It is clear to say that starting in the 2000s, Eastern Motors became a phenomenon. Rarely do you see a branch of car dealerships become a household name both locally and nationally. Easterns had the ability to do what most brands and companies couldn?t. They are most known for their catchy jingle and hilarious commercials with celebrities and major sports players. The Easterns Training Camp series is a compilation of skits and comedic monologues staring LaVar Arrington, Carlos Rogers, Clinton Portis, and Sean Taylor all formerly of the Washington Redskins. All players were playing for the Washington Redskins when this was recorded. Eastern Motors nicknamed these guys according to their role in each skit. LaVar Arrington aka ?The Enforcer?, Clinton Portis aka ?The Predator?, Carlos Rogers aka ?The Interceptor?, and Sean Taylor ?The Punisher?. In Day 1 of the training camp, the guys are seen talking about whooping the new trainees into shape on behalf of Easterns. As most know, Sean Taylor is no longer with us so we continue to send our thoughts, prayers, and condolences to his family, friends, and fans. The legacy of Sean Taylor will live on forever and he will always have a special part in the hearts of everyone.
Easterns Automotive Group Wins Several Awards from Dealer Rater AGAIN!
Every business wants to be connected to their customers. Some just do not know how. In terms of the automotive industry, a company by the name of Dealer Rater has created the formula to do just that. Chip Grueter, the founder of Dealer Rater, noticed the void in the market for car dealerships reviews back in 2002. During that time, there were no websites that connected car dealerships to their customers and allowed customers to voice their opinion about the dealer or the customer service that they received. Over 15 years later, Dealer Rater has over 2 million customer reviews and more than 14 million customers. It has become the global hub for car recalls, research, and service & dealer reviews.
The owner of Easterns Automotive Group, Robert Bassam, knows the importance of his customers having a voice. Easterns implemented Dealer Rater into their online repertoire. Easterns has 8 locations in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. It is imperative that all these customers have a voice and a platform to speak on their experience with Easterns. More importantly, it’s vital that the staff do their job and represent the company to the best of their ability. The overall goal is to have customers speak highly of your company, not negatively.
Dealer Rater gives out awards at the end of the year to deserving dealers. The first awards are the Dealer of the Year awards. These awards are given to a select number of car dealerships located in the United States and Canada for outstanding customer satisfaction. The winners of these awards are chosen by the amount and quality of the customer online reviews. Easterns of Temple Hills was announced as the Dealer of the Year for used cars in the state of Maryland. This is definitely a major accomplishment that the whole team is proud of. Easterns won big because that was not just their only award. Dealer Rater also issues another annual set of awards for Consumer Satisfaction. These awards are given to the top tier car dealerships. Easterns of Hyattsville, Easterns of Laurel and Easterns of Baltimore all received Customer Satisfaction Awards for the third year in a row! Easterns Automotive Group is a true testament that caring about your customers and making them your number one priority pays off.
Benefits of Buying a Car through us vs. Buying from a ?Buy Here Pay Here Lot?
Here at Easterns Automotive Group, we take our customers? needs very serious. We understand the importance of excellent quality service. The major key for us is open and honest communication with our customers and treating everyone like family because that is exactly what we are. Our customers are our first priority so we never mind going the extra mile, unlike our competitors. Our vehicles are in immaculate condition, with all being 2 years old or less than 35,000 miles. Over the past 25 years, we have managed to build an excellent reputation as well as an A+ rating with the BBB (Better Business Bureau). We have six dealership locations located throughout the DC metro, Maryland, and Virginia area and over a 97% customer approval rating. The credibility that we have established has enabled us to be one of the prestigious and well-known automotive groups in the DMV.
Buying a car can be a very a very stressful task depending on where you are purchasing a vehicle. Easterns strives to provide a smooth, easy, and time efficient car buying experience that everyone can enjoy. We understand that everyone coming to purchase a vehicle does not have all of the cash in his or her pocket. The reality is most Americans choose to finance their vehicle. Variety is very important to us when it comes to our customers choosing a lender to finance their vehicle. This is why we offer 30 credible lenders to our customers such as Ally, SunTrust, TD, Wells Fargo, and Capital One Bank just to name a few. Each bank and financial institution is different and certain lenders may be a bitter fit for customers than others. A big factor that goes into deciding APR (Annual Percentage Rate) for an auto loan is a person?s credit score. Having a good credit score means that banks are more willing to work with you because of you previous track record. Your monthly payment is most likely to be lower when you have a better credit score. When banks see that you have a higher credit score, they tend to give people a higher rate because to them that you are a financial risk resulting in a higher monthly payment. Our new website allows customers to fill out the finance application online before they even come in to any of our 6 locations.
The pros to choosing Easterns are endless. Every one of our vehicles goes through a thorough 110-point quality certification. They all come with a free CARFAX Vehicle Report that reveals the truth about used cars including previous work performed on the car, hidden problems, and recalls and safety related issues. We also offer a limited time warranty and gap coverage on every vehicle. Customers have the option to purchase extended warranties and gap coverage through Easterns. It is important to us that our customers are happy with their vehicle. We give them a 7-day window to enjoy the vehicle and make sure that they are in love with it, consider this like a trial run. Our 7-day return policy allows customers to swap their current vehicle for any car or truck at Easterns that matches their budget and credit.
Buying a vehicle at Easterns is very different from buying a vehicle at a Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) lot. A BHPH is type of dealership that targets people with bad credit that have most likely have tried to purchase a car elsewhere. Majority of the BHPH dealerships offer customers high interest rates with high payments. They tend to take advantage of their customers? financial situation because they know that they are in need of a vehicle. In fact CARFAX published an article discussing what should be avoided when buying a car from a BHPH lot. They urge customers to watch out for the ridiculous terms such as ?long loans and sky-high interest rates?. It?s important that potential car buyers have the proper information before signing something without knowing exactly what they are getting themselves into. Another thing to watch out for is overpriced cars. Vehicles at these lots typically are not the best quality, yet the prices are marked up so it is best to ask for a CARFAX or vehicle history report. The biggest thing car buyers should know is the importance of knowing their finances and what they can and cannot afford. Having this type of knowledge can prevent someone from making a financial mistake that could have been easily avoided.
Bad Credit Car Dealership | Buy Here Pay Here
Eastern Motors attends the 2017 Washington Auto Show
The winter months are always an exciting time for car enthusiasts. Any and everybody that loves cars know that this is car show season. This is the time when consumers are able to see the current, upcoming, and concept vehicles of just about every manufacture. It all begins in early January of every year at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. They choose to start in Detroit because it is so imperative to the automotive industry. This is where majority of the world?s top automotive executives reside so it?s only right for everyone to get together to share their big announcements with the world. At NAIAS, everything is announced from changes to current vehicles, new body styles, technology, and new models. This gives consumers something to look forward to since the car show travels to multiple major cities in the United States. Consumers are able to see everything first hand when they attend the auto show. That?s just what we wanted to do!
The Washington Auto Show came to town during the last week of January. It was only right that we (Easterns Automotive Group) went to see everything and learn more. When we got there, we were surprised to see the crowd there on a weekday. This event truly brings out everyone from the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. Our first stop was the 2018 Toyota Camry which offers a complete redesign from the current 2017 body style. With Toyota being the best-selling car in America, they had no choice but to really hit it out of the park with one. Some notable changes for 2018 are the redesigned body, new sleek interior, 2 new engine options (depending on the model), updated safety features, and of course updated interior technology.
The luxury floor was next on our list so it?s only right that we share some of our favorites. Almost immediately the 2018 Lincoln Navigator caught our attention. It literally looks like something out of a movie. One long side door is offered for each side to out both front seat and back seat passengers. The doors go up like a Lamborghini which is pretty impressive for an SUV. The back trunk area is a basically an on the go closet area which is super convenient for those constantly on the road.
Mercedes-Benz has an awesome coupe line-up for 2018. At first glance, the GLC, GLA, and GLE look very similar but they each have their own role. It?s really great to see Mercedes giving their customers variety to choose which one fits them the best. It really depends on what the particular person is looking for. The price range of this line up starts in the mid-40?s.
Our next stop was of course the exotic floor. On this particular floor they had everything from Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Bentley, and Aston-Martin just to name a few. The quality of these cars is just on a different level. This is definitely the floor where most people send the most time day dreaming about their personal favorite ride. A personal favorite of mine was the Rolls-Royce Wraith. It has such a bold design and while it is luxurious, it offers a sense of grit. The Wraith is also owned by favorite notable celebrities such as Odell Beckham, Khloe Kardashian, and French Montana.
We enjoyed attending the 2017 Washington Auto Show! It is clear that 2018 is going to be an exciting year for the automotive industry.
DC Car Show | Washington Auto Show
Bio for Easterns Automotive Group’s Founder Robert Bassam
Robert Bassam
Robert Bassam founded Easterns Automotive Group and serves as its chief executive officer (CEO). Based in Washington, D.C., Easterns features six used-car dealerships and is operated through a Sterling, Virginia-based centralized corporate facility. In 1986, Bassam relocated to the D.C. region from Miami, Florida, to serve as a Mexican restaurant waiter. However, his passion to break into the business of car sales was born when he visited the Salvation Army. It was there that he purchased two cars for $50 apiece using his tip money. He then sold the cars to his co-workers for a whopping $300.
After Bassam and a co-worker pooled their money, Bassam was able to purchase 20 additional cars, and he never turned back. In 1988, he established Easterns during a short time period in which he was involved in car wholesaling. When potential buyers started to shop Bassam’s wholesale storage lot in search of high-quality used cars, Bassam’s first commercial dealership started in the area of Arlington, Virginia. Bassam realized that other area dealerships had rejected many car seekers, and because he felt that the subprime auto loan market was mistreated and undeserved, he made his “Eastern Motors” brand the premier place for buyers to enjoy second-chance credit. He used the slogan of “Where your job is your credit” and was soon able to add stores to his operation.
The dealership began to quickly book more than 100 deals per month with CAC. Bassam eventually expanded his spread of lenders and ended up having dozens of banking institutions working with him. After signing up with the institution Capital One Auto Finance back in 2003, Bassam used Capital One Auto Finance as Easterns’ No. 1 finance source. The group now operates with more than 30 lenders, who include those typically not available to non-franchises: for instance, AmeriCredit, Ally, TD Bank, and Wells Fargo. In addition, Bassam holds positions on the national dealer advisory boards of Kar Auction Services, Capital One Auto Finance, and Cox Automotive.
Easterns has experienced constant growth since this brand was first established. During the past four years, brand new efficiencies and innovations in the group’s structure have enabled it to provide even more competitive pricing and still maintain robust gross levels. Bassam’s philosophy as Easterns’s CEO is to do things ‘better, faster, and cheaper’ through centralizing operations as well handling business in house. Easterns currently operates the group’s corporate and central reconditioning facility located in Sterling, Virginia; it is a massive operation that takes place in a single warehouse spanning 90,000 square feet. All automobiles are bought and totally reconditioned here. In addition, all legal work, corporate accounting, marketing, customer care, tag and title, and human resource work is handled in this facility. The company furthermore operates a website along with an internet sales department, or business development center, that is centralized and makes all of the group’s 1,000 automobiles available to all customers anywhere. This department handles all outgoing and incoming communication with the group’s customers as well.
Bassam remains extremely passionate about motor vehicles; in fact, this car enthusiast’s constantly growing car collection is kept in the exact same park as his group’s headquarters. You can take a peek at Bassam’s collection here: Robert’s Garage
Buick
Buick is an American luxury automotive brand under the General Motors manufacturing company created in 1899. Other automotive brands under General Motors (GM) included Cadillac, GMC, and Chevrolet. Here at Easterns Automotive Group, we carry all of these different GM brands. It?s important to us that our customers have a variety of quality used vehicles to choose from. The Buick cars that we have in stock range from about $16,000 to $30,000. The pricing really depends on the features that a customer is looking for in their Buick vehicle. One of the most popular vehicles in our inventory is the Buick Enclave which is a mid-size SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle). The sister model to this Buick SUV is the Chevrolet Traverse and the GMC Acadia which are also very popular. Click here to watch a road test between these vehicles provided by Motor Week. Another Buick car in our inventory is the Buick Verano. The Buick Verano is a mid-size car that can be closely compared to the Chevrolet Malibu. We have 6 locations located throughout the Maryland, DC, and Virginia (DMV) area with Buick vehicles from the year 2012 to 2016. All of our vehicles are one owner vehicles! Please visit www.easterns.com or www.buick.com to check out the latest Buick models and to check our constantly updating inventory.
Buick Encore
Buick Enclave
Buick Verano
Used Buick Dealership | Certified Pre-Owned Buicks
Cadillac
Cadillac is a division of General Motors (GM) and is definitely a popular automotive brand that we sell here at Easterns Automotive Group. General Motors also houses Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC just to name a few. Cadillac has many different models to offer our customers. The Cadillac ATS is a compact luxury sedan that can come in as a turbocharged 4-cylinder or a 6-cylinder. This vehicle can be most compared to the BMW 3 series and Mercedes C-Class. Motor Trend did a head to head compare and contrast of all 3 vehicles that you can watch here. The Cadillac CTS mid-size luxury sedan has been around since 2002 and has certainly grown in popularity over the years. The CTS has had several body style changes since those days and now has many popular luxury features. The latest models come equipped with push-button start, Bluetooth audio, and heated seats. In 2011, Cadillac created a CTS Coupe to accommodate the needs of customers going for a sportier feel. This was Cadillac?s first coupe since the year 2002 when they discontinued the Eldorado. Next up is the Cadillac Escalade. Like the Cadillac CTS, the Cadillac Escalade has also been around for quite some time. The Escalade is very popular due to the fact that it is a luxury SUV that provides great features and a large amount of room for passengers and storage space. An extended version of the Escalade is also available called the Escalade ESV. This is perfect for family road trips or for those needing more room than normal. For those needing a smaller SUV, Cadillac created the SRX model. While it is smaller than the Escalade, it still sits on its own, the SRX is perfect for someone looking for a mid-size SUV that can be compared to the Lexus RX 350, Audi Q5, or the Lincoln MKX. Another vehicle that we sell is the full-size luxury sedan called the Cadillac XTS. The XTS provides much room and luxury comfort in a sedan form. At Eastern Motors, our Cadillac range from the year 2013 to 2016 but of course that changes daily. Our inventory updates on a daily basis so we will always have something for everybody. Please visit www.easterns.com and www.cadillac.com to see the latest Cadillac models and to see our new inventory. We have locations throughout the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area.
Cadillac ATS
Cadillac CTS Coupe
Cadillac CTS Sedan
Cadillac Escalade
Cadillac Escalade ESV
Cadillac SRX
Cadillac XTS
Used Cadillac Dealership | Certified Pre-Owned Cadillacs
BMW
We believe in keeping a large selection of BMW cars here at Easterns Automotive Group. BMW is short for Bayerische Motoren Werke which is a German company that manufactures both luxury cars and motorcycles. The price of a BMW car can vary. They tend to start at the low $30,000?s and go above $100,000. The price for a bmw in the USA really depends on the model and size of the vehicle that you are interested in. To build and price a BMW car, please visit www.bmwusa.com. At Eastern Motors, we have over 30+ BMWs in stock. It is important for us to keep a variety of vehicles in our inventory to accommodate the personal and financial needs of all our customers. Our customers love the BMW 3 Series. The BMW 3 series is popular due to it being a small family car that is fairly affordable for a BMW that also has great gas mileage. We have plenty of these in stock today. We also offer the BMW 4 Series which is the grand coupe. Another favorite of our customers is the BMW 7 Series, this is a full-size luxury sedan. The three vehicles that this most compared to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8, and the Lexus LS. Got to www.easterns.com to keep a check of our entire BMW inventory here at Easterns. We get new vehicles in on a daily basis.
Audi
Here at Easterns Automotive Group, we keep a wide selection of Audi cars available. We currently have over 20 Audi vehicles available in our inventory. It?s important to us that we keep a variety of models for all of our customers located throughout the DC Metro, Maryland, and Virginia communities. The Audi A4 is a compact vehicle that adds a splash of luxury into the mix competing with the BMW 3 Series, Jaguar XE, and the Lexus IS. This is definitely the vehicle for someone not needing as much room. The Audi A6 on the other hand is Audi?s midsize luxury sedan that families gravitate to. Many like Audi cars because they also have convertibles such as the Audi A5 to accommodate the needs of those looking to have a good time and enjoy the weather. The A5 has a sleek design that the younger demographic is attracted to. Audi has a line of SUVs as well including the Q3, Q5, and Q5. Audi USA clearly has something for everyone. We have 2014, 2013, and 2012 Audi vehicles available. The most popular models that we sell are the A4, S5, and the A6. Shop Easterns today and save, instead of going to an Audi dealership!
Shop Audi Vehicles:
Audi A4
Audi A5
Audi A6
Audi A7
Audi Q3
Audi Q5
Audi Q7
Audi S5
Audi USA | Certified Pre-Owned Audis
Reese Waters takes on the infamous Eastern Motors jingle with the help of ESPN Sports Center
Easterns Automotive Group is responsible for creating a notorious jingle that is known both locally in the DC metro area and worldwide. In the DC, Maryland, and Virginia community, it is not uncommon to turn on Fox 5 or ABC 7 and see one of these jingle commercials playing regularly. Those not in the area swarm in numbers to watch these comedic clips on YouTube. Easterns has developed quite the online following with fans that are eager to see who will be the next to star in a jingle commercial. Using pro athletes, actors, and comedians has been the key to Easterns success.
Up and coming comedian and DC native, Reese Waters, always had it in his mind that he wanted to do an Easterns jingle commercial. Competing with the likes of comedians like John Witherspoon, Gilbert Gottfried, and Kevin Pollak; Waters knew this would be one for the books. He showed up on September 16th with a ESPN Sports Center camera crew ready to film his very own commercial. Waters first met with Joel Bassam, Director of Marketing for Easterns Automotive Group, to run down the history of how the Easterns jingle commercials came to be and to discuss the possibilities of him doing a commercial literally on the spot. Joel thought it would be a great idea so Waters got right to work. The process of shooting was in fact hilarious due to the nonstop laughs during filming.
After the shoot, Waters paid a visit to the home of Josh Norman, cornerback of the Washington Redskins. The purpose of the visit was to seek a critique from Norman on his commercial and get some tips and advice on how he could make it better. ?You Sucked!? yelled Norman in a jokingly manner. Norman knows a thing or two about being in an Easterns commercial since he was recently in one alongside Kirk Cousins and Ryan Kerrigan. The three of them make up Easterns All Star Team.
Watch Reese take on the Eastern Motors jingle here on Sports Center.