Category Archives: June 2011

Last week, several sites offered great Father’s Day Gift Ideas for the Car Lover. This week we have our own great gift ideas for day from the 2011 Honda Merchandise Collection.

Father’s Day Gift Idea #1: Golf Accessories
Give the golf lover in your life a gift he’ll truly enjoy, like a Nike Xtreme Sport Carry III golf stand bag. This light-weight bag features an 8-way full-length divider system, six pockets (including water bottle pocket and a fur-lined valuables pocket), a rain hood, the Swoosh trademark and an embroidered Honda logo. He’ll also enjoy a set of shiny new golf balls. Choose from the Titleist ProV1 Golf Balls — the most golf balls most used by the PGA Tour — a Callaway Golf Gift Set that includes 6 Callaway HX Tour golf balls, or Nike NDX Heat Golf Balls.

Father’s Day Gift Idea #2: 12-Piece Highway Safety Kit
Keep him safe with a Honda 12-Pierce Highway Safety Kit. Includes300-amp jumper cables, warning triangle, siphon, Mylar® blanket, two bungee cords, two glow sticks, gloves, flashlight, and 50 psi tire gauge. Heavy-duty black case secures all components.

Father’s Day Gift Idea #3: Honda Factory Performance Apparel
Get dad in the fast lane with a Pit Crew Racing Shirt or Honda Factory Performance Colorblock Polo. A Honda Factory Performance fitted baseball cap is the perfect complement.

Father’s Day Gift Idea #4: Honda Apparel
Give the Honda lover in your life something he can wear proudly, like a Honda Sport Shirt or CR-Z T-Shirt or CR-Z hat.

Father’s Day Gift Idea #5: Honda Duffel Bag
Whether it’s for the gym or an overnight business trip, this ample-sized duffel bag features two zip side pockets; ventilated shoe tunnel; top insulated cooler slot, and adjustable/removable shoulder strap.

You can get many of these great Father’s Day gift ideas at Okotoks Honda — the premiere Okotoks, South Calgary & Alberta Honda dealership.

The all-new, redesigned 2012 Honda Civic sedan models have just received the highest possible safety rating of TOP SAFETY PICK from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) under its more-stringent testing guidelines implemented this year, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.

The IIHS award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting vehicle occupants involved in front, side and rear crashes, plus rollover performance based on ratings in the Institute’s tests. All TOP SAFETY PICK vehicles must also include a standard electronic stability control system.

The Civic earned the highest-possible score of GOOD in all four ratings, including the more rigorous roof-strength test. The 2012 Civic represents another important milestone for Honda’s best-selling compact vehicle, and reconfirms the company’s commitment to excellence with efficient i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine technologies for economy and performance, along with an engaging driving experience and advanced standard safety features.

Visit us at Okotoks Honda to schedule a test drive and see how good the 2012 Honda Civic is! Discover the Difference.

Fuel Efficiency
A fuel efficient vehicle is most likely at the top of your priority list when considering a purchase of a new or pre-owned vehicle. Many vehicle companies are manufacturing more and more fuel efficient vehicles every day in an effort to meet demands as consumers look to reduce vehicle expenses (especially in today’s penny pinching economy). There are some choices that you make when purchasing that may help you reduce your fuel costs. One consideration is to choose a smaller engine like a 4 cylinder or a V6, over a V8. Opting for a hybrid such as the Civic Hybrid, or a diesel power plant are great options which you may want to consider. You may also want to consider a 2 wheel drive opposed to a 4 wheel drive if your new truck, or Sport Utility Vehicle will never really see dirt (fewer than 10 % do) so a 4 wheel drive may not be the right choice for you. It is heavier, needs more power, and ultimately uses more fuel. However, there are ways that you can save on fuel costs yourself no matter what vehicle you end up purchasing.

Manual vs. Automatic
Everyone believes that manual vehicles save you more on gas than driving an automatic, but a larger impact on your fuel economy really comes down to how you drive the vehicle. If you have a led foot, which most of us do deep down inside, then it doesn’t matter which of the two you have. When you are constantly accelerating, and slamming on your brakes, you are wasting fuel faster. Relax and get off the gas. If you often find yourself in bumper to bumper traffic, the constant stop and go will reduce fuel economy regardless of your vehicles transmission type.

Properly inflated tires
Making sure your tires are properly inflated is one of the most effective ways you can save in fuel costs and also reduce wear and tear. Make sure to review to your owner’s manual to find out the proper inflation rate for your specific vehicle and driving environment. You also may want to consider adding nitrogen to your tires. This can help improve fuel economy, reduces the oxidation and wear of rubber compounds, and reduces pressure loss helping keep your tires properly inflated. Also make sure to have your tires rotated at recommended intervals. If you are unsure, contact one of our service professionals or stop in at our Service Department, and we can inform you about proper inflation rates and will take the time to put air in your tires for you.

Services and Oil changes
Current estimates are that less than 4% of the vehicles on the road are properly maintained, and less than 10% of vehicle owners change their oil as recommended. We all fall victim of not keeping up with your oil changes as necessary, but this is a very important thing to remember to keep your engine running properly. Older owners manual recommendation for an oil change is between every 3,000 to 10,000 miles. However, with newer Honda vehicles, the Maintenance Minder System allows you to drive as much as you want until the vehicle informs you its time for an oil change. If you feel your vehicle is not running as smoothly, bring it to our Service Department. Be sure to get all services required along with preventative maintenance such as an oil and filter change. Just remember, the more you take care of your engine, the less it has to work the longer it will run, and you will use less fuel.

Heavy Loads
The more weight you have in your vehicle, the harder it has to work. You can save 2 – 4% on your fuel bill by reducing your vehicles load or weight by a mere 200 lbs. If you plan on using your vehicle to haul heavier items keep in mind the extra weight can also have an adverse effect your cars overall performance and fuel economy since it will take more effort to get from point (A) to point (B). If you must have that extra weight, drive slower and do not over accelerate or brake. Try and place the load closer to the rear axle and try and displace the weight evenly from side to side if possible.

The numbers
You can lie about the numbers, but the numbers never lie.

Current estimates are that less than 4% of the vehicles on the road are properly maintained; only 10% of vehicle owners change their oil as recommended.
Only 3.35% of the vehicles on the road have tires which are properly inflated to manufactures specs.
You can save 2 – 4% on your fuel bill by reducing your vehicles load or weight by a mere 200 lbs.
For every 5 mph you drive over 60, you drop your fuel efficiency by an additional 7% or more, 65 mph =7% reduction, 70 mph=14% reduction, and at 75 mph you reduce your fuel efficiency by 21%.

If you drive approximately 12,000 miles per year, your average fuel savings choosing a hybrid can be somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,300 – $1,500 per year or just over $125.00 per month, mommy or daddy don’t know money. Choosing a 4 cylinder vehicle as opposed to an 8 cylinder can save you between $700.00- $900.00 per year based on the manufacture and specific model you choose. And while you may only save $200.-$300.00 per month choosing a 2WDR vehicle over a 4WDR vehicle, consider your savings on both maintenance and insurance.

For your consideration
Reduce your time at idle if possible- you are getting 0 miles per gallon. Shut off your vehicle while at a dead stop in heavy traffic. Get off the gas and ease to a stop. Coast off the freeway, slow your acceleration, who wants to be the first to the next stop light anyway? Keep your windows up especially when traveling on highways or over 35 mph.

Let my grandma pass you, she rarely does over twenty, and who wants to rush back to work anyhow? Try and be a little lighter in the foot, “The Fast And The Furious” is a movie and their budget was bigger.

Our sales, finance, and service departments will be able to inform you of any ways on saving fuel costs, among any other questions that you may have. Knowledge is power, so contact us directly. Don’t be afraid to ask!
You can call us at 403.842.1100 or email us at info@okotokshonda.com

Look. We’re all busy. We all have friends, family members, business partners that require our attention. They call. They text. They message. If you are home – fine. If you are at work – fine. But if you are driving, the road deserves more attention from you than your smartphone. So, when you plan to hit the roads today, tomorrow, this weekend or anytime, please focus on keeping safe and focused driving a priority. Police Officers always are observing to ensure our roads and citizens are safe, not only for drunk-driving and speeding offenders, but also for those talking and texting behind the wheel.

In 2009, distracted driving killed nearly 5,500 people and caused nearly 500,000 injuries—and holiday weekends are normally accompanied by spikes in traffic accidents.

“But statistics never tell the whole story,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in a video release. “Behind these numbers are children, parents, neighbors, and friends—their families torn apart by senseless, preventable crashes.”

Through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Faces of Distraction series, which we fist brought to you last year, the federal government is attempting to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.

In a new release from the series, Jacy Good, said that her parents were very much aware of driver distraction. “My dad had a bumper sticker that said hang up and drive” long ago, recounted Good.

The Good family went to daughter Jacy’s graduation from Muhlenberg College on May 18, 2008, and on the way back, an 18-year-old driver who was talking on a cellphone ran a red light, which caused a semi tractor-trailer to crash into the Goods’ vehicle.

The parents died in the crash, but Jacy recovered from critical injuries. “We were just at the wrong place at the wrong time,” she said.

Jacy is now a board member of FocusDriven, an organization founded by distracted-driving victims’ families, and she makes appearances to raise awareness about distracted driving.

According to the organization, nine percent of all drivers are talking on cellphones, which makes them four times as likely to crash; and drivers who read or type text messages contribute to at least 100,000 crashes per year.

As we now enjoy gorgeous weather, more cars on the road and busy weekends, watch the video below (as well as the whole series, if you haven’t seen it), spread the word about distraction and of this series, and emphasize this point: No message or call is worth the risk; when you get in turn your phone off, and better yet put it in the glovebox.

Lower fuel costs are the primary reason for choosing a more fuel-efficient car, although a majority of consumers are also concerned about environmental factors and dependence on foreign oil. Plus, they crave the lower purchase price that often accompanies small, thrifty models. These are among the findings of a new survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

Taking the pulse of American motorists on car-buying and fuel-economy issues, the Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted 1,764 random, nationwide telephone interviews of adult car owners from April 28-May 2, 2011.

The survey found that 62 percent of respondents expect to choose a model with much better or somewhat better fuel economy than their current car. About half as many—32 percent—expect to get a vehicle with about the same fuel economy. The average goal: 29 mpg. To get better gas mileage, more than half (53 percent) said they would be willing to pay extra, with the likely expectation that the investment would pay off in the long run.

A majority of surveyed consumers—71 percent—expect their next vehicle will be powered by a conventional gasoline engine. But almost three quarters (73 percent) will consider some form of alternative powertrain.

Among alternative choices, hybrid/electric is the most popular, being considered by 43 percent. Almost as many respondents—42 percent—are interested in flex-fuel engines, which can run on either gasoline or E85 (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline). This figure seems high, as we have seen in past surveys. The concept of a flex-fuel engine has clear appeal, but it is likely that most consumers don’t realize that operating a vehicle on E85 can require 20-25 percent more fuel than with gasoline. And while there are now millions of compatible vehicles on the road, E85 is hard to find in most areas of the country.

One out of five (21 percent) car shoppers would consider natural gas, and nearly as many are open to hydrogen fuel cells (18 percent). However, merely 15 percent would consider diesel, a proven choice that delivers clear fuel economy benefits and is readily available.

To better understand the interest in hybrid/electric cars, we asked those respondents who said they are considering an electrified powertrain exactly what type they were interested in. Predictably, a traditional hybrid powertrain led by a large margin, being the focus for 58 percent of interviewees. Plug-in hybrids came in a distant second with 21 percent, followed by pure electric vehicles at 13 percent.

Plug-ins and EVs are just reaching the market, with a handful of mainstream-brand choices expected to be available within the next two years. Both powertrain types are best for drivers with a relatively limited daily driving distance and who can recharge their cars overnight at off-peak electric rates.

The survey revealed that the interviewees drive an average of 27.4 miles per day, and two-thirds (65 percent) of vehicle owners drive less than 40 miles a day. By either measure, most respondents’ routine needs are within the range for the latest electric cars and well-suited to plug-ins, as well.

Groups reporting the most daily miles were consumers under 35 years of age, men, those earning at least $50,000, and residents of the South. In addition, young drivers were four times as likely as those aged 55+ years to drive at least 100 miles per day, and men registered twice the likelihood of women.

To put the numbers in perspective, a full one-third of interviewees are driving less this year than last year. Just more than half (52 percent) are driving the same distance.

Bottom line
Consumers want better fuel economy in their next car. While the green in their wallet is driving this desire, environmental concerns rate relatively highly among shoppers, as well.

Still, most car shoppers would likely benefit from a better understanding of the pros and cons of alternative powertrains to ensure they make the right choice and get the savings and ownership experience they expect. While hybrids can return significant fuel-economy figures, for example, not all are created equal. And, in many categories there are thrifty conventional models that cost less up front and can be smart choices in the long run. Visit Okotoks Honda to see our full model line up of fuel-efficient vehicles.