Best Car Dealerships in Columbia SC, Ranked by CarEdge Data
Key Takeaways
- The top 15 car dealerships in Columbia SC across all brands, ranked by CarEdge on verified out-the-door quotes — not star ratings.
- Lake Murray Mitsubishi (Mitsubishi, Irmo) is the most transparent dealership in the Columbia SC metro by verified data.
- Brand-by-brand rankings are linked below if you already know what you're shopping.
- Get an OTD quote in writing before you visit any dealer. CarEdge tracks real prices, not advertised ones.
This is the CarEdge Dealer Transparency Index ranking for car dealerships in the Columbia SC metro — every brand, scored on verified out-the-door quotes, not Google star ratings.
We graded 15 dealerships across the Columbia SC area; below are the 15 most transparent by score.
Last updated October 16, 2026. CarEdge refreshes these rankings daily as new verified out-the-door quotes come in.
The Best Car Dealerships in Columbia SC
The best car dealership in Columbia SC by verified out-the-door price data is Lake Murray Mitsubishi (Mitsubishi, Irmo, SC): A grade, 100/100 across 5 verified quotes, with no dealer add-ons in any verified quote.
Close behind:
- Freedom Honda Sumter (Honda, Sumter), A grade, 98/100 across 12 verified quotes, with no dealer add-ons in any verified quote.
- Nissan Of Sumter (Nissan, Sumter), A grade, 98/100 across 10 verified quotes, with a $482 doc fee, under the SC average of $525.
Full ranking, fees and add-on data for every graded dealer are below.
Top 15 Car Dealerships in Columbia SC
Ranked by CarEdge transparency score across all brands, highest to lowest.
#1 — Lake Murray Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi · Grade: A · Score: 100/100 · Irmo, SC
Lake Murray Mitsubishi is an A-grade Mitsubishi dealer in Columbia SC on verified out-the-door data — 100/100 across 5 verified quotes.
- Doc fee: $225 — well below the SC average of $525
- Add-ons: None detected in verified quotes
- Listing accuracy: 8.6% below the advertised listing
- Verified quotes: 5
See full review & verified quotes →
#2 — Freedom Honda Sumter
Honda · Grade: A · Score: 98/100 · Sumter, SC
Freedom Honda Sumter is an A-grade Honda dealer in Columbia SC on verified out-the-door data — 98/100 across 12 verified quotes.
- Doc fee: $599 — above the SC average of $525
- Add-ons: None detected in verified quotes
- Listing accuracy: 1.5% below the advertised listing
- Verified quotes: 12
See full review & verified quotes →
#3 — Nissan Of Sumter
Nissan · Grade: A · Score: 98/100 · Sumter, SC
Nissan Of Sumter is an A-grade Nissan dealer in Columbia SC on verified out-the-door data — 98/100 across 10 verified quotes.
- Doc fee: $482 — below the SC average of $525
- Add-ons: 10% of quotes, avg $380
- Listing accuracy: 6.2% below the advertised listing
- Verified quotes: 10
See full review & verified quotes →
#4 — Burns Kia
Kia · Grade: A · Score: 98/100 · Orangeburg, SC
Burns Kia is an A-grade Kia dealer in Columbia SC on verified out-the-door data — 98/100 across 6 verified quotes.
- Doc fee: $599 — above the SC average of $525
- Add-ons: None detected in verified quotes
- Listing accuracy: Quoted price matches the advertised listing
- Verified quotes: 6
See full review & verified quotes →
#5 — Jim Hudson Cadillac
Cadillac · Grade: A · Score: 98/100 · Columbia, SC
Jim Hudson Cadillac is an A-grade Cadillac dealer in Columbia SC on verified out-the-door data — 98/100 across 4 verified quotes.
- Doc fee: $599 — above the SC average of $525
- Add-ons: None detected in verified quotes
- Listing accuracy: 2.1% below the advertised listing
- Verified quotes: 4
See full review & verified quotes →
#6 — Stivers Hyundai
Hyundai · Grade: A · Score: 95/100 · Columbia, SC
Stivers Hyundai is an A-grade Hyundai dealer in Columbia SC on verified out-the-door data — 95/100 across 15 verified quotes.
- Doc fee: $602 — above the SC average of $525
- Add-ons: 7% of quotes, avg $100
- Listing accuracy: 1.2% below the advertised listing
- Verified quotes: 15
See full review & verified quotes →
#7 — Autonation Hyundai Columbia
Hyundai · Grade: A · Score: 94/100 · Columbia, SC
Autonation Hyundai Columbia is an A-grade Hyundai dealer in Columbia SC on verified out-the-door data — 94/100 across 15 verified quotes.
- Doc fee: $599 — above the SC average of $525
- Add-ons: 20% of quotes, avg $200
- Listing accuracy: 3.9% below the advertised listing
- Verified quotes: 15
See full review & verified quotes →
#8 — Midlands Honda
Honda · Grade: A · Score: 93/100 · Columbia, SC
Midlands Honda is an A-grade Honda dealer in Columbia SC on verified out-the-door data — 93/100 across 5 verified quotes.
- Doc fee: $774 — well above the SC average of $525
- Add-ons: None detected in verified quotes
- Listing accuracy: Quoted price matches the advertised listing
- Verified quotes: 5
See full review & verified quotes →
#9 — Jim Hudson Toyota
Toyota · Grade: A · Score: 92/100 · Irmo, SC
Jim Hudson Toyota is an A-grade Toyota dealer in Columbia SC on verified out-the-door data — 92/100 across 13 verified quotes.
- Doc fee: $599 — above the SC average of $525
- Add-ons: 31% of quotes, avg $368
- Listing accuracy: 2.2% above the advertised listing
- Verified quotes: 13
See full review & verified quotes →
#10 — Honda Of Columbia
Honda · Grade: B · Score: 88/100 · Lexington, SC
Honda Of Columbia is a B-grade Honda dealer in Columbia SC on verified out-the-door data — 88/100 across 11 verified quotes.
- Doc fee: $402 — well below the SC average of $525
- Add-ons: 36% of quotes, avg $526
- Listing accuracy: 0.7% below the advertised listing
- Verified quotes: 11
See full review & verified quotes →
#11 — Hendrick Chevrolet
Chevrolet · Grade: B · Score: 86/100 · Columbia, SC
Hendrick Chevrolet is a B-grade Chevrolet dealer in Columbia SC on verified out-the-door data — 86/100 across 5 verified quotes.
- Doc fee: $575 — above the SC average of $525
- Add-ons: 60% of quotes, avg $816
- Listing accuracy: 8.5% below the advertised listing
- Verified quotes: 5
See full review & verified quotes →
#12 — Jim Hudson Lexus Columbia
Lexus · Grade: B · Score: 80/100 · Columbia, SC
Jim Hudson Lexus Columbia is a B-grade Lexus dealer in Columbia SC on verified out-the-door data — 80/100 across 15 verified quotes.
- Doc fee: $715 — well above the SC average of $525
- Add-ons: 67% of quotes, avg $1,025
- Listing accuracy: 1.2% above the advertised listing
- Verified quotes: 15
See full review & verified quotes →
#13 — Midlands Toyota
Toyota · Grade: B · Score: 80/100 · Columbia, SC
Midlands Toyota is a B-grade Toyota dealer in Columbia SC on verified out-the-door data — 80/100 across 9 verified quotes.
- Doc fee: $774 — well above the SC average of $525
- Add-ons: 56% of quotes, avg $819
- Listing accuracy: 6.3% below the advertised listing
- Verified quotes: 9
See full review & verified quotes →
#14 — Peter Boulware Toyota Of Columbia
Toyota · Grade: C · Score: 77/100 · West Columbia, SC
Peter Boulware Toyota Of Columbia is a C-grade Toyota dealer in Columbia SC on verified out-the-door data — 77/100 across 13 verified quotes.
- Doc fee: $709 — well above the SC average of $525
- Add-ons: 62% of quotes, avg $844
- Listing accuracy: 1.4% above the advertised listing
- Verified quotes: 13
See full review & verified quotes →
#15 — Holler Nissan St. Andrews
Nissan · Grade: D · Score: 60/100 · Columbia, SC
Holler Nissan St. Andrews is a D-grade Nissan dealer in Columbia SC on verified out-the-door data — 60/100 across 7 verified quotes.
- Doc fee: Not available
- Add-ons: None detected in verified quotes
- Listing accuracy: Quoted price matches the advertised listing
- Verified quotes: 7
See full review & verified quotes →
About the CarEdge Dealer Transparency Index
Most dealer rankings come from Google star ratings and Yelp reviews — easy to game, impossible to verify. The CarEdge Dealer Transparency Index is different. We score every dealer using verified out-the-door quotes: real PDFs, emails, and screenshots from actual transactions.
Each dealer’s transparency score (out of 100) is weighted across four dimensions:
- Fee Transparency (30%) — Is the doc fee reasonable compared to the state average?
- Add-on Behavior (30%) — How often does the dealer bundle add-ons, and at what cost?
- Price Accuracy (30%) — Does the listing price match the actual OTD price?
- Data Quality (10%) — More verified quotes mean higher confidence in the grade.
Grades: A (90–100), B (80–89), C (70–79), D (60–69), F (below 60).
Columbia SC Car Dealer Rankings at a Glance
| # | Dealer | City | Grade | Score | Doc Fee | Add-Ons | Quotes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Murray Mitsubishi | Irmo | A | 100 | $225 | $0 | 5 |
| 2 | Freedom Honda Sumter | Sumter | A | 98 | $599 | $0 | 12 |
| 3 | Nissan Of Sumter | Sumter | A | 98 | $482 | $380 | 10 |
| 4 | Burns Kia | Orangeburg | A | 98 | $599 | $0 | 6 |
| 5 | Jim Hudson Cadillac | Columbia | A | 98 | $599 | $0 | 4 |
| 6 | Stivers Hyundai | Columbia | A | 95 | $602 | $100 | 15 |
| 7 | Autonation Hyundai Columbia | Columbia | A | 94 | $599 | $200 | 15 |
| 8 | Midlands Honda | Columbia | A | 93 | $774 | $0 | 5 |
| 9 | Jim Hudson Toyota | Irmo | A | 92 | $599 | $368 | 13 |
| 10 | Honda Of Columbia | Lexington | B | 88 | $402 | $526 | 11 |
| 11 | Hendrick Chevrolet | Columbia | B | 86 | $575 | $816 | 5 |
| 12 | Jim Hudson Lexus Columbia | Columbia | B | 80 | $715 | $1,025 | 15 |
| 13 | Midlands Toyota | Columbia | B | 80 | $774 | $819 | 9 |
| 14 | Peter Boulware Toyota Of Columbia | West Columbia | C | 77 | $709 | $844 | 13 |
| 15 | Holler Nissan St. Andrews | Columbia | D | 60 | — | $0 | 7 |
How to Use This Data When You Shop
- Get an OTD quote in writing before you visit. Any dealer can send a worksheet by email — if they won’t, that’s a red flag.
- Ask for a quote with zero add-ons. Everything in the F&I office is optional. Say “please remove all dealer add-ons” and see what the price does.
- Anchor to the OTD, not the listing. Dealers with a gap between advertised price and final OTD aren’t being straight with you. Don’t negotiate off the listing number.
- Compare three dealers minimum. Even within the same metro, doc fees, add-on policies, and listing accuracy vary widely. Use this ranking as your shortlist.
Rankings are generated from the CarEdge Dealer Transparency Index, a public methodology that scores dealers on verified out-the-door quotes — not Google star ratings or paid placements. CarEdge refreshes the rankings daily as new verified quotes come in.
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