Category Archives: May 2011

Okotoks Honda is taking online customer service to the next level with added functionality on their website. You can now place a parts order request, book a service appointment, and find out what your trade in is worth all online with our easy to use website forms.

If you are in the market for a new or pre-owned vehicle, check out our online inventory. It is updated daily and offers all pertinent information you require. Should you need additional info, call the dealership at 403.842.1100 and speak to anyone in our Sales Department. If you don’t see what you are looking for in our current inventory, filling out the new or used vehicle finder forms will get our Sales Staff on the job searching for the perfect vehicle for you. Once you have found the right vehicle you can apply for financing online, getting you into your new vehicle even faster. Check Okotoks Honda’s website out today at www.okotokshonda.com.

Honda has been a part of the Okotoks community since 2008 and part of High River since 1992 – service all surrounding communities including all the million people living in Calgary.

At Okotoks Honda, we work every single day to fulfill our commitment to Honda owners, Honda Canada and to all those who are thinking of buying or leasing one of their great vehicles. And we do that the old fashioned way: one happy customer at a time.

We value, above all else, our reputation and our relationship with their customers and the special community in which we all live and work. Our business has grown year in and year out and shows no sign of letting up and we are certain that our growth is supported by the five core principles of Okotoks Honda: Trust, Honest, Respect, Integrity and Relationships. Add that together with our exciting Honda vehicles and you have all you need upon which we have built our company.

We value our customers, our staff and our community and will do whatever we can to ensure your experience at Okotoks Honda, whether it’s purchasing a vehicle, getting one serviced or just driving in to take a look is completely satisfying. Visit us today at www.okotokshonda.com or call us at 403.842.1100. Look forward to seeing you and helping you Discover the Difference.

Although I drive a wide range of test cars throughout the year – everything from turbocharged Porsches to ultra-luxurious prestige Mercedes sedans – one of the models I most look forward to evaluating is the humble Honda Accord.

Why? Several reasons. First of all, this is the car that set the bar for mid-sized sedans, and has been a hit since its introduction in 1979. When you talk about dependable, sensible-shoes, four-door transport, the Accord is usually where the conversation starts.

Along with the Toyota Camry, it’s been a front-runner in Canada from the get-go and for other manufacturers, such as General Motors and Hyundai, it’s kind of a baseline for their entries into this market – the Malibu and Sonata, to name two. I can’t tell you how many new-car launches I’ve attended where the manufacturer cites the Accord as the one to beat in the mid-size sedan category.
Secondly, people like the Accord and it sells in huge numbers around the world. It’s also been the platform for other models within the Honda organization – like the Acura TSX, for example – and Honda has utilized its drivetrain throughout the company’s lineup. The current edition of the 2.4-litre four-cylinder found in the base Accord is also used in the CR-V.

Last but not least, I like the Accord. Always have.

I owned a 1989 model and thought it was a terrific little car. I also think the current generation is a good-looking automobile, and I like its handling and thrift (the four-cylinder model, anyway). Most of all, I like the fact that it’s driver-friendly and easy to get along with. No idiotic, non-co-operative climate control systems here; no stereo system that requires three separate functions to change channels, no asinine “driver-vehicle interface.” Just straightforward, easy-to-manage transport.

If you count the Coupe, the Accord is now available in seven different versions for 2011, including the SE sedan, which replaces the LX. This is the base model, and starts at less than $25,000.

You can actually spend almost as much on a Civic, and while the SE doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, it does have the prerequisites. All the usual modcons, such as air conditioning, power door locks, one-touch up/down front power windows and tilt/telescoping steering are here. No power front seats, no leather upholstery, no Navi system, no back-up camera, but if you must have those things, you can move up to the EX-L. The SE does have XM satellite radio as well as steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, so it’s not completely proletarian in there, and, at the risk of sounding like an old fart, compared to the cars I grew up with, the SE is positively luxurious.

Power is delivered by the aforementioned 2.4-litre four-cylinder, which, in this configuration, develops 177 horsepower. The EX four-cylinder model puts out 13 hp more than this, but the torque output is about the same for both, and fuel economy is identical. My tester also had the five-speed automatic transmission, a $1,200 option, and this would be my choice, although I’ve driven the manual as well and it’s perfectly acceptable.

The SE also comes with ABS and the transmission has Honda’s grade logic system, which automatically chooses gears when decelerating. This is an excellent feature and is used throughout Honda’s lineup.

A word about the behind-the-wheel factor: I looked back at some of the stories I’ve written about the Honda Accord over the years. The one thing that seems to emerge over and over again is how driveable the car is. No matter the vintage, it seems, the view out front, peripheral visibility, ease of entry/exit and overall compatibility are always the car’s strong points.

The Accord is a pleasure to drive and easy to get in and out of. Lots of people complain about the Accord’s personality – or lack of it. I say, if excellent drivability, decent resale values and top-notch reliability are boring, then all cars should be so dull.

That said, there are a couple of things to gripe about. First of all, the sub-par NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) of all Honda products these days. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but, Honda: deal with this. Your cars are noisy, with all kinds of racket coming up through the floorboard and wheel wells. And the SE may be the worst of all, not having Honda’s so-called Active Noise Cancellation feature. In terms of a quiet driving environment, manufacturers such as Hyundai, Ford, and Kia are leaving Honda in the dust when it comes to noise suppression.

Secondly, the SE is a little shy on power: 177 horses is okay, but load this car up with passengers and their luggage, and you’ve got a bit of a slug on your hands. It’d be nice to have the EX’s engine chip in the SE, without having to pay the $2,700 difference between the two.

Nonetheless, no serious, deal-breaking complaints here. If I needed an affordable four-door sedan, I’d buy one of these. Visit Okotoks Honda today to schedule your test drive!

When it comes time to finance the purchase of your car, we’re here to tell you that there is a financing option for everyone. Even those customers with bad credit or no credit can get great financing opportunities when they work with our dealership. Plus, when you are able to find the right financing package for your needs, you can be sure to get the best car for your long-term lifestyle and not settle for having to buy a car that you’ll need to replace a few years down the road when you outgrow it.

Buying a car is a serious investment that often requires an orchestration of several factors to come together – including selection and financing. Here are a few ways that we can help you find the right car and easily finance it so that you can own your car today!

Car loans
Many of our customers buy their cars with Honda Canada Finance. There are several ways that customers go about the process of buying a car with a car loan. Some customers come to us knowing that they will need to be able to take out a loan to buy a car and want to be sure that they have the right information about what kind of loan they will be able to take out. Other customers know that they want a car, but are not so set on exactly which type of car loan or other financing package they will use to buy the car.

Customers who know they need to get a loan to buy a car often prefer to begin their buying experience in our Finance Department. By consulting with our Business Managers, our customers will have a better idea of what their car-buying budget will be and, therefore, be able to look only at cars they know they can afford to buy. Feel free to get started with your loan application from your home as well by completing the application online through our secure website at www.okotokshonda.com.

Trade-in

If you have a vehicle that you plan to stop using when you buy your new car, then consider trading that vehicle in for a price reduction on your purchase price. The price reduction will be the value of the car that you are trading in, as determined by our assessment and by the Canadian Black Book.

We look forward to working with you for all of your car buying and financing needs. Contact Okotoks Honda today at www.okotokshonda.com to get started!

Looking for an affordable compact SUV that doesn’t skimp on safety or reliability? The 2011 Honda CR-V is your best bet.

The 2011 CR-V was recently named one of the Top Five Affordable Compact SUVs by U.S. News Rankings and Reviews — a ranking based on their analysis of 91 published reviews and test drives of the Honda CR-V, and their analysis of reliability and safety data.

According to the editors at U.S. News Rankings and Reviews:

The 2011 Honda CRV is ranked at the top among affordable compact SUVs for a good reason: it’s one of the most practical family SUVs on the market. “It’s fun, cute and practical, and it’s a bargain,” says Cars.com. “What more can a mama ask for?”

The 2011 Honda CR-V is a Renaissance man — or woman — of the automotive industry. It gets good gas mileage, has comfortable seating, plenty of interior cubbies and a roomy trunk. “As practical as a backpack, this benchmark crossover is an easy, stylish one-size-fits-most car choice,” says Kelley Blue Book. The CR-V isn’t the fastest or most stylish affordable compact SUV, and its fuel economy ratings aren’t the highest in the class, but parents on the go will find it hard to turn down this practical vehicle that does a little bit of everything.

The Honda CR-V’s ability to accomplish so much has made it an award winner. In 2010, it was our Best Compact Crossover for the Money and one of Kelley Blue Book’s Best Resale Value winners.
The 2011 CR-V is the perfect vehicle for those looking for a practical SUV with lots of standard features. Come see the award-winning Honda CR-V at Okotoks Honda today — the premiere Alberta Honda dealership serving Calgary, Okotoks, High River, Turner Valley, Nanton and all surrounding areas in Calgary.

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).

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.

In addition to excellent safety features, the ninth-generation 2012 Civic introduces a sleeker style and higher fuel-efficiency than the previous generation. The Civic range consists of sedans and coupes powered by conventional gasoline, high-performance, hybrid, and compressed natural gas engine choices.

Technology and features new to the 2012 Civic include an available “intelligent” Multi-Information Display (i-MID), an available Eco Assist system and a new Motion-Adaptive Electronic Power Steering (EPS) system that works in conjunction with Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA); VSA and EPS are included as standard equipment on all models. All Civic models achieve higher EPA fuel economy ratings compared to the 2011 models, up by as much as 8 percent on the highway in Civic Sedans and Coupes equipped with automatic transmissions. All 2012 Civic models, except the Civic Si, also receive Eco Assist technology, an innovation that can enhance efficient vehicle operation at the touch of a button while also providing visual feedback to promote or confirm an efficient driving style.

You can check out all the new 2012 Civic models at Okotoks Honda – your premiere Alberta Honda dealer serving Calgary, Okotoks, High River, Turner Valley, Nanton and the surrounding metro area.