Greenwood Village Automotive

Seven cosmetic car-care packages attract soiled vehicles to Performance Window Tinting & Auto Detailing's shop, where dedicated motor maids vacuum, hand-wash, wax, and buff them until they're clean and idling happily. Thanks to the garage's tinting services, drivers can hide their autos' insides from prying eyes once technicians equip windows with SunTek or Hüper Optik films. The vehicle doctors also perform a number of auto-body repairs, patching up hail damage, fixing windshield chips, and nursing black headlights received in fights with bullying mail trucks.

For seven years, Jay Gleeson ran a successful real-estate-appraisal firm, but as he mentions on his site, he "knew it couldn't last forever." And so Jay looked into other business ventures, soon trading real-estate statements for a polishing cloth. Today, he and his crews clean cars inside and out using green products that are gentle on cars’ clear coats and fresh tattoos. Their tunnel system treats 100% of its water, and as much as 80% of water is recycled after service—steps which earned the Lakewood location an efficiency certification from Denver Water. This adherence to environmentally friendly standards applies to every service, from express exterior washes in less than three minutes to the Xtreme Make Over in less than three hours.

The certified technicians at Advanced Automotive lead double lives. Before performing extended repairs or maintenance on cars, they act as chauffeurs to the vehicles’ owners. The techs shuttle customers wherever they’d like to go—within reason, of course—including The Shoppes at Farmington Valley or a mani-pedi appointment at a local salon. This accommodating spirit, along with a commitment to fair and honest service, has kept the shop in business for more than 15 years.

In the office, Big Ron Dombrowski—Ron 2—runs the show, and his son and namesake—Ron 3—serves as the shop's foreman. With diverse skills that run the full gamut of foreign and domestic autos, team members tackle services such as repairing loose breaks, worn belts, or an uneven suspension, and they certify their hard work with a 24-month, 24,000-mile warranty on all parts and labor. Customers without errands to run can opt to wait in the onsite lounge, sipping complimentary coffee and using the free WiFi to buy a windshield-wiper metronome for their arrhythmic auto.

Rather than working out of a shop, the mobile staff at iDetail cleans vehicles wherever clients want them to, whether in a home driveway or an office parking lot. The crew offers detailing packages that range from washes and vacuums to comprehensive cleans—complete with leather conditioning, chrome polish, and a Teflon sealant that safeguards paint jobs. Technicians can augment their detail work with à la carte services, such as touching up paint, tinting windows, or removing odors caused by limburger-scented air fresheners.

Auto Finishers Supply Co. owner Richard Trovato deals in more than just auto parts and accessories. He's also dedicated to customer service. Richard began working at the shop as an entry-level employee in 1969, then worked his way up to store manager in 1972. By 1986, he was the storeowner. Since he took the reins, Richard has instilled dedication to customers into every aspect of the business, from stocking quality car accessories, such as DuPont paints and Avital car systems, to employing ASE-certified technicians. Today, Richard and his children still run the shops' day-to-day operations, helping customers find car accessories from crystal clear stereos that house video screens to remote car starters that negate the need for car owners to politely ask it to start.

Led by ASE Master Technicians, Advanced Automotive's staff hoists vehicles up on one of seven lift bays for maintenance and repair services including brake and drive-train work, new-tire mounting, and exhaustive 49-point vehicle inspections to pinpoint latent problems. Parts and labor are satisfaction guaranteed, and all repairs are warrantied for one year, 12,000 miles, or one dozen attempts to ford a river. Drivers can sip on free coffee and surf the Internet in Advanced Automotive's customer waiting area, whose checkerboard floors support walls festooned with vintage Coca-Cola memorabilia.