Buick Helps Kids Lace up with Samaritan’s Feet

I love this cause and I hope that we can get something like this going locally. Please read below and I'm sure this will hit home as it did for me.

"While having one or more pairs of shoes is taken for granted in developed nations, more than 300 million children around the world go without shoes, and nearly 1 million die each year as a result of soil-transmitted illnesses and foot-borne diseases. In its effort to promote foot health for children, Samaritan’s Feet has a long-term goal to fit 10 million kids with 10 million pairs of shoes in 10 years."

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Buick Teams with NCAA to Celebrate Human Achievement

For those who haven't seen some of these videos, you must see! The Human Highlight Reels share inspiring stories of former student athletes. Read on below:


DETROIT – Winners in college sports are well documented, but the victories earned by campus champions away from the game are often more impactful, yet rarely get the same attention. That’s why, as part of a new corporate partnership, Buick, NCAA, Turner Sports and CBS Sports will shine a spotlight on the accomplishments of former student-athletes making a difference in their communities.




Buick and NCAA will tell inspiring true stories of human achievement through the Buick Human Highlight Reel. For the featured former student-athletes, victory occurs away from the game when they apply the lessons of sport to community involvement, reaching out to help and connect in exhilarating ways.

The Buick Human Highlight Reel will launch at the beginning of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. A collection and archive of complete stories will appear online at www.ncaa.com/buick. Additionally, Buick will be the exclusive title sponsor of a 30-minute television show featuring select Human Highlight Reel stories that will air prior to the 2011 NCAA Men’s Final Four® semifinal games on April 2. Selected video profiles also will air during preliminary-round tournament coverage on truTV.



The filmmaking project complements the recently announced Buick Achievers Scholarship Program, which will provide up to $4.5 million-a-year in scholarship funds to 1,100 college-bound students nationwide who excel both in the classroom and in the community. The scholarships are renewable for up to five years.



“While the scholarship program will help foster the next generation of leaders, the Buick Human Highlight Reel will celebrate former college student-athletes who are leading winning efforts in their communities,” said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of Buick marketing. “By sharing their stories Buick and our partners hope to inspire others to go above and beyond to help others achieve their fullest potential in life.”
Cont....
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Odometer Fraud, Don't let it happen to you!

I came across this article and wanted to make sure I sure shared with as many people as possible. It is so important in your car buying quest to always know the history of the cars before you buy. We stand by our carfaxes and will give you one for free. Please contact any of our staff with any questions!


PHOENIX - The odometer fraud industry is a big part of used-car buying in Arizona, and sellers are getting away with it even though buyers never know.

You can see this story through the eyes of a man we'll call Jim. He doesn't want his real name used because of his experience with a 2004 Honda Accord.
He told us he wanted a car with less than 60,000 miles on it. He searched Craigslist, and found one listed as having just 47,000 miles on it.
He set up a meeting in Surprise with the owner, and Jim took an extra step and had a mechanic look it over.
With no problems found, Jim handed over $9900 in cash. Then he ran a Carfax report.He found the 47,000-mile Accord really had at least 163,000 miles on it.
The ABC15 Investigators tracked down records to show what happened next.
Jim got rid of the Accord. Records show he traded it to Showcase Honda in Phoenix. Showcase titled it with the actual miles, 197,950 at that point.
Then Showcase sold the car at a Valley auto auction to a place called Trans USA of California.
The Investigators tried to contact Trans USA but could not find a business listing under that name.
At this point, records show most of those miles disappear, and the Accord was listed as having 48,000 miles before being sold again.
We next found the Accord in front of a Phoenix home and knocked on the door.
The family said they bought the car with a title stating the actual miles were not known. But when we told them it had nearly 200,000 miles, the family was surprised.
I asked Tom Clinkenbeard, Inspector General with the Arizona Department of Transportation, how it could happen.
Clinkenbeard said there isn't a mechanism in the Arizona Motor Vehicles Division that tracks mileage and raises a red flag for a new buyer. He told me the magnitude of the odometer fraud problem is huge in Arizona.
And while he said his department investigates complaints, they don't get that many.
We found that could be because used car buyers just don't know their odometers have been rolled back.

The ABC15 Investigators talked with an insider who understands the world of odometer fraud. He didn't want his identity revealed, but said the problems begin at auto auctions.
Only dealers are supposed to bid on the vehicles after undergoing a background check, but the insider said scammers routinely get access by paying a couple of hundred dollars to a dealer.
Then, he said, the person getting the car spends another couple of hundred dollars and gets the odometer rolled back.
The insider said he's seen it done. He said you state the number of miles you want rolled back and it takes about 3 minutes.
The Investigators also found devices sold online for about $400 that can be used for rollbacks.
Maria Contreras of Phoenix knows first hand about the rollbacks. She bought a car from a man who she said "looks like a nice person."
She was told the car had only 70,000 miles. So, she bought it for $8,000.
Then, she received a letter from state investigators showing the car actually had 439,000 miles.
She believes the car is worth just a fraction of what she paid.
The seller got a citation for rolling back odometers, but the ABC15 Investigators went undercover and found those same people trying to sell a truck to us.
The truck showed 95,000 miles. We found it actually had 147,000 miles.
Before we could confront the seller, the truck had been sold. It happens that fast and likely to a person who had no idea of the true mileage.
The insider we talked with also said that the title process makes it too easy to cheat.
Maria's title is a good example. It should have 439,000 listed. But the seller claimed there was an error. There is a line drawn through the 4 and a circle around it.
The seller then claimed the 4 should not be there and he wanted a correction. The car was then titled with just 39,000 miles.
In Arizona and other states, a car can be titled without knowing the actual miles.
Clinkenbeard said there are good reasons to allow cars be titled without actual miles. But he also said "in an ideal world, if we didn't title vehicles with miles unknown that would eliminate a lot of the problem."
Clinkenbeard said changing that would likely take years and legislative action.
We learned from our investigation that if a price is too far below blue book value, there's usually a reason.
Also, make sure to have a mechanic check out any car you're about to buy.
And look for the car's history.
Carfax and Autocheck are two services that offer car histories. It will cost you, but can show if the car has a rolled back odometer.

Cheers!

Buick Sales Rocket 90 Percent in February

Buick has really revamped their brand. They are definitely appealing to a younger demographic that typically would consider imports. But, now with the sleek new styles and modern interior why wouldn't you consider one!
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DETROIT – Buick, the fastest growing major automotive brand in the United States in 2010, delivered its 17th straight month of retail sales gains with a 90 percent increase over last February. The brand’s total February sales also improved 73 percent year-over-year, thanks in part to the increased availability of the new fuel-efficient Regal CXL Turbo.


“Buick is gaining great traction in the midsize sedan, full-size car and crossover segments, thanks in part to very positive word of mouth,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Buick & GMC Sales and Service. “We fully expect the arrival of the fuel-efficient LaCrosse with eAssist and all-new Verano luxury compact to attract even more new customers to the brand.”

Approximately 38 percent of Buick buyers come from non-GM brands, including nearly 18 percent come from imports, calendar year-to-date.
Regal, which has the highest conquest rate of any Buick calendar year to date at 46 percent, enjoyed its strongest sales month since its launch last spring. Regal’s retail sales in February were 55 percent higher than in January. Regal’s total sales were up 59 percent compared to the same period – 21 percent higher than its previous highest month (December).

Regal’s recent sales gains are fueled in part by the increased availability of the all-new Regal CXL Turbo, which accounted for approximately 25 percent of Regal’s sales in February. On the open road, Regal Turbo’s 2.0-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine delivers 220 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, better than Acura TSX. Regal Turbo, which is now available with manual six-speed transmission, also delivers better fuel economy, with an EPA-rated 32 mpg highway.

“Regal sales are expected to grow even more with the arrival of the new Regal with eAssist and high performance Regal GS later this year,” Sweeney said.

After enjoying its strongest sales in history in 2010, Enclave is on its way to having another strong year, with retail sales up 45 percent in February compared to the same period in 2010. Total sales for the luxury crossover were up by 38 percent for the month.

LaCrosse, which Car & Driver magazine recently honored with a 2011 Editor’s Choice Award, also had a strong February, with a 28 percent increase in retail sales and a 7 percent increase in total sales.