Autobarn Mazda - Evanston,IL Review

Kudos to a great team at Autobarn Mazda of Evanston for making my car shopping experience today so pleasant. John Norton was amazing to work with, he made me feel comfortable about the whole process and he made sure I got exactly what I wanted. Chris Reis is a great salesman, very nice and easy to trust. I feel very happy with the car I purchased, these guys are honest and they are experts at what they do. Professional yet personable, very efficient but also detail oriented. I am extremely happy to have joined Mazda family!

Due to an appointment flub, my mother thought she'd made an appointment online and did not. Alex is the greatest. He took care of the issue and serviced the vehicle. Thanks again.

I really enjoyed working with Corey Jackson, who was very helpful when we recently purchased a new CX-5, after a couple of visits to the dealer. He explained all the features and spent a lot of time with us, bringing in the finance team for the discussions on pricing. He was a pleasure to work with.

I had a fabulous experience with both salesmen who helped me, Mr. Daniel Lendon and Mr. Dave York. Got me a great deal for a great car, and helped make the process painless and as easy as possible.

Best dealership i've experienced. Always willing to help you and make your experience the best. My father worked for Ford over 30yrs and I've been coming to dealerships since I was a little kid - still one of the best out there!

John Talaga, Kissy & Lisa Freeman along with Dennis in finance are some of the great faces here.

Stereotypical car sales people. My sales person was pushy. Bad sales tactics used on the customer. It was also obvious that he is only interested in the sale and not the customer. He was sarcastic and rude. They made some promises to deliver things and then when the day arrived they told me they were busy and how about the next day. That does not work for me as I am busy. I wish that I never made the mistake of going there. I would definitely not recommend this dealer group. Lesson learned and highly disappointed.

Service professional (Juan Castellanos) was very helpful in helping me to understand the needs for my car on my first service appointment.

Dealership was fine and the sales person friendly and helpful though it did take about 4 hours to "check out".

This is just a warning to be aware of their pressure tactics to sell an extended warranty, then provided you no information on it or what it covers. When you cancel, as they tell you that you can, they won't process it. If you then call the warranty provider they can only process if Autobarn requests it and any refunds come from Autobarn.

I'd say its a bit of a scam so beware.

Kissy and Lisa are the best sister team,you can have. Always reliable, helpful, friendly and cheerful, best all Professional.This was my second time, and everything went very smooth.
Good job ladies!

Fantastic dealership if you're looking to buy or lease a new vehicle. Mike Allegretti was so helpful, along with Kissy and Lisa, in finding me the exact car (including color!) that I wanted. I traded my Mazda 3 in one month early, leased a new Mazda 6 and they even gave me a rental car for a day while my car was being prepped. Go see Mike!

The Autobarn Mazda dealership in Evanston is full of people who want to help make leasing or buying a car a seamless, stressless, fun experience like its supposed to be.

I am newcomer in America from China, 2013 Mazada 6 is my first car in America, I would like to express my deep thanks to Leo ordeals of Autobarn in Evanston, he is much patient, and explain anything which I want to know. Although it is a kind of business, I still feel warm and kind from Mr.Leo Ordeal's heart. Thanks again.

Bought a used Honda element. Seemed fine. Till I got an oil change an inspection. Worn strut mounts. Broken sway bar links. Leaking rear brake caliper because when they changed the brake pads they stripped the bolt and left it! This was know accident. They even added crush washers to cover up the problem. My kids and I could have died because my brakes went out. Also lied and put on car fax they did a 4 wheel alignment. Well I knew that was a lie when the inside tread on my rear ties wore through and had flats. After new tires. I got my own alignment done. My mechanic laughed at how bad it was off and said there is no way in hell they did an alignment. Great job to the garbage mechanics at this place. Also they hustle you. They lie about the $300 charge for serial numbering the windows on all there cars for security. They lies. They don't do that to any used cars. Just the new ones from the dealer. Stay away from the guy named angel he's a hustler like all the rest. This place knowingly let a unsafe car be sold I drive my.kids in. God forbid they spent the extra $150 to make my car safe.

My newly leased Mazada 3 had its first service yesterday. Juan Vargas coordinated the service. Juan was very helpful in keeping us informed about what was going to be done and how long it was going to take. When the service ran a little longer than expected, Juan called us to update the status. Part of the service included an update of the Bluetooth programming. Juan made sure that my phone was connected to the new programming. If I had tried to do it myself, it probably would have taken hours! My experience with Juan was excellent, and I look forward to working with him in the future. Carolyn and Robert Orsi

RIP OFF!! I got a carfax from them saying no crashes or collision when I took out a car. After a month I went to trade in my car they told me that my car was in a accident so my car valve was reduced by 6k.. they showed my the carfax saying it was in an accident. NEVER GOJNG BACK

This is a GREAT dealership! Caring, friendly staff, especially Kissy. She is a real diamond in the rough. I highly recommend her and this Mazda location over others. I got the bait and switch tactic at others and that irritates me and I feel like I can't trust them. I got nothing but up front honesty from Kissy right off the bat. She'll make your purchse a real treat! Best part...you drive an awesome car home at a great price! BOOM.

My car was dented and Mazda service took care of getting it repaired quickly. Even an oil change is an easy chore when Gigi helps with everything you need to know. Service and sales are helpful and professional with a relaxed atmosphere.

The first experience I had with Autobarn was less than desirable. HOWEVER, after this website made them aware of their shortfalls, the dealer worked hard to come to an agreement, and correct the problems! It wasn't an easy journey, however, I would say they tried hard to please and earn my business.... The cheesy car salesmen pitch was dropped, and they really put 100% into making sure I was ok with the purchase... All in all, I have to say I am happy with how this deal ended. I hope the management works hard to keep their employees up do date on their products and offers, and treat every customer with respect and understanding. I am very pleased with my new car, and they beat other dealerships with their price. I will return to Autobarn and give them more business, and also recommend them to others... If I have one negative to say, is they need to get a new air freshener smell....the one they use is nasty. I have been a 25+ year customer of Wickstrom, but will never buy a car from them again, and will bring my business here. Thanks! To any future customer who takes the time to read this...if the offer isn't right, Mike Lawless will bend over backwards to see that you are satisfied (well, as satisfied as buying a car can be....) Bottom line.... If my opinion can be turned around, this place has to be good!

Emir Svraka was a big help to me when I purchased my first car at the Autobarn in Evanston. He was patient and took the time to explain many things to me as I navigated through the process of buying a car. He was a great coach! He also took the time to show me many different models of cars and ultimately helped me feel very confident about the car I chose. I would highly recommend Emir Svraka. Not only did he help me understand all the financial components, and technicalities of buying a car, but he did the most import thing ever; he made the process of purchasing my car so much FUN! That is the way it should be.

I had a really good experience at this dealership due to the salesperson I had, who made it so -- Danny Bender. I highly recommend Danny to anyone who is buying a new car. He was patient, helpful, knowledgable and courteous. He provided me with a very thorough test drive. He did not use high pressure sales tactics or try to rush me to make a decision. He returned my call promptly re: a question I had. Thank you for making it a positive experience for me. I would have given this a 5 star rating if the other two workers I encountered there had been awesome as Danny.

It was a good experience purchasing a new car here. I only wish the process would had been a little faster for a cash sale.

Excellent service. Great waiting area and walking distance (long but walkable) to downtown Evanston.

Jeff at Mazda of Evanston was extremely knowledgeable and very patient. He has a great knowledge of all the Mazda vehicles, and explained all the features and options of the car. He was not a (read: negatively) 'typical car salesman, but a person in sales who wanted to get you a car that fit your needs.

This was my first new car purchase. I chose the Autobarn just based on location, but was very satisfied with the service I received. Anthony Caminitti was an extremely knowledgeable salesmen and great to work with. You could tell he really has a passion for Mazda cars and was able to answer even the most technical of questions. The whole team there made the car buying process very smooth and painless. I love my new Mazda3 and couldn't have asked for a better experience.

My sales consultant, John Norton, provided an excellent car buying experience. He was very professional, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable about the cars. He was willing to look for the very specific car I wanted and was able to get it to me within days of my request. The staff at Autobarn Mazda of Evanston were all professional and I did not feel pressured into any decisions. They were very respectful of me as a customer. I have also taken my previous vehicle to their service department which has been an excellent experience. I look forward to having them service my new Mazda 3!

Really positive experience when buying my new CX-5. Worked with Cody Varilek and he was great - no pressure, great knowledge about the cars, relatable, and he was very accommodating to my schedule.

Great for buying and selling used cars. Their staff are friendly and helpful.

I worked with Leo Ornelas when I bought my new Mazda3. I was in need of a new car a year ago, but due to unforeseen circumstance had to put my purchase off a year. Leo kept in touch with me during that year and when I was finally ready to purchase my Mazda, he was ready to help. We had a few strange circumstances at the completion of the sale and Leo went way out of his way to correct the issues. Overall, I would highly recommend Leo at the Autobarn of Evanston because of his commitment to customer service and his impeccable integrity.

Service and people were great! And, there was a nice lounge space with coffee and snacks to utilize while I was waiting.

My experience buying a car at Autobarn Mazda was fantastic. Daniel Lendon helped make purchasing my first car stress-free and relatively easy. He genuinely cares for his customers and makes sure they leave happy and satisfied. Daniel Lendon was very knowledgeable and professional and I recommend buying a car through him. Even when I come back for service appointments he is always sure to greet me and see how I am doing. A+ service

I had a blown fuse on the radio of a 1994 Miata. Juan Vargas had it repaired in an hour, which gave me a chance to use the loaner bikes for a quick tour of the Northwestern University campus. I got my Miata repaired and a workout. A win/win.

Needed a full workover of my Nissan before a multi-day driving trip plus needed 60,000 mile maintenance work. Service manager Myriam Mccready gave outstanding service - succinctly noting the problems I listed, advising me on costs, and doing it all in a friendly and accommodating manner. Within an hour or so, I received a call letting me know the recommended maintenance items that were found and to get my approval prior to work. There was no attempt to sell me things I did not need. Autobarn gave honest assessments of when replacement items would probably be needed (not on this visit). The dealership offers rides to/from home in a courtesy car. Overall, the experience was very good - this is the second time I have had maintenance work done at Autobarn and have found no reason for me to go elsewhere.

Low pressure staff. But at times hard to get someone to help us.

For my first car buying experience it was great! I would definitely recommend Lewis Belcher at Autobarn Mazda! He was very helpful and patient while I looked at three different options for the Mazda CX-5. He was very informative and knew a lot about the various Mazda features. I did not feel pressured by Lewis and Chris, the Finance Manager was also extremely easy to work with and very friendly. Definetly ask for Lewis at Autobarn Mazda in Evanston!

Friendly and prompt service as well as very accommodating as they provided a loaner vehicle when my car was being serviced over the weekend.

People are kind and really helpful, the thing is they don't have the service area in the same building.

Great experience buying a used Mazda - thanks David York and Tony Caminitti!

Summary: Sales people are very professional and provide great service. Beware of the finance people who sit upstairs.

I was here to buy a new 2014 Mazda 3. I had done extensive research, so it didnt take more than 30 mins to reach an agreement about the final price (which I realized later, was a great deal compared to others who had got the exact same car and trim for at least $1000 more). The sales people who helped me are Ross and Anthony. Both were very helpful. Ross especially was really friendly, honest and extremely helpful. The managers Mike and Jonathan are also professional.

However, be aware of the finance people, I had a very poor experience with them. I wanted financing for my Mazda 3, and all my paperwork was done by this woman Diza, whom I would recommend stay away from. She never explained things properly, rushed through the whole process. At one point she mentioned the registration and license plates cost 700$ which sounded ridiculous to me as I know for a fact that those cannot be more than 300$ total. Only after I pointed out in the paperwork to her did she admit it wasn't that much. But turned out that the remaining 300$ difference (apart from the 166$ doc fees) was for something called Auto Guard (some sort of paint protection). She said it was something that gets done to all cars, she explained it to me as if it was a mandatory thing I had to pay for. Later I found out that this was an optional package, which really is infuriating because it looked like I was never given then choice. Also the package includes 8 reapplications of the autoguard, and it's something that can be done only at Autobarn. This was really useless to me as I was planning to take the car out of state after purchasing it.

They had to get the car from another location, but still delivery was made very promptly, they took only 1-2 days to get the car to me. However, after the delivery, I noticed that the rear bumper of my car had scratches! I took it up with the manager Mike who first only promised to repaint it, but after expressing my dissatisfaction, was very reasonable and made sure I got the bumper changed. I also argued about the autoguard, and he promised to refund the money. This is why I am giving 5 stars, because they made sure they did everything to fix these problems and value their customers. Overall, I would say 5 stars for the sales dept, and 3 for finance, but the interaction with the sales people is most important while buying a car, so will give 5 stars total.

I am absolutely thrilled with the recent used car (2007 Hyundai Santa Fe) buying experience at the Autobarn Mazda of Evanston. John Norton was a pleasure to work with. We closed the deal in less than hour, the process was super quick. The staff is very friendly and the customer service is top notch. I would go back again and do business with these guys in a heartbeat!

I loved my experience at the Autobarn. I got to test drive for as long as I needed to, and the purchasing of the vehicle was quick and easy thanks to Will Jordan. Will was very helpful and answered any questions we had. The Autobarn made our car-buying experience fun and exciting!

I would absolutely recommend anyone to visit this dealership when looking for their next car. The employees are friendly, courteous, and very approachable.

I had the pleasure of working with Patrick McDonald who went above and beyond to find the right car for me. Patrick treated me like I was family and demonstrated that he cared more about finding the right options for me than just simply making a sale. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.

If you are in the market for a new car, definitely check out The Autobarn VW of Evanston and ask for Patrick.

Salesman do not offer customer service only selflesservice.

Simon Kim was extremely helpful and explained everything that was going on with my car thoroughly. He provided updates on the service throughout the day so that I knew exactly what was going on and when my car would be finished. Hope to have him help me again next time my car needs servicing.

Took my car in for some major work. Every employee I interacted with was polite, friendly, courteous and helpful. They made what could have been a very stressful situation a lot more manageable.

Highly recommended experience with Autobarn. Good selection of vehicles, knowledgeable sales staff (particularly Dave York who ultimately matched us with our new car), inviting facility. Dave showed us several models to zero in on the one that met our needs best, and then walked through all the options that were available without any high sales pressure. He clearly knows his product inside out. He also helped us through pricing options to figure out what we wanted in a car vs. what we needed - and we ended up with a great car at a price that comfortably fit our budget. Happy to be back with a Mazda after 10 years.

Highly recommend David York! He listened carefully to what I was looking for in a car, and gave me ample time to make my decision. Very nice guy who knows his stuff. I love my black Mazda 3 SGT. It's an amazingly sporty ride, the interior makes me feel like I'm in a high end Audi while the mileage I'm getting makes me happy I didn't have to go for a Prius in order to 'drive green'.

Turns out buying a new car CAN be fun when you're dealing with the right folks. Thanks David!

Anthony Caminitti did a great job helping us in selecting and purchasing our Mazda 5. He has a great, laid-back manner so we never felt any hurry or pressure, and his knowledge of the products and the buying process was top-notch.

We love our Mazda 5! It is everything that was promised.

took my baby car to Autobarn Mazda Service Center off Howard & McCormick on Dec. 1st for routine oil change/tire rotation. Simon Kim greeted me, early for my scheduled appointment.
As usual Sim Kim was courteous, professional and listened to whatever comments i had about my car prior to service, making sure i was getting what i needed for the mileage and nothing unnecessary, which i greatly appreciate.
i mentioned my bluetooth disconnecting and he quickly went to share that info with service. he later told me there was a big update that they performed on my car and he hoped that solved my issues.
Simon was happy to accept my oil reimbursement check, as well as a discount coupon from their website.
And, even after the work and paperwork was finished, i asked about a card i had received with a different, lower price. Without a hiccup, Simon Kim agreed to redo the paperwork and told me that in addition to the maintenance, that VIP coupon also gave me new front wiper blades. Simon suggested if my wipers were working well now i should wait until after the winter to get the new blades installed. so i got even more for less!! and before i left Simon Kim handed me all the paperwork to submit to castrol for next reimbursement.
hey, taking your car in for service and forking over money isn't ever great fun, but at least i feel like a valued customer when dealing with Simon Kim.
thank's Mazda for having a great employee who represents your standards.
barbara schaffner/chicago

Big thank you to Kam and Lewis for working with me on my first car purchase. They were kind, patient, and have both been at this dealership for 5+ years which I think says a lot. I got a new CX30 Select FWD that was priced lower than any other dealer in the area as far as I could tell from my research. The GM said hi which was a nice gesture. Definitely recommend these guys!!

From the moment I contacted the dealership to check in about the specific vehicle I wanted, I received amazing customer service from everyone at this dealership. My appointment was scheduled at my convenience, I was contacted several times and days in advance of the appointment to confirm, and most importantly - my inquiry was taken seriously. This was important to me since I had already done all my homework and expected to walk away from my set appointment with my new vehicle. Danny B was fantastic on setting up the appointment and confirming with me, as well as finishing up the sale by taking the time to show me all the (cool) aspects of my new car. When I arrived at the appointment and Danny was unexpectedly busy with another customer, Bojan took over my appointment for the day. He took great care of me, answered all my questions, provided solutions for some of my questions, and followed up after my sale perfectly. I would recommend both of these gentlemen, and the dealership, to anyone looking to buy a new VW!

The Service Dept got my car in for service at the time promised and the work was done well. The staff is extremely helpful and ensured that I was completely satisfied with the work. I have always had my service done at Autobarn and will continue to do so.

My wife and I came up to the Autobarn to meet with Chris Norton about a Mazda 3 hatchback after scheduling a test drive online. We brought our carseat, our stroller and our little 3 month old son.

For our test drive we put in the carseat and loaded the stroller in the back to make sure everything fit. Chris patiently answered all our questions while our son *screamed* from the back seat.

We loved the car and decided to trade in our old car while paying cash for the new one. One catch: We forgot the title for the old car and our checkbook!!!

Chris didn't miss a beat. We negotiated the transaction and finalized all the paperwork and he came with us back to our place (just 15 minutes south) so we could get the check and the title.

We didn't feel pressure throughout the transaction and are extremely happy with the car we purchased.

Highly recommended.

Scott Grafft was a pleasure to work with! Easiest and most enjoyable car buying experience ever.

I recently walked into Autobarn Mazda Evanston more on a lark than to actually buy a car. I had looked at the new Mazda 6 briefly online, but had my heart set of a new Ford Fusion Titanium. Since the local Ford Dealership couldn't take me in for a couple hours, i decided to swing by and at least look at the car i had forsaken. Thank god i did. Right as I walked in the dealership, their sales professional Paris Marlowe took me in, made me feel comfortable, and showed me my future car. The model i had briefly thought of was the touring edition. Paris deftly explained the benefits of the Grand Touring edition vs. the Touring edition, took me on a test drive and I was sold. This was my first car buying experience and unlike some of the other dealerships i have been to, this (thanks to Paris and his fellow associate Anthony) felt like an organization i could trust. While, thanks to Paris, i am no longer on the automotive market, I will implore friends, family, co-workers, really anyone who will listen, to go to Paris and his team at the Autobarn Mazda for their new vehicle needs as this is a team that will meet and exceed their needs every time.

We had a wonderful experience buying our new car here. Jeff Williams was great to deal with. He, along with the rest of the team were all incredibly friendly and helpful without even a smidge of pushiness. It wasn't at all like the stereotype of a car dealer. Everyone made us feel welcome and the finance manager was great with our three year old son, offering markers and paper to keep him busy during the closing. After the sale, Jeff's continued to reach out to make sure we're happy and honestly, we couldn't be more satisfied with our experience here.

Suprised at all the negative reviews here. Just purchased a 2012 Mazda5 - negotiated a very fair price, Sales staff was professional and very courteous. I had both of my young children with me and they treated them like royalty. I would recommend to anyone.

I am extremely pleased with the service I receive at Autobarn Mazda, and Simon Kim is one of several service providers I am always happy to encounter when I bring my car in for work. Simon is very attentive and conscientious about my needs and keeps me informed on the work being performed. I enjoy feeling confident that my car is being serviced and kept in top form to keep it (and me) on the road for many years to come -- and my car is 12 years old, and I still love it and rely on it greatly. Thank you Simon Kim!

Good: very friendly and knowledgeable staff.
Bad: no customer parking. We were there for 6hrs and not even water was offered to us. I have never been to dealership that wouldn't have water/coffee/snacks available for the customers.

Had a great experience working with Kissy and her team. We called ahead and they had the exact vehicle we were interested in ready for us when we arrived. After a test drive we were ready to pull the trigger. We were not overwhelmed with extra add-ons we didn't want or need. It was different from most dealerships I've been to previously and they made us feel very comfortable. The only problem was finding parking :)

It was a bad experience last time. The staff only suggested changing brake pads (very expensive) but neglected a fatal problem, which was found and fixed in another store.