Bev Smith Toyota — Local services in Fort Pierce

A car from the future, honest customer service & a price from the past!

There are moments in your life when you have to make a big decisions that will dictate things for 10 to 20 to even 30 years in to the future. Buying a house is one, committing to a 4 year college degree is another and purchasing a vehicle used to be one of those decisions… that was until Mike Ranaldi and Patrick England enticed my wife and into the fairest deal of all on a 2019 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4x4 in white with sand beige interior.

My wife and I met 10 years ago and I still remember getting in her hail beat Honda Passport that she owned outright, for her to then tell me that her ideal car forever would be a 4Runner, or a Range Rover… Fast forward 10 years from our broke college days, long distance relationship (across the Atlantic). A lot has happened, we got married (big financial decision), we remodeled a house (big financial hole with gold at the bottom), we sold a house (financial reward), we bought another house (financial hole) in a move from Arkansas to Jupiter Florida (lifestyle/ happiness decision), we bought a sailboat (financial sinkhole), we have a 50 year old MGB (old money financial decision), we bought and sold numerous used cars including a Mini Cooper S, a VW Passat Sport and our current 2011 Tundra which we affectionately named ‘Tundy’. The thing that is apparent in America, my new land as an immigrant from England, is that cars rule almost every decision from job hunting to where you live to how you fit into society. Its true and a fact you have to accept or it will drive you mad!

After an 18 month search and a final daily call around for 20 days to dealerships across the country, in stepped Mike Ranadli at Bev Smith Toyota, Fort Pierce. He joined my excel spreadsheet columns in a simple quote for the following:

A White or black SR5 4Runner 4x4 with Tan Beige interior - 2017 or newer at

I went in and left the car dealership a brand new car owner the same day. The only thing is, I wanted a higher trim and a different color. I just had to workout some kinks and the car drives beautifully. I got a 2025 Toyota RAV4 LE, it's a basic compact SUV and it's good on gas and it's a Toyota with basically no miles and it's going to last me a long time.

I don't know why they sent me a car fax email for a review when they made me go there for no reason because they didn't want to check it again. I shouldn't have had to go 3 times in the 1st month of getting my new car. The 1st time I brought it in they said it was brand new and didn't believe it had a problem so they didn't check it. I went back a couple hundred miles later and they fixed it but another problem cropped up. I went back today and they said come back if the problem gets worse because I would have to leave my car there and they don't have loaner cars meaning they can't honor contracts.

My car has less than 1000 miles. I bought my car cash. At the very most I will put 6000 miles a year on a car but I usually drive way less and I only got a 3 year 36000 mile bumper to bumper warranty or whatever comes 1st. If my car has to go in the shop for over a month, I lost more time on my warranty coverage. I am going to run out of time on my bumper to bumper warranty before I run out of milage as it is. Now imagine having to be without transportation when you bought a brand new car cash that is covered under warranty?

There are people who lease cars and pay for 36 months and only drive it for 34 months because it was in the shop for 2 months. They don't know how many problems can happen in a 36 months period and they don't have parts on hand.

This car dealership has no way of honoring contracts

It's almost like buying a car from a 3rd world country where contracts have no meaning. I asked for a XLE. The dealer came back from the lot with a LE in a different color than I asked for. He said the only difference is cosmetic when it has more safety features push button start, sun roof, alloy wheels and a electric lift gate and better quality apulstry for $1200 more. Get this. I gave the dealership $33,550 cash and gave a $2000 trade in which made it cost $35,550 to drive a base Toyota RAV4 LE off of the lot and that's after they tried to charge me $40,550. I had to negotiate my way out of buying extended warranties

How the hell can Toyota try to sell extended warranties for so damn much and make it policy to put it on the sticker when they can't honor the contract because they don't have loaner cars?

The volume of cars Toyota handles and they can't offer loaner cars?

I can overlook the lower quality apulstry and the minor imperfections on the exterior but I can't overlook the fact that if something goes wrong with my car mechanically, I will be without a car until they fix it and Toyota made it policy to charge so much extra for a extended warranty that other car manufacturers give standard at no extra cost and they give you a loaner car if something goes wrong.

Most car manufacturers offer 5 year and 6 year bumper to bumper warranty standard while Toyota's are priced as high as luxury cars because of their unethical policy.

I did the calculations. The starting price of the RAV4 LE is $30,250. Out the door with tax dealer fees and tag transfer my car should have costed $33,450 at the most. I don't know how I gave them $33,550 cash and a $2000 trade in and didn't get the Toyota RAV4 XLE...

Last year I went to this dealership and the sales person attempted to sell me a used vehicle I did not ask for. I had asked for a very specific new vehicle. We ended up leaving and never returning. Im looking for another vehicle and was hesitant to go back but they had the exact vehicle I was looking for. So I reached out online. I specified that I only wanted to be emailed but they disregarded that and called anyways. I told them I was looking for a specific vehicle and supplied the vin number. They tried giving me info on different cars again that I did not want. I ended up speaking with Domonic who told me he was a new sales manager with the dealership. He advised me he could not do anything over the phone or on email and I had to come in. RED FLAG! Its 2025, almost everything can be done in an email. Its just a bait and switch tactic to get you in the door and I should have put my foot down but I didnt. So we scheduled a meeting between him and I. I show up to the meeting and he doesn't answer his calls or texts. I end up finding out he isn't the sales manager but someone who deals with online leads and he isnt even working now. Basically he lured me into the dealership on false pretenses. He had no intentions on being the person I would meet with. I had to speak to a random salesman who had no idea why I was there or had any knowledge of my previous communications with Domonic. I was there specifically to get a trade in value on my current vehicle. The sales person I'm now working with comes back to me with numbers on the vehicle I was looking at but said they didn't want to give me a trade in value for my car since the one I was looking at was a month out. And he says the price for the vehicle is now 14k MORE than what is listed online. Again, this trade in value is the only reason I came. I got upset with the guy and he went back and got someone else who was then able to give me that value. Then they show me their price break down and say that they are giving me a discount on the car 🙄 now that car is 11k more than what is listed online. He says that's a "market value adjustment" and they have to list that lower price online but there is fine print somewhere saying that it isn't the true price. So basically they bait and switch you. Scam much? I spent nearly an hour there for something that could have been done via email but they refuse to speak over email. So I was made to waste my time this evening for a bunch of lies. Domonic wasn't who he said he was, he scheduled a meeting with me then wasn't even there, the price online is a lie. Also, the entire time we are there, there is music blaring like we are in a Rave or something. The receptionists are wandering around dancing and on their phones. It was entirely unprofessional. It was like walking into a club. There was more but this review is already long. I'm sick of dealerships and their bait and switch tactics. Why is it so hard...