Last Chance for Pontiac Deals

Before Pontiac makes its final jump, you can seriously take advantage of the quality Pontiac arrived at after an 82 year haul through the car manufacturer market. The rates and rebates at this point are outstanding. You can either take advantage of a 6500 dollar rebate or 0% financing for 72 months. Normally by the time the term gets this far, the interest isn't nearly this desirable. Pontiac vehicles have always had the right amount of quality mixed with the right amount of comfort, especially in most recent years. Ever since GM's reconstruction plan, Pontiac vehicles have taken on a new design.



Pontiac originated as the Oakland Car Company of Pontiac, Michigan, in 1907; it was founded by Edward Murphy. Acquired by General Motors in 1909, Oakland introduced the first Pontiac vehicle in 1926. Dubbed the "Chief of the Sixes," the car was powered by a six-cylinder engine and made its debut at that year's New York auto show. It was so successful that the Oakland name was phased out in favor of Pontiac, the name of an 18th-century chief of the Ottawa Indians. Throughout the 1930s and '40s Pontiac made coupes, sedans and wagons in the low-to-mid price ranges. A unique styling cue of Pontiac cars from the mid-'30s to the mid-'50s was known as "Silver Streak," a set of art-deco-inspired chrome "speed lines" that ran up over the length of the hood to the base of the windshield.

Throughout the years Pontiac grew as one of the top vehicle manufacturers, but eventually in the 90's saturated the market, leading to its ultimate downfall. Not the quality nor the convenience was the issue, but the demand for vehicles didn't coincide with the supply GM provided. And now here we are, at the point of no return. Where Pontiac ends and your new deal begins. Take advantage of these incentives today because the 2009's are running out very quickly.


$6500 rebate

or

0% financing for 72 months

We're at the Rose Bowl!!

I seriously learn something new everyday. When I'm looking for good material to blog about I usually start off with the Honda brand and go from there. Obviously I want to keep the Preston Auto Blog on its intended course, right? :) I am sure you have seen the Thanksgiving commercials, and the Honda Days Specials, but after the Holidays I was wondering what would pop up next. I'm lucky that Honda always had new products coming out and rave reviews I can post up here to share with everyone, but this latest find was really exciting for me.

As I'm looking for material on you tube the other day I came across these two videos. Obviously Honda has a MAJOR interest in the Rose Bowl Parade every year in Pasadena! This came as a welcome surprise for me because I love watching college football, and I was glad to hear Honda had some involvement in one of the most exciting games of the year. After I read a little more about the tradition of having a float in the Parade, I learned that Honda has some of the best floats that are there every year! They had two last year, one of Asimo the Honda bot, and another of a futuristic Honda Ridgeline that transforms and shoot fire everywhere! I hope you enjoy the vids as much as I did, and keep an eye out for the 2009 version as well! I'm sure it is going to be exciting!

Christmas Car 2009

Is your vehicle as christmas ready as this one! I was amazed at how many of these videos I have seen online of people who have their vehicles all decked out for the holidays. Its one thing to decorate your house, but its a whole other level your on when you start putting lights on your car! Would you or anyone you know ever do this? I dont think its that bad of an idea, as long as its legal. How would you even hook it up. I may have to put some multi colored LEDs on my Honda before its too late! Merry Christmas everybody!

Q-U-A-L-I-T-Y Control

We all know that Toyota's are well known for their quality and reliability. Seeing that Toyota vehicles last longer then any other brand, we can see where the reliability comes into play. I wanted to look further into the quality aspect. Toyota's Production System is where it all starts. Each step in putting together the perfect vehicle is taken seriously. If one fault is found during this process, they shut down the entire assembly line until everything is fixed and working properly. They also use a process that's called "On-Time Delivery" which means they order parts and equipment as needed which eliminates that fact of excess parts or equipment needing storage where defects and problems can occur. Now I can go on and on about steps and actions that Toyota takes in order to place the perfect vehicle in Toyota showrooms, however it doesn't stop their. Anyone who purchases a Toyota can take advantage of www.toyotaownersonline.com (FREE) which can give you exclusive access to to owner vehicle information, discounts, benefits and more! Learn about things such as parts n service, accessories, scheduled maintenance, and even stories from other Toyota owners. It's just one of the many steps that makes Toyota's what they are and how they plan to stay on top for years to come.

Honda Leads the Way...Again

Honda has been one of the most fuel efficient automotive companies in existence for a long time now. In keeping with this tradition they have decided not to waste time building V8 engines even for their luxury brand Acura, and instead to spend time on new ways for fuel efficiency. Going along with this strategy Honda built the first Fuel Cell Vehicle that is built from the ground up as a FCV. This amazing design is known as the FCX Clarity.

This is a zero emissions vehicle that will help slow the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The fuel cell combines hydrogen with oxygen to make electricity. This electricity then powers the electric motor which propels the vehicle. The more of these vehicles we get on the road, the better future our planet will have.

Honda P-Nut Concept Vehicle

Conceived around a small “footprint” for maximum convenience in tight urban settings, P-NUT features a sleek exterior design that allows for a spacious and open interior with excellent visibility. The layout of the interior space, with its center driving position flanked by two rear seats, provides generous legroom for all occupants in a vehicle that has an exterior footprint similar to an ultra-compact car. The modular rear engine bay is designed to accommodate a wide variety of potential propulsion technologies including a conventional small displacement internal-combustion engine, a hybrid gasoline-electric powertrain, or a battery-electric powertrain.

Check out more pics and information at Hondas official site: http://automobiles.honda.com/p-nut/

Toyota Prius.

I was sitting in my living room the other night and I was watching a movie, "Funny People." Half way through the movie, a cast member was on screen and it showed that they owned a Prius. I noticed it but didn't think too much of it. As soon as the movie was over there was a television program on and what do ya know, another prius was on the screen. As I started flipping through the channels, I came across another movie and sitcom that showed a Prius. That was enough for me so I took it upon myself to search the web to try and find a list of tv shows/movies that have prius' in them. What I found was interesting. There is an actual IMCDB website which stands for Internet Movie Car Database. As I imagined, there was plenty of shows/movies listed that had the best hybrid out there in it (7 pages). I included the link to this website so everyone can take a look. Next time you are in front of the tube, keep an eye out there for the Prius'.

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicles.php?make=Toyota&model=Prius&page=1


Also, here is a pic from the movie funny people that shows the blue prius in the background.

Getting to Know You

Anddd I'm back with yet another thrilling interview with this week's salesman, Kevin Bertilacci who is the new guy around these parts. Check it out!

Me: "Ok, what is your full name?"

KB: "Kevin John Bertilacci"

Me: "Do you have any nicknames?"

KB: "Bert, but I don't like it!"

Me: "When is your birthday?"

KB: "October 1, 1977"

Me: "And I already know your hometown is my town!"

KB: "Yep! Girard aka Gtown, OH"

Me: "How long have you been in the car business?"

KB: "About 2 1/2 months"

Me: "What is your favorite Toyota and why?"

KB: "The 4Runner because I can tailgate in it!"

Me: "What was your first job ever?"

KB: "I worked for the Youngstown airport, I was 16 and I helped refuel and stuff like that."

Me: "Who are your favorite sports teams?"

KB: "The Cleveland Browns, the New York Mets, and the Florida State Seminoles"

Me: "Why should people cheer for the Browns instead of the Steelers?"

KB: "They have better tradition!"

Me: "What was your first car?"

KB: "A Chevy Euro Sport that was totaled about 2 months after I got it by a station wagon!"

Me: "Where is your favorite place to vacation at?"

KB: "Cabo San Lucas"

Me: "When you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?"

KB: "A professional baseball player or a rockstar but I can’t sing."

Me: "What makes you a great salesman?"

KB: "I'm patient and not pushy!"

Toyotathon now extended through beginning of January!

I know how you feel Penguin!!!

Toyotathon is still going on folks and I would seriously suggest checking out these extended incentives. Now, through January 4th, Toyota’s savings are still running lower than ever! You can lease a Corolla for as low as $149/month, a Camry for as low as $179/month, and a RAV4 for as low $199/month! If you would rather purchase then lease, no problem. Toyota is offering 0% financing on the Camry, Corolla, Yaris, RAV4, Matrix, Avalon, Sienna, Sequoia, and the Tundra. And that's not all!! There is also a $750 rebate on the Camry, Yaris, Corolla, Matrix, Avalon, Sienna, and $1000 cash back on regular cab and double cab Tundras, and $2000 on the Crew Max Tundra.

If your like me and Penguin over here, and you enjoy driving something brand new but at an affordable cost then your in luck. Iventory will run low but now is definately the best time to buy or lease.

Civic's and Accord's!!!!

It isn't very often that successful Auto manufacturers that aren't hurting for money, put amazing deals on popular cars...but all that is changing this month. Right now Honda is giving us unbelievable financing rates on both of these cars!!!

You wouldn't believe how these ultra low financing rates can help your monthly payment drop down to extremely affordable levels!! The best part of this deal is that at the end of the day you will be driving a Honda. There really is no other automaker that you can gain equity in a vehicle so quickly other than a Honda. Just wait till you get behind the wheel of these two sporty and practical vehicles!!

Honda CR-Z UPDATE!!

With many people out there anticipating the arrival of the new Honda CR-Z sports car, I thougt it would be appropriate to post a new video I found with shots from the concept vehicle soon to hit the market at the Tokyo Auto Show. The CR-Z is due to hit dealers here in North America Early 2010 and to be totally honest with you we are very, very excited. The clean lines and mass appeal of this car are going to make it a huge seller in the US! Check out the video and see for yourself. Pre orders for the new CR-Z are going to be taken starting early this year so stay posted for more information on how you can be sure to make one available for yourself as soon as possible!

Toyota News

In an attempt to keep our Blog readers up-to-date with current news from Toyota, I have reviewed relevant new stories from the past month or so, and aim to summarize them for you.

To start, I'm sure the majority of you have heard about the "recall" Toyota put out in regards to the floormats that came about from the tragic accident that happened not too long ago. Through thorough testing done by Toyota, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it was concluded that the sole reason of the problem came from faulty floormats. Still, there are skeptics, who believe otherwise. However, what Toyota did, apart from issue the floormat "recall"/warning, was announce that they will be shortening over 4 million gas pedals, in order to reduce the problem of unintended acceleration, that was due to faulty floormats.

In other news, in order to reduce financial losses, save on costs, and keep the company thriving, Toyota has announced two different initiatives. The first being to pull out of Formula One racing, something that seems to be a trend for automakers. Toyota's exit could save them up to $550 million per year, which is more than double the figure than the profits they posted for the third quarter of this year.

The second plan to try and gain back some of the dramatic losses Toyota has incurred for the second straight year, is to cut manager bonuses by 20%. Winter bonuses for 8700 mangers in Japan will be cut by 20%, the second of two bonuses the managers receive, which is supposed to be based on the company's performance. Toyota’s top executives and board members have already given up their bonus pay in an effort to ease the losses incurred. The bonus cuts are not the first time Toyota has to do this, as it is the fourth straight decline in bonuses, with the state that the economy and auto sales is in.

In lighter news, cost cuts and incentive programs help Toyota end a string of losses. Toyota returned a profit in the last quarter thanks to cost cuts, incentives, and government aid to consumers, bringing signs of a start to global economic recovery. Hopefully, 2010 will bring much brighter news to our economy and we can begin to to rebuild what has fallen.

(All of these news story topics can be found at http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/toyota_motor_corporation/index.html)

Getting to Know You

This week's interview is with my fellow internet coordinator who also happens to be my best friend. You may recognize her from posting her own blogs. Let's learn a little more about Jessica Ramdin...

Me: "Alright Jess, you know the drill. What's your full name?"

JR: "Jessica Indra Ramdin"

Me: "Nicknames?"

JR: "Jess and JRam"

Me: "Birthday?"

JR: "January 28, 1984"

Me: "And your hometown?"

JR: "Canfield, OH"

Me: "How long have you been in the car business?"

JR: "9 months!"

Me: "What is your favorite Toyota and why?"

JR: "The Sequoia, because it’s baller."

Me: "Who are your favorite sports teams?"

JR: "The Cleveland Indians, and anybody who isn't the Yankees or the Steelers."

Me: "If you were given a shopping spree in any store, which store would it be?"

JR: "Nordstrom’s, because I can get a little bit of everything!"

Me: "What was your first car?"

JR: "A four door Cavalier that I totaled!"

Me: "When you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?"

JR: "A singer or an actress."

Me: "What song(s) can you be caught singing in your car?"

JR: "'Bad Romance' by Lady Gaga, 'Whatcha Say' by Jason Derulo, or pretty much anything that’s on the radio!"

Me: "If you could date any celebrity, who would it be?"

JR: "Tiger Woods...haha!"

Me: "What makes you a great internet coordinator?"

JR: "I love to talk! And I’m easy to relate to because I have no idea what I’m talking about!"

Toyota and Football!

Being a huge football fan, I am always looking forward to Sunday's when I know I can watch football all day long!! Throughout the day, since I am in front of the tv for the most part, I get to see a lot of commercials and some always stand out. The past few weeks, I have been watching half time shows and the news breaks between games and a few Toyota ads have been aired which incorporate football. In my opinion, these ads are pretty funny and have stood out in my mind. Below I have posted a couple of them. Let me know if you think they are funny as well!

Van Man Part II

Alright folks, I know it doesn't seem like I'm really branching out here on topics but the pictures have been just released regarding the 2011 Toyota Sienna. I'll adopt six kids just to utilize the awesomness that is this van.

What is the biggest apprehension in purchasing and driving a minivan?

Answer: Its a minivan.

Toyota utilizes a concept of flow in designing their vehicles while differentiating themselves entirely from competitors. Other car manufacturers are just picking up their pencils while they float in Toyota's wake. At one time The Rav4 and the 4Runner were something they only dreamed of. Toyota didn't invent the minivan, they created the Sienna.

The 2011 Sienna will come in the usual base, LE, XLE, and Limited, along with the newly added sport style SE model with side skirting just in case your husband doesn't want to drive a "minivan." I'm putting the word minivan in quotations from now on just so I can better avoid the stigma surrounding the muddy, tiny, cleated footed passenger bus representation behind it. Soccer mom at the wheel, looking into that rear passenger window and hushing her screaming children. Recline those seats back, turn on the 16.4-inch wide split-screen on, wait 15 seconds and listen...

What is that? Its not the sound of a loud engine but the gentle hum of silence. Enjoy.