Archive for the ‘Smart’ Category

If you’ve ever wondered which vehicles are truly the greenest, you don’t need to wonder anymore. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy recently released their list of the 12 greenest vehicles of the model year with seven of our Performance Auto vehicles topping the list.

Among the greenest vehicles on the list are:

Honda Civic GX, starting at $25,490

Available in Nebraska by the end of 2012, the partial zero-emission Honda Civic GX is powered by compressed natural gas and includes:

• 24 city/36 highway miles per gallon
• 113 horsepower
• 1.8-liter 16-valve SOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine
• Five-speed automatic transmission

 

 

Smart Fortwo, starting at $11,990

The ultra-low emission Smart ForTwo features:

• 33 city/41 highway miles per gallon
• Five-speed automated manual transmission
• Water soluble paints on the entire body
• Fully-recyclable body panels

Toyota Prius, starting at $23,050

Known for its performance-driven hybrid capabilities, the Toyota Prius offers drivers:

• 51 city/48 highway miles per gallon
• Sealed nickel-metal hydride battery
• Easy to use hybrid system

Honda Civic Hybrid, starting at $23,950

The partial zero-emission Honda Civic Hybrid includes:

• 40 city/43 highway miles per gallon
• 1.3-liter 8-valve 4-cylinder gas engine and high-output electric motor
• Integrated motor assist system

Honda Insight, starting at $18,200

Aimed at helping drivers improve their driving habits to improve fuel efficiency, the Honda Insight offers:

• Combined 43 miles per gallon
• Continuously variable transmission
• 1.3-liter 8-valve iVTEC 4-cylinder engine
• DC-brushless electric motor
• Green ECON button that regulates certain vehicle functions to maximize fuel economy

Ford Fiesta, starting at $15,120

A fun-to drive, fuel-efficient car, the Ford Fiesta includes:

• 29 city/40 highway miles per gallon
• 1.6-liter, 16-valve Duratec I4 engine
• Rapid-fire shifting
• Aerodynamic details to improve fuel efficiency

Toyota Yaris, starting at $12,995

Designed to offer even more people the opportunity to own a hybrid, the Toyota Yaris offers:

• 29 city/36 highway miles per gallon
• 1.5 liter DOHC 16-valve engine with variable valve timing
• 106 horsepower

These green vehicles were chosen based on their total emissions, not just what’s coming out of the tailpipe. These emissions include how electricity for plug-in vehicles is created and what materials are used in the hybrid batteries.

All of these performance-driven vehicles get you where you need to go while helping you reduce your impact on the environment. Are you ready to go green?

Electric cars are making their way to Nebraska… are you ready? By 2013, you’ll be able to purchase electric cars from your favorite Performance Auto dealerships. Before you purchase an electric vehicle, though, you need to make sure your home is ready to support one.

Some of the vehicles that will be available from Performance Auto in the coming months include:

• Ford Focus Electric
• Smart Electric
• Mercedes-Benz Electric SLS AMG
• Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid
• Toyota RAV4-EV
• Volkswagen E-Up
• Volkswagen Golf Electric
• Honda small plug-in electric commuter car (not yet named)
• Honda mid-sized plug-in vehicle (not yet named)

When you decide to begin your search for an electric vehicle in Omaha, you should contact Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) and engage them in the process. They will be able to provide you with information on getting your home plug-in ready and make you aware of your charging options.

When looking for an electric vehicle, consider the following:

• How often will you use your electric vehicle? This will affect how often it needs charged, which will affect the wiring your will need in your home.
• Are you buying a plug-in hybrid or a battery electric car? Both types of vehicles have different charging times and different driving ranges.
• What type of charging is right for you: Level One or Level Two?

Level One Charging:  Level One charging is done on a standard 120-volt outlet and typically will not require a system upgrade. A full charge for a battery electric vehicle takes 12-24 hours.

Level Two Charging: Level Two charging is done on a 240-volt outlet and requires changes to your electric panel and adding a new circuit.

Once you’ve decided what electric vehicle options are best for you, make sure your home is prepared to charge your new vehicle. To prepare your home, follow these tips:

• Research and obtain any city permits needed for electrical work.
• Hire an electrical contractor to ensure any electrical work is done safely and properly.
• Contact OPPD and to estimate how much an electric car will impact your electric bill.
• Complete the electric vehicle readiness checklist at www.oppd.com/ev.

Follow these steps on you’ll be ready to take home your own electric vehicle when they hit our showroom floors!

Does the thought of your teen being behind the wheel for the first time send shivers down your spine? If so, you’re not alone. Putting your teen in their first vehicle can be stressful, but the right vehicle can put some of your worries to rest.

When choosing a car for your teen, it’s important to keep a few things in mind:

• Safety: Make sure the vehicle has excellent standard safety features, such as airbags and stability control.
• Security: Features such as anti-theft systems or automatically locking doors keep your teen and the car protected.
• Reliability: You should choose a car that has low maintenance costs and a good warranty.
• Gas mileage: Choosing a vehicle with excellent gas mileage is important for teens since many parents choose to leave the responsibility of paying for gas to their teen.
• Ease of driving: The car you choose should be easy to operate. For example, choosing an automatic transmission over a manual may be a good idea while your teen is learning to drive so they can concentrate on the road without having to worry about shifting gears.

Here are a few cars you might want to take a look at if your teen is in the market for a new car:

Ford Fiesta — $13,320 starting price
• 32 combined mpg
• IIHS Top Safety Pick award
• Ford SYNC voice commands keep drivers focused on the road instead of phones or iPods.
• Long list of standard safety equipment, including Electronic Stability Control and knee airbags.

Smart Fortwo — $11,990 starting price
• 36 combined mpg
• Two person capacity eliminates the possibility of many distracting passengers.
• Easy to park

Toyota Corolla — $15,450 starting price
• 30 combined mpg
• IIHS Top Safety Pick award
• Anti-theft system with engine immobilizer

Volkswagen Jetta — $14,995 starting prices
• 28 combined mpg
• Simple control layout
• Minimal blindspots
• Predictable handling

These cars can offer peace of mind while letting your teen enjoy their new freedom in a trendy ride.

Have you ever looked at your vehicle and wished you could match the color to your favorite sweater, your eye color or your team’s colors? Now you can! Smart USA is offering smart fortwo owners an easy solution to their car color desires with the new smart Expressions program.

The smart car’s fuel-efficient performance meets its owner’s creative side with the smart Expressions program. Smart fortwo owners can choose a new paint color or they can wrap their car in one of smart’s vinyl designs.

Smart fortwo owners can choose from any of the six standard colors or from over 93 pre-selected Aquabase Plus paint colors to customize their vehicle. If none of the 99 colors offered by smart USA are just right, owners can take advantage of smart’s Any Color You Want program.

With the Any Color You Want program, you can match your smart fortwo’s color to anything you want. All you have to do is bring in a picture of whatever you want to match your car to or a fabric swatch to smart center La Vista or your nearest smart dealer. They will send the exact color to smart USA for manufacturing.

Bolder smart fortwo owners can have their car wrapped in one of smart’s vinyl designs. These designs range from plaids to Hello Kitty. Smart fortwo owners can also have their car wrapped in any design they create. The possibilities are endless.

Smart’s paint colors and wraps are both quick and easy to install, making it an affordable and fun way for smart drivers to customize their vehicles. The smart fortwo’s easily interchangeable body panels make it easy for smart dealers to exchange old colors and designs for new ones in minutes.

For more information on how you can customize your smart car, visit smart center La Vista online at www.SmartCenterLaVista.com or in person at 7010 S. 124th Cir., La Vista, Neb.

With its unique compact design, exchangeable body panels and excellent gas mileage, the Smart ForTwo stands out. However, the Smart ForTwo isn’t practical those of us with families. Luckily, Smart USA will be building a five-passenger car to suit those needs.

Penske Automotive Group recently announced they will be teaming up with Nissan Motor Company to create a four-door hatchback Smart vehicle. Very few details, including the name of the new car, have been released, but it is expected to hit Nebraska showrooms in late 2011. 

The design is yet to be seen, but it’s speculated the 5-passenger Smart car will be based on the Nissan Micra.  It’s expected to be around 12-feet long, four feet longer than the Smart ForTwo, and will be classified as a subcompact vehicle.

The five-passenger Smart will most likely be produced in Mexico and will be sold solely in the U.S. It will be gas-powered and available in both a manual and automatic transmission. Speculators say Penske is targeting a $12,000 base price.
 
The Smart ForTwo car has dropped in popularity over the past year because of lower gas prices and people’s needs for larger vehicles. Smart USA hopes the five-door Smart will interest more people in Smart vehicles again.

Smart USA is keeping this project under wraps right now, but they are encouraging you to check out the website at SmartUSA.com regularly for more details about this exciting new Smart car.