Well, I think I’ve finally emerged from my Tryptophan induced stupor! Last evening my wife Faith and I had our last “Turkey Surprise” casserole and started to decorate for Christmas. What a wonderful, magical time of year - filled with a sense of wonder and anticipation. Here at Edenton Motors there is that same feeling of excitement and the desire to spread that cheer to others.

 

For 15 years now we have participated in the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program, a truly special way to give something back to the communities that we live and work in. We decorate our tree and the Salvation Army provides us with the names and wishes of children in our area so that when they wake up Christmas morning they have some gifts under their tree to open that they might not otherwise have.

 

 

Our employees, members of our community, and our customers all participate to make some little child’s Christmas memorable and here at Edenton Motors there is a commitment to our community as well as to our business – after all, our community supports us, and we want to help support our community.

 

 

It’s my hope that you stop in, pick a name and help us help our neighbors – and by the way, we hope that you and your loved ones have a Merry Christmas as well!!

And it just keeps getting better!! I’ve talked about the new models that GM has come out with like the Sonic, Volt, and Buick’s Verano. What about the mainstays such as the Chevy Malibu? Well, I’m here to tell you “It just keeps getting Better!” The first 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco just came in and you need to give this car more than just a passing glance.

To start with, the styling has been changed and this car looks great!! It has a fresh bold look, with a 2” wider stance, that’s hard to miss. This car will certainly turn some heads. The lines are refined and it seems to make a statement that ”I’m not just any car”. Then there’s the fuel economy, a solid 37 MPG Highway for an average 29 combined City and Highway. That will save you some money at the pump!

This is achieved, in part, with the use of aerodynamic features incorporated into the design. These include parabolic-shaped rounded corners; low rolling resistance tires; and underbody panels that smooth the air flow moving under the car. Add to these features the active shutter system that sends the air around the car when it’s not needed to cool the engine, and you have a car that moves easily through the air, thereby improving fuel economy.

Then there’s the e-Assist system, which is just amazing! This adds a 115V lithium-ion battery and a motor-generator to the enhanced 2.4L 4-cylinder engine. This stored power gives a boost of 15 hp to the drive train during heavy acceleration and grade driving allowing the engine and transmission to operate more efficiently and to use less power. Upon deceleration fuel is cut off to the engine and the motor-generator continues to spin along with the engine to provide smooth takeoff power when the accelerator is pressed again.

But that’s not all! When the car is stopped the engine is cut off to further save fuel. When the driver releases the brake pedal, the motor-generator almost instantly spins the engine at 500 rpm for a seamless engine start. In order to keep the battery charged, the system uses regenerative braking to capture the energy lost during braking and converts it to electricity to charge the battery.

Next we’ll talk about all of the goodies inside the cabin of the car that make it an enjoyable vehicle to be in as well. In the meantime stop by, take a look at the new Malibu; heck, take it for a test drive and find out why “We’re Simply the Best!!”

 One of the difficult parts of shopping for a new vehicle can be getting all of the essential information regarding features, options, and functionality. There’s a plethora of information on the Internet, and more and more consumers are taking advantage of these new ways of getting the specifics that they need to help them in making a decision as to which vehicle they may consider for their needs.

Even considering all of the details available from a variety of sources, it’s still good to be able to rely on a great source of information at you local dealership – your sales consultant. How do you know that you can rely on him or her? Well here at Edenton Motors all of our sales staff are required to become certified as a GM Sales Consultant. This involves an extensive series of courses related to every model that we sell.

These courses can involve Internet based training and in person training such as the Ride and Drive programs that I have mentioned previously, as well as training in the dealership conducted by a GM Trainer. Regardless of the delivery method, the sales person needs to pore through detail books and reference materials to become proficient in being able to inform and present this information to customers.

 Most recently General Motors conducted a nationwide “Show What You Know” contest for the Chevrolet Sonic. This involved a product knowledge test, and then written presentations on how to present specific information to a customer. One of the final steps in this contest was for “finalist” contestants to perform a “Walk Around” presentation to a GM representative.

 

At Edenton Motors, we’re proud to say that one of our sales staff is one of those finalists and performed his walk around this week. Tom Davis has been with us only a short while but has been in automotive sales for 50 years. By achieving this distinction Tom has demonstrated a superior level of commitment to our customers and their satisfaction. Please join us in congratulating Tom and wishing him well as he progresses through the final legs of this competition. Tom is one of the reasons that we’re “Simply the Best!!”