Crown Kia
4818 Troup Highway
Tyler TX 75703
903 581 7688
On a search for a minivan in Tyler and very much on a budget, we headed to Crown Kia in Tyler. We had previous experience with Kias, having owned a Sorrento. We had been initially impressed with all it’s features but very soon realized that quantity doesn’t equal quality. Interior paint peeled, the CD player got stuck and all sorts of bits of plastic broke off over time. But we were tempted at the thought of being able to buy a newer vehicle and attracted by special offers we had seen in the media, so found ourselves at Crown.
As soon as we pulled up, a salesman approached us. He was helpful but kept pressing us for details of our budget which we weren’t prepared to discuss. On test-driving the van we just weren’t sure. It didn’t feel as ‘solid’ as others we had seen. However, the salesman was really keen to take us into the office and after filling in some paperwork about our trade-in vehicle he left us to get the ‘best price’ from the boss. It was then that we began to feel trapped! Hard sell and lots of techniques to get us to buy the car followed. As we didn’t appear to be susceptible to these tricks of the trade, our salesman worked harder and harder. Our trade-in vehicle even doubled in value during the 10 minute discussion! We left the dealership with the salesman shaking his head in sympathy and disbelief at us for passing up an opportunity of a lifetime.
To be honest, I am very glad that I was not at Crown without my husband as I don’t like conflict and probably would have given in to the hard sell in order to stop it.
So, if you want a Kia (and are you sure you do?) be prepared when you visit Crown. The salesman will work hard for you to get you a good deal for sure but you may feel really pressured like we did, into making a purchase you are not sure about.
And by the way, in the end, we bought an older Toyota – it’s great!