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SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 20, 2019 -- Used vehicle sales in 2019 are poised to hit the highest level since the recession, according to a new report from the car shopping experts at Edmunds. In 2018, 40.2 million used vehicles were sold in the U.S.; in 2019, Edmunds analysts predict used vehicle sales could approach 41 million. Edmunds experts say rising vehicle prices and high interest rates are pushing buyers out of the new market, and a record number of lease returns this year will give shoppers more options than ever in the used market.

"Typically sales of new and used vehicles follow the same pattern — if sales of new vehicles rise or fall, so do sales of used vehicles, and vice versa," said Ivan Drury, Edmunds' senior manager of industry analysis. "But now we're seeing new vehicle sales fall while used rise, indicating the market has reached a flash point. New cars are getting so expensive that they're out of reach for many car shoppers, but there are so many more affordable used vehicles coming off lease that the market is naturally shifting in that direction."

Edmunds data shows that in 2013, the price gap between new and 3-year-old used vehicles was 56 percent, amounting to more than $11,000 in savings on average. In 2018, that number grew to 62 percent, totaling nearly $14,000 in savings on average. Edmunds data also reveals that new car interest rates jumped by 17 percent in 2018, whereas rates for used vehicles have risen at a slower clip, with interest rates increasing by 9 percent in the same period.

At the Geneva Motor Show, Bugatti unveiled its latest creation: a one-of-a-kind hypercar called La Voiture Noire. It was created to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the brand's founding.

At $18.9 million, La Voiture Noire is also now the most expensive new car ever sold, Bugatti said, eclipsing the $13 million Rolls-Royce Boat Tail in 2017.

"Bugatti arouses passion and emotions throughout the world," the company's president, Stephan Winkelmann, said in a statement. "Customers expect us to continually surprise them and to raise the goalposts beyond the limits of their imagination. We have just succeeded in doing so with 'La Voiture Noire.'"

La Voiture Noire, French for "the black car," is an homage to a Type 57SC Atlantic of the same name designed in the late 1930s by Jean Bugatti, the son of the company's founder, Ettore Bugatti.

- Honda sets the bar for fleet average fuel efficiency at 29.4 mpg

- Fleet average CO2 emissions also lowest at 302 g/mi

WASHINGTON, March 6, 2019 -- Honda ranks as the most fuel-efficient automaker in America in a new report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released today. Honda has the highest fleet average fuel economy and lowest CO2 emissions of any major automaker for the 2017 model year (MY2017), the latest year for which full data is available, according to the report.

The 2019 EPA Automotive Trends Report ranked Honda first with a U.S. fleet average fuel economy of 29.4 miles per gallon (mpg), a five-year improvement of 3.1 mpg, and 4.5 mpg above the industry average for MY2017. Similarly, Honda's fleet-average CO2 emissions reached an industry low of 302 grams/mile, an improvement of 36 grams/mile from 2012 results and 55 grams/mile better than (below) the industry average for the 2017 model year.

"Honda is proud to play a leading role in the move toward a more efficient, low-emissions mobility future and it's encouraging to see the industry as a whole making significant gains, despite low fuel prices and the market trend toward trucks and SUVs," said Robert Bienenfeld, assistant vice president of Energy and Environmental Policy for America Honda Motor Co., Inc. "There's a lot of work still to be done, but with record sales and production of Honda electrified vehicles and more planned, we are committed to continue improving our fuel economy performance."

In 2018, Honda set new all-time records for sales and production of electrified vehicles in America1, spurred by the introduction of the 2019 Insight hybrid sedan at the Greensburg, Indiana plant, and the start of production of the redesigned 2019 Accord Hybrid in Marysville, Ohio. The company added production of its two-motor hybrid power unit in Russells Point, Ohio, and assembly of the hybrid battery packs for both the Insight and Accord Hybrid at its Marysville, Ohio plant.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 27, 2019) – Americans spend an additional 20 minutes driving each week compared to 2014, according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Over the course of the year, Americans collectively spent 70 billion hours behind the wheel- an eight percent increase since 2014. Each week, drivers travel more than 220 miles. Add it up and Americans drive an average of 11,498 miles each year- the equivalent of making two roundtrip drives from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.

“The more time drivers spend behind the wheel, the greater their exposure to risks on the roadway” said Dr. David Yang, executive director for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “Longer time behind the wheel could lead to issues such as fatigue, distraction, and impatience for drivers, which are all contributing factors for vehicle crashes. Drivers need to stay alert and focused on the key task at hand, driving. This can save your life and the lives of your passengers and people with whom you share the road.”

The AAA Foundation’s American Driving Survey shows that on average, U.S. drivers spend nearly an hour behind the wheel each day and travel 31.5 miles- a five percent increase from 2014.

H&I Automotive is Celebrating 10 Years of Serving their East Valley Neighbors!

H&I Gilbert is also celebrating their 1st anniversary!

Join them for Cars 2 Show We Care!

There will be vendors, a 50/50 raffle, prize raffles, demonstrations, bounce house for the kiddos, refreshments available for purchase - and of course the cars!

All proceeds will go to support Military Assistance Mission. Don't miss out on this momentous occasion!

When:
Saturday March 2nd from 10 AM - 2 PM

Where:
4550 S Higley Rd Gilbert, AZ 85297

Trophy Categories:

• Best Car
• Best Truck
• Best Modern
• Best Hot Rod
• Best Import
• Best Paint

H&I Automotive in Gilbert recently hosted 'Cars 2 Show We Care'. There were vendors, a 50/50 raffle, prize raffles, demonstrations, bounce house for the kiddos, - and of course the cars!

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All proceeds went to support Military Assistance Mission. It was quite a momentous occasion!

- All-New Dynamic Design

- TNGA Platform for Outstanding Agility and Comfort

- First-Ever Corolla Hybrid in U.S.

- 52 MPG Combined Fuel Economy on Hybrid

- Available New 169 Horsepower, 2.0-liter Dynamic Force Engine

- Available Dynamic-Shift CVT or Six-Speed Manual Transmission

- Standard Toyota Safety Sense 2.0

- Standard Audio with Wi-Fi Connect, Amazon Alexa, and Apple CarPlay Compatibility

- Starting MSRP of $19,500

- On Sale in March 2019

SAVANNAH, Ga., Feb. 26, 2019 -- With more than 46 million Toyota Corollas sold globally since its introduction in 1966, it would be difficult to find a driver who did not recognize the name. Everyone, it seems, has a Corolla story. Many, though, are going to be doing double takes when they see the re-imagined and reconfigured 2020 Toyota Corolla sedan. And that's exactly the point.

The 12th-generation Toyota Corolla made its arrival in three chapters: the all-new Corolla hatchback arrived last summer, and then came the current best-selling Corolla body style, the sedan, in two waves – a reveal of the new gas model in Carmel and then the introduction of the U.S.' first Corolla Hybrid at the Los Angeles Auto Show. All three are based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), which is far more than a new body structure, bringing together new approaches to engineering, design, assembly, and materials. Now, there really is a Corolla for everyone.

TNGA transforms Corolla styles into drivers' delights while also bolstering the model's renowned value and reliability. They draw from the same DNA. It's no surprise, then, that the 2020 Corolla sedan dramatically elevates this model's focus on comfort and refinement while also infusing it with the Corolla hatchback's feisty personality.

The Corolla sedan's bold new look is a perfect reflection of the bumper-to-bumper, wheels-to-roof transformation that has taken place. The TNGA platform means an available engine that produces more power than its predecessor yet delivers better fuel efficiency. TNGA imbues the Corolla sedan with greater agility, yet also with its smoothest, quietest ride. TNGA also means an elevated feeling of quality in every surface, switch and control the driver sees and touches. And, critically, TNGA delivers on Toyota's commitment to driver and passenger safety with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite of active safety systems – standard on every Corolla sedan model.

The GoodGuys 10th Spring Nationals is a giant three-day American hot-rodding festival featuring over 2,500 hot rods, customs, classics, street rods, muscle cars & trick trucks through 1987 vintage. It is the ultimate gathering of cool cars, cool people and good times.

Dates:

Friday – Sunday, March 15-17

Location:

WestWorld of Scottsdale
16601 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85260

Highlights:

   • Vendor midway featuring commercial exhibits and a tractor trailer midway
   • GoodGuys AutoCross featuring the Spring Shootout
   • Builder’s Choice Awards selected by All Ways Hot Rods
   • Burn out Competition
   • Model Car show
   • Giant used auto parts swap meet and cars-for-sale area
   • Saturday specialty parking areas, including Mighty Muscle, Homebuilt Heaven, Air Cooled Corral, Lowrider Showcase, Camaro Corral and more!
   • Nitro Thunderfest dragster exhibition —nitro in the air!
   • Kids’ zone—coloring contest, games, arts & crafts and lots of fun for the entire family!
   • Spectre Performance All American Sunday—March 17; open to all years American made and powered vehicles.
   • Awards ceremony on Sunday at 2:22 pm

- Collision Mitigation Braking SystemTM (CMBSTM) rated "Superior" for Pedestrian Detection and Crash Prevention

- Previous IIHS testing rates CR-V with Honda Sensing "Superior" for Crash Avoidance and Mitigation

TORRANCE, Calif., Feb. 21, 2019 -- The Honda CR-V for the 2018 and 2019 model years has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) highest pedestrian detection and crash prevention rating of "Superior" based on new testing of CR-V's available Honda Sensing® suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies, which includes the award-winning Collision Mitigation Braking SystemTM (CMBSTM). In previous tests by the IIHS, the CR-V's CMBS was also rated "Superior" for Crash Avoidance and Mitigation.

"IIHS' pedestrian crash avoidance tests can be unnerving to watch, since they are set up to look like an impending collision with a pedestrian. The tests highlight the need to consider the safety of all road users when designing advanced safety systems like those included in Honda Sensing®," said Jay Joseph, assistant vice president of product planning for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "We have sold nearly 1.8 million Honda vehicles equipped with Honda Sensing in the United States, underscoring our leadership and commitment to the widespread application of these important technologies."

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 20, 2019 --

• The new 2019 Fiat 500L Urbana Edition adds new standard features for further customization and style on top of contemporary Italian design.

• The new 2019 Fiat 500L Urbana Edition adds new standard features for further customization and style on top of contemporary Italian design.

• Fiat 500L Urbana Edition offers new standard features for the 2019 model year

• Available on Trekking models, 500L Urbana Edition offers a unique blackout appearance with standard 17-inch gloss black aluminum wheels plus Miron-black accents on door handles, body-side moldings, fog lamps, side mirrors and fascias

• Interior features include black leather seats with copper stitching plus a unique dashboard with an ingrained copper 500 logo

• Available in five exterior paint colors: Black, Bronzo Metallizato (bronze), Bianco (white), Grigio Scuro (gray) and Verde Bosco (green); four of which are available with an optional contrasting black roof

• With a starting U.S. MSRP of $21,910, Fiat 500L is available in three models – Pop, Trekking, Lounge

• Urbana Edition is available for $595 MSRP on the well-equipped Trekking model, which has a starting MSRP of $23,325

• 2019 Fiat 500L Urbana Edition arrives in FIAT studios this spring

The Fiat brand announced today the return of the popular Urbana Edition for the Fiat 500L with new standard features for 2019 that add further customization choices and style on top of contemporary Italian design.

"Our Italian-designed, fun-to-drive Fiat 500L offers best-in-class standard horsepower and torque along with the ultimate in seating and storage configurations," said Steve Beahm, Head of Passenger Car Brands – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA – North America. "The Fiat 500L Urbana Edition goes further with new standard features that add even more personalization options for a standout appearance."