Turn that Clunker into a healthy opportunity

Several states, along with auto dealers, have assisted in participating with programs to help clean our air.  Their goals are to rid the environment of high emissions and pollution making this a safer place to live.  In this blog, we at….. provide insight on what some people are doing to not only improve the health of the atmosphere, but to give back to their communities as well.

Since 2008 there have been several new programs that have sprung up to help cut back emissions from older cars.  One program in Colorado is known as the Clear the Air Foundation is a 501c.  They have collected over $168,000 in funds that they are using for scholarships.  The scholarships are donated to students wanting to pursue a career in automotive technology.   They focus on developing the next generation workforce.

Another organization known as Robert R. Morrison Scholarship donates up to $1K for recycled junkers to the donor of their choice.

In Texas, you can still get up to $3500 for your old scrap metal with wheels.  Texas receives air credits from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Your car may be considered eligible for a nice incentive during trade in if it’s a 97 or older. 

Countless states and parts of Canada are involved in some type of Cash for Clunkers or other program that offer incentives to help protect our environment. 

Call us today to find out if your car qualifies for one of these programs.  

Bernardi Honda of Brockton  

888-836-0983

 

Driving in the Rain Safe Practices

Rain is essential.  It helps vegetation flourish, provides nutrients to soil, and is an overall integral part of life here on Earth.  But when it’s hitting your windshield and the pitter-patter of raindrops causes you to clench your teeth, it’s time to take precaution.  Rain can be attributed to thousands of car accidents a year.  Accidents can be preventable by drivers who weather (pun intended) the conditions of the road, using their intuition and defensive driving skills to stay safe during their commute.  When the road is wet, a film is created on the asphalt, causing your tires to lose traction.  Another problem during a downpour is your perception.  You can’t see as far into the distance as normal, so this decreases visibility of other cars and the road itself.

In today’s blog, we discuss some options to driving safely when the roads are wet.

Be careful when it rains after a dry spell.  Engine and oil grease cake up on asphalt over time.  When this is mixed with rainwater, it can cause the road to be extremely slick. 

Allot more time for your commute.  This allows for a steady drive to your destination.  The last thing you want to do is rush, it also compensates for delays, flooding, and unexpected accidents.

No Cruise control!  If you go into a hydroplane, there’s a slight chance your car could accelerate.  Reaction time is crucial and you’ll need your foot close to the pedal at all times.

Turn on your headlights.  This helps you see the road, and also lets motorists see you.  Blasting your high beams however can prove detrimental.  It can obscure your view further, reflecting water droplets in the air. 

Hydroplaning.  The first rule to avoiding the dreaded hydroplane is to avoid braking suddenly or turning the wheel, which can cause your car to spin or skid off of the road.  According to Edmunds: “Release the gas pedal slowly and steer straight until the car regains traction. If you must brake, tap the brake pedal (unless you have antilock brakes, in which case you can put your foot down).”

Defog your windows.  Rain causes your windshield to fog up fairly quickly.  Turn on your defrosters and make sure you're A/C is turned on.  Most vehicles climate control systems will automatically engage the A/C when the windshields defrost is selected.  

These tips should be helpful and preparing you to become a better driver in the rain.  To preserve your auto safety be sure to get  your check ups done at the dealer to be sure that your car is in safe operating condition.  Call us today at Bernardi Honda of Brockton.

Could your car wash be ruining your finish?

This week at Bernardi Honda of Brockton we decided to to do some research and give you some tips on using the car wash.

Let’s face it, you spend a lot of money on purchasing a vehicle so don’t let a car wash ruin your investment.   In this weeks blog we discuss some hot tips that can help keep your car looking it’s best,  and can help prevent dangerous situations.  Let’s start by discussing your privacy, something many people overlook when getting their car detailed or washed. 

You should never leave change out for someone to be tempted. This may also prevent break ins.  Lock up your personal info. A car registration has your address on it. Take precaution when working with strangers. Yelp is a valuable resource if you need to research a car wash. After time the people that work at the car wash may get to know you and trust will be built by how often you take it there. 

Frequency of washing your car depends on a few factors.  If you are in a state that the roads are salted or parking under trees with a lot of birds you may want to wash the car once a week.  However, if the car is parked in a garage, or rarely gets dirty once a month is sufficient. 

Now we’ve talked about how often, let’s talk about what a good car wash looks like. 

A good car wash is one that uses cloth instead of brushes that can leave scratches.Once the clear coat is damaged the entire car needs to be repainted. All new vehicles have a clear coat finish. 

Make sure they are using fresh, clean towels when they wipe down the car after the wash is over.  Towels that are being reused are often like sandpaper due to the dirt that was on the previous vehicle. 

Don’t be fooled by getting talked into the extras.  For the amount of a bottle of Armor All, you will be saving more than if you opt to getting the attendant to spray your tires. 

Don’t forget to get the underbody done.  This will help your car to perform better and can really make a difference in the longevity of the vehicle being free from rust and salt. 

Stay away from harsh chemicals that can cause damage if you’re a DIY kinda person.  A friend of mine used dishwashing liquid on his black car and on a hot summer day. The car was damaged permanently with swirl marks. When he traded his car in he got 20% less value because of the cars finish. 

That’s it for this week, but if you would like to find a reputable car wash in your area feel free to contact us.  We will also appraise your car free of charge if you’re curious about trading it in. Call us at (888) 836-0943

Honda Named Most Trusted Brand, Best Value Brand and Best Overall Brand by Thousands of New-Car Shoppers in KBB.com's 2013 Brand Image Awards

New-car shoppers have once again recognized the Honda brand as the 'Most Trusted Brand' and 'Best Value Brand' in Kelley Blue Book's 2013 Brand Image Award study. This is the second year Honda was named the 'Most Trusted Brand' and the third consecutive year as the 'Best Value Brand'. Additionally, Honda captured the top honor of 'Best Overall Non-Luxury Brand,' thus receiving more awards than any other brand in the 2013 Kelley Blue Book study.

"We are honored to be recognized by American car buyers for two tenets of the Honda brand: trust and value," said Mike Accavitti, vice president of national marketing operations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "These awards demonstrate how customers recognize the tremendous quality and value of our products, reflecting the incredible competitive strength of the Honda brand."

The 2013 Brand Image Awards are based on consumer automotive perception data from Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence's Brand Watch™ study. Brand Watch taps into more than 12,000 in-market new-vehicle shoppers annually on Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com. The Brand Watch study offers insight into in-market new-vehicle shoppers' perceptions of brands, including important factors driving their purchase decisions while they are in the midst of the shopping process.  Honda was named 'Best Overall Non-Luxury Brand' by securing the highest average score across ratings of all non-luxury models, and the weight of importance of each of the factors in the study.

Honda was named Best Overall Brand by non-luxury shoppers, which speaks to Honda's stellar reputation and brand leadership in the minds of consumers," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst, Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com. "In addition, Honda was awarded Most Trusted Brand for the second year in a row, and Best Value Brand for the third year running. Receiving consecutive awards in key categories like 'Trust' and 'Value' demonstrates the positive attributes of the Honda brand continue to resonate with the new-car buying public."

Additional comments from the Editors of Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com regarding Honda's Brand Image Award Wins:

2013 Honda - Best Value Brand

"Affordability, reliability and good resale value are key facets of new-car value, and Honda scores at or near the top in all three, earning from KBB.com visitors another Best Value Brand award."

2013 Honda - Most Trusted Brand

"This is the second year we've asked visitors to name their Most Trusted Brand, and it's the second year in a row they've named Honda.  With a reputation that precedes it and vehicles that seemingly never fail to deliver on the promise, Honda is like the perpetual motion machine of brand trust."

2013 Honda – Brand Image Awards: Best Overall Brand

"We saved the biggest award for last, but after its wins in the Best Value Brand and Most Trusted Brand categories, Honda's win as Best Overall Brand among non-luxury shoppers hardly comes as a surprise.  We admire the refined and reliable vehicles, but also the manner in which Honda promotes itself.  You do too, apparently."

About Honda 

Honda offers a complete lineup of cars and trucks through a network of more than 1,000 dealerships in the United States. In 2013, Honda marks 40 years of the Civic model, with more than 30 years of producing automobiles in the region, which began with the Accord in Marysville, Ohio in November 1982. Having produced more than 25 million vehicles in North America through 2012 using domestic and globally sourced parts, Honda currently operates 14 major manufacturing facilities in North America, producing a wide range of Honda automobiles, all-terrain vehicles, power equipment products, engines and transmissions.

Our Favorite Instagram Photos of All-Time

Once in a while, a photo comes along that defines our brand, our goals and our automotive tenacity to the tee.  

For those not familiar with Instagram, Instagram is an online photo-sharing and social networking service that enables its users to take a picture, apply a digital filter to it, and share it on a variety of social networking services, including its own. A distinctive feature is that it confines photos to a square shape, similar to Kodak Instamatic and Polaroid images, in contrast to the 4:3 aspect ratio typically used by mobile device cameras.

By December 2010, Instagram had 1 million registered users.[50] In June 2011 Instagram announced it had 5 million users[51] and it passed ten million in September of the same year.[52] In April 2012, it was announced that over 30 million accounts were set up on Instagram.

In today’s blog, we’re providing our choice for the TOP Instagram photos of all time:  

This Holiday Season, Give to the Unfortunate with Toys for Tots

It’s the holiday season, and with that said, we’re pumped for the great times with family, the breeze of cool winter weather, and the abundance of gifts we will be able to give and receive.  We’re an automotive dealership and we appreciate every individual that comes in to see us for service, new car purchases, and overall questions about their vehicles.  We appreciate your business and understand that you have a life and family of your own.  However, some of the less fortunate might not have that luxury. 

In today’s blog, we’re taking a road less traveled.  We’re going to talk about how your new, unwrapped gift for a little boy or girl can brighten their holiday season for years to come.  Toys for Tots mission is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.  So, you’re probable asking: “How can I help?”

You can contribute to your local Toys for Tots campaign in several ways. You can donate a toy at one of the area toy drop locations, host a Toys for Tots event at your home, office or other venue and collect toys for Toys for Tots, or volunteer at the local warehouse.

Please select your state and county from this link: http://www.toysfortots.org/donate/toys.aspx and you will be redirected to the Toys for Tots website for your local community. Once there, follow the prompts for your desired action, or select the “Contact Us” option from the menu bar. You should be provided with contact information for the local campaign Coordinator.  It’s that easy!