Paragon Honda 5 Star Review on Insider Pages

Excellent Experience"
John V.
Just purchased a 2010 Honda CR-V ( 2nd car in 9 months from Paragon) I was in and out in about an hour! My Salesman Suraj Mathews was a Professional, Informative and Courteous individual and would highly invite any new customers looking for a new Honda to look him up and experience what he has to offer.
John Vargas Jr.

-Insider Pages

Paragon Honda 5 Star Review on Google Map

Excellent Service @ Paragon Honda. ‎‎
By NICOLE Y - Sep 22, 2010

I have purchased two vehicles at Paragon Honda and am very satisfied with the level of expertise and professionalism at this location. Both times at Paragon i was taken care of by Cynthia Ramos and Jose Arias. They were excellent deliverers of service, made the process as easy as possible and explained everything thoroughly. I would highly recommend Paragon Honda to anyone looking to buy a new or used vehicle. Thanks for all the help guys! I really appreciate your help.. Nicole‎

- Google Map

Paragon Honda 5 Star Review on Dealer Rater

margfab
9/22/2010 11:46:57 AM
I recommend this dealer: Yes

Employee(s) Dealt With: Anthony Petito

My Review of Paragon Honda:
Everyone is very friendly and helpful. Paragon Honda has been servicing my cars (even non-Honda cars) for years. They always have my car ready when promised. And they call me if they have any questions. They shuttle me to work and shuttle me back to pick up my car when its ready. Always a pleasure ! Anthony is the BEST!

Paragon Honda 5 Star Rating on City Search

paragon honda is the best dealer hands down!!
by mshu at Citysearch

i walked into paragon Honda a few days ago just to get some pricing information and when i walked in i was met at the front door by a very nice salesman named Jason Quaies i told him i was interested in a 2010 CRV but i wasn't quite sure on what model to choose,he explained the differences in great detail and took me on a test drive when we came back from the test drive i was hooked. i would definitly recomend this dealership to all my friends..

Honda owner.

Paragon Honda Teacher Appreciation Program

http://bit.ly/dfTtdd

Paragon Honda 4 Star Review on Yelp

Paragon Honda
Categories: Car Dealers, Car Rental
Neighborhood: Woodside
9/18/2010

I had a great experience buying my car from this dealership. Ariel Munoz was an amazing salesman and his excellent customer service and professionalism was the key factor to me buying a Honda. Although I did not buy my car from this dealership due issues outside Ariel's control, I would recommend this salesman to everyone when deciding to buy a Honda. He was well informed and provided me with extensive knowledge of the vehicles offered and specifically of the vehicle I had interest in.

Paragon Honda 5 Star Review on Yelp

Paragon Honda
Categories: Car Dealers, Car Rental
Neighborhood: Woodside
9/18/2010

My experience was contrary to all these reviews. As many cars that are for sale, there are an abundance of dealerships. Sales prices are are competitive everywhere, so it all comes down to the quality of service for me. My dealer, Ariel Munoz of Paragon Honda, provided superb service from my initial walk-in to closing the deal. Everything was intelligently explained and all my questions/concerns were respectfully addressed.

When you shop for cars, you shop for the right salesman because these are the people that will further assist you for the life of your car. Without a doubt, Ariel Munoz is THE guy to see for your auto needs.

Hope this helps!

Paragon Honda 5 Star Rating on Insider Pages

Paragon Honda
09/17/10: 'Future paragon customer'

I recently went in to check out a honda civic purchase, as I walked in with my wife I was greeted by Mr. Ariel Munoz.

This young man was very helpful, and his customer service was amazing, even after I stated that I would not be making a purchase on that day.

I read pretty bad reviews of this place, but he exceeded my expectations. The deal he gave us was amazing, but unfortunately I am not ready to take on the expense, but when I finally decide to buy my wife the civic, I will more then likely only deal with this gentleman.

-Future paragon customer

Paragon Honda 5 Star Rating on Dealer Rater

marocho
9/20/2010 9:59:44 AM
I recommend this dealer: Yes

Employee(s) Dealt With: Andres Sanchez, William L. and Elsie Tavarez

My Review of Paragon Honda:
My lease on my 2006 Acura TXS was coming due and I needed to return the vehicle as well as lease a new car. My main concern was not to spend all day processing my request. I was very pleased that attention was paid to me and they made sure to finish my request as promptly as possible. I was happy the 2010 Honda Accord that a requested was available and for a good price. They coordinated the day with me in order to make my purchase as painless as possible. This is my third go around with Paragon Honda, dating back to 2004 and because of this pleasant experience I don't see why there won't be a forth. Thank you. Manuel Arocho. Transaction on September 15, 2010.

Paragon Honda Buy Back Program

Paragon Honda Buy Back Program

Auto Remarketing Names CPO Dealer of the Year

By Joe Overby, Staff Writer
September 15, 2010


NEW YORK — If he had to choose between taking a vacation or working at the dealership, Brian Benstock said he would pick the latter.

The minority owner of Paragon Honda in Queens and the vice president and general manager of Paragon Acura has mirrored his work ethic after that of the late Paul Singer, the founder of what is now Paragon Auto Group.

"To say he was a workaholic would be an understatement," Benstock shared with Auto Remarketing in a recent interview.

So after more than two decades of working alongside Singer and watching his work ethic firsthand, Benstock said, "It's in my DNA."

That drive and a slew of innovative approaches to selling certified pre-owned have helped Paragon Honda and Paragon Acura excel in the CPO segment, and they have been selected to receive the Auto Remarketing's inaugural CPO Dealer of the Year Award presented by vAuto.

Paragon Honda has been Honda's top dealer for CPO sales volume each year since 2007, while Paragon Acura has been Acura's top CPO seller each year since 2008, said Dan Crowe, national remarketing manager for the automaker.

And both stores are on the way to achieving that distinction for their respective brands once again this year, Crowe noted.

Paragon Auto Group — which also includes White Plains Honda in White Plains, N.Y. — is headed by majority owner Edith Singer, wife of the late Singer.

"She's a part of everything," Benstock shared. "It's great to have someone intelligent to bounce these ideas off of and have her input before we send them off to market."

Benstock has been working with the Singers for more than 28 years, as he began his career at the store in May 1982. He grew up on Long Island and right after college, began working at a Lincoln-Mercury store, planning to stay there "until something better came along."

Eventually, he applied and got a position at what was then P.S. Honda and has been with the company ever since.

With decades of experience in the field, Benstock finds the auto business to be "fascinating because it's always changing, but it never changes."

He emphasized that while a slew of enhanced technology has become available, "The basics of the business never change."

Benstock noted: "I think it's made us hybrid dealers, per se. We're old school, but we embrace technology."

In the old-school approach, "It's getting away from the bad stuff" of the old days, while still maintaining those core foundations of selling vehicles.

The dealers who can blend the best of new innovations and the old-school foundation of selling cars are the ones who will win, Benstock emphasized.

The Paragon stores have certainly been winning in the CPO market these days, and others have taken notice.

For one, Crowe said he believes the store has a keen awareness of the "value" it gains from the CPO segment.

"It's allowed them to expand their ownership base significantly," Crowe share, also crediting Benstock for "always thinking outside the box" for ways to drive dealership traffic.

"Last year, Paragon's aggressive marketing helped them grow from number 17 to the number one Honda and Acura retailer with the most new and certified pre-owned sales of any retailer in the country," said Sean Wolfington, owner of Tier 10 Marketing.com, Paragon's marketing company.

This type of insight from Benstock will be available for dealers attending the 2010 CPO Forum.

Benstock is being honored at the event, and is offering the "CPO Dealer of the Year: Building the Best Certified Pre-Owned Stores in the USA" presentation and is participating in the "Building the Best Certified Pre-Owned Stores in the Country, Luxury Brands" workshop, along with Frank Lynch, of Vista BMW.

"We're proud to honor Edith Singer, Brian Benstock and the entire family at Paragon Honda and Paragon Acura with our inaugural CPO Dealer of the Year Award," said Bill Zadeits, associate publisher of Auto Remarketing and conference co-chair. "And we are thrilled that attendees to the 2010 CPO Forum will be able to gain invaluable insight and perspective into the market."

Zadeits added: "Paragon's innovation in the certified space over the last year has been industry-leading, and their stores' success in CPO sales is reflective of that."

Dale Pollak, chairman and founder of vAuto, said: "Brian Benstock is exceptionally deserving of being recognized as the Certified Pre-Owned Dealer of the Year. With intelligence and boldness, Brian thrives in an urban environment where few could survive. As an early adopter of the vAuto Velocity Method of Management, we are honored to sponsor this award. We couldn't be more proud of Brian's accomplishments and we are excited to continue to work together."

Dealer Magazine Interview with Brian Benstock

Interview With Brian Benstock From Paragon Honda And Acura
09/09/2010

Paragon Honda and Acura in New York is a great family success story, says Vice President and Partner Brian Benstock. Paul Singer and his wife Edith acquired the Honda franchise back in 1970. At the time, Paul was an Oldsmobile dealer but fell in love with one of those Honda motorcycles. So he went out and got a franchise for the car. Singer set a portion of the showroom aside for a couple of Honda vehicles and people were laughing, but where’s Oldsmobile now? Benstock asks.

Paul was a well-respected dealer when he died in May 2006. The store has continued to be one of the country’s top dealerships under the leadership of Edith, her daughter and Brian. This year, Paragon is the top selling Honda dealership in new and certified sales combined and is one of Honda’s top CSI dealers.

Brian shares with Dealer magazine how Paragon has been able to survive the recent downturn while continuing to grow.

Click here to read about Brian Benstock’s story and more in the Dealer magazine September 2010 issue.

CNN Interview with Brian Benstock

By Peter Valdes-Dapena, senior writer
September 10, 2010: 12:49 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The cutthroat world of car pricing is getting simpler and gentler for car buyers but more ruthless for car dealerships.

That’s because in the power struggle between dealers and shoppers, the buyer has prevailed, thanks to the Internet. Getting a straight answer on price from dealers used to be like pulling teeth. Now, as car dealers hunt for dwindling buyers they’re freely quoting prices on web sites.

With a bit of research, savvy car buyers can pit dealers against one another, from the comfort of their own homes.
Here’s how it’s done: First of all, know exactly what you want: make, model, options, even the color. And make sure the price the dealer is quoting you is for the precise car you want. If it isn’t, make sure you know exactly what’s different.
Don’t go to the dealership. Instead pick up the telephone, write an email and use a car buying Web site.
Any of the Web sites that partner with Zag.com make great places to start. Among them are Consumerreports.org, Overstock.com, USAA.com, AmericanExpress.com, Aol.com and others. (The Zag.com Web site has links to them all.)
At these sites, you’ll see actual prices from several competing dealers in your area before you have to provide any of your contact information. That means you can choose to start a dialog only with those dealers that offer competitive prices and that have good customer service ratings.

With on-line pricing, each dealer knows a better offer may be only a mouse click away, so they all get to the bottom line price faster saving you time, stress and hopefully money.
Even when you call or email, some dealers may still try to get you to come into the dealership before they’ll discuss price. Ignore them and move along, advised Phil Reed, consumer advice editor for the automotive Web site Edmunds.com.
“If you find yourself being turned over to a traditional salesperson, or there’s resistance to giving you a price over the phone, you may be at the wrong place,” he said.

Scott Painter, who runs Zag.com, thinks we may finally be seeing the end of car sales as we know it. “I think the dealer today that does not embrace up-front pricing will be out of business,” he said.
Eliminate the car salesman: The car salesman as we know him is on the endangered species list.
In the future, Painter said, cars will be sold in much the same way that major appliances, such TV’s and refrigerators, are sold. Pricing will be decided on a store by store basis and salespeople will be valued for customer service rather than tough negotiating.

To a dealership, an aggressive salesperson who makes you uncomfortable has become more of a liability, and one who listens and makes you feel understood more of asset. Let’s face it, that Chevrolet Equinox or Toyota Avalon you can get from one dealer is the same as you’d get at another. While that’s always been true, it’s now much easier to shop around.
Auto sales consultant George Dans, who bills himself as “the world’s greatest closer,” said he sees the changes already. With pricing power in the customer’s hands, the way for car salesmen and dealerships to fight back is by being nicer and more attentive than the other guy.

“You’ve got to come up with five to 10 good reasons they should buy from your dealership,” he said “otherwise they’re just going to buy from the guy with the lowest price.”
Dealers who don’t play fair — for instance, not honoring prices they quote on-line — will quickly realize the Internet’s other equalizing effect, said Brian Benstock, who runs Paragon Honda and Acura in New York City. Word of bad customer service gets around.

“The same customers that are out there using the Internet to find you will use the Internet to destroy you.”
Car dealerships see the light: As the Internet gives car shoppers more power, the nation’s biggest auto dealers aren’t fighting the change. In fact, they see an opportunity.

All the emphasis on competitive on-line pricing means lower prices for customers and slimmer profit margins on new car sales, but those profits have been paper-thin for a long time, anyway. The benefit to the dealer in all this it speeds up the sales process, said Paragon’s Benstock.

“If you want to make a lot, make a little and you can make a little a lot of times,” he said.

Besides minimizing the time and hassle needed to earn that small profit, easing the new car sales process means creating more customers. Those customer relationships allow dealers to cultivate profits in other areas like parts, service and used cars.
Autonation (AN, Fortune 500), the country’s biggest dealership chain, is experimenting with up-front Internet pricing in several states.

Sonic Automotive (SAH, Fortune 500), another of the nation’s biggest auto dealers, is refocusing its 120 dealerships’ to emphasize phones and the Internet as the initial point of contact for most customers.
“Our vision is to have 100% of our dealerships modeled as e-sales offices,” said Rachel Richards, vice president of retail strategy for Sonic.

Asbury Automotive (ABG), another top dealership has also been experimenting with up-front pricing at its Nalley Toyota dealership in Roswell, Ga., said Chief Operating Officer Michael Kearney.

For now, he said, most customers still negotiate in person, but their numbers are declining.

“If you want to place me out there 10 years from now, I’d be surprised if the vast majority of pricing isn’t settled on-line,” he said.

Paragon Honda - 4 Star Review on Yelp

Paragon Honda 4 Star Rating on Yelp

R S.
Brooklyn, NY
9/9/2010

After a bad experience at another dealership, we came in here expecting to have another one.

Our salesperson Airon proved us wrong. He gave us a low-pressure test drive, answered all our questions (and involved other people if he didn't have the answer), even giving us his computer to look up fees that we were contesting.

He just made it happen -- efficiently ordering a car from across town to be brought over while we waited. We felt the whole staff was (positively) involved in our purchase. Low-pressure, no heavy attempts to upsell us with other options. We wanted the base in the color we chose and got it in a few hours.

Paragon Honda 4.8 Star Rating on Dealer Rater

jetro313
9/8/2010 2:53:14 PM
I recommend this dealer: Yes

Employee(s) Dealt With: Skander Alex Missaoui...Elsie Earez

My Review of Paragon Honda:
When leasing a Honda accord from Alex I felt he went far beyond the call of duty. I never felt pressured to buy but at the same time I felt he was there to help me in my important decision. I would certainly reccommend future customers to visit alex at paragon Honda. Elsie Earez suprised me with her caring when she introduced my lease to me. I am sure just explaining something can be done by anyone, however I soon realized that she was not gonna let me go unless I completeley understood my new purchase. Thank you both for your devoted service.

Paragon Honda 5-Star Rating on Dealer Rater

Ivelisse
9/7/2010 10:43:18 PM

I recommend this dealer: Yes

Employee(s) Dealt With: Clara Vanegas, David Pena, Gary

My Review of Paragon Honda:
I visited recently with my sister to purchase her new vehicle, (disclosure: I have bought 5 vehicles in the past!) and am always impressed by the customer service. Clara is always a pleasure to "deal" with, Gary was up front and straight to the point with the financing aspect of the deal and David Pena was "great" when it came to explaining all the ins and outs of my sister's new Honda Pilot. Keep up the good work...will see you in three years! : )

Paragon Honda 4 Star Rating on Dealer Rater

lkearse@msn.com
8/31/2010 8:05:21 PM

I recommend this dealer: Yes

Employee(s) Dealt With: aldo graziano, cynthia ramirez

My Review of Paragon Honda:
The employees were very attentive, friendly, and helpul and i felt that they were very honest and were not just trying to get a sale even though that is what their job is. They made me feel that they were there to help me too while making a sale.So i felt that the service offered was the best thing. Also i was encouraged to ask questions, and was asked more lots of times if i had any. Everybody was friendly even if they were standing around. The work area was not intimidating and i felt that it could have been because you were basically siging your life away with so many papers to sign.