10 Notable Southeast Chrysler Dealers

Auto Trends is rolling out a new feature beginning with this article today. Because the new car market has been in such a state of flux lately and due to hundreds of dealers going out of business in recent years, we’ve decided to highlight some of the dealerships who are still in business.

This list of ten (or more) Chrysler dealers is by no means comprehensive nor does it always look at the largest dealers out there. Instead, each of our lists includes a variety of dealers across the region, hitting a number of the larger metropolitan areas to pinpoint those in your area.

Chrysler’s bankruptcy and restructuring means that a number of dealerships have vanished, particularly smaller ones in the inner city and rural areas. This list includes Chrysler brand vehicles, but also Jeep and Dodge/Ram if the dealer sells those brands too. If your dealership is not listed and you would like to be included, simply place your details in the comment section.

Crown Chrysler Jeep-Greenville
2736 Laurens Road
Greenville, SC 29607-3820
864-281-1600
crownauto.com

Note: Dealer claims to have more than 4000 new and used vehicles in stock.

Hoover Chrysler-Jeep
2250 Savannah Highway
Charleston, SC 29414-5317
843-763-0040
hooverthemover.com

Note: Dealer sells Mitsubishi models in Charleston and Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge models at showrooms in Moncks Corner and Summerville.

Leith Chrysler Jeep
5500 Capital Blvd
Raleigh, NC 27616
866-980-1091
leithchryslerjeepraleighnc.com

Note: Located just off of I-540.

Pearson Chrysler Jeep Dodge
8250 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23294
804-965-0300
pearsonchryslerjeeponline.com

Note: Dealer also sells Lincoln, Mazda and Mercury vehicles.

Rosenthal Arlington Chrysler
3400 Columbia Pike
Arlington, VA 22204
703-920-8700
rosenthalchrysler.com

Note: Dealer complex is located just outside of DC.

Keffer Chrysler Jeep & Dodge
8110 East Independence Boulevard
Charlotte, NC 28227-7775
704-532-1050
kefferjeep.com

Note: Entire inventory of new & used cars can be found on eBay Motors.

Ed Voyles Chrysler Dodge Jeep
789 Cobb Parkway
Marietta, GA 30060-9222
770-429-1100
edvoyleschryslerjeep.net

Note: This Atlanta area dealer survived the Chrysler ax.

Jacksonville Chrysler Jeep Dodge
11101 Nursery Field Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32256
904-493-0000
jaxcjd.com

Note: Sprawling Duval County mega dealer.

Orlando Dodge Chrysler Jeep Inc
4101 West Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32808-8190
407-722-7580
orlandododge.com

Note: Where Mickey Mouse goes to find a bargain.

Planet Dodge Chrysler Jeep
9975 Northwest 12th Street
Miami, FL 33172
305-470-8000
planetdodge.com

Note: Large selection of pre-owned cars too.

Benchmark Chrysler Jeep Dodge
1313 Grants Mill Way
Birmingham, AL 35210
800-811-2415
benchmarkcjd.com

Note: Dealers services more Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep vehicles than any other in the area.

Ralph Sellers Chrysler Dodge Jeep
14215 N. Airline Hwy
Gonzales, LA 70737
225-644-7542
ralphsellers.com

Note: Dealer sells Hyundai brand vehicles too.

We’ll be adding on next list of dealerships in the coming days…stay tuned!

Raleigh Auto Show Opens Thursday

Because I live a stone’s throw away from Raleigh, I get to enjoy the annual North Carolina International Auto Expo which is held for four days every February inside the Jim Campbell building on the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. This year’s show runs from February 11-14 and I plan on making my visit there on Thursday afternoon.

Small Show

Don’t get me wrong: this show is small and some manufacturers choose to stay away. Honda and Mercedes haven’t displayed their cars in the past few years, but fans of Ford, GM, and Toyota will not be disappointed: their vehicles take up a significant part of the showroom floor.

But despite the show’s size, you can happen upon some good finds. In recent years I got to see the Dodge Challenger, Buick LaCrosse, and Ford Taurus ahead of their respective releases and talk with company and marketing representatives. From a customer’s point of view you should be able to find many of the current 2010 models plus soon to be released 2011 cars.

No Pressure

One advantage with most any auto show is that you can see what you want without the pressure of a salesman. And, if GM continues with its past practice, you may be able to actually drive a few of Chevrolets or Buicks on display.

One of the local dealers, Capital Ford, will provide a display for an F250 Crew Cab, a Propane vehicle that ROUSH Performance has converted.

“Ford has been and will continue to be a leader in fuel efficiency and green technology,” said Tim Michael, President of Capital Ford. “We are thrilled to have the F250 Crew Cab at the Auto Expo to demonstrate that trucks too can be fuel efficient.”

Ford will also showcase the 2011 Mustang, the upcoming Fiesta subcompact, and the soon to be updated 2011 Lincoln MKX and other models.

New Releases

The 2011 Toyota Sienna will be shown just ahead of its big marketing push in time for the Winter Games which start on Friday. Super luxury makes including Aston Martin, Maserati, and Ferrari will each be present while Kia, Hyundai, all Chrysler brands, Mazda, and others will be present.

The North Carolina International Auto Expo is sponsored by the Wake County New Vehicles Dealer Association who contributes some of the show’s proceeds to local charities. Over the past four years, the group has donated $150,000 to a number of causes.

I will follow up here later this week with some of my finds including important “trends” you will want to know about.