11/14/2014

After researching for a car which I sorely was looking for, I came across Ion Cars in Oakland. They were offering a great deal on a 2013 Camry, the best I had seen in the east bay. I went that weekend to meet Salem, and the rest is history. Salem was super helpful, professional, and courteous along the whole process. This is now 2 months later and the car is working great, no issues whatsoever. Even when we realized something was amiss (missing floor mats), Salem was so kind as to purchase the missing floor mats and provided them to me after the sale was finalized. The guy is a class act!

I would highly recommend taking a look into Ion Cars if you are in the search for a new vehicle, as it has proved useful for myself.

11/12/2014

I looked up Ion Cars (and other dealerships) online when looking for a new or used car. I read all of the 5-star reviews on Yelp, so I had high expectations, but "it's a car dealership," so I was still prepared to be put through the paces of sales psychology. But that never happened. Instead, it was an enjoyable, customer-focused experience from start to finish.

When the technology becomes available, I hope we can clone Salem, the owner of Ion Cars. He is awesome. I shopped around for a gently used Prius for weeks. I did my research, talked to friends, learned the Blue Book and Edmond's values, looked up the TCO of new vs. used vs. other makes and models, and I learned about interest rates and loan timelines of used cars (as well as new cars).
I researched and compared cars online, visited multiple dealerships, took test drives and met with multiple sales people. Ion was hands-down the dealership that had the best price for the most well maintained used car with low miles, and Salem is a great guy. Ion is his business and his reputation, and he takes great pride in his service.

I absolutely recommend getting down to Ion and, if he has what you're looking for, consider buying your car from him. Seriously, all high-dollar sales transactions should be that honest, easy, and stress free. *And* Salem stayed late and made multiple calls to banks in order to get me the best rate... all with no pressure, a positive and professional manner and a down-to-Earth sense of humor. Thank you, Salem & Ion. Five stars. HIGHLY recommended.

PS: I couldn't figure out my bluetooth connection and I had warranty detail questions, and Salem was great even after the purchase. Excellent support, even after the sale.

Short version:
ION cars:5+ stars for being true to their slogan, being a clean & well-maintained establishment that is easily accessible, taking care of the cars they buy & sell, having a variety of cars on hand, and not being a slimy used car dealership.
Salem:5+ stars for being a salesman with integrity, honesty, humility, enthusiasm, knowledge, pride in what he does, ability to keep it real, for being a fantastic representative for the company, and for not being a slimy used car sales person. Someone give this man a raise!

Long version (though you don't need it, just go there & you'll not be unhappy):
This past June, we were informed that the work that was needed on our previous car was going to cost us at least it's worth.Sadness & woe. I hate used car dealerships (the stereotype usually fits), but had had my eyeball on ION for a couple of years, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to call them to see what they had to say. I spoke to Salem,asked if there was anything he could do for us.I was first taken aback by his enthusiasm, his openness to the possibility that we could work something out. Is this guy for real? Well, he was.We met him the following weekend, worked out a fair price for the Subaru, and left with a Mazda Protege. He was not secretive about all of the work that ION had had done on the Mazda after he bought it.He allowed my husband & I to take it for a long test drive. He also found someone to help us finance it, on a Saturday, as we truly had no money to buy it outright.They had put a lot of money into this car, replacing the engine with a newer one (w/60k on it), to name just one, and it was a powerful drive.This is what we were looking for. Never once did we feel pressured to purchase.The whole selling/buying process was quick and easy with Salem, and we drove our new used car away happily.Salem asked that we call him to let him know how everything was going, once we had the car a while.

Fast forward 6 weeks or so, and I had been noticing white smoke coming from the muffler when starting the engine.Because we didn't purchase a warranty, I felt awkward calling Salem to inform him, so I took it to a mechanic I trust in Lafayette.He diagnosed the problem. It was a very expensive problem having to do with the engine.I contacted Salem to let him know about it at this point, b/c this engine was recently replaced. He was apologetic, and insisted we bring it in so he could take care of it for us.This he did not have to do, and we were impressed with his honest reaction and his desire to make it all right. Long story short, the company who he purchased the engine from had not tested it the way they say they did (he is no longer buying parts from them).He ended up replacing that engine with a still younger one, also replacing the water pump, AND loaned us one of their used cars (at no charge) to hold us over for the 3 week duration we were without our Mazda! Where did this guy come from? Where did ION cars come from? Have I mentioned that all of this was done at NO CHARGE to us. When we got our car back, it ran even better & with more power then it did when we bought it, and we were beyond pleased!This is unheard of in the used car world, and we were overcome with gratitude for the lengths that Salem went to make this car & this whole transaction one that was full of integrity and candor. He really is top-notch, and we sadly lack the words to fully express our gratitude to him. 

10/22/2014

In the last 12 months, I purchased two vehicles.A year later customer service still rocks, no warranty required.I hope to purchase a car for me in 2015.Support small business, this is a great place to buy a car.

Best salesperson I've ever encounter. Called him because I wanted to sell my car. When I got there Salem looked at my car, he was very professional about everything. He gave me a very good deal for my Kia Rio 2013. I wish I knew about his shop before I got my rio because he has few very cute Mini Cooper (:

First time car buyer, read Ion's raving reviews on Yelp before going, and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. I mean, come on, a used car dealership with 5 stars..? Well, they're all right. Salem is a great guy. He was very patient, easy going, helpful, and didn't try any sleazy-used-car-sales-tricks. Had a very pleasant experience!

I just moved to the city and was looking to sell my car. Salem offered me a reasonable price for it unlike dealerships that were looking to take advantage of me on every step of the process. I also had some issues with my bank (damn Chase), but Salem helped me resolve them. Salem also made it very convenient for me by coming close to wherever I happened to be.

Initially, I was very skeptical of this place and thought all these reviews are fake reviews. I no longer think that. Now, I know why Ion Cars has such good ratings here. Salem is very patient, honest, and caring. I would definitely do business with him again.

I just bought my first car from Ion Cars, and couldn't be happier with the whole experience. I am in love with the car I chose, a Mazada2 and Salem, the owner, was very honest and straight forward with me. He listened to what I was looking for, and spent a few hours with me talking about the cars he had and test driving the ones that seemed like a good fit. I would highly recommend Ion Cars to anyone looking for a great used car. Salem made me feel like I was buying a car from a close friend who had my best interests in mind. Plain and simple, if you are looking for a car in the bay area, you start at Ion cars.

I just bought my first car from Ion Cars, and couldn't be happier with the whole experience. I am in love with the car I chose, a Mazada2 and Salem, the owner, was very honest and straight forward with me. He listened to what I was looking for, and spent a few hours with me talking about the cars he had and test driving the ones that seemed like a good fit. I would highly recommend Ion Cars to anyone looking for a great used car. Salem made me feel like I was buying a car from a close friend who had my best interests in mind. Plain and simple, if you are looking for a car in the bay area, you start at Ion cars.

Just bought a Toyota Rav4 and couldn't be happier! This place is awesome. They give you the time to think about your purchase and never hassled us or made us feel pressured. The process was quick and painless. We has a car within and hour and a half. I would highly recommend this place to my family and friends!

5/22/2014

Just bought a truck from ion cars. Truck was in great condition and very clean. Salem helped out very much not with only the information and record if the truck , but when I was leaving my car that I drove down there didn't want to start. He rolled up his sleeved and helped me getting it back going. I doubt any other salesman would ever do that. He loaned me tools and helped me take parts off and put it back together. Best experience I've had buying a vehicle. Thanks Salem.

Found Ion Cars on Craigslist looking for a dealership that does trades. Just picked up an IS300 from Salem and his crew. I took a long shot over the weekend in attempting a trade and working something with my bank. I emailed Salem Friday night about the car I was curious in. I had already knew it was past business hours and I got a reply 1st thing in the morning. I called him and said, I was interested in the car but I was tied up at the moment, but I would be down in the area in a few hours. I showed up and was greeted by the man himself (Salem). Told him my situation about needing something a bit bigger and I knew from previous experiences the IS300 would be my best bet. Worked out some numbers to my liking and did the test drive. Salem worked with my bank (NavyFed) for everything I needed. It's not as easy as walking down to a Wells Fargo and taking care of everything there. Judging by looking around at the other cars on the lot and the car I bought, His business has some fine quality cars! I have no problem in recommending Salem to anyone looking to buy/trade a car. Salem is a real down to earth guy and honest person. I do expect to see him in the future.
Thanks for the new ride!

My fiancé and I found Ion Cars on yelp and decided to check it out because the reviews were so good. Well thank goodness we did! We had such a positive experience from start to finish. Salem clearly cares about his customers, not just about selling cars. He was incredibly patient when helping us explore financing options. He also took the time to really educate us about loans and credit and all that goes along with buying a car which was incredibly helpful for first time car buyers like ourselves. In the end, we were able to trade in our old car and drive away in a new one for a seriously outstanding price!

Everyone should come here to buy a car. Ion Cars is definitely worth of a 5 star rating on Yelp. Salem was wonderful to work with and truly values his customers. Not only does he have a great inventory of quality cars, but also he has them priced at below market value. One would think that with these low prices, there's an issue with the cars, but it's absolutely not the case. Salem is very forthcoming with the car histories and will truly do his best to assist anyone. Again, if you are in the market for a quality car, Ion Cars is the first place I'd look. I consider myself extremely lucky to have found a car dealership that is professional and honest.

4/19/2014

I was preparing for an international move and needed to sell my car. I'd imagined a "nosebleed" trying to do this. Wow! Salem made it all seem easy. He was very quick to respond to my request to take a look at our cars. Then he was on time and very professional. He wrote me a check and took the vehicle away within 2 hours. What a relief! Thank you, Salem for offering a first class, professional experience and a fair price. What a wonderful resource your are for the Bay Area.

4/12/2014

ION Cars was my last stop !!! I have been looking for my second car for a long time and visited most of the dealerships in Bay area as I had many issues with my first car and didn't want to do the same mistakes. Literally starting from south bay to North Bay area had a chance to visit all of these "big" dealerships. As you all probably also experienced or you are still experiencing all these "big" dealerships have many sales guys assisting/welcoming the customers by giving empty promises and taking your time for nothing.In most cases after spending min. 1 hour with these guys you end up with sales manager which you actually didn't even spent a minute while you are looking for car and he basically tells you the final price without even listening you as these sales guys act like bridge between you and the sales manager. Seriously that is so funny!!!! They usually don't even care what you are asking because they are "big" and your small money does not make any difference for them.

So what I experienced today was something completely different and I thought this is worth to share in yelp!!! Can't comment about my new car's performance as this is the first day that I have it ( but did a good job so far as I had to drive 200 miles on first day) but I would like to take the opportunity to thank to Salem, ION Cars as he guided us with patience for almost 3 hours, he was in charge so didn't need to talk to many people to get the deal done and he definitely did his best in this deal to make us happy too. He even gave last minute discount for the parking ticket that I got because of parking where actually I shouldn't :) So I would definitely advise you to see this place and meet with Salem before you make your final decision!!!Once again thanks to the Salem and ION Cars for being truthful and providing great customer satisfaction !!!

Just bought my second car from Salem yesterday and couldn't be happier.After having such a positive experience the first time I knew Salem would be the only one I'd buy cars from again. He made everything painless and I had complete trust that I was getting the best deal possible.I traded my car in to Salem for a great price, he handled all of the paperwork, and it really couldn't have been easier! He answered all of my questions and concerns and I never felt pressured. I have sent several of my friends to Ion Cars to buy a car as well as sell and they have all had the best experience. Salem truly is the best.

I was referred to Salem of Ion Cars through a friend of mine because he have nothing but positive things to say about his buying experience here and with Salem.

I decided to drop by today to see if I could work something out with Salem. And I'm glad that I did.I was trading in my vehicle because I needed something more fuel efficient.Salem was very honest with me on why my car is worth the value he was offering me, I thought his offer was reasonable and the car I was looking to buy was also reasonably priced and it was the color and model I wanted for a while.After we both agreed, we proceeded with all of the paper work and he even went out of his way to get me the lowest interest rate possible. Everything went smooth and was in and out within an hour or so.

If you think this is like any other car dealership with tricky sales tactics, you are wrong. I don't know what it is but you just feel comfortable here from the moment you walk in.Check them out before going anywhere else, there's really nothing to lose.

There's a reason Ion Cars has such a phenomenal rating on Yelp. Salem and his team are the best at what they do, and working with them makes you feel like family. Salem helped guide me through the process of selling my used car, and made sure I got the maximum value in return.

He truly understands the value of customer service, and it shows. It's a relief to connect with a dealer who is honest and open. When it comes time to get my next car, it's nice to be able to call on someone you can trust.

2/11/2014

Fantastic guy, Salem. He's is definitely someone I will look to when the time comes for me to buy a car, or sell again.

Two weeks ago, I asked Salem to sell my Honda SUV. He took it, detailed it, snapped some photos and posted them on his web-site, and sold it for TOP DOLLARS in one day, after 3 interested parties. Way to go, Salem!!!! Salem is your Go-To-Guy, if you're buying or selling a car. AWSOME!!!

Jeff San Francisco

You know all those things you hate about buying a used car from a dealer? NONE of them apply at Ion Cars. Salem exceeded my expectations several times over. The pricing was more than fair, the negotiation was honest and easy, my car is in excellent shape and it runs like a top (2010 Mazda 3).

I had to pick up the car the day after I bought it, and without my asking, he had touched up a small scrape on the body and replaced the battery in one of the remote entry keys. My financing situation was a little complicated, and he had great ideas on how to make it work, patiently talked me through them, and stayed for with me for 2 hours after closing to finish everything up.

Although the car had a clean CARFAX and he had had it checked out by a mechanic, I wanted to make sure by having another mechanic take a look. My schedule was really busy on the day I was to pick up the car, and Salem actually offered to take the car in to a mechanic of my choice to get it checked out.

I would highly recommend Ion Cars to anyone.

1/21/201

It was such a relief to walk into Ion and work w/Salem after going to the shmoozy big car dealers. You know how it is, you put on your game face, figure out which one of you and your partner will be the skeptical one to try to bring the price down, inspect every inch of the car to make sure you are not getting scammed...ugghhh!

Didn't have to do any of that at Ion. I will buy from Salem again and again, not because we got a fair deal on a car in great shape (which we totally did), but because Salem is a super nice guy. That made the whole experience more enjoyable- dealing with a real person who cares about you getting what you are looking for. He was super patient as we were very particular and wanted to test drive the car overnight to make sure it was cumfy for us. In fact, I think Salem under pitches his cars, that's how laid back he is! If you are looking for a no BS experience and want to walk out w/a smile on your face- give Ion a shot.

This is my second ever Yelp review. My first was also for Ion Cars. I bought the first car in October and because the service was so open and honest when I wanted to purchase a car for my college student, I did not hesitate to return to Ion cars. Salem met with my son, they discussed what he wanted in a car and discussed safety first as well as ensuring it looked good. I believe that I got a fair price and my son is thrilled. When I had a question, Salem kept his word about continuing to offer great customer service even though the deal had finalized a few weeks earlier. I appreciate the integrity and commitment. My hope is to buy a car in 2015 and I will then be a three peat customer. Thank you Salem!

Best used car salesman ever! Salem was professional, efficient, honest, patient and above all respectful of my needs. He made the entire process go painlessly. I would highly recommend him to anyone. He also bought my used car at a fair price.

We all feel skeptical and annoyed with car salesmen and dealerships right? No need to feel that way with Salem at Ion cars--he's by far the best! Honest, knowledgeable, and passionate about what he does. He's here to help get you a great deal on an awesome car. I will always go back to Ion cars and recommend him to anyone looking for a car. Thank you Salem!!

The SWEET SPOT. I am a first time car buyer. VERY new to the whole experience, but Salem was patient and thorough in explaining everything to me.
I was very picky about what I wanted, and without hesitation he efficiently found me exactly what I was looking for. He had no qualms about rushing down to the auction in So Cal to snatch up my ride!
I would start with Salem and Ion Cars when you start thinking about buying a new or pre owned car.

Salem was very helpful and honest through out the entire car buying process. I was shopping for a used Prius and he had 3 in stock.

Initially I was a little skeptical because I had found his shop thru an ad on craigslist.The price listed seemed too good to be true, but I stopped by to check it out anyways. I was blown away by the condition of the car, it was a 2010 model but it looked brand new.

Then he told me he had a 2011 model as well with less miles, and it only cost a little bit more. I liked that one even more because it was the color I wanted.He had just got it in recently so he didn't even get a chance to list it on his website or craigslist yet.

I was a little concerned because it looked like the rear bumper had been repainted, but the carfax shows no accident in the history.It was actually Salem who pointed out a slight chip in the paint on the bumper, he also explained the bumper might have been repainted but it is not too uncommon to repaint bumpers due to minor parking accidents, etc...

When we went in his office to talk money, there was not a lot of negotiating.I think he prices his cars low enough where the customer would have little concern with paying the sticker price.I tried anyway, but he did not budge.However, he said he noticed he priced the car lower than he should have by accident, but he would honor the price since I was already there.

In the end, I walked out of there with a 2011 Prius with 18k miles and paid below blue book. Only thing I would complain about is that Salem only got had one key so I have to buy a second set elsewhere.

10/24/2013

Just bought a Audi A3 from Salem at Ion. Very happy with the car and with the service I got from Ion. Professional, kowledgeable and the price was a lot less than traditional dealers.

9/18/2013

Fantastic experience with Salim at Ion Cars! He made it easy and simple and was very relaxed. Not at all the high pressure car salesman we all expect and want to avoid. I would highly recommend Ion Cars to anyone looking for a good deal and a great experience.

This my fiance and my first experience buying a car and it was actually a lot of fun!I had been prepped by numerous family members about the woes of dealing with car dealerships and all the games you have the play to deflate the price to a manageable rate. Not the case with Salem and Ion Cars. From the very get go he was honest with us! There was no hassle and he never once pushed a car on us that we didn't want.We knew what we wanted before we walked in the door and he never tried to push anything else on us. He wanted to know our needs and desires. And somehow he exceeded them!He even offered track a car for us he were looking for something else!

He was completely genuine in his approach. He never gave us false information about his cars.He sells them at the lowest prices you will find and he told us that the first time we met him. I am typically suspicious of anything or anybody and left thinking I was going to find holes in what he said. Let me tell you it didn't happen. We have loved the car we bought and I would recommend to anyone to at least talk to him when you begin your car buying experience. He knows his stuff and his cars will treat you well!My plan is to go back to Ion for my next car purchase. No doubt about it!

I cannot believe it has taken me almost two months to write this review--it is not for lack of being obsessed with Salem! I have never written a yelp review, but the greatness of Ion Cars MUST be known.
My experience at Ion Cars was seamless, informative, and so enjoyable! My car was stolen in May, and I survived while traveling during the summer without a vehicle. However, by the end of July I was back in Oakland and needed to buy a car in a tight timeframe. With my parents across the country and my boyfriend out of town, I needed to make my first big purchase on my own!

I shopped around and when I finally arrived at Ion Cars, I knew it was the place to be. Salem made the experience stress-free and really encouraged me to shop around and figure out what I needed and wanted. Aside from a great deal on a car that I love, he also helped me shop around for car insurance (we literally called multiple agencies together and he wouldn't let me accept a deal until we believed it was my best option), answered all of my questions (no matter how dumb--and trust me, they were), and even spent an hour listening to my friend give her start-up pitch to him!

I know you aren't supposed to trust a car salesman, but then Salem is not your typical car salesman.