You get a car! You get a car! You get a car!

So, we all remember the Oprah rampage back in September of 2004 when she opened her 19th season by giving away a Pontiac G6 to every single audience member. In her bright red suit, she chanted and pointed "You get a car! You get a car!" as the audience cried, screamed, and of course jumped up and down. Soon, Oprah and the entire audience were running out to the parking lot full of brand new Pontiacs.

Today, Oprah is on a different kind of car rampage. She has created a "No Phone Zone" pledge for all of her Harpo Production staff, audience members, guests on the show, etc. to sign and pledge that they will no longer text or talk on their phones while driving. Today in the technological society that we live in, things like cell phones, iPods, navigational systems, etc. can be very distracting and harmful to not only us as drivers, but to other people on the road as well. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 6,000 deaths in 2008 alone just by distracted drivers. Because of these numbers, some states have taken legal action against cell phone use while driving.

Personally, I think it's something we're all a little guilty of. The convenience of cell phones has been pushed to the limits while driving a car. I know I've opened a text, or talked on the phone while driving and it is harmful to me and my fellow drivers. As Oprah says, life is more important than that.

Oprah's entire staff has pledged to no longer talk on the phone or text while driving, can we all do the same?

Click here to check out Oprah's entire statement on her website: http://www.oprah.com/world/Oprah-Winfrey-on-the-Dangers-of-Texting-While-Driving

How the Honda Insight coaches increased fuel efficiency

With all the talk about Hybrid cars and increased fuel efficiency, the Honda Insight takes the guesswork out of it by "coaching" it's drivers to better gas mileage. The new 2010 Insight uses a complex mileage monitoring system which takes into account many different factors to help drivers attain maximum mileage! Its one thing for a vehicle to get great mileage, but its another to actively manage that mileage and increase it with good driving habits. How does the new Insight do this? Take a look at this short video to see how Honda helps drivers get the most out of their new hybrid vehicle! Feel free to contact myself, Walt Kustra, at 1-888-839-7855 for more information.

Volley for Youth

On Friday, April 16 into Saturday April 17, the New Castle Community YMCA hosted the “Volley for Youth” Play-a-Thon at the Preston-Chambers Y-Zone. For years, Contact Ears, co-sponsored by the New Castle Community YMCA, hosted the event up until 2008 when they left the community. This year, the NCCY decided to bring the successful event back with the help of Preston Toyota Scion and Scion’s sponsorship.

Letters were sent to community members from different churches, agencies, and businesses like Preston Auto to encourage them to form teams of 3 males and 3 females to play and participate. Each team was asked to raise at least $300 to donate to the cause, in order to help the Y-Zone reach their intended goal of $5,000. All proceeds went to the NCCY Annual Campaign for Youth. The campaign helps YMCA’s program which never turns away a child from the YMCA because of their inability to pay for services. Through different scholarships, students are able to participate in sports and after school programs at the Y-Zone and meet new friends at no cost.

Branch director of the Y-Zone Sam Migliano explains how events like the “Volley for Youth” are so important to the Y-Zone’s overall mission. Migliano said, “It’s the tremendous work we do for our community. It’s our mission to help these families, it’s our passion. You see the stories of the different families, and that’s why we do what we do.”

The Preston team always tries to remain involved in the community, especially the Y-Zone. Some of the Preston family formed a team to support the Preston Toyota Scion and Scion sponsorship and the team overall donated $2,500 to the “Volley for Youth” event. The Preston team 1 of 7 teams that played in the competition on Friday night into Saturday, April 16-17.

Bobby Preston was part of the Preston team along with his sister, mother, cousins, etc. Preston enjoyed the event saying, “The Volley for Youth event was a great success! From a marketing stand point we gained exposure from over 100 local community members and were able to introduce them to the Scion brand. Being a member of this community, I am so pleased that Preston Toyota Scion and Scion were able to raise so much money for such a great cause. Lastly, I expected the event to be a lot of fun and it certainly lived up to the expectation, but I couldn't believe what a work out it was and how competitive it was as well. I'm confident this event will be successful in the years to come."

Overall, the event was very successful and enjoyed by many. Most importantly, $5,300 was raised to continue the New Castle Community YMCA’s efforts to benefit children in the community.

Big Things On the Horizon From Preston Auto

Being Internet Director of Preston Auto and part of the family business, I'm very proud to say that Preston Auto has some big things on the horizon for our customers! We already are proud to provide our customers with the area's best prices and most convenient shopping experience, but we are taking it to the next level with our future release of a revamped website, a mobile site, and even an iPhone app! Plus we'll have tons of content on our site including video test drives, vehicle reviews, and other useful information to help making the decision of which car to purchase a little bit easier for you.

While we are on the subject of convenience, Preston Auto already offers free vehicle delivery to your home or office with any vehicle you purchase. However, we understand that your time is valuable that is why we are committing to and taken the necessary measures to shorten the time it takes to do paper work, that way you can spend more time having one of our manufacturer certified Sales Representatives teach you all about your new vehicle!


Plus one of the best reasons to do business with Preston is because we give back to the community! Tonight I'll be competing in the Preston Auto Volley for Youth event to raise money for the New Castle Community YMCA Y-Zone, I like to think I'm a decent athlete having played basketball in college, but being that I am vertically challenged volleyball isn't my sport! Wish me luck! Anyhow, later on this summer I am proud to announce that we will be holding the Preston Invitational which is an invitational basketball camp for the area's elite players being put on by the area's athlete coaches and former players, again proceeds from the event will go to YMCA.


Lastly, I am very proud to say with our customers support we are quickly becoming one of the Ohio and Pennsylvania's highest rated dealers! For all the hard work we put in trying to give our customers the best purchase experience they've ever had, a pat on the back really means the world to us! Thanks again for your support and we will continue to provide you, our customers, with second to none service!

2010 SRX

The SRX luxury crossover posted another triple-digit month of sales increases as Cadillac total sales increased 42 percent in March.



Sales of SRX, a compact crossover redesigned for the 2010 model year, rose 550 percent, the seventh straight month of more than 100 percent year-over-year growth. The new SRX also is commanding a residual value well above the residual value for the previous model – up more than 17 percentage points.



“The SRX is proof that the right vehicle can break through even in a difficult market,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president for Cadillac sales. “SRX is appealing to luxury buyers searching for a crossover with style and performance.”



In a March review, AutoWeek editors cited the SRX Turbo’s excellent handling, smooth powertrain and premium interior.



“The hits keep coming from Cadillac,” AutoWeek Associate Editor Jonathan Wong wrote. “Following all the great CTS variants to spill out from Caddy, it continues the trend with this SRX Turbo.”



SRX is building on a strong foundation at Cadillac. CTS retail sales rose 12 percent in March, compared to February, as its sales momentum this year continued. In May, Cadillac will launch an all-new CTS Coupe to extend the acclaimed CTS nameplate. The brand adds the high-performance CTS-V Sport Wagon later this year.

Loyalty

As a sort of follow up to my last post a week ago, I wanted to address Toyota just one more time. The Toyota brand name has taken a hit in the press and with some certain customers, but luckily with a name and quality like Toyota, some customers remain loyal.

That's why some people have teamed up to create the Loyal Toyota campaign. If you're on Facebook, you can check out the LOYALTOYOTA fan page to learn more. This fan page has created a forum of over 1,500 Toyota fans who are sticking up for the brand. A man who is not affiliated with Toyota Motors Company but just loves his Toyota Camry and the company so much created this page along with the Loyal Toyota campaign. The campaign primarily consists of the LOYALToYota bumper stickers which any e-Bay users may purchase. The stickers are used for people to simply show their support and of course loyalty to the company.

On the Facebook fan page, supporters and fans send in or post pictures showing off their Toyotas sporting the LOYALToYota bumper sticker. The campaign has also expanded into t-shirts and coffee mugs with the LOYALToYota logo on them. If you love your Preston Toyota and want everyone to know, purchase a LOYALToYota item here...http://www.cafepress.com/LOYALTOYOTA.

I did tell you last time that I drive a Toyota and come from a family of Toyota owners, so yes, my dad has already purchased the LOYALToYota bumper sticker.

We'd love to hear if you purchase an item, or just how much you love your Toyota!

Tiga Tiga Woods Y'all!!!!

Leave some comments!!!!!!

A quick thank you....

Having worked in the car business for over 7 years now I would like to think I know a thing or two about what makes a great business like ours tick. After going over our sales logs for the last few months I noticed one key element that really stuck out. When checking our advertising sources to see where our sales were coming from I noticed that the Preston Auto Group had an abnormally large amount of sales coming from our own previous customers. Weather it was our owner base coming back for a second or thrid car, or a previous customer sending us a referral, our customers have spoken loud and clear that they are happy with the products and services they have recieved from our store. I can't think of a better compliment our customers can give us then bringing us their repeat business or trusting us with helping their friends and family with their new or pre owned vehicle purchase. In this sense, our total commitment to customer service and satisfaction before, during and after the sale has really paid off and I can only say to all of our happy customers out there THANK YOU! This same comfort level and overall satisfaction with their buying expierence has even helped our customers propel our Honda store in New Castle to a 5 out of 5 star rating on dealer.com, a third party dealership review website! I wanted to write this blog post to let all of our owner base know your loyalty and business is greatly appreciated, and certainly does not go unnoticed. Your efforts to help us achieve this great accomplishment will only make us work harder to ensure your total satisfaction with your expierence now and for years to come. Again, Thank you!

The Righteous Regal

Ummm....







Tad-Dah.




"Buick Is Back!" shouts the cover of Motor Trend magazine, the first time since 1982 the enthusiast publication has featured a Buick on the cover.

Of course, there are plenty of people who would suggest Buick never left. Especially citizens of China, where Buick is overwhelmingly the most popular General Motors brand.

But let's face it: In the U.S., Buick's demographics are the oldest of any major car brand. With the demise of Pontiac and Saturn, GM is looking to get a few younger buyers interested in their products.

And, as the slightly hyperbolic Motor Trend suggests, the 2011 Buick Regal may be the best chance for that. About an inch longer and wider than the Toyota Camry, the Regal is an alternative to the popular Camry/Honda Accord/Nissan Altima trio. But it's aimed slightly more upscale, in content and price. It should be available by May.

The Regal is essentially an Americanized version of the Opel Insignia, and the first Regals sold in the U.S. will be built in the Opel plant in Russelsheim, Germany. Later this year, production shifts to the GM plant in Oshawa, Ontario, which is building the Chevrolet Camaro.

What is Signature??

Hey guys! I wanted to start a series of blogs about Toyota of Boardman becoming a Signature Certified dealership. As the Process Coordinator for our dealership I will be involved every step of the way in our progression of becoming certified and I’d like to give you all an exclusive inside look. Today we just had our first meeting so I thought I’d start out the series just by introducing the idea to you. So what is Signature and what does it mean to be Signature Certified? Signature is a process management initiative that focuses on improving dealer operations to enhance both the customer experience and increase employee satisfaction. There are three Signature Guiding Principles which we will implement throughout all of our processes and those principles are: 1) No Defects 2) Timeliness, and 3) Caring. So basically by means of developing new processes with use of employee feedback and ideas we are going to involve the entire dealership to enhance customer satisfaction and increase customer loyalty. Sounds pretty in depth, huh? Well it is and it isn’t. We already know what we do wrong and what we do right. So we’re going to change what we do wrong and make even better what we do right all to benefit you, the customer! So throughout my blogs I encourage anyone with any questions or suggestions to please comment so that I can bring the ideas to our meetings. Some questions to consider would be, what do you hate about buying a car? (Yes, I’m serious) What would it take for you to continue to purchase your vehicles from the same dealership? What are some reasons you do or do not get your service done from the dealership in which you bought your vehicle? These are just some of the questions we are going to address in creating better processes so who better to hear from than the customer themselves? For next time, we will hopefully have had our launch meeting where we tell all of our employees what we are doing and we also will create our CITs, or our Continuous Improvement Teams. I can’t wait to let you know how it goes!

What's Happening in April

We received more great news this morning in regards to the incentives on new Toyota's this month!! Believe or not, 0% is back on 8 different models this month. That's right 8!! Whether you are interested in a large or small vehicle, Toyota got you covered. Customers can get 0% on the 2010 Yaris, Corolla, Camry, Prius, Avalon, Rav4, Highlander, and Tundra.

Looking to lease rather then buy? No Problem! Toyota is running lease specials the 2010 Camry, Corolla, Prius, Venza, Rav4, Highlander, and Tundra. Not to mention that there are even special leases on the brand new 2011 Toyota Camry's, gas and hybrid models!!

And guess what?? It doesn't stop there. Get this, anyone who buys or leases a new Toyota will receive a 2 year maintenance package absolutely FREE. Doesn't even matter if it's your first Toyota , the maintenance package is FREE.

Also, be sure to check out the advantage in doing business with Preston Toyota. We provide our customers with a value package that can't be beat. I have included the link to our value package. http://www.prestonauto.com/preston-advantage.htm

California Prius scam

Hello blog readers, I am Kate, a new student intern at Preston Auto. I am delighted to join the team as an Internet Director Assistant. I came into this job in the midst of the huge Toyota recall. I also happen to come from a 5 person family who owns 5 Toyotas. Through the years, my family and I have enjoyed Toyota's quality and we still remain loyal to the Toyota brand. I drive a 2008 Toyota Prius and absolutely love it. Now, I'm sure you have all heard of another 2008 Toyota Prius owner, Mr. James Sikes of San Diego, CA. On Monday, March 8 Sikes made a 911 emergency phone call claiming that his Prius' accelerator was stuck and that the car was out of control and could not be stopped. California Highway Patrol intercepted Sikes and directed him to push on the brakes, emergency brake and to turn off the car in which after, the car did stop safely.

The story made national news and I personally receieved a few calls and text messages from friends and family members urging me to get my Prius checked out immediately. Unfortunately the national news did not have any comments from a Toyota spokesperson during the story.

However, on March 15 Toyota released their preliminary findings from the runaway Prius on the Toyota news website. The Toyota engineers discovered that Sikes' account of the story does not match up with their findings after assessing the vehicle. The Prius engine is designed to shut off if moderate brake pressure is applied while an accelerator is pushed over 50%.

All in all, an investigation is underway to find out the truth in Sikes' story. For now, it's important for everyone to remember that not everything we hear is necessarily true. To read the entire story, check out http://www.toyota.com/about/news/corporate/2010/03/15-1-statement-prius.html.

Hope you all had a great holiday weekend with friends and family. Be sure to check us out on Twitter at PrestonHonda and PrestonAuto. Also, become a fan on Facebook of Preston Auto and Preston Honda.

--Kate