How to Find New Car Dealerships Near You

There are many ways to find new car dealerships that offer a variety of brands in your area. Whether you are shopping for a Chevrolet, Toyota, Ford or Chrysler product, among others, services like CarsDirect can put you in touch with dealerships who offer competitive Internet pricing quotes. In addition to tools available via the Internet, there are a variety of other methods to find the best local new car dealerships. This guide assists buyers searching for the best used car dealerships near you. Shopping locally can save you time and gas, especially if your car gets low MPG.

Step 1: Complete an Online Search

The easiest way to find car dealerships is to complete an online search. By using a search engine like Google or Yahoo! you can find many local results. Using search terms that include your preferred new car brands and city name, you can find local dealerships that have websites. However, it is important to remember that some smaller dealerships do not have websites, and others may not emphasize high search engine placement for their websites. As a result, it is important to visit manufacturer websites to use their online searches for dealerships, as a manufacturer's website search can find dealerships who do not have websites. You can also learn a lot about a dealership by visiting a website. If a website is poorly designed or not updated, you may have a hard time contacting the dealership via the internet.

Step 2: Check Your Local Paper

Although many dealerships focus on selling via the Internet, local newspapers have remained an important way for some dealerships to advertise. Be sure to check local weekend papers for an abundance of car ads. The dealerships who advertise in the paper may not be the same dealerships who heavily advertise online, so you could find some new options.

Step 3: Check Online Dealership Reviews

Services like Yelp and DealerRater.com allow you to read reviews of local dealerships. You can search by dealership name or by proximity to an address or Zip code. Remember that unhappy customers are more likely to voice their concerns than satisfied customers, so be prepared for many of the reviews to be negative in nature. However, some customers who are extremely happy with a dealership may provide positive feedback. In addition to using online reviews, it may be helpful to ask friends and family if they have any new car dealerships to recommend.

Step 4: Contact Dealerships

Once you locate dealerships and feel comfortable about a dealership's reputation, it is time to get in touch with them. Taking advantage of a service like CarsDirect is an easy way to get Internet prices on multiple vehicles. This service can put you in touch with local dealerships that have dedicated Internet sales departments who offer no- and low-haggle prices. You could also choose to contact dealerships via the phone or in person. Whichever method you choose, just be sure to negotiate hard to get the best deal possible

In addition to finding local new car dealerships using these methods, you may find that television, radio or billboard advertisements are more common in your area. In this case, you can harness the information offered via these sources to find even more new car dealerships near you.