Saxton 4x4, Brentwood, Essex

If you read some of the reviews on this site you could be put off considering Saxton. DONT BE !

I have just purchased a Range Rover from them and found the entire experience very satisfying. Over the last 25 years I have purchased more than 50 fleet vehicles for employees as well as personal cars and Saxton stand out as one of the better companies I have dealt with

The Range Rover was presented in immaculate condition and all dealings have been professional from test drives to the finance and hand over

Purchased a Range Rover from Saxton in April. Despite having over a week to prepare the vehicle it was not ready in time - no MOT, no Tax, no fuel. Is this a deliberate ploy so that when eventually it eventually turns up you just want to get out of there. That was a mistake as when I had travelled the 200 miles home I had a quick look around the vehicle, prompted by one of the wiper blades parting company from its arm when I hit the first patch of rain.

Only one key, no parcel shelf, tools, warning triangle or ashtray bins. On checking the tyre pressure all were different and below the manufactures recommended. This questions the standards of pre delivery inspections.

When trying to contact Saxton the sales man was never available and did not return calls. As I am in the forces and out of the country frequently a phone call is often not an option but Saxton do not reply to email.

After considerasble effort I managed to get through and was promised a parcel shelf would be delivered within 3 days. When it had not arrived 2 weeks later a further call revealed that they had not even sent one. Tried again but still no parcel shelf and still no answer to email.

Avoid this company, I would rather deal with the Taliban - at least they are honest not like Saxton. Happy to sell you a car but not able to provide any customer service.

Why am I writing this review?

One of the things I do before I spend a lot of money with a company I’ve never dealt with before is to carry out some research into them. How long they have been trading, the last few years accounts and what experiences others have had with them, good and bad. I think its fair to say that there are quite a few sites on the internet that help with the latter.

This is one of the sites that I read reviews of Saxton 4x4 on so feel that its only fair that I post my experience in return.

I always find that becoming involved with a company that I’ve never dealt with before makes me a little hesitant and that everyone's experiences are individual and unique. As such I tend to be cautious and do my homework thoroughly but also keep an open mind.

I have been toying with a Mercedes GL for a while now (4-5 years). I’m extremely picky about my cars and take care of them to a fault (my pride and joy is a custom Mercedes CLS Brabus edition that I have owned from new). I have toyed with the diesel variants of the GL but for a number of reasons had my heart set on the GL500.

Why a GL500?

1.) Since buying my first Mercedes car I have enjoyed a level of service from Mercedes-Benz of Swindon that I have never received from any other dealer in the UK, including other Mercedes dealerships. (I have to say here that Mercedes-Benz of Bath also receives this accolade from me but Swindon is my ‘home’ dealership that I deal with routinely). This gives me the confidence and assurance that if I buy another Mercedes car then it will be cared for by them to the same standards and by the same staff that have built Swindon’s reputation with me. Even though I now split my time between Lincolnshire and Hampshire, all my Mercedes vehicles continue to be serviced and maintained by the Swindon dealership alone.

2.) Now that I have a little boy to liven things up for me (20 months old now), I want a seven seater with ample space to carry everyone in comfort along with luggage for those family days out with his friends and his grandparents. This limits the number of vehicle options available.

3.) I want a proven and reliable four wheel drive system to ensure that even in the worst weather the vehicle would be surefooted, safe and capable of getting itself out of any unexpected situations. I also wanted it to be capable of handling mud or sand without balking if the family days out ended up in a field or on a beach somewhere.

4.) I have owned larger four wheel drive vehicles in the past, not because I think they intimidate others on the road (I am a very careful and considerate driver) but because the visibility I get of the road ahead and across hedgerows when driving on country lanes gives that extra element of safety. I can normally see traffic problems and queues of cars braking much further ahead and thus have more time to react than in a normal vehicle. I can often also see cars driving towards me on country lanes even though they may not see me and I can slow down and take any precautionary action in advance.

5.) I occasionally need a lot of load space and the only two vehicles I have owned in the past that have provided this have been a Ford Explorer and a Volvo XC70.

6.) Whatever 4x4 or SUV (whatever term you prefer) I end up buying, the fuel economy is rarely that good and I want the flexibility to convert the vehicle to an alternative and more eco-friendly fuel, such as LPG.

As with most used car dealers, Saxton 4x4 was not without its fair share of disgruntled reviews but it also has its fair share of positive reviews. In particular, there was one review written by a disgruntled buyer that has since been withdrawn and replaced with a public apology to them. I discussed this particular review with them and they were happy to provide their side of the story which I found credible and matched up with the information I already had to hand.

They have good trading figures and have been in business for a very long time compared to most others so to me that says they must be doing something good. Worthy of note is the purpose built premises they have moved into recently that makes going and choosing a new car so much more enjoyable when compared to their previous premises which I have visited in the past but never bought anything from (for no reason other than budget constraints or I didn’t see anything that took my fancy).

Almost all the vehicles are undercover inside a two storey showroom with row upon row of Range Rovers, Discoverys, Audi Q5s and Q7s, VWs, Mercedes MLs and a handful of Mercedes GLs. Add to that a few other less mainstream 4x4 vehicle models and you get the impression that they are serious about selling 4x4s.

The last time I saw a used GL500 in excellent condition that had all the options I wanted was at Mercedes-Benz of Epsom and I missed out on that by 1 day.

The GL500 at Saxton 4x4 was nearly seven years old with 64,000 miles on the clock, had most (not all) the options I wanted, in the exterior and (I’m told by numerous friends) interior colour I wanted and with a full service history which even though I had no cause to, I independently verified with my own Mercedes dealership.

There was one other GL500 for sale in the UK at this time from a Mercedes main dealer but out of my price range and, to be honest, a much lower spec in terms of optional extras.

I turned up to view the vehicle at Saxton 4x4 on a Saturday, unannounced. I don’t see the point in arranging visits as I prefer to see how they present their vehicles normally and treat you when they aren’t expecting you. I received no pressure from any sales person when I arrived. I simply asked the lady on reception where the Mercedes vehicles where located and headed off in that direction.

It is a very relaxed atmosphere at the new premises. It is bright, airy and well presented. There were three GLs there, a 500, a 420 and a 320. All were visually very appealing, very well cleaned and presented and all unlocked allowing me to browse freely without having to go and beg for a set of keys for each car I wanted to look at.

At this stage its worth remembering that a used car, by any definition, is a used car and is bound to have the odd nick, scratch, dent or other such niggle. If you want a perfect car you should buy it new from a main dealer.

The GL500 at Saxton was at first glance immaculate on the outside but on closer inspection there were a few parts of the bodywork that needed some attention. You wouldn’t notice, though, unless you got right up close and personal with it. The interior of the vehicle, again, looked to be in excellent good condition with a few small and minor niggles. Considering this was a 7 year old vehicle I have to say that it wouldn’t have looked out of place at a Mercedes main dealer. At this stage I hadn’t seen anything that was putting me off buying the vehicle.

If you want to discuss anything specific that you would like dealt with before you buy a vehicle as part of the sale then now is the time to get out your notepad and make a list, bearing in mind that it is NOT a new vehicle and asking the dealer to return it to pristine mint condition throughout may be a little unreasonable depending on what they are asking you to pay for it, how old it is and how many miles it has done.

Returning to the main reception area I bumped into one of their sales people, Neil Gray. He was very polite and in no way pushy. Very happy to listen and answer questions and, I felt, discuss things openly so we started discussing the GL500.

I never buy a used car without an RAC inspection unless it is from a Mercedes main dealer so this was one of the first things I broached. Neil had no problem or hesitation in agreeing to this and I would go so far as to say he welcomed it. At the end of our conversation and our short wander around the vehicle I decided I was happy enough to put the deposit down to take it off sale and reserve it. I was also very happy with the Part-Ex value Neil gave me for the Lexus RX I was putting in to the deal.

I later found out that they’d had a bad experience with an RAC inspection in the past (the law of averages means that sooner or later any dealer will have this) and the fact that this was still not putting them off having a vehicle independently checked by a prospective buyer was, in hindsight, a very good sign for me of a dealer who is interested in their customer having the best experience possible in buying from them with as few surprises as possible. Ironically, it was the same engineer that did my inspection that had been involved in this ‘bad experience’ and the positive thing for me here was that regardless of this, the RAC engineer spoke very highly of the staff that Saxton 4x4 employ. That was a big tick in the box for them as far as I’m concerned. I have a lot of faith in RAC engineers and the quality of their inspections.

I think its fair to say at this point that whilst it is not a cast iron guarantee of buying a vehicle with no problems whatsoever, an independent RAC inspection provides benefits for the dealer as well as the customer. It is not what I’d call cheap for a 4x4 inspection, and I had to pay for it but it does provide that added assurance and peace of mind if you are buying from someone you’ve never dealt with before. So many people don’t do this and to be honest I think that is a false economy.

The RAC inspection went well with only a handful of issues being highlighted in his report (most of them were cosmetic issues that I was already aware of). I supplied a copy of the RAC report to Neil Gray so he could review it and pass on to the workshop guys. The only mechanical issue that the RAC engineer found had already been identified by the Saxton 4x4 workshops and the part was already on order and arrived the next day anyway.

During the RAC road test the ABS/ESP light came on once at the start but never came back on again. Despite this Neil had the workshop run the fault codes from the vehicles computer and subsequently had all the ABS sensors and the control unit replaced as a precaution.

The vehicle was sent off to their Overfinch approved body shop to have the bodywork issues highlighted in the RAC report rectified which included a respray of the bonnet and front wings and a couple of other smaller cosmetic paintwork issues. It looks as good as new now.

A final run through their workshop, an MoT and the vehicle was ready for collection. Overall from end to end I think it was about two and a half weeks from putting down the deposit to collecting it, and there were two Bank Holiday weekends amongst this along with the RAC inspection which I had to wait a week for, parts orders and bodywork so I can’t complain about the time it took to finish the deal and take delivery. I was more than happy for Saxton 4x4 to take their time and rectify all the things we’d discussed. I find a much better job is done if people aren’t rushed into meeting quick sales targets and Neil never pressured me to close the deal at any point, instead preferring to ensure that I was happy with the vehicle even if it took a little longer to meet my expectations.

On the day of collection, dealing with their finance person, Andy, was just as pleasant and straight forward and even during this part of the purchase I never felt pressured or worried about buying from them. I felt the warranty they sell came at a fair price and (I have to say this as I haven’t used it yet!) on paper looks a hell of a lot better than other used car warranties I have had to suffer in the past. Regardless of whether or not you buy the additional warranty (which again, in my eyes is false economy if you don’t) Saxton 4x4 also warranty their cars themselves for 6 months rather than the statutory 3 that a lot of used car dealers seem to prefer.

Neil informed me on the day of collection that new discs and pads had also been fitted.

I am glad that I took the leap of faith and bought my GL500 from Saxton 4x4 and after the experience I’ve had I would have no problems buying from them again or recommending them to friends and family. For most of the country they are off the beaten track but given that they have cornered the used 4x4 market if you aren’t buying from a main dealer then they really are very much worth talking to and even paying a visit for a wander round for a day (and you could easily spend a day in there looking at all the vehicles).

Do I have any negative opinions on my dealings with them? Not at all. Is there any room for improvement in the way they do business? That depends on your expectations. I actually enjoyed the whole relaxed, unpressured environment. That works for me. A hard sell from a sales person always ensures that I walk away and take me money elsewhere, even if I end up losing out.

Personally I wish more dealers would have all their vehicles RAC inspected before they go on sale as this normally saves time and effort for the customer and the dealer and also gives an independent 3rd party assurance that is there when you first see the vehicle. However, I guess that comes at a cost and with the number of vehicles Saxton 4x4 seems to turn over that could be prohibitive, especially as I have no doubt that they also do trade deals with others that would make an RAC inspection a worthless investment for them for some vehicles. Perhaps they could add it to the list of services they provide as part of the sales process, alongside warranties and finance?

It wasn’t made clear to me at the outset that I was responsible for taxing the vehicle before collection. I had assumed that at least 6 months tax was included in the price. I found this out later when I happened to enquire about it. They do, however, offer to tax the vehicle for you there and then as part of the collection process at your cost – but they do the legwork for you.

Following on from that, perhaps some form of covering letter when (or before) you pay the deposit on a vehicle that sets out what their expectations from you are, and what yours should be from them. A memorandum of understanding of sorts is, I guess, what I’m referring to. Something to mull over.

Advice for any future buyers based upon my experience and some of the reviews (good and bad) that I’ve read from the various websites (not necessarily here, I might add)?:

1. Go and visit their premises and look at the cars on offer and go over the one you’re interested in yourself with a fine toothcomb

2. Make sure you can afford the insurance, running costs and road tax before committing

3. Make sure you can afford to buy the vehicle in the first place

4. Put things into perspective and remember that it is a used car you are buying, not one that has just rolled off the production line and take into account age, mileage and asking price when assessing the condition of any vehicle

5. Talk to Saxton 4x4 about anything you find on the vehicle which you are unhappy or uncomfortable with and discuss as much as you can think of with them before then considering putting a deposit down

6. As I did, before you sign, agree that the sale hinges on anything you have found and negotiated being put right (within reason – it’s a used car) and in my case, the outcome of the PDI which for me included the independent RAC inspection.

7. If you subsequently do find a problem with the car after collecting it, just pick up the phone and talk to them nicely about it.

I hope at least some of you find this review helpful.

I bought my car from them in back in March. They made so many promises about what would be done before collection, and when some of these were not carried out and also further issues occurred afterwards I was fobbed off, kept waiting, ignored, lied to and left with a car that I feel unsafe in.

I have had to spend extra money since getting the car fully valeted to remove the smell and grime that according to their salesman, would be eradicated completely before I collected it, and then I didn't trust their "service" so took it to the main dealer to get it thoroughly checked over. Turns out that they did not fit new brake pads and discs as I suspected as I never did get the service paperwork promised to me.

I chose Saxton 4x4 because I thought they looked like a reputable company, how wrong was I. And I so wished I had had the common sense to do a bit of googling to find these reviews beforehand. I feel very foolish now, and exhausted by it all. I am contacting Trading Standards about this and also my solicitor.

I bought a car from them two months ago and I got a car with lots of problems, which now I have to pay for as they are refusing to fix. All they want to do is get your money and not to take responsibility after words. STAY AWAY FROM SAXTON 4X4 ESSEX

This is the second car I've bought from Saxtons. I bought a BMW X5 4.6is from them exactly 4yrs ago and I picked up my new BMW X6 3.5sd from them yesterday... Gotta say, I'm beyond happy - the X6 is simply stunning. Breathtaking in every way and has surpassed my expectations.

From day one, Neil has been brilliant with me. I asked him to look after me and he's done exactly that.... Neil went out of his way to help me, he was professional, polite, honest and thorough. He arranged for my new X6 to be serviced, MOT, valeted, any marks removed, or minor spraying required, alloy rims fully refurbished and 6 months road tax... What more could I want?!

The X6 looks and performs like its just left a BMW showroom.. It's a 2008 model and the condition is stunning.

I'm a BMW geek and will only buy the X Series... Now I'm addicted to my wicked new Space Grey X6!!

I can't speak highly enough about Neil specifically and the service in general.. I'd recommend that if you're into awesome German SUV/SAV's, get yourself down to Saxtons in Brentwood, Essex and ask for Neil... Right, I'm off now for another spin in ze new Bavarian Made Wife, lol!!!!!!

Justin House.

Don't believe all the bad reviews, I recently purchased my Audi from Saxton and was most impressed with the level of service and choice of cars. When we collected the car a few days later everything was done as promised by Sam our salesman who was most helpful and knowledgable.

I asked Sam at the time about the bad reviews and he hit the nail on the head (we have over 2000 customers a year sometimes you can't please everyone, the good reviews far exceed the bad)

I purchased a V10 VW Touareg from Saxton 4x4. I got great service and a fantastic vehicle with 4 years warranty. The car I originally looked at was sold but I was offered a better vehicle at the same price and have never regretted dealing with Saxtons. I would definitely do business with them again.

I have purchased two cars from this garage now and I can honestly reccomend them, as with all mechanical items things can go wrong, ALL issues were cleared up to my satisfaction quickly and they have been extremely helpful at all times.

They have an excellent range of cars and are well prepared on delivery in fact I would take my cars back there just to get them valeted!

Neil is the salesman to ask for he's excellent helpful and cute, for service ask for Nick really great guy

thanks guys

I recently purchased a Range Rover from Saxtons and they were very helpful in attentive to me. The car came with full history and a lots of paperwork which was explained to me.

Highly recommended, I will use Saxtons again for my next purchase.