Howdy Honda Blog

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Archive for the ‘Finance Department’ Category

Extraordinary 4th of July Sales Event

Monday, June 25th, 2012

This 4th of July not only do we get to have fireworks again (yay for the rain!), but Honda is having a HUGE 4th of July sale. Really, you should check it out if you’re looking for a 2012 Honda around the Central Texas area. It’s going on right now until July 9th so you have exactly 14 days to decide which Honda you want.

You can get 0% APR on a 2012 Honda Accord and 2012 Honda Crosstour.

Or you can get a 2012 Honda Civic (except NGV, sorry) and 2012 Honda Pilot (yes, the SUV wrapped in awesomeness) with 0.9% APR.

Tags: 2012 honda accord, 2012 honda civic, 2012 Honda Crosstour, 2012 Honda Pilot, honda incentives, honda sale austin
Posted in Austin, TX Events, Finance Department, Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Honda in the News, Honda Models, Honda Pilot, Honda Vehicles, New Car Specials, New Honda Cars | Comments Off

Honda Graduate Program: Special Student Financing for Grads

Monday, April 9th, 2012

Now that you’ve passed your last test, written your last paper and placed your tassel to the left it’s time to celebrate your big accomplishment.

Do you know of a better way to commemorate your new degree and new job than by purchasing a new or certified used Honda? Of course not! You’ll need reliable transportation to go with that new degree and new job, so why not take advantage of Honda’s Graduate Financing program in Austin? I mean, you can put all that higher-education knowledge to good use and show off a little while you are at it.

Think of the Honda Graduate Financing as a reward for all those all-nighters and endless research papers you had to endure. The program gives you special student financing rates to some select models. You need to look for the grad cap icon tagged on our Honda current incentives page (pictured) to identify which Honda models are available.

Moreover, this program makes financing super easy and flexible whether you’re buying or leasing. Your first payment can be delayed up to three months with two of those collecting zero interest, but you’ll need to bring a few things when you come to Howdy Honda: you’ll need 5 percent down payment, a decent credit score and proof of employment or proof of promise of being employed in the next four months.

If you go to our Honda Graduate Financing page, you’ll find more information and a form for you to fill out and start this exciting process. Now the real question, which Honda are you going to pick?

Tags: honda graduate financing austin, honda graduate program austin, honda special student financing austin, honda student financing austin
Posted in Finance Department, Honda in the News, Honda Models, Honda Vehicles, Honda’s Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Program, Howdy Honda News, New Honda Cars | Comments Off

President’s Day Sale Takes Office at Howdy Honda

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

President’s Day is upon us and we are honoring all the great American Presidents with one spectacular President’s Day Sale! You’re shocked, I know, but check them out: 0% APR on 2012 Honda Civics and 2012 Honda Accords; and 0.9% APR on 2012 Honda Odysseys. I told you these were some Presidential offers. Click on any of the links above to find out more information on each model and schedule a test drive. If you’re interested, you’ll need to move fast because we are only celebrating our Presidents until 2/29/12. See you around Howdy Honda soon!

President's Day Sale at Howdy Honda Austin TX

0% APR on 2012 Honda Civics and 2012 Honda Accords at Howdy Honda until 2/29/12

President's Day Sale Howdy Honda Odyssey Austin TX

0.9% APR on 2012 Honda Odysseys at Howdy Honda until 2/29/2012

Tags: 2012 honda accord austin, 2012 honda civic austin, 2012 honda odyssey austin, honda austin, president's day sale howdy honda
Posted in Finance Department, Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Honda Models, Honda Odyssey, Honda Vehicles, New Car Specials, New Honda Cars | Comments Off

Sweet Honda Leases for Austin TX

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

Your favorite Austin Honda dealer is really excited to offer some fantastic Honda leases during the month of February! Check out some of them below, but also make sure to visit our Weekly Ads page under Specials to see the other offers we currently have going on. The 2012 Honda models that are available for special lease rates are: Accord LX Sedan, Accord EX Sedan, Accord SE Sedan, Civic LX Sedan, Civic EX Coupe, Civic Hybrid, Crosstour, and the brand new CR-V. Click on any of the images below to request more information (and hurry because they’re only good until Feb. 29th!).

If you are unsure if a lease is a good move, visit our Honda Lease page to find out more information about leasing. Hope to see you soon around Howdy Honda!

Tags: 2012 honda crv austin, austin honda dealer, Honda Accord Austin, honda civic austin, honda crosstour austin, honda lease
Posted in Finance Department, Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Honda CR-V, Honda Models, Honda Vehicles | Comments Off

A simple guide for first-time new-car buyers from a first-time new-car buyer

Friday, January 13th, 2012

: First time buying a new car in austin tx

The experience of buying a new car for the first time is one in a lifetime. Feelings of excitement and terror will probably fill your body. For me, I will be purchasing a new car for the first time this year, so I’ll share with you my process and what I’ve learned about buying a car from working at a car dealership in Austin.

If you’ve just recently (past couple of years or so) graduated and became financially independent, you’re probably thinking that it is time to upgrade your ride to something more reliable and won’t suck all the savings you’ve been slowly earning. At least, that’s where I’m at. For the past seven years I’ve relied on an old, cheap car I got while working part-time during high school and college. Now, I am ready to make the jump and make my first big investment: a brand new car. So here’s what I’ve learned and what I plan to do:

1. Find and Select a Car

First things first: remember that this car has to complement your lifestyle for the next 5, 10 or 15 years. My advice is this: make a list of what you really need (NOT want) from your car for (what will it need to do for you?), and calculate how much you can pay a month (take into account rent/utilities, groceries, gas, lunch, student loans, etc.). This will narrow your focus and provide a real scenario of what you can afford to own. I wrote a post that details 7 steps to find the best car, give it a read as it goes more in detail about this step. So while you may look great in a Lamborghini Gallardo, is it practical?

2. Pricing Information and Dealership Quotes

You can get pricing information about a specific vehicle model in a myriad of websites besides manufacturer’s and dealership’s sites. However, remember that you will end up buying the car from a dealership. So research prices on other websites and then request quotes from more than one dealership. That way you’ll know the price ballpark and have more power of negotiation. And one more thing, getting quotes from different dealerships can also give you a feel for how they work, so you can start testing out which places you are more comfortable doing business with.

3. Test-drive

This is pretty self explanatory, but I will say that the best thing you can do is to imitate your driving routine while test driving your choices. Also, go ahead and test drive an alternative that is in your budget, but you didn’t think about before. If you are looking at a CR-V, why not test the Civic and the Fit? They may surprise you.

4. Finance

Here’s where it might get trickier. Just know that you have two options: lease or buy. Both have pros and cons; the choice really depends on your lifestyle. Here’s a quick Leasing vs Buying guide that can help you in figuring it out. Also remember that most manufacturers have special financing rates for leases and purchases, but you can also opt to finance with your bank. The best you can do is research and inform yourself.

5. Trade-in/Sell/Keep your old car

Are you going to trade-in, sell, or keep your old car? The answer really depends on your individual need, but here’s a post I wrote about trading-in a vehicle if that’s something you are looking into. For example, I am keeping my old car for now. However, at the end of the day, I may end up donating it.

6. Closing the deal

Here’s a post I wrote about 4 questions to ask before closing the deal. It’s more directed at people who’ve mainly shopped on the internet without coming into the dealership, but it’s still worth a read. I whole-heartedly recommend coming to the dealership to test drive and get a feel of the place before you commit to a deal online.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but I hope it helps you in your first-time-car-buyer journey. If you are wondering what car I am looking at, it’s the Honda Fit. It genuinely has great price, features, safety and reliability ratings, and resale value. Anyways, remember to keep your calm and do your research. Take your time to be prepared and informed. And if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at iclaudio@howdyhonda.com.

Tags: car dealership austin tx, first time car buyers, honda fit
Posted in Finance Department, New Honda Cars, Tips and Tricks | Comments Off

Top 10 Reasons to shop at Howdy Honda

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

Photo source: bumpshack

Top 10 reasons to shop at Howdy Honda – an Austin Honda Dealer.

1. You won’t see emotion-less employees here. In every department you will find people that have worked at Howdy Honda for over 10 or 20 years, so we’ve grown to become a big Honda-lovin’ family. You’ll see what we mean when you walk in here – you’ll feel like the long-lost sibling we’ve never met! These great folk also work very hard for our guests, no matter what the weather conditions are like – sweeping wind storms, torrential thunderstorms, scorching heat, even the devastatingly rare 1-inch snow fall.

2. What does Howdy Honda have in common with Denzel Washington, Titanic (the movie), President Obama, Arcade Fire, BBC News, and Jersey Boys? We’re all award winners! Sure, we might not have won a Nobel Prize, but we’ve won the Honda President’s Award eight times! That’s like an Oscar in the Honda world. And, not only that, but we’ve also won the Council of Excellence Award three times – that might be like a Grammy for Honda dealerships as it recognizes the finance managers and processes at the dealer. So, think about it: award-winning dealership or no award-winning dealership?

3. Disney movies – do I need to say more? Okay I will. We have Disney movies running 24/7 in our children’s area near the waiting room. So while you wait for your car, your kid can be at peace with herself watching child-proof TV. No children? We have two huge TV’s with local news and sports (but you are welcome to watch the kid’s movie, if you prefer).

4. Your soul will be kept warm and full while at Howdy Honda. We have 7 different gourmet coffee flavors that you can try, which only mean that you will have to try them all. What if you don’t fancy fancy coffee? To your heart’s content, we have bottled water and different kinds of juices and sodas.

5. Howdy Honda is the perfect place for you to do some official business. Besides having free WiFi (seriously, who doesn’t now days?), we have a business sanctuary we like to call the “Business Center.” It’s a closed (and quiet) room with individual desks and electrical plugs where you can make the future happen while you wait on your Honda repairs to get done. I’ve heard that life-changing inventions and theory-changing thesis’ have been produced in this room, but those might just be rumors.

6. Treading the streets of Austin is like driving on the moon. Therefore, we have an awesome and very efficient staff handling the Express Service area. They’ll treat your Honda right and give it the best oil change and tire rotation in Austin to get it back to pre-moon-treading glory.

7. Did I forget to mention the free car wash? Yes, sir you read right: Free Car Wash. All of our service guests get a complimentary car wash whith their repair or maintenance. Recap: you get fast service + free car wash = JACKPOT!

8. Free shuttle service to the airport. Things just keeps getting better! When your Honda is short of falling apart and needs major repair work, guess what? Now you can schedule your car’s mechanical malfunctions with your vacation time. You can drop off your car for surgery and we’ll give you a ride to and from the airport. Just make sure to set an appointment first.

9. We have the used cars in Austin with the most character. In fact, we don’t even like calling them “used;” we prefer pre-loved, if you will. Cars that were once taken care of, cleaned, maintained, spoken to, maybe even sung to; cars that built character with its previous owner. Cars that are waiting for your love.

10. If you hadn’t come to this conclusion already – we’re cool. Period. How do we demonstrate our coolness? You’ll just have to go to our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or G+ to find out. But trust me; you’ll want to buy a car from the coolest car dealer in Austin.

By now you must be thinking, “this couldn’t possibly be true, I must go and see for myself.” And indeed you must! We’re not making any of this up – these are real, hard, true facts. After reading this, hop in your ride and see how this Honda dealership rocks.

The picture above is solely for entertainment purposes and does not signify an endorsement from Conan O’Brien.

Tags: austin honda dealer, car dealer austin, honda dealership austin, tire rotation austin, used cars in austin
Posted in Finance Department, Howdy Honda News, Howdy Honda Service, New Honda Cars, Service Department, Used Cars | Comments Off

Budget-friendly car shopping: Pro Tips for purchasing used cars

Monday, December 12th, 2011

Tips for Buying A Used Car in Austin Courtesy of Howdy Honda

Buying an used car can be stressful and quite the hassle. Which model year do I buy? What is an acceptable gas mileage on a used car? What about the Carfax? The list of questions can literally go on forever. However don’t panic, being in the used car business we can help you in the process so you can feel confident in your search for a great used car in Austin.

First, props to you for buying used (it’s like adopting a pet! Well, sort of but not exactly). It’s a smart move since you can get almost a brand new car for a significantly cheaper price. Now, figuring out the perfect car for you is trickier; look for a vehicle that is practical for your needs and fits the budget you have allocated for a monthly payment. The key here is: research, research, research! Pro Tip #1: List your needs, budget, preferences and limits; it’ll make your life easier. Also remember to carry the list with you when you go test drive the used cars, that way you won’t forget.

So while we are on the budget subject, financing is another thing that you can’t overlook. Many car dealerships will finance the vehicle but it will generally come with a higher interest rate than say a bank or credit union. Pro Tip #2: Although some car dealers offer legit financing deals, make sure to look over it thoroughly. Don’t forget either, the more that you put down the less your monthly payment will be! Pro Tip #3: Just because a used car dealership in Austin is running a deal for $0 down at signing doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put $0 down (spoiler alert: monthly payments will go up).

Once you have narrowed your search and found a couple of vehicles that fit your criteria: TEST DRIVE! We can not emphasize it enough, but we’ll try – TEST DRIVE! Pro Tip #4: Mirror your usual driving patters (highway, slopes, braking, acceleration, etc) and check for engine noises or rattles and squeaks. Pro Tip #5: Also, run a history report on the car’s VIN, it’ll uncover the past life of the car and let you know where it’s been before you came into the picture.

If you need a great place to start looking for a used car in Austin, you know where to look (hint: you are on their page). We employ an award-winning financial team (no funny business here) and have a wide selection of used vehicles. On a tight-tight budget? Check out our cars for sale under $10k. Looking for the crème of the crop? Check out our Certified Pre-Owned Hondas.

Tags: cars for sale austin, certified used honda austin, used car dealer austin, used car dealership austin, used cars austin
Posted in Finance Department, Tips and Tricks, Used Cars | Comments Off

The 4 questions you should ask before committing to a car deal

Monday, December 5th, 2011

With the holiday season in full-swing, car-buying is at its pinnacle with all of the big end of year sales and release of next year’s models. My caring coworkers at Howdy Honda, one of the favorite car dealerships among Austinites, want to empower those consumers that are in their final stage of researching, and ready to get in a brand new car this holiday season, with 4 questions that every car-buyer should ask before committing to a new vehicle purchase:

“What is my out-the-door price?” – There are fees included in every deal that aren’t incorporated in the negotiations of the car price. Some of these are sales tax, registration fees, documentation fees and dealer fees. Our advice is to ask what the extra fees are well in advance, so you have in mind what the extra costs will be when negotiating, and then ask again what the out-the-door price is before committing to the deal.
“Are there any added parts on the car I am looking at?” – Some of the vehicles on the lot have optional parts added like mud-flaps, running boards, tinted windows, etc. These add on to the price of the vehicle, so you should ask about these optional features in advance and negotiate accordingly. However, most of these costs are already reflected on the retail price and detailed on the vehicle’s information page/sticker.
“Is the car on the lot?” – If you’ve been researching and communicating with dealerships online, you should ask if the car is available on their lot. In some occasions, the specific vehicle is not on the lot but the dealer will go out of their way to do a “dealer trade” with another dealership. This shouldn’t slow down your pace because you will get the exact car you want and the sales person will communicate any changes to the deal that come up and you can negotiate accordingly as well.
“How many miles does the car have?” – Depending on the specific car, the vehicle might have 25 miles or 300 miles. This is due to factors such as test drives and dealer trades (the car had to be driven from another dealership). If the car has too many miles for your comfort, you can use this as a negotiation point.

The guys (and gal!) that work in sales here tell me that they really appreciate guests that come well prepared. It makes for a nice, clean, transparent and comfortable sales process which both parties value. Our new car lot has been a little sad for the past several months due to the disaster in Japan, but we’re getting stronger. You have good chances of finding that Honda your heart desires! If you found the Honda you want, send us an email or drop by (with your questions ready!).

Psssst: We also have the best used cars in Austin, including Certified Used Hondas, if none of the new ones fit your needs or budget.

Tags: austin car dealership, car dealerships in austin tx, honda austin, honda cars austin, honda dealer austin
Posted in Finance Department, New Car Specials, Tips and Tricks | Comments Off

Happy Honda Days are back in Austin TX!

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

Happy Honda Days are back in Austin TX!

Happy Honda Days are back and with a vengeance! Don’t worry; they’re not really back with a vengeance. On the contrary, they’re back with some pretty sweet deals! And they are here at Howdy Honda in Austin!

This holiday, Honda is hosting their big end of year sales event with juicy financing options and a witty, no-nonsense TV spokesman. Let me lay out the Honda sale for easy reference:

0.9% APR for up to 36 months on:

2011 & 2012: Civic (excludes IMA and NGV), Accord, Crosstour, Pilot & Odyssey

2011: CR-V & Ridgeline

Zero-Due at lease signing for:

2011 & 2012: Odyssey & Pilot

2012: Accord, Civic, Crosstour

2011: CR-V

[For qualified buyers, of course]

Happy Honda Days are here to stay, but only for the holiday season, which means that the sales event will be over on January 3, 2012. But don’t get sad yet, just give us a call at 512-443-4300 to ask about the special financing options and we’ll set you up with a test drive so you can drive home an early present for yourself ASAP.

Tags: austin car dealership, austin honda, car dealership in austin tx, honda in austin, honda sale in austin
Posted in Finance Department, Honda in the News, Honda Models, Howdy Honda News, New Car Specials, New Honda Cars | Comments Off

Why Buy a Honda from Anywhere but Howdy Honda?

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

Howdy Honda is an eight time winner of the Honda's President's Award

Buying a car these days can be a pretty tough task and the staff at Howdy Honda, the leading Honda dealer in Austin, knows this. With car-buyers preferences and needs changing from person to person you need to have a brand that offers a wide variety of versatile models as well as a team in place that can help car buyers find what is right for them and why. The team at Howdy Honda is that team with more than ten awards under their belt proving that.

Howdy Honda has won Honda’s Presidents Award on eight different occasions. This speaks volumes on Howdy’s commitment to Honda as well as their commitment to each other. How does a dealership win this prestigious award from Honda? John Mendell, Executive VP at American Honda, states that Honda dealers must exceed expectations in three different categories including: Vision, Excellence and Passion. Dealerships need to position themselves for greatness by seeing excellence on a day to day basis throughout their dealership. The staff needs to focus on award-winning performance in sales, their work training and also with every customer interaction. And lastly, the dealerships’ staff needs to commit to being passionate about their customers and looking out for their customers interests as well as improving themselves as people. Honda Motor Company strives to be the best they can be and expects the same from all of their employees, no matter whether they work in United States or not.

Not only has the Howdy Honda dealership been graced with the President’s Award on eight occasions, but they have also won the Council of Excellence award on three different occurrences. The Council of Excellence is given to outstanding Finance Departments, that have shown outstanding financial service to their customers. Honda Financial Services gives out this award to only the top 15% of dealerships nationwide. Honda challenges dealerships to improve industry standards with respect to financial services and Howdy Honda has done that more than once.

So if you’re in the hunt for a new Honda, why would you look anywhere else but Howdy Honda, the premier car dealership in Austin, Texas. Winning more than ten awards wasn’t a mistake, come down to Howdy Honda and see what makes us award winning.

Tags: award winning honda dealer, car dealership in austin tx, honda austin, honda dealer austin, Howdy Honda
Posted in Finance Department, Howdy Honda News, Howdy Honda Service, Service Department | Comments Off

Howdy Honda Blog

Archive for the ‘Finance Department’ Category

Extraordinary 4th of July Sales Event

Honda Graduate Program: Special Student Financing for Grads

President’s Day Sale Takes Office at Howdy Honda

Sweet Honda Leases for Austin TX

A simple guide for first-time new-car buyers from a first-time new-car buyer

Top 10 Reasons to shop at Howdy Honda

Budget-friendly car shopping: Pro Tips for purchasing used cars

The 4 questions you should ask before committing to a car deal

Happy Honda Days are back in Austin TX!

Why Buy a Honda from Anywhere but Howdy Honda?

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