Daniel Auto Sales — Local services in City of Yonkers

Summary / TLDR: I was anxious buying a used car not CPO but the experience was smooth. Would recommend Daniel Auto to friends & family.

Started my car search two weeks ago with two constraints that made it very stressful. I was looking for an Acura MDX hybrid (very low inventory out there) and a tight timeline to get it done before the end of the year. Made a spreadsheet of every MDX hybrid I could find online and there were less than half a dozen within reasonable driving distance (200 miles) of NYC. Based on this info I started engaging with Daniel Auto since they were number one on the list based on price/value and color but they were up against an Acura dealership in RI that offered certified pre-owned and two other strong value options. I had never purchased a used car not certified pre-owned by the car manufacturer so had a little anxiety not going with Acura CPO.

Communication online / via text was easy and I made an appointment for a test drive. A little surprised at the small office and packed lot when I showed up... I've always only been to higher end brand dealerships who spend a lot on the visual experience. The office (and bathroom) was clean and organized, and when I thought about it, I much prefer that they save money on unnecessary frills, especially if they're offering solid/good pricing. The test drive was fine; John was very pleasant and left me alone to inspect the car afterwards.

The price was the price, no hidden fees and no nonsense that I've experienced from some dealerships to push you towards financing to show you a lower monthly while raising the price or adding fees. I settled with Daniel on a price; don't expect there to be much movement if any. Having done online research before, the pricing was solid/fair. They had financing available, but I decided to pay cash. A little bit anxious as I'd never done a cash purchase before but everything went smoothly: Put a small deposit down using a debit card, signed a bill of sale, went home and wired the rest of the money, came back in a few days with my wife to pick up the car.

Yesterday, I took it to my long time Acura dealership I've used for many years on my previous non-hybrid MDX. Needed to correct a fuel pump safety recall and had them inspect everything, with special focus on suspension and transmission. Everything came back clean, including alignment and little things like cabin air filters. Feeling pretty good about both the hybrid MDX and purchasing it from Daniel Auto. Oh, and I got confused about wheel locks (this car didn't have any) earlier in the week and they (both Ron & Daniel) were just as fast responding on text and calling post sale as pre sale.

I would shop with them again and recommend to...

I purchased a Subara from Daniel Auto and the staff and Daniela were very helpful with my finance work and I was very impressed. They assured me that the car was in good working condition and I trused them. Unfortunately, when I tried to drive the car to pick up my son in Syracuse the car broke down in under 100 miles and I had to have it towed home for $350. When I called them they came and took the car back to their repair shop and later called me to say that the head was blown and even though I had driven the car over the 1,000 miles limit they would fix it for me. This was my first mistake trusting them. I had only made 2 payments to the bank and already I felt like I made a big mistake. When I got the car back I drove it for a couple of weeks and then the check engine light turned on with the cruise button flashing which causes the car to drive erratically. I drove the car to their repair shop again and they said they would fix it for me that it was only a sensor issue. They called me in a couple of days to say that it was fixed and I could come and pick it up, but I had to work late so I could not pick up the car until the next day. When I arrived the next morning the mechanic told me my car was parked down the block and across the street (which I thought was rude behavior - but I should have expected this from them because once they get their money they treat you like you are bothering them). When I got in my car I noticed that the back seat and the back of the drivers seat had grease stains smeared across it. I was very upset about this but I took it to a car wash and got most of the stains out. Then I tried to drive to CT and the check engine light went back on with the cruise light blinking so I know nothing was done to fix my car. I brought my car to a reliable repair shop today and I am waiting to hear what the real damage is before I contact the bank and notify the better business bureau. I would not recommend anybody trust this car dealer - they are not...

Great Experience. After looking around at a number of other dealers, I finally found these guys. Wow, I can tell you, over here they're not you're standard dealership. A different place told me "no, you can't bring it to your mechanic, we're too busy for that". Over here I got real service. Daniela was great from the moment I stepped onto the lot. Well, actually, from before that. They close at 6 on Sunday, but she waited around for me to come from 45 minutes away and then let me take it for a full test drive. Even though they were already closed, she gave zero pressure about that.

The cars themselves are all clean, and they seem to be very trustworthy. They never backed out on what they agreed or tried to weasel their way into fees that don't exist.

After my mechanic looked at the car, (yes, they let me do that, even though they were busy,) he pointed out a couple of problems which Ron - the manager at Daniel Auto - took care of without raising the price we had already agreed on. When the total after taxes & registration came out to be slightly higher than what we agreed on, Daniela told me "don't worry about it, we agreed on a price so I'll round it down".

From my experience, buying a used car from a dealer can be a nerve-wracking experience. My entire purchase process was a breeze here. To be honest, I thought "it's too good to be a dealership" and I kept waiting for the next foot to drop, but here I am, the sale is complete and they haven't lost any trust in my eyes. Their prices are fair too. So the next time I'm in the market for a used vehicle, this is my first stop.

If I could give 10 stars instead of 5, you'd see 10 stars on the top of this review. Unfortunately, the max they allow is 5 stars, so that will have...