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Albany Ford Subaru - Sales
Categories: Automotive Car Dealers Automotive Auto Repair Car Dealers, Auto Repair [Edit]
718 San Pablo Ave(between Portland Ave & Castro St)
Albany, CA 94706
(510) 528-1244
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 9 am - 7 pm
Sat 9 am - 6 pm
Sun 10 am - 5 pm
Adam J. said: "I just got my car smog-checked. The process was surprisingly efficient and no nonsense. The waiting area was clean and comfortable. The work area also seemed clean and efficient. At the end of my smog check, the guy at the front…" read more »
45 reviews for Albany Ford Subaru - Sales
45 reviews in English
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Review from Daphnie A.
Benicia, CA
5/16/2012
I was very pleased with my results in purchasing a used vehicle from Steve Stover. I inquired online since I don't like sales pressure. Steve was very patient and understood when the first car I asked for was not the color I really wanted.
He followed up a few weeks later and told me he had the car & color! I finally took a look then had second thoughts and two weeks later he had the other car I wanted to see. After almost two months of the communication and coming back to see another car, I ended up with my original choice, the right car and color.
Mike Riser found me decent financing with my credit and I was good to go. Both of them never pressured my decision, they let me think it over without forcing me to make a decision on the spot. Mike provided a lot of good car advice with the pros and cons to my decision. He was right!
After purchasing 10 vehicles in the past, I say Thanks guys for the best car experience EVER! -
Review from Jonathan T.
San Francisco, CA
3/10/2012
I purchased my first Subaru last year and my experience with this dealership (particularly with Don Myers) was nothing short of spectacular. Up until this purchase, I have had very few pleasant interactions at dealerships. They have always made me feel rushed, cheated, and just another sale. But from the our first exchange of words with Don to the close of the car sale, Don never pressured me in any way. He was knowledgeable about the vehicle I was looking at, Subaru as a company, and the differentiated service the company provides.
Since that first day, Don has been relentless in providing post-sale service to me. Any questions or issues I have come across Don has gone above and beyond to make sure I am taken care of. He is responsive to emails/phone calls and will make sure your issues are resolved personally and quickly. For anyone looking to purchase a Subaru, I highly recommend not only Albany Subaru, but Don Myers. His superb service does not end when you purchase the car, but for months and months afterwards! I consider him a good-hearted person, now a friend, and will be referring all Subaru businesses to him directly when that time comes.
Go with Don and you will not be disappointed!
Jonathan -
Review from J J.
Manhattan, NY
2/27/2012
Patient, honest, they r simply great :)
The salesmen and finance managers are awesome. You really feel like they are on your side and working with you to get what you want. If they sell bmws, i'll get one from them in a couple of years, too. -
Review from Shannon R.
Oakland, CA
3/23/2012
Don Meyers and everyone else at Albany Subaru is an absolute pleasure to deal with. I just bought my first new car (a 2012 Impreza), and was dreading the experience because I had heard nightmare stories from friends and family about dealing with slimy car salespeople. Albany Subaru blew me away! They are honest, friendly, thoughtful, and professional. I never felt an ounce of pressure, nor did I feel scammed. If you're in the market for a new Subaru, absolutely go here!
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Review from Tanz R.
Berkeley, CA
4/10/2012
Wow! We just had the most amazing experience buying our 2012 Subaru Impreza from Albany Subaru! Jason Tse was great: helpful and knowledgeable. Purchasing the car was smooth and absolutely no funny business. The quoted price at the time of ordering was the same at pick-up and very fair. Financing was easy and the numbers all made sense. We are so happy - thank you!
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Review from Henry K.
Benicia, CA
3/22/2012
Bought my 2011 Legacy from them exactly a year ago. Don Myers was very nice and did not pressure me at all. He made sure I was happy prior to leaving. I ended up getting the highest trade in value (from the four different dealerships I went to) and got a greal deal on a top of the line Legacy.
Don has kept in touch making sure I am a satisfied customer. I would recommend them to anyone. -
Review from Sandy A.
Santa Rosa, CA
3/31/2012
Best car buying experience ever! Don was fantastic. He was casual, efficient, friendly and considerate of our car choices and financial needs. Mike was great in finance. They were so attentive and very pet friendly. Gave our dog a treat and a chair. We bought an outback and got a great deal. Very nice night guys... Thanks for the excellent car buying experience!
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Review from Brian S.
Richmond, CA
3/20/2012
We just bought our first FORD and worked with Don Myers. What a great experience. If Don didn't know an answer he wouldn't hesitate to let us know... unlike so many other sales people who will feed you a line just to get a sale. If you are in the market for a new car and are thinking of a FORD I would easily say that the service you will find here is easily above the rest.
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Review from Sebi C.
Oakland, CA
4/23/2012
My girlfriend and I recently bought a 2012 impreza here, showing up after a miserable weekend of pricing it out at various places, and hours of being jerked around by the super sleazy salespeople of Downtown Subaru (we ended up walking out even though they had the car we wanted on site, more out of frustration with them than anything else). The next day, after my nerves had calmed down, I called up Albany Subaru, told Jason Tse the price I'd been offered elsewhere, and he said no problem. We went in, filled out the paperwork, gave a small deposit, and were done. He made it SO easy, and SO enjoyable. No being screwed with ("Oh I'll have to talk to my manager about that"), or having to constantly say no to things we didn't need or want. He just gave it to us straight, told us when something we were asking for was unreasonable, and even pointed out when options we were thinking about weren't the best for us.
After we placed the order he said it would be 6-8 weeks because it was a factory order, but called us back barely 4 weeks later to say the car had arrived! Picking it up was just as easy and nice as ordering it had been. He picked us up from BART (we had already sold our old car), showed us the car and got our loan application going (he even filled it out for us, so we wouldn't have to). While we waited for that he showed us all the details of the car, and got our phones paired with the bluetooth. Paying for the car was also easy, Darcy gave us the various forms to sign, and helped us look up whether the license plate we wanted was available. They offered the extended warranty but didn't push it on us at all when we said no. There was a little bit of pushing for the maintenance package, but that's likely only because we had different initial responses as to whether to get it or not, so I can't really blame them for that. Truly buying a car couldn't have been more enjoyable, I just wish we had gone to Jason first instead of wasting an entire weekend (and then some) beforehand! -
Review from Marc P.
Emeryville, CA
2/27/2011
My Girlfriend and I started the day at Concord ford for a 2011 that was quoted at one price to us over and over and by the time they came up with the final price it was about 5,000 more than we were originally told and then they tried to low ball us on the trade in, Needless to say we left with a real bad taste in our mouth and the service at Concord ford did not make even a half a star, The service was terrible and some old sales guy tried to close s hard but not this Guy I'm in Sales.
So we went to see Calvin at the Ford dealership in Albany - Ford and Subaru, he was great, Gave us what he said he would, Fair trade in for her old car and a great Price on the new car, I have to say he reminds me of me, Great customer service, Good attitude, very nice person and did exactly what he said he would do through his emails, all I have to say is R-E-S-P-E-C-T, he has a 10 star rating with me and I highly recommend Calvin at Albany Ford...
Thank you Sir... -
Review from Oliver M.
Oakland, CA
2/7/2011
My wife and I had a great experience buying a new Outback from Calvin at Albany Subaru. The contrast with the other dealers and salespeople we dealt with was stark: Calvin was knowlegeable about the car, straightforward, and helpful, and despite a lengthy negotiation, no games were played.
I wish buying a car was always this pleasant. Now I have to buy myself a car (the Subaru was for my wife) and I'm dreading it.
(I sometimes assume that people with one post are shills, but this is a genuine post.) -
Review from John C.
Oakland, CA
11/1/2010
The email read, "We can give you the price you want with the trade-in value for your car as well, as long as you come in today."
Normally, it's not the type of message that gets me enthused. And honestly, it sounded like a classic bait and switch scheme. But for whatever reason, I went to Albany Subaru that day and left with exactly the car I wanted, at the price I wanted, with the financing I wanted, and even an extra cargo tray thrown in for free.
Most of this rating really should go to Calvin's professionalism and candor. He is absolutely the type of sales guy you want to work with: honest, good humored, and earnest. I actually left the dealership the day before because one of the other sales guys tried to pressure us into a bad deal. If you're reading this Albany Subaru: hire more Calvins! -
Review from Sean B.
7/11/2009 1 Check-in Here
I had a great experience here with Jason Tse today, and would recommend that anyone who needs a Ford or a Subaru go directly to Jason; do not pass go, do not collect $200.
My friend and I were car shopping for about a week, and I was becoming very frustrated because everywhere I went, the salesmen just proliferated every negative stereotype about car salesmen. They would either bend the truth, make assumptions, interrupt me, try to "educate" me, or just generally irritate me. Downtown Oakland Subaru was the worst offender, feel free to read my review about that debacle.
Jason simply never came anywhere near crossing a line. He listened to what I had to say, he was respectful from moment one in every communication, and even though the deal that we requested wasn't a huge profit to the dealership, he took it to his management team and we ended up within $200 of the price that we wanted to pay after the first negotiation.
We stopped in, unannounced, later that afternoon and he just dropped everything to attend to us; we found the right car on the lot, we worked the numbers, he recommended accessories not because he wanted to pad his pocket but truly sincere (we know this because he discouraged certain accessories which certainly would have padded his pockets, saying they weren't a great value in our case based upon our needs).
When it came time for him to turn us over to his sales manager, Sonny Tegbaru, I remember thinking "Oh no, it's been such a positive experience, I hope this guy doesn't try to be slick with us". Sonny was great too. Straightforward, no BS, just presented options to us and allowed us to decide what was right for us.
Basically... this is how car shopping should go. I'm not a big Ford fan (though I've owned two Mustang GTs) but Subarus are great cars... Jason is a great salesman to deal with... and Sonny was a great manager.
Buying a Subaru (or Ford?). Do it here. You'll thank me. -
Review from Anna S.
San Rafael, CA
10/25/2011
We bought an SUV from their Used lot this weekend. Steve Stover was so easy to work with. Coming to a price we agreed on was fast, and there was no feeling of being wheeled and dealed. I think we got a great car at a great price, with no hassle. What more can you ask for?
I would definitely buy from them again. -
Review from Kristy O.
Alameda, CA
3/1/2010
Wow. 5 Five Stars.
This was my second time buying a new Subaru and my husband's first time buying a new car, period. We came in Sunday around 11:30 and left with a 2010 Forester (the color I liked best) within 3 hours. Took advantage of the recent 2.9% financing plan to boot! We weren't intending on buying anything on the spot (well, I was more interested in doing so than my husband...but suffice to say we weren't desperate).
Sonny is the owner and helped us out. We arrived and he greeted us and wasn't the typical schmarmy dude with lame social skills (car dealerships are magnets for these types!). In fact, everyone there was smart, funny and very kind. They left us alone to wander around and check out cars on our own...not a whole lot of inventory on the lot but enough for us (we were looking at outbacks, imprezas and foresters). They are doing even more business these days since the Toyota debacle, so we were shocked at the low cost of our car AND that Sonny immediately agreed to give us another reduction in price. Everything went swimmingly! I highly recommend Albany Subaru especially to first time buyers; my husband is very knowledgeable about cars but didn't have much experience negotiating. By the end, he was informed, confident and happy.
Thanks again Sonny! -
Review from Karen H.
Berkeley, CA
5/26/2010
***This is an update to a previously written review with a 3 star rating. I have upgraded to 5 stars because of the personal attention this dealership provides. It's a very long story so I'll just say this; John is the president of this dealership. He is a man of his word. The service center has one of the best Subaru technicians in the area (ask for Bill) and whether it's Ford or Subaru you're dealing with, you will be treated fairly and offered competitive pricing.
(Older review)
We prefer to shop locally, but with an awareness of competitive prices at other dealerships. Unfortunately, we couldn't pay cash so we had to apply for Ford financing. In order to do that, we pretty much committed to this one dealer. The good news is, after a couple mis-communications, we got a good rate and found a 6 cyl Escape that we could afford. We are selling our Subaru to a friend, and negotiated a 90K service with this dealer to be included as part of the deal. So they were pretty easy to work with on the financing and negotiating, and even provided a loaner vehicle while the Subaru was being worked on.
Now as for locating the vehicle we wanted, that's another story. They tried pretty hard to find what we were looking for, and ended up with something we wanted, but it was through a trade with another (un-named) dealer, who was expecting a shipment via train from a Ford plant somewhere in the Midwest. It's surprising to me that they can't pinpoint the exact date of arrival and delivery. (If it can be done for a $10 package, one would expect the same tracking availability for a 30K vehicle.) So anyway, we looked at the specs and signed the papers, but we still don't have the car. It's been frustrating not knowing when it will arrive. I'm crossing my fingers that it comes in by Friday. If it goes smoothly, I'll give this dealership another star. So this review is a work in progress. Stay tuned for updates.
As a suggestion, I would encourage people to buy a car from this dealer, but if I were to do it again, I wouldn't sign any papers until it arrived at the dealership. If that's not possible, I'd find the dealer that has the car in stock and go from there. -
Review from Leo M.
Redmond, WA
8/12/2009 1 photo
SALES DEPARTMENT IS TOP NOTCH!
We just picked up a 2009 Subaru Forester and truthfully this was our best dealership experience ever. We dealt with both Jason and Munzer (which if you read through the reviews you'll see they're both highly rated) and we couldn't ask for better service. They gave us a great price, with no pressure or hassle. Once we decided to go for it, the deal went down in no time. Which is unheard of in auto sales.
Everyone there that we deal with (Jason, Munzer, and Sonnie) we're really down to earth and friendly. They did not qualify us the minute we walked in or try to make us feel stupid to mask their ignorance. Just straight forward and honest. It felt good to give them our business because they treated us like human beings. -
Review from Miriam N.
Portland, OR
8/21/2007
So far, not impressed.
It all started when I drove my new baby home with me after having leather and moonroof installed (shottily, i might add), and noticed an annoying and persistent whine. Long story short, it's the fuel pump, and my salesman (with whom I was still dealing directly at the time) told me someone in the service dept. said a recall should be issued in about a month.
A month goes by and nothing, but by then I had received countless letters and solicitations, one asking about my experience and directing me to call the cust svc mgr. When I got through to her to tell her I actually did have a complaint, she acted like I was imposing on her. Granted, she did come around after that first phone call and has been very pleasant since, but also not very helpful. The service mgr (Imants) told me no recall was planned, and never would be. Lots of promises of research and follow-up, etc, etc, but all I keep getting are phone calls every couple of weeks saying "we don't have a solution yet, no new info." Useless. It's been 3 months since I first complained, and 2 months since I complained directly to the service department, so there's still a chance something will be done... I hope.
At least I didn't pay too much for the car... though in hindsight, I *did* pay too much for the leather (don't believe the hype about their special installers). Oh well, this was my first new car buying experience, and although it could have been better, it also could have been much worse.
Despite the great hours at the service department, I will probably never go there except for warranty work. I'll go to my old faithful instead: Steve's Auto Care II in Richmond.
Edit: Finally did get them to agree to try installing a new fuel pump, which solved the problem. It took a lot of phone calls and follow-up on my end, though. Decent experience with an actual technician, but the front desk at the service department is filled with fast-talkers, cluelessness, and general incompetence. Steve's Auto Care II, ftw. -
Review from Karen P.
San Diego, CA
8/14/2011
Based on Yelp reviews we opted to test-drive our new Subaru at Albany Ford-Subaru rather than downtown Oakland and I'm so glad we did. Mike Mitchell, the general sales manager, was very informative about not only the model we were driving, but also the differences between that and the model we ultiimately purchased. All we asked was for a fair price and he and Don Myers, our salesman, made that happen. They were also honest with us about the value difference between selling our old car ourselves, and what we could get as a trade-in. They didn't have the car we wanted on the lot but it only took them a week to find one. Overall, it was a very positive experience, and we highly recommend them.
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Review from anio d.
Daly City, CA
7/6/2010
Our relationship with Albany Ford-Subaru began one rainy December day, deep within the country's recession, and I decided we needed a second car. We did some prior research as to which car was best for us, and hubby and I both agreed a Subaru would be nice. For some reason, the Albany dealership was the only one that seemed to pop up on our searches (though we now know there is also one closer in Burlingame). So there we went....
First of all, we weren't exactly planning to buy a car that same day. We really just wanted to test drive Subaru and learn a bit more about their fleet of cars. We ended up spending 6 hours there: looking at a couple of Subarus (a Legacy Wagon and an Impreza Wagon) and test driving that Impreza. We were very torn about buying it but the day swirled into 2+ hours of negotiating on the final cost. We pulled every trick in the book to pay the least amount of money we can, and after a stressful tug between the dealer and us, we agreed on a very decent selling price.
What I didn't like: the sale seemed a bit pressured. Yes -- we did take up a whole afternoon, and we also pressed the price down. That's just a part of negotiating. We didn't HAVE to leave with a car, but at the same time, spending so much time there sort of pushed me to just get one. I hate that it's in Albany because we are on the other side of the bay. Lastly, the online appointment scheduler (for maintenance) sucks because the one time I did that, I was getting emails and phonecalls afterwards asking me to come in and shop for a new car... uhhh.... that's not what I wanted, dudes.
What I like: we are very happy with the car. They really bent their backs to meet our demands to get their sale. And more importantly, we love getting reminder letters that the car is due for maintenance check and we get a coupon. I love how they are open until midnight! Who does that?! The customer service is pretty good; we have only encountered one guy who seemed too busy to really care about having our business. They have a big customer lounge.
Well, as much as we like this dealer/shop, the recent raise in bridge tolls will back us off. We intend to take our car to a closer shop for maintenance now. -
Review from Lynda P.
El Cerrito, CA
5/28/2011
For over 3 months I did indepth research on the best family friendly/commuter car. I weighed both new and certerfied pre-owned- from the industry leaders... Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Ford, Subaru etc.. Then I visited a half-dozen dealerships.
Buying from Albany Ford was the best car buying experience ever.
1) Don Myer is an outstanding salesman and a true genleman. He never did the hard sell and really listened to my needs. When we first met on Ford's used car lot, buying a car was still weeks away, and I explained that I was still in the research phase. He patiently checked in with me- in a nice/helpful not pushy way. Then when my timeline for buying a car was suddenly pushed up, he was able to recommend the perfect fit and didn't try to sell me into more car than I needed or could afford.
Nice sidenote) He also gave me great relationship/gay parenting advice. Really a very, very nice man.
2) Their financing office was efficient and professional. Darcy handled everything beautifully, painlessly and quickly, and they got me great terms.
Overall:
Don helped me weigh the pros/cons of both new and used options. I never thought I would end up buying a brand new vehicle, but seriously, my Ford Focus is perfect.
I am sure I could have haggled and gotten a faintly better deal on the same car at another dealer - but, the stress and years off my life aren't worth it. At Albany Ford I feel like I was treated extremely well and the price was very fair/competitive. [No bait and switch, no waiting in the office while the saleperson "talks to his manager" bull. No dealing with obnoxious, horrible, sexist car salesmen (Yeah Dublin/Oakland car dealers- I mean you).
Happy to answer any questions on Yelp. -
Review from Katie S.
9/7/2009
I bought a new Subaru from this dealership last week and I was pleased with the entire transaction from start to finish. I got a fair price from a friendly person with minimal hassle and zero BS.
I dealt with Jason Tse, who was knowledgeable, professional and very courteous. He went out of his way to help me, even after I'd purchased the car, by driving to meet me so I could pick up the car at my convenience.
After visiting about ten different dealerships, and being insulted, stone-walled, lied to, etc., this place was a refreshing change. -
Review from Eric B.
5/10/2008
I bought my Subaru (at cost) here used after my previous car (Mercury Sable) dropped 3(!) transmissions. It wasn't the shops fault that this model and year was a real lemon, but it took a fairly aggressive position on my part (and to various parts of the Albany and Ford organization) to help me out of this mess. And be carefull if you're considering buying a Mazda. I hear they are using Ford engines a lot.
The Service Department does acceptable work, although I don't think they take the time that they should to walk the customer through early diagnosis and problem solving. This has resulted in my case to the shop jumping a bit too early to the more involved and expensive fixes. Maybe they're hiding behind their legal advice or organizational inertia a little bit too much. They do better if you are armed with a enough information to be dangerous and be a bit more insist ant on some things (see above). And in most (again see above) warranty situations, I have found them very good in interpreting the polcies in my favour.
They also have more convenient hours than other non-dealer shops and do offer a shuttle service. -
Review from Janet K.
Mill Valley, CA
12/31/2011
My son just purchased his first NEW car from this dealership after a week of frustrating experiences. Jason Tse is unbelievable. I have never had this easy of a time purchasing a car before. Like everyone has said, Jason is polite, courteous, very knowledgeable and spent a long time showing us everything in the car. He is a pleasure to deal with. No haggling, pressure or any of the horror stories you hear about. I still can't get over how easy this was and how quickly we were out the door. The finance person, Darcy, is also top notch. We literally were in and out in less than 15 minutes. Unheard of. I highly recommend Jason and his team.
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Review from Jeni F.
San Francisco, CA
8/6/2009
I didn't get a good deal on my new Subaru Forester, but I felt the service was good and I love my new Forester.
They were lot nicer then the creeps at British Motor, which by the way, the Freelander I purchase the last time is a lemon.
Not sure about the service hopefully I wouldn't need them for a long long time. -
Review from Chris G.
Oakland, CA
1/4/2011
I would give Albany Ford Subaru 6 stars if I could; this was by far the best car-buying experience I've ever had. I realized a year ago that I'd need to replace my Honda wagon, and one of my big reservations- based on previous experiences - was my displeasure in having to deal with car salesmen. I spent several months researching cars and negotiating techniques on the Internet, and was prepared for the worst.
After test-driving a Honda CRV I went to Albany Subaru, which had gotten great Yelp reviews; plus a good friend had bought a car there and recommended them highly. Jason Tse, the salesman, was patient, respectful, and responsive to my needs and questions. I visited the dealer 4 times in late November/early December - once just to look, again to test drive a 2011 Outback and Forester (I preferred the Outback to the Forester and the CRV), again to test drive an Outback with my wife, and finally, to road test the '11 Outback that I ordered. On this last drive we went to my house to make sure the car would fit in my garage (it did!).
Jason never once rushed or pressured me, or tried to talk me into extras. Rather, he seemed to be taking pains to be sure I was getting what I wanted.
When it came time to negotiating the price, I was again surprised at how quickly we came to an agreement. I based my offer on a Consumer Reports service, and while Jason was not able to accommodate my initial (and very low offer), the final price was as good or better than what various Internet services said the car should cost. And finally, Mike Mitchell, the sales manager, was every bit as friendly and trustworthy as Jason. We got through the paperwork in minutes.
In retrospect I'm struck at how different my car buying experience was from what I feared. I was prepared for the worst, and I feel I got the best. The car is great, and I recommend Albany Subaru and Jason Tse to you without reservation. -
Review from Brett L.
San Francisco, CA
5/4/2011
The salesmen here were either playing a bait and switch with me or were grossly incompetent. Either way I can't recommend their business.
I got in touch with them via email for a quote on a new fiesta, specifically the 201a rapid spec.
They got back to me a few days later with a quote on the wrong spec.
I was ready to walk away then but they then sent me a quote for the spec I wanted that was 900$ less then anything else I'd seen. I was intrigued but suspected something wasn't quite right. So I emailed them back to double check that this quote was for the car I wanted and included the destination fee etc. The salesman confirmed that it was correct and we moved forward.
I was ready to head over there and asked for the final quote with all taxes and fees etc and was (un)surprised to see that it was more then 900$ different from what I'd been expecting. I pointed this out and after a bit of a run around was told that they made a mistake and had originally quoted me the price on the sedan version not the hatchback version, and that the higher price they'd quoted me was correct. They apologized for the mix up but didn't offer anything as an apology for wasting my time.
So like I said either they were trying to lure me in with a better price then switching things up or they are so incompetent that they can't check their own damn numbers even when you put out to them that they don't seem quite right. Either way I wouldn't go back there again. -
Review from Marianne J.
Berkeley, CA
11/12/2010
So helpful, and fit me in at the last moment... thank you!
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Review from Mary F.
San Francisco, CA
1/27/2012
Okay, I know that I am a couple days late and more than a few dollars short BUT I must say that my experience with these folks STILL has me smiling! They were absolutely genuine and HONEST in their business dealings with me. From the moment I heard Joel's voice on my voicemail I knew that he was cool....I kid you not. This was my FIRST time buying a brand new car and I am so glad that I bought it from these people. I heard all of the horror stories and I read ALL of the horrible reviews and until I touched bases with these folks I was looking at 2 options due to my busy schedule and all I can say about the two is that I was standing in between a snake and a lizard with a stick in my hand! Fortunately I yelped and found the reviews on this dealership so I sent them an e-mail. Now keep in mind that I am researching cars, dealerships AND doing my job job at the same time. Needless to say I was running out of steam because I had no idea how exhausting the car finding process can be and throw in all of the "advice and car buying tips" from well meaning friends and co-workers well that just leaves you drained......anyway on the day that I was going to meet with the snake and the lizard I received a voicemail from Joel and it was like manna from heaven! I mean his voice was just cool so I called him. There is a receptionist/operator who answers the phone and she was super cool and I mean no matter how many times I called I NEVER got the attitude or the harried hurry up sound in the voice. She was just professional and cool...anyway I digress.......when I spoke to Joel I told him what I was looking for and I told him my credit score. I then asked him if he wanted me to fill out their online application being as I had done that for the 2 other dealerships that I had dealt with up until that point. Now here's the clincher....he said it wasn't necessary at that time because no one would lie about a credit score as high as the one I quoted him. Well in all honesty I can now admit that I was going to buy the car from him anyway just based on the way he spoke to me on the phone and of course a 4 star yelp rated dealership is almost unprecedented. One other thing....I dealt with him from beginning to end and then I met the fabulous and lovely finance manager Darcie and she was all that too!! Professional yet human. Businesslike yet approachable. If you are green at buying a car or if you are seasoned and just don't want to deal with "Bozo, Thugo and the rest of the crew" then give these people a call. I went in at 6:15PM and by 9PM my paperwork was signed and I was done! BAM! Now admittedly I had all of my paperwork in order but I think with this dealership if they really can't work with you for whatever reason they won't send you around the mulberry bush with a bunch of nonsense and you won't leave feeling bitter, angry and abused. I had a GREAT buying experience and THANK you Joel and Darcie and the nice receptionist. You all made me feel really good about my purchase and I LOVE my new car which I believe I got a GREAT deal on.. .....THANK YOU!!
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Review from Anne D.
San Francisco, CA
5/19/2006
I recently decided to start the dreaded search for a new car. After doing preliminary on-line research I headed out to the dealerships to test drive and check out different models. I left the first two dealerships disgusted by the pushy quintessential car salesman service. What is it with these guys?! I gave up my search for a while and picked up again just last week after receiving an excellent quote from Munzer at Albany Ford-Subaru. He wasn't pressuring me and seemed quite polite. I decided to head over for a test drive. I was so pleased to find him and the rest of the staff incredibly friendly and helpful. No pressure or haggling. Dare I say trustworthy! If you're in the market for a new or used Ford or Subaru call Munzer.
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Review from marya k.
San Francisco, CA
6/20/2009
Mr. Nakamura (owner) and Jason Tse (internet manager) are the best! They actually made what can easily be a very stressful experience a very positive experience! We visited 2 Honda dealerships, 2 Toyota dealerships, and 2 other Subaru dealerships before coming to Albany Subaru, so we can really compare and they are the best by far! They gave me the best deal and more importantly made me feel like I was making a good decision because their niceness, intelligence, professionalism and integrity made me feel like I was dealing with people I could trust. It was difficult for me to make a commitment when I felt uncomfortable--I was having a hard time deciding between several good choices...we love the Subaru impreza--go to Albany Ford Subaru!!
It's just over the Bay bridge from SF--easy and quick--even during rush hour it only took us like 20 mins. and they are quick, efficient yet thorough with the paperwork too. The dealership is quiet, the receptionist (who also answers the phone) is very nice, and the streets are mellow--very low stress and a good positive experience. -
Review from Panda H.
Berkeley, CA
9/2/2009
We bought our Subaru Legacy here from Stephen Lao. We definitely felt pressure to close a deal and we did overpay, but I should have known better and walked away.
Anyway, we like the car, but the service has been terrible. One of the keys didn't work from day one and we called Stephen a couple of times and he said he would follow up but never did. When we took the car down to service, we got 2 keys but then got home and 1 of them didn't work. They then told us to "just bring the car back and we'll look into it". At this point, I think they should come out here and bring a key that works. Based on the other reviews, I think I'm going to have to find another place that services Subarus and I definitely would not recommend any of my friends to buy a Subaru here. -
Review from David S.
Novato, CA
10/10/2011
My wife and I stopped by yesterday to get information on the Forester and the Outback. We have been considering those along with the Toyota Rav4 and the Highlander. My preference is for a 6 cylinder so that ruled out the Forester. They had a 2011 Outback that we decided to look at. My wife is about 5 feet tall so she wanted to get in to see how her view was and if she could position the seats to a comfortable position. When she got out of the vehicle she told me that she liked the car. We quickly decided to go for it, and she left the negotiating up to me. I had been doing my homework on Edmunds and had an idea what the TMV, although I didn't have my paperwork with me so I was working from memory.
The salesman asked me if we were interested and I told him we were. I told him I was prepared right there to make him an offer and we would pay cash if it was accepted. I asked him to throw in a couple of items and gave him my price. We did the paperwork to formalize the offer and he presented it. Within 15 minutes it was accepted and we had bought a car. No haggling or back and forth games. I have never had as quick and painfree an experience in buying a car in my life. We did a bit more paperwork and (as we had tickets to an afternoon show at Berkeley Rep) agreed to come back later in the day to pick up the vehicle. We returned after the show and the car was washed and filled with gas. My wife drove the Outback home and thought the driving experience was great. I went back to check how I had done on the fly compared to Edmunds and was pleasantly surprised to find that with the items I asked to be added, my offer was about $200 less that Edmunds TMV for the same vehicle and equipment. So I'm very happy with the deal.
Can't say enough about our salesman, Don Myers, and the rest of the onduty staff. This was truly a great experience. -
Review from Amanda B.
Baltimore, MD
5/5/2009
If you want a new Subaru in the metropolitan Bay area, go to Albany Subaru. I cannot attest to their repair or parts service, but their sales team is fantastic - they do not play games, they are extremely courteous and thoughtful. They saved me time and anguish after terrible luck with other dealers.
My interaction with them was honestly the most positive car dealer experience I've had in my adult life. -
Review from susie r.
Alameda, CA
1/21/2012
my husband and i wanted to lease a 2012 impreza and we talked to joel benjamine who said we should order it because we wanted a stick shift (they're hard to find!). the ordering process was super easy and the car came in early! we went to fill out the lease papers today. it was such a smooth process and joel was really awesome to work with. he kept me in the loop about our car through emails and always replied to me promptly. i'm glad we didn't go anywhere else. i highly recommend this place!
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Review from Da M.
Richmond, CA
8/10/2009
Bad interaction when searching for a new car.
I have two vehicles: an older one which qualifies for the $4500 rebate, and a newer valued at $3200 blue book wholesale.
I researched on the web, and the new price according to Ford ranges $27K to 31K for an Escape Hybrid in my zip.
The manager of sales said his "correct" price was $36K, admitted I could get the rebate, and only offered $800 trade in on my newer car!!
To summarize: they jacked up the price $5000 on the Escape, were willing to take government bucks, and tried to cheat me by $2300 on my trade in. No thanks.
Lowest stars. Shopping elsewhere. -
Review from Melisa T.
Oakland, CA
6/28/2011
I got an online quote from Jason Tse. When I arrived the negotiating was easy and he was very profesional and friendly. I would definitely recommend this dealership to friends and family. I didn't experience any of the horrific dealer stories at all. They also had staff walk me through the new devices and options in my car and helped me set up my bluetooth! There is also staff knowledgable about warranty policies and you're encouraged to ask any questions in the future.
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Review from Rachel A.
Oakland, CA
7/21/2007
looking for a new car, I finally decided on a subaru. Albany was by far the best of the local east bay dealerships i tried in terms of negotiating down to a good price. still get a little bit of the "car salesman" lines, but not nearly as bad as some - the diablo walnut creek dealership guy i dealt with was super-sleazy, and unwilling to negotiate- even when we walked in with a factory invoice and price from Albany.
Albany was willing to work w/ us to get down to a good price, and give me a few hundred bucks for my '92 volvo i was trying to get off my hands- once they know you're a serious buyer, they'll do whatever they can to get your business. -
Review from Karen P.
Albany, CA
7/31/2011
If you're in the market for a car and need some good info go see Calvin at Albany Ford/Subaru - this guy is extremely knowledgeable about all things automobile (and bicycle for that matter) and is very pleasant and great to work with. We ended up going with another dealer only because we wanted a manual and they didn't have one in stock. I highly recommend working with Calvin.
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Review from Janet S.
Albany, CA
9/7/2010
We could not be happier with our sales experience at Albany Ford. John and Jason were the team that helped my husband and I with our purchase of a new Ford Fusion Hybrid. They were completely professional and helpful in every way. I would recommend them without hesitation to anyone who asked.
