LOWER PROVIDENCE >> It’s the age-old decision that every car shopper must struggle with: will it be a used car or a new one?For more than 20 years, that decision was a little easier for those who headed to Car Vision for their next vehicle, since the popular destination at 2626 Ridge Pike in Trooper offered only used vehicles.
But earlier this year owner and CEO Dean Cafiero gave his customers a lot more to think about when the operation that spearheaded online used car sales in the area as CarVision.com — browsing through photos, videos, vehicle histories and pricing for every car in the inventory, customers could easily do all their homework before ever stepping foot on the car lot — took on a Mitsubishi franchise and was re-christened Car Vision Mitsubishi.
“Mitsubishi looked at us and said ‘which dealership can help us sell a lot of cars in the area’ and they went with us. We felt Mitsubishi was a great match because we’ve been selling a lot of foreign cars and this is a Japanese import that’s a super reliable car,” said Cafiero, who shares ownership in the business that began in 1997 with a small car lot on Markley Street in Norristown with his wife, Martha Patricia Benitez.
“Mitsubishi thought we could add value to the brand. We never would have taken on the brand if we didn’t think we could add value either,” noted Cafiero.
Once customers are aware of the big change, they appreciate having the option, he said.
“With Mitsubishi there’s all kinds of credit we can get approved. We have credit-challenged people and also those with excellent credit. We can help everybody here. We also believe we can sell more used cars co-branding ourselves as Car Vision Mitsubishi. The new car dealership qualifies us for more financing resources as well. In March we sold 105 Mitsubishis and that made us 10th in sales in the country,” he added. “In order to be a good Mitsubishi dealership you have to sell a lot of used cars also, So, from that perspective we appeal to all types of people. Our cheapest cars start at about $7,000 and go up to $50,000.”
Last month, the dealership’s increased sales moved it into eighth place, noted general manager Brad Marks.
“The thing about Mitsubishi is that right now they are partners with Nissan and the quality is a hundred times better than it was in previous years. They came out with brand new product lines, like the Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHEV),” Marks noted. “You can plug the vehicle in, or you can choose not to plug in. Once the battery runs out, it acts like a regular hybrid. It’s the number one hybrid plug in vehicle in Europe.”
In May, Mitsubishi Motors North America reported that sales were the best since 2007, with more than 12,000 vehicles sold.
In addition to the prestige electric crossover, the current lineup includes the 2018 Eclipse Cross, Outlander, Outlander Sport, Mirage, Mirage G4 and Lancer.
“With the backing of Nissan, Mitsubishi is better than ever,” Cafiero pointed out. “The cars are every bit as good as a Toyota or Honda in a similar class. The reliability is top notch. All three of our SUV models are excellent cars, and we beat all the other brands, like the Chevy Equinox and the Ford Escape, hands down for the quality, warranty, the look and the price. When we get the cars off the truck,” he added, “we do a pre-sales inspection, and there’s not been one issue with any car. The Japanese have figured out how to make these cars 100 percent perfect coming off the line, and we offer a 10 year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty on every car.”
Cafiero is especially proud of the fact that not a single Mitsubishi that was sold this year has come back for any warranty work.
“I don’t know how unusual that is, but it seems unusual to me,” he said. “Mitsubishi has been in business for over 100 years and we just want to make sure we’re representing the brand the way it needs to be represented here.”
For more information, visit carvision.com.