Let’s be Civic minded

So we’ve all seen the Consumer Reports dowsing of the 2012 Honda Civic. Not enough steering feedback, poor braking performance, other cars have surpassed it and so forth. Is it really true? Has Honda lost the compact car crown to  those pesky Koreans or even worse to the (gulp) Americans?

This is the question we wanted to answer here at Plaza Auto Leasing. The 2012 Honda Civic is not so much a revolutionary car as an evolution of the previous model; a few styling tweeks and some interior updates. The mechanics are almost the same as well. So what happened here? Why all the bad press?

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After a look at both the 2012 Elantra and the 2012 Civic LX, it becomes apparent what the problem is: Style. The Hyundai Elantra has style, pizzazz, a pretty face. The Civic is well… staid and rather boring. That’s it though. The Elantra does not ride better, brake better or perform any better than the Civic. Sure the Elantra’s shape is swoopy and eye catching but dollar for dollar, you’d be hard pressed to find a better car for getting you from point a to point b than the Civic.

Both the Civic and the Elantra achieve commendable gas mileage numbers and are both comfortable enough on the highway to make them a nice little commuter. The Civic seems quieter on the highway and has a very nice planted feel to it. The back seat of the Civic is far superior to the Elantra’s with it’s man in a box feel. The Civic also outshines the Elantra in build quality with that famous Honda precision. No gaps in door panels to be found here.

In sum, if what you’re looking for is a nice little car to get you from point a to point b, then look no further than the Honda Civic. if style is more important to you, the Elantra is your best bet. Simple right?

Hyundai’s Veloster is quite the cool car

There are certain cars when you stumble across them make you take a second look. Then you say “Wow, that is one cool looking car!” The Hyundai Veloster is one of them. And this from a company who 15 years ago was lucky to produce what in most countries would be fit for amusement park use only. Something else.

Sumptuous curves, Avant Garde styling and an edginess that just won’t quit. Just take a look at a few of the pictures below:

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Your writer had the opportunity to sit in  one of these little gems today and check out the interior, controls, switches. In a few words, this is one well put together car and suprisingly roomy. The stick shift gives a nice “snick” “snick ” as you row through the gates and the fit and finish is impressive.

Coolest feature of all is the third door. Like a secret passage way in a child’s dream, this opening almost seems to appear from nowhere. The reason for this contraption is to make the rear seat accessible for a short jaunt or for small (really small) children for a longer ride. That the rear seats are tiny is a bit of an understatement and is more of a shelf than a proper chair.

But this car was never intended to be a “family car”. Its 138hp base engine is no seething monster of a power plant either. From concept to show room it was designed as nice little sports car with a focus on handling and driving fun more than anything else. And it fits the bill in spades. In sum, if your looking for a sporty, well put together commuter car that can carve up a few turns then this is the car for you. Even better, with a base price of $17,300 and good lease rates it is a bargain to boot!

Why not come in and test drive one today? Give us a call 718-975-9000 and we’ll be happy to help 🙂

How do you spell excitement? T.S.X.

With the summer coming to a close, the smell of fall is in the air. The leaves are turning their many hues, humidity disappears and we need our jackets as we step outdoors. We get ready for work or school or whatever, unlock the doors, put the key in the ignition and turn on our….OLD BORING CAR!

Sounds familiar? Perhaps you should consider the Acura TSX. It is probably the most affordable luxury car on the market. With light, nimble handling and a 201-hp motivator in the shape of an internal combustion power plant, this car promises a fine driving experience. As with all Acuras, this one is very nicely appointed as well.  Leather, sunroof and Blue Tooth are pretty much standard.

The attention to detail can be felt in everything;from the solid way in which the windows shut to the nicely finished stitching on the seats to the quality feel of the dashboard and instrumentation. A very nice car indeed!

The nicest part? The price. $269 a month before tax and bank fees is a veritable steal. So if the fall has you thinking and wishing for a new car, you could do far worse than come on and visit you PALs at Plaza Auto Leasing to check out the 2011 Acura TSX.

Do you FIT?

Over the years the auto industry has brought us many a shoe box with wheels. You’ve all seen them puttering around town with their drivers hunched over the wheels like some circus performer about to issue forth from the car followed by his painted cohorts with red noses and big shoes. Awfully uncomfortable looking. If you’re even of average height and build these tiny cars can be a squeeze and if  you’ve ever shopped in a big and tall store you can forget it. But hey, they’ve got fuel economy that would rival a 125cc motorcycle’s and parking is a breeze.

Compelling reasons to shoehorn yourself in, eh?

Whatever your answer is, the real point is that you must compromise. Size for comfort. Convenience for  posture, etc… Or do you?

Enter the Honda Fit. When first introduced some time ago, it seemed like a dream come true. Small size outside and big space inside. Even a six footer would fit without scraping his noggin on the visor. And those back seats…Magic! The fold every which way from Sunday so you can create up to 57 cubit feet of cargo room. It’s like a cavern in there. OK, so you’ll still have to tie the new mattress to the roof but groceries, boxes, instruments, all fit (no pun intended).

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The ergonomics are fabulous for such a small car. It’s safe with Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) Body Structure, six airbags and ABS and the car is fun to drive. A peppy with its light weight and 117hp engine. It also comes pretty well equipped even in basic trim:

• 117-hp, 16-valve i-VTEC^® 4-Cylinder Engine
• Drive-by-Wire™ Throttle System
• Dual-Stage, Multiple-Threshold Front Airbags (SRS)
• Front Side Airbags with Passenger-Side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS)
• Side Curtain Airbags
• Driver’s and Front Passenger’s Active Head Restraints
• Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA^®) with Traction Control[2]
• Security System
• Body-Colored Folding Power Side Mirrors
• Cruise Control
• Illuminated Steering Wheel-Mounted Cruise Controls
• 10 Beverage Holders
• 160-Watt AM/FM/CD Audio System with MP3/Windows Media^® Audio (WMA) Playback Capability and 4 Speakers
• USB Audio Interface
• MP3/Auxiliary Input Jack

So what are you waiting for? If you need a small car that fits (there I go again) anywhere, gets great gas mileage and is a pleasure to drive you could do far worse than to come in and try one out at Plaza Auto Leasing.  We’ve got them right here in our showroom and will happy to help you see if you “fit” 🙂

Genie Deal! Nissan Sentra SR

Here’s a really cool Genie Deal!

$0 Down. Tax and Bank fees not included. NY and NJ Customers Only.

 

 

 

So you want a Hybrid?

You know things are actually getting better? Well… OK that statement requires a bit of clarification. There are earthquakes, hurricanes, wars, famine, economic crisis, etc… When we wrote that things were getting better, we were referring to increased availability of Earth friendly cars, namely Hybrids. You know, the vehicles that use a combination of gas, electricity and fairy dust to achieve locomotion? They are made in Japan, Korea and right here in the good old US of A.

Honda makes a few of them; so does Toyota, Hyundai and Chevy. There are others but we forget the names of those like you did. We wanted to draw your attention to one car in particular that has captured our fancy. That car is the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid.

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Forget about the fact that it drives well and looks great, let’s talk about fuel economy. According to the EPA this little gem gets  40 MPG on the highway! That means if you traveled from Brooklyn, New York to Miami, Florida you’d use about 31 gallons of gas. Compare that with about 50 something with most other cars and you get the picture.

Combine that level of efficiency with the 206 horsepower on tap plus a gaggle of safety and convenience features and you’ve got yourself a winner. At around $285 a month before tax and bank fees, this is one compelling a case for getting a Hybrid!

Check out the video below for some more info and don’t forget to give us a call at 347-554-6710 when you’re ready to drive one 🙂

A Korean car? Yeah… they’re pretty good.

With the latest events in Japan making the chance of an immediate Japanese manufacturing rebound seem pretty slim, everyone has been forced to explore different vehicle options. When a Honda or Toyota is not available, what is there? The US government would have you believe that an American manufactured car is the way to go and they may be right but we have another and more promising option to present to you. Korean.

Yes those same Korean cars that many considered the answer to the riddle “What’s a car but not really a car?” Those throw away lunch boxes with wheels.

Well…no longer. Korean cars especially Hyundais are now the transportation of choice for a lot of people here in the US. From the luxurious Equus and Genesis lines to the sprightly Elantra and Accent, Hyundai is making some of the best cars out there period. They are well put together, solid and just about any other adjective you could think of that would describe reliability and quality.

Just take a test drive in the 2012 Sonata and you’ll see why we are in love with Hyundai. Slick and stylish but not ostentatious, it will get you and your family to their destination in comfort and it’s even fun to drive. The price? Very affordable. Generally less expensive than their Japanese and American competition they provide huge bang for your buck.

Now here’s the plug: We’re authorized to sell these cars and you can come down to 2750 Nostrand Ave in Brooklyn NY 11210 and check them out for yourself in our showroom any time you’d like.  You can call us at 718-975-9000 ex. 710 and ask for the PAL or request a quote online here.

Thanks for reading and we’ll see you next article!

The mystery deal of the day!

Not to leave you guessing but we thought you might like to read a bit about the Plaza Auto Leasing first… Oh who are we kidding?! Here’s the deal enjoy and if you’d like to get this deal just fill out our handy dandy quote form here or call 718-975-9000.

When do you cross the line? Exploring the Honda CrossTour.

With all of this discussion about SUVs turning our planet into a smog filled, disgusting, toxic mess, and the fact that gas prices are too d$*&m high, people have been gravitating towards more responsible and less exciting urban oriented vehicles. The Smart car comes to mind but there are others too. These little buggers get about 1000 miles to the gallon and takes up less room than a shoe box in your closet. But you’re sacrificing a lot by driving one of these roller skates. Comfort, safety, headroom, good posture, etc… So what do you do?

The question is whether you must make compromises you don’t want to or say “the heck with responsibility! I want to drive a beast with four wheel drive and monster tires. I don’t care if I rip a hole in the Ozone Layer above my driveway!” Is there a solution?

Enter the Honda Crosstour. Apparently the people at Honda had the same question we all do: Can we have our cake and eat it to?

One look at the Crosstour tells us emphatically YES! It’s a real cross over without many compromises. You get that lovely high seating position so you feel in command and still retain the car like agility missing from most SUVs out there (the Porsche Cayenne excepted). Good forward visibility and the solid, confident feeling we’ve come to expect in a Honda are all there. And if the roads ever get covered in that awful white stuff that shows up every winter or another raining mess with a female moniker dumps a foot of water on us again, you’re prepared with AWD and plenty of ground clearance!

Sure there are a few niggling details that give us pause. Looking out the rear window is like looking out of a gun slit and there’s a pretty high lift gate which makes getting anything into and out of the trunk a chore. Some people are up in the air about the looks too.

These are things you can get used to and remember that you’re driving a Honda which is renowned for its quality cars and excellent track record. Add that to the absolute utility and comfort of this vehicle and we’ve got a real winner here!

If you’d like a quote on this or any other vehicle simply fill out our quote form here.

1957 Pinin Farina Ferrari 250 GT Speciale

“At 6,000 r.p.m.,” she said, “it will absolutely howl.” Ms. Allin