New Years Resolutions – For You and Your Car!

It’s a new year and a new start.  You’ve probably already made your own New Year’s resolutions, but what about when it comes to your car? This year, let’s resolve to take better care of our vehicle and be a more conscientious car owner.

I resolve to use rubber mats seasonally to protect my car

Rubber floor mats protect your interior from dirt, water, mud, and more.  At Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC and Image Honda, we sell mats that are custom fit to your vehicle.  These floor mats not only provide you with the satisfaction of having OEM quality protection, but you won’t have to worry about them slipping underneath your pedals, which can be a serious safety risk.

I resolve to invest in seasonal tires

Sliding, slipping, zero traction….the list goes on.  Winter tires are critical, especially with our Ontario winters.  Not only are they a good investment that give you added safety and peace of mind, but they save you wear and tear on your all-season tires.  Swapping them out twice a year gives you added life on your wheels!

I resolve to schedule regular maintenance appointments

Our certified technicians at Image Honda and Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC are trained to know your vehicle inside and out and are able to spot things that you might otherwise have missed.  Bringing your car in at least twice a year for regular checkups and preventative maintenance may cost you in the short term, but will save you in repair costs and increase your resale value.

I resolve to check for fluid leaks at least once a month.

This is always a good idea and one of the easiest things to check for.  We recommend taking a pizza box and placing it under your car for the night – in the morning, bring the box into the dealership and show us your art work.  We will be able to tell what is leaking based on the colour and where it dripped on the box.

I resolve to be a more fuel efficient driver

This year, don’t use the old excuse that your vehicle isn’t fuel efficient!  True, it may not be the best on gas, but there are always ways to improve your fuel efficiency.  Watching your speed, maintaining your vehicle, carpooling with people co-workers are all easy ways to save on fuel costs.

I resolve to kick my idling habit

There really is no reason to leave your car idling – it is bad for the environment, increases your gas consumption and will cost you extra money each year.

I resolve to wash and keep my car clean.

I make this resolution almost every time I clean out my car.  Not only will cleaning your car make it look better, but it will extend the life of your car, protect the paint and increase its resale value.

I resolve to be a more patient driver,

Most importantly, don’t rush!  Leave plenty of time if you need to be somewhere at a specific time.  If you are running late, evaluate the circumstance – will you really be that late if you don’t make the green light?

I resolve to learn new driving skills

No one is a perfect driver and there are certainly driving skills we can all work on.  Perhaps, you want to learn how to back into a spot or even parallel park.  Whatever it is, work on it – you’ll be glad you did.

I resolve to check my tire pressure and tread regularly

Watch our video: How to check your tire pressure

Watch our video: How to check your tire tread

Please feel free to call us anytime for all of your automotive needs or visit us at http://www.imagehonda.com or http://www.queenstonchev.com

By: Amy Cochren

Getting Your Little Monsters Ready For Halloween?

Halloween is an exciting time for kids of all ages, but the rules of the road can be easily forgotten!  We want to take this time to remind everyone to be extra alert while driving on the road and keep in mind that the most active times for trick-or-treaters are between 6pm – 9pm. Here are a few friendly road safety tips to keep in mind.

  • Stay below the speed limit in subdivisions and leave extra time while traveling to your desired destination.
  • Remember using your cellphone without a hands-free device is not only unsafe and distracting – it’s illegal.
  • Pay close attention when pulling in and out of driveways to ensure all the ghosts and ghouls are well out of the way.
  • Yield for pedestrians, they may cross the street anywhere and this can be unpredictable.
  • Use your mirrors, turning signals and hazard lights – communicate with the other drivers on the road by using eye contact.

We at Image Honda, Queenston on Centennial and Queenston on the Mountain would like to wish everyone a safe Halloween full of tricks and treats!

car freshener costume

The Chevrolet Hockey Helmet Program Is Back At Queenston!

Safe and Fun Hockey 2013

The Chevrolet Hockey Helmet Program is back in conjunction with Chevrolet’s Safe & Fun Hockey.  This program was created in 1999 for today’s youth to adopt proactive attitudes toward safety, as well as foster a healthy and positive attitude toward “competition, teamwork, fair game and grace under pressure” in hockey.

Through an ongoing partnership with Hockey Canada, in the last 2 years, Chevrolet handed out over 25,000 free hockey helmets to parents of 5 year olds in Canada.  This year, all players born in 2008 who register with Hockey Canada are eligible to receive a free Bauer Hockey Helmet.  It is important to note that parents must register their child to receive this offer.  coaches, managers or other team officials may not do so.  What is required?

  • A printout of the registration form; click here to register
  • Your child’s birth certificate/passport or other provincial/federal documentation that states his/her age.
  • Proof of registration with a Canadian Minor Hockey Association in this current hockey season.

If you meet the above requirements, all you have to do is drop by one of our two dealerships’ Queenston on the Mountain or Queenston on Centennial.  Present us with the appropriate documents for verification purposes and we will present you with a voucher to redeem for your child’s helmet at your local Forzani store (SportChek, Sport Mart, Hockey Experts, Intersport or Sports Experts).  In your package, you will also receive information and hockey-related items from Chevrolet Safe and Fun Hockey, Hockey Canada, Forzani and Bauer.

If you have any further questions or concerns regarding this outstanding program from Chevrolet, please contact us by visiting our webpage http://www.queenstonchev.com

By: Amy Cochren

Credit:
Chevrolet Safe & Fun Hockey http://www.safeandfunhockey.ca/en/helmet

Momstown and Festival of Friends!

momstown poster 2013

This weekend we are the stage sponsors for momstown – an amazing  Hamilton group who are celebrating their 6th Birthday at the Children & Family Pavilion located at the Ancaster Fair Grounds.  Come join us and momstown for a FREE weekend of FUN at the Festival Of Friends!

Queenston Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Image Honda will be on-site with a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and a 2013 Honda CR-V! Be sure to partake in our colouring contest for some awesome prizes and car care must haves!

We look forward to celebrating with all the kids and supporting a great group of hard working Moms!

queenston and image logosFor a list of performances and events, please click here

5 Star Safety Score For The 2014 Chevrolet Impala

Last month, we were excited to announce that General Motors topped the list for the 2013 J.D. Power Awards with Chevrolet and GMC being the only non-luxury brands to rank in the top 5.  Well, it’s another first for Chevrolet with the redesigned 2014 Impala receiving a five-star safety score.  This score is the highest possible five-star overall vehicle score for safety, as part of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program.2014impala

So what makes the Impala so outstanding?  Well, it offers a variety of safety features that are attributed to this ranking.  The Collision Mitigation Braking allows for radar technology to sense traffic in front of the vehicle to adjust the vehicle speed, including stopping the vehicle in traffic and accelerating again after.  This is the first time that such a feature has been offered in a Chevrolet.  Some additional features include: forward collision alert, lane departure warning, side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert, rear vision camera with dynamic guidelines, ultrasonic rear park assist, brake pre-fill feature, hill hold/start assist and full-speed-range-adaptive cruise control.  The 2014 Impala’s also come with 10 standard airbags and OnStar, providing you with an additional sense of comfort.  OnStar’s GPS and cellular phone technology will automatically call for help in case of a crash.

Gay Kent, GM general director of Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness had the following to say. “Safety is a key consideration for all car buyers, and Impala sets a new benchmark for Chevrolet’s flagship sedan.  The 2014 Chevrolet Impala is designed to provide excellent crash safety, and offers customers several safety technologies not previously available in Chevrolet.”

If you haven’t had the opportunity to experience the 2014 Impala for yourself, we welcome you to either of our Chevrolet dealerships: Queenston on Centennial or Queenston on the Mountain.  Come and take a test drive today in the award winning Impala and see exactly what it has to offer.

By: Amy Cochren

Credit: Chevrolet Canada, GM Canada

“Truck Yeah” – Silverado Sierra Tour

If you love pick-up trucks like us, then you are as excited as we are about the newly redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.  In fact, General Motors is so proud of these outstanding trucks, they have put together the event of the year – The Silverado Sierra Tour!

SilveradoSierraTour

The Silverado Sierra Tour gives you the unique opportunity to drive these two trucks on a closed course test drive with driving event modules, so you can put the all-new 2014 Silverado and Sierra to the test!  Each session runs for a duration of 1.5 hours and is completely free to you. You will also be provided with a thank you gift and have the opportunity to win some fabulous prizes.

Each person interested in participating, must register the event separately.  It also requires that you be 21 years of age and possess a full valid driver’s license to participate.

As can be expected, this consumer opportunity is extremely limited and will run on a first come, first serve basis.

The event began on June 5th and will continue to run across the country until August 28th!  The schedule dates are as follows:

Silverado Sierra Tour Schedule

With such limited spots, make sure you register for the Silverado Sierra Tour today! (Click here to register)

If you have any questions, please visit www.queenstonchev.com or follow us at Hamilton Auto Blog for updates.

By: Amy Cochren

The All-New 2014 Chevrolet Impala

If you would like to see all that the 2014 Chevrolet Impala has to offer, visit http://www.queenstonchev.com today and schedule your test drive!  For the lastest updates and information on our dealership, please check back with Hamilton Auto Blog.

OnStar Family Link Service

Have you every worried about a loved one who is making a long trip or driving in poor weather conditions? Maybe you have a new driver in the family and want to ensure their safety.  Now you can have peace of mind with OnStar Family Link.  This service is an opt-in extension to your monthly OnStar subscription and is made available to you for a nominal fee.  With no limit to the number of vehicles you can add, you will always be able to track your vehicle on the road without bothering the driver.

Upon sign up, you will be given direct access to the location of your vehicle by viewing a map, as well as the ability to schedule email or text message notifications with Family Link’s unique “Vehicle Location Alert”.  You can even personalize the system by setting the day, time and frequency of your alerts.

This year in the United States, OnStar was awarded a 2013 Silver Edison Award for the Family Link service.  Jon Lauckner, GM’s chief technology officer and vice-president of Global Research & Development was quoted as saying “These awards reaffirm our ability to lead in the transformation of the automotive industry with a commitment to innovation that benefits our customers around the globe”.

If you are interested in subscribing to this feature, please sign up at www.onstar.com/familylink and make sure to visit our award winning vehicles equipped with OnStar at www.queenstonchev.com

By: Amy Cochren

GM Canada

Canadianautodealer.ca

2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel UPDATE

The wait will soon be over – the new 2014 Chevrolet Cruze 2.0TD (Diesel) is said to be in Canadian Dealerships by as early as this summer. This new Cruze has an estimated range of 700 highway miles on one tank of diesel fuel, which is roughly equivalent to 10 hours of highway driving.

Chevrolet logocruze TD

With a starting price of $26,495 including freight, this new Cruze has a better value ($510 lower) than its competitor – the comparably equipped 2013 Volkswagen Jetta TDI automatic.

Offered in one trim level, the Cruze 2TD offers some excellent standard features.

Interior product highlights include:

Heated leather seats with 6 way power driver seat
Leather wrapped steering wheel
Cruise control
USB port & Bluetooth for phone
Remote start, MyLink & rear view camera

Exterior product highlights include:

Unique 17-inch alloy wheels
Standard rear spoiler
Diesel badging

Mechanical Product highlights include:

2.0L Turbo Diesel – engine built in Europe
148 hp and 25lb-ft. torque
Z-link rear suspension from the RS
4-wheel disc brakes
DEF system

Surpassing its competitors, the Cruze Diesel has an estimated 148 horsepower and can go 0-60mph in 8.6 seconds, which is better than the Volkswagen TDI automatic.   Powered by the cleanest diesel passenger engine GM has ever produced, this car generates 90 percent less Nitrogen Oxide and particulate emissions then past generations.

For more news and updates on the Cruze 2TD and other General Motors vehicles, please visit Hamilton Auto Blog and queenstonchev.com

By: Amy Cochren

Credit: Chevrolet Canada, GM Canada

2013 Canadian International Auto Show

This year’s Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto brought with it huge crowds, gorgeous vehicles and exciting exhibits from the manufacturers.  Here at AutoHwy, we aren’t afraid to admit that this year brought some thrilling models.

Among some of this year’s most exciting were the concept vehicles.  Stealing everyone’s attention was the Honda Urban Small SUV concept.  Striking in its appearance, it glistened under the lights on display and stopped everyone in its tracks. This “concept” is soon to become a reality since it is set to be released in the United States later next year.563447_10101024808083761_243069825_n

Another popular favourite was the Chevrolet concept cars – Tru 140 S and Code 130R .  At their exhibit, Chevrolet actually engaged visitors by creating a voting booth of sorts, allowing individuals to vote on which concept car they would like to see become a reality!602242_10101024806536861_379935614_n

Perhaps one of the most exciting models at the show was the Canadian debut of the 2014 Chevrolet Stingray Corvette. This 450 horsepower vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/hr in less than 4 seconds!  Now for the good and the bad…it can be yours for approximately $115,000.

If you didn’t have an opportunity to make it to the show this year, feel free to browse our Facebook album and see what General Motors and Honda had to offer!48122_10101024806706521_489055165_n

If you are interested in purchasing a vehicle in one of our award winning line-ups, please visit us today at www.imagehonda.com or www.queenstonchev.com

By: Amy Cochren