The Fast Lane - Opinions / factual reviews?

[Zero102]

I don't want to start any more class action lawsuits around here, but I am very curious if anybody has dealt with The Fast Lane recently? I searched on here and found a thread from 2005 when they were at their old location and were selling bagged on garbage "sports" cars. Since then they have moved to 39th avenue and I am wondering if maybe they have changed owners, and whether they are doing any better about being honest, or selling quality cars. It seems their strategy is significantly different now, they are offering many more mid-range sedans and vans and non-sporty cars.

I have been hunting around for a specific vehicle and they have something that is very close to what I am looking for at a price that is suspiciously close to private sale prices with really low kilometers. I was planning on going down there tomorrow to check it out, and I am reasonably mechanically inclined and can generally spot shoddy body work, but I figure it never hurts to get opinions, perhaps of the dealership itself or individual salespeople to use / avoid?

[imhungry]

I went with my cousin there to buy his Mazda. At first glance looks like any other shady used car dealership with grimy salesmen sitting around smoking.

The car he bought was low km and also close to private sale price. They seem to carry alot of imports.

The guy we dealt with, Billy (the owner) was actually a decent guy. Spent alot of time with us as we tried to lowball him LOL...

As for honesty, can't expect too much I guess. He did answer our questions and seemed pretty open. Trust our gut, and know your stuff I guess.

The car was bought about 6 months ago. Inspected by our own mechanic, and still running well. No problems thus far.

I would say our experience there was fair.

[Resurrected RA]

Deal with Billy and you shouldn't have too much trouble.

[imhungry]

Originally posted by Resurrected RA
Deal with Billy and you shouldn't have too much trouble.

This too.

[Zero102]

Thanks for all the input guys. I'll share my experience as well. I went down there tonight and it turns out the vehicle I was interested in was mis-listed, it actually had 100,000km more on it than advertised due to a typo. Of course I passed on it because it was now quite overpriced and beyond my mileage limit. I checked out another similar vehicle, which was advertised as having all original paint, however it appears at some point the rear bumper has been replaced with an incorrect one as the exhaust cutout is on the wrong side and somebody has cut away a section for the exhaust pipe. Other than that it was very similar to how it was advertised, just had a minor clunk in the steering (tie rod end or ball joint perhaps) and needed sway bar end links. Unfortunately, it was a little too close to how it was advertised in that he wouldn't move quite far enough on price for me to make a deal tonight.

As mentioned here, Billy is a great guy to deal with, but at the end of my trip (after looking at a few similar vehicles while I was there) I felt the quality of their cars in general was a bit lacking. Sure some of it was because of the price point I was looking at (there are a lot of crappy sub-$7k cars in our city), but I think a couple of them had no business being at any dealership and they need to exercise a little better quality control when picking vehicles for their lot. Also worth noting, some other people came by while I was poking around and the other salesguy seemed to be pulling a lot of high pressure BS with them. Billy was pretty straight up, but I definitely would not deal with the other guy.

Another thing to mention, Billy himself says he does not smoke, but the other guy at the dealership most definitely does, inside. He was holding the door open standing half-way in the door smoking when I arrived and their office STANK of smoke because the other guy had been smoking in it. If you have any kind of sensitivity to smoke please keep this in mind. I left the dealership hours ago and my pants and jacket still stink of smoke.

Billy, if you're reading this (and I would guess you are since I mentioned this thread while we were talking), I am talking it over with my wife, we have 2 more to look at tomorrow then we'll make a decision for the weekend.

[Canucks3322]

^ here's a question, if you're looking for a used car <$7000 why in God's name are you looking at these independent used car lots????...they are there to make PROFIT, why on Earth would you want to pay their markup PLUS pay GST??? No dealership in their right mind is gonna sell you a vehicle for less than it's fair market value unless there is something wrong with it, use your common sense.

To be fair to them though, there is a market for these types of vehicles and they often do help people who would otherwise not be able to get financing elsewhere into a vehicle they need and that is the market they serve.

[Resurrected RA]

Originally posted by Zero102
Also worth noting, some other people came by while I was poking around and the other salesguy seemed to be pulling a lot of high pressure BS with them.

The car ninja?

[Zero102]

Originally posted by Canucks3322
^ here's a question, if you're looking for a used car &lt;$7000 why in God's name are you looking at these independent used car lots????...they are there to make PROFIT, why on Earth would you want to pay their markup PLUS pay GST??? No dealership in their right mind is gonna sell you a vehicle for less than it's fair market value unless there is something wrong with it, use your common sense.

To be fair to them though, there is a market for these types of vehicles and they often do help people who would otherwise not be able to get financing elsewhere into a vehicle they need and that is the market they serve.

For anybody else who is curious, I have been looking primarily at private sales, however as mentioned in my original post, these guys had one car with suspiciously low mileage for the year at a price very close to what I would expect from a private sale so I decided to give them a shot. That is why I was looking. I came on here to get opinions before going down there and the consensus was that they are generally a reputable dealership with vehicles in fair condition so I decided to head down there to check it out.

Since I was already down there when I found out that the one I was really interested in was mis-advertised I decided to check out another one they had (2 years newer, lower mileage, more money) just to see if they could give me a deal close to what I they had listed on the vehicle I was expecting to look at.

I've looked at 9 cars of the same make/model and similar years (2003-2006) now, and I have found that private sale vs dealership pricing gives less than a $1k spread in price on comparable vehicles. I also know generally what dealerships have paid for each of the cars and that there is still a reasonable profit margin (~$1500-$2000) after the offers I have been making, and I have been offering reasonable private sale prices when I find one that I like and generally they have been willing to move 50-70% of the way down to my pricing with a little bit of negotiating, and after leaving some have offered to come even closer.
With less than $1k difference on a $7k car it comes down to the quality of the vehicle in question more than the price of it. I will pay more for something that I believe is nicer, and if an independent dealership has what I believe to be a nicer vehicle then I'd be doing myself a disservice by not checking it out.

[HiTempguy1]

Canuck:

Most of these dealerships get cast off cars from the BIG dealerships (basically, cars they can't move) at huge discounts. It's bad for a car to sit on the lot too long for the dealers. They also pick up cars dirt cheap at auctions that your average joe doesn't get to participate in either.

I've actually bought a couple of cars from used dealerships for INCREDIBLE deals. But it's not often, and there are a lot of people hunting for the same thing nowadays thanks to the interwebs.

Not saying I am for or against, typically, used car salesmen are as bad as they come. But every experience I've had purchasing a used car (from a used car dealer) so far has been good, just have to make sure to do your homework!

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by Zero102

I found out that the one I was really interested in was mis-advertised

And you have to ask on here, if they're an honest stealership? :rofl:

To answer one of your questions, it's the same owner, and Billy is the one that sold me my heap (7 years ago)

[Zero102]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok


And you have to ask on here, if they're an honest stealership? :rofl:

To answer one of your questions, it's the same owner, and Billy is the one that sold me my heap (7 years ago)

:confused:
I called them, spoke to Billy, asked about the van, confirmed the mileage, he seemed quite straight-up and knowledgeable, I then came on here to post asking for opinions on them as a whole, got 3 good responses, then called to set up a time to check out the van, then went down. AFTER ALL OF THIS, when I arrived there, THEN I found out the mileage was wrong.

And I also asked Billy about the old location and their previous reputation. He explained it as them having a significantly larger budget now and being able to afford much nicer cars, and that some of the other staff had changed over the years as well.

[corsvette]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1
Canuck:

Most of these dealerships get cast off cars from the BIG dealerships (basically, cars they can't move) at huge discounts. It's bad for a car to sit on the lot too long for the dealers. They also pick up cars dirt cheap at auctions that your average joe doesn't get to participate in either.

I've actually bought a couple of cars from used dealerships for INCREDIBLE deals. But it's not often, and there are a lot of people hunting for the same thing nowadays thanks to the interwebs.

Not saying I am for or against, typically, used car salesmen are as bad as they come. But every experience I've had purchasing a used car (from a used car dealer) so far has been good, just have to make sure to do your homework!

My .2 cents. Alot of franchised new car dealer only want to sell used cars that are 3 yrs old MAX. I worked for a large Ford dealer in my younger years and the manager would wholesale or auction any car older than 3 years, mostly because Ford credit would not lease anything older and the finance rates were lower.

Dirt cheap cars at the dealer auctions are like Unicorns, a myth...period. I became a member of said auction's years ago having all the nessasary licences through my heavy truck business. I couldn't wait to go and snag some awesome deals on the vehicles the fat cat new car dealers can't be bothered with. I was shocked at how high the prices were on everything from Chevy Cobalts to Escalades. For every one good clean low mileage trade in there's probably 100 different used car dealers and wholesalers from across Canada trying to buy it, this drives prices way up to even beyond private asking prices (this is another reason new car dealers take trades to auction)

I keep my membership going there year after year, its interesting to watch, and I've been able to get a few decent deals out of there, mostly for friends and family and we save a few grand on what a dealer would charge for newer car. But believe me, nothing goes dirt cheap at dealer auctions.

[HO2S]

Why are you so shocked they miss-printed the miliage. The whole goal was to get you on there lot. Now your on there lot and all they have to say is "oops, our bad. but can I intrest you in this other vehical."
It is safe to say that ANY used car place even if its attached to a new car dealership is a bunch of shisters. If your going to buy a used car from a lot cover your ass at all angles.

[Zero102]

Originally posted by HO2S
Why are you so shocked they miss-printed the miliage. The whole goal was to get you on there lot. Now your on there lot and all they have to say is &quot;oops, our bad. but can I intrest you in this other vehical.&quot;
It is safe to say that ANY used car place even if its attached to a new car dealership is a bunch of shisters. If your going to buy a used car from a lot cover your ass at all angles.

:confused: What?
I never said I was shocked, I said right from the start that it had SUSPICIOUSLY LOW MILEAGE, as in, I was suspicious that something wasn't right, or that the mileage was not correct.

[HO2S]

Originally posted by Zero102


:confused: What?
I never said I was shocked, I said right from the start that it had SUSPICIOUSLY LOW MILEAGE, as in, I was suspicious that something wasn't right, or that the mileage was not correct.
I wasnt calling you out or anying. I was just saying that miss printing and calling it a typo is a sales tactic. If it looks suspicious it probably is.

[Resurrected RA]

AutoTrader makes mistakes all the time. The Fast Lane uses AutoTrader, a guy comes down, takes pictures, gets some details, writes down the mileage and then posts it to the website/ publication. It could have been an honest mistake. Conversely, it could have been a tactic to get someone on the door. Either way, the OP went down realized the mistake and may be satisfied with an alternative.

[Canucks3322]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1
Canuck:

Most of these dealerships get cast off cars from the BIG dealerships (basically, cars they can't move) at huge discounts. It's bad for a car to sit on the lot too long for the dealers. They also pick up cars dirt cheap at auctions that your average joe doesn't get to participate in either.

I've actually bought a couple of cars from used dealerships for INCREDIBLE deals. But it's not often, and there are a lot of people hunting for the same thing nowadays thanks to the interwebs.

Not saying I am for or against, typically, used car salesmen are as bad as they come. But every experience I've had purchasing a used car (from a used car dealer) so far has been good, just have to make sure to do your homework!

I wanted to post this fact in my last post but didn't want to write too much. I finally figured this out when I went to trade in my Murano at Silverhill Acura. Off topic but one of the salesmen there was the first ever goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks in 1970...anyways, the used car sales manager, in order to determine how much to give me for my Murano, basically just called around to all the independent used car lots around town to find the highest bidder...he wouldn't sell it on his lot because it had high kms and was generally in rough shape. So ya, these independent used car lots basically sell rejects from the new car dealers' own used lots because they don't meet their standards, the new car dealers' used car lots have reputations to uphold, they can't be selling people fucked up cars.

Another bad thing these independent used car lots do...they fix their cars up with shit parts (cheap NON-OEM parts or refurbished parts), and as someone mentioned already, don't exactly use the most reputable mechanics in town. Their whole M.O. is to fix whatever needs fixin' as fast as possible and as cheap as possible, the buyer buys the car, shit breaks down 3 months later, not their problem.....unlike a new car dealer's used lot, they usually fix them up properly with OEM parts and certified mechanics, ESPECIALLY if you're buying a used car from the same brand's new car dealer....again, they have reputations to uphold.

Now that being said......these shady used car dealers do serve a good purpose, there are people who have bad credit and need vehicles and can't get a vehicle otherwise, this is where these types of dealers can help. I support them for this cause as long as they're upfront and honest about what they're selling and the buyers need to realize, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! You're getting a disposable car basically, pay off the your loans on time and use them to rebuild your credit.

And it's also not saying that every car they sell is gonna be fucked up either. But chances are still way higher. If I was in a position where I had to buy from them, I would only choose a Honda or a Toyota or something known to have a good reliability record and then have an independent mechanical inspection done.

[Zero102]

**NOTE** I have edited my post below after a phone call from Billy reminded me that I may have overstepped on representing things as fact which were instead my opinions and that it was not the right thing to do. I encourage anybody else who has represented any matters of opinion as facts to revise their posts as well.
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They blamed the mistake on the Auto Trader, which very well could be true, but I think somebody at the dealership should be checking up on this stuff.

Some people might have been satisfied with something on their lot, but I was having a really hard time finding anything I would be happy taking home. The one I was the closest to liking had a couple minor issues, creaking sway bar bushings and what I believe to be a loose tie rod end. After we went inside Billy showed me a mechanical inspection on the van (and gave me a copy) which showed everything was in passable shape and repeated over and over that his mechanic found nothing wrong with it.

I personally have little faith in the mechanic that they use for their inspections. I don't want to ramble on here, but it was explained that each of their cars has been inspected and had any repairs they deemed necessary made. Despite this I feel that one of the vehicles I drove that night was not in roadworthy condition.

My opinion is that they repair anything that has failed to the point of being immediately unsafe then sell them letting the rest of the stuff get fixed by their warranty company if it fails during the warranty period.

For anybody who is curious how this turned out I should post an update:

I didn't want to initially post too many details as there seems to be some kind of mini-van fever taking place right now, but I was out shopping for a people carrier, a Dodge Grand Caravan in particular. Yes, they are crap, save all your brand loyalty for another thread, the decision was made on a lot of criteria and I am not 100% happy with it either, but it is the best option available for what we wanted and needed and it turns out we found a really nice one.

I had checked out about 10 others before I went to The Fast Lane, many of the ones I looked at sold immediately after I passed on them, and several I wanted to look at sold before I got the chance. Based on the lack of available choices I started finding myself looking at independent car lots and dealerships.

I found nothing that completely satisfied me at any of these places, although one at The Fast Lane did come close, aside from an incorrect rear bumper (all original paint it said!!) and what I believe to be minor mechanical issues, however they wouldn't move far enough on the price to make a deal with me (offered to come down to $7250 all-in, I wouldn't go above $6700, which was already pretty generous in my opinion given what I was able to get the one I bought for).

Friday night I went out to look at another van being sold privately and it was just about completely perfect so I bought it and am now the owner of a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SE Stow'n'Go with ~110,000km on it. I paid less for this van than I would have paid for ones with 30,000-40,000km more on them at The Fast Lane, and the body was in far better shape with the only mechanical issues being that it was late for its current oil change (only 2100km but 13 months) and the timing chain was rattling (very common issue on the 3.3L).

Personally I would not recommend any friends or family go to The Fast Lane, but that is mainly because of the complete lack of respect shown by the other salesman. If somebody is competent with cars and is looking for a ~$3000-$5000 vehicle and can tolerate smoke then I'd say go there, check out what they have to offer and make sure you deal with Billy because in my opinion he's the only decent guy there. :closed:

[Zero102]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok


And you have to ask on here, if they're an honest stealership? :rofl:

To answer one of your questions, it's the same owner, and Billy is the one that sold me my heap (7 years ago)

Just curious, do you know who the owner is?

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by Zero102


Just curious, do you know who the owner is?

Isn't it Billy? That was my impression when I was buying.

[T-Dubbs]

Yes,
Billy is the owner