First Time Car Buyer Tips near Fredericksburg, VA



Testimonials
“ He's wonderful person. I love to come again. Thank you so much. ”
“ Service Department, specifically Adam Lebo of your service team is a true professional. Todays’ maintenance on my 26 Silverado was painless because of his efforts and positive attitude. 10/10 Sales Department and Management are the opposite. 0/10. Will not work with them again. ”
“ We had a great experience buying a new Tahoe with Pohanka. Sophie was a great help finding the options we were looking for, and we didn’t have to play any games with finalizing the sale or any pressure for upgrades. Would highly recommmend. ”
“ Pohanka Chevrolet services all makes and models of cars, which makes them special among car dealers. With Mr. Shifflett in charge of service, that entire department has been fantastic. They have consistently delivered professional service, almost always going well above and beyond. They have perks like rideshare so you can leave your car there and go about your day, sometimes a loaner but always friendly and professional service. They are my dealer of choice. ”
“ Jonah and the finance manager made the process easy, efficient and friendly. Highly recommend ”
“ I purchased a new car here and was satisfied with the experience. Especially the salesperson Jhony and business manager Stephen Bobersky. ”
“ Car buying experience was great. No problems. ”
“ The best dealer I’ve ever been too all around. ”
“ Excellent service and prices are very reasonable service advisor are very knowledgeable about there cars and trucks ”
“ I could Not ask for any Better Help! The Sales Ladies were Calm, not pushy. The Managers were curtious. They WENT WAY OUT OF THEiR WAY TO HELP Me get into an Auto I Like with reasonable Monthly Payments! I suggest to Everyone- Start at Pohanka's Chevy, ( they have other Car Makes too), for a fresh Clean Auto ! ”
“ Very nice people and fast service. ”
“ Got my vehicle serviced, it literally took no time. ”
“ Friendly and very professional service. Always a pleasure dealing with Pohanka people. ”
“ Excellent service, engine oil was changed in one hour. Friendly staff. 5 stars for sure. Thank you Stephanie. Will come back again for sure ”
“ Adam did a great job when I took the vehicle for the oil change. Thank you, Adam and Rob! ”
“ Jhony was very easy to work with and answered all questions I had. He did a great job and super helpful. ”
“ Adam the service manager did a nice job fixing my parking assist recall and working through some issues to help get my 2022 Suburban to pass the emissions inspection. Matt was also very helpful. ”
“ I love Pohanka bought my 5th car with them. Everything went perfect Anuj is the BEST SALSES PERSON. And the music was the best! 5+ stars!! ”
“ I recently had my vehicle serviced at Pohanka Chevrolet, and I couldn’t be more pleased with my experience! From the moment I walked in, I was greeted by a friendly and professional staff. A particular highlight of my visit was working with Moses, the service advisor. His knowledge and dedication truly stood out. He took the time to thoroughly explain the issues with my car and went out of his way to ensure that the repairs were completed in a timely manner. ”
“ Moses helped me through out the process and made my visit very easy. ”
“ I recently purchased a new Chevy EV from Pohanka Chevy, trading in my Chevy Tahoe, and the experience was nothing short of fantastic! From start to finish, Caleb and Stephen provided outstanding customer service. They were honest, upfront, and made the entire process smooth and stress-free. Caleb truly went above and beyond to ensure I felt confident in my purchase and satisfied with my trade-in. His clear communication and friendly approach made the whole experience enjoyable. I highly recommend working with Caleb, Stephen, and the team at Pohanka Chevy if you're looking for a dealership that genuinely cares about its customers. Also, a big shout out to my Service Dept Advisor Cristian Reyes for always taking care of all my vehicle concerns through these years. This dealership is a Gem. ”
“ I've been working with Pohanka for about 10 years now. My latest experience selling a car through them was as good as any experience I've had. Sophie Jones and her team made this incredibly easy! Negotiations were fair and the deal took less than an hour. Additionally, I actually forgot to get a copy of my sales contract, and two months later I emailed her to see if she could get me a copy for tax purposes. It was in my inbox in less than two hours. Pohanka, you continue to impress and demonstrate why you've been around for so long...thanks to the company and especially, Sophie. Amazing customer service!! ”
“ Best car buying experience ever!! Thanks Sophie!! ”
“ Quick appointment and great commo. ”
“ Jhony was GREAT!!! He made the car buying experience, super smooth and easy! ”
“ Great dealership, wonderful deal on my used car! A team is very easy to work with an extremely professional. We will work with them again when getting our next vehicle. ”
“ Good dealership. I had my service done on my equinox EV. Derrick was great! He was informative explained everything to us and he took care everything. ”
“ I recently bought a car from Ian at the Pohanka Chevrolet and had a good experience. Very professional, they really seem to care about what the customer wants, not just pushing to get something done. Pleasant experience and process made easy by the team. I’m looking forward to my next car from them too whenever that day comes! ”
“ Quick responsed and professional!!! ”
“ Great customer service, highly recommend it ”
“ Great service always coming back ”
“ Had an excellent experience purchasing my new Chevrolet Suburban with the help of Caleb Lemon. He was professional, knowledgeable, and made the entire process smooth and stress-free from start to finish. Caleb took the time to answer all my questions and helped me find exactly what I was looking for without any pressure. Highly recommend working with Caleb Lemon if you’re looking to buy a new vehicle. Great customer service and a great overall experience! ”
“ Had the best car buying experience with the help of Sophie in sales and Stephen in finance! They made the process very easy. Sophie did all the legwork finding a Traverse to meet my needs. Stephen helped me seal the deal. I really appreciated working with both of them. ”
“ Dropped off on Sunday afternoon for a brake issue. Mechanic was going to stay late but had to order a part. Finished Monday afternoon. Good to go, no appointment needed. ”
“ Joshua was excellent in attending to me. ”
“ Adam greeted me with energy and enthusiasm and promptly took all the info to get my car worked on. He kept me updated on the process. While watching the process of moving and servicing cars it definitely appeared to be thoughtful, organized and efficient. I was impressed by the entire operation, and will consider getting more services done here in the future. It was a great experience and I also noticed other makes and models getting serviced there as well. A very pleasant experience. Even my sales rep Ian stopped by and checked how things were going. Pretty impressive. ”
“ Excellent customer service . Very attentive and very priactive . ”
“ Excellent custimer service by service advisor and cashier . Thorough and professional ”
“ Purchased a brand new Tahoe Z71 from this dealership two weeks ago. Actually had it bought before it hit their lot. I live in a state that doesn’t require front license plates. Instead of using clips or brackets or even putting the temp tag in the window, they chose to drill holes into the molding of my brand new vehicle. Imagine my surprise when I removed the front holder to find the holes they drilled. They said they’d plug the holes and paint it. Totally unacceptable. The vehicle is brand new. It is not a used vehicle with blemishes already. It needs to be replaced with a new one! ”
Place has gone down.
“ Place has gone down. My wife had a bad experience 3 years ago where they treated her like horribly. I though maybe this was a one time incident but then it happened to me and I stopped going. I went against my better judgement by trying to save time and not having to go to two different dealerships. I get complimentary state inspection here and I decided get oil change. They have always accepted a competitors coupon and this time the service manager straight up told me no because it was way too much of a discount compared to their normal pricing. However they sent in the mail a coupon pamphlet stating bring a competitors coupon and we'll match it. Ive reported them to Chevrolet Corporate and I hope something is done about it. Don't go here take your money somewhere else l, where they'll appreciate you as a consumer. ”
Purchasing your first vehicle should be an exciting and memorable experience, and we here at Pohanka Automotive Group are going to give you some useful tips to make sure your car-buying process goes smoothly! After, come down to one of our convenient locations to peruse our showroom and find out how you can leave with the keys to your dream vehicle as soon as today. We can’t wait to meet you!
Establish Your Budget
One of the first steps you should take when looking into buying a car is figure out how much it is that you can afford each month. Most individuals find it difficult to purchase a vehicle in one lump-sum, but with a budget-friendly financing or leasing plan, you can get your hands on that vehicle you’ve been wanting without breaking the bank. We have provided you with our Payment Calculator tool, which allows you to figure out what your installment would be montly by simply including some information, such as a possible down payment and how many months you’d like to be paying for the car. Along with this, you can also see how much the vehicle would cost you by including some of the same basic information, so you’ll have an idea before visting us. If you’d like to secure yourself a loan before coming into our Finance Department, take a look at our 30-Second Pre-Approval form. Without having to provide your Social Security Number or Date of Birth, you can get pre-approved by one of our numerous lenders in just minutes!
Begin Your Car Hunt!
If you thought you’d have to spend an entire day at our dealership finding that perfect vehicle, you would be surprised! You can locate some contenders right from the comfort of your home by heading to either the Search New or Search Used tab at the top of the website. Then, select from either a make if you have a particular in mind or choose to view the entire inventory. On the next page, you can easily detail your search by Makes, Models, Years, and even Fuel Economy so that you’re only seeing vehicles that embody these categories. You’ll also be able to easily view interior and exterior photos, its mileage, and full specs. If you happen to be on a budget or you want a vehicle that’s like-new, we also offer Vehicles Under $10,000 or One-Owner Vehicles under the Search Used tab. If efficiency is at the top of your list, take a look at all of the Fuel Efficient Vehicles that we currently carry. Once you’ve found one or a couple that you’d like to take a for a spin, schedule a test drive!
Financing
When you’re ready to begin the financing process, make a stop into our Finance Department. We’ll ensure that you leave with the keys and a rate you’re completely happy with at the end. Since this is your first vehicle purchase, we’ll guide you through the pre-approval part first. After, we’ll communicate with the many banking connections and local lenders that we work with to find you a loan that’s within your ideal budget. The last step will be to set you up with a financing plan that breaks up the final cost of the vehicle that you have you’re set on into affordable monthly installments. Or, if you're choosing to lease the vehicle, we'll discuss how long you'd like to have the vehicle in your posession and put together a payment plan for you that's suited to your finacial situation. We can also chat about what your next steps would be after the leasing contract is over. You can count on our team for a simple and stress-free process no matter which direction you choose!
We hope these first time car buyer tips near Fredericksburg, VA, have given you some insight on how to get started on locating that vehicle that checks off all your boxes! If you happen to have any additional questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re ecstatic to hear from you at Pohanka Automotive Group!



“ Adam and the service technician provided excellent to get my serious issue fixed with it being a Sunday. I highly recommend making the trip if you need quality service in the chantilly area. You will not be disappointed with their service department. ”