Don’t Be A Distracted Driver!

The Cash for Clunkers Initiative

Time is running out.

Our latest Cash for Clunkers program officially ends on January 3, 2012, so hurry in to take advantage of the incredible incentives we’re offering at our dealership. If you drive a 2005 model year or older vehicle you can receive up to $3,000 in cash incentives. In case you haven’t heard about the Cash for Clunkers program, here’s a quick run-down:

• The Cash for Clunkers program was initiated as an attempt to convince drivers to trade in older vehicles for newer, more fuel-efficient models
• 2005 model year or older vehicles can be brought to Leggat Cadillac, at 2207 Fairview Street, Burlington, Ontario
• Ontarians can claim a cash incentive of $500 to $3,000 to put towards a new lease or purchase depending on their choice of eligible 2011 or 2012 GM vehicle
• Previous vehicle must be in running condition as well as registered and properly insured under your name for at least 3 months prior to trade-in

Leggat Cadillac offers new and used Cadillac, Chevrolet and Buick cars. Many of our in-stock vehicles are eligible for the Cash for Clunkers incentive, so bring your old ride in and get into something more efficient today. Not currently a GM driver? That’s alright, we’ll accept any 2005 or older model year vehicle as part of our pledge to keep Burlington and Ontario greener.

If your current vehicle isn’t old enough for the Cash for Clunkers rebate, you can still keep it running smoothly with our expert Cadillac service department. We offer Chevrolet service and Buick service as well, so don’t forget to come in and have your vehicle properly winterized this year.

Did you participate in the Cash for Clunkers initiative? We’d love to hear from you on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LeggatCadillac or on Twitter @LeggatCadillac.

How To Get Your Ontario Driving Licence

Leggat Auto Group Carries Great Cars for Students!

Isn’t it crazy how quickly summer comes and goes? The school year is just around the corner, and that means a whole new set of young adults are fleeing their nests to go to college or university. While the post-secondary experience can be a great one (living in residence, taking interesting courses, meeting new people, etc.), having a car can certainly make it better.

Being able to get to where you need to be when you need to be there can be difficult when it comes to public transportation. When you own a car, you won’t ever be restricted by a bus schedule. Plus, it won’t take you an hour just to get to class!

Owning a car as a student is also a huge advantage when it comes to grocery shopping. Instead of having to carry tons of heavy bags of food from the grocery store to your residence/house/apartment, all you need to do is load up your trunk. Having a car to carry groceries is really great, especially if you have roommates!

Most upper-year students live off-campus. Houses or apartments that are close to campus or near the city core usually have higher rent. If you have a car, you’ll be able to live further from campus and save on rent.

Some students might be hesitant to buy a car because of the price of gas. At Leggat Auto Group, we carry tons of affordable new and used cars that have amazing fuel economy, like the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and Mazda 2. If you are looking for ways to save money on gas, take a look at our previous blog post “How To Save Money On Gas.” You might also want to take into consideration that owning a car makes having a part-time job much more doable, so you can pay for gas AND even have some extra cash leftover.

For students who are enrolled in cities they are unfamiliar with, having a car allows you discover the city you’re in more easily. It also makes it easier to go to friends’ houses whether they are nearby or far away.

One of the biggest advantages to having your own vehicle is the convenience and freedom it can offer. Every time you need to go home for a weekend or for the holidays – you won’t need to worry about how you’re going to get there. All you need to do is get in your car and enjoy the ride!

See the used inventory we have at Leggat Auto Group.

Are you a student with a car? What do you like about having your own vehicle? Leave your comments!

How To Save Money On Gas

Even with the rising price of gas, we still have “places to go, people to see.” We can’t just put our lives on hold and stop driving because it could save us a few bucks. So how can we get where we need to be without emptying our wallets? Here at Leggat Auto Group, we have come up with a few tips to help you get the bang for your buck when it comes to fuel:

1. Check your gas cap: It seems obvious that if you are trying to save money on gas you should start by making sure your gas cap is in good condition. It has been estimated, however, that nearly 17% of cars on the road today have faulty or broken gas caps. Damaged gas caps allow fumes to escape hurting not only fuel economy, but also the environment. Making sure your gas cap is in good condition is really easy and could save you money in the long run.

2. Check your air filter: Make sure your air filter is clean. A clean air filter can improve your gas mileage by as much as 10%!

3. Don’t speed: It goes without saying that speeding is bad. Not only are you putting yourself and others in dangers when you speed, but you are also using up a lot of fuel.

4. Drive more smoothly: Believe it or not, jerky driving can add as much as ⅓ to your gas bill! Yikes!

5. Lay off the breaks: Driving with your foot on the brake pedal can increase your fuel consumption by as much as 35%. Not to mention, it can wear out your brake pads meaning you’ll need to spend more on maintenance!

6. Don’t idle: If you are going to be stopped for more than 30 seconds, turn your engine off. Idling on the spot adds to air pollution and wastes lots of fuel.

7. Make sure your tires are aligned: If your tires are poorly aligned, they will wear out more quickly. This will force your engine to work even harder, increasing gas consumption.

8. Pump up your tires: Up to ¼ of cars on the road today sit on deflated tires. Correct tire pressure helps increase fuel economy while maintaining performance.

9. Carry as little as possible: For every 100 pounds you carry, your vehicle loses 1 to 2% in fuel economy. If you are carrying any unnecessary extra weight, try to get rid of it!

10. Get regular tune-ups: You should get your car serviced on a regular basis. A properly maintained engine will make your car will run better, resulting in improved gas mileage.

If your vehicle is in need of a tune-up, come to one of Leggat Auto Group’s eight dealerships in Ontario. Whether you need Honda service, Buick service, Cadillac service, we’ve got you covered. Each Leggat Auto Group location is equipped with a professionally trained service team and carries a variety of car parts for easy maintenance.

Do you have any tips for saving money on gas? Leave your comments!

Leggat Auto Group dealerships participate in Relay for Life

Leggat Auto Group is proud to support community events and local charities. This year, our Ancaster Toyota/Scion Ancaster dealership was the luminary sponsor for the 2011 Canadian Cancer Society Ancaster-Dundas Relay for Life.

Relay for Life is an annual event that happens across North America that strives toward finding a cure for cancer. The fundraiser, which was made up of 59 teams this year, includes an overnight, non-competitive relay where team members take turns walking around a track. Cancer survivors are celebrated as they walk the “Victory Lap”, while loved ones are remembered with beautiful luminaries. For those of you who don’t know, luminaries are similar to lanterns that bear the names of cancer sufferers. During each relay, luminaries are lit at a twilight ceremony. Leggat Auto Group is honoured to have been a part of this year’s event.

Ancaster Toyota/Ancaster Scion has become a recognized active member of the local community. The dealership, which is a leading source for new and used cars in Hamilton, Ancaster and the surrounding area, prides itself on its commitment to providing its customers with incomparable service.

The Leggat Auto Group includes seven other dealerships, all of which are committed to providing outstanding service and advice. Our dealerships carry all kinds of vehicles from new Cadillac, Chevrolet KIA, Acura and Mazda cars to used Honda bikes.

For information about the Leggat Auto Group, visit http://www.lag.ca/. If you would like to learn more about the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for life, please go to http://convio.cancer.ca/.

Spring Cleaning…for your car!

The spring season is FINALLY HERE! With record-breaking snowfalls, this past winter was certainly a rough one for Ontario residents… and their cars! Now that the snow is gone and the temperatures are rising, it’s important to get a tune-up for your car. To play it safe, you should get your new or used car serviced a few times a year to keep it in good working condition. It’s especially important to service your car in the spring when the temperatures drastically change from freezing to warm! To help you out, we’re giving you 3 things to pay attention to when getting your car ready for spring…

#1: Give Your Tires Some TLC. Your tires are one of the most important factors to look at when you’re getting your vehicle ready for spring driving. Your first step is to put your all-season tires back on. If you used all-season tires throughout the winter, a tire rotation would be wise. Rotating your tires will help the tread last longer and save you from having to buy another set of tires sooner. Now that the temperature outside is changing, so is your tire pressure. Be sure to check the air in all four of your tires to make sure they are at the optimum level. Plus, having your tires at the right pressure can also help your fuel efficiency (which helps with these escalating gas prices!).

#2. April showers bring May flowers: Ontario has been drenched with rain this April and May, so make sure to keep your windshield wipers in mind when you go in for your spring car service. After all, you need to be able to see where you’re going while you’re driving! Working windshield wipers are crucial to your safety and the safety of others while driving during rainy days.

#3. Bring on the cool when it gets hot. With summer just around the corner, you’ll want to stay cool in the car! That means, making sure your windows are working properly. Test the air conditioning for a few minutes to see if it’s still producing cold air. If not, you may have a leak and need to get it serviced.

It’s important to keep your car in tip-top shape by getting it serviced regularly. To make sure the job is done right, each of Leggat Auto Group’s eight Ontario dealerships offers quality and convenient car service specials at competitive prices. You can book a service appointment right on our website!

Do you have any handy spring car service tips that you want to share? Leave your spring cleaning tips below!

The Texting Lane…

Driving down the roads of Europe in a 2011 BMW Gran Turismo!

Phil reporting for the Leggat Auto Group here… It’s no surprise that car manufacturers are packing more and more technology into cars. I recently read that Toyota plans to allow web searches from their new Navigation system in 2011 models using BING.

On a recent vacation to Europe, I rented a new 2011 BMW Gran Turismo and had a chance to drive it through the mountains of Austria and the “NO-SPEED-LIMIT” Autobahn of Germany. This car was packed with all the latest toys and technology. The handy on-board computer always lead me to my destination, telling me about fuel consumption, traffic jams and weather updates on the extra wide screen in the dash. There were even different driving modes like Comfort or Sport, which changed the chassis and engine performance (even at 180 KM per hour!)
The camera system and sensors ensured I never hit anything when backing into some tight spaces on the old European streets. It had 2 cameras on each side of the car at the front, embedded into the fender and a several rear cameras that were engaged when the car was in reserve.

The seat offered more buttons then I could push! The lumbar support in the back and side helped on the windy turns in the Alps. There was a rain detector on the windshield so the wipers would turn on automatically too.

It seems like the cars in Europe are a bit ahead of us here in North America, but I think the coming years look promising as more manufacturers realize the importance of these technologies. Ford’s new SYNC system seems to be a cut above the rest so far.

Share your comments!

2011 Canadian International Auto Show Showcases the Chevrolet Camaro!

Here at Leggat Auto Group, we get excited to let our consumers know about details on upcoming auto shows and manufacturer displays. We’re especially excited to announce that the Canadian International Auto Show is just around the corner, taking place on February 18th-27th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Hosted by AutoTrader, the International Auto Show is the premier destination for dazzling displays of both design and engineering of some of your favourite car manufactures including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Acura, Mazda and Honda.

At the Canadian International Auto Show, consumers have the opportunity to learn about the latest and most buzz-worthy advancements such as: electric hybrids, enhanced web interaction, navigation and entertainment systems. This year’s show will offer exciting featured events including the premier of the all-new 2012 Buick Verana and a special exhibit showcasing the Chevrolet Camaro. With so many state- of- the- art exhibits to explore, the International Auto Show is the show of the year for automotive enthusiasts!

During your visit to the Auto Show, you’ll have the chance to participate in a wide variety of contests, promotions and special offers exclusive to ticket-holders of the event. Monday February 21st is Family Day at the Auto Show and will showcase a unique itinerary, perfect for a day of family fun! Professional daycare is also available throughout the duration of the Auto Show and is free of cost. Day passes are $20.00 for adults and only $7.00 for children between the ages of 7 and 12.

If you’re interested in new Cadillac, Chevrolet, Honda, Kia, Toyota or Mazda cars, Leggat Auto Group can help!  Also specializing in servicing such as Buick service or Honda service, Leggat Auto Group is your one-stop shop for everything automotive. Be sure to visit our website to learn more, or get social and follow us via Facebook and Twitter!