Eric Gates
Eric Gates at Columbia Ford Kia

Eric Gates

General Manager

Columbia Ford Kia

234 Willimantic Road, Route 6
Columbia, CT 06237

Contact Me
4.9
577 Reviews

Eric is happily married to his wife, Katharine and lives in Stonington with their 2 children Ollie and Bella. His motivation to help people buy, trade, sell, fix, repair, maintain and improve their automotive situations shines through and is proven by the thousands of people he has affected. He is an avid athlete and sports fan. Eric is a hometown fan of the New England Patriots, Boston Celtics and Boston Red Sox, and he will certainly let you know about it. Eric has been around the business for his entire life, and he has been playing with cars since he could touch the pedals. He has been certified in 8 different car manufacturers, so he certainly knows his stuff. Come in and meet him, he will always go above and beyond, no matter who you are!

Dealership Experience

11 yrs, 3 mos

Industry Experience

41 yrs, 2 mos

Specialties & Trainings

NADA Graduate

4.9

577 Reviews

Write a Review

577 Reviews of Eric Gates

April 14, 2026

Dealership Rating
Employee Rating

This is a great dealership that is easy to work with and has very nice people More

by RAPISCITELLI
Service Price Transparency
Workmanship
Service Time
Service Communication
Recommend Dealer
Yes

Other Employees Tagged: Jake Gurzler, Mike Pahlas, Fernando Cruz , Kevin from mobile services

April 03, 2026

Dealership Rating
Employee Rating

Eric and his staff are prompt, polite and professional. Excellent experience with Columbia Ford , makes me proud to be a Ford owner ! More

by 317MISSIONS
Service Price Transparency
Workmanship
Service Time
Service Communication
Recommend Dealer
Yes

Other Employees Tagged: Mike Pahlas, Fernando Cruz

March 23, 2026

Dealership Rating
Employee Rating

Brandon truly went above and beyond to provide my husband and I with an incredible car buying experience. It really opened our eyes to how pleasant of an experience it can be when you find the right person t More

by GSCINI
Sales Price Transparency
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Mar 23, 2026

Columbia Ford Kia responded

Thank you for sharing your experience with Brandon and congratulations on your new Ford Maverick. We’re thrilled our team made the process so enjoyable and that you found our facility welcoming. Your recommendation means a lot, and we look forward to helping you again. Eric Gates General Manager egates@columbiaford.com

February 07, 2026

Dealership Rating
Employee Rating

I've always received competent and fair treatment for the 20yrs I've been dealing with the sales team and management group, first at Gates Ford in Plainfield and now Columbia. More

by SF312963
Service Price Transparency
Workmanship
Service Time
Service Communication
Recommend Dealer
Yes

Other Employees Tagged: Bobby Eskey

Feb 09, 2026

Columbia Ford Kia responded

Thank you so much for your kind words, and for taking the time to leave us this wonderful feedback! Mike Pahlas Service Manager mpahlas@columbiaford.com

February 07, 2026

Dealership Rating
Employee Rating

Service was friendly and timely. The waiting room was comfortable and clean. Coffee was available. More

by No
Service Price Transparency
Workmanship
Service Time
Service Communication
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Feb 07, 2026

Columbia Ford Kia responded

Thanks for the five-star rating! Jake and our service team are glad to hear your Sorento received friendly, efficient care and that the waiting area and coffee hit the mark.

October 19, 2025

Dealership Rating
Employee Rating

Columbia Ford is a great dealership to do business with. Everyone is very professional and helpful. Adam was awesome helping me purchase my new Ranger. More

by rickie1261
Sales Price Transparency
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes

Other Employees Tagged: Denny Gates, Adam Wanegar

July 17, 2025

Dealership Rating
Employee Rating

Polite, courteous and professional. Adam and Jake were both very friendly to deal with. They accommodated my busy schedule and worked to make sure I was well informed and gave me option More

by jfaulise
Sales Price Transparency
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes

Other Employees Tagged: Jake Gurzler, Adam Wanegar

July 16, 2025

Dealership Rating
Employee Rating

I’m always treated respectfully at Columbia. I live quite a ways from the dealer and need to wait while my Kia is serviced. Service is always completed by or before the estimate given. More

by ralfbudd
Service Price Transparency
Workmanship
Service Time
Service Communication
Recommend Dealer
Yes

July 14, 2025

Dealership Rating
Employee Rating

Very clean and nice dealership. Great staff. Amenities throughout are an excellent little perk. Overall, awesome experience. More

by Adam
Sales Price Transparency
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Recommend Dealer
Yes

Other Employees Tagged: Adam Wanegar

July 12, 2025

Dealership Rating
Employee Rating

Great people and great facility . Large selection of new and used inventory to choose from. Great experience More

by Kylecchampagne
Sales Price Transparency
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
1
...

Dealership Inventory (172 Vehicles)

new 2026 Ford F-150 car, priced at $66,923
2026 Ford F-150
new
Iconic Silver Metallic exterior
Automatic
Four-wheel Drive
new 2026 Ford Expedition Max car, priced at $97,227
2026 Ford Expedition Max
new
Star White Metallic Tri-Coat exterior
Automatic
Four-wheel Drive
new 2026 Ford Transit-350 car, priced at $61,798
2026 Ford Transit-350
new
Oxford White exterior
Automatic
Rear-wheel Drive
used 2023 Ford F-350 car, priced at $49,988
2023 Ford F-350
used
Antimatter Blue Metallic exterior
Automatic
Four-wheel Drive
used 2019 Ford Ranger car, priced at $26,598
2019 Ford Ranger
used
Lightning Blue exterior
Automatic
Four-wheel Drive
new 2026 Ford Maverick car, priced at $29,838
2026 Ford Maverick
new
Oxford White exterior
Automatic
Front-wheel Drive