An Economic Engine for the U.S. Economy - Honda

Honda has been an engine of growth for the U.S. economy for more than 50 years

Following an operational strategy of building products close to its customers, Honda has invested $1.2 billion into its U.S. manufacturing plants over the last two years alone, bringing Honda¹s total U.S. capital investment to more than $14 billion.

At Hendrick Honda Bradenton we certainly realize and have benefited from Honda's investment in the U.S.  And so too have the businesses that support them,  and us in conducting our business of making happy customers. 

Our unique customer orientation

What do you suppose the Honda customer wants in a car?  Most of our customers know what they want and we have a product line to fit their diverse requirements.

Then...what motivates the new car buyer most, to even begin looking for a new car or truck?  Is it:

• Style,
• Comfort/Convenience,
• Performnace/Engineering,
• Safety? 

Or a combination of these.

What factors will most influence your decision to take action?  3rd party sources, friends, relatives, industry experts, your sales person, your own experience?

Honda has given us a high quality product, a superior product by many measures.  A productd  that's drawn a smart market.  Our customers are savvy.  Energetic, wise, smart, successful.  They deserve the facility we've built to service their automotive needs.  We've built a welcoming store to sell from and we just keep growing. 

Time and methods change.  Do you find the sales process has become more a process of  'matchmaking' than force fitting product to people?   Less emotion, and more common sense.  Topics like TCO..Total Cost of Ownership are the factors that the smart buyer recognizes.  Our profession has evolved into a consultive business.  Training is ongoing...as the product evolves, driven clearly by customer demands not by disjointed guesswork, as more technology is embedded into the process...the consultive process goes beyond the sale/delivery.

International Motorsports Hall of Fame - Rick Hendrick is now a Member!!!

 The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is  in Talladega, Alabama.  It  is the Canton, Ohio of motorsports.  (The Professional Football Hall of Fame is in Canton, Ohio) 

It is a place where the best of the best in Motorsports are enshrined. 

On May 2, 2013,Rick Hendrick, chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group and owner of Hendrick Motorsports, was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame as a member of the 2013 class.  Other inductees included Dale Inman, Don Schumacher and Rusty Wallace.

As stated in the International Motorsport Hall of Fame website, " They are the drivers, riders and pilots that took us along as mankind continued its quest to break through new limits.  They are the designers, engineers, and builders that shaped the motorsports world.  They are the great leaders like Henry Ford, Enzo Ferrari and Ferdinand Porsche that built empires that still achieve at the highest level today."

All of us at Hendrick Honda Bradenton take great pride in our leadership. 

Congratulations Mr. Hendrick!

2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite® Makes World Debut in New York with Host of Safety Upgrades and Innovations Including HondaVAC™, the First In-Car Vacuum

The segment's benchmark minivan cleans up with bevy of safety improvements, sleek new styling and intuitive, family-friendly technologies

 

 

 

The 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite® is making its debut at the 2013 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), setting the new 'ultimate family vehicle' standard. Thoroughly refreshed for 2014, the Odyssey Touring Elite® provides core safety upgrades, sharpened exterior styling and a revised interior with a host of new features and technologies designed to make the segment's benchmark minivan even better.

Demonstrating trademark Honda innovation, the 2014 Odyssey Touring Elite®  will also mark the debut of HondaVAC™, the first-ever in-vehicle vacuum system. Available exclusively in the Odyssey Touring Elite® trim, the all-new HondaVAC™ system is part of a thorough refresh of the Honda Odyssey for the 2014 model year, adding to its already class-leading fuel economy ratings and unmatched safety ratings. The 2014 Odyssey will go on sale at Honda dealerships nationwide this summer.

Mobility from Point A to Pont B and beyond...

And now Honda is building? the 'Points', not just the transportation!

The Honda Smart Home (HSH) US will feature advanced sustainability technology to greatly reduce the amount of energy consumed by individual households, including the use of solar power to charge a Honda Fit EV battery electric vehicle. The home will be a true showcase for environmental innovation and personal mobility.

Located on the campus of the University of California, Davis, HSH will use less than half the energy for heating, cooling and lighting than a similarly sized home in the area. In fact, HSH is likely to produce more energy than it consumes, while allowing its residents to remotely monitor and adjust all aspects of energy use in real time.

For more than three decades, Honda has been working to advance environmental technology—not just for vehicles but also in regard to energy production and distribution. With a low CO₂ footprint, state-of-the-art energy management and the direct photovoltaic (PV)-to-car charging system, HSH is a working example of this research.

Be sure to check back after the groundbreaking on April 23 to see videos of the construction process and to learn more about the various technologies used in the home.

Honda Donation Helps Preserve Baseball and Softball Season for Staten Island Little League

 

Did you know?  that Little League Baseball and Softball is the world's largest organized youth sports program, with nearly 2.4 million players and one million adult volunteers in every U.S. state and scores of other countries.

 

Honda, the official vehicle sponsor of Little League®, donated $50,000 to the Staten Island Little League to help rebuild their baseball facilities, which were severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy. With Honda's donation, storm ravaged fields, bleachers and dugouts will be repaired in time for the league's 32-team opening day on April 20th. On opening day, Honda will present the Staten Island Little League with a ceremonial check and host several fundraising events in an effort to increase community awareness. The additional money raised through these events will help replace damaged scoreboards and field lighting plus fund other needs throughout the season.

AND....

"For 17 years Honda has enjoyed a relationship with Little League Baseball and Softball. We're proud to play a part in getting Staten Island Little League up and running to make it possible for kids to play ball this year," said Susie Rossick, Sr. Manager, Honda Regional Marketing. "Though much still needs to be done, they are off to a good start, and we look forward to helping them with opening day and beyond."
The Honda hosted fundraising activities on opening day include, "Sing Badly for a Good Cause: Car-e-oke" in which parents will be encouraged to sing their worst rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" inside an Odyssey minivan with Honda donating up to $50 to the Staten Island Little League for each parent who participates. Other games will include, "Musical Car Seats" in an Odyssey, charades events and kids' activities with similar donation incentives.


"I was extremely surprised when I was notified by Honda about receiving the $50,000 grant. Everyone sees on the news how Staten Island was affected structurally, but no one thinks of the families and kids that the storm affected," said Michael Colini, president of the Staten Island Little League. "I cannot think of a better way to express our gratitude than by making sure our kids can get out on the diamond and play ball!"

The Honda Mile Makers Club - 100,000+

 There are memories behind every mile in a Honda, and Honda and Hendrick Honda Bradenton would love to hear yours. I frequently pass throught our service department here and poll our waiting customers, "how many people here have more that 100,000 miles on their Honda?"   There's always a show of hands!

 If your odometer has reached a notable milestone, we'd love for you to share your journey with others who have done the same.  And here's the link to share that story directly with Honda. 

Click Here To Share Your Story with Honda 

And Congratulations—not every Honda travels 100,000 miles and beyond. The stories here don’t represent the average expectancy of every Honda. Everyone’s experience is different based on vehicle, driving manner and conditions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honda is the 'Most Trusted Brand' for second consecutive year

Honda Named Most Trusted Brand, Best Value Brand and Best Overall Brand by Thousands of New-Car Shoppers in KBB.com's 2013 Brand Image Awards

 

New-car shoppers have once again recognized the Honda brand as the 'Most Trusted Brand' and 'Best Value Brand' in Kelley Blue Book's 2013 Brand Image Award study. This is the second year Honda was named the 'Most Trusted Brand' and the third consecutive year as the 'Best Value Brand'. Additionally, Honda captured the top honor of 'Best Overall Non-Luxury Brand,' thus receiving more awards than any other brand in the 2013 Kelley Blue Book study.

"We are honored to be recognized by American car buyers for two tenets of the Honda brand: trust and value," said Mike Accavitti, vice president of national marketing operations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "These awards demonstrate how customers recognize the tremendous quality and value of our products, reflecting the incredible competitive strength of the Honda brand."
The 2013 Brand Image Awards are based on consumer automotive perception data from Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence's Brand Watch™ study. Brand Watch taps into more than 12,000 in-market new-vehicle shoppers annually on Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com. The Brand Watch study offers insight into in-market new-vehicle shoppers' perceptions of brands, including important factors driving their purchase decisions while they are in the midst of the shopping process.  Honda was named 'Best Overall Non-Luxury Brand' by securing the highest average score across ratings of all non-luxury models, and the weight of importance of each of the factors in the study.
"Honda was named Best Overall Brand by non-luxury shoppers, which speaks to Honda's stellar reputation and brand leadership in the minds of consumers," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst, Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com. "In addition, Honda was awarded Most Trusted Brand for the second year in a row, and Best Value Brand for the third year running. Receiving consecutive awards in key categories like 'Trust' and 'Value' demonstrates the positive attributes of the Honda brand continue to resonate with the new-car buying public."

Additional comments from the Editors of Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com regarding Honda's Brand Image Award Wins:

2013 Honda - Best Value Brand
"Affordability, reliability and good resale value are key facets of new-car value, and Honda scores at or near the top in all three, earning from KBB.com visitors another Best Value Brand award."

2013 Honda - Most Trusted Brand
"This is the second year we've asked visitors to name their Most Trusted Brand, and it's the second year in a row they've named Honda.  With a reputation that precedes it and vehicles that seemingly never fail to deliver on the promise, Honda is like the perpetual motion machine of brand trust."

2013 Honda – Brand Image Awards: Best Overall Brand
"We saved the biggest award for last, but after its wins in the Best Value Brand and Most Trusted Brand categories, Honda's win as Best Overall Brand among non-luxury shoppers hardly comes as a surprise.  We admire the refined and reliable vehicles, but also the manner in which Honda promotes itself.  You do too, apparently."