What Scottish car buyers actually say

01 · Good and bad reviews talk about different things

Buyers praise the people and the process. They complain about what happened after they drove away.

Each row shows how often a theme comes up in good reviews (right) and bad ones (left). Friendly staff, knowing the cars and a quick, easy purchase dominate the good side. The bad side is a different list: being left alone once a fault appears, the car not matching the advert, and calls that go unanswered.

Good means 4 or 5 stars. Bad means 1 or 2 stars, or a clearly negative review. A review can mention several themes.

02 · The sale is won in the showroom and lost after it

56% of one-star reviews are about being left on their own after the sale, and 46% say the car wasn't as described. On the other side, when a review mentions a dealer sorting a problem after the sale, it's a five-star review 97% of the time.

03 · Buyers remember who sold them the car

67% of good dealer reviews name a member of staff. In bad reviews it's 16%.

Buyers remember the salesperson by name, and they write that name into the review. The name usually belongs to whoever sold them the car (80% of the reviews that mention a role), then the owner.

04 · Which themes turn into five stars

No pressure beats a good price

For each theme, the dot shows how often a review that mentions it is a five-star one. The line is the average (84%). "No pressure to buy" and help after the sale sit near the top. Price and part exchange sit only a little above it: they get mentioned, but they don't swing the score much. Reviews about warranty and communication fall below it, because those are often the ones where something went wrong.

05 · Buyers travel for the right car

12% of dealer reviews mention travelling a long way or buying from a distance.

People drive across Scotland, and some buy from further afield, for the right car. Only 2% of reviews mention photos or video helping them decide, but those reviews are five stars 94% of the time.

06 · The volume gap

The big groups have a typical 342 reviews each. The typical independent has 54. Independents rate slightly higher (4.6 against 4.5), but the groups have around six times as many reviews to show for it.

07 · By region

Where dealers rate highest

Average Google rating and typical review count per dealer, by postcode area. Highlands & Islands covers IV, KW, HS and ZE.

01 · Good and bad reviews talk about different things

The work, the price and the speed. Then whether anyone picked up the phone.

Good garage reviews are about the job itself: fixed first time, a fair price, done quickly, fitted in at short notice. Bad ones are about communication, a wrong fix, feeling overcharged and delays.

Good means 4 or 5 stars. Bad means 1 or 2 stars, or a clearly negative review. A review can mention several themes.

02 · What sends a garage to one star

Poor communication shows up in 45% of one-star garage reviews, more than any single repair problem. Delays come up in 31%, but not hearing back comes up more.

03 · Explaining the work wins five stars

Reviews that say the garage explained the work are five stars 98% of the time.

Only 14% of garage reviews mention it, but almost none of them are unhappy. Showing the old part, sending a photo of the fault or talking through the options turns a bill into something the customer understands. It also films well.

04 · Garage customers come back

23% of garage reviews come from someone who has used them before, often for years.

That's about twice the dealer figure (12%). Reviews that mention trusting a garage for years are five stars 98% of the time. Garage reviews name the mechanic or the owner, and 33% of good reviews mention someone by name.

05 · Which themes turn into five stars

Quick turnaround, long-term trust, explaining the work and fair prices all sit well above the average (89%). MOT reviews sit below it and turn up in 21% of bad reviews.

06 · The volume gap

Independent garages rate higher than the chains (4.8 against 4.5), yet the chains have a typical 411 reviews to an independent's 45.

07 · By region

Where garages rate highest

Average Google rating and typical review count per garage, by postcode area. Highlands & Islands covers IV, KW, HS and ZE.