Someone flipped the switch

Something is happening at the sales desk at your neighborhood car dealership these days. It seems like someone flipped the switch and now the buyer is much more informed, and also going to spend more at the pump or on a higher mileage vehicle.

Here’s an example: say you’re driving a car that is 8 years old, maybe a minivan like me. It gets about 18 mpg, if we’re on the freeway, and much less if it’s around town. Most new cars or more recent cars will get you 30-40 mpg and the amount you are paying for gas ($4.50 and soon perhaps $5.00 per gallon) will be better than you thought. Customers are flocking to brands with high mileage, trading in those trucks and guzzlers.

SAAR statistics, the rolling average number of  new cars sold in the US (Source: Automotive News) are continuing to climb. In 2009, only 10.4 million units were sold. In 2012, experts are predicting between 14 and 15 million units to be sold. February was a relatively short month, and sales were booming at many retail car dealerships nationwide, noticed especially that many dealers closed their doors during the recent downturn.

Fuller has been a car dealer for more than 60 years, located in the furthest southwest part of the United States. We have new car franchises for Ford, Honda, and Kia brands. We also have a full service parts and service department for each brand, a body shop, a car rental business and used and certified cars.

As the SAAR numbers pour in, dealers are glad that the switch has been flipped. They are not happy about gas price increases, but they do recognize consumer needs for value and service. Let Fuller know if you have any questions about their products or services, no matter where you live. We’re glad to help you out. Think Fuller First is our slogan, becasue we want to make sure you get treated well. We consider it our job to serve you, and hope you give us consideration. http://www.thinkfuller.com

Fuller Magic in San Diego’s Southbay

A celebrity visit to Fuller Automotive Group

R Dub from Magic 92.5 came to visit the sales meeting on Feb. 18. He brings much flavor to the station you know as “old school” and he had much to say to the guys who work at Fuller.

He talked about how he enjoys his job, relates to people, and will continue to share with his listeners about the great people and things going on at Fuller.

Visit his webpage at http://www.magic92.5.com/pages/rdub and you’ll see a tribute to Whitney and the community involvement that he brings to the station. R Dub’s girlfriend drives a Kia, and he’s planning to get a second one very soon, he said. Do you think he’s going to check them out at Fuller Kia? I would say “YES” by the way he raved about that car and the people at Fuller. Thanks, R Dub, for visiting with us and sharing what is important to you. He works afternoon drive, so if you’re in your car, you may just give him a listen and see if he lifts your spirits and brings you home with care. Thanks to R Dub for being like Magic for Fuller.  Let us know if you hear him talking about us on the air. And don’t forget that we’ve got some great offers on our lot, with excellent selection in both new and used cars. With gas prices going higher these days, you may be looking for a high mileage vehicle, and if so, we’ve got them on 21 acres. Take a test drive and see what fits your needs.

Winning it all

Trophy for Bowling

When you win it all, it comes as a loss to others, right? This photo shows a bowling pin, a trophy at Fuller Honda that recognizes a winning team, whether it be the sales team or the service team.

At Fuller Honda, the trophy is a symbol of success. It shows who’s got the most pins down in a given month. It counts who got the job completed with the most success. At Fuller Honda, you as the customer win each time you come to either sales or service. You win, because you are backed up by more than 65 years of family owned and operated people who care about your needs and the community. So winning is more than just beating the other guy in bowling. We do care about bowling, and you. And we want to see you win and we stay in business to serve you in the years to come. If you have not been to Fuller Honda, please come. Ask us about our “winning” strategies for your transportation needs. We want to put you on the team. Tell us about yourself and we’ll do our best to fit your needs so you can win it all, too.

Automobiles for Sale

Have you noticed that cars are selling these days? There seem to be lots of cars with new license plates; that’s one indicator of a new car sold. A friend told me that the average car on the road is now 13 years old. That is a good reason why people are beginning to shop and buy, because the cars are not in good condition anymore.

Think about it, if the average car has 13 years of life on it, the owners got good value for their money. Will you hold your next car that long or longer? All the more reason to buy carefully, research your purchase and the dealership well, and pick the person who will be selling you the vehicle with care.

Take Fuller Honda, for example, and consider that they’ve been in business for more than 60 years. They are community leaders in the South Bay, in Chula Vista, CA. They are involved in many charities and causes. And they are 21 acres of a full service car dealership, including service departments (3 of them) a body shop and even a car rental company. So, if you need something, anything, related to a car, Fuller Honda should have it.

Let’s talk about resale value for just a minute. That means the price you can expect when you sell your vehicle. The Honda Fit 2011, seen below, is ranked #2 of the highest resale values according to a poll by CNBC.com and the 2011 Honda Accord is ranked #4. Here are the stats: Category: Mid-Size Car MSRP: $23,530 Projected Resale Value after 5 years: $7,745.20 Retained Value: 37.4%
Why it’s Popular: Sporty yet sensible, the Honda Accord sedan and coupe rate 4.5 out of 5 stars for style.

With so many autos for sale, you need to consider resale value when you purchase in order to make the best buying decisions.

Green Car Options

Do I need a license to drive that?

As we move ahead into a new level of Green Car Options, I visited the 2012 auto show to see what was of interest. Automakers are getting greener and there are many new options. Federal tax credits range from zero to $7500 per vehicle. And there are now more options for fuel, such as clean technology diesels, which sounds to me like jumbo shrimp. An oxymoron, that is. Here’s a list of some of the options you now have, from the Toyota Prius V, which is coming out with a new plug-in version in March 2012, and the Coda, a venture with a Chinese company with a $40,000 all electric sedan which you can go 150 miles between charges. That list includes Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Chevrolet, Tesla, VW and yes, Honda.

As a Honda driver, and author of this blog, with full disclosure that I work for Fuller Honda, here’s some info on the Green Car Options from Honda. They have a Civic that is Natural Gas, compressed natural gas, that is, with a sticker of $26,656 and a 28 mpg equivalent. The fuel cost for 25 miles is $2.49. Annual fuel cost is estimated at $1495. This starts a trend in the consumer market, as industry and government have been using this for their fleets for some time. There are now at least 9 public CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) fueling stations in San Diego. CNG costs about $1.35 per gallon, a lot less than filling up at the regular gas pumps. So some big savings there.
Honda also has a Hybrid Civic, which we looked at during the recent Auto Show. We were impressed that more than 200,000 vehicles have been sold so far. (Note: as of this writing, only 5,000 Chevy Volts have been sold) 44 mpg is the mileage for the Honda Civic Hybrid. More info on this below. Looking forward to updating this in the few months ahead for Fuller Honda.

http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-hybrid/price.aspx

How many vehicles are sold every year?

Are you curious to know how many cars are on the road with you? Wouldn’t that information be of interest?
For car dealers, it’s their very basic knowledge of industry and a planning tool that helps them decide how many cars they will sell individually.
In the United States, that information is called a SAR Report. And that report is predicting that 14 million new cars will be sold in 2012. That is based on vehicle registrations. That number is 2010 was less than 10 million new cars. The number in 2011 has risen and it will continue to rise over the next 12 months.
Car leaderships are busy this year, and at this time of year. People who have had their cars for a long time and really find the need to buy one are flocking to dealerships because that’s where the cars are.
Maybe you have had your car for a long time and want to check out what’s new at the dealerships. You are not alone. Foot traffic as well as online traffic has increased at car dealerships, whose numbers have dropped by nearly 25% overall since many closed in the past few years. So you probably want to make an appointment before you go to the dealer (see previous post on this) if you want to get the most value out of your visit and save yourself time and frustration.
Happy Shopping!

Why make an appointment to shop for a car?

Cars at Fuller Honda

When you think of the word appointment, you may think of the DMV, the doctor, getting a passport, or seeing a banker. You may even make appointments to get your car serviced, which means they will be expecting you and have your paperwork on hand, thus improving your efficiency as well as theirs.
Why wouldn’t you want to make an appointment to shop for a car as well? Maybe it’s not something you’ve done before, but consider this. If someone knows that you have taken the time to make an appointment, they will be prepared and give you better service, consideration, and attention. They will be ready for your questions, and more prepared to make your visit pleasant, informative and worthwhile.
If I was going to shop for a car, a house, or any other major purchase, my time would be well spent to make an appointment with the salesperson in advance. What I’ll do is contact them via e-mail or phone, and tell them my problems, inquire as to the best available time, and then set the appointment. If I have an unexpected incident that prohibits me making that appointment, I let them know, and re-schedule.
In the past, I used to think that it was better to just show up at a car dealer and look at the cars myself. I would end up with the “rookie” sales guy who really didn’t know much at all. My time was much better off by researching the best sales people at the best retail outlets. You can do this by just asking friends about where they bought their last car and who was their sales person. They should be able to give you the name and address quickly, plus a recommendation or not.
So, if you, like millions of others who will soon be looking to replace their automobiles within the next few months, go looking for a car, here’s my advice. Make an appointment. How to do this is simple. Call the dealership and ask for the specific salesperson by name. Speak to them directly. Get their e-mail address. Send them your contact information and a best time to meet. You may also include what you’re looking for and your budget specs. By putting it in writing, they now have time to research, prepare the vehicles and respond to your appointed time request. That will save you time and effort down the road.
Save time now to make time for yourself in better negotiating the deal on your terms, too. That’s the best use of your time, wouldn’t you agree?