Best main dealer?

Author
Discussion

70proof

Original Poster:

6,085 posts

170 months

Sunday 17th June 2012
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Who is the best main dealer for a four year service... Not in terms of price but for overall experience.. Do any give courtesy cars?

SirMark

570 posts

204 months

Sunday 17th June 2012
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Hi mate,

Personally I like HROwen London they used to do most of my work and also do a BMW courtesy car

Price isn't too bad remember to mention the club and I believe they still give discount (worth checking)


paul0843

1,931 posts

222 months

Sunday 17th June 2012
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Hr owen for me too...they will price match any oficial dealer anywhere in uk

iandc

3,823 posts

221 months

Sunday 17th June 2012
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3rd vote for H R Owen in London. Never asked for a courtesy car but I guess they do them. Plus when you go to collect the car you can see the Paganis etc they have in!!They have always serviced mine and very reasonable plus call you before fixing anything they find.

Stryke

640 posts

177 months

Sunday 17th June 2012
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I would say avoid HR Owen.

A friend serviced his car with them and they told him aload of things were wrong, eg wipers, tyres, pads.

The funny thing was that the tyres were only a couple of thousand miles old and the pads were done the previous year and he replaced the wipers a few months before the service.

Better to use a good specialist who knows what they are doing, takes care and doesn't charge you for replacing a cable tie.

Also note that mechanics at main dealers have to hit targets, they really don't care about the cars they work on or the time spent.

InsideDealings

622 posts

227 months

Sunday 17th June 2012
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Just seen Dick Lovett's new dealership that opens tomorrow. M4 J16.

HUGE!!!

2 floors of used cars and a state of the art workshop. Very impressive indeed.

therat

170 posts

193 months

Sunday 17th June 2012
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Gary at HR OWEN TOP MAN ! !

Another Fluffer

3,888 posts

180 months

Sunday 17th June 2012
quotequote all
SirMark said:
Hi mate,

Personally I like HROwen London they used to do most of my work and also do a BMW courtesy car

Price isn't too bad remember to mention the club and I believe they still give discount (worth checking)
Or Lamborghini Manchester, if the BMW is being used they often loan out a demo car.

P101

1,256 posts

173 months

Sunday 17th June 2012
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Has anyone that has highly praised a main dealer, actually taken their car to an Indy and discovered the truth of what has actually been done to their car whilst in the hands of a main dealer? It may be nice having your ass licked and being served expensive coffee whilst at the posh dealership. But look a little deeper, don't take the smooth tongued agents word for anything.

SirMark

570 posts

204 months

Monday 18th June 2012
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I have and do you use both myself, but the op did ask what's the best MAIN dealer, but of course Grimaldi Engineering, Autoficina, CareraSport many others out there who have good reputations and I would also recommend


Stryke

640 posts

177 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
P101 said:
Has anyone that has highly praised a main dealer, actually taken their car to an Indy and discovered the truth of what has actually been done to their car whilst in the hands of a main dealer? It may be nice having your ass licked and being served expensive coffee whilst at the posh dealership. But look a little deeper, don't take the smooth tongued agents word for anything.
+1

wise words.

franki68

11,000 posts

236 months

Monday 18th June 2012
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Lambo manchester impressed me,but good luck with a courtesy car...they have one.

P101

1,256 posts

173 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
Stryke said:
+1

wise words.
Oops I had had a few drinks when I wrote that, didn't really mean to put down what I was thinking! But I still stand by it!

V10 BAT

1,718 posts

249 months

Monday 18th June 2012
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franki68 said:
Lambo manchester impressed me,but good luck with a courtesy car...they have one.
Mate, did you get to the bottom of the diff oil/noise problem ?.
Sorry op biggrin

70proof

Original Poster:

6,085 posts

170 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
V10 BAT said:
Sorry op biggrin
no worries mate..... dealer only 400 more than an indie, currently booked in with LB'ham, 2500 all in, courtesy car for the week if i want it, but not like for like LOL!!

franki68

11,000 posts

236 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
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V10 BAT said:
Mate, did you get to the bottom of the diff oil/noise problem ?.
Sorry op biggrin
No ,I did call the buyer to see if he resolved it,but he never got back.keep seeing the car around though .

andrew

10,185 posts

207 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
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i've always used lambo high wycombe
thumbup

70proof

Original Poster:

6,085 posts

170 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
quotequote all
andrew said:
i've always used lambo high wycombe
thumbup
they were more, several hundred more..... frown

just spoke to mike pullen at carrera sport.... 500+VAT all in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thats a bit of an eye opener.... banghead ... do i go for the indie or main dealer i think to myself...

MartinTorque

373 posts

210 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
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Being an independent dealer but having been involved in main dealers and manufacturers for years my view is the following:

The level of specialist equipment (which is updated as the models update) from the manufacturer to the main dealer is expensive and necessary. The diagnostic computer for a Lambo for example is 70k Euros. In addition to being trained on the ground/college the main dealer will send its technicians on manufacturer training on an on going basis (i.e. every time there is an update or every time there is a recurring fault throughout the network) which means they stay up to the minute. All these costs mean that main dealers contrary to most popular belief don't make fortunes out of the service dept.

The negatives to a main dealer are that they also have to spend a fortune on 'brand standards' that dont add any value like certain colour tiles, a certain coffee machine etc (initial set up pack for a Lambo service agent is around £150k). Again this has be be recovered through the overall hourly rate. The second negative is that in most cases you will be dealing with an employee of a group as your service contact, who in some cases will have all the passion in the world but more often than not its just a job. In an indy you will normally have involvement from the owner and therefore its his name/reputation on the line and is therefore likely to be more responsive/caring.

What I tend to do is use main dealers for the late cars as I know that they can deal with any recalls, updates, ask advice of the manufacturer in diagnostic issues (bearing in mind the manufacturer will have the feedback of every dealer in the world available) and, like it or not people/traders will always pay more for a full main dealer service history (!!) but if it is a non current model i.e. 2005 Gallardo I will be happy to use an indy of which there are many excellent ones.

Long winded I know! Thanks for reading!!

UH-Matt

2,172 posts

255 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
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... or just create a thread and ponder it for a few months. Decisions eh?