1/7/2011

This is how a business should be run....  After our 2003 MINI died I was obsessed with finding another.  The cost of a new MINI at SF BMW or Niello in Sac was just out of reach.
  I went out on a test drive of a Mazda 6 since that was what I could afford. HATED it.  Discouraged at the thought of  having to change my strategy once again, we headed home.  On the way we took a wrong turn and went up Dolores by accident.  On the corner at Market Street we saw it...a beacon in the night...a beautiful green and blue beacon calling us to a showroom filled with MINI Coopers! How could this be? Is this a new SF MINI branch? No, they're USED!  I flipped a u-ey, parked, and the wifey, toddler and I walked in...
  Every car here looked showroom new.  Salem, the owner and sole employee, greeted us.  All of his cars were like showroom new.  And after doing much research for the sale of my old MINI, it was obvious the cars were not only priced fair but truly BELOW Kelly Blue Book .  And there it was- a 2008 MINI in oxygen blue with a black roof.  Leaving for vacation the next morning was forcing me to sleep on it.  I kept thinking of  the car during our trip and checked  Ion Cars'  on-line inventory list to make sure it didn't sell. Four days later I walked in, made one last survey of the beauts in the showroom and said 'I'll take it'.  
  Noticing the car had only one key, Salem assured me he'd get one (they go for about $150) from MINI.  Man of his word!  I never though a used car purchase could be this enjoyable.  Used...my car had 20,000 miles on it and will be under factory warranty for another two years!    
  Salem had a manner that set us at ease.  A genuinely nice guy.  We plan on dropping by just to say hi!  It's easy to see he loves what he does and wants his customers to be happy.  It's really that simple. Ion Cars is onto something...Do yourself a favor and check them out before you buy a car, new or used.  I honestly can't say enough positive things about Salem and Ion Cars.