Different types of car dealerships in the Philippines

If you are interested in buying a brand-new vehicle or even a used vehicle, the go-to place is a car dealership. Generally, there are two kinds of dealerships in the country. The first is the brand-new car dealership and the second is the used car dealership. However, these are further subdivided into three types and as an interested customer, you will encounter these types during the buying process and your car ownership journey. With that in mind, we will quickly discuss these dealership types, the purposes they serve, and which dealership should you buy your vehicle from.

A general car dealership is a facility that features both a showroom and a service center often found at the back. It will have a multi-car showroom that is ready to showcase the brand’s latest offerings, as well as give customers the space they need to interact with the vehicle. The facility will also feature a service center at the rear which will cater to the maintenance needs of existing customers who have purchased a vehicle from the dealership. 

If you have a dealership like this in or near your area, then it’s highly recommended you purchase your desired car from them. Not only can you see the brand’s vehicles on sale, but you will also be able to easily get access to the services they offer once you purchase a vehicle from them. However, this does not mean that queues or waiting times for the service area will be nonexistent, as these dealerships also cater to a wide range of customers in the area. 

As the name suggests, these are the types of dealerships that focus more on the servicing aspect of the vehicle ownership experience. The showrooms will be considerably smaller than its General Car Dealership counterpart, thus not being able to showcase a wide range of models being sold. Going to this type of dealership is ideal for those who already have a car and variant in mind, and are prioritizing the servicing aspect of their vehicle ownership experience.

Similar to that of the General Car dealership, also expect to encounter queues, as this kind of dealership could be servicing a lot of other customers from other areas near the facility. Either way, it’s still a good place to be if you want to see how a dealership’s service center works, while still being able to see the highlighted model they have to offer.

A satellite dealership will, oftentimes, just have a small showroom in place or a small service center attached to it. These are often found in provinces where space is limited. This doesn’t mean that this type of dealership isn’t as effective as the rest, it just means that it is limited in what it can do given its size. These are ideal if you have found a special discount in the dealership’s area and want to purchase a vehicle from them. It also applies if you already have a service center or a much larger dealership near you to service your vehicle. Given its smaller sizes, the available services they might have to offer you will be limited. For more complicated tasks, your vehicle might be sent to a bigger facility. The same can be said if you are looking to do research about your next car. The limited space will only accommodate the few models that can fit the facility’s showroom.