Congratulations to the 2012 Honda Pilot,
the winner of Cars.com's Best SUV for $37,000

CLICK HERE to view our Honda Pilot Inventory!!!
 
Our most recent shootout put seven of the most popular 3-row SUVs that cost no more than $37,000 in head-to-head testing by the automotive experts from Cars.com, Motorweek  and USA Today  . The competition also included an evaluation of the family-friendliness of each vehicle by a family of four. This was an extremely close competition, but the Honda Pilot took the title for its great mix of comfort, features for the price, roominess and fuel efficiency. View full coverage  of the results on Cars.com.
Pick up today's USA Today to see the front page coverage of our shootout!
Family segments, like 3-row SUV's, are extremely competitive in today's marketplace. Winning an award from Cars.com sends a message to these customers about the quality of the Pilot. Sharing this news in your dealership, on your social networks and in planned marketing materials is a great way to spread the news to potential customers.

CLICK HERE to view our Honda Pilot Inventory!!!

Economy Honda Delivers the
Five-Star Treatment Chattanooga dealershi p makes Honda Fi nancial Services (HFS) part of its VIP process.
The sales team at Economy Honda Superstore in Chattanooga,Tennessee, has one overriding goal. "We always try to deliver the Wow factor," General Manager Corey Choate says. When you take a look at the dealership's processes and the results they deliver, Wow! is a natural reaction. Economy Honda typically sees a closing rate of over 40 percent from its fine-tuned appointment selling process. Those are great results for any dealer, particularly with 50-60 "VIP appointments" on a typical Saturday.

Multiple Award Winner
"HFS is a huge part of our success," Choate says. "With every
new car and every Honda Certified Used Car, we give HFS first look at financing the vehicle, no matter what."
Economy Honda: from left to right: Brett Karstens, Dealer Relations Manager, Denise Dickson, Finance Manager, Jeremy Holsomback, Finance Director, Steve Hadden, Finance Manager, Corey Choate, General Manager, Jeff L. Williams, Regional Manager, Monta Burney, Sales Manager, and Jeremy Newberry, Sales Manager
"Their management has always been 100 percent supportive ofus. We appreciate being their first choice," says Brett Karstens, American Honda Finance Corporation (AHFC) dealer relations manager. "We're supportive of them because they're supportive of us." That dedication has led Economy Honda to win eight consecutive Council of Excellence (COE) awards. It's one of only five dealerships to win the honor so many times.

A Five-Star Experience
Excellence is part of the dealership's business model. "We
have what we call a 'VIP customer process.' Ninety-nine percent of our customers come from the Internet. So when they contact us online or on the phone, we have an agent who
sets up VIP appointments," Choate says. The appointment lives up to its billing. "I'm looking to treat my customers as if they've come to a five-star restaurant or hotel," Choate says. "We're going to know their name before they've arrived, and give them a Wow experience." When these customers arrive at the dealership, they find VIP parking waiting for them. They're greeted by their appointed sales associate, who introduces them to the sales manager.

"We always greet them and thank them for coming in. That
way, when it comes time to present numbers, they're not
getting the numbers from the man behind the glass. They're
getting them from someone they've met." If the customer has come to see a specific vehicle, it's thoroughly cleaned, parked, and waiting just outside the showroom door with the heat or air-conditioning running to suit the weather conditions.
Succeeding with Honda Certified Used-car buyers get the same VIP treatment. Nearly 600 of the used vehicles sold at Economy Honda in 2009 were Honda Certified. The dealership obtains many of its used vehicles from the Vehicle Inter-Dealer Purchase System (VIPS), which gives Honda dealers a way to bid competitively for end-of-term vehicles and complete the transaction without having to leave their dealerships.

"We certify every car that is certifiable. As a dealer, it's crazy
not to," Choate says. "With a Honda Certified Used Car, the
customer will be coming back to me for service and warranty
work."

Honda Care Builds Service Loyalty
Another way to bring customers back is by offering them
Honda Care® Vehicle Service Contracts (VSCs). "We make
sure we present customers with the opportunity to buy
Honda Care and show them the Service Payment Plan (SPP)
option. We make the customer understand the benefits.
$20-$30 per month is not a lot of money to spend if you're
looking at a $1,000 repair down the road." Honda Care is
offered to both new and Honda Certified Used Car customers
and about 45 percent purchase it. Most customers who purchase Honda Care return to the selling dealerships for service. "We sell them the first car, but the service department sells them their second, third, and fourth
cars," Choate says. "I get tons of compliments from our customers about our service." The dealership has made Honda Care a consistent part of its customer-loyalty process. "They've always been one of my most successful dealerships in selling Honda Care," Karstens says. "They utilize a menu process to ensure that it's offered every time, and they don't try to mark up the price. If you overcharge, you will not be successful in selling the product." A People Business
Although Economy Honda has a very detailed process playbook, Choate feels that his dedicated employees are the true secret to its success.

"I give all the credit to the associates in the dealership,"
Choate says. "We focus a lot on our associates' satisfaction.
Customers can tell if people are unhappy and stressed, or
happy and confident. They really appreciate coming back to
buy another car and doing business with the same salesperson and the same manager." With the VIP treatment they experience at Economy Honda Superstore

Minivan market is weirdly fierce: Putting 6 to the test

By James R. Healey, USA TODAY

ATLANTA ? To match the striking developments in today's minivan market, you might have to go back to the seminal launch in 1983, when Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca accidentally was locked inside the company's then-revolutionary new minivan and couldn't sling open the sliding side door and hop out, as planned, at the introduction.

The superstitious at Chrysler surely shuddered, fearing that moment was harbinger of minivan failure.

Instead, family vans ? there's been nothing "mini" about them for years ? enjoyed two strong decades, before sport-utility vehicles began to siphon buyers.

Sales have tumbled to fewer than half the 1.4 million peak in 2000, and family vans' share of the new-vehicle market is about 4%, less than half the zenith of 8.5% in 1995, according to J.D. Power and Associates data.

Now, in what must resemble bald guys fighting over a comb, the few remaining family-van makers have plowed tens of millions of dollars into new and updated vans hoping for modest pieces of a small market.

They are trying luxury features, working to manufacture a "cool" image for their vans and generally beating each other's brains out for sales that ? all players combined ? are about enough to keep two big factories running hard.

Why? Profits, of course. Minivans, it turns out, have become big-ticket items.

"Buyers are willing to pay the $40,000 for a Honda Odyssey or Chrysler Town & Country to get all the bells and whistles," says Jeff Schuster, executive director of forecasting at consultant J.D. Power and Associates.

"It's not a price or payment issue," because family van buyers already have decided that only a well-furnished van suits their needs, says Bruce Velisek, who oversees the Chrysler Town & Country.

At Honda, about 75% of Odyssey sales are models priced at $35,230 and up, says Sage Marie, U.S. product planning manager in charge of vans, SUVs and Honda's sole pickup, Ridgeline. By contrast, he says, "Only 7% of volume is the LX, our entry Odyssey," which starts at $28,580.

Honda sold 108,182 Odysseys last year, according to Autodata, giving it about 24% of the minivan market, a modest number of vehicles by industry standards, but even so, Marie says, "We can make money in the minivan business."

Toyota had about 21% of minivan sales last year. Chrysler Group's Town & Country and the similar Grand Caravan, combined, had about 47%. The crumbs went to Kia and to Volkswagen ? in effect, to Chrysler, which builds the VW van on the same line as its own T&C and Grand Caravan.

Nicely appointed vans

To evaluate the high-end, high-profit vans that make the small market worthwhile, USA TODAY, Cars.com and the MotorWeek TV show convened the Ultimate Minivan Shootout, a comparison test among well-equipped vans priced from about $34,000 to $43,000, without shipping charges.

A suburban Atlanta family was recruited to help judge the vans, ensuring that real-world considerations weren't overlooked. And the family ? Travis and Heather Weatherby and their three children ranging from 15 down to 1 year old ? made the point about high-price vans perfectly.

They are on a push to minimize or eliminate debt, and spent a lot of time with the $35,000 Volkswagen Routan, second-lowest-price of the group. "I like this, I like this," Heather, 41, said several times. "It has all the features I really enjoy" for an attractive price, Travis, 31, noted.

But in the end, their highest scores went to the loaded $43,000 Honda Odyssey, even though they agree that it wasn't the best value, and they judged the visibility mediocre.

Scores from professional auto reviewers who made up the panel of judges also favored Odyssey, making it the overall winner.

The average transaction price for a family van has jumped to about $32,000 or $33,000 from about $30,000 less than two years ago, before the Chrysler Group, Toyota and Honda all introduced new vans, and Nissan returned to the family van market, says Velisek.

Schuster sees family vans as a stable or gently growing market.

Automakers say buyers are those who value practicality more than image, or who actually like the family-first image a van projects. Some makers also suspect that kids who grew up feeling bored and dorkified in their parents' SUVs, once they hit parenthood will reject their ill-remembered SUVs and re-embrace vans.

Supporting the minivan market:

?Huge pool of potential buyers. By the industry's count, some 60 millon Generation Xers 30 to 44 years old, followed by 80 million Millennials ages 15 to 29. That trumps the 70 million Baby Boomers, Chrysler notes, so the odds are favorable.

?Van fans. Most minivans are bought by minivan owners who want another, J.D. Power reports, so there's a good-size pool of likely customers loyal to vans.

?Aging Boomers. Retirees who want to haul grandkids or travel in roomy comfort are settling on minivans more often, automakers agree.

To encourage automakers to load up their vans for the shootout, the price limit was a generous $45,000 before shipping was added.

The only no-show was Kia, which says it had no Sedona available.

As we rolled up test miles in and around Atlanta, rotating drivers through the vans, three facts quickly were clear:

?Family vans are big ? as hefty a footprint as a full-size SUV such as the Chevrolet Tahoe.

The first Chryslers back in the 1980s really were mini. The Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country and Plymouth Voyager were built atop compact-car chassis, were smaller than the full-size delivery-style vans then in vogue among customizers (shag carpet, big stereo speakers, faux wood consoles with the first cup holders) and some nomadic individuals who didn't like the Volkswagen Bus popular with wanderers of the time.

A true minivan, or perhaps "mini-minivan," market is aborning, however. The Mazda5 is about 2 feet shorter than a conventional family van. It seats six, instead of seven or eight, and starts at about $20,000. Ford promises the similar-size C-max, though won't say exactly when, or what price to expect. Schuster forecasts mid-2012 or later.

He expects Chrysler and Fiat to combine for a European-based small van for the U.S., he says, but timing and details are unknown.

New entries usually spur new interest, and Mazda expects the true minivan market to get more attention as rivals arrive.

?There's nothing "mini" about the vans' fuel appetite, either. The government fuel-economy ratings outdo those of truck-based big SUVs but aren't much better than the ratings of the full-size Chevrolet Traverse and Ford Flex crossover SUVs that family-vanless GM and Ford offer as substitutes.

Our mileage run showed real-world fuel economy ranging from about 21 to 26 mpg in mostly highway driving.

Double-checking on varied routes, not part of the official scoring, showed mileages typically in the midteens, which is similar to crossover SUVs.

?Automakers' idea of their "ultimate" vans varied, usually coming in well under our price limit.

Honda took the greatest advantage of the $45,000 ceiling and supplied a $43,250 Odyssey Touring Elite ($44,030 with shipping).

Toyota was close, at $41,144 ($41,944 with shipping), largely because the Sienna had optional all-wheel drive. Sienna's the only van that offers AWD, and 15% to 20% of Sienna buyers pick it, says Rich Bame, national manager of truck and van marketing for Toyota in the U.S.

Seats always have been a key minivan feature. Today's high-price vans have taken that to a new plateau. If you haven't shopped for a family van lately, you might be surprised to hear that the second-row seats in the Sienna fold back in La-Z-Boy lounge fashion. And the Chrysler and Dodge second rows can fold down under the floor to leave a fat, flat space without removing the seats.

Rear entertainment systems likewise have evolved, and today's video screens sprawl up to 16 inches, wide enough to display two video programs side-by-side.

The lure of fancy features alone, though, is unlikely to convert what the auto industry calls "resisters" ? people strongly reluctant to buy a minivan.

Dodge has the R/T "man van" ? black interior, leather upholstery, sporting suspension ? to counter the soccer-Mom image. And a Toyota "swagger wagon" van campaign has been popular on the Internet. A J.D. Power evaluation says, "The campaign appears to have influenced current, and prospective, minivan owners as well as garnered interest from an audience who previously would not have considered a minivan."

J.D. Power analyst Steve Witten says the slight image change has bled into other brands of vans: " Just as Bill Gates made being a nerd cool, these campaigns, if done correctly, can go a far way in helping boost minivan sales."

HOW THE ULTIMATE MINIVAN SHOOTOUT WAS DONE:

?The setup.Cars.com, USA TODAY and MotorWeek TV tested six new full-size minivans in the Ultimate Minivan Shootout ? "ultimate" because we gave automakers a price ceiling of $45,000, before shipping was added. Typical selling price nowadays for minivans: about $33,000.

Testing was done over three days in and around Atlanta.

?The testers. As with all our Shootouts, the vehicles were rated in a variety of areas ? from first impressions to handling and comfort ? by experts and by consumers.

Expert testers were USA TODAY's James R. Healey, Cars.com writers David Thomas, Kristin Varela and Jennifer Newman, MotorWeek producer Brian Robinson.

The family testers were Travis and Heather Weatherby of suburban Atlanta and their three children.

?The scoring. Experts' total scores made up 65% of the final score; the family's, 25%; real-world gas mileage in our highway tests, 10%. A perfect score would be 1,000 points.

Though scores in individual categories varied widely, overall scores for the vehicles were clustered closer, from a lowest of 715.15 points to the top of 854.55.

?The test drives. One-day gas mileage drive of roughly 175 miles, mainly highway and interstate travel, rotating drivers. One day of features comparisons and test driving by experts, over a prescribed suburban Atlanta route. One day of family testing in which the Weatherby family compared features and cargo space and then drove each van over a prescribed suburban route.

HOW EACH OF THE 6 VANS SCORED:

No. 1: 2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite

Shootout score: 854.6 points

Price as tested: $43,250 (most expensive)

Mileage rating: 19/28 mpg; 22 mpg combined (best rating)

Mileage in shootout highway test: 25.9 mpg (first place)

Pros: "It doesn't look like such a Mommy car," Heather said. "The outboard seats in the second row are the comfiest seats in the shootout, and the expandable second row seats three car seats," Newman noted. "By far the best handling of the bunch!" Robinson enthused. "This face-off proved ? just how good the Odyssey is," Thomas wrapped up. "It does everything very well."

Cons: That look. It's angular, it's different and our reviewers loved it or hated it. "Crossover-like styling fools no one," Robinson said. "Looks atrocious ? distressingly ugly in profile," Healey said. The Weatherbys and Thomas were happy with the looks, though. For Newman, "A lot of road noise crept into the cabin." And, she noticed, "the Odyssey has floppy seat belt buckles, which are a major annoyance to older kids in booster seats." Finally, Varela pointed out, "For more than $43,000, I demand power folding third-row seats. I'm also surprised at this price point that the Odyssey doesn't have push-button start."

Overall: The combination of ride, features and handling made this one the winner for our experts and our family. Our family might have been a little biased toward the Odyssey because the Weatherbys previously owned one. Odyssey was the highest-priced and scored first, but that wasn't a theme. Sienna, the second most expensive van, came in last.

Key additional features:

?16.2-inch video screen in 2nd row; HDMI input

?Navigation

?Only competitor with seats for eight

?National Highway Traffic Safety Administration five-star overall safety score (2011 methodology)

?Second row has adjustable seat width to allow three child seats, removable center seat

?Leather seating

?115-volt house-style power outlet

?Blind spot monitoring system

No. 2: 2011 Chrysler Town & Country Limited

Shootout score: 822.4 points

Price as tested: $40,835 (third most expensive)

Mileage rating: 17/25 mpg; 20 mpg combined

Mileage in shootout highway test: 23.2 mpg (third place)

Pros: "Generally excellent," Healey said. Thomas seconded that: "I couldn't believe how upscale the Chrysler interior was vs. the Dodge." Travis Weatherby said he wasn't sold on the Dodge version of Chrysler Groups' vans, "but I'm impressed by this Chrysler. You can't beat the horsepower." "The Stow 'n Go captain's chairs, combined with a power folding third row, easily make the T&C the most flexible minivan we tested," Varela said.

Cons: "Loud engine noise is inconsistent with the level of luxury on the interior," Robinson noted. "I felt a little claustrophobic and smooshed up against the windshield," Varela said. "The Stow 'n Go seat storage compromises comfort," Healey noted, while Newman said, "Seeing out the rear window was difficult" because of the second-row head restraints.

Overall: Our reviewers and test family liked the look of the interior, and the smooth ride, quick engine and overall flexibility.

Key additional features:

?9-inch video screens for 2nd and 3rd rows

?Power folding third row, tailgate seating

?Navigation system

?Remote start

?Leather seating

?Heated front- and second-row seats, heated steering wheel

?Flat-folding second row

?115-volt house-style power outlet

?Blind spot monitoring system

No. 3: 2011 Nissan Quest SL

Shootout score: 769.1 points

Price as tested: $38,040 (fourth most expensive)

Mileage rating: 19/24 mpg; 21 mpg combined

Mileage in shootout highway test: 21.4 mpg (last place)

Pros: "This is a different level," Travis Weatherby said about the Quest's interior. "If there was a van I'd buy, this would be it," Thomas raved. "The fact that you can fold all of the seats flat in the Quest without having to remove any of them is fantastic," Varela added. "The Quest's mixture of chrome and faux wood trim was understated and looked luxurious," Newman said.

Cons: Healey was less impressed. "Odd-looking, pricey, not especially well-suited to the American market, but boy, those seats are great." Odd-looking was a common refrain. "I still don't care for its ugly squared-off rear that makes it look like a brick on wheels," Newman said. Robinson applauded the "big, boxy and minivan-looking" appearance but turned up his nose at "the smell of cheap leather." Robinson and Travis questioned why a $38,000 van wouldn't have navigation.

Overall: Nissan returns to the minivan game after taking a couple of years off, and the reviewers were largely happy with the results. The combination of a high-quality interior and quiet and comfortable ride helped it score well.

Key additional features:

?11-inch screen in 2nd row

?Dual moonroofs

?Only model without navigation system

?SUV-like folding second row

?Leather seating

?Removable second-row center console

?115-volt house-style power outlet

No. 4: 2011 Volkswagen Routan SE

Shootout score: 757 points

Price as tested: $34,750 (fifth most expensive)

Mileage rating: 17/25 mpg; 20 mpg combined

Mileage in shootout highway test: 25.1 mpg (second place)

Pros: "When they (the Weatherbys) saw it was priced the same as the Dodge, but added a second DVD screen and leatherette seats, it was easy to be swayed," Thomas said. Robinson liked the "European tuning" feel of the suspension, adding, "The Chrysler vans are already pretty good handlers, and this one seems a bit better." Healey said the Routan "has much nicer seats than the Chryslers." "It looks like a 10 all around," Travis Weatherby said, "because of the price." Newman called it "wonderfully quiet."

Cons: "Carries over the obnoxious center stack, rickety gearshift lever and awkward interior front-door handles of the previous version," Healey said. "Missing VW's legendary styling," Newman added. "How can this feel cheaper than the Grand Caravan?" Robinson asked. Varela noted: "No telescoping steering" column. And she said it "looks and feels like a really well-kept and clean rental car."

Overall: Interesting. Made by Chrysler for VW, it shares a lot with the Chrysler and Dodge minivans, including the powerful new V-6, but lacks the interior updates of the Chrysler/Dodge redesign. It doesn't have the Stow 'n Go seats. An intriguing choice, both for its value and its VW background.

Key additional features:

?Dual 9-inch video screens for 2nd and 3rd rows

?Navigation system

?Leatherette seating (simulated leather)

No. 5: 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan Crew

Shootout score: 721.6 points

Price as tested: $34,055 (least expensive)

Mileage rating: 17/25 mpg; 20 mpg combined

Mileage in shootout highway test: 22.7 mpg (fourth place)

Pros: "Second-row cup holders that slide out of the back of the center console," Newman said. Several reviewers liked the high number of features for the lowest price. "Say what you want about the lack of comfort to the Stow 'n Go seating, I love the under-floor storage that it provides," Robinson noted.

Cons: "Disappointing," Healey said, "given that it's so similar to the (Chrysler) Town & Country. Seemed downscale, coarser." "While powerful, the new Pentastar V-6 is noisy," Robinson said, and mileage "is still not that great." "The cloth seats alone would make this a no-go, in my book, for families," Varela said. "It's "good at everything, yet excels at nothing," Thoms said.

Overall: Though No. 5, the Grand Caravan impressed with its many features for the price. "Price is a big bonus," Robinson said. It's "extremely well-equipped for $34,000." Still, it fell short. "For minivan drivers on a budget, this one is for you," Varela said, adding, "Just don't compare it to other minivans."

Key additional features:

?9-inch video screen in 2nd row

?Manual-fold 3rd row with tailgate seating

?Remote start

?Navigation system

?Cloth seating

?Heated front and 2nd-row seats, heated steering wheel

?Flat-folding 2nd row

?115-volt house-style power outlet

No. 6: 2011 Toyota Sienna XLE

Shootout score: 715.2 points

Price as tested: $41,144 (second most expensive)

Mileage rating: 16/22 mpg; 18 mpg combined (worst in class)

Mileage in shootout highway test: 22 mpg (fifth place)

Pros: Thomas applauded "a strong engine and exceptional handling," Healey appreciated that the Sienna was the "only van available with all-wheel drive, a definite plus." Newman said the "exterior styling doesn't scream minivan."

Cons: The reviewers' disappointment showed in several ways. Many disliked the loud engine. Varela said the interior seemed of poor quality. Robinson noted, "lots of ways to configure the seats, they're not the easiest or most intuitive to figure out." Several commented that the "lounge-like second-row seats" were "gimmicky." "I'm just not that impressed with the Sienna," Travis Weatherby said. "I was expecting to be blown away."

Overall: The term "disappointment" came up again and again in comments from our reviewers. Several noted that while they enjoyed the "swagger wagon" marketing for the redesigned minivan, in reality it fell short of that title.

Key additional features:

?Only model with all-wheel drive

?Insurance Institute for Highway Safety top safety pick

?16.4-inch video screen in 2nd row

?Lounge seats with retractable footrests in 2nd row

?Navigation system

?Leather seating

?All windows have auto up and down

?Two 115-volt house-style power outlets