Posted by sport
As a dealer, Sport is awaiting word on whether the government will continue the “cash for clunkers” program or let it fizzle out this week. This program should receive the extra $2 billion dollars the government is proposing. This has arguably been the best money the government has spent since the economic crisis began last September. This is the only program where the people are actually receiving the money. All other programs have gone to organizations and companies. The CARS program is benefiting the average person while also raising some money for the government through an increase in tax revenue. Please tell your senator to support the proposal to extend the CARS program.
August 03 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
Posted by sport
You can now become a fan of Sport Honda on Facebook. As our fan base grows we will send out specials to just those people that are fans of Sport Automotive. These specials will save you money in Service, Parts, and Sales at Honda and Chevrolet. Sport will also send out updates on our dealership, as well as new dealer and factory programs. So join now and continue to check in on the page to see what is going on at Sport and throughout the Automotive world.
July 01 2009 | Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Posted by sport
Both the Fit and the Insight got very strong reviews in Friday’s Washington Times Newspaper. Here are the two articles…
Subcompact is Fit as a fiddle — and surprisingly roomy
By Bill Visnic MOTOR MATTERS | Friday, June 19, 2009
To understand why Honda’s subcompact Fit hatchback has achieved a kind of cult following, you have to get in the car. On the outside, the Fit looks like nothing more than another one of those slightly weird, melted-box Asian economy cars that seem to be multiplying on American roads.
Slide in, though, and it’s as though Honda has discovered how to manipulate black-hole physics or something. Nothing this small on the outside could be so ridiculously accommodating of people and payload.
The Fit is only working with a 98-inch wheelbase, for heaven’s sake. (Honda’s compact Civic sedan has 8 inches more between the front and rear axles.) Yet even the Fit’s rear seats provide a delicious 35.5 inches of legroom. The Fit is narrower than most compact cars, such as the Civic or Ford Focus, but never pinches. Four occupants ride in virtual mini-limousine spaciousness.
If the Fit’s people-holding prowess is impressive, then its cargo-carrying capacity is practically Herculean. The tall roofline is a major factor, but the Fit’s signature feature is the rear “Magic Seat” design: one flip of a lever and all or a portion of the 60/40-split seat obediently flops down to a level dead flat with the cargo floor. A simple return push gets everything ready for passengers again. And, oh, that cargo space is vast: more than 57 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. Between the Fit’s cargo cavern and the wide-mouthed hatchback opening, fear not that trip to Best Buy for a new flat-screen TV - it’s going to fit.
The rest of the Fit’s interior is delightfully arranged and executed with the precision Honda has led us all to expect. The blue-backlit gauges are a treat; all the controls work like fine-tuned tools; and the plastics are in no way cheap-looking.
We tested the $19,630 Fit Sport with Navigation. It’s the accelerator pedal that ultimately reminds you the 2009 Fit, spacious as it is, remains a denizen of the subcompact segment when it comes to go-power.
All Fits use a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder which, at 117 horsepower, is fizzy when it comes to sheer pull. Getting five ratios in the Fit’s optional automatic transmission is a nice upgrade in this segment, but in addition to costing an extra $850, having an automatic is a conspicuous impediment to getting the Fit’s small corral of horses on the gallop.
Luckily, no matter how hard you work the Fit’s meager dynamo, it’s always exceedingly smooth and aurally rich - a longtime Honda engine attribute. The Fit engine’s character is premium, but if you live in a place with mountains, hills or long grades, it will struggle.
I often disrespect “sport” models, but for the Fit, going for the Sport is worth the extra $1,500-odd dollars, if nothing else than to get the Sport’s nice-looking extra body trim and larger 16-inch wheels. Inside, Fit Sport gets a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a handy USB port, more speakers and new map lights.
Where Honda marketers and I butt heads is over the Fit’s general packaging. Hondas typically are simple to buy, with little subterfuge on the option sheet. But in the case of the Fit, Honda offers its Vehicle Stability Assist stability-control system only for the Fit Sport with Navigation - the most expensive model in the lineup.
Stability control probably is the most effective safety advance in 20 years. But to force buyers into the top-of-the-range model to get the system is counterproductive and slightly off-putting from a company that apparently can find a way to cost-effectively jam so many other safety features into its smallest cars.
Now that we’re past that mini-rant, the 2009 Fit brings a substantial number of improvements to a car that already was a winner. The Fit is more sophisticated and useful than a subcompact car has a right to be.
And now the Insight -
Home > Culture > Automotive
Insight Hybrid’s aerodynamics draws looks
By Connie Keane MOTOR MATTERS | Friday, June 19, 2009
While many of the compact cars coming out of the Asian market are decidedly boxy-looking in design — Kia Soul, Nissan Cube, Scion xB — the 2010 Honda Insight is arrow-shaped. You might call the Insight a box cutter.
The razor-sharp lines pointed at the front end sweep with broad swiftness around to the tail end. The aerodynamic line is not only a matter of appearance; it’s also an emotional message about the bottom line, which is efficiency. The Insight isn’t setting time records in 0-to-60 mph, of course, but it’s setting new standards in the affordable-car market for environmental protection from emissions releases and achievements in fuel economy, at a starting price of under $20,000.
Honda’s all-new 2010 Insight Hybrid has EPA-rated fuel economy of 40 miles per gallon city and 43 mpg highway, and it is rated as an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle by the nation’s toughest agency, the California Air Resources Board. Honda says the driving range on its nearly 11-gallon fuel tank is more than 400 miles.
Powering Honda’s 2010 hybrid is an electric motor/gasoline engine combo. The primary source of power for the Insight is its 8-valve single overhead cam four-cylinder gas engine with a miserly 88 horsepower. A 10-kilowatt electric motor helps give additional power for a combined horsepower output of 98 at 5,800 rpm. The Insight benefits well from the 123 lb.-ft. of total torque.
Mated to the hybrid powerplant is Honda’s Continuously Variable Transmission, which regulates an efficient operating range for the regenerative braking during deceleration, as well as offering smooth gear transitions during acceleration.
One of the main attributes to Honda’s all-new Insight, which was first introduced as a breakthrough model in 1999, is the Eco Guide. The Ecological Drive Assist System helps the driver in real-world driving achieve the best mileage ratings through a variety of recommended driving efficiencies. A 3D background in the instrumentation panel changes colors to reflect green driving methods. The Insight driver can turn on the ECON button, which sets into motion a whole range of economies that takes control of mileage-boosting practices. The ECON takes command of air-conditioning flow, as well as limiting power and torque.
The Honda features a two-tier instrument panel that is futuristic and minimalist. The two-tier system cuts down on the visual “noise” of what the driver’s eye can be distracted by in the information readouts. Honda’s Insight is focused on being easy to understand through quick recognition.
The 2010 Insight comes in two trims: LX and EX. The Insight LX starts at $19,800. This model is well-equipped with a tilt/telescoping steering column, which is considered a luxury in this segment, and power windows, anti-lock brakes, and head-curtain, dual-front and side-impact airbags.
I drove the more premium version: the EX with a base price of $21,300. It adds electronic Vehicle Stability Control, alloy wheels, heated outside mirrors and a host of comfort features. A navigations system is optional on the EX.
The Insight is a five-passenger, five-door model with a convenient 60-40 split-fold second row. A liftgate allows for ample clearance when loading items through the cargo bay, and the rear visibility is pretty good with a wide outward view through the rear glass liftgate.
In the hybrid market, Honda has taken its bow and arrow, and it has hit the mark.
Give Sport Honda a call to test drive one of these two vehicles…
June 22 2009 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
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From an article in the Wall Street Journal -
“TOKYO (Dow Jones)–Sales of Honda Motor Co.’s (7267.TO) Insight hybrid in the U.S. in the 12 months following the model’s launch in late March may come to 50,000 to 60,000 vehicles, the company said Tuesday.
While sales of the Insight during this period are expected to be smaller than the auto maker’s annual U.S. target to sell 90,000 units of the hybrid model, a Honda spokeswoman said sales of the Insight will likely meet the company’s annual sales target in Japan.
“The (annual sales target) refers to how much we eventually want to sell every year, but not necessarily in the first year,” said the spokeswoman, adding that new models don’t always meet their annual sales goals in the first year as it sometimes takes a while to ramp up production.
She said the Insight’s sales in Japan have been “very strong” since the model was launched there in early February. Honda expects the new hybrid to achieve its annual domestic sales target of 60,000 vehicles in the current fiscal year.”
Sales at Sport Honda, and the rest of the Washington, DC market, have started to pick up more in June. With gas prices continuing to rise on a daily basis, as well as a decrease in the amount of Civic Hybrid inventory, we have seen sales of the Insight increase here. We believe that in time the Insight will be able to compete well with the Prius at a considerably lower price. For those Insight owners out there, please let us know how you feel about your new vehicle.
June 16 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
Posted by sport
Here is an excerpt from an article on Edmunds.com - http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=139686
When Being Green Reduces Your Green
Some of us will make a choice between these two cars based solely on superior fuel economy. But if you’re really interested only in the contents of your wallet, some careful assessment of the cost/benefit equation will be illuminating.
It turns out the additional $5,473 required for the privilege of owning a Prius instead of an Insight can buy a lot of fuel. At today’s fuel prices, the actual monetary savings earned by the Prius’ edge in fuel economy is miniscule, working out to a paltry $70 per year. Paying off the Prius’ extra tariff in sticker price with the savings in fuel purchases would require more than 75 years.
Even if fuel prices were to leap to $5 per gallon, a Prius owner would have to drive his car for nearly 413,000 miles just to break even. These calculations use the EPA combined fuel economy numbers — plug in the higher fuel-economy results we measured and the payoff period is measured in lifetimes.
This simple math exercise demonstrates how deceptive a 5-mpg difference can be. Among fuel-sippers like these, this is one occasion where it doesn’t pay to be green. It turns out that the 2010 Honda Insight’s emphasis on affordability as well as fuel economy puts more dollars in your pocket than the 2009 Toyota Prius.
There’s a certain irony in the Insight’s victory. In its desire to create a car that wears its hybrid-ness on its sleeve, Honda examined its rival to such a degree that the Insight and the Prius are nearly indistinguishable at a glance. Yet Honda’s final product is no Prius clone, and its lack of hybrid-style compromises in the way it drives works to its advantage in this comparison.
Consider the Prius outsmarted. For now.
May 27 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
Posted by sport
Mr. Friedman [Sport Honda Sales Manager],
My husband was in the market for a Honda Hybrid for me. He checked with several dealers in the area using internet sales. Upon searching various auto sales websites, he came across “Edmonds.’ He searched the website for the lowest possible sticker price for a Honda Civic Hybrid. After bidding with local car dealers, he choose Sport Honda.
His contact was Jackie Barkley [internet sales consultant]. She was honest and forthcoming in working with my husband. She responded in a timely manner each time my husband contacted her. After a price was decided upon, we both went to Sport Honda and ended up purchasing a 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid on April 29, 2009. Jackie’s professionalism and knowledge of the car was exceptional.
Sport Honda is lucky to have an employee of Jackie Barkley’s caliber.
Thank you.
This is just one example of the daily testimonials that we receive on our staff at Sport Honda - from the porters to the service advisors to the technicians to the sales consultants. Most of the feedback that I, and the rest of our managers, receive is positive, and in that rare occurrence there is an issue everyone at Sport Honda will work to resolve it to best of our ability and to the customer’s satisfaction. If you have received excellent service from Sport Honda, please let us know about it in our comments section. I look forward to hearing from all of you.
May 07 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
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Come Celebrate Earth Day with the introduction of the Honda Insight. The all new hybrid in the Honda line up. Sport received the Insight almost a month ago, but with Earth Day finally here it is more important than ever to think about the environment. Come test drive the all new Insight when you can, so that you can experience a great car and feel better about helping the world and its future. Check out this link to learn more - http://www.hybridcars.com/compacts-sedans/honda-insight-overview.html.
April 22 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
Posted by sport
The Sport Automotive Owner, Robert Hicks Fogarty, recently was appointed to the Montgomery County Council Advisory Committee on Consumer Protection. Mr. Fogarty will be the single business representative to serve on the Committee for the next three years. Here is the letter he received from Council president Phil Andrews.
“On behalf of the Montgomery County Council, congratulations on your appointment to the Advisory Committee on Consumer Protection. Montgomery County is fortunate to have so many outstanding citizens who volunteer to serve on our boards, committees, and commissions. The County will benefit immeasurably from your efforts. We are grateful for your willingness to serve, and we look forward to your participation in this significant effort.”
When asked to remark on this honor, Mr. Fogarty said, “This is a tribute to the way that I and Sport Automotive have done business for the last 40+ years. We try to treat all customers honorably and with the utmost respect. However, this honor comes with an additional responsibility for all of our employees to try to always do the right thing for our customers. I am honored to serve.”
April 15 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
Posted by sport
It is very satisfying to hear good things about Sport from our customers. We have been in business in Montgomery County since 1968 and the reason we have lasted so long is because we truly value our customers. So it is extra special to us when a customer goes out of their way to call or e-mail or write us a note and let us know that we are exceeding their expectations. Here is a recent letter that one of our managers received that I would like to share with you…
February 12, 2009
Dear Ron, [Ron is our Service Manager at Sport Honda]
I brought my Honda Odyssey in for service today and I wanted to point out the exceptional service that I received. Joann McLean [service advisor] greeted me as I entered the service area and was very friendly. She noted this was the first time I was bringing the van in for service. Joann was professional, courteous and informative - she completed my service manual, explained the services performed, and educated me about the code that had appeared on my dash. She demonstrated exemplary customer service.
As a real estate agent, I pride myself on providing outstanding level of service to my real estate clients. I know that a positive experience can help your business to grow. By taking good care of your customers, you are not only doing the right thing but also ensuring that your business will through positive word-of-mouth. I have already recommended your service department to one of my colleagues and I will continue to do so.
Sincerely,
[Sport Honda Service Customer]
March 13 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
Posted by sport
MSN Autos came out with their top ten cars to buy for first time car buyers, and guess what - 2 out of 10 were Honda cars. The Honda Civic and the Honda Fit both made the list. This helps prove that Honda’s vehicles are some of the best on the road. Read the article below for more information.
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/listarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=921702
“Buying a first car is a big deal, especially if you decide to shell out the money for a brand new one. Most drivers start out by getting hand-me-downs or borrowing cars owned by family members. But your first true car is the one you actually purchase with your own money and own needs in mind. That said, it is very important not to get too carried away in the moment, make a snap decision and get the wrong car. The perfect car for the first-time owner must not only be a good value, but also have a reasonable cost of ownership. You will be looking for a vehicle that will fill your practical needs, be solidly built, reliable, good on fuel and reasonably affordable. You also want a car that will keep you and your passengers safe and yet be agile, maneuverable and fun to drive. Plenty of interesting models are available today, but some stand out in this buyers’ market. Here are the rides we recommend for first-timers.
The Civic was the first small car to gain mainstream recognition in the U.S. Launched more than 35 years ago, it has steadily grown in popularity and size since then. Design-wise, the current Civic, launched in 2006, was a radical departure from its predecessor. Nonetheless, it has been highly successful. The sedan is spacious, and the coupe sheds two doors in the name of style. Both share a lively and frugal 1.8-liter 140-horsepower engine and deliver a rare combination of comfort and agility. For better fuel economy, Honda offers the Civic Hybrid with EPA fuel economy ratings of 40 mpg city/45 mpg highway. The Civic also has a stellar record for reliability and safety, with six airbags, active head restraints and an anti-lock brake system all standard. The new Civic DX-VP sedan is a great value, and LX versions in both body styles add a number of useful amenities.
Starting cost: $15,305
Honda Fit
The redesigned 2009 Honda Fitis quite simply the best car you can buy — pound for pound and dollar for dollar. It has everything the majority of us will ever need in a car, more so a first-time buyer who doesn’t typically need to transport soccer teams or tow a boat. The new Fit is exceptionally roomy for its size, thanks to a fuel tank cleverly located under the front seats. It is also slightly longer and wider than its predecessor. Engineers have improved the “magic” rear seat and made it easier to fold the split seatbacks or flip the seat cushion up in a single stroke, making the Fit more versatile and practical. Honda has also fixed the driving position with the addition of a proper footrest. In addition to an improved version of the zippy 1.5-liter engine and solid safety and reliability credentials, the Fit is a hoot to drive whether you pick the manual or the automatic gearbox, both of which are 5-speeds.
Starting cost: $14,750″
March 03 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
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