Purchase dealer vs service dealer

[stickerbush]

Hi, I’m about to purchase a new CX5. There are a number of Mazda dealers in my general area (near Seattle). I would like to purchase where I can get the best deal but this might not be where I would want to have the car serviced (for reasons of convenience and reputation/rating of service department). Is there a significant advantage to using the dealer that sold the car to service the car? Do dealers that offer service loaners only offer the loaners to owners that purchased from them?

This will be my first new car purchase in 30 years so I don’t have much experience and would appreciate any advice I’m given here.

Thanks!

 

[RedBaron]

My first CX-5 I bought from a dealer 15-20 miles away, because the dealer nearer me didn't have the combo I wanted in stock. But I had all my services done at the nearer dealer (and bought the 2019 from them). So no, it doesn't matter.

I can't talk to the loaner situation since I've never had the car in long enough to require one. I've always just waited for the service to be complete.

 

[CX_FIVER]

I can't remember when I last bought a vehicle from the dealer that I use for service. The service department is it's own profit center.

 

[SonicBoy]

Nothing wrong with buying and servicing at a different dealer. Some dealerships may try to get you to service where you buy but ultimately it is your choice for both items.

Some offer loaners while you vehicle is in for service but it all depends on what the Service Manager or the Dealership wants to do to attract customers.

If one didn't want to offer a loaner because you didn't buy from them, I'd certainly not want to service with them for that very reason.

 

[CX-5um]

Usually major service = loaner. For non-Luxury cars at least.

 

[mazdadude]

I have talked about this with my friend who is a master technician. The only benefit he himself had noted was when there was a questionable warranty repair claim that the dealer might not get reimbursed for. If car was purchased at their repairing dealer, the customer would get the benefit of the doubt/goodwill repair.

 

[7eregrine]

I am sort of friends with a Regional Service Director for Mazda. He told me you should try to buy from where you plan to get service but never really gave me a good specific reason. Sort of hinted that your purchasing dealer would be more willing to go the extra mile for you.
I don't push him on stuff like this but I do what he says.

He did tell me a story once about how a customer bought a Mazda from a dealer. Always religiously took it there for service including the final warranty service. 3 weeks later, after warranty expired, transmission failed. He was willing to do the repair under warranty but was especially convinced when that dealer talked to him and asked for it to be a warranty cover because "we've been working on this car since it was new, we should have noticed if there was something slipping in the tranny"...

Now, I am NOT saying there would have been a different result if it wasn't the same dealer. I am sure it would have. Just a 'good dealer' story, I guess.

 

[murky]

The thousands extra you pay to a dealer for maintenance should generate a lot of goodwill. It is a lucrative practice.