Subaru and Saturn close Valley dealerships

They tried converting it to a glorified used car lot, but still the Rio Grande Valley's lone Subaru dealership couldn't survive the economic decline.

And neither could the area's sole dealer of new Saturn autos. Both lots suddenly closed late last month, leaving clueless owners to wonder how the companies will honor warranties and service contracts.

For Saturn owners, the answer is as simple as going to another certified General Motors Corp. dealership.

Subaru owners will have to drive more than 230 miles to San Antonio.

"What we're doing right now is looking for a replacement," said Heather Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the manufacturer.

The chance of finding a new owner to open a Subaru lot is dubious, area car dealers said. The mountain-going, all-wheel-drive vehicles don't sell in this flat rangeland where trucks tend to rule.

Rodriguez Subaru struggled before the economic freefall and simply couldn't survive the downturn in automobile sales, said Julio Rocha, a controller for the Rodriguez auto lots.

"We turned it into a glorified used car lot," he said of the Subaru dealership at 1013 E. Expressway 83 in Pharr.

"We changed our advertisers and that worked for a while," Rocha added. "Then everything fell apart. When you're marginal at that point, what do you do then?"

Subaru's vehicles are noted for their reliability and durability, but they were never big sellers in the Valley market, said Bob Vackar, owner of Bert Ogden Dealerships, the area's largest domestic auto seller.

"You don't need all-wheel-drive down here," he said, adding that in the past he actually passed on an offer to build a Subaru lot.

At Saturn of McAllen, located at 1301 E. Expressway 83 in McAllen, the gates are closed and a sign on the dealership's front entrance tells customers to contact South Texas GMC, Pontiac and Buick - the lots share the same owner.

Employees at South Texas GMC, 4200 W. Expressway 83, McAllen, declined to comment for this story, saying the only manager who could talk was in Mexico. Efforts to contact Shelby Longoria, the owner of both the Saturn and the South Texas GMC, Pontiac and Buick lots were unsuccessful.

The sign on the door, however, makes it clear the lot was just another victim of the economic downfall:

"Due to current and most unfortunate economic circumstances, effective immediately, we are forced to close."

Sean Gaffney covers business, the economy and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4434.