Small locally owned car dealers - do you stay away?

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Just wondering if anyone here has used one of these local car dealers

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Depends on if it is a corner lot with a sign that says Johhny's Autos or if it is a small family owned dealership that is connected to a manufacturer.

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Small locally owned car dealers - do you stay away?

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I bought a clean used 2500 4x4 from a very small dealer for a little better than 20k cash. Worked out great. Sales guy even drove it to my mechanic for him to look it over.

Funny thing is when I was surfing the web I saw the 2500 and saw where the small dealership was located and said "self ain't nothing good at a buy here pay here."

I shopped several large dealerships for a couple weeks. I was on my way home from one in a different city. The small lot was on my way back, so I stopped in. The truck was the cleanest truck I saw & was 10k less than another one exactly like it at a large dealership. Small lot for the win.

Two trucks later & I still regret trading that truck in.

I worked about a year in Tulsa at a tote-your-note car lot that was a part of a GM dealer. We'd occasionally get a good car from the dealer but most were auction cars from other dealer trade-ins and regional wholesalers. The former Finance Minister of Iran under the Shah was one of the biggest regional wholesalers at the time.

The only reason I would be at a local used car dealer would be to sell a car, never to buy. Local new car dealers would be OK. They usually have good mechanics in the shop and will work deals big city won't.

There's one down the street in my town that's been in business for decades. They're either honest or they own every local politician, because I've never heard a bad word.