Best of 2011: Driving
Motorcycle Dealership
Ducati Santa Barbara
17 W. Montecito St., 884-8443
“We provide a service that you can’t get anywhere else,” said Carlin Dunne, who co-owns the Santa Barbara Ducati dealership with his father, Trevor, who in turn has run this, the biggest Ducati dealership in California, for 35 years. “You can’t get this from a newsletter or a blog. We’re racers and we only carry gear we’ve used, we only carry pants that we’ve fallen in. People know us and the ability to trust someone goes a long way.” By the way, the Dunnes want you to know that they also just acquired the Vespa dealership, so whether it’s a race or a suave form of alternative transportation, they’re where you go vroom.
Finalist
Honda of Santa Barbara
Scooter Dealership
Ooty’s Scooters
629 E. Haley St., 965-8101
Though once known as one of the city’s finest jewelers, Chris Neely was always known to his friends as Ooty. After a life reevaluation and a prolonged trip abroad, Ooty returned to Santa Barbara wondering why we still lumber down the street in two-ton automobiles when the rest of the civilized world is zipping through it on a scooter. He opened Ooty’s to push another type of ride, the type that gets 80 to 100 miles to the gallon and doesn’t clot the street like an SUV. “One less car,” laughed Neely. “That’s what I give people, a bumper sticker that says One Less Car.”
Finalist
Vespa Santa Barbara
New Car Dealership; Used Car Dealership
Toyota of Santa Barbara
5611 Hollister Ave., 967-5611
Owned by the Hitchcock Automotive Resources group, a company headed by Frederick “Fritz” Hitchcock who owns “a half dozen” dealerships, the prevailing corporate ethos here can be summed up in the local Toyota dealer’s motto: “Big city deals, hometown feel.” Judging by their own Web site, the reviews are fairly positive, but judging by our readers, this is the only place in the city one should buy a car—new or used. It’s hard to imagine that luxury models like Lexus might be the draw, and even though the Matrix and the Corolla sit pretty in many a driveway, it’s the Prius that Santa Barbarans fancy. The industry leader in mixtures of style and cutting-edge green appeal, the hybrid echoes the idea of big city in the hometown, and we live like that.
Finalists
New Car Dealership:
Santa Barbara Auto Group
Used Car Dealership:
Milpas Motors
Car Wash/Detailing
Educated Car Wash
3735 State St., 687-8800
For the last decade plus, it’s been the car salon our readers prefer, even though it’s way uptown on State Street, it offers big draws like a discounted fill-up and a wash and wax for about $15. When you think about all the places your baby takes you, maybe it’s time you took it out for a nice spruce. It’ll do you both good.
Finalist
Fairview In & Out Car Wash
Quick Oil Change
Jiffy Lube
3 locations (in Santa Barbara County)
Like the tension between the urge for more community and the need for contemporary speed, most Americans miss the old personal service station up on the corner, but want to get their car serviced without having to think about it. Jiffy Lube started out as a no-frills, do your oil change and lube in 20 minutes kind of place, and though it has become more complicated and tied to other offerings, it still remains the readers’ choice for car servicing at fast-food speed.
Finalist
Fast Lane Oil Change
Place to Get Tires
Ian’s Tires & Auto Repair
4299 ½ State St., 683-0716
Yet another father-and-son operation on our list of best businesses, Ian’s has been in business on State Street since 1991 with son Eric Miller on board, though papa Ian Miller has been repairing cars and tires for 30 years. This is the first time in almost a decade that the category was not taken by a chain store. “I would imagine people like us because we are family-owned and good at what we do and knowledgeable,” said Eric, though he admits that their competitive prices probably help the old reputation, too. “We are definitely happy we won,” he said.
Finalist
Big Brand Tire Company
Car Rental
Enterprise Rent-a-Car
4 locations (in Santa Barbara County)
Let’s face it, most of us need a car to get around this little town, which has such an undeveloped sense of public transportation, ironically due to its small size. When we don’t have a car, it’s a shock to the system, and we’re fortunate that we have a number of renting companies here to get us through the emergency. Enterprise deals in fleets, sales, and long-term rents, though most of us might just need a car to get down to LAX for a day. It costs about $35, which is about half the price of one way on the bus services. It’s not a bad deal, and the readers pick Enterprise every time.
Finalist
Hertz Rent a Car
Car Stereo Shop
Santa Barbara Auto Stereo and Wireless
3234 State St., 682-2505
They’ve been around since the bad old days when putting an eight-track stereo in your car was what you got for Christmas or graduation. Nowadays, even cheaper models have a CD player installed, and the only place to go with the stereo system is into some esoteric reaches of woofer/tweeter philosophizing or, as is more the case now, integrating your electronic package to include a hands-free phone and a disembodied voice to tell you, you dope, you just missed the turnoff, and you probably shouldn’t stay at the Bates Motel anyway. But SBASW is still there doing business and if you want an eight-track or a cassette player installed, they might look at you funny, but they could probably do it.
Finalist
Car Stereo Guys
Auto Repair
Richard’s Accurate Import Service
401 Santa Barbara St., 962-1741
For over three decades, Richard’s has been servicing import and domestic cars with the underlying assumption that honest service in a small town is the only ingredient to long success. They fix everything from afar — except Jaguars and Land Rovers — and even a few domestic models to boot. They insist their mechanics get highly trained and we insist that they only charge us fairly for work that needs to be done. For more than a decade, our readers have picked them as best for living up to promises.
Finalist
Ayers Automotive Repairs
