Fleet Sales less than 2% saves Honda Customers

Accord, Civic, CR-V and Odyssey rank #1 in retail sales in their respective segments, according to latest Polk data Honda brand sales of 668,597 up 6.5 percent year-to-date through June More than 98 percent of brand sales to retail customers, protecting resale values; many competitor brands exceed 20 percent in fleet sales

Hendrick Motor Sports Talk - Recent Race Recap

Hendrick Motorsports drivers finish in top 10 at Indianapolis

 

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Kobalt Tools Chevrolet SS, came home with a second-place finish on Sunday afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Johnson, who started second, scored his league leading 14th top-10 finish of the 2013 season with the result. Joining Johnson inside the top 10 were Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kasey Kahne who finished third, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon, who finished sixth and seventh, respectively.

Here are the race recaps by driver:
Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet SS
Race finish: Third.
Standings: Ninth.
Recap: Kasey Kahne started Sunday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from the seventh position and kept his No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet SS inside the top 10 throughout the first run of the 400-mile event.  Following the first round of green flag pit stops on Lap 27, Kahne returned to the track in the sixth position, battling with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon. Kahne would remain inside the top 10 until the first caution period of the afternoon came out on Lap 59. On the ensuing restart, Kahne would maneuver the No. 5 Chevy SS into the top five for the first time and would run there until a four-tire pit stop during the second caution on Lap 80 shuffled him back to 16th position. When the race restarted, Kahne methodically worked his way back towards the front, moving his way back into the top five just 12 laps after the race went back to green.   Kahne would continue his charge towards the front, moving up to the third position just prior to the completion of the third round of green flag pit stops. Following the pit stops, Kahne would keep the No. 5 Chevy SS inside the top 10, battling with teammates Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Gordon. In the end, Kahne was able to come home with a third-place finish, utilizing a four-tire change on the final round of green-flag pit stops. This is the sixth top-five finish for Kahne in the 2013 season.
Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Pepsi Max Chevrolet SS
Race finish: Seventh.
Standings: 10th.
Recap: Jeff Gordon rolled off the grid in the ninth position on Sunday afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Gordon maintained his top-10 position throughout the first run of the race, battling with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne.  Gordon remained inside the top 10 following the first round of green flag pit stops and was able to move into the lead for the first time during the second round of green flag pit stops. Gordon would hold onto the lead until the first caution period of the afternoon came out on Lap 59. During the yellow, Gordon came to pit road for four-tires and adjustments, returning to the track in the eighth position. On the ensuing restart, Gordon would battle with teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. for position inside the top 15. Gordon remained in the top 15 until the second caution of the afternoon came out on Lap 80. While under caution, crew chief Alan Gustafson made the call to keep the driver of the No. 24 Pepsi Max Chevrolet SS out on the track in order to gain track position. Gordon was able to maintain that track position inside the top 10 until having to pit for an overheating issue with 60 laps remaining. Following the stop, Gordon returned to the track in the 14th position and quickly worked his way back into the top 10. At the end of the day, Gordon was able to remain inside the top 10 and come home with a seventh-place finish, his 16th top-10 finish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Kobalt Tools Chevrolet SS
Race finish: Second.
Standings: First.
Recap: Jimmie Johnson lined up from the second position on Sunday afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and kept the No. 48 Kobalt Tools Chevrolet SS inside the top three throughout the first run of the 200-lap event. Following the first round of green flag pit stops, Johnson was able to erase a 2.9 second deficit and take the lead for the first time on Lap 31. Johnson would hold on to the top spot until the second round of green flag pit stops took place on Lap 55. He would then regain the lead following the first caution period of the afternoon on Lap 59. Johnson remained the race leader until the second caution came out on Lap 80. When the race went back green, Johnson sat in the fourth position but only needed 11 laps to make his way back to the front of the field.  He would remain in the lead until the final round of green flag pit stops. During the final stops, crew chief Chad Knaus called for a four-tire change while other teams chose to take two for track position. In the end, Johnson charged back towards the front and was able to earn a second-place finish. With the finish, Johnson now leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in top 10 finishes with 14.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet SS
Race finish: Sixth.
Standings: Fifth.
Recap: Dale Earnhardt Jr. rolled off from the 14th position on Sunday afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 20th annual 400-mile event. While maintaining his position inside the top 15, the driver of the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet SS reported to crew chief Steve Letarte that he had a loose wheel and decided to come to pit road at the completion of Lap 12. Despite falling off of the lead lap, Letarte praised Earnhardt for the decision to pit: “great call. We had a right-rear that was a little loose there. Ride it out. It’s a long race.” During the following fuel run, Earnhardt was able to make his way back into the top 15 as the race leaders on a different pit strategy came to pit road. Earnhardt would remain on the track while the leaders pitted and was able to earn his way back onto the lead lap following the first caution period of the afternoon on Lap 59.  Earnhardt would remain inside the top 15 until a Lap 80 caution allowed crew chief Letarte to make the call to keep the No. 88 Chevy SS out on the track for track position. Earnhardt took the restart in fourth position but quickly moved his way into the top three before coming to pit road for four-tires on Lap 98.  When the pit stops cycled back around Earnhardt was able to maintain his track position inside the top five. In the end, Earnhardt was able to hold off a charge from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon to come home with a sixth-place finish.

What's the best way to reach our Market?

Along with the Honda Summer Clearance... Honda will launch a unique social media campaign in which the brand will directly engage with Twitter users utilizing real-time Vine videos. Launching July 15, Honda will respond to tweets with the #wantnewcar hashtag with live Vine videos encouraging users to ditch their old car and purchase a new Honda through the Summer Clearance Sales Event. In addition to the social media component, the Summer Clearance event will be supported by television, print, digital and radio advertising leveraging the #wantnewcar conversation and user-generated tweets.

"Starting today, Honda will promote #wantnewcar, urging Twitter users to vent about their need for a new car for a chance to receive personalized Vine video responses directly from Honda, all shot and uploaded that day," said Susie Rossick, Senior Manager at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "This campaign provides a new and unique way to remind people that summer is the best time to get a great deal on a Honda."

These Vine videos will include news of the Honda Summer Clearance Sales Event in an organic way specific to the users concern.  According to Rossick, "If a user mentions needing a new car to pick up a pizza, that Vine video response may feature a Honda dealer offering a great deal…with a mouth full of pepperoni."

In addition to the social media promotion, the Summer Clearance Sales Event campaign will feature eight TV spots that show various Honda dealers humorously responding to real tweets, while finding alternative cars and deals for viewers to consider.  The TV spot "Super Fan" addresses an actual tweet from actor Neil Patrick Harris ("How I Met Your Mother," "The Smurfs") in which @ActuallyNPH asks for advice on selecting a minivan.  "Dance Party" highlights standard features such as Pandora® when the dealer has a sudden dance party in a Civic based on a tweet from @KasiJackson.

Spots will air during national prime network programs such as "Shark Tank," "Extreme Makeover, Home Edition," "CSI," "Vampire Diaries," "Two Broke Girls," "America's Got Talent" and cable networks, including A&E, Animal Planet, Bravo, AMC and TBS. Print creative will run in top consumer weekly publications such as "Entertainment Weekly," "People," "Sports Illustrated," "Bloomberg Businessweek," and "TIME" as well as top-tier daily newspapers that include the "The New York Times," "Wall Street Journal" and "USA Today."

Online ads will run in top automobile and consumer websites, including AOL Autos, Edmunds, MSN Autos, Autobytel, AutoTrader and Cars.com, with a home-page takeover on "USA Today" that will pull in @Honda's live Twitter feed for viewers to keep up with the Vine video responses. The #wantnewcar promoted trends on Twitter will take place on 7/15.

Protecting your Investment - Hendrick Autoguard

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Honda Accord, Odyssey and CR-V Named to KBB.com's 10 Best Family Cars of 2013

Honda has more vehicles on the list than any other automaker

The 2013 Honda Accord, Odyssey and CR-V were all named to KBB.com's list of the 10 Best Family Cars of 2013. The three family-friendly Honda models were recognized for their leadership in the key areas of safety, roominess, comfort and value. 

I wonder what other factors rank in the 'buying' decision..not just the ratings.  For instance, where would 'style' rank in your list of priorities?  Or embedded technology for that matter.  And how do these factors appeal to the 'family'? 

Depreciation - The Hidden Cost of Car Ownership

Depreciation should be an important criteria in your car purchase agenda.  Here's some great news for Honda owners...and compelling information for prospective Honda owners.

Honda models have captured three 2013 Best Retained Value Awards from Edmunds.com. The Honda Civic was honored in both the Sedan and Coupe $20-$30k categories and the Honda Odyssey led the minivan segment for maintaining the highest projected residual value after five years of ownership as a percentage of value when new.

"Honda models definitely punch above their weight when it comes to value with class-leading quality, safety ratings, standard features and a company commitment to avoid value-sapping fleet sales" said Mike Accavitti, senior vice president of automobile operations for American Honda. "Updates to the 2013 Civic took it from best-selling in 2012 to undeniably best-in-segment this year, and with a significantly-updated Odyssey on the way this summer, we're looking forward to providing even more value to American families."

Big Safety in a Small Package 2013 Honda Civic

The Civic Sedan, significantly reengineered for 2013, is equipped with Honda's  next  generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, which plays a critical role in making Civic the first small car to earn a TOP SAFETY PICK+ crash safety rating. 

The 2013 Honda Civic is also the first to earn the highest rating of GOOD in the IIHS' new small overlap frontal crash test (sometimes called a 'narrow offset' test).

This aggressive test is designed to simulate what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object such as a tree or utility pole at high speed. The reinforced ACE™ body structure found on the 2013 Civic further enhances frontal crash energy through a wider range of these offset and oblique collision scenarios.