Red Deer’s CARS RV & Marine and Suzuki Automotive Superstore disappeared quietly this month — replaced by Go RV & Marine and Go Auto Direct.
Located at 7414 and 7424 Gaetz Ave. respectively, Go RV & Marine and Go Auto Direct are part of a network of approximately 30 dealerships, repair and service centres, and reconditioning facilities. Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Jeep, Volkswagen, Mazda, Infiniti, Jaguar and Porsche are among the makes represented by the privately-owned, Edmonton-based business.
“I’ve got over 7,700 vehicles that are available at our disposal, and about 1,800 pre-owned,” said Matt Maclean, general manager of Go Auto Direct in Red Deer.
He said Go RV & Marine and Go Auto Direct opened for business on Dec. 10, following the purchase of CARS RV & Marine and Suzuki Automotive Superstore.
The new businesses operate as separate entities, explained Maclean, with Dan Randal the general manager of Go RV & Marine. Randal previously oversaw CARS RV & Marine and Suzuki Automotive Superstore.
Maclean said Red Deer’s Suzuki dealership ceased to exist with the changeover. Suzuki vehicles can still be serviced at Go Auto Direct’s shop, but it isn’t authorized to perform warranty work.
“The warranty work needs to be done in Edmonton or Calgary.”
But Go Auto Direct provides new benefits to area vehicle-buyers, said Maclean. In addition to having a vast inventory of new and used vehicles to draw from, it offers three-month and 5,000-km warranties on most of its pre-owned vehicles, a 30-day exchange policy, a 24/7 customer help line and discounts on parts and services.
“We’ve got the largest referral program in North America,” said Maclean. “We pay $500 per referral to any of our customers.”
He thinks Go Auto Direct will have a significant impact on the Red Deer market.
“We’re taking the used car market to a different level here in Red Deer.”
CARS RV & Marine opened in 2004, taking over the former site of Honda Red Deer. The following year it purchased the former Red Deer Toyota dealership site and obtained a Suzuki dealer’s license.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com