Cityside Subaru

Awful Experience I had a terrible experience trying to buy a car here last month. I went in knowing exactly which car I wanted to purchase, had done price comparisons I had a terrible experience trying to buy a car here last month. I went in knowing exactly which car I wanted to purchase, had done price comparisons and picked CitySide because they were close to my home. I had a trade in vehicle and had already looked up its value on KBB and Edmonds so I felt prepared. The sales associate, told me that in order to even discuss the purchase price, I had to give him my credit card. When I questioned why, he "educated" me in a very condescending way about car sales and how it works. After giving him my card, he wanted a deposit on the car. This was before discussing a purchase price or giving me a value on my trade in. I refused to put down a deposit and he backed off, although he kept my credit card. We settled on a price and then he went to appraise my trade in. He came back way under what the value actually was. It was 2012 Mazda 3 with 68,000 miles in excellent condition. No accidents, only 2 owners. He said because it was a stick shift, they wouldn't be able to do anything with it and would have to sell it on their end for a low price. The warehouse would laugh at them if they tried to sell it for more. I pushed back a bit and he increased the trade to a somewhat more reasonable offer but said he needed to get his managers approval and call the warehouse. He came back after 45 minutes and said there would be no deal. They wouldn't take my trade at all. Not even the lower one he originally gave me. I should mention during this 45 minutes he was standing at someone else's desk laughing and talking so I think he was lying about contacting the warehouse, etc. When I expressed confusion about them not trading my car, he told me I was experiencing a first world problem and I should be lucky to even have a car to drive. He said there are people in cars without air conditioning and recommended I keep my current car for at least another 5 years since it was a great vehicle and then think about buying new. The same great car he told me was worthless just a few minutes before. He then managed to be even more patronizing by telling me he was talking to me like he would talk to a daughter. I'm not sure if this was some sort of triple reverse psychology on his part but what a way to make sure I never buy a car from CitySide ever and I will make sure everyone I know never goes there. I went to a different Subaru dealership the next week and they offered a much better trade and a better price. There are a lot of Subaru dealerships in this area. Go to one of them. More

Great experience! Great service, fair price and delivery on the day combined.All the people were polite and worried about giving us the best option within what we wante Great service, fair price and delivery on the day combined.All the people were polite and worried about giving us the best option within what we wanted. I would certainly recommend this dealer. More

Customer friendly, no hard sell, make buying easy My salesperson, Mark Lidano, focused on what I wanted in a car. He was knowledgeable and followed up on details.He kept me updated on each step of the My salesperson, Mark Lidano, focused on what I wanted in a car. He was knowledgeable and followed up on details.He kept me updated on each step of the process. I'd buy a car from him again, no question! More

Excellent experience & stood by their word Cityside Subaru overall was a pleasant experience and Tom DAlessandro was professional & polite. As a first time car buyer, I had expected a long, str Cityside Subaru overall was a pleasant experience and Tom DAlessandro was professional & polite. As a first time car buyer, I had expected a long, stressful negotiation for a popular model (Crosstrek). Tom simply pulled up the dealer invoice, compared it to the Kelly Blue Book and we settled on a reasonable figure. What really struck me is what happened next. After leaving the dealership Tom called me and let me know that the car we had agreed on actually had an expensive additional package. Rather than attempting to re-negotiate, he agreed to take the lost income. The only additional cost was a slight increase in the residual value, which was out of his control and completely set by the financing company. More

Pleasant, knowledgeable and helpful Tom made our car buying experience one of the most pleasant ones we have ever had. He was a good listener and helped us weigh the pros and cons of ea Tom made our car buying experience one of the most pleasant ones we have ever had. He was a good listener and helped us weigh the pros and cons of each model until we found the best car to fit our needs. More

Subaru Forester Touring From when we first entered Cityside Subaru, Flavio de Fonseca greeted us and made us feel welcome - we did not feel like we were in a "high pressure" From when we first entered Cityside Subaru, Flavio de Fonseca greeted us and made us feel welcome - we did not feel like we were in a "high pressure" environment. Flavio was relatable, empathetic and provided support to help us feel that we had the information we needed to choose the right car for our needs. He listened, and demonstrated genuine care and concern. Flavio was also very patient - you see he encouraged us to take test drives in several cars to help us know how the different models varied. Flavio was accommodating letting us test drive each model - Forester and Outback - twice, Touring, vs Premium vs. Limited. The Forester Touring fit our family's driving needs like a glove. Flavio shared information about Subaru cars, encouraged us to think about what we wanted. Rather than feeling like we were facing a high-pressured scenario, Flavio was a very knowledgeable consultant, helping us to figure out what we needed, and what car would best fit our needs. He also about our prior car choices - some were negative with other dealerships - and he told us that he would work to make sure we did not have to worry that those problems happening again. He returned our calls and emails very promptly, and answered questions - demonstrating how much he valued our time. We had considered purchasing a Toyota Rav-4, but Flavio's sharing of information and listening to what we wanted in a car helped us to make the decision to purchase the Forester. Flavio also showed us where the service department was, how to make appointments for service, and where we would park our new car when we needed to come in for service. When we met Peter Rosenberg on the day of the "delivery", it was clear to us that he was very knowledgeable about the Subaru brand. And that he was fun, and has a great sense of humor. Peter helped us feel like we were part of the Subaru family & community. Peter explained that he and the team at Cityside would be there if we had any questions or problems. Peter also demonstrated that he valued our time, and wanted to make sure that we got all the information we needed. This was very reassuring to us. Peter asked questions; listened, and advised he wanted to help make our experience in picking up our new car a positive one. We never had this kind of experience with a dealership before - Peter asked questions, and listened to what we had to say, and it was sort of like jazz music composition, where participants in the conversation improvise, are participative, and we got to learn a whole lot more - and actually enjoyed the time spent in the process. That is a rare experience in any setting - so kudos to Peter for his help. Peter also inquired about our previous cars, and was able to articulate how our new Subaru differed from what we were used to drive, so we were be able to build our knowledge base of what we already knew to better understand features and systems of our Subaru. This allowed us to feel more confident about operating the Forester more efficiently and safely and have more fun enjoying the car. Peter was great at emphasizing which dashboard warning lights were crucial to react correctly for the proper care of the car, ensuring its long life. A few months prior, Peter also assisted us when were making tentative plans to purchase a new car. He answered our online inquiries, called us on the phone, and each time was friendly and shared information on why a Subaru would be a great choice when we were ready to buy a new car. He really helped us to lean towards purchasing a Subaru. The Sales/General Manager was helpful - helping us to locate and secure a car from another dealer in New Hampshire - saving us from having to order one directly from the manufacturer or having to wait for months for deliver. In thinking about our experience, we wanted to thank the Subaru dealership owner/s for thoughtfully creating an environment with such great representatives we worked with - Flavio and Peter. Flavio and Peter approached us with their own unique blend of humanity, humor, compassion & interest - and knowledge about Subaru cars - to help make this experience very positive and memorable for our family. We are grateful to Flavio and Peter. More

Friendly, sincere, knowledgeable service/interaction Thomas DAlessandro anticipated nearly my needs before I did. His knowledge of SUBARU and the Forester was exemplary. Interaction between ALL Citysi Thomas DAlessandro anticipated nearly my needs before I did. His knowledge of SUBARU and the Forester was exemplary. Interaction between ALL Cityside staff were unusually helpful for an auto dealership. Tom A answered all my questions and dutifully chased down appropriate answers. TOM-TOM as the NAVIGATION TECHNOLOGY supplier is a good example. ' Little politics was evidenced in the dealership. Rather, there appeared to be unusually good cooperation and esprit d corps. Very pleasant surprise & interaction More

Hi pressure sales and misrepresentation of warranty I was treated badly and pressured by the sales rep. I shouldn't have gone in alone, I was taken advantage of. The warranty was not as presented. Have I was treated badly and pressured by the sales rep. I shouldn't have gone in alone, I was taken advantage of. The warranty was not as presented. Have all your documents read by a lawyer. It will cost you up front but save you money in the long run. More

Exceeded our highest expectations Every once in a while, I have a good, pleasant and very comfortable experience buying a big-ticket item like a house or a car. In this case, it was a Every once in a while, I have a good, pleasant and very comfortable experience buying a big-ticket item like a house or a car. In this case, it was a new Subaru Forester at CitySide Subaru in Belmont. This was my ninth Subaru, all of which were purchased in four different states over the years. A good experience is always a result of a well run professional management team as well as a competent sales associate. Our sales associate was Peter Rosenberg. His passion in life is photography but his avocation is selling Subaru automobiles. His talent is in “snapping” a verbal picture of the perfect automobile for the needs of each of his customers. It turns out to be almost a snap-shot of what your life will be with (in our case) the Forrester. After purchasing 8 Subaru’s previously, I knew I had a competent and informational sales person as soon as Peter opened his mouth in greeting. I also taught sales training for many years and so many of the necessary informational techniques were employed by Peter and I was impressed as we journeyed along in the sales process. The entire process made me feel comfortable in knowing that the ultimate decision was mine but the information I had to make a competent and wise decision was provided by Peter. It makes me proud to offer this evaluation of my experience with Peter and the Subaru team. Very rarely do all the right things come together when we have to make major decisions. Peter made it easy and therefore I wholeheartedly suggest you give yourself a gift and make the next car-buying experience enjoyable: ask for Peter Rosenberg. More

Cityside We had a good experience buying our new Crosstrek from Tom. He was pleasant to worked with us to get the features we wanted. He was also very responsi We had a good experience buying our new Crosstrek from Tom. He was pleasant to worked with us to get the features we wanted. He was also very responsive to all of our follow-up questions before we picked up the car. More