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Van Bortel Subaru of Victor
Victor, NY
209 Reviews
This rating includes all dealership reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
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Showing 209 reviews
August 11, 2014
Everyone pays the same low price and it's great! My wife and I came into Van Bortel Subaru looking for a new 2014 Outback to replace our Toyota Rav4. We came in when it was busy on a Saturday and go My wife and I came into Van Bortel Subaru looking for a new 2014 Outback to replace our Toyota Rav4. We came in when it was busy on a Saturday and got the next available salesman, Jim Pennell. Well we got one of the best! We told Jim what we were looking for (replacement, with some features but not a ton in order to keep the cost down). He pointed us at an Outback Premium which we drove on our own. We were clear that we were going to do some more cross shopping and would be back once we were ready. He wished us a nice day and we were off. No pressure, no calls. A few weeks later we were ready to buy and called Jim. He helped us pick out a car, and was always responsive to emails. When we came in to sign the paperwork, that was easy too. They just showed us the add ons, and we declined them. They said "ok", and there was no pressure to sell beyond that. It was a great experience and we'll be back next time we need a Subaru! More
by adelimon
Employees Worked With
Jim Pennell
Helpful June 25, 2014
2nd time buyer As our 2004 Forester turned over 200,000 miles we picked up our new 2014 Outback! We returned to VanBortel after doing some online research for pric As our 2004 Forester turned over 200,000 miles we picked up our new 2014 Outback! We returned to VanBortel after doing some online research for price comparison, we found they still had the best price and knew they had great service from experience so we returned. Our sales rep. was a great help and we ordered just what we wanted - never pressured to buy what was on the lot. Now we have 2 Subaru's because we are keeping the old one! More
by JPass2
Employees Worked With
Peg Walsh
June 24, 2014
No need to shop around....... Compared to other dealerships I have dealt with in the past including another "No Dicker Sticker" this was the most pleasant, smooth and rewarding exp Compared to other dealerships I have dealt with in the past including another "No Dicker Sticker" this was the most pleasant, smooth and rewarding experience ever! It was so smooth I barely had to ask a question and the salesman made me feel like the dealership was my friend unlike other experiences I have had with other dealers. I purchased a new 2005 Honda locally and it was a grueling experience but when I left Van Bortle's I felt satisfied and confident about the whole experience and already have recommended Van Bortle to others. More
by allother1
Employees Worked With
Paviour, Ernest, Jim Pennell, Steve Durgo
June 12, 2014
Best buying experience EVER I have purchased many cars in my life, with no experience ever coming close to that of the Van Bortel experience. I was looking at the new Subaru Cros I have purchased many cars in my life, with no experience ever coming close to that of the Van Bortel experience. I was looking at the new Subaru Cross Trek and hadn't had a chance to see the vehicle, so in inquiring online, we received an immediate phone call from Vince who invited us up that day to take a test drive. Vince met us at the door on an incredibly busy Saturday morning, had a demo car waiting for us to test drive, and sent us on our way. Of course, I fell in love with the car, and by the time we came back, Vince had the options and the availability of the vehicle waiting for us to discuss. The vehicle ordering process was flawless, with no pressure whatsoever, and when it came time to pick up the vehicle (it was in sooner than expected as well), the purchase process was handled excellently. We were given a loaner vehicle to take away to have dinner while the final paperwork was being finished, and we drove away with our new vehicle in such a short period of time, I will return to Van Bortel for all of my vehicle needs, even though it is an hour and a half from my home and there are plenty of other Subaru dealers I could go to. I will also refer my friends and family members, that is huge. Thank you Van Bortel for the buying experience of a lifetime. You know customer service and you knock it out of the park! More
by indianlake
Employees Worked With
Vince Bovenzi, Tammi Standen
May 26, 2014
Van Bortel Subaru is wonderful They get my car right in for service, and usually takes less time than I was told. Love this dealership. This is my 3rd Subaru and I do not think I w They get my car right in for service, and usually takes less time than I was told. Love this dealership. This is my 3rd Subaru and I do not think I would buy another type of car. More
by PamRT
Employees Worked With
Sarah Gursslin
May 24, 2014
Great Experience I took my car to Van Bortel Subaru for its annual state safety inspection and was given the standard NYS safety inspection and the Van Bortel Subaru 2 I took my car to Van Bortel Subaru for its annual state safety inspection and was given the standard NYS safety inspection and the Van Bortel Subaru 28 multi-point inspection. On completion I was given a State Of New York Vehicle Inspection Report and a Van Bortel Subaru 28 Point Service Inspection Form report. The staff were courteous, friendly and prompt and the waiting room was comfortable. I was completely satisfied with my service experience and will be returning for service in the future, as needed. More
by customerBob
Employees Worked With
Sara Gursslin
October 24, 2013
Walked into Van Bortel Subaru several weeks ago looking to lease a Legacy. I laid out the desired terms, advised them of my (favorable) credit stats and so on, and asked the salesman (Shawn) if we could ne to lease a Legacy. I laid out the desired terms, advised them of my (favorable) credit stats and so on, and asked the salesman (Shawn) if we could negotiate a deal. Absolutely, he assured me after discussion of model/trim. I also let him know that I was not in dire straits and had several offers from the competition on similar vehicles at competitive terms. I gave Van Bortel first crack at the deal since I preferred to drive a Subaru and had read good things about the dealership. Again, no problem. Let's make a deal! About a week later I went in for the credit check and the business office meetup. I brought to the table exactly as I had originally advised salesman Shawn... better stats even. Oh, but now the terms have changed from the original offer. Of course they have. Naturally, Shawn and the manager (Peter) were apologetic and assured me that they never meant to mislead, there was confusion on their end, et al. I needn't worry though... I could still drive that terrific car away once I had agreed to the terrible new terms provided by Kevin in the business office! Yeah right. All in all, several hours of family time and a bunch of gas wasted. I can only recommend this dealership if you are not at all concerned with the terms involved with purchasing or leasing your vehicle, or if you simply enjoy being taken advantage of. For a dealership that touts themselves as different from the rest they seem par for the course as far as the Rochester area goes. Looks like some national competition is coming to the area soon which is terrific. I won't ever buy a car in this area again unless it's a firesale... deals abound from motivated sellers in PA or the southeast. Thanks for reading. More
by vbsucks
Employees Worked With
Shawn
August 10, 2010
The staff are friendly but their mission is to try to sell you as many parts as they can. Example: The support arm on the hatchback failed on one side. They came back with a recommendation that I fix bot sell you as many parts as they can. Example: The support arm on the hatchback failed on one side. They came back with a recommendation that I fix both sides as the one may be weakened (but is still working perfectly). Why? Why would you fix this before it has broken? The main issue was that my head gasket was leaking. This is a known Subaru issue and affects Subaru's all over the country. The fix is expensive. The sales manager blamed me and NY weather. Apparently, I missed the 60k maintenance with them - although I have this carried out at another garage. The worst was when I asked how much they would give me for a trade in value as the repairs are so costly. Well, this is a 2003 Outback with 83,000 miles with a full service record but had the big repair work (head gasket) yet to do... Edmunds gives a value of about $4,000 for rough condition. Van bortel value: $800. That was just insulting. The manager also was very upsetting by saying that my car wasn't safe to drive so I was in a panic and not thinking clearly. I had them stop work (thankfully) and they kept the car overnight. The next day when I had done some research (called my usual mechanic) and talked to the manager again, it turns out that my car isn't really unsafe but could, sometime in the unforeseeable future, break down. van Bortel puts my safety first, apparently. Really? Note: The car was driving GREAT. I only took it in because the sensors had gone and the check engine light was on (another Subaru problem). van Bortel wanted to do about $4k worth of work to make my car "safe" and in reality I spent about $500 and everything is great according to my other, very honest and reliable mechanic who we have worked with four years. I will have to have the head gasket replaced sometime but can wait a while and keep an eye on it until it is time to replace the timing belts. More
by eliza13
Employees Worked With
Frank
August 09, 2010
I went to VanBortel ready to buy a car. I arrived at 2 pm and looked around a bit. I went inside to see if I could talk to someone. I sat there in the waiting room while others were helped for over 20 m pm and looked around a bit. I went inside to see if I could talk to someone. I sat there in the waiting room while others were helped for over 20 minutes. When I asked again to speak to someone, the receptionist told me to just grab someone. As I went outside again, Shawn came out. Although he was looking at two of us, I asked Shawn if I could test drive a car. He said the keys are in each car and to grab the one I wanted to drive and he would meet me in the front with plates. I did as he asked. I waited there for over twenty more minutes. I put the car back and went and bought a Nissan. I understand no pressure, but no customer service? I travelled farther to this dealership because of their reputation. Boy was I wrong! More
by Dalyb218
Employees Worked With
No one that's the problem
