what they have fixed and what still needs to be fixed. They will match online prices.

It's a really different model for a used car dealership and it has paid off big time for them. Their car lot is always crowded with customers.

Oh, but an Oregon purchase (sales tax free) might not pass California smoggy.

I can pay cash. I chose not to because paying cash for a car is a poor financial decision

I've done both leases and purchase, and used purchases. For exotic cars, I always do used purchase since they're usually in mint condition and the vehicle style doesn't update that often. If I plan to hold onto a car for awhile, 5 yrs or more, I'd buy.

If I plan to hold a car for only 3 yrs, then I'd consider a lease. But, rather than make payments, I make only one single payment for the lease. That saves me the interest payments and if the resale value is higher than the residual, then I suggest buying the vehicle and selling it on your own to take advantage of the difference.

I like leasing my wife's and my main vehicle because that gives us a chance to replace our vehicles every 3 years. Another reason to lease is if you're buying an electric vehicle like the Tesla, Leaf, Bolt, or the new Jaguar I-Pace. I'm fearful of how fast these vehicles will depreciate and I'm also concerned that I'll be selling my 250 mile range vehicle when the new models are getting 500 miles. That will drop the price a bit. However, if it's a lease, that's their problem, not mine.

Last car I bought down in SoCal I picked up at Hertz Car Sales.

It was no hassle and no haggling with the guy in the back room. They give you a price and you had two choices.