Tag Archives: Honda

October: Honda Civic Outsells the Competition

2013 Honda Civic CoupeIn 2012, the Ford Focus beat out the Toyota Corolla for the distinction of the world’s best-selling car. As numbers from October are released, however, another challenger has emerged and beat out the Focus for the month.

The Honda Civic sold 27,328 units in the United States in October, beating out the Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, and Hyundai Elantra. Last year, the Toyota Corolla won the month of October with 20,949 units sold, followed by the Honda Civic, Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, and Hyundai Elantra. The Honda Civic is also leading compact sales for 2013 so far with 280,889 units sold.

Interestingly enough, the Ford Focus was the world’s top seller of 2012, and currently it is in fourth place for U.S. year-to-date sales with 203,762 units sold, trailing the Civic by 77,127 units. The Focus didn’t even beat its previous year’s U.S. sales numbers. In 2012, the Ford Focus sold 18,320 units, and in 2013, it only sold 15,108 units.

At the time of publication, the starting MSRP for the 2014 Ford Focus is $16,310, and the starting MSRP for the 2013 Honda Civic Coupe is $17,965.

Readers, we want to hear from you! Which compact car do you think deserves to be the world’s best-seller? What about America’s best-seller? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

Whether if you’re trading in, looking for a good deal on a used car, or ready to buy your first car, Approved Loan Store is here to help you! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get you a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Edmunds’ Picks for Best Used Vehicles of 2013

ID-10046212While a lot of automotive press is dedicated to the newest models or what lies ahead for automotive brands, Edmunds took a break this week to compile their list of the best used cars of 2013.

There are a lot of good reasons to buy a used car. For one, buyers can end up saving a lot of money and still get a quality car. Second, the value of a new car will depreciate very quickly, so if the buyer plans on trading it in sometime in the next few years, they might be unpleasantly surprised when they go for a trade-in depending on the model. Just as it is with any major decision, an argument can be made either way for buying new or used, but for our customers looking for a great used car, here is Edmund’s list of their used car picks for 2013.

Subcompact – 2007-2011 Honda Fit
Compact Sedan – 2006-2011 Hyundai Elantra
Midsize Sedan – 2007-2011 Ford Fusion
Large Sedan – 2006-2011 Toyota Avalon
Coupe – 2006-2011 Honda Accord
Convertible – 2006-2011 Volvo C70
Wagon – 2006-2011 Subaru Outback
Compact SUV/Crossover – 2006-2011 Honda CR-V
Midsize SUV/Crossover – 2006-2011 Toyota Highlander
Large SUV/Crossover – 2007-2011 Mazda CX-9
Minivan/Van – 2006-2011 Honda Odyssey
Cargo Van – 2006-2011 Dodge/Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
Compact Truck – 2006-2011 Toyota Tacoma
Large Truck – 2006-2011 Ford F-150
Luxury – 2006-2011 Infiniti G35/G37/G25
Hybrid – 2006-2011 Toyota Prius
Two-Seat Sports Car – 2006-2011 Chevrolet Corvette
Performance Car – 2006-2011 Ford Mustang GT

Brand-wise, Honda and Toyota tied for the most vehicles on the list with 4 each, followed closely by Ford with 3 vehicles on the list. By choosing a vehicle for each category instead of top 10 or 20 used vehicles in general, there is a car on the list for every driver and every family’s needs.

From Hondas to Fords and Toyotas, Approved Loan Store wants to find you the car you want at terms you can afford! Are you finally ready to get into a great new or used car? Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Image courtesy of sixninepixels / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Summer Auto Sales Recap and Fall Preview

ID-10098169School is back in session, and the auto industry is taking stock of the summer’s sales. Who were the winners of 2013, and what will the fall and winter of 2013 bring? Read on to find out.

Ford Motor Company, Chrysler Group, and Toyota Motor Corp have already posted enormous gains in August, and as numbers are finalized, Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. are expected to also have had a very successful August. Of the numbers known so far, Ford had 12 percent increase in sales in August, Chrysler also had 12 percent gains, and Toyota had a 20 percent gain in their U.S. retail sales.

These enormous sales increases can be attributed to end of summer sales, including Labor Day sales, as well as low interest rates, even for consumers with poor credit. Jesse Toprak, a senior analyst for TrueCar, observed that the “historically” low interest rates were giving consumers more of a choice, that they can “buy more expensive vehicles while keeping payments at affordable levels.”

The good news going into the fall is that many of the car manufacturers who were facing shortages on their more popular models are now catching up with production, so the availability of certain models is no longer an issue. For people walking into their local dealership, they might not see the same price cuts and sales like they did throughout the summer, but with Approved Loan Store, car buyers don’t have to shop around for the best rates and deals.

Step 1, go to ApprovedLoanStore.com and fill out the auto loan form.

Step 2, wait for a phone call from one of our representatives. You will hear back within 48 hours. Schedule an appointment with an Approved Loan Store location closest to you.

Step 3, meet with your special finance representative. They will go over all possible options for you and get you a car you want at terms you can afford!

Are you finally ready to get into a great new or used car? Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Image courtesy of suwatpo / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Nominees for North American Car and Truck of the Year Announced

North American Car of the YearIt is that time of the year again. The long list for the 2014 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards have been released, and GM should be feeling pretty good right now.

29 cars and 18 truck/utility vehicles are being considered for the awards. At the end of the year, 50 automotive journalists will vote on 5 cars and 4 trucks to go on to the semi-finals, and the numbers will be trimmed down to 3 cars and trucks/utilities for the final round.

Winners won’t be announced until the 2014 North American International Auto Show next January, nearly half a year from now, which gives plenty of time for speculation. Last year, the Cadillac ATS and Ram 1500 took home the top prizes, and GM is looking pretty good this year with 2 Cadillacs, 5 Chevrolets, and 1 GMC on the list. Still, there are 29 cars and 18 truck/utility vehicles battling it out for the top honors, and the winners have to survive 3 rounds of voting. There is a definite possibility for a few surprises before next January.

Check out the full list below.

2014 Car of the Year

  1. 2014 Acura RLX
  2. 2014 BMW 4 Series
  3. 2014 Cadillac CTS
  4. 2014 Cadillac ELR
  5. 2014 Chevrolet Corvette
  6. 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  7. 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV
  8. 2014 Chevy SS
  9. 2014 Fiat 500L and E
  10. 2014 Honda Fit EV
  11. 2014 Infiniti Q50
  12. 2014 Jaguar F-Type
  13. 2014 Kia Cadenza
  14. 2014 Kia Forte, 5-door, Koup
  15. 2014 Kia Soul
  16. 2014 Lexus IS
  17. 2014 Maserati Ghibli
  18. 2014 Mazda3
  19. 2014 Mazda6
  20. 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class
  21. 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
  22. 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  23. 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  24. 2014 Mini Paceman
  25. 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage
  26. 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  27. 2014 Porsche Cayman/Cayman S
  28. 2014 Smart fortwo electric
  29. 2014 Toyota Corolla

2014 Truck/Utility of the Year

  1. 2014 Acura MDX
  2. 2014 BMW X5
  3. 2014 Buick Encore
  4. 2014 Chevrolet Silverado
  5. 2014 Ford Transit Connect / Wagon
  6. 2014 GMC Sierra
  7. 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe LWB
  8. 2014 Jeep Cherokee
  9. 2014 Kia Sorento
  10. 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  11. 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander
  12. 2014 Nissan Rogue
  13. 2014 Nissan NV200 Compact
  14. 2014 Ram 2500/3500
  15. 2014 Subaru Forester
  16. 2014 Toyota Tundra
  17. 2014 Toyota RAV4

From Toyotas to Kias, Chevys, and more, Approved Loan Store wants to find you the car you want at terms you can afford! Are you finally ready to get into a great new or used car? Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Toyota Wins the Internet with $14.5 Million in Free Publicity

Toyota11All press is good press, and lots of press and online chatter about the Prius are leading to millions of dollars in free publicity for Toyota.

A study from GenSents Insights, a social analytics company, found that the Toyota Prius is the most discussed hybrid vehicle online, generating approximately $14.5 million in media value from January through April. Discussion of the Prius was monitored on Facebook, YouTube, Google, and other popular social media websites. Prius was mentioned in about 86,000 Twitter tweets, over 8,300 of them accumulating solely from a mention of the Prius by Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear fame.

Honda Fit came in second place at $4.5 million in online buzz, $10 million less than the Prius. Third, fourth, and fifth place were all very close with Chevrolet Volt at $3.1 million followed by Tesla Motors with $3 million and Honda Insight at $2.9 million.

Readers, we want to hear from you. Does online buzz about a car make you more likely to test drive it and ultimately buy it? Do you think the online buzz for the Toyota Prius is justified? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

Want more auto news and buying tips? Like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube, and if you are looking to get into a new or used car, get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here.

Automakers Come Together for Oklahoma Relief Efforts

fordmotorlogoOne week ago, Oklahoma was hit with a devastating tornado which destroyed neighborhoods and left 24 people dead. Now, the community is starting the process of rebuilding, and automakers including Ford, GM, and Chrysler have pledged their support.

Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, and Volkswagen have all pledged funds or supplies. Ford has already donated a Transit Connect and $250,000 to the American Red Cross with the promise to match donations made through their website up to $250,000. Toyota and GM are putting their focus towards food service with Toyota donating $250,000 to various food service organizations and GM donating $50,000 and a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado to Forgotten Harvest.

Meanwhile, Chrysler has donated $100,000 to First Response Team of America, a non-profit supported by Lowe’s that helps communities rebuild after tropical storms and tornados. Volkswagen has donated $250,000 to Habitat for Humanity and the Red Cross, and the Red Cross is also getting help from Honda who donated power generators.

You can donate to these charitable organizations by following the links below.

Ford and the American Red Cross

GM and Forgotten Harvest

Chrysler and First Response Team of America

Volkswagen and Habitat for Humanity

Want more auto news and buying tips? Like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube, and if you are looking to get into a new or used car, get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here.

WardsAuto Announces 10 Best Interiors of 2013

Yesterday, WardsAuto announced the winners of their 10 Best Interiors of 2013, one of the year’s most highly anticipated awards, and surprisingly no single automaker walked away with a majority of the list.

Toyota Motor Corp and General Motors Co took home the most awards with 2 spots each, and the rest of the spots went to vehicles from Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, and Chrysler.

In a press release from WardsAuto, WardsAuto World Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter spoke about the importance of a vehicle’s interior and how they are “vital” in winning over drivers’ “hearts and minds.”

“It wasn’t uncommon all that long ago for auto makers to view interiors as the best place to take cost out of a vehicle program,” explained Winter. “They eventually figured out that’s a big mistake because people spend a lot more time looking at the inside of their vehicle than outside.

The winners are as follows, in alphabetical order:

Acura RDX (Honda Motor Co. Ltd.)
Cadillac XTS (General Motors Co.)
Chevrolet Spark (General Motors Co.)
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.)
Kia Forte (Kia Motors Corp.)
Lexus GS 450h (Toyota Motor Corp.)
Mazda6 (Mazda Motor Corp.)
Nissan Pathfinder (Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.)
Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn (Chrysler Group LLC)
Toyota Avalon (Toyota Motor Corp)

Winners will be honored at a ceremony during the WardsAuto Interiors Conference on May 22 in Dearborn, MI.

Readers, we want to hear from you! What do you think of the 2013 winners? Are you happy with the list, or did you notice any snubs? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

Are you ready to get into a new or used vehicle today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Major Recall Affects Over 3 Million Vehicles Worldwide

Toyota, Honda, and Nissan announced this morning that they would be recalling over 3 million vehicles worldwide due to faulty passenger-side air bags.

According to the Associated Press, the inflator on the air bags could potentially burst and send loose plastic pieces flying at passengers. So far, Toyota has had five reports of air bag problems, but fortunately none of the automakers have received reports of injuries.

Toyota will be recalling approximately 1.7 million vehicles including Corollas, Tundras, and other models produced between November 2000 and March 2004, and Honda and Nissan will recall 1.1 million and 480,000 vehicles respectively. Of the vehicles recalled, approximately 1.26 million of those vehicles are in North America.

To find out if your car has been affected by the recall, Toyota owners can find out more information here, Honda owners can find out more here, and Nissan owners can find out more here.

Are you ready to get into a new or used vehicle today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Ford Focus Top Nameplate of 2012

This week, the 2012 Polk global market registration data was finally completed, and the worldwide top-selling vehicles of 2012 were announced. There were a few surprises in the top 10, but Ford walked away with the top spot and the most representation on the list.

The Ford Focus was the top-selling nameplate in 2012 with over a million units. To be exact, it was 1,020,410 units, a 16 percent increase from 2011. Toyota Corolla came in second place with 872,774, followed by the Ford F-Series. Ford’s third model in the top 10 was the Ford Fiesta at number 6 with 723,130 units.

Here is the full list:

Ford Focus – 1,020,410
Toyota Corolla – 872,774
Ford F-Series – 785,630
Wuling Zhiguang – 768,870
Toyota Camry – 729,793
Ford Fiesta =- 723,130
VW Golf – 699,148
Chevrolet Cruze – 661,325
Honda Civic – 651,159
Honda CR-V – 624,982

In a press release, Ford was clearly celebrating their rankings. Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president, stated, “Focus and Fiesta represent the culmination of our One Ford global product strategy. Our global products are resonating with customers…With additional manufacturing capacity added last year, we now have a tremendous opportunity to further strengthen our global small car sales in 2013, with sales already off to a very strong start already.”

Readers, we want to hear from you! What do you think of last year’s top 10 bestsellers? Have you taken any of them for a test drive? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

Are you ready to get into a new or used car today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

U.S. News & World Report Rank Top Family Vehicles for 2013

If you’re looking for a new family car in 2013, you might be surprised at the sheer variety that automakers are offering.

Last month, U.S. News & World Report named 19 vehicles as their 2013 Best Cars for Families in a variety of categories ranging from Best Compact Car to Best Luxury Full-Size SUV. Winners were judged based on safety, reliability, interior space, seating capacity, and the inclusion of “family-friendly” features like keyless entry and back seat entertainment systems.

GM dominated the list with six winners. The Chevrolet brand took home two awards with the Chevrolet Suburban winning Best Full-Size SUV and the Chevrolet Cruze winning Best Compact Car. Buick also took home two award with the Buick Verano taking Best Upscale Small Car and the Buick Lacrosse taking Best Full-Size Car, and the Cadillac Escalade rounded out GM’s wins with Best Luxury Full-Size SUV.

Here is the full list of winners:

Compact Car – 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
Upscale Small Car – 2013 Buick Verano
Hatchback – 2013 Toyota Prius
Midsize Car – 2013 Ford Fusion
Upscale Midsize Car – 2013 Acura TL
Full-Size Car – 2013 Buick LaCrosse
Luxury Full-Size Car – 2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Hybrid Car – 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid
Wagon – 2013 Subaru Outback
Compact SUV – 2013 Honda CR-V
Luxury Compact SUV – 2013 Audi Q5
2-Row Midsize SUV – 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee
3-Row Midsize SUV – 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
Luxury 2-Row Midsize SUV – 2013 Lexus RX350
Luxury 3-Row SUV – 2013 Lincoln MKT
Full-Size SUV – 2013 Chevrolet Suburban
Luxury Full-Size SUV – 2013 Cadillac Escalade
Hybrid SUV – 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Minivan – 2013 Honda Odyssey

No matter what kind of car you are looking for, Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!