Plaza Honda

As a Brooklyn Honda dealer that supports the U.S. military and has welcomed former military personnel to our staff, Plaza Honda was proud to have one of our New Brooklyn Honda Cars recognized by the USAA as a car of phenomenal value. USAA, a leading financial services provider to the U.S. military and their families, today added the 2012 Honda CR-Z Sport Hybrid Coupe to its second annual Best Value vehicles list, which compile the top 2012 vehicles across 16 categories that give consumers the most value for their car purchases. In addition, today USAA deemed the CR-Z as a top choice for teenage drivers on its “Top 10 for Teens List,” which centers around traits parents stated they were concerned about most: reliability, safety and affordable insurance costs.

The Brooklyn Honda CR-Z was the top contender in the coupe category, recognized for possessing the best EPA fuel economy ratings in its category, achieving the “Top Safety Pick” designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and offering reasonable maintenance and ownership costs.

Best Value automobiles offer the best financial value of all vehicles USAA evaluates as part of a broader rating system called USAA Preferred, which utilizes quantitative data to determine vehicles’ cost, safety and reliability, among other key factors. There are close to 80 Brooklyn cars, Brooklyn trucks and Brooklyn minivans that are currently designated as USAA Preferred vehicles, and the Best Value list represents the vehicles that that encompassed high-ranking ratings in each category.

“The CR-Z creates a whole new value category as the first true sport hybrid, offering great fuel economy, a low entry price, an available 6-speed manual transmission and a feisty change of character with the push of the Sport button,” said Mike Accavitti, Vice President of National Marketing Operations for American Honda. “It’s like having two cars for the price of one.”

“The goal of the list is to help members identify vehicles that typically offer better safety ratings, lower insurance premium costs, higher fuel economy, better overall reliability and lower MSRP compared to other vehicles in the same category,” said Steve Thompson, an assistant vice president at USAA. “The Honda CR-Z rose to the top as a vehicle that offers these key elements, making it a great buy for the value-minded consumer.”

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Brooklyn Honda vehicles are awaiting the industry’s first recycling program for rare earth metals typically used in the batteries of older hybrid Brooklyn Honda vehicles. Our Brooklyn Honda Dealer is supporting Honda in starting the program in response to an increase in prices.

Despite the advancement of lithium-ion batteries, most hybrid vehicles still rely on nickel-metal hydride batteries for electric propulsion. Although cheaper than lithium-ion units, the cost of nickel-metal hydride technology has been on the rise over the last few years, thanks largely to China’s stranglehold on the world’s supply of rare earth metals. China, which controls 95 percent of the world’s rare earth resources, has recently increased export controls on rare earth metals, resulting in higher prices for the world’s automakers.

In order to combat those rising costs, Honda has partnered with Japan Metals & Chemicals Co. to extract rare earth metals from used hybrids. Honda will use its global dealer network to collect the used hybrids, according to Reuters.

The Japanese automaker says it recycling process can extract more than 80 percent of rare earth metals from the batteries of hybrid vehicles. Those rare earth metals will then be reused to make new hybrid Brooklyn Honda vehicles.

Honda will begin the recycling program this month. We love Honda’s environmental efforts to re-use elements out of their Used Brooklyn Hondas Hybrid batteries.

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Check Your Car Thoroughly | If your vehicle needs any major repairs, make sure to get it serviced by a certified mechanic at least four weeks before your road trip. That will allow you a full month to make any adjustments in the event that repair problems occur. If there are no major repairs that are needed for your vehicle, make sure the regular scheduled maintenance work has been performed.

Inspect Your Tires | Your tire pressure needs to be inspected because they are a major part of how your car functions. A low pressure can ultimately lead to your tire blowing out once you reach high speeds. You should also be checking your tire tread and theres a penny trick to help you. Put a penny, edge on with Lincoln’s head pointing down, in one the grooves of the tire. If you can see space above Abe’s head, it’s time to trade in those tires. Also, make sure you have a spare tire in your trunk in case of any emergencies.

Do a Coolant Check  | Headed somewhere hot or cold? Check your coolant’s level of antifreeze and water to ensure that your car will be properly protected for any weather changes. Your owner’s manual gives instructions for the do-it-yourself drivers. The engine coolant level should be between “Low” and “Full” marks. Lack of coolant can cause your engine to overheat, so make sure coolant systems are properly filled.

GPS to the Rescue | Your GPS needs to be fully charged and you should have a map with you as well. These directional materials will help you get to where you’re going and will also help you get back on track, if you decide to delve off path. Who wants to stare at the road for unlimited hours? Sightsee. Get out and stretch. Make a right turn instead of a left and discover a new place to eat.

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Plaza Honda is proud to announce that the 2012 Honda Fit has won the Cars.com/USA TODAY/MotorWeek $16,000 Subcompact Shootout. Our Brooklyn Honda Dealer welcomed a beautiful Spring colored Honda Fit into our showroom recently and it’s definitely been grabbing attention across our social networks. The versatile and fuel-efficient Fit came out on top in a competition against various competitor subcompact cars that have at least four seats, four doors,35 mpg on the highway, and have an inexpensive price tag of $16,000 or less. Experts from Cars.com, USA Today and “MotorWeek” had all these vehicles tested based on the average car-buyer’s needs. Gas mileage, practicality, specifications and comfort were amongst the top needs that formed the standard for ratings.

“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.”

This is surely not the first win for the 2012 Honda Fit, which has been racking up awards lately. It 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 StudySM (IQS) for 2011 and is a six-time winner of Car and Driver magazine’s “10Best Cars” award.

Congrats to the 2012 Honda Fit! Visit Our Honda Dealer Brooklyn showroom to see it in person. It is surely nice on the eyes and even nicer on the road.

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Not ready to give in to a fuel-efficient car? That’s perfectly fine! With our Plaza Auto Mall fuel-saving tips, you can preserve your gas in any vehicle you desire.

1. Back to Basics
The best way to cut back on fuel doesn’t derive from hybrid technology but from the old methods of car pooling and using public transportation. We know it’s hard to return to public transportation after getting used to your car but not using your car often helps keep it in great shape and preserves fuel usage. By simply sharing the commute to work with a co-worker or neighbor, you use your car 50 percent less than normal and cut your fuel usage by approximately 50 percent. By using public transportation, you get to where you need to be without the stress of parking and you don’t overuse your fuel.

A balance between car usage and finding other methods of transportation is key in cutting back on fuel. If you go to work during the week and use the weekends to run errands, you can dedicate your car usage to the most hectic parts of your week and utilize alternate methods of transportation during the less time-sensitive parts of your week.

2. Lose the Extra Baggage
Did you know that weight is a factor in saving fuel? Keep your car light by removing unnecessary clutter and items in your car, as well as not filling your car with too many passengers!

3. Don’t Be Heavy-Footed
It’s as simple as watching how you press on the accelerator. Starting too fast and full-throttle acceleration eat at your fuel in massive amounts. Light acceleration is more fuel-efficient than moderate acceleration. Driving at high speeds will definitely consume a lot of fuel.

4. Check Your Pressure
Plaza Auto Mall’s service technicians strongly urge the importance of keeping your tires inflated properly. Under-inflated tires can lower full miles per gallon off of your gas tank. The correct inflation pressure will always be located on the sticker on your car’s doorjamb or the owner’s manual – skip looking at the tire’s sidewall.

5. Wind In Your Hair
A car’s air conditioner sucks up the engine power and decreases fuel economy. Try rolling down the windows to your car or opening up the sunroof. Alternating between fresh air circulation and using an air conditioner should keep your fuel in proper usage.

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Honda is taking over the automotive industry with “green” cars. It led the wins this year from the American Council for an Energy-efficient Economy. Six Honda vehicles won seven different honors on the ACEEE’S “Greenest Vehicles” list for the 14^th year in a row.

Honda’s winners were:

• Honda Civic Natural Gas—This remains the only CNG passenger car built by an OEM and American-assembled.
• Honda Insight—The Insight’s EPA marks are 41 mpg city/44 mpg highway/42 mpg combined and its MSRP of $18,350, and is the best priced hybrid in America. Our Plaza Honda inventory showcases our different Insights and their selling prices.
• Honda Civic Hybrid—The Hybrid’s fuel-economy ratings are 44 mpg city/44 mpg highway/44 mpg combined,and it also received special honors by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com for having the Best Resale Value amongst its class. We have several Hybrids in our online showroom.
• Honda CR-Z—The CR-Z satisfies enthusiasts because it combines first production hybrid with a six-speed manual transmission. It attracts conservationists with an EPA line that goes up to 35 mpg city/39 mpg highway/37 mpg combined.

The Insight, Honda Fit and Honda Odyssey also were named ACEEE “Greener Choices” for their unique environmental performances.

“Honda is honored to have our natural gas vehicle and our hybrid and gasoline-powered vehicles among ACEEE’s ‘Greenest’ and ‘Greener’ choices,” stated Steven Center, vice president of the Environmental Business Development Office at American Honda. “The ACEEE’s annual recognition of Honda’s fuel-efficient vehicles further validates our commitment to create a cleaner, more energy-efficient and sustainable transportation future.”

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