The Other Guys Auto Sales does things the other way — the way its owners think will benefit Eastern Oregon consumers.

Christopher Cyrus, Kenny Forsythe and Paul Soward recently opened The Other Guys at 1805 Adams Ave., Suite B, in La Grande.

And while the business is new to the area, the owners are not new to the industry.

“We’ve been doing this for a while, on different car lots all over the place,” Soward said.

Among the three equal owners, The Other Guys has about four decades of auto sales experience.

“We felt like a lot of the big dealerships were losing that personal touch in the digital age,” Forsythe said.

When the men sat down about a year and a half ago to discuss their observations, they realized they could offer that personal touch themselves.

“You deal with one person from start to finish,” Soward said. “I’ll even be there as you sign the final paperwork.”

Soward said part of what makes The Other Guys unique is the desire to get to know the customers and their desires.

“We don’t want to do anything until we’ve talked about what they’re looking for,” he said.

They’ll even go custom shopping for clients if what is in stock isn’t quite what the client wants.

Soward and Forsythe each emphasized the value of a pre-owned car, which is where The Other Guys has found a niche in La Grande.

“Not everyone needs a new car,” Soward said. “Most people just need a car for transportation, and they can’t afford to get a brand-new vehicle.”

Soward said people are also convinced to pay more than they initially planned to spend.

“A lot of times, you’ll go in with a budget and the sales person – doing his job – convinces you to get into something brand new and above your budget,” Soward said. “Don’t get me wrong, I want to make money too. But we’re trying to get away from that (other style of sales). If you want the $12,000 car, that’s what we want to sell you.”

Soward said he’s heard horror stories of people who walked out of a sale unaware that they were paying as much as they were. His goal is to eliminate the confusion associated with car sales.

He also said that buying a car is the second biggest purchase a person can make, after housing. Rather than making car shopping a scary event, The Other Guys want to make it fun for people.

“That just brings the customer back into the process, which is something I think the industry has forgotten,” Forsyth said.

The Other Guys is the only auto sales business in La Grande that a CarFax Advantage Dealer. The advantage helps assure customers that their pre-owned vehicles are worth the purchase.

The dealership’s owners Soward has lived in the area since 1987. He said he moved to La Grande from Wallowa County around 2000.

“I’ve been here since the sixth grade. I consider it home,” Forsyth said. “It’s probably the same for Chris.”

As a result, the owners said they are familiar with the needs of the community, and they are confident The Other Guys can help fill those needs.

The dealership’s facility

Before the business opened its doors, the owners had a lot of work to do in the facility.

“We came in here four months ago and it looked like the 1960s,” Soward said.

With the help of contractors, Soward, Forsyth and Cyrus remodeled the space, tearing up old tiles, polishing concrete and painting the walls.

“To be in (the showroom) on these nice concrete floors instead of out on an old lot, any flaws a car may have are going to stand out,” Soward said.

The heated showroom will be especially convenient for customers during the winter. Rather than wandering around a cold lot, The Other Guys will bring in cars that clients might be interested in seeing.

Between the front lot, front showroom, heated showroom and back lot (which is still undergoing some construction and clean up), The Other Guys can harbor about 70 cars.