Automotive Excellence

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Terry Osmun
4 months ago
We ve taken our Saabs to Automotive Excellence for many years. Most recently they repaired my very recalcitrant 2010 9-3 AWD back to what I remember it driving like when Tom originally took it under his wing.. Automotive Excellence are thorough, professional, and personable. Thank you Saab Whisperers

  Matt Czernicki
a year ago
Let me start by saying I asked my local Volvo dealership to quote this repair and I was blown away at the suggestion of nearly $4k. I called Automotive Excellence and explained the issue to Sean, he provided two estimates encompassing two scenarios and was able to get my vehicle into the shop in 48 hours. The issue was diagnosed and Tom reached out explaining what he found. They asked for approval before proceeding and had my vehicle back to me the next day for 1/8 the price I was quoted at the dealership. Tom, Sean and Angela were all very professional and went the extra mile to ensure good communication and solid workmanship. When I inevitably have another car issue, I will happily return to Automotive Excellence.

  Mei Shnan
4 months ago
After his diagnostic said will fix the issue , and will cost you $800 , I said okay, go ahead, and then,after 3 days, they said we figure out another issue will cost you $3300They charged me $800 and the same issue still thereSo no no experience, will not come back to them anymore

  Katie Behan
3 years ago
I'm the classic case of: I wasn't happy with my (BMW) dealership's service center, so after it came off warrantee and needed a repair, I shopped around for the right one - Automotive Excellence was highly recommended and beat multiple competing quotes. For both large and small repairs, I've found their pricing to be competitive and they get the work done right the first time and promptly. The owners are hands on, knowledgeable and friendly, as is the rest of their crew. I love that I'm notified when regular services are coming due (I'm the type that needs them!). I live several towns away with no shortage of European car service shops, but I choose Automotive Excellence. They keep my X3 purring like a kitten.Services: Tires, Wheel alignment, Oil change

  Peter Gootjes
a year ago
We have a 2007 Volvo v70 2.5T that was literally written off as dead from the Volvo dealer in Hartford after spending 3k....they couldn't find an intermittent stalling of the engine....Tom was up for the challenge and saved our car!!! He is more of and engineer than a mechanic...amazing knowledge and passion for car repair!!! On top of that the most honest and fair repair shop you will find!!! Highly recommend these guys!!!Services: Electrical repair, Auto engine diagnostic

  Anthony Buonfiglio
a year ago
Local shop that does really great work. The owner is hands on and really takes pride in making sure the customers get the best service possible. It's hard to find a reliable and trustworthy auto shop but these guys do it right!

  Eddie Moore
2 years ago
I have a high mileage 2015 BMW that I take great care of and am very particular of what parts I buy and very particular of who works on my car, if it isn t myself. BMW dealers know what they re doing and are trustworthy, but if you re paying them out of pocket instead of under warranty, they re a rip off. I take my car to Automotive Excellence when I either don t have the time nor the tools to do the repair myself. The staff is very friendly, professional, and transparent. The pricing is fair and I like that they turn the computer screen around and show me the complete breakdown of the cost by line item, so I know exactly what I m paying for. I won t take my car to any other shop, and I know when they work on my car, it s done right and it s done once. They have my business for life!Service: Engine repair

  Dylan Dumaine
5 months ago
Best place to get your BMW or foreign car worked on! Don t hesitate to bring your car here!

  Arina Telles
a year ago
EDIT: went from 1 star to 3 stars because they refunded me the money and responded respectfully to this review.TL;DR: Charged way too much and didn t even diagnose the repair correctly. I recommend VW dealership in Meriden if you have a VW vehicle, NOT this place.Full story:I really wanted to like this shop and support a local business. I had a warning light on my 2016 VW Golf S, that read Error: Transmission and would go on and off intermittently as I drove. I took it into this shop and they said that it was error code 22944, due to solenoid valve 2. It would have cost over $3000 to replace the entire valve body, where the solenoid is embedded. I was pretty upset at the price tag, of course, and searched around for a better deal on that part. I found it at a discount from a VW dealer in CT. When I asked Automotive Excellence if I could buy that part and bring it, they said it was against their policy. That was a little weird (even the dealership allows you to bring your own part), but ok, policy is policy. However, they had also tacked on some filter replacement to the quote. At this point, I called the VW dealership in Meriden to get a quote. Theirs was lower, and they would accept the discounted part. I retrieved my Golf from Automotive Excellence, paid the inspection fee ($155) and then drove to Meriden. It turns out that the diagnosis from Automotive Excellence was wrong!! There was a loose wire that was causing the warning. It cost me $500 to get it replaced and fixed at the dealership. Steep, but much less than $3K for something that wouldn t have even worked. Maybe I was unlucky, maybe they re bad with VW, but based on my experience Automotive Excellence is not at all excellent.

  George Connelly
10 months ago
My second time using this repair shop. Great service both times. They will be my first stop for all of my future repairs. Just the aggravation saved by getting the repair done correctly the first time is well worth going a little out of my way for.

  John Newman
a year ago
The customer service and turn around time was phenomenal. They treated me much better than they had to, and they were familiar with my now discontinued Saab 9-5 Aero. 10/10 would reccomend

  Luke Stroehlein
2 years ago
I was off to a bad start in the morning on my way to work. My 2003 Saab 9-3 died in the middle of the road on route 1 and I had to get it towed. I only trust my Saab with Automotive Excellence as most other shops don't know how to work on my car. Angela answered the phone and told me to bring it over even though it was a busy Monday. Tom looked at the car and found there was a grounding issue with my ecu. One of the hydraulic lines on the tow truck exploded when it was picking up my car and covered the car in hydraulic fluid. To my amazement I picked my car up after work and these guys had even washed away the hydraulic fluid. All in all top notch service that was also convenient and affordable. I will be going back for years to come!Service: Engine repair

  Steven DeCesare
9 years ago
They do great, great work. These cars aren't cheap to maintain or repair, so you want the job done right the first time. That's exactly the kind of service you can come to expect from these guys. They're knowledgeable, friendly and professional. I have been bringing my car to these guys for almost 8 years and I have never had to bring the car back a second time for a re-repair. They always do it right the first time.

  Chuck Venter
5 years ago
We found them easy to work with. They fixed the issues that were causing our BMW to fail the emissions test. They evaluated the results, run a smoke test to find an air leak, called and explained what they felt needed to be done and gave us a cost. We agreed to that cost and they ordered the parts and fixed the car for the price quoted. They found and documented a few other non critical issues (with the expected prices) on the paperwork, but did not push for us to make those additional repairs. Overall it was a much better experiance than we've received at the dealership - more friendly, less pressure, lower over all price.

  Jordy Mills
a year ago
This place is one of the best shops in New haven county. He s is extremely honest, I ve been a very loyal customer for a while now and he does the best work around. Very precise , fair prices , beautiful waiting room as well. I highly recommend Tom and his team.Services: Tires, Vehicle Inspection, Brakes, Auto maintenanceServices: Tires, Vehicle Inspection, Brakes, Auto maintenance

  Jeff Klugman
2 years ago
so far so good. had my first service there - just a routine oil change - but i also had a number of questions about other issues: nokian snow tires, extended warranties. people were pleasant, friendly and knowledgable. this is likely to become my go-to place for bmw service.10 mos later- bought a warranty through them- haven't had to use it yet, so i'll see how that works. just had another routine service and, again, so far so good.much later- thought i needed an alignment when i was having my winter/summer tires swapped. was told no need. i appreciated the honesty- they could have easily padded my bill but didn't. the charge for the tire swap was entirely reasonable. i've used them for some complicated problems [overheating/water pump problems/coolant leak] and i've used them for simple things like this tire swap.good people/good work/honest dealing. can't be beat.Services: Tires, Engine repair

  Marcus De Vito
9 years ago
John and his team are honest and thorough in their work. I wouldn't think of going anywhere else to get work done on my car. I can always trust their assessment and know that they will contact with me updates regarding the repair. They complete work in a timely fashion and have excellent customer service. I highly recommend the European Specialists team for any maintenance or repairs needed to be done on your vehicle.

  andrunning
7 years ago
Went by the other day to have new tires and rims mounted on my 2013 Mini Cooper S Coupe.Just an overall great experience. The staff was very very helpful and got everything done in a timely manner. Helped save me some money and did a fantastic job with install. Checked with me if they had any questions and before they did anything else to the rims or tires if I hadn't mentioned it, which was great; this let me know what was going on during the whole process. This will most likely become my go to shop for anything I need done to my car.Highly recommend this business for any automotive work you need done.

  Joseph Donovan
3 years ago
Very knowledgeable, Fast service, Very professional staff.No BS, Tom will always tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. He will keep you informed every step on your repair. No cars leave the lot until Tom has personally inspected every repair. I would highly recommend Automotive Excellence for Honesty, integrity and fare pricesAutomotive Excellence lives up to its name.Service: Engine repair

  Elizabeth V
8 years ago
When I bought my 1989 Saab 900 turbo convertible in 2004, I had asked friends, coworkers and neighbors who they would recommend to work on my new acquisition, and each person said John @ (then) Swedish Performance. Since then, no one else has worked on her. I have had A LOT of work done on this car, and after the first couple of major jobs were done, I decided to find out what it would have cost at other places, and John not only used Saab parts, but also saved me money over others. I have since added a car to my collection, and when the warranty was up through the dealership, all service went has gone to John and his guys at European Specialists as well. My cars are my babies, and they treat my cars as I would like them to be treated. I have always highly recommended them to anyone I have talked to. They have taken good care of family members as well. They're the best!

  Paul Fappiano
10 months ago
Great work performed on our VW Passat and BMW 325IServices: Auto engine tuning, Wheel alignment, Oil changeServices: Auto engine tuning, Wheel alignment, Oil change

  Adrian Suwala
3 years ago
From the techs to the front office, Automotive Excellence runs smoothly on all cylinders with the emphasis on customer satisfaction, and detail oriented service. Tom and his staff are wonderful to work with. I would recommend his shop to anybody who encounters a vehicular issue, big, or small. Thanks again!

  Joshua Hassell
2 years ago
Just wanted to put in a good word about this place. I was driving on I95 and got a flat tire. I pulled off into a gas station and was halfway through installing the spare when I saw I was parked next to this shop. I walked over with the tire and after paying a totally reasonable fee was back on the road 20 minutes later. Receptionist was very friendly as well. Totally recommended!Service: Tires

  Nancy Delucia
6 years ago
I recently have taken my crossfire here. It is a notoriously difficult car to work on. Tom and everyone at European have been the most professional and pleasant people to work with. As a single woman who does not have a lot of automotive knowledge, I am so grateful to have found them. I would not take my car anywhere else. They know what they are doing and do it so well.

  Arden G
7 years ago
I recently got the back panel of my Audi A4 fixed after it had been dented. After a free quote and meeting Roy, we decided on European auto works immediately. They got me in right away and my car was returned within the week, better than it had looked before the dent happened. I couldn't believe the beautiful work Roy can do. Fair price and great service. Thank you Roy!

  Alayna Brenchley
7 years ago
I lived in Connecticut for a year and a half. I bought a used car that ended up having a TON of problems. Everyone at European Specialists helped me immensely, from talking me through what to do when I was on the side of the road, to giving me loaner cars when my car had to be in the shop for an extended period of time, to making me laugh when I checked out, even if my $$$ amount was hard to stomach. European Specialists made me feel so cared for. I would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone with a European car, or otherwise. I had very obscure problems, and they always did their best to dig to the bottom of them.

  Kevin Fuggi
3 years ago
Great guys over at Automotive Excellence. Tom, Jorge, Jimmy and Dustin always take good care of my car whenever I need their help. If you need an alignment Jorge is the man for that. Highly recommend!

  Matthew Sarracco
5 years ago
Was having a thermostat replaced under warranty on my 115k Avant. Tom sold me on replacing the water pump while doing the warranty replacement because the thermostat, for hopefully another 100k and pump come as one piece and they didn't want to separate. Thankfully only charge me half the labor extra (for replacing the conjoined piece). 15k miles later and the pump is shot again. They state its outside the 12k warranty and nothing they will do.Way to stand behind your product or your service!Update: Brought the matter back to managements attention and upon further investigation, they stood behind the product and the service to make it right.Hope they keep an open mind and don't just dismiss future issues.

  WeatherFox
4 years ago
These guys don't know what they're doing. Twice now I've had major issues. The first time I asked them to buff out some scratches on the drivers side bumper. They did the passenger side, charged $150 and wanted me to pay even though I clearly stated driver's side. And more recently I asked for an estimate on a broken passenger mirror. The quoted me (written) $500 total. A few days go by and I ask for an update and they made an error in the estimate and the actual price is now $1150!!! How can you mess up by that much? My advice go somewhere else.

  Kevon Morin
8 years ago
I can't say enough about these guys. Having been in the auto repair business for 20 years, I know what to look for. Look no further! Honest, courteous and professional. Bob has always been "spot on" with his assessments. I will not hesitate for a moment to continue to recommend this facility. Keep up the good work.