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A Buyer's Tale: When You Need A Ride Quick!
The saga began when my wife’s 1997 Land Rover Discovery died. And I mean flatlined. The dealer said that he had never seen a repair quote so high. Rather than sell it and place our repair burdens on the next owner, we decided to donate the car. This not only helped the charity we donated to, but also gave us a tax deduction. With the “Disco” now hauled away, we were left with my fun but small 1997 Honda Prelude. But there was another problem. We need transportation for myself, my wife, and our brand new bouncing baby boy. Having made the decision that we weren’t going to risk our little guy in the Prelude, we searched for the safest family ride out there, and the best dealer to purchase it from. What we decided to get was the Volvo XC90, and where we decided to get it was DARCARS Volvo of Rockville, Maryland.
Why the XC90? AR Editor-in-Chief Brian Armstead sold us on Volvo’s legendary safety, attractive styling, available all-wheel drive, and even told us about the XC90’s high strength Boron steel roof.  Why DARCARS? Because they have a solid reputation, have been around since 1977, and have grown to 25 dealerships in three states plus Washington, D.C. In a business where good experiences and word of mouth mean everything, the growth and longevity of DARCARS says a lot about how they treat their customers.
To begin the process, I went to AutomotiveRhythms.com to see if one of my crew had reviewed the XC90. Sure enough, AR Publisher Kimatni Rawlins had flown to Sweden to check out the 2005 XC90 V8. After reading his review, which helped to back up my impressions of the vehicle, I went to Volvocars.com where I checked out all of the options available and built my sample Volvo. Then I went on the DARCARS Volvo Web site where I searched through their inventory and found over 58 XC90s in stock. Though all the vehicles are on their site, each vehicle’s options are not listed. A quick call to DARCARS quickly remedied that. I spoke with a sales associate and told him what colors and options I wanted on my XC90. He took my number and called me back within 10 minutes telling me that he had three in stock that closely matched the colors (interior and exterior), features and options that I wanted. Then he told me the MSRP of the vehicle, the invoice price and then my price. That was it. I told him that that was the vehicle I wanted, and the next day I went in to pick it up.
 
At the dealership, I was treated as a valued customer and with respect. I was given a thorough walk through of my new vehicle, and a relaxed explanation of the paperwork I had to sign to purchase my new Volvo. In all, except for writing the check, it was a very painless process, because to me, buying a new car is more stressful than pleasurable. After buying a house, it’s the second biggest purchase most people make. In this case, DARCARS Volvo of Rockville made it easy.
So was my buying experience typical? I had to ask general manager Alexander Arman. For most buyers at his dealership it was. He not only said yes, but explained the one motto that he imparts on his staff. It is simply, “care just a little bit more.” That’s it. He says he trains his staff and hopes that they will care, just a little bit more. With the excellent service I received, I think they do. He also said that most buyers at his dealership use the Internet and their Website to get the prices of their vehicles in stock. In fact, if you log on, you can choose a vehicle, see its MSRP as well as its invoice price, and click a link that will email you an even lower Internet price for that same vehicle. That’s the final price. No haggling. Either way you do it, whether visiting the showroom, or by using their Web site, I expect that your experience at DARCARS will prove to be a good one as well. Now about replacing my Prelude…  The good news is that when I finally scrape up enough money to do it, DARCARS has dealerships that represent 15 different automotive brands.
Back at home, the little one, the wife and I couldn’t be happier. Driving the XC90 is like driving a luxury tank. The SUV is as smooth and refined as it is sturdy and strong. For our family, we felt that we wanted the best of both worlds in our new vehicle. The XC90 gives us great piece of mind, as we now own one of the safest rides out there. Thanks to DARCARS for putting us behind the wheel.
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