MARYSVILLE – North Marysville’s auto row just added a touch of luxury with its newest dealership, and it’s clear when entering the showroom that this is no ordinary used car lot.

Marysville Auto Center at 16232 Smokey Point Boulevard celebrated its grand opening Saturday.

The center caters to customers looking to buy pre-owned luxury cars, with an inventory that includes vehicles from brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus, Audi and Jeep. But they also have plenty of domestic cars in stock.

“We want to mix it. We don’t want people to have to go to Bellevue to find a nice car,” owner Victor Fernandez said. “Now they can come here.”

Fernandez is already a familiar face around Marysville and Smokey Point – he has been owner and dealer principal of the Marysville Ford dealership for 15 years and since it relocated two doors down from Marysville Auto Center five years ago.

For years he ran his auto businesses from an old facility at Smokey Point Boulevard and 136th Street NE, but the buildings were wearing down, needed costly upgrades and he didn’t own the property.

“So I decided to buy my own, and spend my own money on something,” Fernandez said.

The 18,300-square-foot Marysville Auto Center is situated on four acres north of Marysville Toyota, and two doors down from its paternal dealership, Marysville Ford. Auto row is also home to Rairdon’s Dodge Chrysler Jeep of Marysville, Rairdon’s Honda, Sound Harley-Davidson behind the auto center for two-wheel riders, and a Roy Robinson north car dealership under construction.

Construction took about two years.

Fernandez said his goal was to change the consumers’ impression of the pre-owned car shopping experience by providing a comfortable, dazzling showroom with welcoming features and staff focused on customer service. That’s not always the perception of used-car lots.

Amenities include a state-of-the-art showroom featuring Pacific Northwest wood accents and decorative lighting, kids playroom, lounge, coffee bar and a photo studio to take pictures of their inventory. Auto work is handled at their auto center or Marysville Ford.

“We also want customers to know that we will be there the next day to help them out if something happens or they have questions,” Fernandez said. “We don’t disappear the next day” after a sale.

To learn more, go to www.marysvilleautocenter.com.