'I am selling very good cars to people,' Wang says through an interpreter, adding that he sells about 15 cars a month. 'Many of my customers come here for their first car. I give them respect, and they give me respect back.' Wang's dealership, Da Shi Hang Auto in central Beijing, sells about 100 cars a week, ranking as one of Beijing's top dealerships. Buying an automobile is no longer the domain of the wealthy and Communist Party officials. As China's middle class broadens, a car culture is burgeoning. But in some key ways, the car-buying experience is decidedly different than in the United States. Total sales of all vehicles are rising 20 percent per year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. General Motors Corp. sold 1.03 million cars in China in 2007, accounting for 12.2 percent of the market, the most of any global automaker. Meng Qingkai, vice president for Da Shi Hang Auto, knows the troubles in the automobile industry in Michigan. He sees the internal GM reports and reads stories in business publications. 'I want the people in Detroit to know they are making good products and that we will work hard to sell them in China,' Meng said through a translator. 'China is a good auto market, and it will help General Motors be successful and strong. I believe that. 'I hope the world will give respect and will recognize China for our good auto market. We are selling good cars.' A different dealershipDa Shi Hang Auto was Buick's first dealership in Beijing, opening in 1998. It occupies the ground floor of a high-rise in a birch tree-lined, high-rent district near the city center. The dealership is open 362 days a year, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Sunday. The only three days it's closed are during Beijing's spring festival. There is no expansive auto lot, nor are there repair or collision facilities. And there are few used cars at this location. Test drives are not encouraged because you'll spend more time sitting in Beijing's traffic than opening up the engine. Inventory and test drives are offered at a roomy second location in a Beijing suburb. But some dealership staples remain the same, even in China. The showroom is glittering and colorful, and packed with 12 cars. The LaCrosse, Park Avenue, Regal and Excelle -- an economy sedan sold exclusively in China -- are on the floor, ready to entice customers. Superstar golfer Tiger Woods, who has endorsed Buick since 1999, is prominently featured near the Park Avenue display and in large posters around the dealership. There is a sterile customer waiting area, complete with well-worn, out-of-date magazines and uncomfortable utilitarian office chairs. Meng was asked if his showroom is better than the average showroom in America. 'I don't know,' Meng said, laughing. 'I've never been to America. But I know my dealership is the best in Beijing. I make it that way.' Car-buying experienceDa Shi Hang Auto has 16 sales people, including two women. But the sales pitch is oriented toward men, who are the primary buyers -- and drivers -- in China. Meng said most car-buying households are the one-car, one-home variety, with the man taking the car to work. But he sees the time coming soon when there will be two cars in every garage: one for him and one for her. The Chinese are becoming savvy car shoppers, thanks to the Internet and word-of-mouth referrals from a rapidly expanding customer base. They're also becoming more sophisticated in their tastes, seeking something light years beyond the Chinese econo-boxes from the 1980s and '90s. Competition is acute. There were a handful of brands in the market five years ago. There are now 40, such as Audi, Ford, Kia and domestic brands. 'They do know what they want -- a beautiful car with design, safety, good fuel mileage, a well-decked out automobile, and something that's easy to drive,' Meng said. 'Everything is important now to the consumer.' The Buicks are priced from $15,558 (106,000 yuan) for the Excelle hatchback to $36,375 (249,800 yuan) for a LaCrosse to $52,647 (358,000 yuan) for a fully-loaded GL8 minivan, also sold exclusively in China. Going big?Roads are new and broad. American-sized cars seem to be preferred. Riding down Dongzhimen, the road on which the dealership is located, is not much different than driving Big Beaver in Troy -- except for the elderly Chinese man on a bicycle who is transporting 10 cages of yellow and green parakeets. SUVs are becoming the rage in China. Meng is bullish about the arrival of the Buick Enclave luxury crossover this fall. The price at the pump has risen ($2.77 for regular, $3.08 for premium at one station), but it's not enough to discourage the enthusiasm of the Chinese car buyer. Shaun Bao of Beijing stopped into the dealership. He's not ready to buy a new car, but said he's seriously considering trading in his Honda CRX for a Buick LaCrosse or maybe an SUV. 'I am very impressed with the quality and price of these American cars,' Bao, 40, said in English. 'Yes, I do like them very much for what I have seen. I like how the prices keep coming down on all cars. The competition is making things better for us as the buyers. 'I am seriously thinking of making a purchase. Shopping is an enjoyable experience.' You can reach Joanne C. Gerstner at [email protected].