The 2012 Honda Fit Rocks!

The 2012 Honda Fit has won the Cars.com $16,000 Subcompact Shootout. Honda's versatile and fuel-efficient Fit took the top spot in a competition among seven popular subcompact cars that seat at least four, have four doors, get at least 35 mpg on the highway, and can be purchased for less than $16,000. Experts from Cars.com, USA Today and "MotorWeek" tested these subcompacts to measure all of the needs of the average car-buyer including gas mileage, practicality, user features and comfort.

"We are thrilled to have the exceptional package that is the Honda Fit recognized by such a well-respected group of automotive media," said Michael Accavitti, vice president of marketing operations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "To have topped such a wide group of competition in such a thorough, real-world evaluation demonstrates that Honda versatility, value and fun are standard even in our most affordable model."

"As gas prices and used-car prices continue to rise, a shootout like this acts as a guide for consumers looking to purchase a new subcompact as an alternative to a used vehicle," said Patrick Olsen, editor-in-chief of Cars.com. "In addition to confident handling, a solid transmission, great visibility and unmatched practicality, the Honda Fit is just fun to drive and emerged as our clear winner."

Beyond this latest Cars.com shootout win, the 2012 Honda Fit is also an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) TOP SAFETY PICK and received the 2012 Residual Value Award from ALG. The Fit topped the J.D. Power and Associates' Initial Quality Study(SM) (IQS) for 2011 in its segment, and is a six-time winner of Car and Driver magazine's "10Best Cars" award, having garnered this accolade every year it has been on sale in the U.S.  From finance.yahoo.com

6 Awesome Erie, PA Summer Attractions

Are you looking for something to do in Erie this summer?  There are TONS of different attractions offered in the summer, some of which you can only find in Erie, PA:

Waldameer Park and Water World - Established in 1896, this amusement and water park has been a central summer attraction for over 100 years with great rides such as the Ravine Flyer II, Thunder River, and the Wacky Shack.

Presque Isle State Park - Whether it’s swimming, biking, running, hiking, skating, or just laying on the beach, this park has it all!  Check out Beach 6 for some volleyball and beach fun.  Head over to Sara’s for some lunch.  Visit the two lighthouses that are along Presque Isle.  Go canoeing and explore the lagoons to see all of the wildlife.  This is a great place for all!

Discovery Square - Learn about Erie history this summer! Check out the Erie Art Museum or the Children’s Museum. Visit Perry Memorial House and don’t forget the Dickson Tavern, which was a former stop on the Underground Railroad.  You can even visit General “Mad” Anthony Wayne’s Blockhouse along the way.  You can also go right up to the Bayfront and visit Dobbin’s Landing and even go to the Eerie Bayfront Ghost Walks to get a paranormal Erie experience!

Erie Zoo - With nearly 400 animals, 11 gardens,  train and carousal rides, and plenty of family activities, the Zoo provides fun for the whole family. Most recently, Samantha, the Lowland Gorilla, has been featured nationally with her new pet rabbit named Panda.  Visit this unlikely duo along with the tigers, lions, a polar bear, and many more today!

Family First Sports Park - Keep the family active this summer with features like miniature golf, bumper boats, go-karts, batting cages, an arcade, an indoor golf dome, and plenty more.

Drive-in Movie Theaters - With two located in Erie County (Sunset Drive-In - Waterford & the Corry Drive-In - Corry), you can bring the whole family together and watch new movies in the comfort of your vehicle.

Download Bianchi Honda's App

We have developed another way for our customer to easily access our services from the convenience of their phones.  Download the Bianchi Honda app from iTunes or the Android app store and you'll get all the latest information on inventory and incentives.

With Bianchi Honda’s smartphone app, you can do more than just browse our inventory. With our app, you can schedule your service appointments and even get service coupons right on your phone!

Simply fill out your name, phone number, type of service you are looking to have done, a date and time, and the make and model of your vehicle.  Press “Send an Email” and that’s it! Someone will return your request by phone to confirm the appointment.  It’s that simple.

Download our app today so you can check for deals on used cars, get service coupons, and schedule your service appointments!

Kosmo Needs a Home

Four million cats and dogs—about one every eight seconds—are put down in U.S. shelters each year. Often these animals are the offspring of cherished family pets. Spay/neuter is a proven way to reduce pet overpopulation, ensuring that every pet has a family to love them.  Many cats and dogs who die as a result of pet overpopulation could have made wonderful pets.

A solution is possible and starts with each of us taking one small step: getting our own pets spayed or neutered. To help stop pet overpopulation further, consider adopting your next pet from an animal shelter.

Bianchi Honda cares about animals, and proudly supports the efforts of the local animal shelters including the A.N.N.A. Shelter and the Humane Society.  As animal lovers, we like to do our part by featuring a "Pet In Need" each month in our newsletter.

This month's PET IN NEED (Pictured at right):

BREED: Jack Russel Mix

LOCATION: The A.N.N.A. Shelter in Erie PA

NAME: Kosmo
     
AGE/GENDER: Adult Male

NOTES: 

Hi!  My name is Kosmo!  I am an adult neutered male Jack Russel mix.  I am a great little guy!  I am pretty active and love to go for walks and run in the yard!  I am ok with other dogs but would probably be best as the only dog in your life - and heck - I'm all the dog you'll need!  Come and meet me! 

Wait, That Can't Be Right?

Could today's gas prices justify buying a separate greener and more efficient car?  We've seen some people save enough to justify owning two cars - for nearly the same price as their guzzler alone!  Could you really save that much??  You may be shocked by the answer.

I know most of you have a Honda, so you don't need to worry much, but you may want to send your suffering, gas-guzzling friends this handy tool to show them how much they could really save if they got another car.

With gas prices rising to over $4.00 a gallon, we are all looking for ways to save money.  Although a new vehicle is a big investment, it might just save you thousands in gas.

Fueleconomy.gov, the U.S. Department of Energy’s website, offers a great calculator to figure out exactly how much you could save on gas by comparing vehicles with different MPGs (miles per gallon).  Find out how much you could save by entering the cost of gas, your car’s MPG, approximately how many miles you drive annually, and how long you plan to own the vehicle.

For example, if your current car gets about 21 MPG with gas at $3.89 a gallon and you drive 15,000 miles a year, your annual fuel cost is $2,779.  Maybe you have been considering getting into a more fuel efficient car, like the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid that gets 44 MPG.  With the Civic Hybrid, you would be spending $1,326 a year, $1,453 less than your current vehicle! Over the five years you plan to own the vehicle, you would save $7,262 in gas. Not a bad deal.

So maybe getting a new car is a better investment than you thought.  To figure out how much you could save by purchasing a new car, click the big green button above or go to http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/savemoney.shtml

Ted Rau is May's Employee Spotlight

We sat down with Ted Rau, one of our enthusiastic salesmen and asked him a few questions about his work and life.

Q. You currently hold the all-time sales record by selling 43 vehicles in March. How did you accomplish this and how does it feel?
A. It feels very satisfying and I could not have done it without all of our loyal customers and the total team effort starting from Management and the Business Office, to the Service and Prep Department.

Q. It’s your 5-year anniversary this month. What do you like most about working here?

A. Representing a great product and the ability of this facility to properly show it. I love the freedom to be myself. It’s a people business and I highly enjoy working with our customers and the camaraderie of the managers and sales people. Plain and simple, we have fun coming to work!

Q. How did you get into the automobile industry and why did you choose Bianchi Honda?

A. After graduating college at PSU, I sold furniture at John V. Schultz. Loved the job and company, but I felt like there was more for me out there. I was referred by my good friend, Bryan Barnes, to talk to Jason Porreco. The next thing I knew, I was a part of the team.

Q. What is one thing people are surprised to find out about you?
A. I am originally from Romania. I came here with my parents in May of 1990.

Q. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
A. Spending time with my son Lukas, who will be 5 in June. He is my best little friend and we always have a great time together. I also enjoy traveling, fishing, sports, and spending time with family and friends.